Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo decided to take a train back to Nerima instead of trying to walk back. During the trip, Ranma recounted to Akane about what happened with the Demon Taque, Sailor Sol, and the fight. Akane did not believe everything that Ranma told her but she humored Ranma since he did. She had always wondered where the Sailor Senshi came from... now she knew, if Ranma was telling the truth.
After they left the train station, they could see that something had happened in their absences. Something big... So big, that it left most of Nerima in ruins. Only a few buildings remained standing... rubble clogged the streets... smoke blowing in the wind... in other words, Nerima was a war zone. Or rather, the aftermath of one.
After convincing Akane that her family could take care of themselves, Ranma headed off to see his mother. Akane, alone, went home. As she went, she tried to imagine what had happened. She noticed various houses were crushed, others smashed, and still others were simply gone. It wasn't until she passed Furinkan High School that the extent of the damage became apparent.
Furinkan High School, her High School... the place where she would have started her Senior year in... was completely destroyed. Only the basement, which was the Principal's office, remained. Fortunately, it happened when school was out, a break before beginning the new academic year. So the causalities were low and limited to those who fought the monster. Most of the population of Nerima was smart enough to leave before the major 'fireworks' began. Of course, Nerima being the capital of Martial Artists outside of China, there were many who had engaged the monster in the battle. Many were removed early and quite easily. Akane was able to piece together that the battle had came down between the monster, who called himself the Demon Trin, and Ranma's friends, Ryoga, Ukyou, Mousse, and Shampoo, and the adults Cologne, Genma, Soun, and Happosai.
Since there were only a handful of structures still standing, Soun Tendo had agreed to allow Doctor Tofu turn the family dojo into a hospital. Akane was surprised and shocked to see so many people injured, especially since she knew a lot of the people there. Closest to her as she entered, was Ryoga with Ukyou sitting near him. Ukyou was feeding him some of the okonomiyaki she made. Mousse was trying to comfort Shampoo, who was silently crying to herself over her Great-Grandmother's form. Cologne was in a full body cast with various tubing attached to her. Genma, his left arm in a sling, was playing a game of shogi with her father who had a sling over his right arm.
As Akane looked around she saw more of her fellow students, friends, teachers, and some strangers, all of whom where known martial artists. Only Happosai, Nabiki, and Kasumi was missing.
Nani?!?Akane thought. Where could they be?
As that thought crossed her mind, Kasumi wearing an apron entered the dojo with a platter of food. At least, Akane thought it was Kasumi... Only it was Nabiki wearing Kasumi's apron.
"Oneesan?!?! What's going on? Where's Kasumi-oneesan and Happosai?" she asked Nabiki.
With a shake of her head Nabiki directed Akane into the kitchen to talk so as to not distrib any of the patients.
Once in the kitchen, Nabiki took off the apron, sat down at the table, and directed Akane to do the same. In a small, quiet voice Nabiki told Akane the details of what happened after the demon Taque kidnapped her with Ranma in pursuit the previous morning.
What happened was another demon, which most of the people called a monster, appeared at Furinkan High School and started destroying everything it saw. Kuno, who graduated recently, was there paying respect to his former teachers before he went off to Nekomi Institute of Technology and in typical Kuno-like behavior attacked it. The demon, which seemed to recognize him somehow, took Kuno's attack seriously, at first. But as time went on, it began to play with him. As it happened, Ryoga wandered by and got sucked into the fight. He gave Trin more of a challenge. The demon seemed venurable to Ryoga's ki-attacks, which had drawn Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse into the fight.
The battle escalated from there. Furinkan High School was the first to fall and the battle damages grew to the surrounding area. When the family dojo was threated, Soun, Genma, Ukyou, and Happosai entered the fray. Even with all those fighters, it was almost a massacre, only Cologne and Happosai were able to inflict any true injuries on the beast. Nabiki, when cornered, tried helping by throwing rocks... but all that did was cause the demon to throw a fire ball at her. Akane could hear the frustration and helplessness in Nabiki's voice as she talked.
Within an hour, most of Nerima had laid in ruins. It had been decided, after regrouping at the dojo, to make one final attack. To use the dojo... as a final stand. The plan was for Ryoga, the fathers, and Kuno to distract the demon while Cologne and Happosai prepared their most powerful techniques. There was good news and bad news. The bad news was that the plan went smoothly until Cologne and Happosai implemented their attacks. Happosai was stuck by a fire ball and was burned alive while Cologne was squashed almost flat. The good news was that the demon was weakened by the combined attacks. Not that any of the martial artists were able to take advantage of it.
Mysteriously, three arrows flew at the demon. The first arrow landed right between the demon's eyes, the second arrow sprouted out of its heart, and the last arrow struck its stomach. There was a brief flash then the demon fell over on its back and turned to dust.
Once it was apparent that the demon was defeated by the mysterious archer, Rescue Teams and other Emergency Services rushed in to take care of the wounded.
"It was only when we... came back that we noticed that... Kasumi... was missing," Nabiki said to close her tale.
Kasumi is missing? Akane thought.
"Father.... Father insists that Kasumi simply went to the market," she explained. "But the market... and everything else is closed! So...."
"Where's Kasumi?" Akane finished for her sister. "You don't think...."
"NO!!!!" Nabiki screamed. "Kasumi is NOT dead."
"Then... Where is she?" Akane asked softly.
"I DON'T KNOW!!!!!" Nabiki replied hotly. "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ANYMORE!!!!"
With that Nabiki started to break down and began to cry into Akane's shoulder. Akane at a lost as to what to do.... So she simply did what Kasumi would have done. She simply held Nabiki in her arms and rocked her back and forth.
Ranma was nervous... scared even. Sure, he had fought monsters, demons-- okay, one actual demon-- evil martial artists, misunderstood martial arts, actual perverts, and the like. So there were five... maybe six, individuals in the world out to kill him who could and have literally popped out of nowhere to attack him... But this was DIFFERENT.
Ranma was going home. A place that to him that was like a fairy tale. A place that Ranma wondered at night if it really existed or not. Did the evil Orge of his father's stories really exist... Was the demoness really his mother? 'Mother,' another fairy tale Ranma remembered from his youth.
Now was the time to separate truth and fiction. Swallowing his fears, Ranma rang the bell to his own home.
"Come in, Ranma," a voice said from within.
Hesitately, Ranma enter the lair of the beast.... As his father had shown him countless number of times the importance of doing so, Ranma silently mapped out all the possible escaped routes in his head as he walked over to his mother.
Nodoka Saotome was standing by the stove wearing an apron as she added some spices to a soup. As Ranma walked into her kitchen, her face light up in a smile. It was the type of smile only a mother can give a son. It was filled with happiness, love, and pride. 'How I waited for this day,' she thought to herself.
She took off her apron, walked over to her son, and held him while saying, "Look at you!"
She saw the terror in her own son's eyes, it hurt her slightly but she understood and regretted what she had done more in that moment than in any other of the time since she forced Genma into making that promise. To banish both their pains, she hugged Ranma like she used to when he was little.
"So you found the house okay?" she asked. She felt his head nod and continued babbling, "I was afraid that you might have forgotten.... It's been too long since I've held you. The area has change some since you and your father left.... I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't help myself... That's why I insisted that you walk me home that time last month when the power went out."
Ranma froze. 'Did mother just say what I thought she just said,' came the incredible thought.
"I knew I shouldn't worry... but Mothers are like that," Nodoka continued. "The Council on High said you would come home today, but it's been sooo long. Anyway... Here! Let's remove the torn-up shirt and replace it with a new one."
While Ranma just stood there, paralyzed with confusion, Nodoka removed his shirt. The same shirt that Ranma had worn in fighting with the Demon Taque that had caused a number of stares from the people on the train as he and Akane rode back to Nerima.
"Tsskk," Nodoka said as she looked at scars on Ranma's chest. "You really shouldn't let what Ryouga-kun says about me get to you like that. You let your anger be used against you." She proceed to analyse their fight in great detail, something he would have only expected from a Martial Art Master like his father, Happosai, or Cologne, definitely not from any the Tendos or Ryouga. Of the Tendos, only Soun came close... Akane in a decade or two. Kasumi and Nabiki only had a beginners understanding of the Art, which is to say they only knew rumors and movie tricks. Although, Kasumi was very good with a bow, but, for some reason has been hiding that fact from her family. Of course, she couldn't hide it from him. Whenever, he thought of Kasumi, he thought a bow and arror would fit her, just like a katana fitted his mother.
'How?' Ranma thought as he realized his mother was referring to the scar on his side that Ryoga gave him seven months ago. He and Ryouga had been fighting in some woods outside of Tokyo, only he and Ryouga were there. All the Tendos and his father were back at the Dojo. While the other boys thought it was cool that he had a scar, he didn't think so. His mother was right, he had gotten it simply because he let Ryouga get to him.
"And you shouldn't let your iinazuke distract you like that either," Nodoka said with a smile as she traced another scar left from the time that Kuno-sempai came at him with an actual katana instead of his usual bokken.
'That was two months ago...' Ranma realized. 'And getting into a heated argument with Akane while battling Kuno wasn't a good idea.' Kasumi and Nabiki had been out at that time and Soun and Genma thought it was a good idea for Ranma to defend his iinazuke from Kuno-sempai. Too bad, Kuno-sempai was only interested in Ranma.
"There...." Nodoka said as she settled the new shirt on Ranma. The shirt was of the red Chinese silk that he had began favoring after leaving China. Not only was it the correct size, but it was made from a very expensive, high-grade silk. The silk was of such a high-grade that he doubt it came from a department store or the like.
Ranma was surprised and awed when his mother picked him up completely off the floor just like she used to do when he was a lot smaller and lighter. The awe part grew as he realized that his mother had picked him up with no apparent difficulties. Even Ryouga had some trouble in picking him up, while he wasn't as heavy as his father, he wasn't a lighweight either.
She turned slightly after settling him into a chair at the small kitchen table, put a bowl of the soup she was making as he had come in, and set it down saying, "I hope you still like this."
The smell of the soup was one of the few vivid memories of his childhood. While running around China and other places with his father, he had always looked for a similar soup, but never found it. He was surprised to realized the soup did in fact taste just like he remembered.... 'And I thought I exaggerated the taste.'
"It's not that hard to make... only the ingredients aren't that common these days," his mother answered the unspoken question in his eyes. His mother sighed and said, "Those were the days.... Anyhow, I suppose I have some explaining to do."
Ranma was happy. Even content with life at the moment. For the first time within his life, everything made sense. Oh, there were a few mysteries left, the biggest being Akane, but those were the type of challenges he lived for.
Like Ryoga, he was so completely absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even knew where he was going. But unlike Ryoga, when his thoughts cleared he realized where he was. 'I'm at the Tendo's place... I walked from my house to here.'
It was still a new and comforting feeling to know his mother and more importantly that his mother happily accepted him as he was. His happiness vaporized as he heard the moans and groans coming from the dojo.
As he entered he was assaulted by the sight of his friends hurt with the pain etched on their faces. In a flash of insight, he understood why his mother had given him that pouch that he now had at his side. In a rush, he went into the Tendo kitchen, took a kettle that had some hot water in it, and brought it back to dojo after making a tea out of some of the herbs in the pouch.
He gave a cup to those who could drink on there own and helped those who couldn't. After a few moments of drinking the tea, all the patients were more at ease than when he entered.
The silence was so different that it woke Doctor Tofu up from his doze... he had been working non-stop since late yesterday morning when the demon's victims started flooding the hospitals and that was about fourty-eight hours ago.
'Nani?!?!?' Tofu-sensei exclaimed to himself.
Seeing Tofu's confusion, Ranma walked quietly (as if he ever walked any other way) up to him and said, "I gave them some Urnyvat tea."
Seeing as how that didn't help explain, Ranma said, "It's modern name is..."
Angrily Tofu-sensei replied, "I know what it is! Just that..."
"I only used two finger-long leaves to make the tea," Ranma answered defensively. "Plus a full kettle of hot water."
"How?" Tofu-sensei asked more calmly. Knowledge of the Urnyvat tea, a cure-all wonder herb, was limited to only a few apothecary. If one used too much, instead of Healing, it could kill. The leaves that made Urnyvat tea were extremely rare. In all of Tofu's books, no one knew where to find the leaves after the Shoguns, Emperors, and Priests of Asia horded all the leaves for their one greedy use. Tofu, himself, only knew of the legends that told of its miraclious healing properties.
"My mother gave some to me..." Ranma stated proudly. 'Didn't know why until now,' he left unsaid.
"Your 'mother?'" Tofu said. For the first time, Tofu was now fully alert and had noticed various things different about Ranma. First and biggest Tofu could see was the katana. It was resting on his back such that the end-point was at his left waist and the handle was visible over his right shoulder. The second things Tofu noticed was that he was wearing full, long-sleeve chinese outfit made of high-grade silk that was tied down at key points to prevent the cloth from hampering any of his movements. The third item was the leather pouch on his right side.... It reminded Tofu of a Shaolin priest's medicine pouch. The last thing of note was the seriousness and maturity in his eyes.
This is no longer a boy... Tofu thought sadly, this is a man. Ranma has grown up.
"My mother spent some time with an old Shaolin apothecary," Ranma answered the unspoken question. He thought, 'Yeah... about a century worth of time. Of course, she wasn't the one who told me how to use the leaves.'
"I take it you've... 'talked' with your mother," Tofu-sensei asked.
"Yep," Ranma replied, "Sure did."
Seeing that everything will be fine, given time, Ranma left Tofu-sensei and walked over to his father. At first he was angry that with all the pain in the room Genma was simply playing shogi with Soun. But then he realized he hadn't seen or felt Kasumi's presence within the dojo grounds or in the house and he also noticed that Soun was on the verge of tears. So he said kindly, "Otoosan..."
When that didn't get his father's attention, he yelled into his father's left ear, "Hey, Oyaji!"
"What do you want, Ranma," Genma asked while not looking at him.
Grinning like a ca... one of things that eat canaries, he said, "Otoosan... Okaasan expects you home for dinner tonight... Why don't you bring Tendo-san with you. You can show him the porch you made."
"Why yes, Ranma, that's a great idea," Genma replied as he watched Soun move. "I've been meaning to show that porch I made to Soun-kun for the past ten years now..."
Ranma watched his father digest what he had just told him and what Genma's reply was with amusement. It actually took Genma fifteen whole minutes to realize the full impact of what his son had just said. The realization came with, "Whatdidyoujustsay?!?!?"
Repeating himself slowly, Ranma said, "I said that Okaasan expects you home for dinner tonight.... So why don't you bring Tendo-san with you and you can show him the porch you made."
"But why would..." Genma began to say but he voice died as he looked at Ranma, especially at the Saotome katana. "You didn't!?!?!"
With a bit of authority in his voice Ranma said, "Yesss... I did. Now, Okaasan expects you home for dinner. You will go."
"But..." Genma tried to say.
"No buts!" Ranma said forcefully yet quietly to his father as to not disturb the resting patients. "It will be good for Tendo-san to get out of the house for a while... so go."
To Soun, Ranma said, "It's a neat porch... You should go see it." and then he added, softly, so only Soun could hear, "Your brother needs you, Soun. Go with him. Kasumi will be fine."
"The boy has a point, Saotome-kun," Soun spoke for the first time since discovering that Kasumi was missing. "Your wife has been lonely these past years... Let's go visit her."
"That's an excellent plan, Tendo-san," Ranma said to him. Under his breathe he said, "Although, Mom's been looking in of us from time to time when she's not saving the World."
Encouraged by Ranma's comment to him, Soun got up, pulled Genma up with him, and headed for the dojo's exit saying, "Yes... Let's go. Now's a good time."
With that Soun and Genma were headed to the Saotome's place.
Confirming his feelings, Ranma found Nabiki and Akane in Nabiki's room. He nudged Akane slightly while saying, "Supper's ready."
"Wha..." Akane woke with a start. "Ranma... how.... How are you?"
"Fine..." Ranma replied with a smile. "Never felt better!"
Akane jumped up and hugged him ala Shampoo.
"Akane, please... DON'T do that," him said hesitately. He hesitated because on one hand he liked it but on the other hand, it reminded of Shampoo... who he didn't want to be reminded of.
Realizing that she was acting like 'that chinese bimbo' she released him and said, "Sorry!"
She then remembered that she was in Nabiki's room and that Nabiki was sleeping in her bed. Jerking her thumb at her sister, "What about Oneechan?"
"How long have you two asleep?" he asked.
"What time is it?"
"About seven in the evening."
"Then about three hours."
"Hmmm... While sleep might be good for her, food might be better," Ranma said and then put words into action.
"Nabiki..." Ranma said to her with a gentle poke in the shoulder. "Nabiki..." with a poke in the arm. "Nabiki." with a poke where he had been wanting to return since she had done it to him while he was in his curse form a year ago.
"RANMA NO BAKA!!!!" came the expected scream. Only instead of coming from Akane, it came from Nabiki, who whacked him with a spear that seemed to come out of nowhere, like one of Akane's mallets. Of course, the spear had less surface area than one of Akane's mallet did so the blow was stronger, causing Ranma to say, "Ouch!"
Nabiki, now fully awake, said, "Sorry..."
The three moved down into the dining room where Ranma served Nabiki and Akane dinner. It was a simple one... one that required little to no preparation time and was quick to cook.
After taking several bites, Nabiki said, "Say... this is good. Almost as good as Kasumi's...."
When Nabiki almost broke down, Ranma lead over, hugged Nabiki, and said, "Remember, this is Kasumi, we're talking about. I'm sure that she's fine..."
"Then where?" Nabiki began.
"She's probably out helping Tofu-sensei at his clinic while he's here... or helping someone else out," Ranma said evenly. "You know your Oneechan... She loves to help people out. And right now, there are a lot of people who need it."
"That's true," Nabiki said. She really hated the way she was acting and feeling but after what she went through... almost getting killed, not once, not even twice, but, at least, five separate times all which happened after getting to a place Nabiki would have thought was save and secure.... Unable to help outside of throwing rocks at the beast.... Actually trying to talk to the demon... Being 'touched' by the demon... It was too much for her or any other human being.
When it got too quiet for Akane, she asked Ranma, "So how did it go?"
Intrigued, and needing to change the subject, Nabiki asked, "Nani? How did what go?"
"The reason why I didn't come back with Akane," Ranma explained, "was becauseIsawmymothertoday."
"Nani?" Nabiki asked not understanding Ranma's rushed speech.
"I said, I saw my mother today."
"But what about..."
"My curse... She knows all about it. As she pointed out, it's not my fault. Besides, she is my mother." Ranma wanted to add but could not voice was, 'Besides, it's her fault that I'm cursed.'
"That's great," Akane said with a smile.
"Yep... and our fathers are with her now," Ranma said happily.
"I'm happy for you, Ranma," Nabiki said. Seeing that Ranma was lost in Akane's eyes she nudged him out of contact which caused Ranma to fall backward onto the floor.
"Hey," Ranma protested.
"That's what you get for ignoring me," Nabiki replied sweetly.
Both girls yawned after Ranma yawned.
"We've all had busy days," Akane began as she got up. "So I'm going to bed... Coming Oneechan?"
"In a sec," Nabiki answered.
"Okay, Oneechan," Akane replied with another yawn.
After Akane felt, Ranma and Nabiki cleaned up. After they finished, Nabiki and Ranma headed for their respective rooms. On the stairs, Nabiki asked, "Ranma-kun, I know this will sound strange... but could you sleep in my room tonight?"
Ranma simply nodded, quickly went into the room which he and his father had been staying, and carried his futon with him as he followed Nabiki into her room.
Knowing that Nabiki wanted more than simply have him there as a 'shield,' Ranma wasn't surprised after an hour had passed that Nabiki asked if he was asleep yet.
"No, I'm not," Ranma replied gently. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Ummm...," Nabiki tried to begin. "That is... I was wondering... Couldyouteachmethemartialarts? SoIwon'tbesohelplesslikethatagain. Butyoucan'tletanyoneknow..."