Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Kuno Tatewaki browses through the numerous articles or various artifacts, trinkets and ordinary junk cleverly sculpted in a way that an ordinary person would assume it’s authenticity and not frown at the steep price shown next to it. But not him, he was the heir to the Kuno family and not a simple rufian like most of the people here, he couldn’t be fooled by such common methods.

Those items were better for him, unlike the people's deception their falsehood was easy to see.

Ever since he finally saw through the deception of this cursed Saotome he could not get his act together. The fact that all those years he would chase his Pigtail Goddess, the fiery maiden, one of the few that would be worth his attention only for her to turn out to be just a trick of light. This marriage, a spell cast but this vile sorcerer to entranced him at first now made him fall into a pit of terrible apathy. There was no joy or passion left in Tatewaki, no real will to go forward.

He didn’t even have that much anger with him, not after realizing that all this time he was chasing an impossible dream for everyone to see. To laugh at and ridicule him.

And so he immersed himself in a hobby, everything just so he could at least try not thinking about the humiliation and maybe, just maybe feel that former fire again.

His eyes rested on a particularly interesting looking damaged lacquer wood sword. It looked old, with a strange looking tsuba, consisting of three rings. The forces of time have erased the marks that once adorned them, rendering them illegible, while rust and sediment have rendered them unmovable.

It was still something that caught his attention. Takewaki walked towards the counter, reached for it and admired the craftsmanship of this once beautiful sword.

“You have really good eyes, lad. This one is a particularly interesting piece, but I would advise caution while handling it,” said the shopkeeper. “And you better not wave it carelessly, at least not in my store.”

He looked at the person that talked to him, an old man with a ridiculous occult-like garment commonly used by clerks in this kind of establishment to draw attention.

“And why is that? What kind of destructive power could that sword have for you to warn me of it?” He asked giving the weapon in his hand one more glance, realizing that maybe he finally found something that could peak his interest. “You don't mean to tell me that this sword is magical, do you?”
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Old man smiled widely, showing a lack of most of his front teeth.

“Indeed, dear customer, it’s just as you said.” He replied, looking all smug and giddy. “That said, I can’t tell you much, it’s just something that I acquired by chance and don’t know its complete history. Even so I know enough to assure you that this is no ordinary piece of wood.”

“Pray tell,” said Takewaki, knowing fully well that it was an ordinary tactic of a people like that yet still feeling a little pang of excitement. “What is this ‘not so ordinary’ item actually is?”

A shadow of regret moved by the shopkeeper's face but he quickly regained his composure, his well trained business smile once again on display.

“While the original name was lost long ago, the person who sold it to me called it “A Sword of the Past”. A little crude if you ask me, but its effect actually is quite fitting” He said, shooting a glance at the weapon in Takewaki’s hand. “A source of your every problem, every worry, resentment of shame as long as it has a physical body, can be erased with just a slash of this weapon. As I was told, ‘Just one strike is enough to make worries a thing of the past.’ Quite a fearsome thing to wield if you ask me, dear customer.”

His last words fell on deaf ears, it didn’t matter much anyway. The Blue Thunder of the Kuno Family, one that for the past few months couldn’t feel a thing, excitement nor sorrow finally opened his eyes. The embers that were barely smoldering inside him suddenly flared out, the solution for his tragic story was right there, clenched tightly with his hand.

A way to erase that cursed Saotome.

He didn’t ask how much it cost, he reached into his pocket throwing all a few fat cash rolls into the shopkeeper's face and walked away. There was no time to waste.

Today he will end the despicable reign and influence that devil, Saotome Ranma has exerted over his life. And he will do it with his own hands!

Ranma once more went down through a shopping list inside his head, knowing well that she didn’t have anything else to do but having no will to go back being so close to the Tendo Dojo.

Fortunately she got everything but with the amount of errands Kasumi was sending her lately it wasn’t very surprising.

Ever since defeating Saffron, martial arts lost a lot of its appeal. It was hard to enjoy sparring when no one could match your skills so Ranma started ignoring most of the challenges altogether. Even her father wasn’t any challenge to her anymore, becoming more of a nuisance each day while still pestering her about her lack of skills, even if it was becoming more and more hollow with each day.

Not finding much joy in fighting anymore she put more of an effort in helping with chores and academia, especially since Ranma finally realized that if she would like to open her own Dojo she would really need an education to do so. Originally she was supposed to inherit Tendo Dojo but with the way she and Akane were at the moment, her future was not as certain as she wanted it to be.

After the failed wedding her fiancé was constantly elsewhere. Every time Ranma would ask her about it she always ‘had a lot on her mind’ or ‘she had to figure something out about herself’ and so on. It didn’t mean that they were through, they still very much cared for each other but there was a clear line between them. One that was becoming more and more wide as the time went on.

And so Ranma needed a plan B, something that would allow her to live her life comfortably, even without their engagement.

“Ranma Saotome, the best martial artist in the world, a hero who killed a god… was bested by a piece of paper,” she murmured to herself with a sour expression. “It looks like you really can’t be the best with anything even I guess.”

She shook her head, it wasn’t that she failed, she wasn’t even that bad. It's that even after graduating against all odds for her parents that still wasn’t enough. As if having almost no education before high school wasn't reason enough to let her go, for some reason they still thought she should be better.

She really wanted to strangle her pop for the snarky comments on the day of her graduation. At least she played it off by receiving her diploma as a girl, even if it didn’t teached him anything, seeing his irritated face made it all a little bit better.

Ranma looked down, her breasts moved slightly with each step she took, an unexpected gift from a ladle lady. It served as a reminder that even after all that time she still didn’t do what her parents demanded from her, she didn’t find a cure or even attempted to do so in quite some time now.

Well, it wasn’t entirely true, thanks to dr. Tofu, she did find a way to stop herself from changing, but not only was it quite painful it also prevented her from changing ‘back’. As hard as they tried, they couldn’t find a way to keep Ranma from changing into her cursed form.

So she did something she would never expect herself to do. She gave up on the cure and adapted. She even got Nabiki to introduce her to some guy who made a false ID for her girl form.

Her parents didn’t like that, but she didn’t care. They didn’t have any reasonable argument against her doing so, other than the same old story about duty and honor, something they didn’t really know anything about.

She couldn’t help that people would look at her strangely if she would show them her guy form ID while being a girl so why not having one with a correct picture, just in case?

She will be an adult in a few months anyway. Only a little longer and she won’t need to concern herself with all that crap.

Ranma walked by the canal, feeling the weight of her groceries. Dreading a scenario in which Akane would once again force feed her another on of her culinary abominations, she volunteered to help in the kitchen. She needed to speed up a little, there were so many things to do.

Everyone in the Tendo Household was very busy. Ever since she left, floores were being polished, laundry was hanging out and dust was being scraped out from every nook and cranny.

Even Mister Tendo was working with quiet determination, his usual carefree and aloof expression nowhere to be seen. However, this was to be expected.

After all, tomorrow will be the anniversary of his wife's passing away.

“Dinner’s ready?” asked Nabiki walking down the stairs after a quick change of clothes. Kasumi somehow coerced her younger sister into dusing the attic and even after seeing the mercenary girl in a few additional layers of dusk and spiderweb neither she nor any other member of the Tendo Family liked to see any of that on the washitsu.

Everyone except for the panda. Her lazy father has always used some lame excuse to disappear, probably to her mother’s house and he will stay there for at least a few more days. Ranma didn’t complain though, at least no one will be pestering her about doing chores in her girl form.

The idea of warming up the water every time she would try to wash the dishes would be such a headache that she actually was kind of glad that Genma wasn’t here. She just knows that they would probably end up arguing and the Tendos didn’t need that, not in the somber time like this.

The rice cooker opened up with a sudden gust of steam, almost blowing up in Ranma's eyes.

“Everything’s ready so just sit down, Nabiki-chan,” said Kasumi, tussling with the rest of the dishes. “Ranma-chan, I really appreciate the help but I think you’ve done enough. You can go sit down too, I’ll handle the rest on my own.”

The redhead’s first thought was to protest, she didn’t like doing things only half-way and was about to propose that she would at least set up the plates but she backed away. Ever since she started helping in the kitchen she realized that the eldest Tendo could be surprisingly bossy in there and getting on her bad side wasn’t something she wanted to do.

Ranma was quite pleased by the changes in their kind of ‘family’ dynamic. She no longer could be named a freeloader, a title that her father will probably never get rid of. She took off her apron, a frilly piece of fabric was full of seams, some crude, some decent and finally some that was almost impossible to notice unless you know what you’re looking for. It was proof of her rising skills.

She smiled, pleased with the fact that after spending almost all her life being raised as an instrument of violence and destruction she ended up actually mending, even making something new.

But the facts remain, and no matter how much she tried, she still wasn’t able to outrun her past.

“Saotome Ranma!” A sudden roar brought her back to reality. Ranma flinched, recognizing the familiar voice of Kuno Takewaki, one of the most annoying people she ever met and really hoped never to cross paths again.

They all turned in the direction from which the call came and just as they expected, there he was. Former freaking ‘Blue Thunder’ of Furinkan looked exactly the same as the first day she saw him on the first day of High School. The only difference was that was the lack of superiority and righteous fury that was always clearly visible on his face. Right at that moment he walked with a quick step through the courtyard excluding thick killing intent with a look of absolute fury and disgust making Ranma wince involuntarily as he was quickly closing the distance between them.

The redhead cursed under her breath, annoyed that such things always have to happen right before a meal. Especially after she put so much effort into it.

“What do you want, Kuno? I thought that you didn’t want to see me ever again?” She said walking towards the kendoist, hoping to minimize the possible damage to the house after he will finally lash out at her. “Can’t you just forget about me? Or at least wait a few days before I pummel you to the ground again? You really picked the worst time to show up, man…”

“Silence, cur! I will not hear a word from you,” he basically barked towards the redhead with his sword in hand. Only then did Ranma notice that the weapon Takewaki was carrying wasn’t his usual kendo sword, it wasn’t even the real one. It looked old, battered and damaged to the point that she wasn’t sure if it would survive the clash with anything more sturdy than reeds.

The alarm bells in her head started to go off almost immediately, after dealing with so many artifacts in the past, just looking at the antique sword made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She didn’t know what it was or how he got it. She only knew that she wouldn't be anywhere near that thing, not when it was in this idiot’s hands.

“You will never understand how deeply hurt I was, how crushing was the humiliation of how heart wrenching I felt when the truth of your perversion finally came to light!” He yelled at her with so much emotion that even his signature flowery speech was affected. “I walked like a ghost for days, too stunned and betrayed to do anything to mourn the fact that the Pigtail Goddess that I worshiped turned out to be just some accursed abomination.”

Ranma swallowed hard, a little taken aback by the amount of vitriol almost dripping from the enraged kendoist. She often wished that he would finally learn the truth, and was genuinely relieved when he suddenly disappeared from her sight a few months before her graduation.

And yes, she expected a strong reaction after that but not something to that extent. It was simply an overkill.

“But no more! I will no longer endure the presence of a vile creature such as you! I punish thee!” As he talked, the sword in his hand started to emit a strange light-blue glow. “ Begone from my sight! I no longer want to see your treacherous visage, now or ever! Die!”

With the fierce battle cry Takewaki dashed forward his arms already in mid swing.

“Kuno, wai-” Ranma yelled, trying to jump back, but it was already too late. A blinding white light filled her vision and all sound seemed to be blending together, slowly disappearing altogether leaving her in white, silent nothingness.

Only for all that to suddenly come back like nothing happened.

“-it!” She finished, blinking a few times, shocked and disoriented. Kuno disappeared and that uncomfortable gut feeling he got since he started shouting disappeared with him. The only thing that remained was a slight nausea left by the sudden flash of that white light.

This and the fact that there was not only this idiotic kendoist that was missing. All those who just moments ago stood on either side of her disappeared too.

Ranma’s anxiety kicked in once again, whatever that idiot Takewaki did she doubted that he would target everyone else, including him so it was much more possible that it wasn’t them that disappeared, but that it was her that was sent somewhere. But where?

Was she really in the Tendo Dojo? The redhead turned around to check if the place she was sent to wasn’t some really good replica, a pocket dimension or other magical crap that this damn sword could possibly send her into… only to see a frail looking woman in a dark blue kimono holding onto the little girl more or less five years old dressed with a cute yellow dress in her arms like her life was depending on it. Saying that she looked surprised would be an understatement.

“Um… excuse me ma’am.” Ranma said, trying to be as polite as possible to not scare her even more than she probably already was. “Is this really the Tendo Dojo? It looks like it but no one’s here except you two so…”

While she was talking the little girl wriggled herself from the woman’s arm and dash clumsily towards the redhead with her eyes shining with excitement. She almost tripped while stopping a few inches from Ranma with a pure childish smile plastered on her face.

“You’re so pretty!” She exclaimed, glancing at the top of the other girl’s head in pure awe.

“Akane, come back here!” The woman - almost certainly the mother - yelled, quickly snached her daughter into her arms once again, nervously glancing at Ranma the whole time.

But the redhead didn’t move. Her heart started beating extremely fast and her eyes went wide, to the size of the dinner plates.

She could not look away, her eyes were fixed on the little girl's face, which suddenly began to look disturbingly familiar.

“Did you just say, Akane?” She asked, feeling cold, terrifying dread seeping down her spine. If what she heard was true… she was extremely fucked.

After a few more minutes of intense back and forth and one extremely awkward moment during which Ranma allowed Akane to play with her hair, she was able to gain Tendo Matriarch trust. Not much but enough so she stopped looking at her like she came to her house to rob them or kidnap her youngest daughter.

It was all so extremely bizarre, not only seeing her own fiancé barely old enough to not wear diapers but also the person she only ever heard stories and saw enshrined in pictures - Hana Tendo.

Just where, or maybe rather when did that idiot Takewaki send her? And maybe more importantly, how will she get back? Those questions kept popping up constantly but as she talked to the sick older woman and watched Akane-chan playing with her pigtail, the question gradually changed from 'how' to 'will she even be able to.'

The two women sat down at the table, which Ranma noted was clearly brand new compared to the old one, scratched and slightly damaged in places that she remembered.

A little black haired girl was resting her head on Hana-san’s lap, her eyes, which just moments ago were fighting to stay open, were now closed as she slept soundly as she dozed off.

Mrs Tendo stroked her daughter’s head gently, stifling the sickly sounding cough. Her complexion looked pale and she was visibly unwell but even so she still managed to keep herself together, although barely.

“So, Ranko-san?” Hana-san asked “I see now that you don't have any bad intentions,” she glanced at the redhead looking apologetically, but if it was because of her previous assumptions or the constant coughing Ranma couldn’t tell. “I was extremely rude and for that I apologize, but… excuse my language but how the hell did you just appear right in the middle of our house? And why are you here?”

She could feel herself sweating. How could she even answer these questions? ‘My guess is that I was sent here from the future and the little girl that is just drooling all over your kimono is, or rather will be my fiancé’?

Yes, she would sound ridiculous no matter how she said it.

“W-well, Mrs. Tendo you see…” She fumbled her words, trying to think of anything that didn’t sound too crazy, but struggled to come up with anything substantial. “By the way, where are the rest of your family?”

Tendo Matriarch’s gaze sharpened for a brief moment, but softened almost immediately after Akane-chan stirred in her sleep. Both women looked down at the little girl, Hana-san’s eyes were full of motherly love and affection while Ranma’s were awkward, still having a hard time seeing a girl she spent so much time with looking so cute and vulnerable. A total opposite of the uncute tomboy she was used to seeing everyday.

It’s hard to believe that she will grow up into such a menace, she thought briefly before she focused on the older Tendo once more. She couldn’t get distracted.

Even if everything that was happening around her still seemed more like a bad dream than anything else.

They sit in silence for a few more minutes until the older woman finally sighs quietly, breaking it and looking at the redhead once more, a little more gently now but still clearly guarded.

“Soun is still teaching his students in the Dojo and I’m guessing that Kasumi is there as well, she’s a heiress to his martial arts school after all.” She stopped for a moment and Ranma wined slightly when another episode of coughing shook the brunette. After that she continued, like nothing ever happened. “Nabiki has a playdate in her friend's house a few streets away but she should be back in an hour or two.”

“Why do you want to know this?” She asked, looking straight at the younger girl. “Do you want something from our family?”

The redhead could only stare back, suddenly feeling suffocated. Hana-san was still alive, Soun was still teaching and Akane looked like she couldn’t be older than four or five years old… and Ranma couldn’t help but feel like panicking.

“I-I… I mean… it’s complicated.”She said, even if it wasn’t. All the evidence was there, just admit it out loud was really difficult and a little scary. “Can I ask one more question, before I answer, Mrs Tendo? What year is it?”

Hana-san cooked her head to the side a little put off by the question but after a moment of hesitation she answered anyway.

“It’s March 24, 1976, why?”

And there it was, the ultimate proof she needed. Proof she expected, but desperately wished that it wasn't true. She could feel her whole body deflated in defeat.

“Because when I woke up this mornin’ it was 1990…”

After she said this, they both looked at each other, the redhead knowing how ridiculous it all sounded, while the brunette couldn't believe that Ranma would think anyone would believe such a thing.

The redhead understood this, she herself didn’t want to believe it either.

“Ranko-san, I don’t think this is a time for a joke,” Hana said, frowning.

She actually wished that it was all a joke. She was even actively trying to convince herself that it was during their entire conversation, but she couldn’t.

She looked around the washitsu and could see the difference. She spent countless hours here and knew this place like the back of her own hand. The subtle things like a rusting on the fridge, a small hole in the walls that was too insignificant to pay them any real attention, the discoloring on some furniture, all of that was gone.

It all looked brand new or not used enough to look as damaged as she remembered it to be, even if the person that was supposed to be gone for several years was sitting right across from her, Ranma already knew that it was very serious.

And it must have been noticeable, because Hana-san’s face changed slightly. Whatever she saw in the redhead’s eyes made her seem a little hesitant, thoughtful.

It seems like they were sitting like that forever, but it really could be just a few heartbeats before the Tendo Matriarch looked at her once again, and this time she wasn’t frowning at her. She didn’t look like she was really believing her either, it looked more like she thought that Ranma was in shock or something and arguing about if she was telling the truth or not wasn’t worth it.

For some reason that felt even more insulting than accusing her of lying again.

“Let’s leave it at that for now, you are probably in shock after… whatever made you appear in our house.” She said, proving to the redhead that her suspicions were painfully correct. “Let me put Akane-chan into her room, are you hungry? Soun and Kasumi will surely be back shortly, why not eat something with us, I’m sure that after a little rest and a good meal you’ll feel a lot better.”

Hana-san continued to blabber strangely while still on the move. Ranma was initially put off by this, still thinking of the way to prove that she was telling the truth but the Tendo Matriarch, even as sick as she looked still could turn in a force of nature in the kitchen and didn’t give her the opportunity to brought up this topic ever again.

The rest of the day passed in the blink of an eye. Just like she said, it wasn't long before Mr Tendo and his oldest daughter came back and seeing Kasumi in a gi and a small patch on the bridge of the nose looking like some ruffian was even more bizarre than seeing a small Akane.

The other Tendos were a little sceptical at first but from the moment she said that she was a martial artist the oldest Tendo sister was over her in seconds, asking all sorts of questions and even wanting to see some of her moves right away. Ranma didn’t know how to respond to seeing Kasumi that was so different from the girl she knew.

Soun was even more sceptical, but Hana-san was able to smooth things over by saying that she was a ‘cousin Ranko’ that came here to help her with taking care of the girls until Mrs Tendo will feel better.

Ranma wanted to protest but decided to keep her mouth shut, she still didn’t have a clue about how to get back to her world and she still was a little irritated with the weird way the older brunette dismissed her story and was determined to talk to her about it later.

And so she decided to play along, suddenly becoming the ‘Aunty Ranko’ which was immediately celebrated by Kasumi and later on by Akane, making everything stranger and stranger by the minute and it reached its peak the moment Nabiki came back from her playdate.

Having three small Tendo sisters all over her was probably the most bizarre experience in her entire life. Ranma thought that The girl seemed to have an unlimited amount of energy to the point that even the redhead felt a little overwhelmed, to the point that she just laid flat on the tatami, allowing those gremlins to just walk over her and do whatever they wanted.

She had never seriously thought about starting a family, but after her hair being yanked in every direction and her clothes being drooled over, she began seriously doubting that she'd ever consider it.

She doubts that when she will finally find a way to get back to her own version of Tendo Dojo she would be able to look at the Tendo sisters the same way as before. It was hell.

Chapter Text

Hanna Tendo passed away.

Or rather, she will pass away. Ranma was sent into the past exactly a day before the Tendo Matriarch’s death anniversary. How she hadn’t realized that in the first place she would never know, but sitting at the walkway outside the washitsu and staring at the koi pond, the redhead couldn’t help but feel like a complete moron.

Hanna prepared breakfast, played with the children and even lent Ranma some of her clothes.A few pairs of underwear and a simple blue dress similar to the one that Kasumi liked to wear in the future. Everything looked so normal aside from an occasional cough every now and then. No one had noticed anything.

But then she passed out hanging out the laundry and everything went downhill from there.

At least Mister Tendo was quick enough and was able to take her to the hospital right away. She didn’t even want to think how the girls would react if he was too late.

The redhead sat there still, listening to the soft hum and barely audible noises of the TV. Akane and Nabiki were sitting inside watching some cartoon convinced that their parents would soon return, completely unaware of everything that happened.

And there was Ranma, frozen in place and still shaking slightly after seeing the look on Soun’s face when he pushed his way into the ambulance just before it drove away.

She’d never really thought about it, only heard bits and pieces Kasumi sometimes recalled every now and then when they would visit their mothers grave. It was always just a very sad story that every member of the Tendo family would rather not talk about.

She felt strangely dissociated, everything still seemed somewhat unreal to her. Ranma already knew what the outcome would be, but she wasn’t grieving. Rather, it was the fact that this had happened to such an important person to the three girls she considered a family that made all of it so depressing.

But also really infuriating. She was like an uninvited guest in someone else's story, powerless to do anything about it and without a clue how or if she even could go back. The redhead stared dully into the water.

She didn’t want to let the girls know that something was wrong, especially now. No matter how they ended up in the future, right now all three of them were kids and she didn’t want to make them sad or scared.

But what could she even do now? She couldn’t stay here, could she? Ranma had a life out there. She had plans… or at least some ideas of the plan but none of it could work if she’ll be stuck in the past.

The Old Ghoul was the only person she knew that would probably know something about what happened to her, but since she was in the past then the Amazon Elder was still in China. Not only that but it was unlikely to know anyone named Ranma Saotome anytime soon.

She was screwed.

The redhead released a long hopeless sigh feeling deflated. Was there no other way to go back? What about all the things and people she left behind? Her parents, friends she wanted to hang out with? What about A-

“Aunty Ranko…” A hesitant childish voice almost gave her a heart attack.

The redhead frantically turns around to see Akane looking out from behind Nabiki's back. The older sister was looking shyly at Ranma, the energy and bravado from the previous day nowhere to be seen.

“Umm… Hi Nabiki-chan, Akane-chan,” said the redhead, struggling to make her voice steady and not sound like her spirit almost left her body a second ago. “What’s up?”

It was still so bizarre to see a girl who would pummel her to the ground on a daily basis and the other that made her end up so deeply in debt that she probably would never be able to pay it off looking like adorable, innocent preschoolers.

Ranma really worried that her perception of Nabiki and Akane would get twisted when she finally was able to go back home. It would be really weird if that ever happened.

“Aunty Ranko,” the older sister started again, her voice weak and uncertain. “When will mommy and daddy be back?”

Her heart dropped, her mouth dry while she was staring at the two kids awkwardly shuffling their feets on the walkway. The redhead realized what she was doing and quickly cleared her throat to break the tension.

Now the question was, how to get out of this mess and not screw this up?

And why was being called ‘Aunty Ranko’ made her feel so weird?

“I-I don’t really know,” she said trying to sound normal, even if she had absolutely no idea how to talk with children. She only knew that she couldn’t be too hard or annoyed with them, but should she be overly nice or sweet with them? Ranma didn’t know but she needed to figure it out and she needed to do it fast. “Your dad took your mom to the hospital, but I’m sure they will be back soon.”

She hadn’t even finished talking before she realized that it wasn’t something these two wanted to hear. Akane looked like she was about to say something but hid a little further behind Nabiki with her eyes cast down looking all gloomy and disappointed.

“Sooo, why don’t you do something together, before they come back?” She asked with a slight smile. “What do you think?”

Both girls' heads perked up and their mood seemed to uplift instantly, even if only by a slight margin. Kids like doing things together, that's something worth remembering, she thought, making a mental note while watching a pair of heads nodding at her energetically.

“Ok girls, do you have something in mind?” She continued asking, already accepting that she got herself into babysitting those sisters. Well, even if it was completely out of her element it was definitely better than sitting depressed in front of the koi pond.

“Cookies!” Said Akane enthusiastically, practically jumping from behind her sister.

“Mommy promised that we’ll make some today,” Nabiki nodded, her eyes shining with childish excitement. “Can we?”

Ranma chuckled, amused by their childish behavior as she patted the future mercenary girl on the head. “Sure we can,” she said, even if she only did that two or three times and always under Kasumi’s supervision. Come to think of it…

“Where’s Kasumi-chan?” She asked, looking around after the oldest Tendo sister, who the redhead only now realized had been absent ever since Mr and Mrs Tendo went to the hospital.

Akane-chan’s hand shot up almost immediately in an ‘in class’ fashion. “In the Dojo!” She yelled, happily pointing at the large building in front of her.

“Sumi-nee-chan’s always in the dojo,” said Nabiki, pouting

The redhead needed to fight really hard to not giggle. She’d really started to like this middle Tendo sister much more than the one back home. This one at least was cute and didn’t try to extort her for money at every opportunity she could get.

Ranma stood up with a slight groan. The dress she was wearing unfortunately restricted her movements considerably, making her wish for some of the clothes she left back in the future.

Seriously, if I really get stuck here for kami knows how long, I really need to learn how to sew my own clothes, she thought, wishing for a cut out skirt.

“Ok girls, get back into the house and wash your hands,” She said looking down at two adorable little gremlins with a slight smile. “I’ll go fetch your big sister and after that we’ll bake as many cookies as you want. Sounds good?”

“Yes!” Both girls yelled before running into the house laughing happily with excitement. Ranma sighed, relieved that she was able to distract them, even if only for a short while. These girls didn’t deserve the sadness and sorrow they will soon experience and she was determined to let them be happy for as long as she can.

The dojo was one of the places that Ranma used the most frequently ever since she started living with the Tendos. After so much time, she knew every nook and cranny so when she stepped inside of it now, she felt really strange. At the first glance it didn’t look very different but the atmosphere inside was completely different and there were signs of a lot of people using it frequently. A row of well worn practice dummies was neatly lined up along the wall and the wooden floors were worn out, scraped and damaged.

So that’s how it looked back when Mister Tendo was still accepting students, she thought in passing, while the most of her attention was focused on the lone girl standing in the middle of the dojo, caught up in the middle of an advanced kata.

Kasumi was going through the motions, a little girl in a yellow gi, very similar to the one Akane would wear in the future. Her brown hair was tied into a simple ponytail and instead of the serene or even a normal smile Ranma got used to over the years she looked frustrated, with furrowed brows making quick erratic movement. She was clearly unfocused to the point that even from the entrance the redhead could see many flaws in her movement and breathing.

Even then, the eldest Tendo daughter was good. Really good to the point that Ranma was a little taken aback by the level she was on while still less than ten years old. The redhead had been better than her at that age but even so, it was strange seeing such a talent in a girl that later on would look like someone who never even learned a proper fighting stance.

Her first reaction was an overwhelming feeling of regret.

Why would a person with such great potential throw it away instead of pursuing the Art? Kasumi was really talented, probably even more than Akane, yet still she would end up as someone she could only describe as an ‘ideal housewife’. And all of that could have been prevented if only Soun Tendo didn’t break down completely after his wife’s passing.

If only her teacher wouldn’t shut down the Dojo for good, if only she could still improve…

Yeah, if only…, she thought, already walking towards the girl who was clearly about to fall flat on her ass if someone didn’t intervene.

“Don’t stand on your toes. Your feet should be firmly planted on the ground while doing this part,” she said smiling at the girl who, frightened by the sudden voice, jumped up with a squeak before landing on the floor with a loud thud, just as Ranma mused earlier.

“Are you alright, Kasumi-chan?” She asked, feeling guilty after seeing the little brunette wincing slightly and massaging her side.

The oldest Tendo sister shot her a glance before quickly looking away, looking shy and embarrassed, which only made the distinction between Kasumi from the past and the future even more bizarre.

The brunette she knew was always caring and gentle, but at the same time always on the sidelines trying to not get involved too much in the affairs of others. The girl before her was different, Ranma could tell that even if she’d only met her yesterday. She was more proactive, energetic and had a myriad of different emotions and expressions to show, something that her future self seemed to just give up along the way.

And that fact alone made it even more depressing, no matter how she thought about it.

“I’m alright.” she murmured, sheepishly turning her head to look up at the older girl, shooting her an accusing glare. “You scared me, Aunty Ranko.” She added pouting.

Being sort of reprimanded by the girl not even half her age made Ranma feel almost as embarrassed as Kasumi. She laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head with one hand while she held out the other toward the oldest Tendo sister.

The brunette looked at the redhead for a moment before she reluctantly took her hand, her eyes went back to admiring the wooden floor under her feet.

“I’m really sorry, kiddo. I’ll do better.” She said, effortlessly lifting the brunette off the ground, surprised by the strength of her grip. While in reality it wasn’t that much, it was definitely well above average for a little girl her age.

Was Kasumi obsessed with martial arts in the past or something? Are you kidding me? She thought.

“So, what were you trying to do, kiddo?” She asked when the little brunette was finally standing on her own two feet. The eldest Tendo sister took a step back from her, still refusing to meet Ranma’s eyes.

“Training,” she said flatly. The redhead really couldn’t understand that. Yesterday that kid was so energetic and ecstatic about her new ‘Aunt’ being a martial artist who could show her a move or two. Now she was like a shy turtle, refusing to come out of her shell at all.

Children really are fickle, she thought, shaking her head. Well, at least she’s not snapping at me or anything, so that’s something.

She couldn’t believe that she actually thought about Kasumi in those terms but with each passing hour the reality of the situation was sinking in, and there was nothing more she could do but accept it. Those girls weren't the same ones she knew and Ranma needed to somehow come up with a strategy of how to deal with them. Especially if she were to stay here for the long term, which at this point was more than likely.

And if what she saw was correct, the brunette won’t be so difficult to win over. The redhead was the master of Anything Goes after all!

“Training, huh? With that stance?” She asked, crossing arms over her chest assuming the ‘teacher’ pose her pops often did to annoy her to no end. “If you do this kata like you did before you’ll just land on your butt again.”

The eldest Tendo seemed to shrink under her words. She started shuffling her feet on the floor, eyes downcast and looking incredibly sad. Ranma could swear that her chin quivered slightly.

She did not expect such a reaction, that’s for sure.

“It’s not my fault, dad doesn't have time to teach me.” She mumbled. A mix of hurt and sadness filled her voice, breaking down mid sentence. “He only looks at other kids, and then he always goes to mom…”

The redhead shifted uncomfortably. It wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. Seeing that this Kasumi was much more of a tomboy, she thought that she would be just cocky or embarrassed. It was something Ranma would do if she was at her age. But not this.

That girl was absolutely miserable.

But what she was saying was strange. Hadn’t Mister Tendo stopped teaching right after his wife’s death? But from what Kasumi said it would seem that he stopped being interested in his daughter’s training even before that. Wasn’t he concerned about passing down the family style? Hanna Tendo collapsed today, but until that happened she didn’t really look like someone who would need to be in someone else's care, so why..

Wait, besides that…

“Wait, you were learning all of this yourself this whole time?” She asked, stunned by the sudden realization.

The kata that the eldest Tendo sister was trying to do wasn’t something super advanced for a normal martial arts practitioner, but it was definitely something that, for a child, would seem to be almost impossible to do. Yet, Kasumi was doing it while barely making any mistakes. Granted, she probably learned all that by observing other students training in the dojo but it was still very impressive. And all of that when she was only what, seven? Just what kind of talent did that girl have?

And why was that talent originally allowed to be wasted? For someone like Ranma, it was just criminal.

“I thought, if I learn it right, dad will praise me.” The little girl continued with her sad, pitiful voice. “But I can never do it right.”

That did it for the redhead. She could not feel anything but sympathy for the little brunette. They were both the same. Both did their best to win the approval of their fathers and in the end never received it. Kasumi was probably still yearning for that very much, she really hoped that Soun Tendo would one day look at her and say that he’s proud of her.

But Ranma knew that it wouldn't happen. From today onward, the Tendo Patriarch will never teach anyone ever again. At first, the redhead didn't think much about it.

But now there was no way that she would allow such a talent to go to waste.

“What if I teach you?” She asked, promising herself that she will make this little brown-haired girl the best martial artist she could be, no matter what.

Kasumi-chan looked up, her eyes that were sad and miserable just a moment ago started shining almost instantly, riveted on the redhead.

“Really?” She asked in disbelief.

Despite the seriousness of the whole situation, Ranma couldn't help herself and giggled at the sight of such a quick change of mood in her new student.

“Yeah. You wanted to see some of my moves yesterday, didn't you? I can teach you some of them too.” She said, ruffling Kasumi’s hair with an amused smile.

“But that’s for later,” she said, suddenly remembering why she came here in the first place. “Your sisters and I are gonna bake some cookies, wanna join us, Kasumi-chan?”

All the energy and enthusiasm that was there a moment ago, suddenly vanished.

“Not really,” she replied with clear reluctance.

“Why? You don’t like to bake?” She asked wide eyed. Ranma always saw Kasumi as the goddess of the kitchen, someone who knew the recipe for almost everything and always eager to make something for the redhead, no matter the time of day.

The idea of someone like that suddenly proclaiming that she doesn't want to join them there was mind boggling. And the fact that this girl wasn’t the same as the one she used to over the years wasn’t helping her at all.

“I like to do it with mom,” the oldest Tendo sister said, crossing her tiny arms on her chest. “But when they join in, Kane always confuses sugar with salt, and Na-chan always tricks me into making anything for her until it's time to cut out the shapes. It's not fun at all.” She finished pouting.

“I…I see. Maybe later then…” She said, chuckling nervously. Some things never change and it seems that when it comes to the Tendo girls, some of them started to show from a very young age.

Damn it, I won't be able to let Akane out of my sight..., she thought, suddenly getting goosebumps at the very idea of the little kitchen destroyer left unchecked for even the briefest moment. I'd better get back there. Fast…

There was only one thing to do before that.

“Ok before I go back, let me show you how you should do this kata properly, ok?” She asked, making sure Kasumi was watching her before she took the default position and started going through motions, slowly and deliberately so that her new student could keep up. “Watch this Kasumi, you need to do it this way…”

Baking something like cookies was a simple thing. There weren't that many steps, especially when you had a cookbook at hand and just followed the recipe step by step. Easy.

At least, that’s what Ranma would like to say, but trying to control two kids that went hyper the moment she started taking out the necessary ingredients was proving to be almost as hard as a martial arts challenge.

The very idea that it would be easy or quick was thrown out the window from the moment everything the eldest Tendo sister said turned out to be true. Akane really did try to add too much salt to the dough, not to mention her attempts to put other things in there, like ketchup, soy sauce, dish soap and other things that she was able to grab and dump into a bowl.

The redhead was forced to use Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken just to take all of that away and keep the rest of potentially hazardous stuff as far as possible from Akane’s reach. Note to self, get some cabinet locks for cleaning supplies… the redhead thought to herself.

Nabiki on the other hand didn’t even lift a finger, too busy looking at her aunt’s arms flashing before her eyes, catching anything her little sister would put her fingers on.

“Enjoying the show, Nabiki-chan?” Ranma asked, when she finally secured every loose object, that the youngest Tendo could get her hand on. “You can always join us if you want.” She added.

“I don’t wanna mess it up,” was all the little brunette would say, which meant that the ‘Aunty Ranko’ was the only one doing actual work.

Ranma didn’t really know how she could even think that the two five to six year olds would really be interested in anything other than messing around, probably because she herself was raised that way. She wondered if she had been allowed to grow up with her mother, having a normal education and a home to back to. Could she also have been as carefree as those two little gremlins she had to actively stay keep away from the dough she was making.

Strangely enough, the person she felt the strongest connection with was Kasumi, it was something so bizarre that she still had a hard time trying to wrap her head around it.

Why the fuck did I offer to teach her? She thought, her lips formed a straight line as she was working on the cookies. I was supposed to think of a way to get back to where I came from, not… not play babysitter or… whatever I am doing right now…

She should leave all this as soon as possible. She won't find any answers in Nerima, of that she was sure. Her best bet would be to just go straight to China. Sure, Cologne would probably think she was some crazy girl or a guy looking for trouble but what else was she supposed to do?

As Ranma was flattening the dough she glanced at Nabiki and Akane looking through a moderately small collection of cookie cutters, trying to decide which one they would want to use with big smiles on their faces. She never saw the Tendo sisters being so excited about something ever since she started living in the dojo. This kind of childish excitement was something foreign but also so heartwarming that the redhead couldn’t help but smile as well.

She sighed in resignation. Up and leaving them like that, especially at a time like this would be something near impossible for her at this point. And it wasn’t going to be any easier.

The more time she spends with them the less she wants to just let all of the stories she heard about from Kasumi go the way they are supposed to go. She didn’t want to see those kids cry. She didn’t want Kasumi to end up like some vapid housewife, wasting away her talent. It was simply not fair to just let it all happen.

But would she even be allowed to stay? Sure, she was able to stay the night thanks to Hanna’s backing but what about the long term? Soun Tendo won’t have any reason to keep a fake cousin in his house, no matter if he bought his wife’s tale.. it didn’t really matter that much.

On the other hand, will he even care? From what she gathered from the sisters after Hanna passed away, Tendo Patriarch became completely withdrawn and closed off even towards his daughters, forcing Kasumi to step up and take care of Nabiki and Akane in his stead.

Part of Ranma wanted to really resent the older master of Anything Goes for letting his grief make him abandon his children at the time when they needed him the most, but then she remembered that terrifying moment when she held Akane's lifeless body in her arms all that time ago. She shudders at the memory, flashing vividly before her eyes. That hollow, empty feeling that nothing she did would ever matter again...

She shook herself from her thoughts. I will worry about it when he finally comes back, she thought, trying to focus more on the task at hand.

“Alright girls, did you choose the shapes?” She asked, turning her head towards the girls after the dough was spread evenly on the cutting board. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

It was very late at night when Soun finally decided to return home. Ranma was sitting in the washitsu, looking at the night sky with three little bodies curled up and fast asleep on the tatami. All of them refused to go to sleep, adamant that they will wait for their parents to get back no matter how long it would take. All of them were out cold an hour later.

She didn’t know if that’s because of the fact that they weren’t even ten or the fact that they ate almost all the cookies they made but it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that they probably won’t wake up for quite some time.

Ranma could hear the faint sound of the main door sliding open and the slow, lifeless footsteps in the hallway. As the sounds became slightly louder, she got up and turned around exactly in time to see the silhouette of Soun Tendo in a daze, walking like a dead man.

At this point in time Mister Tendo was somewhere near his late thirties, looking very dashing, happy and much more energetic than the one the redhead knew from the future.

All of that was gone now, from the first look at this man, one had the impression that he had aged horribly. His eyes were hollow, devoid of any life and his whole body looked haggard, barely moving forward. Ranma had never seen anyone looking so wretched before.

The image of Akane’s lifeless body once again flashed before her eyes. She didn't want to think about how she would react if she were in his shoes. The mere thought made her feel sick to her stomach and sent shudders down her spine.

The redhead didn’t want to be a part of this tragedy, but even so, Soun was supposed to become her father-in-law, and at some point she began to think of him as another member of her family. No one wants their family to suffer and Ranma was no exception.

“Mister Tendo,” she started softly, twitching nervously while walking towards him. The Tendo Patriarch was always this man who would spend all his days playing shogi or reading the newspaper, barely present in most of the house affairs. But right now standing near him was almost suffocating. His depressing ki was radiating away from him to the point that Ryoga’s worst days were nothing in comparison. “What… where’s Hanna-san?”

Soun stopped in his tracks, not turning around, not even looking up from the floor, just stopped and stood in the entrance to the washitsu, halfway through to the master bedroom.

“Gone,” he whispered in a hoarse, stunned voice of someone who just witnessed something so horrific that his mind was simply refusing to admit that it really happened. “Hanna’s gone.”

Ranma swallowed loudly, finally understanding what Kasumi meant when she said that their father had ‘cut himself off’ from everybody. He had this face that anyone could tell, wanted nothing to do with this world anymore. Just yesterday the Tendo Patriarch was just another man. From his family’s reaction he must have been a pretty good father and husband. What was now before her was nothing more but a ghost.

“I… I’m really sorry to-” she stuttered, suddenly finding herself at a loss for words, not knowing in which way she should make this conversation go.

“Ranko-san,” He cut her off. The redhead froze as Soun’s face turned slowly to the side in the direction of the kids sleeping soundly on the coffee table and for a moment his previously hollow, lifeless eyes seemed to come to life for a brief moment. “Can you take care of the girls a little bit longer?”

“W-what?” Ranma asked, caught off guard by this sudden shift. It wasn’t bad though. It would mean that she would be able to stay here for a little longer. “I mean… sure, I can do it. It is no problem at all.”

Come to think of it, legally speaking I don’t exist, do I? She thought, suddenly realizing just how fucked she would be if she decided to just leave the Dojo. Ranma Saotome right now should be more or less the same age as Akane-chan. What should I do about THAT…

“Thank you.” Soun interrupted her musings, his voice once again quiet and hollow. “I’d appreciate it if someone Hanna trusted would look after them for a while. I… I don’t think I can do it. Not when it hurts so much…”

And what about them? she thought, but then she realized that for him at that moment there was no one else but him and his own sorrow and grief. It was a trait that he shared with her own father, selfishness. And just like Genma, Soun Tendo also cared much more about his own feelings than anyone else, even his own children.

Maybe she should be impressed by the fact that he even thought to put the responsibility for the girls on her? Just what in the world was this man even thinking?

“Mister Tendo…” She started.

“I’m sorry, Ranko-san but I want to be alone now,” he cut her off again and resumed his slow walk towards his bedroom. Ranma didn’t say anything, just stood there watching the Tendo Patriarch closing the door to his room, wondering just how long this ‘for a while’ would really be.

Just how long did it originally take him to get a grip? She thought, suddenly feeling very uneasy. From what she heard it took him ‘a long time’ but how long exactly? None of the sisters ever told her that and she never felt the need to ask. But it couldn’t be too long, right? How long can a man with three daughters to take care of really grieve…

The moment she heard the sound of doors sliding shut and the silhouette of the Tendo Patriarch disappeared from view, Ranma once again felt herself slipping into this strange state of dissociation. She was also sad for Hanna, really, but that wasn't something she was concerned about at the moment, it was about the effect it would have and what she could do to minimize the damage.

She had just promised to take care of the Tendo sisters, without really knowing anything about kids or even about the ‘normal’ family structure. Now she was stuck with the three little kids she actually knew from the future, a broken man, and a problem of having no real identity in this time. She gulped as she realized that she had no idea what to do.

Her thoughts drifted for some time, wondering how it was possible that so many things came to a head in less than forty-eight hours, and how much of it was completely fucked up and definitely above her pay grade.

She was snapped out of these musings by a sudden stirring inside the washitsu. Akane moved, mumbling something unintelligible in her sleep. Ranma realized that it was pretty late at night and these kids probably should be in beds right now.

She didn’t really want to end up as a babysitter, but if she needed to do that in order to stay here, then she wasn't going to do a half-assed job. She scooped up the girls one by one and slowly and as gently as possible carried them to their respective rooms. She was practically on auto-pilot, focusing more on going as stealthy as possible to not wake up the kids.

When everyone else went to sleep, she didn’t even register when she ended up in the guest room, her body automatically knowing where to go as she pulled the spare futon out from the closet.

Finally after taking off her borrowed dress and covering herself with the blanket, Ranma was looking at the ceiling like she had done countless times before while still feeling terribly out of place. It all felt oddly familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, looking the same as always but without the marks of time she knew. It was odd.

She was tossing and turning in her futon, she was anxious about the future and disoriented when she thought about the present. The issues to take care of were piling up and her head was spinning just trying to figure out which of the fires she should try to put off first. And the worst part about it all was that she didn’t have anyone around to ask for help. It was probably the first time that Ranma felt truly and completely alone. It would be a long night before sleep finally claimed her.

Chapter Text

Ranma didn’t sleep well that night. Truth be told, she didn’t even know if she went to sleep at all, too caught up with worrying about her current situation to notice the blackness of night receding in favor of the pale, early rays of sunshine.

Normally, her old Kasumi would be up and running at that time, carefully preparing breakfast for her whole family.

I guess it’s my job now, she thought with a groan. She didn’t even know the girls’ sleep schedule, and the fact that now she not only should try to learn it but also try to adjust to it didn’t exactly fill her with energy. In fact it was the opposite.

Some part of her really didn't want to get up, reasoning that even if she did promise to look after the Tendo sisters, she wasn’t their mom so they shouldn’t expect her to do everything around the house. The idea of turning into the redhead version of Kasumi made her suddenly feel anxious. The thought of calling it quits passed through her mind, but it was snuffed out as quickly as it appeared.

The events of the previous day once more flashed before her eyes. Hanna collapsing, her time with the girls, the promise she made to Soun… It all came back to her, making her head hurt.

She knew that that guy was in no condition to do anything useful, and the thought of letting the girls go hungry made her feel even worse than the idea of turning into some sort of housewife material or a full blown nanny.

Getting out of bed with great effort, she once again asked herself the same question: How could she voluntarily get herself into a situation like this? She’d only heard rumors about this period in the Tendo family's life, and everything she heard about it was bad at best. What could she even do?

Ranma took the dress she wore the previous day and went down to the bathroom, her morning routine not disturbed even by her current circumstances. She couldn’t wait to wash away all the sweat from her sleepless night. To get rid of all that stickiness and the restlessness that seems to not want to let her go.

Once she closed the door, she disrobed quickly and started filing in the furo, a mundane task that she had done so many times before without a second thought, especially after she more or less made peace with her cursed form. The time when she cared about taking a bath as a boy or a girl was a thing of the past. Normally she would just hop in, soak in the warm water for some time and then get out, no problem and no caring about her current gender.

This time was different though, and for the first time in months the sight of running water made her pause. Ranma sat there on the stool, watching the steaming liquid filling the furo with the complicated look on her face as she contemplated the problem at hand.

The girls only knew Ranko, not Ranma. In fact they shouldn’t know who Ranma is for many more years and yet here she was, with a curse that could make a mess of things very quickly. The fact that she was a girl for a little more than a day without sudden change was nothing short of a miracle.

She’d promised to take care of the Tendo sisters for the foreseeable future. She was where warm water was everywhere. Remembering all the times when it douse her from out of nowhere, she knew it was only a matter of time before her secret would be out for everyone to see.

The redhead stood up, and glanced at herself in the mirror. It would be a disaster if the girls found a strange man in the house. She’d be lucky if the worst thing to happen was being thrown out. She couldn’t let that happen. The Amazons wouldn’t be an option for years, and there was no way she would trust the Musk even if they were around. The pressure points she and Tofu found out to lock the curse should do it though. They were the only way to keep her secret. There was nothing else at that moment that she could do.

And yet, the realization that she wouldn’t see the black haired boy she knew so well for Kami knows how long was making her really uncomfortable. She didn’t mind staying a girl for longer periods of time, she’d gotten used to this… to this fluid motion of going through life not carrying about gender, and the fact that now she was supposed to start caring about it felt a little bit like a betrayal of the way she’d lived her life for so long.

Still, there’s no other way around it, she thought with a deep, resigned sigh and started looking at her back in the mirror, trying to find the exact pressure points she knew she needed to press in order to stay female for as long as she needs to be. After several attempts and even more twinges of pain shooting up her back she was finally able to reach all the necessary places. As always, she didn’t feel any difference, but after reaching out and splashing her head with the steaming water she knew she was successful.

She wasn’t happy about it, but at least she wouldn’t need to fear getting wet. It was the first and probably the last good news today. The thought of facing the three oblivious girls was filling her with dread. She really hoped that Soun would be the one that would break the news to them, he was their father after all.

Ranma took the bucket of cold water and poured it over her head, washing and scrubbing herself quickly, knowing that there wasn’t much time to dally. The girls will probably be up any minute now and she didn’t even hope that their father would be any help at all, judging by the fact that even all those years later he left all the household chores to Kasumi.

The more she thought about Soun, the more angry and disappointed she felt. She really wanted to feel sorry for him, but knowing how all the Tendos would end up in the future she couldn’t help but feel that way.

With each passing second, the realization that she will almost certainly be the one forced to handle the fallout of this situation made an icy shiver run down her spine, such that even the hot water in the furo could not completely drive it away.

Recognizing that she would not be able to relax in a hot bath no matter how long she soaked, Ranma finished quickly and hurried to the kitchen, for the first time in a while feeling anxious to wrap everything up as soon as possible. It made her really appreciate all the effort Kasumi put into making sure all of them would be fed each day.

Thanking whatever Kami was watching for familiarizing herself with where things were the day before, she was able to get to work pretty quickly. The only problem was that unlike someone as skilled as the eldest Tendo preparing everything almost every day, she didn’t have that much experience. The only time she really was tasked to do the cooking from start to finish was when she still was pretending to be ‘Ranko’ in front of her mother.

I really need to learn how to cook something more than just the basic stuff, she thought, tying the straps on her apron and trying not to think too deeply about the fact that she really had no idea how to take care of not only kids but also the whole house. One thing at the time, she reminded herself while trying to figure out how to use the much older version of the rice cooker than she was used to.

Not long after that she was tasting the miso soup quietly simmering in front of her. She was lucky enough to have everything she needed for the most basic breakfast she knew, white rice, grilled salmon with pickled weggies on the side and miso soup. She even found some natto so if you asked her, it was a pretty good meal for someone who almost exclusively cooked on the road.

She would really need to read some cookbooks or get some cooking lessons. She wasn’t delusional enough to think that her meager knowledge of adding just the right amount of specific spices would appease two kindergarteners and one soon-to-be teenager.

Ranma was about to go upstairs to wake up the kids when suddenly she heard the sounds of footsteps thudding on the wooden steps. The redhead glanced back just in time to see three small girls, still in their clothes from the day before running towards her, their faces all smiling…

…Only to turn out to be confused and disappointed when they realize that the one standing by the gas stove wasn’t Hanna but Aunty Ranko.

The look on their faces made Ranma winced, she felt the pang in her chest, knowing that no matter how hard they wanted to see their mom it wasn’t going to happen. At least outside of looking at the photo at the family shrine.

“G-good morning, girls,” she said, trying very hard to keep the smile she mustered onto her face from falling off. “Breakfast is almost ready. Could you three go and wash your hands while I’ll try to wake up your dad?”

The moment the sisters heard the word ‘dad’, their faces lit up slightly and nodded eagerly, at which Ranma made a quiet sigh of relief even though she had mixed feelings about the mere appearance of Soun Tendo at the dining table. She wasn’t sure if him appearing before the girls in the state he was just a few hours before was the best idea. Especially since she doubted that he looked any better even after a whole night's sleep. If he even slept at all.

She certainly didn't.

“Yes!” They said in unison before they ran towards the bathroom door, leaving the redhead behind. She in turn glanced at the closed door to the master bedroom, the ominous, depressive ki seeping from that room was making her swallow hard, anxiously.

She would really prefer to just let him be.

She needed someone to break the news to them however, so she didn’t have much choice. She refused to be the only ‘adult’ at the table when the questions about their mom came up, no matter how emotionally broken that man was, his daughters deserved to hear the news from their father.

Ranma shook her head and walked towards the Tendo Patriarch’s room. In a few quick steps she was standing right next to the door, feeling a slight shiver run down her spine from all the heavy ki constantly assaulting her senses.

“Mister Tendo, breakfast is ready!” She said, loudly. Somehow the very idea of shouting at the grieving men felt so wrong so she wasn’t sure if he even heard. After a moment or two of complete silence, she only became more anxious and tried to call again. “Mister Tendo, are you there?”

A few heartbeats later, the door slid open and the older man appeared before the redhead, looking even more wretched and broken than the last time she saw him, making her doubts about calling him over even more deserved.

He looked haggard. His kimono was hanging loosely on his chest, dirty and uneven. His eyes were red, puffy and still moist, making Ranma wonder just how much he was crying to make his face look like this. He’d cried frequently and for lengthy periods of time but he never looked like that before.

His gaze was blank, broken. A complete opposite to the emotional, foolish man she was accustomed to seeing. Looking at him at that moment she was close to apologising to him and walking away. The only reason she didn’t do that right away was the fact that she promised the girls that she would bring their father back. And the fact that she was sure that both him and them really needed to be close at times like this.

Family should stick together, right? She thought, wincing slightly at the memory of the absolute mess that had been her own family. Wishing that someone could tell the same thing to her own parents. Everything would be so much easier that way.

“Mi-... Soun-san.” She started, feeling flustered at the unblinking, blank stare of the older martial artist, tapping into the Soul of Ice, trying not to stutter under his creepy gaze. “I know that it’s not the best moment and you probably want to be left alone but… I can’t do it all alone.” “Your kids need you, they don’t know what happened.”

He didn’t say anything, but his eyes blinked a few times, like he’d only just woken up from a really deep sleep. There was nothing more than that, only the slightly more aware stare and the slow step, reminiscent of the zombies from some of the horror movies Nabiki was so fond of watching.

It won’t end well, she thought, frowning deeply while hurrying back to the kitchen, eager to do anything as long as it could distract her from the fact that at the moment he opened his door, Soun Tendo already looked like a dead man walking. She could already feel herself getting more and more anxious about the whole ordeal and whatever he would tell the girls when they inevitably ask him about Hanna.

It won’t end well at all…

The breakfast was awkward. At first, the girls were excited to see their father sitting at the table, running towards him only to stop a few feet away. The moment they saw his face they instantly went silent, shooting confused and worried glances from him to Ranma and back, silently asking what’s happening. Especially Kasumi.

The redhead felt helpless but said nothing about it. It wasn’t her place to start that conversation. She invited the reluctant and clearly wary children to the table trying to at least appear normal and smiling, a stark contrast to the broken and shallow shell of a person Soun was at the moment.

Ranma could already see the questions in their eyes, questions they wanted to ask, but for some reason haven't done so yet. Was that because they still didn’t trust ‘Ranko’ that much or because they were affected by the depressive ki that was constantly oozing from their father. She honestly didn’t know.

For now she focused on serving the meal, trying to recreate the way her Kasumi did each and every day ever since she and her pop appeared at the Tendo Dojo. It made her feel strangely out of character, but trying to make every step as close to the oldest Tendo as she could, she was able to ignore the suffocating atmosphere at the table.

After everything was served, she just watched as the girls were picking at their food.

They didn’t say anything, but Ranma could guess what they were thinking. Probably something like ‘it's nothing like the food mama makes’ or something along those lines. She couldn’t really blame them for it. Even if the suffocating pressure she could feel from Soun didn’t make their appetite go away, she didn’t really have a lot of occasions to cook. And so, she just observed them, taking only small bites of the rice and vegetables while constantly stealing glances at their father, the only person at the table that didn’t even look up, eating everything with absentminded, stiff movements.

He was there but not there at the same time, like a freaking ghost. She remembered Kasumi had once said she lost both her parents when Hana had died, but she hadn’t truly understood what that meant until now.

But then halfway through her rice, Kasumi finally straightened her back and didn’t look back.

“Daddy… where’s mom?” She asked sheepishly, tensing up when her father’s hand stopped moving. “She said we’ll all go to the park today…”

Akane and Nabiki also froze,looking at Soun with a hesitant hope that someone would finally tell them what was going on. Ranma holds her breath, silently praying that Mister Tendo at least tell them… something. Anything to make explaining this situation a little bit easier.

Instead, the older man's face contorted, turning into something resembling that of a cornered animal. He was looking between everyone at the table with a frantic, wide stare like someone who just woke up from a terrible dream, only to realize that he didn’t sleep at all. His whole body shook as he stumbled backwards on the tatami, seemingly crushed by the weight of his daughter’s question.

As his eyes begin to tear up, he starts to back away.

“I…I can’t do it.” He whispered before looking straight in Ranma’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Ranko-san but I… I just can’t do it…”

Deep down she knew something like this would happen. She knew just how spineless and selfish Soun Tendo and her pops could be, but watching him literally running away from his own children… Ranma could do nothing but stare, speechless.

She looked back at all those times her pop vanished whenever someone he scammed or owed money came to collect, leaving her all alone to clean up his mess. She remembered perfectly well how pissed off she was every time that happened, but even so, what Soun did was a hundred times worse.

As Mister Tendo hurriedly walked away from the washitsu and she could hear the sound of the front door sliding open, all the sympathy she felt towards him completely vanished.

He completely fucked up everything and left, leaving her there alone to pick up the pieces. She was so furious that only slipping into the Soul of Ice prevented her from destroying the dinner table.

To make matters worse, with no one to turn to, the girls turned to the only other ‘adult’ in the room - Ranma.

“A-aunty Ranko… where did daddy go?” Akane and Nabiki asked one after the other, their eyes watery, almost on the verge of crying. Kasumi wasn’t much better, desperately clutching the hem of her dress and looking down at the unfinished meal.

Ranma looked at them, the image of their older selves flashed briefly before her eyes. Was that how it happened originally? She wondered, feeling sorry for the little girls before her. Did Soun ever tell them? Or did they have to hear about it from rumors? From gossiping neighbors or concerned friends comforting them for a loss they didn’t even know had happened yet?

She didn’t know, but suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to murder Soun Tendo.

Beating the crap out of someone, that’s something she knew how to do, she was good at it, probably the best. It was much easier than taking care of three kids that just lost their mother while their father turned out to be a freaking disappointment.

What would I even say to them? She thought, feeling their big, scared, innocent eyes burning a hole into her very soul. They weren’t even ten, they wouldn’t understand the concept of passing away, they probably would just end up scarred shitless and start crying.

The safest option would be to lie to them, they were just dumb kids, they wouldn’t know any better. Even so, she didn’t want to do that. She knew too well just how much it hurt to believe in something your whole life, only to realize it was all a lie all along.

Some wounds are too deep to ever fully heal, especially the ones suffered at such a young age, even more so when the ones that were responsible for them are your closest family. Ranma started as she realized that this moment was the sister’s neko ken. The trauma that would change them forever, robbing them of their youthful innocence.

With a heavy sigh, Ranma deflated. Lying to them now would be like when she was in that blasted pit, begging for her father to help, but no one ever came. She just couldn’t do that to them, not after what she's been through with her own parents. She would be better than them.

“Girls, come here for a moment.” She said, extremely anxious but determined to stick with her decision. She moved slightly from the table, and reached towards the girls, scooping them in kind of an awkward hug. She was extremely uncomfortable, letting someone so close to her own personal space, but remembered seeing some moms calming down their own kids that way.

It seemed to actually be true, judging by the fact that the girls pressed themselves much closer to her bosom, especially Nabiki who was hugging her particularly fiercely, shaking slightly for a first few heartbeats.

“You know that your mom wasn’t feeling well, right?” She asked when they finally began to relax, the quiet sniffling stopped and their breathing became more steady.

“Mhm, she was coughing so much.” Kasumi murmured, reluctantly. The sisters became visibly uncomfortable, and tense once again. Ranma cursed under her breath, strangely feeling a little teary herself. She needed a few more moments to compose herself enough to keep her voice steady before she could continue.

Now, how to explain something like that to those kids? She thought, desperately racking her brain for an idea, but unlike with martial arts she was kind of hopeless when it comes to words.

“Yes, so… The doctors here couldn’t help mom with her coughing so she needed to go somewhere where they could help her.” She said, trying not to cringe from how weak that was. “Sadly that place is so far away that we can’t go see her, but once she gets there, she’ll definitely feel better.” She added.

A little bit of bullshit didn’t harm anyone, she just had to avoid outright lying, she thought, justifying the half-baked explanation she came up with on the fly. It seemed to have worked though, kind of. Akane and Nabiki weren't sniffling that much anymore, they were more confused and looking as deep in thought as a five or six year old can be. Only Kasumi had this sad, knowing look on her face. She shuddered but clearly was trying to not show it to her two younger sisters.

She probably did the same thing back then too, Ranma thought, hugging the older sister a little tighter than before.

“Was Daddy sad because he can’t see mommy anymore?” Asked Akane before burying her face into Ranma’s side.

She had a lot of things she wanted to say about Soun Tendo but looking down at the trembling girl, she decided to bite her tongue for the time being…

“Yes, Akane-chan.” She said, gently patting her head. “We won’t be able to see her for a while and your Dad already misses her very much.”

…which didn’t mean that the redhead didn’t feel dirty trying to clean up after the Tendo Patriarch, but as much as she loathed him at that moment she knew just how important he was for the sisters.

They didn’t need more headache and drama, especially not at that moment.

“I miss mommy too…” said Nabiki before joining her younger sister in hiding her face in Ranma’s dress.

She could feel herself cracking. She didn’t hold on that well to begin with, not because of Hanna's passing - she barely even knew her - but having three sniffling and crying little girls in her arms was way above her paygrade. She was close to tearing up herself.

“I know, Nabiki-chan.” She said, stroking the kids' heads, smiling weakly. “You will be able to see Mom again someday, we all… we all will see your mom one day but it won’t be for quite some time. It’s ok to miss her, I’m sure she’ll miss us too.”

Sitting like this, in a big messy cuddle pile Ranma could feel her perspective changing. At first she thought that all of this could be just some new magic trick, her decision to stay with the Tendos was mostly a way to survive in this new timeline… but not anymore.

These three girls were real, alive and needed someone to take care of them. Badly.

“So you need to stick together, ok? I’m sure your mom wouldn’t like to see you three looking so mopey and sad. What about doing something fun together? Kasumi-chan, you said that you wanted to go to the park, right? We can go there if you want.”

I can do it… somehow, she thought standing up with a new found determination. I’ve got this, even without Soun.

“But first of all, we need to clean up this mess.” She said, smiling softly at the sisters. “Would any of you girls like to help your aunty with the dishes?”

“I will call again if something changes,” She said into the receiver. “Have a nice day, m’am.”

Ranma sighed as she ended the call. Fortunately neither the elementary school nor the kindergarten had any issue with letting the girls be absent until their mother’s wake. It gave her time to develop some kind of house routine and get to know the kids better. She may know them from the past, future, whatever, but the Tendo sisters right now were still such a mess that interacting with them felt more like walking on eggshells than anything else.

And all of that wouldn’t be possible if not for Hanna Tendo’s foresight or complete lack of belief in her own husband.

After she and the girls came back from the park and she sent the kids to the furo, Ranma decided to intrude into the master bedroom hoping for some information, some emergency contacts, doctor appointments, school addresses and so on. In other words, things she was almost sure Soun didn’t know anything about.

“I wonder what she really thought about him,” she said to herself, browsing the stack of papers she found in one of the drawers. It had everything, from the important phone numbers, and appointments, all the way up to the meals their daughters liked the most. All perfectly documented with small descriptions like for a half-brained child.

It’s like she already knew and wanted to help him take care of the kids, she thought, making a mental note that Kasumi needed to go to the dentist on Thursday next week. Too bad that he never really used it… I think.

It didn’t truly matter now, since she’d decided to step up instead.

Suddenly a sound of something solid falling down on the floor snapped her out of her musing. She gave a sidelong glance at the door to the small room that in her timeline was used mostly by Happosai. The same one that Ranma decided to move into.

No matter how much time she stayed here, the guest room would eventually be used by Saotomes from this timeline, so it was only fair that she left that space empty for whenever they would show up.

The only problem was that the room she wanted to move into was used as a sort of storage room which meant that she needed to get rid of a lot of useless junk which was a real pain in the ass… if the girls didn’t decide to do a treasure hunt there instead.

And so there they were, Kasumi, Akane and Nabiki all dirty and dusty but looking really excited, arms full of some junk and antiques she didn’t even know what they were for or how old they were.

Now she only hoped that it would last long enough for her to figure out something else to keep them busy. Or until they will tired themselves to sleep or something.

“I think that you’ve dug up enough treasures for some time, don’t you?” she asked, actually impressed at just how much dust they were able to cover themselves with from that room. They looked like they were made from the stuff. “Take it out to the backyard and shake it all off, will you? I’m not gonna sweep this whole washitsu once again just because you decided to turn into some dust monsters.”

“Kane-chan wanted to look at the tallest box,” said Nabiki, looking all innocent despite being as dirty as her sisters.

“Nu-uh it was Na-chan,” said Akane, blowing a raspberry towards her older sister.

“They both wanted to see which one would manage to get the top box down, that’s why they are so dirty.” Added Kasumi, shaking her head before she started pushing her two younger sisters towards the backyard. “Come on, let’s do what aunty Ranko said…”

Ranma decided to not mention the fact that the oldest Tendo sister wasn’t really that much cleaner herself. She was just relieved that they seemed to look much better compared to the crying mess they all turn into after breakfast. Once again her method of occupying kids with something to do worked wonders.

She took one more look at the few boxes she already put aside, the ones that she decided to keep. She opened one of them up, the smaller one, full of photo albums and stacks of loose photos, mostly mundane scene from the Tendo’s life, girls playing on the playground, Hanna tending to flowers, Kasumi and her parents together on their way to some festival… a bunch of old, half forgotten memories stuffed in the cardboard box.

Just like their mother’s death in the past, she thought, remembering her version of the Tendos, especially Akane and her almost non-existent memories of that time. It was understandable though, she and Nabiki were very young and they practically had no adults to rely on at that time.

Hearing the soft laughter of the girls probably rolling on the grass outside, she shook her head and closed the box away. Whatever happened from now on, she needed to be there for them, if only to make the memory of this time a little bit less horrible than it could have been.

The Wake was scheduled two days later, forcing Ranma to change the way she thought about Mister Tendo, albeit only slightly. It turned out that he didn’t just run away from his kids that day, he actually went and organized this whole thing on his own, which was really appreciated.

She wouldn’t want to try organizing it by herself. She didn’t really know Hanna and it would just feel very wrong.

And so she stood there, drowning in the heavy, earthy smell of the incense in the middle of the room where the otsuya were taking place. She was wearing the clothes taken from Mrs Tendo’s closet with her daughters firmly holding her hands while they were looking at the portrait she was all too familiar with.

She felt very out of place.

But not as much as the fact that except for them and a few older people that almost definitely were Tendo’s friends there was no one there.

“Where the hell is everyone?” The question escaped her lips before she could bite her tongue.

Aren’t Wakes supposed to be packed with people? she thought, looking awkwardly at the almost empty space. Where are all the relatives? Surely the Tendos aren’t like Saotomes, right? From what she’d gathered from her mom, Ranma practically didn’t have any relatives on either side, and the ones that were still alive were living overseas.

Were the Tendos the same way? Was that why through all the years she was living with them no one ever touched the subject of the rest of their family?

A gentle tug on the edge of her sleeve brings her back to the present. She looked down at Kasumi who glanced back at her with those sad, dejected puppy eyes.

“Dad always says that he has no family,” she murmured with a tone that matches her eyes. And Mom's family won't talk to us because she married Dad.”

She looked down at her feet before continuing with an even quieter, whispered voice. “Weren’t you angry at Mom too, Auntie? Was that why you never visited?

Shit, she thought, feeling like slapping herself in a face for that slip up. At that point not only Kasumi, but Nabiki and Akane were looking at her as well with matching sad and dejected puppy eyes like some kind of child hivemind.

“N-not at all Kasumi-chan.” she said making the best quick, gentle smile she possibly could. “Our family is just… it’s complicated.”

I must remember that right now I am Ranko Tendo, she thought, shaking her head slightly. Playing a role was so much easier when it was only for some quick scheme and not some semi-permanent thing.

I can only speak for myself but… I’m really glad no one else came. Mainly because if that happened she would almost definitely be found out.

It was very strange though, aren’t wives supposed to take the last names of the husbands? But then introducing herself as Hanna's cousin should immediately raise suspicion, right?

Don’t tell me… was Mr. Tendo originally a rōnin? The thought was random, but the more she thought about it the more sense it made, especially taking into account that mythical ‘training trip from hell’ with Happosai.

Pity that even if it was true she was in no position to ask that kind of question. Especially if she didn’t want to raise any suspicions about her current identity.

Plus now she had bigger problems to deal with, for example making sure that Kasumi and her sisters didn’t suspect anything unusual. That would be a good start.

She looked up, just in time for the last of the few women present to walk away from the shrine, giving Ranma and the girls a clear view of Hanna's portrait.

She already knew that she didn’t like events like this, even if they existed to honor the memories of the ones that passed away. She especially didn’t like that all of it was centered around that big, lifeless and staged photo of the deceased looming over them, which made her feel suffocated.

Or maybe it was the fact that she couldn’t help but imagine the exact same scenario with a portrait of her Akane, something that could have happened if they all hadn’t been extremely lucky on that damned mountain? Whatever it was, Ranma lived through so many sad and depressing things that she was just absolutely sick of them. She wished to never need to be at one of these ever again.

The girls followed her gaze and pretty soon the redhead could feel two little bodies pressing themselves against her from both sides. She instinctively reached out to them, knowing that they would probably start sniffling if she didn’t do that right away.

“We really can’t visit Mommy?” Nabiki asked pitifully, making Ranma flinched.

“Even if we are good?” Akane chimed in in such a way like she really expected that her guardian would change her mind if she only was good enough, which for some reason makes the redhead even more sad.

Why can't I get an easier task? Something like fighting Saffron? She thought feeling miserable but still maintaining her gentle smile.

“I’m sorry girls, but I don’t think that’s possible.” She said, trying to ignore the pain and disappointment on the faces of all three girls but failing immediately.

She remembered her own younger self during the training journey with her father. At that time she still firmly believed that her mother had left them or simply passed away. At that time she also desperately wished for a way to get her back, or at least send her a message, anything that would let her know that she missed her so much it hurt.

She wasn’t much different from those girls.

“If you really want to, what about writing her a letter?” Her mouth opened before she realized what she was saying. “We can’t go there in person but if you’ll write to her I can send your letters to her. She probably can’t reply, but I’m sure she would love to hear from you, even if that’s nothing much.”

She bit her tongue before she could get herself into even more trouble, but the damage had already been done. Ranma could see it in those childish eyes, shining with continuous hope and excitement… and even if she knew that she screwed up and it was probably going to bite her in the ass in the future, a small part of her was glad that she gave that hope to those girls, no matter how fleeting it really was.

“Can you really do that?” Akane asked with awe, her eyes were actually shining with wonder for a moment, making the redhead slightly anxious about the future.

“For real?” Nabiki added, equally excited.

Ranma looked at each of her sisters in turn, feeling awkward, suddenly realizing the position she put herself in and already having second thoughts about the whole idea… but she couldn't let those kids down, she just couldn't.

“I’ll try,” she said with a short sigh, trying to keep her smile from cracking.

In the corner of her eyes she noticed Soun. The main mourner of this day was standing there, in the corner, looking at his wife’s portrait, a small river was quietly falling down from his face, wetting his black kimono, something she didn’t even know he had. He looked absolutely miserable.

She didn’t like the Tendo Patriarch, which was more than a bit of an understatement ever since he ran away from that dinner table. In her original timeline he was only tolerable, it was the most she could give him after all the scheming and shenanigans he and her pop would involve themselves in only to screw with her and Akane’s relationship. Even so she still felt bad for him, and she could sympathise with the man that lost the love of his life. If not for sheer luck she would be in the same boat as him.

But it was not her version of Mr. Tendo and she really didn’t want to stay here any longer.

“Come on girls, let’s go home,” she said with a quiet sigh, deciding that she had enough excitement for today and had no energy or will to spare on Soun Tendo. “It’s late and you must be hungry.”

After checking that the girls hadn't lost anything, Ranma was almost ready to leave the otsuya when Akane suddenly looked at her mother's photo one last time.

“Bai bai mommy,” she said, waving her small hand slowly towards the portrait before turning back and joining the rest of the family. Ranma watched, her throat tightening. All of it just felt so wrong.

Things like that shouldn’t happen, she thought, scooping the youngest Tendo sister to her side, desperate to leave that place.

She just wished to be anywhere else but there.

The whole way back she didn’t say a word, just reliving the whole Wake in her mind, over and over again. She couldn’t help but feel relief that the girls were still too young to understand what was happening.

The fact that they had just lost their mother was tragic, but with enough time and effort she knew they would be able to move past it. They did that in the past even when there was no one else to help them… but now the situation was different.

When the familiar roof of Tendo Dojo was finally in sight, the redhead squeezed the children's hands tighter, sending them a reassuring smile.

“Everything’s gonna be alright,” she said, opening the front gate and leading her girls inside. I’ll make sure of it.

Chapter Text

The hustle and bustle of the preschool was going on all around Akane while she was looking through one of multiple picture books spread out around her, her eyes glued to the picture in front of her. A child-like drawing of four people, two bigger ones and two smaller ones, standing in front of the similarly drawn house, smiling. A happy family.

Mommy, she thought, touching the board book page, feeling a small pang of sadness. It had been quite a while since she’d last seen her mom and she really missed her.

Aunty Ranko said that if they wanted, they could write a letter to their mom. Akane didn’t know many letters yet so recently she’d started asking Kasumi-neechan to write some for her, excitedly imagining her mommy smiling after getting it.

She turned the page, uncovering an image of ‘mom’ doing chores around the house with two smaller figures. The youngest Tendo giggles remembering Aunty’s look of exasperation after she allowed her and Nabiki-chan to help with the dough yesterday, ending up with all of them being covered in sweet sticky mass. Plus half of the kitchen, too.

Akane really liked Ranko. She was always there with her cool red hair and a warm smile whenever one of the sisters was sad or needed something. She would always wander around the house doing the same things mommy did, even if she did them a little differently. Especially cooking. It was strange and Akane didn’t always like it, but Kasumi-neechan said to not be picky and try to eat as much as she could. She really tried, but she hoped that her Aunty would quickly learn to cook as well as mommy.

She still couldn’t force herself to eat the bell peppers, though.

Another image showed the whole family at the table, all of them smiling and looking at each other. Akane wondered when daddy would finally join them again. She’d barely seen him for three days, always staying in his room even after she’d ask if he wanted to play. He’d always played with her and she didn’t understand why he suddenly stopped.

At first she thought that maybe she’d done something wrong, she’d even asked Aunty about it. It was the first time Akane saw her looking angry. She was told not to even think like that and that nothing was her fault, that Daddy was just very sad and he needed some time alone.

Mom would always hug her whenever she was sad, so Akane wanted to do the same to her dad, but with him cooped up in his room she didn’t have a chance to.

How was he going to stop being sad like that? She had no idea.

But mommy would know, she thought, putting away the book and waddling to the small, crayon covered table in the corner of the room. She didn't know many letters but mom always looked happy whenever Akane would draw something for her… so she would always try to draw something special every time Sumi-neechan wrote a letter for her.

The youngest Tendo sat down at her station, arms stretched to grab the crayons around her, searching for the right colors and already planning her next masterpiece.

Remembering the book she’d just put away, she decided to draw her whole family. Herself, her sisters, mom, dad and Aunty Ranko standing in front of the Dojo. Maybe she could ask Chika-sensei to write some words above too?

“Akane-chan!” A familiar voice called out to her just as she was about to start drawing. Her face lip up and her head turn back to see two girls walking in her direction.

“Yuka-chan! Sora-chan!” She called back to them with a smile as she stood up to meet her friends, at least she thought they were her friends. Mom always said that friends were the people that she likes the most that aren’t family, and she liked Yuka and Sora the most from all of the other kids from her preschool, especially since they always came up with the funniest games.

Because of that, Akane couldn’t help but be excited to see them.

“Whatcha doing, Akane-chan?” Asked Sora, her long black ponytails tied down with cherry-like hair ties swayed as she leaned over the small table.

“Drawing!‘ She said happily, red crayon still in hand. She kinda wished she started doing it earlier so she could show them something, but her friends never saw anyone from her family except Nabiki-chan, so they wouldn't know who she was drawing anyway.

“Cool!” Said Yuka, looking down and noticing that Akane hadn’t even started anything. “Wanna come with us Akane-chan? We want to build the biggest castle!” She yelled, shooting her arms in the air.

“And we don’t wanna start without you!” Sora chimed in, nodding vigorously at her animated friend.

Akane stood there, her eyes jumping back and forth from her drawing station to her friends , her hand caressing over her hair. Her hesitation didn’t last however. The crayons wouldn’t really go anywhere but the building blocks were a different story.

And so the three girls threw themselves into it, yelling, laughing and building higher and higher, to the point that Akane needed to stand on her toes to put the roof blocks on top.

After they’re done, they look up at the impressive building they’d made, their hearts swelling with pride of their accomplishment. The youngest Tendo was sure it was the tallest castle they had ever built, almost reaching the end of the shoe locker.

Akane wished that her family could see it, already imagining her sisters in awe of her building skills, mommy would smile, aunty would ruffle her hair telling her how cool it looks…

“Very impressive,” they heard an adult voice behind them, turning to see the teacher looking at them with a warm, serene smile on her face. “What did you do my little builders?”

“Chika-sensei!” They called their favorite teacher, a tall woman with long brown hair tied into a long ponytail with a forest green scrunchie. “We made a castle!” Yuka boasted proudly.

While the older woman was busy looking at their masterpiece, Akane and Sora-chan lined up next to Yuka, looking up at Chika-sensei almost like they were waiting for the evaluation of some sort of assignement… and hoping to hear a word of praise or two.

“It looks amazing, you must’ve worked really hard on it,” the teacher said, sending them one more smile and patting each of them on the head a few times. “We can’t let such impressive teamwork be wasted, don’t you think? Would you like to show everyone else just how amazing team the three of you can be?”

The girls didn’t really know what Chika-sensei was talking about but it sounded like she was very impressed by their work and wanted to reward them for it so they eagerly nodded. Akane thought that they would get something right away but instead they were taken to the center of the classroom, where the rest of her class was gathered by the other teachers. She, Sora-chan and Yuka-chan were sat practically at the center of the group, their eyes focused on Ran-sensei, the other woman that was always waiting for the kids to arrive and leave from the preschool. She was always smiling, just like Chika-sensei but she was much busier, constantly walking from place to place so Akane didn’t know her as well as the other teachers.

“Alright then my little ones, since we all are finally here…” Ran-sensei began, clearing her throat and drawing the attention of the entire class.. “Me and the other teachers from other classes were talking, and we thought that it would be very good for you to try and learn to work together. Because of that we would like for you, our brave and talented children to put on a play for the other classes and - of course - for your parents. Now I know that it will be your first time doing something so big but I know that you’ll do a fantastic job and have a great time while doing so. What do you think?”

“And you choose Romeo and Juliet?” Ranma looked down at Akane's excited face.

The two youngest Tendo sisters walking with her hand in hand was something she hadn’t expected to turn into a routine. She knew that at the age of six, Nabiki should already start to at least try walking to school on her own but Ranma was too anxious about her getting lost to let that happen just yet. Not to mention the fact that it hadn’t been that long since the Wake and the girls were still too fragile and in need of someone else’s presence.

Once again the redhead thanked the heavens for the fact that the administration didn’t pry too much into her identity and accepted her as one of the girl's guardians without much fuss. She wondered if that’s because the Tendo name was much more important than she realized? She didn’t know, but no one would find her complaining about it.

Who would have thought that Ranma Saotome, a person that would rather fight Kuno all day than deal with any sort of legal paperwork or administrative worker would actually start worrying about it every time she would leave home.

Still, she really needed to look for that guy Nabiki used to forge Ranko’s fake ID in the future. From what she remembered he was quite old, so maybe he’s already in business already? It would be ideal since she didn't like walking around the ward without a proper ID.

There’s only so much a sweet smile and pretty face can do when someone wants to dig deeper.

“Yeah!” Said Akane, practically brimming with energy. “Some boys didn’t like it but Ran-sensei said that most of the class wanted to do it, so that's what we’ll do!”

Ranma smiled at the youngest sister’s cheerful chatting, feeling immense relief. Between the three of them, Akane was the one she was especially anxious about regarding the effect their mother’s passing would have on the girls. That didn’t mean that she didn’t care about Kasumi or Nabiki, but considering the way they’d all ended up in her time, Akane’d clearly had the most trouble coping with it.

That’s why she put a little extra effort to always be near them for the last two weeks. As she slowly slipped into the role of the girl's caretaker she observed them carefully, trying to make the uncomfortable silence and space left by Hanna a little less noticable… with mixed results.

She really didn’t feel fit for taking care of children.

It was most apparent with the look of irritation Kasumi would often send her way every time Ranma would try to check on her. Like she’d intruded onto something important and private whenever she wanted to make sure everything’s ok with her.

When she was on the road with her father the concept of privacy didn't really exist for her so she didn’t catch herself right away, but now she was at least trying to knock… even so, she still felt stupid and she probably would feel that way for a while longer.

At least Akane turned out to be much less of a hassle than she’d expected, with her rather strange attention span of a five years old she was very easy to appease whenever she would get sad about her mom being ‘far away’.

This whole play thing would be a perfect distraction too. By the looks of it, it would be everything the youngest Tendo would talk about for at least a few days.

Then it hit her. A memory of the first few months at Furinkan High, their first and last play together. Thinking back, she remembered Akane’s regret regarding her basically being forced to play Romeo in preschool. At the exact same play she was so excited about ever since they started walking back home…

Ranma’s hand tightened slightly.

“Akane-chan,” she started, looking down at her youngest charge. “Has your class already decided who will play which role?”

The raven-hair girl shook her head vigorously.

“No, Ran-sensei said that we should think about it and that we’ll decide tomorrow.” She said, her eyes lost focus, probably already imagining herself in some kind of role.

Probably Juliet, the redhead thought, nodding inwardly to herself. I guess most girls her age would want to play as a female lead, with a cutesy dress and all that…

“Lucky you, nee-chan,” The voice that came from behind threw Ranma off balance to the point that she almost tripped over her own feet. “When we were doing a play a year ago, no one chose me for anything.”

She looked to the side to see Nabiki, still firmly holding her other hand but clearly sulking, dragging her own feet a half step behind, her eyes focused on the road. The sight of a future Ice Queen, famous for being so emotionless that some students would say that she wouldn’t blink even if a puppy died before her eyes, looking so sad and vulnerable was something Ranma would’ve never thought possible. Even if she knew that this Nabiki wasn’t the same as the one she used to know, at some level it still momentarily slowed her down in her tracks.

It didn’t last long however, only long enough for the redhead to regain her footing and try with all her might not to look as shell shocked as she felt just a few seconds ago. Once again she thanked the Kami that this girl wasn’t yet as sharp as the one she remembered, because even she didn’t believe she did a very good job in hiding that momentary slip up.

But to think that Nabiki actually had such a side… It was unexpected to say the least and the fact that it probably died down in her over the years of living with no real adult figure in her life for so long was too sad for Ranma to just ignore it and move on.

The first couple of days in this new timeline, the redhead was still too stunned to notice it, but now that she actually worked out a sort of routine and had some more free time on her hands, she finally realized something. These were girls that hadn’t been broken by years of living basically on their own, without the scars left by their mothers death. If she was being honest, they were complete strangers to her.

She was able to see the side of the Tendo sisters she had never seen before and - by extension - had the ability to influence it to some extent. It was a possibility that was both scary as hell but also a great opportunity.

But what should I do about it? She thought while unconsciously looking around the area, a small part of her mind unable to stop comparing her future knowledge with how things were in the here and now. Right now she was focusing mostly on the task at hand, on the small brown haired girl moping by her side because of a past disappointment that Ranma’d never known about.

Then she saw it, a perfect place for Nabiki to cheer up… and to give her a chance for a bit of the acting she’d missed out on.

“Say Nabiki-chan…” She started, trying to get the young girl’s attention. The middle Tendo didn’t respond at first but a gentle squeeze of Ranma’s hand seemed to do the trick as she finally - although not eagerly - lifted her head and looked up at her guardian. “I don't know about your classmates, but I for sure would choose you in a heartbeat.” She said, smiling mischievously. “In fact, do you want to help your Aunty with something right now? It will be fun, I promise.”

She didn’t smile back. There was no shimmer of excitement or anything that the redhead hoped to see. But at least there was interest.

“Huh?”

A few minutes and an explanation of a plan later Ranma opened up the door to the ice cream shop, Nabiki and Akane holding her hands firmly, looking around with giddy eyes, almost instantly locking their gazes on the target.

“Mommy, Mommy! Ice cream!” Akane yelled with excitement, pointing at the rows of different colors of the cold, creamy goodness, tugging her forward towards the shopkeeper.

“That’s right sweetie,” the redhead said sweetly, looking like a proper, maybe even slightly over the top doting mother. She let herself be guided by the two Tendo sisters even closer to the counter so that the two girls could almost plaster their heads to the glass separating them from their ice cream. “Hello sir, could you tell me how much it is for a scoop?”

The man behind the counter, a balding older guy with most of his hair already gray or gone, watched the whole family enter his shop with a warm smile on his face, clearly brought on by her two girl’s cuteness.

“Certainly, m’am. It would be sixty yen.” He said, still smiling at her but constantly glancing at the sisters quietly discussing which flavor to ask for. Perfect.

“Right, of course.” Ranma said smiling back and tried fishing for some money from her - still borrowed - purse for a moment or two before conjuring her best ‘panic’ face and started mumbling. “Oh no, how could this happen?”

As if on que, both sisters looked at her in sync with anxious faces.

“Mommy, Ice cream!” They demanded, eager to get the flavors they decided on a moment ago. Their ‘mommy’ made a sad sigh.

“Sorry little ones.” She said, making her best miserable smile towards them. “Seems like mommy somehow forgot her money. I’m afraid that we can’t get you any ice cream today…”

The reaction was immediate.

“But you pwomised!” They both yelled, making the deadliest puppy eyes Ranma had ever seen. Nabiki even reached for a hem of her skirt like it would somehow change the fact that she didn’t have any money.

The redhead crouched to her ‘daughters’ level and ruffled both of their hair, trying to cheer them up.

“I know. I’m really sorry girls.” She said, before standing up and glancing back at the man that was silently observing the whole thing, desperately trying to maintain the stoic man demeanor while heroically holding tears over a mother having to refuse her daughters a promised treat. Exactly as planned. “You too sir, I apologise for wasting your time…” She made a short but respectful bow. “We’ll be on our way then…”

Scooping the teary-eyed girls up with her both hands, Ranma turned around completely and was about to guide them out of the ice cream shop, but she didn’t even take one step towards the door when the man’s voice made her stop in her tracks.

“M’am, please wait!” the shopkeeper said, making the three of them glance back. “I can’t in good conscience let those two little angels walk away just like that. Please, let me give all of you one scoop of ice cream. On the house.”

A few minutes later Ranma was sitting on a bench, her two girls beside her devouring their haul like starving wolves while she, trying still to maintain the image of the girl's caretaker, was forcing herself to eat a little more slowly. She was brimming with pride though, very pleased with the sisters performance.

She couldn’t imagine just how different this whole scheme thing would be when she was the one playing the parent role. She finally realized why her pop wanted to do that so often, especially when Ranma started to be so good at it. It was so much fun.

Nabiki-chan looked up at her, the brown smudges of her chocolate ice cream adorned almost her whole face making her look adorable, which was weird, since the redhead never thought that she would use the words ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’ to describe the middle Tendo sister… but here she was. Looking at the cute little girl with messy face and eyes shining with adoration and pure awe.

“Aunty, that was so cool!” She yelled all giddy and excited, making Ranma giggle at the sight. The Ice Queen she remembered would never look like that, but looking at where things were going the future she knew may never really happen… at least in some sense.

She already promised to make Kasumi the best martial artist she could be, dead set on not allowing her to spend her whole childhood as some kind of child-mom like she’d ended up in her previous timeline. Why not make sure that the Ice Queen also didn’t happen? Nabiki was sly and resourceful no matter what so she would probably end up in some shady things anyway but maybe it would be something that wouldn’t involve her exploiting this place's original Ranma in the future… she needed to wait and see.

For now she was going to enjoy the rest of her strawberry ice cream, watching the girls excitedly talking about just how fun their scheme was and just how cool their ‘Aunty Ranko’ was for doing it with them.

The moment didn’t last long however and their cold, sweet treats disappeared in the blink of an eye. She stretched her arms, stood up and taking the hands of her two charges she resumed their walk home, the mundane house related stuff started to pour into her head, the endless list of chores she still needed to take care of slowly started to overshadow the pride she felt from a job well done…

…until the moment that Akane-chan’s belly made very loud rumbling noises.

“Can we get more ice cream?” She asked in a pleading tone, which made Ranma giggle once again, already trying to remember if there was some place the three of them could visit on their way back home.

“Alright, but I need to clean you first,” she said looking at the two girls with faces completely covered in ice cream. She figured they could run one or two more schemes before she’d need to do that damn laundry again.

Ranma made a tired, long sigh as she stretched her back. The chair she was sitting made a creaking sound when she leaned back slightly, exhausted.

She looked up at the small window. The stars were shining in the night sky and the sound of cicadas constant buzzing filled the air. The only light source, a small lamp, illuminated the table. An old, worn-out notebook and a small stack of papers were scattered on its surface, her last task for the day.

Today marked the end of her first two weeks in this new reality. It was a short but grueling period of time for the redhead, especially since she was so out of her element playing the role of a caretaker for the whole Tendo family, doing chores she did maybe once or twice in her entire life or never even knew existed up until now. But perhaps the most challenging of all of them was cooking. Or rather, cooking in a way that was edible and was tolerated by the three girls she was in charge of.

They say that one's eating habits change and develop over time, and Ranma already knew that to be true… but her situation was, of course, completely out of the ordinary, with her knowing exactly what the Tendo sister would like to eat… in a little over decade from now. She could literally throw most of the stuff she knew about the girls out of the window and needed to start from scratch… if not for that notebook she found by sheer luck.

She still hadn’t looked through all of Hanna’s stuff she had in her new room, but in the ones she had looked through, she’d found a sort of cooking diary the Tendo Matriarch apparently started writing at some point right after she gave birth to Kasumi.

At first Ranma wasn’t sure if she even should read that notebook, which contained all the small notes about the things the sisters would do or like over the years. It felt like she was walking into something intimate and a little too private to just read through without a second thought. Even so she kept going, uncovering things she would never have known would be possible.

Who would have thought that Kasumi didn’t really like meat? she thought, flipping through the page that clearly stated that the eldest Tendo refused to eat any meat around two years ago for some reason. It was kind of strange, looking back at her own timeline where Kasumi would eat almost anything and was able to make the most exquisite dishes using everything from chicken, to pork and beef.

Did she change her mind over the years? She wondered, resting her cheek on her hand while still looking through the notes. Or maybe… maybe she just didn’t have the luxury of being picky and cooked everything that Akane and Nabiki liked to eat? With Soun being the ghost of a man he is now, she probably focused solely on them and didn’t think much about herself, just as she did when me and pop arrived at the Dojo…

The idea of Kasumi needing to just suck it up and do so many things she definitely hated made the redhead’s blood boil. She glanced at the pieces of paper that were laying around the rest of her desk and picked up her pencil. Maybe the money was tight then, but now with her living in the Tendo Dojo she will make sure that the girls won’t need to stress about money. She thought about the meals she’ll cook in the coming week, trying to remember recipes for meatless dishes that Kasumi would enjoy eating. The problem was that all the dishes she could think of used bell peppers too, which was a no no for Akane, which in turn put her back to square one… Cooking for so many people is freaking exhausting, she thought, making a long and huge sigh of exasperation.

Suddenly she heard someone tapping on her door.

Ranma’s head shot towards the door caught completely off guard, closing the diary and instinctively hiding it under a pile of papers. She stood up in a fluid motion, cautiously, not really knowing what to expect but confident that with her current skills there wasn’t really anyone that could pose a threat to her… especially so far back into the past.

She walked slowly towards the door and slid it open. Years of training kicking in, her eyes scanned the living room, looking for an intruder… only to see Akane-chan standing only a few inches away from her door, holding her big plushy rabbit like it was her only lifeline while her own eyes were glued to the wooden floor. She was standing there quietly, except for the occasional sniffle.

Ranma looked down at her, speechless, not really sure what she should do. The awkward silence seemed to stretch out endlessly, despite only lasting maybe a few heartbeats before the redhead finally was able to find her voice once again.

“Umm… A-akane-chan, what’s wrong?” She asked awkwardly, kneeling down to the little girl’s level. “Can’t sleep?”

Akane shrunk, hugging her plushie a little tighter, staying silent.

The redhead cocked her head to the side, sensing as the right side of her lips started twitching. Even if right now she was only a small child, the youngest Tendo was still the same in some respects, a blessing in disguise that helped her to more or less know what was happening. And something that apparently didn’t change no matter how old she was, was the fact that Akane and Ranma have a real problem communicating with each other… somehow that problem didn’t disappear even in this new timeline.

Thanks to that she - as always - needed to play a guessing game, to understand what the issue was. Fortunately this time it wasn’t difficult at all.

She’d obviously had some sort of nightmare.

“Wanna sleep with me, honey?” She said moving back slightly to invite her over but the moment she put her foot to the side, a small hand reached frantically to the hem of her pajamas and hugged her leg tightly.

Ranma looked down at the girl a little taken aback; she didn’t expect anything like that. Even so, after two whole weeks of dealing with those kids, she’d more or less gotten used to unexpected things happening, so she was able to shake it off and pull herself together relatively quickly.

Abandoning the previous plan, the redhead just scoped the youngest Tendo into her arms and picked her up. Akane instantly wrapped her arms and legs around her the moment Ranma placed her on her hip before retreating back to her room. She was kind of surprised just how light the little girl felt and how strangely warm it felt to be hugged like this, like the girl she was carrying had absolute trust in her and didn’t want to let go.

Without missing a beat and suddenly feeling kind of sleepy as well, she turned off the lights and walked towards her already made up futon, tucking in Akane-chan and her Mr. Bunny under the bedding.

Or is it Miss Bunny today? She thought, hopping under the covers herself, feeling the smaller girl’s body pressing itself against her own in a tight hug. Seriously, that plushy changes genders even quicker than I did back then…

After making sure that everything was alright, Ranma hugged the girl back, sensing the previously tensed body slowly relaxing, snuggling even closer to her own.

“Sleep tight, Bunny Girl,” she whispered, closing her eyes and trying not to be strange about her current situation and the further implications that she was sure would follow.

Sleep didn’t come however, and it wasn’t only the redhead that couldn’t get a wink of it. The slow but deliberate stirring under the covers was all she needed to know that a certain little girl was still wide awake.

“Auntie…” A quiet, almost whisper-like voice made Ranma open her eyes. “...Could you sing me a lullaby?”

The question came out of nowhere. She was glad that Akane finally said anything to her, but she really wished it was something else. What lullaby? She knew a few songs, sure, but they weren’t exactly something kids like her would listen to and she was pretty sure that some of them hadn't even come out yet.

She couldn’t tell her that though.

“Sorry, sweetie, I don’t know any lullabies,” She said truthfully, caressing her head. “I promise to learn some next time, ok?”

Ranma could feel Akane’s head moving in a ‘nod’ motion but it was clear that she was disappointed. It was probably something that Hanna would do whenever her youngest had trouble sleeping, that’s why it was the first thing she asked for… just how different was her upbringing from other people? Whenever she had trouble sleeping her dad would grumble some cheesy line about men suffering in silence or some other shit and ignore her entirely. The more she realized how the Tendos raised their daughters the more she hated the way her childhood went down. It was really depressing.

She could feel Akane shrink in on herself again, curling up tighter to her own body.

“What about a story?” She finally asked. That one she could do, with all the craziness she’d lived through over the years she probably knew more crazy and funny stories than one could find in a single book.

The stirring stopped and she could see the youngest Tendo’s head looking up at her for the first time, curious.

“Story?” She asked, slightly louder this time. “What story?”

Ranma smiled, proud of herself for figuring out a way to cheer up Akane, even if it was only slightly. She was about to start recounting one of the many events she ended up in but froze, realizing that she wasn’t sure if it really was a good idea.

Recounting all the crazy stuff she's been through, was there anything appropriate for a five year old child to listen to? Maybe that time when I… no I end up butt naked in that big crowd of people… maybe that time when I… no, that was actually quite scary even for me, Akane-chan would cry… damn it, why is everything I’ve been through obscene, violent or out right too dangerous for a kid to listen to…

“A story about… about a boy.” She sighs, giving up on any really interesting story and - from the lack there of - decided to go with this one. “There was once a boy who trained ever since he was able to walk, his parents wanted for him to be someone great.”

Ranma was trying not to wince from the immense feeling of embarrassment. Trying to recall her own life as some fairy tale story was cringy enough, but trying to make it a positive one, after all the shit she went through just to have a semi-normal life afterwards just felt wrong. But she was still going, realizing that Akane was actually listening with those big, invested eyes that she just couldn’t disappoint.

Even if she felt like a clown by doing it.

“And the boy also wanted that at the beginning,” she continued, a strange sense of nostalgia made her pause for a moment, forcing her to consider every word. “...But as he got older he realized that he could be so much more than everyone else wanted him to be. That he could be someone else.”

“Who?” Akane asked looking at the redhead with a genuine interest, if her bunny plushy was alive they would probably suffocate from the force she was hugging them with.

Ranma giggled at the sight. She couldn’t remember a time when the youngest Tendo sister had ever looked this invested in something she said, and she was kind of surprised how good it felt to have someone hang on her every word.

“Whoever he wanted to be.” She replied, remembering all the time she actually did something she actually wanted. “Of course other people, especially his parents were against it, they wanted their perfect son… but eventually he was able to grow into a person he wanted to be, not someone other people expected for him to be.”

Ranma looked at the little girl still nestled comfortably in her arms, the talk they started right after they left the preschool came back to her, together with another one of her Akane telling her how she regretted letting others convince her to play a male lead role all those years back.

“You’ll be performing Romeo and Juliet for your preschool play right, Akane-chan?” She asked carefully and continued only after she saw the other girl shake her head. “Who would you like to play?”

Akane didn’t hesitate a single second.

“I wanna be Juliet!” She said, not in a whisper-like voice from before, but in an excited, giddy tone while flailing her arms wildly under the covers, kicking one of the redhead’s knees in the process.

“Then when you’re choosing your roles, remember that you definitely wanna play Juliet, ok Bunny Girl?” Ranma said, suppressing a giggle at the sudden shift in the mood. She felt really proud of herself, of the fact that she was able to navigate this strange situation and make her little charge all smiles instead of the sniffling, miserable kid that stood in front of her door not so long ago. She yawned loudly, feeling the sudden wave of drowsiness washing over her, the warmth of their bedding and the closeness of the other girl’s body making her eyelids extremely heavy. I guess that’s my cue, she thought, letting her head lay down on the cold pillow.

She could feel the girl’s body shifting again, snuggling itself more closely to her breasts, one of her small arms wrapping itself into her side as she nestled herself comfortably underneath the covers.

“Goodnight, Akane-chan.” She said after the moving stopped. She heard some sleepy murmurs coming from underneath the covers but was already only partially aware of her surroundings. After only a few more seconds the welcoming darkness enveloped her and her little girl into a dreamless, deep sleep.

“Good work everyone, see you Wednesday!” She said to the group of a little over ten children in white gi’s. Everyone bowed to her respectfully before starting to disperse rather quickly, chatting excitedly about their progress and gossiping about some school related stuff.

Ranma still couldn’t get used to the fact she was really running the Tendo Dojo. Truth be told, with Happosai refusing to name her a Master and Soun stubbornly delaying the opening of the Dojo until the wedding… she really started to think that this day would never come.

To be fair she didn’t exactly get permission to use the Dojo, but with Tendo Patriarch cooped up in his room and the only real source of substantial income being tied to it, she just couldn’t let it be closed forever.

Of course her students were skeptical of their new teacher, not only because she was a woman but also because they walked in on her when she was trying to deal with the weeds in the backyard. Who wouldn’t be skeptical if they saw a gardener lady claiming to be the one that will teach them from now on?

Fortunately it only took a small demonstration to get rid of their doubts and gain a massive amount of respect. It still irked her to no end just how little everyone thought of women at this time. Like she was only supposed to be a housewife and the fact that she was so skilled was some kind of mistake.

She tried to stay positive though. As long as she got paid and the kids were learning that was enough for now. It wouldn’t be long until things started changing so the only thing she needed to do was focus on the task at hand.

“You did very well today, Kasumi-chan,” she said, glancing at the brown haired girl in a white gi. The oldest Tendo already started moving the practice dummies to the corner of the Dojo but froze in place the moment Ranma spoke out to her. She looked down, shuffling her feet on the wooden floor, visibly embarrassed.

“T-thanks, Sensei,” she said, tugging down her gi with one hand. “I-I like the way you’re t-teaching. I’m learning a lot.”

No kidding, you’re learning speed is insane, she thought to herself while looking at the oldest Tendo sister, and couldn’t help but smile lightly. Ranma couldn’t believe the amount of raw talent the girl had for the Art, it wasn’t as much as her own but it was almost as good and she was a very fast learner, even without all the ‘encouragement’ her pops would use to make her learn faster.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as quick but by the time they arrived, Kasumi should be much better than this place’s Ranma. She was sure she could make it happen.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Kasumi-chan. You’re a natural” She said, walking up to her best student and ruffling her long, brown hair. “You have a real talent for martial arts, I would be an idiot not to try to teach you.”

Kasumi rewarded her with the biggest prideful grin she had ever seen, another indication that she was born for the Art. The fact that she was able to see that kind of expression only during their training sessions only made her more excited for the moment that girl will be ready for a real spar… she wondered what kind of expression she would see by then.

Ranma never saw the Eldest Tendo sister giving more than a serene smile that never reached her eyes. It always felt kind of staged to the redhead, and now when she finally saw the genuine, raw happiness on her face it was even more apparent.

Just how long had it been since Kasumi was truly happy? She thought, feeling a little guilty that she wasn’t able to see it when she had a chance.

“Thank you, Auntie Ranko,” she said, almost purring at her teacher’s touch, but her smile quickly fell off, replaced by a look of disappointment. “I wish Dad would praise me like that. Or really teach me at all…”

Ranma’s hand stopped, feeling a sort of kinship to her oldest charge. When she was her age she also craved her father’s approval, something that she didn’t get for quite a few more years and even then it was half-assed at best. After so much time waiting for any sort of recognition anyone's expectations would diminish, to the point that - in her case - she stopped really believing that any sort of praise from her pop was genuine, even if she now knew that a lot of them were true.

She wondered if Kasumi’d also stopped expecting anything special from her own father. She couldn’t believe that after he practically isolated himself from his daughters for who knows how long after Hanna’s death that his daughters ever saw him in the same way as before.

The hand that froze just above Kasumi’s head wrapped itself around the little girl’s shoulder in a quick but genuine embrace.

“Don’t worry about your Dad, he’ll come around… eventually,” she said, wishing that her deadbeat father would stop making her desperate attempts to somehow salvage their family relationships so much harder. “And when he sees just how good you are, he’ll have no choice but to show you the respect you deserve. I promise you Kasumi-chan.”

She could see the eldest Tendo sister sheepishly looking down, trying to hide her face that clearly showed that she would really love for that to happen. Ranma for her part was playing a role of reassuring aunt, even if deep down she doubted he would ever do it. He almost never watched or commented on Akane’s progress in the art, so the odds that he would do that for Kasumi were rather slim.

But as long as that fantasy was making her so genuinely happy she decided to play along.

“You’re very good honey.” She said, being completely genuine before moving her to arm’s length and looking her in the eyes. “So good that I want to make you my official assistant during classes...”

“R-really?” Kasumi asked, her eyes wide in disbelief, her body tensed up, reminding Ranma of a spring ready to jump out at any moment.

“Sure I do. Your basics are very solid, and I know you can do it.” She nodded with a smile before continuing. “Plus you’ll need to give me a helping hand in a year or two when Akane-chan and Nabiki-chan are old enough to start training with us… So, what do you say?”

“Yes! I wanna do it!” She yelled, her eyes shining like someone whose greatest wish had come true.

“That’s the spirit!” She grinned, petting the little girl’s head. “Alright kiddo, go and do your homework. I will deal with the mess in here.” She said, pushing her freshly appointed assistant lightly towards the door.

Kasumi didn’t even say anything, only nodded and sprinted out of the Dojo practically bouncing from excitement.

Ranma waited for a few more heartbeats after she stopped hearing the oldest sister's footsteps before she sighed.

“You can come out now, she’s gone.” She said without moving from the spot. She could hear the sound of someone else's body shuffling onto the wooden floor.

She didn't know how long he was in there and how he got there but she was able to sense his presence ever since the other kids except for Kasumi left the Dojo.

She turned around to see the feeble and disheveled looking man in a brown kimono. He stood there a few feet away from the center of the Dojo frowning at her in silence.

Ranma turned on her heel, facing him properly, even if in her mind that man had stopped being worthy of her respect quite a while ago.

“So,” she said slowly, locking her eyes with the Tendo Patriarch. “What’s the occasion that you’ve finally decided to come out into the land of the living… Soun Tendo?”

Chapter Text

Ranma locked eyes with the Tendo Patriarch waiting for him to say something, anything, to start the conversation she’d wanted to have with him for quite some time.She was eager to tell him what she thought about his parenting skills, or rather his lack of them.

She couldn’t help but be amazed by just how much her perspective of the man changed ever since she was sent back to this time period. The Soun she’d known was a little over three decades older than her and had already recovered from his depression, making him, at least in contrast to her own father,much more respectable… at least at the beginning. This Soun, however, was only around fifteen or so years older than Ranma and his current look only made her feel only pity and irritation.

Growing bored of waiting for the man to say something, the redhead shrugged and got back to stuffing the training dummies next to the wall of the dojo. Mister Tendo didn’t say anything to that but she could still feel his eyes following her every move, making her that much determined to keep ignoring his presence.

The silence continued, at least until Ranma cleaned up all of the training equipment.

“You’ve been using my Dojo without permission, Ranko-san.” He said, finally speaking. Unsurprisingly, he took on an accusatory tone rather than one of gratitude, despite the fact that her taking over his responsibilities was the only thing that allowed them to put food on the table.

Seriously, he’s lost touch with reality, being cooped up in that room all the time, she thought, massaging the bridge of her nose suddenly feeling exhausted. I mean, I know that it's just a cover but why would you have a problem with a family member using the dojo?

“This is a ‘Tendo Dojo’,” she said, massaging the bridge of her nose. She didn't know why but after a few weeks of taking care of the house she had a surprisingly low tolerance for bullshit. “I have at least as much right to use it as you do.”

Ranma looked at Soun, curious if maybe she’d see a glimmer of understanding or at the very least some reflection on what she’d just said. Of course Mr Tendo being himself decided to double down instead, crossing his arms over his chest in addition to his previous frown.

“Maybe,” he nodded, but it was clear that he didn’t really consider what she’d said. “But you don’t have any right to teach. You’re not a master of Anything Goes.”

Oh, if only you knew, she thought, getting even more irritated by the self-righteous tone he was using. She started clenching and unclenching one of her fists, starting to wonder if maybe letting Soun rot in that room some more wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“I’m plenty good at Art. Good enough to teach a bunch of green kids,” she said, trying to sound calm and confident, but couldn’t help but add a hunt of taunt at the end. “But if you don’t believe me, we can see which one of us is better, Soun-san...”

She probably shouldn’t have said that to him. Ranma was already at a level where there were scarcely any opponents who could hold a candle to her, and beating up someone like Soun Tendo was unlikely to make her feel better about their situation. But, maybe it would get the point across at least? Well, assuming Mr. Tendo wouldn’t outright refuse to fight her.

She fully expected him to do just that, considering how he dumped every little challenge against the dojo on her or Akane. She could even see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, but to her surprise it was quickly replaced by an unfamiliar, dark determination that she had never seen in Soun before. He even straightened his back, which did nothing to change how pathetic and disheveled he looked, but it did send a message.

Ranma relaxed her shoulders, taking her usual, seemingly sloppy fighting stance and locking gaze with her opponent.

“Very well,” He said, taking his own fighting stance, much more formal and rigid than the redhead’s. “If I win, you will focus only on the girls, and stop this fantasy of a woman teaching martial arts in my Dojo.” He stopped for a moment before continuing. “You will be able to use it since you’re also a Tendo, but I won’t tolerate you teaching anyone here.”

She furrowed her eyebrows at that. She wasn’t really surprised by the ‘it’s not a woman’s place to teach the Art’ thing - she’d already suspected that he had at least similar views to her own father - but she couldn’t help but be irritated by his stupidity. It was obvious that if he won he wouldn't pick up teaching again, cutting the girls off from any real financial stability that they so desperately needed at their age.

It was stupidity on the level of Genma, which only made her more suspicious. As easy as it would be to believe that given how he was acting, Soun really was generally a better man than her own father. There must have been some other reason for doing this, she just couldn't see it… yet.

“Alright, and when I win, you will stop this misogynistic bullshit,” she said back at him, feeling her brow twitching at the thought of this guy treating her and the girls the way her Genma had treated her. She would rather die than let them deal with that shit from such a young age. “You’ll let me train these kids in peace - since you obviously decided to stop doing it - and will finally start paying attention to your own kids. I’ve had enough of being embarrassed on your behalf every time Akane-chan asks me why you won’t eat with us anymore.”

The visible wince she saw on Soun’s face made her feel surprisingly satisfied. She knew that she probably shouldn’t enjoy such a low blow, but she wasn’t lying about the girls. Ranma could handle the chores. She could cook and be sure that her girls made it to and from school on time, no problem… but she was feeling the strain of constantly lying to them and trying to come up with any plausible excuse for the “man of the house’s” constant absence. She’d even started catching herself considering telling the sister the full truth. She knew that she would never go through with it, but she did imagine it from time to time, for a bit of catharsis.

She kind of wished that Mr. Tendo would take the bait and attack her already so she could vent some of those pent up frustrations on him, but once again the Tendo Patriarch surprised her, limiting himself to a murderous gaze, glaring daggers at her.

“Show me what you can do,” he said just a moment later and charged at her without any warning, true to the spirit of Anything Goes.

Any normal martial artist would probably be startled by Soun’s sudden move, but unfortunately for him Ranma was far from ordinary. She avoided his punches, flowing through the dojo with practice ease, her only concern being not to show too much of her abilities to the man. She doubted that he would remember any of them years later, but she didn’t want to take any chances. She stuck to more conventional martial arts, ones that everyone knew and would be too generic to associate with the Saotome Ryu.

The problem was that even using basic arts, the redhead’s purely physical capabilities such as strength and speed outclassed Soun so much that Ranma needed to be careful to not end this fight too quickly. So she would dance around him, hitting here and there, evading his kicks and punches just a hair’s breadth before they connected.

It was a good workout. Soun was definitely good in his own right but it still felt like child’s play for the redhead. As their dance dragged on, she actually started to wonder if she would be able to find someone who would pose a challenge to her in the future. It was the first time she actually thought that maybe she’d become a little too good.

She knew that it was her father’s ultimate goal, but right now she wished to have just a little less talent for the arts. At least then maybe the fight would be even slightly satisfying.

It was boring to the point that she decided to goad him a little bit more, just to vent her frustration a little bit.

“So, what’s the real reason that you finally decided to come out?” She asked, jumping right over Soun’s head with a huge smirk on her face. “The sound of kids actually learning the art distract you from your own misery?”

She regretted what she’d said almost instantly after the words left her mouth. She knew that he was hurt deeply and it was his right to grieve for Hanna. Even considering all his bad sides, Ranma could clearly see just how much Soun loved his wife.

But even so, the memories of the sad and disappointed faces of Akane and Nabiki looking at the empty space where their father used to sit made her shake her head. He may have been hurt and broken but that didn't mean that he wasn’t responsible for his own family, and if he felt offended, all the better. He deserved it for abandoning her girls like that.

And by the look on Mr. Tendo’s face, her words had struck a nerve.

“How dare you?!” He roared, renewing his efforts to hit her with all his might, even speeding up drastically in the process. Ranma sighed and sent him to the ground with a quick spinning back kick to the head, creating some distance between them.

The Tendo Patriarch jumped back up almost instantly, but had a slight difficulty standing straight, clearly staggered by the blow.

“Soun-san,” She started, trying to sound a little more even and conciliatory. “I understand how you’re feeling, I really do.” The image of Akane’s limp body in her hands flashed before her eyes as she spoke. “But you can’t just sit there with the dead. You have three girls at home that are alive and waiting for you, you old fool!”

Her last words were accompanied by another kick to the side, which Soun surprisingly managed to block with his right arm, albeit barely.

“Why didn't you teach Kasumi any useful martial arts?” Ranma asked, circling around her opponent as Mr. Tendo tried to put himself together.

“What do you mean?” He groaned, offended while desperately trying to avoid her eyes. “She has plenty of skills for a girl her age.”

The fact that his own anger and irritation took a back seat for just a moment didn’t go unnoticed by the redhead.

“Yes, because she’s gifted.” Ranma nodded, feeling a swelling of pride, being allowed to say that about her first real student. “She said that you taught her a few things in the past but one day you just stopped all of the sudden… why? Did you really believe that bullshit about women being unable to be good at martial arts, Soun-san? Because I’m beating your ass just fine and I’m not exactly a man, am I?”

Well, that wasn’t exactly what Kasumi said to her. If Ranma remembered correctly the eldest sister asked Soun to teach her some Tendo family martial arts which led to her father starting teaching her less and less stopping at the bare minimum shortly before Hanna passed away.

No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't figure out the reason for this behavior. At least anything other than being petty or he has some kind of problem with the Tendo style she didn't know about. Either way it wasn’t a reason to just neglect his daughter’s training.

“Did you teach her any of our family style techniques?” She asked, giving him an accusatory look while walking a few steps closer. “I don’t believe you did, because I spent the last two weeks teaching her only the basics and I can see that she’s still lacking in those. Kasumi has a great talent. She’s learning all of the techniques I’m showing her and she’s picking them up so quickly that I can’t believe that you didn’t even realize just what kind of gem you have.” Ranma slowly ran out of breath, getting more and more agitated as the time went on to the point of practically yelling at the man before her. “Why didn’t you teach her anything?!”

“Shut up! He yelled back, taking the redhead aback with just how vicious and angry his voice was. Ranma’d gotten used to Mr. Tendo’s outbursts when he actually sounded a little bit threatening, but even when he used his grotesque demon face, it had never been to this extreme. His eyes had never looked so dark, so… hateful.

“Who are you to be lecturing me on neglecting my family?!” He yelled at the redhead, lashing out at her wildly, abandoning his previous form, going after her even more fiercely than her pops ever did and actually forcing her to backpeddle a little bit, focusing on defence. “You know very well why I didn’t teach Kasumi anything useful! You, your father, Hanna’s father, none of you wanted me to inherit the Tendo’s martial arts! You all despised a Ronin marrying into your precious family!”

Wait, does that mean that this whole talk about joining the schools was a set up all along? She thought, taken aback by the magnitude of this information. Was that the reason why Akane was so bad when they first met? And the reason why he stopped training Kasumi… how could you teach something that you yourself were never taught?

Mr. Tendo was lying to everyone all this time. There wouldn’t be any joining of the schools if one of them was just an empty shell from the beginning. No wonder the man was so dismissive in her original timeline… he was just trying to keep his lie going for a little longer.

At everyone else's expense.

She’d already suspected that Soun’s relationship with the rest of their family was bad at best. She’d never seen or heard about anyone from her Tendos extended family. What Kasumi said during the wake made her sure that was the case so she stopped thinking much about it. It was one less thing to worry about given everything else going on. And now this…

What is he talking about? She thought, seriously considering that maybe Soun really had lost it after barely functioning for the last few weeks.

“Even when all of you knew that Hanna was sick, none of you showed up,” Mr. Tendo continued, tears running down his cheeks as he tried to punch Ranma relentlessly as she was sidestepping just out of his reach. “None of you even called to check on her! Hell, I’d never seen your face in person until that damn day two weeks ago!”

Yup, he’s completely lost it, she thought, dodging another one of Soun’s punches, which had started to become quite erratic as his tirade went on. But I can kind of sympathise with him, the other part of his family really seems to be full of garbage.

“If it weren’t for all of the stories that Hanna told me about you, I wouldn’t even know you existed!”

Ranma’s whole body froze for a moment, her mind struggling to understand what she’d just heard. It was just a moment, but it was enough for Soun to sucker punch her in the face. The redhead staggered, struggling to put herself together and came up with any sort of explanation to what just happened.

Soun continued to press on, completely unaware of the chaos that was raging in the redhead’s mind.

She on her part was confused and unsettled by what she’d just heard. What stories? She’d created Ranko that day she’d met her mother by the canal. She was a fabrication so she could spend time with her family without having the danger of that damned seppuku pledge hanging over her head.

She wanted to call him a liar right then and there, but something made her hesitate. What stories had Hanna told him? And why? She must have been struggling, as sick as she was. So why would she stay up all night making up stories about her? Was this similar to what she did with her own mother? A story to make sure that Ranko could take care of her daughters after she was gone? Great. Just one more story I need to keep straight. The damned magic sword couldn’t make anything easy. No…

Dodging another reckless series of punches, Ranma felt her mind wandering, trying to imagine the stories Hanna had told. What would she be like if she had grown up as a Tendo? What would Ranko Tendo be like in this timeline? She’d definitely be on better terms with her father than she was with Genma. That was a no brainer. Probably no seppuku pledge either, so another plus. But what about siblings? A job? A love interest? Her mind was racing, spiraling more and more. She was getting so dangerously distracted that she was barely keeping up with Soun’s frantic attacks.

“...The main branch of the Tendo family doesn’t care about us at all, you all have nothing but disdain for our family! So stop looking down at me just because…”

Suddenly, Ranma had had enough, automatically slipping seamlessly into the Soul of Ice and pushing her previous doubts and endless questions to the back of her mind.

She attacked quickly, determined to not only end this fight as quickly as possible but also to make that man shut the hell up. She didn’t want to hear any more of his grievances. She didn’t want to hear anything else, afraid of what else he might say.

Ranma started with a quick punch to the gut to knock the wind out of the man. For the next few moments the only things that could be heard in the dojo were the sounds of kicks and punches connecting with Mr. Tendo’s body.

The redhead was relentless. She stopped caring about hiding her strength, her anxiousness, frustration, and anger fueling her strikes, though burning less and less with every hit.

Her opponent was desperately trying to defend himself but was no match for Ranma’s speed, rendering all of his efforts pretty much useless.

At some point Ranma felt like she was just beating on a training dummy, with Soun completely unable to answer her strikes and just taking every hit until his legs just couldn’t support his weight and gave out, making him fall hard onto the ground.

For a moment everything was quiet, the redhead was standing still, one hand still mid swing standing above an older man laying on the ground, panting hard with a lifeless, empty look on his face.

“Soun Tendo, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said looking down at the older man, Soul of Ice keeping her tone cold and even, making it sound eerie and sort of threatening. “I have no ill intention towards this family. I very much adore your daughters and want only what’s best for them. The only problem I have is with you and your pathetic, disgusting attitude towards them.” She glared at Mr. Tendo, trying desperately to focus on him and ignore this sick feeling that was creeping out on the edge of her mind, even despite her Soul of Ice. “You think I wanted to teach those other kids martial arts? I would rather focus only on Kasumi but because you decided to shut yourself out from the world we needed money.”

Mr. Tendo’s words still reverberated in her mind like an annoying fly that won't leave her alone, making her feeling anxious and uncertain of what to make of it.

Ranma shook her head, trying to forget about it, even for a moment. She would have enough time to worry about whatever caused this whole mess to begin with.

Right now I need to focus on the thing that truly matters, she thought to herself while - with some difficulty - pushing her previous worries aside and crouching right beside Soun Tendo who was still laying face up on the floor, his dull, emotionless gaze following her every move.

“And now that I beat you,” the redhead continued. “I’m gonna continue teaching those kids. I will make Kasumi into the greatest martial artist of our family, and her sisters too when they’re ready and you will have no say about it.” Ranma grabbed him by his kimono and lifted him from the ground, glarying at him coldly. “What you will do instead is get your shit together. I don’t expect you to do it right away, I know that’s not possible for you, but I expect you to show some effort. And if you don’t… I will drag you here again and I won’t go easy on you, the way I was today.” She finished and let him go, allowing him to once again hit the floor with a thud.

“You’re not the only one who cared about Hanna.” Ranma practically spat her words at the man on the ground. “Your daughters miss her.” She paused for a moment. “Her whole family misses her.”

“Remember what I said, Soun Tendo,” she added, looking down at his sprawled out body for a moment before turning on her heel and walking out of the dojo, trying very hard not to show just how rattled she felt inside. Just before Ranma walked out through the door she looked back one last time. “...and try to be fucking better,” she murmured, feeling even more confused and conflicted about the whole thing than before. She never noticed the tears in her eyes, or Soun’s guilty expression as she left.

She needed a distraction. Everything that Soun had said, all of her new questions and worries, were still swirling through her mind even after she left the Dojo, making her unable to focus on anything else but feeling anxious about the future.

But that wouldn't do, especially with three girls that were a little too perceptive and prone to asking too many questions while she didn’t have the energy to make excuses. It was time for a Saotome secret technique, good old distractions. Fortunately she had a perfect one in mind.

“Alright Akane-chan, today we’ll be making muffins. I’m glad you agreed to help, it’s a little too much work to do by myself,” she said stroking the raven-black hair of her youngest charge who was smiling constantly under her touch.

“I’ll help!” She yelled proudly and with an almost infectious enthusiasm that, despite everything that happened not even an hour ago, still made Ranma smile.

It was absolutely mind boggling just how sweet and adorable Akane-chan could be, always lighting up the room with her child-like optimism. It was so unreal that such a lovely child could end up as a tomboy with anger issues. Kasumi’s apology the day they met made a lot more sense now. A sweet girl that became a violent maniac indeed.

Not if I have something to say about it, she thought, determined to make sure that every one of her girls would have as much of a happy childhood as they could. She kind of wished she could do the same for this place's version of Ranma too but at this point he was somewhere else with his pop already, out of her reach.

“That’s right! Akane-chan will be a great help,” she agreed, nodding with a smile. “And who knows, if they taste good, maybe you could take some of them to your friends in preschool?”

Akane, clearly excited by the idea, started bouncing all around the kitchen while Ranma looked at the two sets of cooking utensils she prepared beforehand. Teaching the youngest Tendo how to cook would be her greatest challenge! It was something that not even Kasumi had been able to do, exactly the kind of distraction the redhead needed at the moment.

And she’d even already made a plan on how to do it.

Ranma’d set out all of the ingredients they’d need for the muffins: eggs, butter, flour, spices, chocolate chips. She was glad that she’d stocked up a decent amount of them beforehand, already writing off a lot of them knowing just how chaotic Akane-chan’s cooking could be. Sure, she wasn't really the same girl that Ranma used to know, but she hadn’t seen anything that would lead her to believe that a younger her would be any different.

“Ok Akane-chan, since it’s your first time learning I’ve prepared everything for us in advance,” she said, pulling the stool closer to the counter and gesturing for the black haired girl to hop on it. “Now, just let me check the measurements so the dough will be just like we want it to be.”

Ranma turned around to check the recipe from Hanna's Notebook, already prepared for the mayhem that she was sure would happen… or so she thought.

Suddenly a big cloud of flour engulfed the whole kitchen, making her cough something fierce. As she was blinking away the powder from her eyes the redhead turned around to see the small figure, without a care for the fact that they were completely covered in flour, focused on trying to mix the whole stick of butter into her bowl of… something.

“Akane-chan, what are you doing?” She asked in between coughs, even though she already knew the answer. She’d seen this scene too many times in the past, her fiance regarding the recipe merely as a suggestion and adding whatever she thought would be good to what she was making at the moment. Usually creating some sort of food abomination.

The only good thing was that this time Akane-chan was limited only to the few ingredients that were already on the counter, so the horror she’d created couldn’t be too deadly.

“I made the dough!” She exclaimed grinning at the redhead, with her face entirely white from the flour. She looked so damn proud that even amidst all the chaos Ranma couldn’t help but giggle. This kid is just so damn cute.

“Really?” She asked with an amused smirk. “Ok, let me do my own and then we can compare them, ok sweetie?”

After the enthusiastic nod from her charge, Ranma decided to follow Hanna's recipe to the letter, going slowly so that Akane could see how she was doing things every step of the way.

As she was working she couldn’t help but be amazed by just how relaxing adding and mixing the ingredients could be. She followed the written instructions, made sure that everything was well incorporated and just watched the process. It was almost like some sort of meditation technique.

It actually helped her to relax and breathe a little, allowing her to look back at her previous ‘talk’ with Soun from a different angle.

To be fair she didn’t even know any of the details behind what Soun had said. Hanna could have told him anything to get him to let Ranma stay with them…

And even if Soun believed it was all true, then it wasn't a reason to panic. It could actually be a good thing. Through all her time with Tendos she’d never once heard or seen any of their other family members, so it was safe to say that this time it would probably be the same. It was unlikely that any of them would show up. Heck, if Soun believed her, maybe she could use him to report that her ID was lost instead of trying to fake one! That would actually be much better in the long run, even if quite risky.

The more she thought about it the less stressed out and anxious she felt, to the point that she’d completely lost herself in mixing the ingredients for a moment.

Before she knew it, her dough was ready and looking very good, especially compared to the half mixed thing in Akane’s bowl. It was clear that whatever emerged from the thing that the youngest Tendo had put together probably wouldn't be too edible, but thanks to Ranma’s contingency measures at least it wouldn't be deadly.

Not long after that, she was busy cleaning up the kitchen while her black haired charge was glued to the oven, looking intently at the two full muffin tins. She’s got focus, that’s for sure…, thought the redhead, smiling affectionately while gathering the rest of the ingredients off to the side for the next part of her plan. After living as a main caregiver for two weeks she felt more and more respect for Kasumi, thinking just how much work she needed to do to clean up after all of them for years. And that wasn’t even counting Akane’s cooking attempts.

The moment that it was time to take the muffins out from the oven, Ranma could almost swear she saw Akane’s eyes shine as she watched the freshly baked goods. She would have laughed again if not for the fact that the muffins she was gushing over so much looked like strange, misshapen lumps of… something. Her pure expression almost made Ranma reconsider the next phase of her plan, knowing what the most likely outcome would be.

Her own muffins looked decent enough, and the quality difference between them was even more noticeable during their taste test. The ones Ranma made were actually quite good, a little too dry but overall they were good. Akane’s on the other hand, well, they were more less just as expected.

Despite their appearance, the texture wasn’t even the biggest problem. No, it was that they were just so salty that it took all of the redhead's strength to keep them down. She took a moment to think of a way to politely critique them, but Akane-chan didn’t hold back.

“Bleh! So salty!” She mumbled with her tongue sticking out, tears already forming in the corners of her eyes. “It’s so yucky…! Why can't my m-muffins be as good as your’s, Auntie?” The little girl was trying to hold back her tears, limiting herself to angry sniffing. She looked absolutely miserable, tears going down her small cheeks, looking like a spitting image of her father a few years from now. The only difference was that when Soun cried, it looked kind of pathetic, but when Akane looked like that, Ranma felt like her heart was on the verge of breaking apart.

She felt terrible at the moment. It was something that she’d wanted to happen, for Akane to finally see for herself just how toxic the food she was making really was. But that was something she wanted for Akane from the future, not this small, fragile girl that had never really done anything except for mixing stuff in a bowl. Looking at the sniffing kid next to her, Ranma suddenly felt dirty.

“That’s not true!” She said, hugging Akane-chan tightly to her chest. “Our Bunny Girl isn't a dummy. It's completely normal to screw up at your first try.”

“Tell you what. Do you want to learn how to make them better?” She asked with a small smile while brushing away the girl's tears, continuing only after she nodded, still sniffing slightly. “That’s the spirit. This sad and gloomy face doesn't suit you.”

Ranma let go of the youngest Tendo, sending her to freshen up a little bit while she got rid of the previous batch of her baking mistake.

She was in the middle of checking their cleaned up cooking station when she felt a gentle tug on the hem of her skirt. She looked down to see Akane-chan looking at her with a mixture of childish shyness and anxiousness in her big dark brown eyes.

“Auntie Ranko,” she started quietly, fidgeting slightly before the redhead. D-do you think I can really do it?”

“Of course you can, sweetie,” she said, feeling a little taken aback by such a genuine need for her to give her support. It was only a second later that she remembered that she wasn't dealing with the same Akane she’d grown used to over the years. “Let me show you how to do it, ok?”

What followed were grueling two hours of going through every step of the recipe. Each time, Ranma would slowly show Akane everything that needed to be done before letting her do it on her own and correcting her more critical mistakes. At first the still clearly upset girl had a problem following along, but over time her sniffing died down and she actually started following her instructions, albeit clumsily and with occasional slip-ups along the way.

It was a strange experience, not only teaching Akane but also teaching her something other than the martial arts. As someone who was unfamiliar with most things outside of Anything Goes it was the redhead that would often need her fiance's help with… pretty much everything else. The fact that the tables had turned and it was Akane-chan that was looking at her with such eager focus was something she would never have imagined.

It took a couple of tries and a whole bunch of eggs but they finally did it, or rather Akane did it. After carefully dividing the dough on a baking tin, both of them were sitting in front of the oven, a little black haired girl looking with anxious hope at the slowly rising muffins and her redhead aunt just sitting next to her in a comfortable silence.

It’s actually pretty nice, she thought, ignoring the fact that she felt completely exhausted from making sure Akane didn’t mess up anything for the last few hours. I wish we were able to spend our time like this when we had a chance. With no shouting or dodging mallets…

Ok, maybe it wasn’t THAT bad, she corrected herself, feeling that it was a little unfair towards her ex-fiance. After Saffron, things between the two of them were actually pretty good, especially considering how rocky their relationship has been practically from the beginning.

Even so, being able to correct the youngest Tendo sister’s mistakes in the kitchen without being pummeled into the ground or called a jerk for doing so.

When it was finally time to take muffins out, both of them held their breaths. Ranma continued to do so even after seeing that they looked the same as the one she made before; she knew very well that looks weren’t everything.

The moment of truth came a few minutes later, when their joint creation was cool enough to taste it. And then…

“It’s… good?” Both of them said at the same time, taking a cautious bite.

“It’s good!” Akane-chan started yelling triumphantly, bouncing excitedly around the kitchen. “We did it!”

Ranma giggled, looking at the girl, feeling a wave of relief washing over her as she took one more bite, just to make sure she didn’t imagine the taste, but no: it was still edible.

“Yeah, you did it Akane-chan,” she said, not even trying to hide the pride in her own voice. “You really did.‘

“And I can really choose anything?!” Asked the youngest Tendo sister with eyes sparkling like glitter looking around the seemingly endless racks of clothing.

Ranma smiled at the excited girl. Today was a very special day. She’d finally earned enough money to buy herself a few articles of clothing that she could call her own and wasn’t just taken from Hanna’s closet. It was also the day Akane was chosen as Juliet, something that absolutely required celebration.

She seriously wondered if telling her youngest to give her muffins to other kids was a good idea, knowing that it would be just too easy to accuse Akane of bribing them - and they would be right - but it seemed that everything went smoothly and she won by a large margin of votes, which was good.

It was only natural that she would take two youngest Tendo sisters with her. Such a score was worth a reward or two.

“Yay! Thanks mom! You’re the best!” She yelled and sprinted in between the racks of skirts and dresses, leaving the two other girls in the middle of the shop. Ranma observed her smallest charge with a sigh, as her smile crooked slightly.

She needed to start leaving her girls at home before going shopping. It was definitely too tempting to go on a scamming spree with those two. Financially it was a brilliant strategy that saved them a lot of money but… Akane-chan was really too eager to call her mom every time they entered any place other than the Dojo. It was starting to feel very strange for the redhead; but even so she didn’t really have much opportunity to correct her since she would call her ‘mom’ mostly with some other people present or just like a moment ago, where she would say it and dash forward without looking back.

“She thinks we’re scamming again,” Said Nabiki-chan looking both annoyed and amused at her sister’s disappearing into the sea of clothing while holding her own haul in her small hands - a set of navy blue overalls with an embroidered pink butterfly in the center. Ranma still wasn't very good at kids fashion but it would without a doubt look cute on her middle charge.

“So that’s what you want, Nabiki-chan?” She asked, not even bothering to talk about Akane at the moment. “Nothing else caught your eye?”

“It was on sale,” Nabiki replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world, showing them off to the redhead and puffing out her chest proudly.

It was something that had also started soon after she started taking the kids shopping with her. Ever since the little brunette realized that Ranma was looking mostly for the things that were on sale she must have thought of them as some kind of special things and started to hunt after them. The redhead debated telling Nabiki that she could really take something better if she wanted to, but looking at her, clutching those overalls like her greatest treasure she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“Then I guess it’s time for me to go on my own treasure hunting,” she said, ruffling Nabiki’s hair.

“Could you keep an eye on our little star… whenever she is now?” She asked while looking around but unsurprisingly couldn’t find the familiar black haired girl anywhere in sight. Hopefully she didn’t wander off too far, gushing about her role as Juliet to a random stranger and telling them all about it.

Nabiki didn’t even protest, nodding to her and dashing after her younger sister while still holding her overalls like her life depended on it. Ranma giggled at the sight, she couldn’t believe just how reliable the brunette could have been as a kid. The older one was always so hard to work with… and she definitely was not cheap either.

With no immediate distractions and a clear goal in mind she could finally start looking around for something just for herself. She didn’t show it openly but she was pretty excited about this shopping trip, it’d definitely been too long since she could browse between new clothes like that. There was only one thing that she hadn’t considered - she didn’t particularly like most of the fashion choices she could choose from in this time period.

It wasn’t the only problem either. She didn’t really get why that was but she could definitely feel the social pressure and expectation placed on her by other people. She knew who she was but it didn’t really matter when all that shopkeepers and ordinary people would see is a young woman with kids. She could see in their eyes that they were judging her whenever she would enter and linger somewhere slightly longer than necessary. Ranma really wanted to say something to those people but she knew that she just needed to put up with all of that crap, at least for the girls sake. So she just gritted her teeth and put on another restrictive dress or other tacky clothes that was ‘proper’ for someone with kids.

And day by day her plan to learn how to sew her own clothes was less and less just a thought and more a necessity. She’d really started to think about it, even more now, going through what seemed like the sixth rack of dresses and finding only one or two that she actually wouldn’t mind wearing.

I wonder what clothes Ranko Tendo would like to wear? She thought, her ‘conversation’ with Soun playing once more before her eyes. How had Hanna described her in her stories? How did she dress and act? She didn’t really want to think about it but it seemed that she still couldn’t help but wonder about what he’d said… and what that meant for her in the future.

She got a headache just trying to imagine one of her supposed relatives as Ranko Tendo suddenly showing up out of nowhere. She already had a hard time trying to act as an aunt and a caretaker for the girls. Who knew how she’d pull off her act in front of someone who actually would know who Hanna’s cousins were. Maybe pull a gaslighting scam and keep saying she was the other family member’s kid and hope no one caught on?

She took one of the more mature but still quite cute looking flared dresses, a mid length forest green dress with a collar. As she was pressing it against her frame in front of the mirror she tried very hard to ignore the anxious feeling in her chest, one that would appear every time she wondered just how many things actually happened when she was sent to this place; and just how many of those things she would need to be wary off.

Ranma made a long, tired sigh of exasperation, knowing that all of this worrying didn’t really do her any good. She didn’t have any real way of knowing and even if she somehow found a way to learn more about that damn sword, she was just too busy with the Dojo and the sisters to check it out. She didn’t really know how to feel about it and she definitely didn’t enjoy the fact that Akane was constantly called her ‘mom’ in public but she really was a guardian of those three girls and making sure that they were taken care of took the majority of her day.

That moment with Soun in the dojo was honestly the first time she actually thought about her current situation since Hanna’s wake.

And as the mountains of household chores and other things she needed to take care of piled up, she was thinking about that less and less by the day.

“Mommy!” The sudden voice of her youngest charge snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw a familiar figure clumsily navigating the dress section, her arms overflowing with every type of clothing imaginable. Nabiki was just behind her too, scooping up clothes that fell down from the pile. “I can’t decide what I want!”

Ranma shook her head, already preparing herself for a long and exhausting battle explaining to Akane-chan that she couldn't take all of those clothes with her, no matter how many of them were on sale.

Deep down however she was quite relieved. Yeah, it was demanding but Ranma preferred being caught up in the girls' shenanigans rather than being stuck thinking about useless things. At least with them she was able to do something she knew how to deal with. No magic required.

“Alright, Akane-chan,” she said, focusing all her attention on the little black haired girl that was almost bending under the weight of all the clothes she was carrying. “Let’s see what you have there, shall we?”

Chapter Text

“Ranko-san, don't you think it’s about time to add some water?” The woman's voice brought the redhead back from her musings, helping her realize that she was only a moment away from ruining the beef stew she was assigned to make for today’s class.

Not long after Hanna passed away and Ranma needed to step up as the primary caregiver for the house, she’d realized that even if she knew a few recipes and was good at improvised cooking it wasn’t enough in the long term. Especially feeding three girls, of which at least one was a vegetarian. So the redhead decided to seek someone who could help her with it and, thanks to some very fortunate events, she stumbled upon the cooking classes organised by their neighbourhood association.

Thanks to the fact that she was an expert of adapting and learning things on the fly, she wasn’t really worried about quickly getting the necessary knowledge and experience to widen her cooking skills and learn enough new recipes to last her for a while… only to realize just how little she really knew about working in the kitchen.

After only a few days of working and learning side by side with the other women there she realized that it wasn’t as simple as she’d hoped it would be. It was just as much of an ‘Art’ as the martial arts and would take just as considerable an amount of time to master. This and the fact that, just as with the martial arts, it was much easier and more enjoyable when you learn it from a master, rather than struggling to learn it from scratch.

“Crap! Sorry, Fumiko-san!” Ranma jumped up in surprise and quickly poured a considerable amount of lukewarm water into her pot. The loud sizzling sound hid the sound of her relieved sigh when she realized she was a hair's breadth away from completely ruining her dish.

“You need to pay more attention, Ranko-san,” said the fifty-something woman with meticulously combed black hair already streaked with gray. Her voice sounded like she was scolding but her facial expression seemed very similar to her old Kasumi, locked in this serene smile that made one incapable of knowing what she really thought about the current situation. I wonder if this is how Akane always felt when she got corrected in the kitchen, she thought.

Fumiko Hata was the oldest and most skilled cook of the three housewives the redhead started to hang out with during the association’s cooking classes. The other two were Kimiko Takashima and Usagi Noguchi, who realized something was amiss and looked up from their own pots at the sound of the sizzling water.

If someone from her past had ever predicted that Ranma Saotome, the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes, would willingly spend time with a bunch of women who mostly talked about housework and their kids, the redhead would probably have laughed at them. It wasn’t anything surprising, the life of Ranma wasn't one that would allow them to live a life this normal, this peaceful. It wasn’t her style at all.

But Ranko Tendo didn’t mind at all, and as long as she’ll be playing that role, she’ll be really grateful that she’s able to get along with those women who were priceless sources of information on so many things she had no real knowledge about. Particularly childcare.

“I know, sorry about that, Fumiko-san,” said the redhead, scratching the back of her head while laughing nervously. It was true that she wasn’t at her best today. Her thoughts constantly wandered to the events of the previous few days, especially to the fight with Soun and that bombshell piece of information that was making her restless ever since she’d learned it - he didn’t know the Tendo Ryu.

The same Tendo Ryu that he was always holding over her and Akane’s heads in her original timeline and which he wasn’t even capable of teaching.

It wasn’t that hard to believe, though. Knowing him and her own father, it was something that could be expected and it did cross her mind a few times in the past even if she didn’t have any solid proof of it being true. What was strange though, was the fact that she wasn’t even that angry about it. Instead, she was anxious about the fact that she’d promised to teach Tendo Ryu to Kasumi-chan. She wasn’t blind, she could see the girl stealing glances at her like she was gathering enough courage to ask her about something every time they were in the Dojo. She’d probably ask her about their family’s style soon, if not to teach her right away, then at least to show her a few moves. Even something as simple as the tenets and philosophies of the school would be tough to answer.

At first Ranma thought that maybe they’d have some scrolls laying around there somewhere but since nothing was found even in her time it could very well be a dead end. Her plan of beating up Soun until he agreed to teach Kasumi had also failed before it even started, which frankly speaking left her with only one option that she could think of.

She would need to come up with her own version of Tendo Ryu.

“I have… a lot on my mind at the moment,” the words that left her mouth were an understatement. She had no idea where to even start with this. She did have a few special moves of her own but they were the modified versions of the techniques she learned from someone else. Even her signature skills were modifications based on another technique. Creating something completely new from thin air was another thing entirely.

She sighed, tending to her cooking. She couldn’t do the same thing as Soun and delay this forever. She’d have to figure something out sooner, rather than later.

“Are you worried about Akane-chan again?” Asked Usagi with a sympathetic look. “I thought that she was delighted about her role in the school play?”

A sudden memory of Akane barging in into her training with Kasumi passed before her eyes. A literal whirlwind of positive energy jumping around her older sister, dying to brag about her success was a sight to behold.

The redhead wished to only see her youngest charge as bright and full of smiles as back then; but of course it couldn’t always be the case.

“Oh, she is excited alright,” Ranma nodded before her shoulders slouched with exasperation. “It didn’t stop her nightmares though. She came to me at night again, crying and sniffling. Wet her futon too…”

At least she didn’t remember anything, thought the redhead, deciding not to mention just how much time it took to calm down her youngest before she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

“Poor thing,” said Kimiko looking at the redhead with an anxious expression. She was the last one of the three women Ranma was acquainted with. A brunette in her late twenties, and a single mother of twin boys. “She must really miss Hanna-san, even if she still doesn't really understand what happened.”

Ranma nodded.“She asks about her from time to time,” she said looking somberly at her barely salvaged stew. “Kasumi-chan is writing letters for her, they are supposed to be sent to her mom right now.” She stopped stirring in her pot and sighs. “I can't bring myself to open them. They are just piling up in my room.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Ranko-san,” Fumiko said, putting her hand on the redhead's shoulder. “You didn’t ask for this and yet you are doing a really good job anyway. It’s not easy but you’ll be a great mother figure for those girls, I’m sure of it.”

She knew she should object at that moment, she knew she wasn’t their mother. The only reason why she’d even started taking care of the Tendo sisters was because their father wouldn’t do it and she knew how the three of them would turn out if she didn’t step up instead.

She shouldn’t be put in a situation like that, it wasn’t her intention in the slightest. Those kids that she had at home weren't really ‘her’ Tendos. Akane-chan that probably was drawing something in the washitsu wasn’t ‘her’ Akane so she shouldn’t really feel the need to take care of them, the same way she felt the need to protect the Tendo Family she’d come to know over the years. But if so then why did she get this strange warm feeling washed over her the moment Fumiko said that she would be a good mother? Like she was proud that someone said that to her…

But why wouldn’t I? She thought trying to ignore the other things that tried to wriggle themselves into her head. She was a Martial Artist, not a homemaker and definitely not someone who knew anything about children; and yet someone is telling her that she’s doing a good job. It's normal to feel pride after hearing that.

That was the only logical explanation.

“The girls only have one mother. I’m not planning to replace Hanna,” Ranma said with a slightly high-pitched voice and put herself together soon after. “It's Soun that should step up as a parent to them, not me. I’m not ‘mother material’ anyway.”

“Oh, we all know it’s not true,” Kimiko countered strongly with amused annoyance at the redhead's words. “I’m not saying that he couldn't do it but there’s things that only a woman can teach other women, especially as young as your girls are. To whom do you think they will run when with their menarche? With their first heartbreak? Whose opinion will they seek looking for the perfect dress for a date?”

“I will make it easy for you girl, it won’t be their father…” Usagi chimed in with a giggle. “...but you.”

Ranma just stood there, surrounded by these women that seemed to be determined to force some strange ideas into her head. Well, they somewhat succeeded, but not in a way they thought they would. The idea of Ranma Saotome, someone whose parents were so strangely fixated on them being a ‘man among men’ being a mother, was unimaginably funny. The only thing that could top this was imagining her past Akane's expression if she knew that Ranma would be the one teaching her younger self how to be a woman.

That scenario was so funny, the redhead couldn’t help but chortle.

“You all planned this or something? Three on one isn't fair, you know?” She asked, her laugh died down the moment she remembered how things were going at the Dojo. She turned back from the three women and looked into her pot again, grateful for such a convenient distraction. “I can’t even properly take care of a kid wetting herself from night terrors, some ‘mother figure’ I am.” She added mockingly at herself, feeling an irritating pang of defeat.

It was definitely easier to be a martial artist. Pop would always say to leave the ‘boring’ tasks to women because men needed to focus on something much more important, which was supposed to be training. Now Ranma knew that it was all bullshit, just another excuse for her father to sit on his ass and do nothing after he learned enough to call himself a ‘master’. A homemaker’s job was never truly over. Even now while talking with the other women the redhead knew just how much work she still had to do when she got back home.

Her thoughts wandered off to everything she needed to do now and just how much she would need to worry about as the kids grow up a little. She dreaded the moment they started to ask more mature questions, would probably put themselves in some trouble at school, or start dating or…

The redhead shook her head, trying to stop herself from spiraling while at the same time cursing at the three housewives she was stuck with in this small kitchen. All those unnecessary things they said… they started to get to me, she thought trying to not look as awkward as she felt at that very moment.

“Did you try singing to her? She’s still very young so maybe the right lullaby would help her sleep better?” Kimiko said while still maintaining that sympathetic look of hers. Ranma wondered if maybe she saw herself in the nearly twenty year old raising three girls basically alone. She herself was doing the same for her twins after all. “I can teach you some. My boys are also restless at night, and I know that can be challenging at times.

Come to think of it, I promised something like that to Akane-chan, she thought, feeling a little bad about it. She’d had so much stuff on her mind that she’d completely forgotten about it.

“That would be great Kimiko-san, thanks a bunch,” She nodded at the other woman with a half-smile. It was the first time that the redhead really appreciated the wisdom and experience of other people with something other than martial arts. Cologne was great when it came to secret techniques and magic but stuff like that wasn’t of such importance to her anymore. She was already on the pinnacle of the Martial World and there wasn’t much she could do to climb any higher.

Taking care of the kids and her house was different. It was something she wasn’t really good at and needed to learn about as much as possible in a short amount of time.

That’s why she was really grateful for those three, even if they were a bunch of drama-seeking, gossiping housewives with nothing else to talk about except their houses and kids. “But first I will need to figure out some alternative options for Kasumi-chan. This stew smells amazing but that girl won’t put it in her mouth, that’s for sure.”

In the corner of her eyes , she could see Usagi-san holding her chin, pondering for a moment before looking at Ranma with a wide, satisfied grin.

“I may have a few ideas.”

“So if I’ll be good for that guy you’ll make me something new for dinner?” asked Kasumi, walking slowly while trying to keep balance on the fence. “Alright, I can be nice to this Tofu guy.”

Ranma was walking just an arm length behind her, just in case her oldest charge suddenly lost balance and needed to be picked up by her gi before falling.

“Dr. Tofu, Kasumi-chan,” she pointed out, snickering at the sound of the younger girl’s irritated mumbling. One of the surprising things the redhead learned about her first student was that she really didn’t like to be corrected about things she thought weren’t that important. As it turned out, those ‘non-important’ things were almost anything outside of the art. Ranma was still amazed at just how different this Kasumi was to the one she’d known. “And it’s not like that, I will make it for you anyway but you need to learn to be respectful to people older than you. The ones that deserve it, at least.”

She certainly didn’t want to teach the oldest of the sisters to respect nutjobs like principal Kuno, but Japanese society expected a certain level of politeness towards their elders. That said, there was nothing really wrong with Kasumi-chan, Ranma even liked this tomboyish style of talking and dealing with other people since it was a stark contrast to her almost uncanny ability to stay calm and serene no matter how badly they trashed the Dojo. It made her feel like an actual human being, one that the redhead had grown to like very much. The problem was that there were a lot of people out there that would probably have a very different opinion about it.

“Why are we going to this doctor anyway?” Asked Kasumi, looking back for a moment. It was only for a fraction of a second but it was long enough for the younger girl to lose her balance, and if not for the redhead she would’ve already fallen.

“I’m fine,” she said afterwards, though she sounded a little shaky, glancing down at the canal.

“Well, you may be fine now, but you can't fool me, Kasumi-chan,” Said Ranma, her hand still only a few inches from the small brunette in case she lost her balance once more. “I’ve seen you wincing from time to time, even if you try very hard to play it cool in front of me and your sisters.”

That was something that really concerned the redhead. It seems that even now, when she was able to just be herself and grow up normally, Kasumi was still trying to be this cool older sister that was like a rock the other two Tendo sisters can rely on, no matter how much it hurt or how tired she really was.

Ranma could empathize with her. She’d also needed to be strong from a very young age, the difference was that she’d actually complained about it. She’d only stopped after a long period of time and Genma’s sole excuse of ‘men need to be tough’. It looked like Kasumi was the polar opposite.

She just needed some time to teach her student that she didn’t need to pretend that everything is ok in front of her family. She knew that it probably would take some time. She herself had needed a lot of it to unlearn that act. But if she was able to do it, then the small brunette could do it as well.

“I just wanna be sure it’s just sore muscles and nothing else.” She said, smiling gently as her oldest charge stiffened momentarily, clearly ready to say something about not being a fragile little girl or something. “Just bear with it for me, alright?” She added before Kasumi could say anything.

They continued to walk in silence, allowing Ranma to watch the familiar-unfamiliar scenery she’d walked through countless times already. Unsurprisingly it hadn’t changed much compared to her previous timeline, other than the fact that it did look a little bit newer with much less signs of aging.

It was during moments like these when the reality of her situation really sank in. Her mind was already somewhat adapted to the chibi versions of the Tendo sisters, treating them as her new normal, but when she walked down the canal and saw all those relatively new buildings and recognized a person that she knew from the future… It was a very strange experience.

She wondered how all her friends and family were doing now that she was here in the past. Ranma didn’t know if they even still exist or remembered her now that she was sent here. It was really frustrating, not knowing anything about the thing that had turned her life upside down, and who knew if banishing her into this time period was the only thing that sword had done. She really wished Cologne was here, maybe with the Old Ghoul she could…

“Father wanted to talk to me yesterday.” A sudden comment from Kasumi pulled her out of her thoughts, and a moment later when the meaning of her charge’s words finally registered she almost lost her balance and ended up in the water.

“Huh?” Was all she said before she was able to think properly again. “I-I mean, that's great! What did he want to talk to you about?“

That was really unexpected. Ranma was sure that her ‘talk’ with Soun did something to the older man but was certain that it would take much more time for him to actually try to do something about himself. After all, originally it took him ages before he came to his senses and started acting more or less like the father he was supposed to be.

Maybe thanks to that he will come back into the picture fast enough that the girls won’t really feel impacted by his screwed up behavior…

“Don’t know, I didn't want to talk to him.”

…or it’s too late and the damage has already been done.

“Why?” She asked racking her brain to think of a reason. Didn't all three of her daughters want their dad to come back to them? Akane and Nabiki were constantly asking for him so Ranma assumed that the eldest of the sisters was the same way.

In her original timeline all of the Tendos had obvious scars left after this dark period of time, but their relationship was looking fairly stable so the redhead thought that this time it would be mostly the same, or even better if he’d gotten his act together quicker, but it seemed that she’d miscalculated.

She looked anxiously at the brunette in front of her. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Her goal was to somewhat shaken up Soun so he would finally wake up and start contributing to the household. Not much - she wasn’t that naive - but enough to ease her workload at least a little bit. Making peace with the girls and being seen around the house was the first step towards that goal… and now somehow it was ruined without her knowledge.

“He didn’t want to talk to us either.” Kasumi shrugged, not even slowing down, her voice was quiet and monotone, sort of like a robot. “When Mom left, Akane-chan cried a lot, and Nabiki-chan was sad as well. But Father didn’t care, he didn’t even say anything.”

“I don’t want a father like him,” She continued, her voice even more quiet to the point that at the end it was more like a whisper than anything else. “We don’t need him anymore anyway…”

Shit, this is bad, she thought. Ranma could maybe overlook the ‘helping around the house’ part but who knew what would happen if the girls just straight up refused to have any relationship with Soun, just like the brunette in front of her. At some point it would not only affect the girls but their father too.

It wasn't like she didn’t understand what her eldest felt. She’d also had a fair share of moments when she’d really had enough of Genma's attitude, his stupidity, or some other stuff he’d pulled over the years. He was still her pops, though, and she’d never thought, at least seriously, about cutting him off from her life.

For Kasumi to say something like this… just how hurt must she have been?

“Be careful not to lose your balance” was all she was able to say. She just didn’t know what to do after getting news like this.

The silence between them continued all the way to the Clinic. Ranma was on autopilot, walking the path that she’d walked a thousand times over, too caught up in her own thoughts to care much about her surroundings. She didn't even register when both of them finally hopped off the fence. Didn't notice the fact that she’d started walking much closer to Kasumi-chan than usual, nor the fact that at some point she’d found herself holding the younger girl’s hand. All she had in mind at the moment was worry about her family’s future.

She only snapped out of it after she heard the familiar, if slightly younger, voice of Dr. Tofu calling for them.

How did we get here? She was taken aback by the sudden change of her surroundings. The office of Tofu Ono looked surprisingly the same as in her original timeline, minus a few cracks in the wall and a few things being stored in different places… Overall it looked almost the same as she remembered, even that god damn skeleton ‘Betty’ was already there, giving her the slightest bit of PTSD. It all - except for Betty - felt kind of nice, almost like she didn’t end up several years in the past. It almost felt normal.

Well, except the fact that Dr. Tofu looked very young. He was barely older than Ranma, with an air of youthful eagerness around him typical of people fresh from school, full of idealistic ideas who wanted to change the world or just be the best in what they were doing. The redhead blinked a few times seeing just how lively and eager he was greeting her as they walked in. He was polite and attentive, not pushy by any means, but the serene atmosphere and professional calm she remembered was not there yet so he must have developed it over time.

“...and you must be Kasumi-chan,” He said, leaning slightly over his desk while looking at the oldest Tendo sister with an easy, polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Kasumi hesitated for a moment and glanced at Ranma in this strange way that she’d noticed other two girls also started to use recently, something like waiting for approval or something to that effect. She didn’t really understand why they were doing that and what that really meant but she did what she always did in this situation, she nodded at the brunette.

The effect was immediate, as evidenced by Kasumi's body language, which immediately relaxed, and the girl looked - albeit still slightly uncertainly - at the doctor without looking away.

“Good morning Dr. Tofu,” she said politely but reservedly, holding her chin up high.

The young doctor only smiled once more and nodded at the younger girl before he started shuffling some of the papers laying on his desk. The familiar sights and smells of Ono’s office made it easy for Ranma to relax too. In the past this place was one of the few that really allowed her to unwind after the craziness of her own life at the Tendos. It wasn’t really the same as she remembered but it was close enough for her to feel more at ease.

She noticed Kasumi-chan stealing nervous glances at her, so she sent her an encouraging smile before switching her focus to the man before them. They both watched as the doctor finally dug up the correct documents or some other papers and looked through them for a moment.

“From what I see we have a general check-up to do today.” He said after going through the contents of the paper one more time before looking at the oldest Tendo sister with a sympathetic expression on his face. “Now then Little Miss Tendo, could you hop onto this bed while I talk with your Aunt for a second?” He pointed at the treatment table standing in the corner of the room.

Huh? What do you want to talk to me about? She thought, cocking her head just slightly to the side. I told him everything he needed to know over the phone, so what else did he want to know?

“My name is Kasumi, heir to the Tendo Dojo” The brunette corrected Dr. Tofu, looking annoyed and offended. “Not a little miss,” she added with an adorable, childish pout.

Ranma and Tofu’s eyes met for a fraction of a second, both of them trying very hard not to chuckle at the little girl’s reaction to the cute nickname. Ranma really wished that Akane could see this, the same Kasumi that she looked up to as the perfect ideal of femininity behaving even more like a tomboy than she ever did. It was hilarious in a way, but also really sad. Just how much had this little girl needed to go through to change into the Kasumi she used to know? Looking at both versions of the eldest Tendo sister, they really looked like two completely different people, and the fact that her student was forced to change so much made Ranma feel really upset about it.

Of course Dr. Tofu didn’t know any of this, he just smiled at the little brunette while nodding along, agreeing with everything she said.

”Well, with such enthusiasm, I feel sorry for all those who will challenge the Tendo Dojo in the future." He said with a short, heartfelt chuckle. "But nevertheless, could you wait for me for a bit?” He continued once again pointing at the treatment table. Kasumi looked a little skeptical but after another look at the redhead she reluctantly nodded and walked there obediently.

Just like that Ranma was the only one sitting in front of Dr. Tofu, watching him looking through his stacks of papers once again but this time much more thoroughly, gathering paper after paper compiling them neatly on the other side of his desk.

All the while she was racking her brain trying to figure out why exactly he wanted to talk with her, since it was Kasumi-chan he should be focusing on. If it was her own timeline she would probably just ask him and be done with it, but right now it's supposed to be their first meeting and it would probably be frowned upon to talk informally to someone you’ve just met for the first time… right?

Finally after a little bit of reading through everything Dr. Tofu finally seemed to be satisfied and shifted his attention back to the redhead.

“I was a little surprised by your call Tendo-san, but I’m so glad that you finally came by.” He started, adjusting his glasses on his nose. “I admit I was a little worried when you didn’t show up at your appointment a week ago but, I guess better late than never, right?”

Ranma’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a sudden pang of panic in the back of her head as the full meaning of Dr. Tofu’s words finally settled in her head. She didn’t remember making any previous appointments with him, not only in this timeline but like… ever. She would always just show up at his door and ask for help. Something was very wrong here.

“Um… Dr. Tofu, w-what are you talking about?” She asked, trying to keep her voice steady to not alert Kasumi-chan since she knew she was listening to every word.

He raised one eyebrow, but otherwise maintained a professional attitude, probably considering her question to be mere forgetfulness on the part of the patient.

“About your check-up of course.” He explained this with an amused smile, completely unaware of the panic that was slowly building in the mind of his supposed patient. “You contacted our Clinic, telling me that you were moving in with Tendos and asked us to be your primary clinic for the duration of your stay.”

The redhead looked at the doctor, confused, struggling to understand what he was talking about. When had she called Tofu to set up an appointment for herself? She hadn’t even been here that long, and things had been absolutely hectic the entire time, so when would she have had the chance? The questions swam in her head as she tried to sort through her memories. Pushing through a growing headache, she thought she vaguely remembered a phone call? Standing in the kitchen talking to… someone… over the phone while dinner was simmering on the stove… She was pulled from her thoughts when Tofu spoke up again.

“It was a bit short notice, but I was able to get your medical records sent over in time for your original appointment.” Dr. Tofu patted the recently created stack of papers. “Please forgive the mess, it’s a family owned clinic that I only just took over a few months ago, and I still have a bit of trouble keeping everything the way it’s supposed to be.” He looked at her a little sheepishly. “I hate to say it, but I had to dig them out in a hurry when I heard you’d be coming in today. They’re all here, so you don’t need to worry about anything, though.” He continued, while reviewing some other piece of paper, this one with a lot of colorful graphs on it. “Though thinking about it again, I think it would be best if we reschedule your own appointment to a later date so I can focus on Kasumi-chan today, if that’s ok with you?”

Those look like the real deal, she thought. How does he have medical records for me when I’ve only been here a couple weeks? She felt a chill as a sudden realization occurred to her. It’s that god's damned sword’s fault, isn’t it!? She thought, feeling a bit sick to her stomach at the idea of it. She fought to keep a straight face so as not to alarm the doc, even if underneath she was screaming. What the fuck did that damned thing even do!?

Tofu had continued talking, but Ranma didn’t really pay that much attention to whatever the doctor was saying. Her mind was too busy thinking about all the things she would do to Kuno and that god damn antique of his if they ever fell into her hands.

“Tendo-san?” Tofu gently prompted her, pulling Ranma from her thoughts.

“W-what? Oh! Y-yeah, that would be great, thank you” She stuttered, a little embarrassed that she was too caught up in her fantasy of shoving that cursed rusty stick right up Takewaki’s ass to realize that Dr. Tofu was still waiting for her to speak up. “Um… can I… look at them? My medical documents I mean. I would like to… double check my information… make sure it’s up to date.”

Of course there wasn’t any problem, they were supposed to be her medical records after all. As Ono was busy fussing over Kasumi-chan, Ranma looked through the papers with morbid fascination, feeling a lot of complicated and often conflicting emotions hitting her hard with every print. Everything was there, her name, her Individual Number, even her birth day. She’d never really bothered to remember her Individual Number so she didn’t really know if it was accurate but the date of birth was identical. Well, except for the year being 1956. Guess I really am nineteen here. Would have been a bit awkward if it had been my old birth year, she idly mused as she flipped through the pages.

She was going through all of the medical gibberish she did really understand, scanning through the medical procedure she didn’t remember having, and dates that didn’t make much sense to her. Some of these seem vaguely familiar. She thought, frowning. I got injured enough times during training. Something about it seemed off though. Pops never would have bothered taking me to the doc, though.

That sword had created a whole backstory for her. The consequences of this discovery made her break out in a cold sweat.

And all of that created out of thin air, but it couldn’t even give me a proper ID…, she lamented, internally fighting with an urge to hide her head in her hands and scream with frustration.

Wait, she stopped for a moment, struck by the brief moment of sudden clarity. With all this info, I can file for a missing ID card, right? Ranma thought, turning back to the first page of her medical records.

She glanced at Dr. Tofu, who was in the middle of examining Kasumi, quietly took some pieces of paper and a pencil, and quickly scribbled down everything she needed.

It wasn’t much, just a single ray of hope between the dark clouds that she felt were constantly forming over her head, but at least it was something she could focus on other than the fact that she felt like she was constantly losing control.

She could sense her headache worsening, too many things to worry about and too many things to do once they got back home. And now on top of that she needed to deal with the fact that apparently she had phantom records that she had no idea about… it was maddening.

Ranma was so caught up in her own depressed musings that she didn’t even notice when Dr. Tofu finished Kasumi’s examination.

“Everything seems to be in order, you just sore from your martial arts training Kasumi-chan.” She almost jumped in surprise hearing the doctor's voice. “A meal and a good night's sleep will do you much better than anything I have here.” He stopped for a moment before turning around to look at the redhead, standing stiffly next to his desk. "And what about you Tendo-san? Is everything alright?”

“Y-yeah, thank you for asking Dr. Tofu” The redhead’s voice was clear and even while feeling almost like a deer in the headlights. “Everything… everything’s fine, just a small headache” she said, knowing that she was anything BUT fine.

She put one hand on the other with something that she guessed someone looking from the side would assume was a feminine gesture, but she really did it to keep her other hand from twitching uncontrollably.

She wasn’t fine. In fact she was itching to just grab Kasumi-chan and make a run for the Dojo and hole up there forever. Well, at least long enough she could think through everything she’d just learned from this demonic stack of papers.

At least now I have a shot at getting my legal ID, she thought, trying to be optimistic but falling miserably the moment she glanced back at Tofu’s desk. But why the fuck does my life always have to be so god damn complicated?

“Look! Look! I’m a princess!” Yelled Akane, laughing while running around the bathroom in nothing but a shapeless mass of foam that was probably supposed to be a crown of some sort.

“I thought you were Juliet,” said Nabiki, washing herself with a sponge while looking amused as her younger sister continued to play with the foam.

“Then I’m Princess Juliet!” Akane proclaimed proudly, not aware of her sister’s teasing.

Ranma watched all of this from the bathroom stool, carefully untangling her red hair that she’d removed from its pigtail and was now clinging to her skin, and shook her head. She still had mixed feelings about the two youngest Tendo sisters stubbornly stating that they wouldn’t take baths on their own, forcing her to almost always be on double duty, washing not only herself but those two girls as well.

The fact that every time Akane-chan ran butt naked around her it would unconsciously trigger the memory of that first day in her old timeline when they walked in on each other in the bathroom didn’t help at all.

Normally it would be slightly problematic, but at that moment she welcomed the distraction. Anything for just a moment of not musing about what she’d learned at Tofu’s clinic.

And all the implications that went with it.

It was much simpler to just look after the kids.

“Alright princess, I think that’s enough of that,” said Ranma, scoping Akane into her arms and putting her on her lap to rinse her thoroughly. “I thought I asked you not to run when you’re wet because you can trip and hurt yourself, Akane-chan?”

The youngest Tendo sister looked up at her aunt seeing the half hearted look of disapproval in the redhead’s eyes and quickly looked down at the bathroom floor.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding sincerely apologetic in a way that made it impossible for anyone to be mad at her. Children’s superpowers on full display.

Ranma didn’t say anything else, only sighing helplessly and shaking her head as she started to slowly and methodically wash her kids and for once Akane didn’t fuss about it, probably too embarrassed by the redhead’s comment from earlier. She wasn’t thrilled about the reason, but she wasn’t about to complain about it either. When she was finally done, she put the black haired girl down to scoop her older sister in her place, repeating the process.

“Come to think of it,” she wondered while scrubbing Nabiki's hair with shampoo. “If Akane-chan was a princess then you would be one as well.” She smiled, cocking her head just slightly to the side. “What would you do as a princess, Nabiki-chan?”

There was a short pause as the little brunette pondered the question.

“I would go hunting for treasure!” She said looking up with eyes shining, probably already imagining herself on some cartoon-like adventure.

“I thought all princes and princesses were already wealthy?” Ranma said, carefully rinsing the shampoo’s foam from Nabiki’s hair. “But our Nabiki-chan really likes treasures, huh?”

“Yes! And they will be all mine!” She said with an adorable giggle and kicked her legs with excitement.

“Not fair!” said Akane-chan pouting at her older sister. “I want some treasures too!”

Ranma was barely keeping it together to not burst out laughing at the scene in front of her.

“So you won’t share it with your own family Nabiki-chan?” She asked, feigning a tone of disappointment looking at the middle Tendo sister with her own version of Akane’s puppy eyes that she’d been completely helpless against not that long ago.

Unsurprisingly, Nabiki wasn’t much different.

“Well… I guess I wouldn’t mind if you asked my Auntie…” The middle Tendo murmured with a little pout, crossing arms around her chest while avoiding eye contact. “I would like to share with you a bit.”

Ranma gave a short chuckle before ruffling her wet, brown hair.

“Well, aren’t you generous, sweetie,” She said, smiling with amusement.

After she finished washing Nabiki-chan, the redhead was finally able to take care of herself. It’s crazy just how efficient you can learn to be when you have so many things to do during the day, and Ranma was a prime example of that. It didn’t take more than a few minutes for her to finish washing herself. After that, without skipping a beat she went straight to the furo with both sisters in tow.

And, same as when remembering the older Akane, her first glance at the steaming surface made her heart stop for a second. Hot water around other girls was dangerous. After a moment she shook her head. You’re being silly, she thought to herself. She had locked herself a few weeks ago and there’s no way her girls would see something they shouldn’t. Part of felt conflicted by the fact that she’s always relieved by the fact that hot water stopped turning her into a boy, but she knew that the Tendos couldn’t afford another serious drama in their lives, so her curse had been safely locked. After a moment of hesitation she placed both sisters into the water before stepping in herself, allowing the heavenly, warm sensation to wash away most of her worries. She didn’t know if it was because of the Cat Tongue but she could swear that soaking in the furo felt much better in her female body.

Ranma decided to lay like that for a few minutes, watching Akane and Nabiki splashing each other while yelling and laughing and for a brief moment forgetting about the redhead that was right next to them. She watched them playing with toys that she only now realized she’d bought for them a few days ago. They made funny noises or made up scenarios - mostly kaiju-like ones - and splashed even more water in the process. It was much more entertaining than she’d suspected, especially when she realized that she couldn’t remember any situation like this in her previous timeline. Nabiki would mostly keep to herself, only interacting with the other people in the household for her own schemes. It was a really strange experience seeing her this carefree and expressive, practically glued to her skirt.

The redhead really liked this change, it made her feel like she’s doing something meaningful for the Tendos, something that would make her proud one day.

She noticed the middle Tendo sister staring intently at the toy boat in her hands.

“Auntie Ranko,” she asked, blinking a few times and looking at her guardian. “Can we visit the sea?”

And where did that come from?…, she thought, feeling herself smiling.

“You want to see the sea, Nabiki-chan?” Ranma asked, lifting herself slightly out of the water, trying to find a more stable position to sit in the bathtub. She could feel two pairs of eyes following her every move.

“Yes!” Nabiki said loudly, her eyes shining almost as brightly as when she was talking about her ‘treasures’. “Can we?!”

I wonder why she wants to go to the beach so badly? She wondered, already seeing an image of the small brunette gathering shells and other junk from the sand and holding them like precious jewels.

She would need to get Soun to go with them. The redhead absolutely wouldn’t agree to go to the crowded beach with those three girls with only her to watch over them. She already knew that would be a terrible idea, but if she could convince that guy to leave the house for at least a day to do his parenting duties then that would be a different story.

“Well… I guess we can when it gets warmer.” She started, hesitantly, just before remembering a very important detail that would make this whole trip another thing to worry about. “I would need to teach you how to swim though…”

The memories of all the times that Ranma or anyone else had tried to teach Akane how to swim and failed flashed before her eyes. For a second there she was almost ready to abandon the idea from simple mental exhaustion of even imagining how much time and frustration that task would probably cost her.

She remembered the muffins though, and just how rewarding it felt when she saw the look of pure happiness and excitement on Akane-chan’s face after those grueling few hours of teaching her how to make them. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…

It was at that moment when she noticed the youngest Tendo hiding herself a little bit deeper into the water, staring at the redhead.

“A-aren’t there sea monsters in the water?” She stuttered, glancing anxiously at the shark toy floating near her head. “Yuu-chan said…”

“No way that’s true!” Nabiki cut her out before turning around and hugged Ranma by surprise, nuzzling into her chest, causing the redhead to cry out in surprise. “Besides, even if there are any, Aunty will beat them up!”

Ranma couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable with the small girl nesting herself so closely, but relaxed rather quickly, remembering that this Nabiki was just a clueless kid.

“Emm…” She smiled nervously, petting the brunette’s head while trying not to think about a certain Ice Queen and what she would say if she saw what the redhead was doing.

Her eyes focused on Akane-chan who still looked quite anxious about the idea of scary things lurking in the sea waters. Ranma herself had swam from China to Japan and knew that they weren't any monsters one should be worried about but waves and tides, but she really doubted that a five year old kid would really understand that concept.

“Sure, why not?” She said with a sigh, stroking the little girl’s hair. “Don’t you worry Bunny Girl, I will protect you.”

She would be surprised if she ever really saw any sea monsters, but if that ever happened, she actually felt quite confident that she could defeat them pretty easily. No matter if it was in the sea or on land, that was something she could do.

Fortunately for me, we don’t have any western style beds in the Dojo, so no pesky monsters from under the bed will ever try messing with the girls, she thought, remembering all the other strange creatures she and the Tendos had encountered over the years. And all other pests I guess I would need to use my fists. But now that I know who they are and where they could be… yeah, there’s no way that I would let that happen again.

Ranma glowered at the lone but rather large and heavy cardboard box lying on the ground, the only thing that remained from Hanna Tendo’s belongings in the room. It took her two weeks of looking through all the piled up junk every now and then until finally she ended up with this one last box to go through.

And now that she finally had some time to open it, she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of unease getting rid of it. Even if it was only because of magic, in this world she and Hanna were a family… even if she didn’t have any memories of it. Even if she knew they weren't really cousins, it just felt weird for some reason.

Ok Ranma, stop stalling, she thought to herself with a sigh. It has to be sorted out sooner or later and I’d better use these few precious moments while the girls are playing or I’ll never get it done…

She knelt down and brushed back her loose red hair, which she had recently started leaving down - trying to wean herself off her pigtail to distance her image from this world’s Ranma as much as possible - and opened the box looking through a mix of books and trinkets covered with a thin layer of dust and some random trash of unknown origin.

Exactly at the same time the door to her room slid open slightly, showing three little heads peering inside.

She looked up to see all three sisters already in their pajamas staring back at her in, looking both curious and hesitant at the same time.

“Auntie, what are you doing?” Nabiki and Akane asked in unison.

“I only wanted to see what they’re up to,” Kasumi said, trying to explain herself only a second later, clearly embarrassed that she was caught peeking into the redhead’s room.

Ranma’s reaction to all of this was a helpless but amused chuckle. Of course she couldn’t really have that much time for herself, not in a home with three kids. The hour was quite late though, and she’d really thought that at least Nabiki and Akane would be too tired or focused on their own toys laying around the washitsu to come looking for her.

That’s what I get for wishful thinking, she thought to herself while gesturing at the sisters to come closer. They were already there so there wasn’t any reason to shoo them away, and with three additional pairs of hands she would be done with her task much quicker. Not even mentioning the fact that it was their mother’s stuff so they had every right to keep whatever was in there.

“I am looking through your mom’s stuff, wanna help me?” She asked, blowing on the contents of the box and raising a small cloud of dust. “You can keep anything you find interesting and put the useless stuff away, but be careful what you’re touching. I almost got hurt by some broken glass in one of the boxes a few days ago.”

She could see that her words piqued the sisters interest, especially Nabiki who practically ran for the box and started rummaging through its contents like it was her dreamed-of birthday present.

For the next few minutes Ranma’s room turned into a chaotic place full of dusty old things being pushed left and right on the floor with the girls occasionally commenting on some more interesting things one of the sisters had found and boasted about. Even Kasumi - after a first moment of hesitation - joined the fun to the point that she wanted to banter with Nabiki over some strange looking coin. It was loud and messy, completely different from the quick and easy task the redhead wished for it to be.

At least she also was able to find something quite good in there too. An old looking camera and a few rolls of film that looked to be in really good condition, a rare and useful find and something she could actually use instead of just keeping it as a memento or a novelty.

I could use it for the Play, she thought, remembering that her original Tendo sisters practically didn’t have any photos of their childhood and sometimes complained about it, especially during celebrations or other special events. Gotta make sure that thing will be used often.

“What’s that?” Akane’s voice caught Ranma’s attention. She looked up and saw Kasumi-chan holding a medium sized book opened to a random page while her two younger sisters were practically glued on both of her sides, all of them studying whatever was in there with great fascination.

“And what do you three have there?” She asked, putting the camera away and walking towards her charges with an amused smile, feeling a little curious.

“It’s an old photo album,” said Kasumi, adjusting it so that Ranma could see it better while Nabiki made a little room so that she could sit down between her supposed nieces.

Sure enough, what her eldest said was correct. The redhead saw row after row of photographs of landscapes and people she’d never known or seen before. It must have been the Tendo family’s photo album that Hanna kept hidden away so Soun wouldn’t get irritated or sad about the family that decided to reject him even after he took their last name in marriage.

The oldest Tendo sister turned the page forward to show another set of photographs, which were in slightly better shape and higher quality. Ranma glanced over at them wondering how it was that she’d never known about something like that existing in her previous timeline when suddenly one of the photos made her stop, and her heart stopped beating for a moment. She didn’t remember much from when she was younger, and she could count on the fingers of one hand how often her pop would show her photos, but she was sure of it.

She was staring at a picture of herself, an around eight or nine year old redhead girl, smiling shyly into the camera with another girl, around twice her age, grinning widely while making a peace sign. An unmistakable mountain was looming just behind both of them.

Ranma thought that her heart would jump out of her chest with how fast it started beating and was almost certain she would start hyperventilating any moment, but instead after a moment of looking at the photograph she felt extremely dizzy.

“Who’s that?” Akane-chan asked, pointing at the photo.

The redhead was too dazed and light to think much about her question.

“It’s me and Hanna-chan at Mount Fuji, two years before Kasumi-chan was born,” she said automatically, massaging her thumping temple. “I was kind of scared of going but she said that we could go together so…”

Her voice died in her throat the moment she finally registered what she was saying. The previous dizziness and headache she felt before vanished completely in a moment, replaced by the sudden feeling of shock. She could feel a cold shiver going down her spine. The disorientation wasn’t as bad as in Dr. Tofu’s office but she still felt really rattled about the whole thing.

But probably the worst of all was that for a second there, she could swear that she really felt like she did remember that moment there, a sliver of emotions that she couldn’t feel and whispers of conversations that she knew she’d never had.

It was really unsettling.

“I-I think that’s enough of that for today” She stuttered, snatching the book from Kasumi’s hands and slamming it shut, a little too fast and harder than she intended to do it

“Awww, but I wanna hear more!” Said Nabiki, with Akane echoing her a moment later.

“Maybe another time,” She said and - against her better judgment - put the photo album on the ‘to keep’ pile, trying to avoid looking at it. “I’m really tired, I’m basically falling asleep sitting up.” She added, standing up.

“Besides you’re too young to be staying up that late at night,” she continued. “Let’s wrap this up and call it a night. We can finish this tomorrow.”

The girls were clearly disappointed and murmured something under their breath but Ranma didn’t really listen. She was moving automatically, gathering one thing and throwing out another without much care in anything other than to finish it quickly and be done with it.

There was no avoiding it though, every time she walked past the pile, her eyes would skim through it and land on the album and her thoughts would turn back to that photograph over and over again, reminding her that whatever it was that the sword had done to her, it was apparently far from over.

Chapter Text

The school gymnasium was buzzing with excitement as the preschoolers' families sat in rows, quietly commenting on their kids performing Romeo & Juliet on a small stage before them. Ranma was watching the kids clad in frankly silly looking costumes trying to recite their lines with various levels of success, but, for the most part, her mind was elsewhere.

Ever since that night with the photo album she was really paranoid, worrying about what else could suddenly pop out. What other unexpected things that might magically change in her or the people around her to mold her reality into whatever the sword had decided to place her into, but to both her frustration and relief nothing ground breaking really happened.

She kind of wished that her new ID would magically show up in her room or something to that extent. At least then she wouldn’t need to live through all the nerve wracking questioning and seemingly endless stacks of papers she needed to go through while filing her request for a new one.

The only thing she’d noticed was during her health check with Dr. Tofu the other day. Ono - clearly not yet being the serene, experienced practitioner as she knew him - was asking her a bunch of pointless questions about her health that made her… well, not really uncomfortable but they were definitely awkward to talk about. The most notable one was him asking about her menstrual cycle, to which she confidently said that of course it was normal. Ranko’d even reflexively told him the exact date of the last time she’d had it.

Even though, because previously she was shifting back and forth it was actually quite chaotic and she could never keep track of it. It was definitely another instance of the magic switching things around on her but since it wasn’t anything major she waved it off and didn’t think much about it afterwards. She was actually glad that out of all the possible things that could happen, it was only something innocuous like that.

The problem was that if that was correct she would need to go and buy some supplies for that very soon, which was just another thing on her ‘to do’ list. It was nothing compared to the near panic attack she got the night when she realized she could recall glimpses of memories and events she knew for a fact never really happened. It was more of a pain in the ass.

Which didn’t make the fact that the stuff like that was still happening any less nerve wracking for the redhead, making enjoying the play they were all watching a little harder than she would like to be. Ranma looked down at the two Tendo sisters who weren’t performing. Kasumi and Nabiki were sitting on both sides of her, Nabiki visibly enjoying the other kids playing, although she was almost sure that she was snickering in amusement when some kids made an error or forgot their lines. Kasumi on the other hand looked like being forced to sit still next to her was a form of punishment, but Ranma knew it was all an act, a very obvious one as could be seen from the look of excitement she had every time she thought Ranma wasn't looking. It was actually really cute that the oldest Tendo was trying so hard not to show just how happy she was for her little sister or to look so uninterested in everything other than martial arts. She would need to talk to her about that at some point. She knew just how bad focusing only on the art could really be in the long run and didn’t want to allow the girl to end up like her one day.

Surprisingly, someone that she hadn’t expected to be there had actually dragged themselves out of their cave: Soun Tendo. The Tendo Patriarch took the rejection of his oldest daughter quite badly and Ranma was worried that he could start avoiding his kids entirely, perhaps even actively push them away because of this. Fortunately it wasn’t the case, at least not entirely. She could see him at the very back of the crowd, still not looking his best but at least presentable. His eyes were fixed on the stage, though Ranma caught his occasional glances in their direction. A small, sad smile flashing every time he looked at Kasumi before going back to watching the play.

Ranma glanced back at him, flashing an encouraging smile and trying to let him know that she was rooting for him. She may be angry at him for how he handled his daughters’ situation but ultimately she wanted for all of them to get along. It was one of the most important parts of her plan to fix her family’s dynamics and hopefully mold these girls into much better functioning teenagers by the time this world’s Ranma finally came knocking at their door in a few years. Who knows, maybe his relationship with Akane won’t be as bad from the start as it was back in the day?

She really wondered just how different the youngest Tendo sister would be at that time. Right now she was laying on the stage, trying to stay still and not open her eyes as some boy the redhead didn’t know said his line and leaned over her.

Akane did just as expected in her first play ever. She almost remembered all her lines - only stuttered a few times - walked as stiff as a robot and was sweating nervously every time she was on a stage. One time she’d even stepped on some other kid's foot making the poor boy forget his lines for a moment. In short it could be much worse.

But Akane was clearly having fun and that was the most important thing for Ranma who - even though she clearly saw every one of her mistakes - was feeling strangely proud of her youngest. Even though she could hear some nasty comments about her performance from other parents, in her eyes Akane did very well.

I’ve ended up as one of those parents that are fools for their kids, aren’t I? She thought to herself, only catching how she called herself a moment later, frowning. Guardian! I meant guardian! She corrected herself, cursing those three women and their comments that apparently were somehow getting to her.

‘I’m not saying that he couldn't do it but there’s things that only a woman can teach other women, especially as young as your girls are…’ Kimiko’s words played out in Ranko’s memory, her mind whirling with several conflicting emotions and making her feel strangely warm while shivering at the same time. At that time she’d waved her off thinking that they were just teasing, getting a kick at her expense, but lately to her horror she’d started to notice that it wasn’t really the case. She was already doing practically all of the household chores including cooking and meal prepping for the girls. That was the full scope of things she’d originally thought that she would need to do while she stayed in the Dojo. But not long after she’d started to go shopping with them, washing with them, very rarely sleeping alone without at least one of the girls deciding that she couldn’t sleep alone and nestling in her futon without even asking her about it anymore.

And just the other day Nabiki came to her saying that she needed her written permission to go on her first school trip and asking her what she should take with her… it really felt like she was the one responsible for the girls with Soun being some sort of background character, eating her food and sleeping in her house for free. It was really pissing her off.

But it also made her feel even more protective of the sisters, seeming like they’d started to rely on her more and more with each passing day. She’d even stopped wincing when Akane called her ‘mommy’ every time they were in public. Buried in more and more things to take care of she’d just gotten used to it at some point… and it was scary.

She felt scared of that kind of responsibility laying on her shoulders. It wasn’t something she’d thought she was signing up for, or at least she was trying to convince herself that it wasn’t. She even thought about trying to do something more about Soun stepping up but seeing how Kasumi seemed to be so stubborn about not wanting to interact with him she decided to scrap that idea, getting herself deeper and deeper into a role she’d never intended to take on, but everyone else seemingly needed her to be.

“Bleh, Keiichi is kissing Kane,” said Nabiki pretending to throw up the moment a boy that Ranma didn’t recognize leaned over Akane's face.

Ranma giggled at the comment.

“He isn’t, he just leaned near her cheek so it looks like a kiss.” she said, glad that the teachers took care of that aspect of the play. They were kids and she was sure that they still didn’t really understand the meaning of the kiss but still, two little kids kissing each other was just weird for the redhead. This and she felt strangely tense at the very idea of some no name boy kissing Akane in front of her. “You don’t like boys, Nabiki-chan?” She asked, looking amused at the middle Tendo sister. “You may start liking them later, though.”

“I won’t! And I won’t let them kiss me! It’s yucky!” she said, making a gagging motion. The redhead put a hand over her mouth, covering up her smile. It was still so funny to see ‘the Ice Queen’ being so transparent with her emotions, even if that meant being responsible for taking care of her along the way. She couldn’t help but wonder if Nabiki’s reaction was just a typical one for a girl her age or if it was something else that she would need to deal with later on.

“Don’t worry honey, no one is gonna force you too,” she said, patting the little brunette affectionately on the head.

“Mom!” Nabiki cried out trying to wriggle herself out of the redhead's hand but found it a useless endeavor. Ranma grimaced, suddenly remembering that the middle sister - entirely for her own amusement, she was sure - started to do exactly the same thing as the younger one, deepening the misunderstanding between her and the other parents even more.

“Akane-chan almost hit him there,” said Kasumi trying to keep herself from giggling.

“Huh?” Ranma looked puzzled at her oldest. “Why? When?”

“Right there, I saw her hands twitching,” she explained, visibly proud that she noticed something the redhead didn’t. And she was right, Ranma didn’t catch that moment, too busy messing with Nabiki rather than watching the play. “Na-chan was right, he kissed her on the cheek!,” she added, frowning at the boy.

The rest of the play fortunately went on without a hitch - except for Akane constantly glaring at the male lead - and after seeing the whole performance she needed to say, as much as Akane hated the overall chaos that it turned into… at least the play at Furinkan was interesting. This one nearly bored her to death, but she didn’t know if that was due to the fact that it was a child’s play or she was just too dumb to appreciate it. Probably a little bit of both.

Finally, the play was over and all the kids lined up on the stage to thank the audience. Kasumi, Nabiki and Ranma joined the other families cheering them on. The Tendo sisters clapped with all their might looking at Akane who was beaming while waving to them excitedly from the center of the stage.

“Now I would like to invite the parents on stage,” the children's teacher's voice cut through the noise of the cheering crowd. “Because of the special occasion we asked our photographer to take photos of our young aspiring actors and actresses and their families.”

Huh, I wonder if something like that happened before, she thought as the sea of people were starting to rise up from their chairs. I can’t remember there being many photos of the Tendos from that time period, but here they offer a freebee…

“Great! I wanna photo with Princess Juliet!” said Nabiki, hopping down from her chair, visibly glad that she could finally do something more than just dangling her legs in the air.

Ranma was quite impressed that the little girl was able to sit through the entire Play without any trouble, except for some snarky comments and complaints about the whole thing being too long and boring.

The redhead looked back at the very end of the gymnasium, ignoring everyone else and focusing solely on Soun Tendo who still was standing there stiff as a board, visibly conflicted and trying to decide what he should do. He must have sensed her eyes on him because not even a moment later he looked at her and winced from the intensity of her gaze. Don’t even think about leaving, she thought, hoping that he got the message. It was the perfect opportunity to start spending time with his kids and she wouldn’t have him walking away only because one of his daughters doesn't wanna talk to him. He still had two who were waiting for him to talk to them again.

She took the girls with her into the small crowd of people that - from what she could see - was going backstage, full of parents commenting about the children's performance and of course gushing about just how great their own kids were and just how much talent they had and where to send them so that they wouldn’t waste that talent away… Ranma could feel the approaching headache from hearing all the nonsense being told about literal five year old kids, but briefly paused in her tracks, realizing that her own parents were exactly the same, maybe even worse. What kind of parents decide to take their barely a few years old child on a training trip to make them a greatest martial artist in the world?

She glared at the couple in front of her, trying very hard not to comment on their plans of sending their son to some extra acting lessons. It was much better than what she went through but even so, this kid should probably have a normal childhood instead of fulfilling their parents' dreams.

They were walking like that, with Ranma trying to ignore the other parents' pointless conversations and making sure that Nabiki wouldn't stray from her into a crowd of people. Realistically speaking there weren’t that many people around but for the redhead that recently was spending so much time mostly at the Tendo Dojo it was unusually loud and crowded, to the point that she felt herself relieved when they finally were able to break away from the crowd and start searching for Akane backstage.

An easy task, considering that she was standing right next to the tall woman with long brown hair tied into a long ponytail with a forest green scrunchie that Ranma recognized as one of the preschool teachers. I think she was called Chika-san?

But why is she talking with Akane while looking so apologetic? she thought, frowning.

“...to him. Don’t worry about it Akane-chan” The tall woman said, with a serious tone. Then as if she had some sixth sense she glanced to the side, locking her eyes with the redhead. Her body immediately relaxed and she patted the youngest Tendo’s head a few times pointing at the rest of her family. “Now come on, you can go to your mom and sisters.”

You know I’m not her mom! She thought, trying not to glare at the teacher. Akane’s head immediately shot up in the direction the brown haired woman pointed. Her whole face immediately lit up as she darted forward, almost tripping a few times stepping on the hem of her long dress.

“Mommy!” She cried out, jumping clumsily at Ranma who was forced to catch her in her arms to avoid the little girl missing the mark and landing face first on the backstage floor. “Did you see me?! I was the best Juliet!” She asked, completely ignoring the fact that she’d almost face planted onto the ground.

The redhead suppressed a sigh, realizing that it would be pointless trying to clear up this misunderstanding with so many other parents around and decided to just roll with it. She bounced Akane on her hip to get a better grip on a girl and looked at her with a proud smile.

“Yes, I saw you sweetie, you were great” She nodded, remembering all the times she’d walked around the house reciting her lines out loud and how progressively more excited she was as time went on. The conversation her youngest had with her teacher was still on her mind though, so she looked back at the brunette who was still standing next to them.

“Did something happen?” She asked, feeling small arms wrapping themselves around her neck.

She watched as a shadow of a doubt flashed over Chika-san's face but just as the redhead noticed that, the other woman’s gentle smile returned, a little bit dim this time.

“You could say that,” she started hesitantly. “Akane-chan was just telling me that one of the boys decided to kiss her on the cheek during the play. It was probably some silly dare again, boys are sometimes like that, unfortunately… but I promised her that I’ll talk to him and make sure that it won’t happen again.” She assured them with a glint in her eye that actually made Ranma believe that she wasn’t just talking bullshit to get her off her back.

“Keiichi’s a dummy!” Akane pouted, snuggling even closer to her aunt. Ranma hugged her a little bit more tightly, starting to wonder if maybe that small children’s prank didn’t upset her youngest much more than she thought it did.

She wasn’t really raised as a girl so she couldn’t really relate to her, but she still sometimes remembered just how skin crawlingly bad she felt when that fool Mikado decided to kiss her against her will… if you could even call that a kiss with just how disgusting it felt.

Akane was still too young for this sort of thing, and didn’t yet understand what that boy actually did, but it still clearly made her angry about it, that’s for sure. Ranko could feel herself getting angry at the boy’s behavior too, but also ashamed of herself that she’d dismissed it at first when Kasumi had told her about it.

“Well, you’d better talk to him, before I do,” she said, meaning every word, to the point that the preschool teacher flinched slightly. “I don’t care how young he is, he should know better than to mess with my girl.”

It’s better to nip things like this in the bud, she thought, wondering if guys like Kuno or Mikoda were also like that at the beginning and if someone had dealt with them sooner maybe they wouldn’t be such a pain in the ass as they grow older.

“I assure you Tendo-san, I’ll handle it.” The brunette said again, sounding even more serious this time, but if it was because she really meant it or was a little scared of the redhead’s change of attitude, Ranko didn’t know.

She wanted to press the issue a little further but before she could say anything she felt Akane suddenly trying to climb onto her shoulder, starting to wave to someone behind the redhead.

“Dad, you came!” She cried out excitedly, seemingly completely forgetting about the whole kiss thing. She was moving so much she almost wriggled herself from Ranma’s grasp. “Did you see me?! I was the best Juliet!”

All of the girls turned around to see Soun Tendo maneuvering between other parents while heading towards them, looking almost like he wasn’t sure if he was even allowed to be there. The moment he realized that his youngest daughter had noticed him however, his whole attitude changed. Or at least he tried to, because even if he tried very hard to look confident and happy she could still see just how stiff and anxious he was.

Even so, she was happy that he didn’t bail out and actually stuck around to be here with his family. Maybe this whole beating the shit out of him was actually good for him?

Ranma put the overly excited Akane on the ground, only to see the small girl’s feet running towards the man, burying her face into his brown kimono.

“Yes, I saw you dear, you were excellent," he said, smiling warmly under his mustache and patting the girl on her head. “I’m very proud of you.”

No matter what she’d thought about Soun in the past, it was very heartwarming to see him being genuinely happy and actually being present instead of ignoring everyone around him. Even if he needed to be pummeled into the ground first.

“Hehe,” Akane looked up at her dad, showing him a toothy smile as he continued to pat her head. Nabiki joined them soon enough, looking as happy as her younger sister that their father decided to actually show up.

Only Kasumi didn’t join, deciding to move slightly closer to Ranma’s side instead.

All of them were so focused on Soun’s arrival that they didn’t even notice when Chica-san decided to slip away, probably deciding that she didn’t want to get in the way when the whole family was finally together. Or she just didn’t want to see if Akane’s father had the same kind of temper as Ranma.

I really hope that no one will think anything weird about our family. Especially about… she felt shiver going down her spine even thinking about it. She could live with everyone else thinking she was the girl's mother, hell so many people probably already thought that it was true. She was fine with that, but there was a line that she wouldn't allow anyone to cross. She absolutely refused to let people believe that she and Soun Tendo were a thing, she would rather die than let something like that happen.

She shook her head, trying to stop thinking about it. Instead she watched the girls and their father and decided that even if the situation wasn’t ideal, it was their best chance to reconnect. At the very least they could use this opportunity to have a free photo to remember this day.

Who knows, maybe in a few years time Akane will show it to this world’s Ranma, talking about how she absolutely nailed her first role as Juliet? She only needed to hope that Nabiki wouldn’t remember that day or bribe her somehow to not correct her on it when the time came.

Ranma and the girls were walking slowly through the park, enjoying the warm weather and the peace and quiet that was so refreshing after the constant buzz and presence of other people. Akane - once again in her normal dress - claimed that she was too tired after the play and as a ‘Princess Juliet’ demanded to be carried to the Dojo. The whole performance was so over the top and funny that the redhead yielded and scooped her up. Nabiki was walking next to them, her small hand held by Ranma’s other hand while Kasumi was just a few steps ahead walking heel to toe, balancing on the sidewalk, her skirt fluttering in a light breeze.

Soun was smart enough to see that even though his two youngest daughters were delighted to see him, his oldest didn’t want to talk to him so he excused himself just before they all left the girls preschool, leaving Ranma and the sisters to their own devices.

And so there they were, four Tendo girls walking lazily through the park with no real destination in mind. Looking at the nearby lake, the redhead realized that it was the first time in a while when she wasn’t going to some nearby shop to buy something, or to hurry home to do her household chores, or planning another martial arts lesson for her classes. She was so caught up in her everyday routine, she didn’t even notice just how much she needed to do and just how little time she had to just sit down and do nothing…

The last time I was able to just sit down and laze around was… before I was sent here, I think, she wondered, trying to think of a moment like that ever since she popped up right in front of Hanna’s face a few weeks ago.

Ranma was someone that, truth be told, didn’t like to sit around doing nothing. She was raised constantly moving, always learning new things, always in a pursuit of something else.

Sure, being able to get some rest and procrastinate once in a while was nice and all, but the urge to do something was always there… but the amount of work she needed to do in Tendo Dojo was a little bit excessive.

I don’t know how Kasumi was able to juggle the housework and her school work being as young as she was… Ranma thought, once more being amazed by the oldest Tendo’s stubborn nature and her dedication to her family.

She felt good knowing that, at least on this timeline, Kasumi won’t need to sacrifice her own childhood for her sisters and would be able to do whatever she wishes as she grows up. It felt surprisingly good to be able to make someone else's life a little bit better.

And honestly her life wasn’t even that bad right now, if one ignored the whole magical reality bending thing, and the fact that she was still not sure how to tell the kids that Hanna had passed away. She had a job at the Dojo, kids to take care of, a roof over her head and food on the table.

Ranko looked around the park. At that time of the day the only people that she could see were elderly couples and other moms walking around with their own kids.

Her eye twitched as she walked past some very big and strange looking black pine.

Did I just call myself a mom? She thought, wanting to deny it but after a few uncertain moments and a long, careful look at all three of her girls all she could muster was a long, tired sigh of defeat. Who am I kidding, of course I did. Akane and Nabiki are constantly calling me that anyway and I certainly look like one, she lamented inwardly while looking down at her rather conservative navy blue button up dress going down just past her knees and a pair of black pumps.

The outfit was completely unsuited for any type of combat but Ranma chose this, trying to blend in with the other parents to not give anyone any reason for them to look down on her kids.

That and at her level it didn't really matter what kind of clothes she was wearing, no one would be able to pose a threat to her anyway.

She’d started taking care of the sisters because she felt bad for them and because they were the only link she had to the life she’d left behind - possibly forever - and refused to let it go.

That was what she’d thought at the time but ever since then the situation changed and she couldn’t deny that anymore. She cared about these girls much more than she thought she could. They weren’t just ‘the three girls I used to know’ anymore. They were her kids and she knew that she would be able to do anything if only it would make them happy.

But when did that even start? She wondered, glancing at her oldest effortlessly hopping forward on one leg along the sidewalk. Was it from the moment I realized just how criminally neglected Kasumi's talent was? She lost her grip on her youngest. Or was that the first time Akane-chan came to me in tears asking if we could sleep together?

No matter when it happened, the point was that they’d become more than just small versions of her friends to her. They were kids that needed someone else to protect them from the world that would let them suffer if no one would step up…

…and Ranma, even if initially reluctant, was more than willing to do so.

Yeah, I’m really stuck this time, aren’t I? She asked herself, just as they were about to leave the park and re-enter the narrow streets of their neighborhood. Even if I somehow find a way to come back to where I can from, right now I can’t go back…

Not that her situation would be good if she suddenly went back anyway. After all these weeks with the girls she couldn’t look at them the same way, not in a million years.

She bit her upper lip, trying to distract herself from those thoughts. Nothing good would have come from them anyway and she couldn’t let them see her getting sappy all of a sudden, or at least she didn’t want to let them see her like this.

It didn’t really matter though, because just as the four of them were about to turn the corner, a sudden, unexpected sound made Ranma's heart stop beating. A quiet, barely audible, pitiful meow.

The redhead could feel a cold sweat begin running down her back.

“What’s that sound?” Before the redhead’s mind was able to process the question, Kasumi was already running towards the source of the spine-tingling sound. She reached for her oldest to stop her but at the same time she let go of Nabiki who instantly darted forward after her older sister.

“Wait for me!” Akane yelled and wriggled herself out of Ranma’s arms, the redhead let go, muscles relaxed and reflexes temporarily sluggish due to the unexpected situation; and so just in a few heartbeats her girls were all gone behind the corner. She cursed under her breath. She was caught off guard and forced to follow after the sisters. The unpleasant, anxious feeling that whatever was happening behind the building would be nothing less but a disaster was creeping up her spine as she went after them.

Her gut was right as always. That was evident by the three girls crouching near some bushes only a few feet away from the redhead, their expressions switching between sadness, excitement, and soft smiles, gushing over something hidden beneath the leaves and branches, not to mention the three bodies that were blocking Ranma’s view. Although - at that moment - she was kinda grateful for it. She already knew what they’d found, even if she wished really really hard for it to not be what she thought it was.

“Kami-sama, please not …” She murmured to herself, feeling her heart beating faster and faster with each step.

“Mommy look! It’s kittens!” Nabiki looked at the redhead and called out to her, her eyes shining with happy excitement.

“…kittens.” She finished, as her face turned pale, finally able to see the three small furballs meowing pathetically beneath the twisted branches.

Why did it have to be kittens?

Ranma opened the door to the genkan with all the enthusiasm of a person that was sent to the gallows. She was dragging her feet while the sounds of the cat's soft meowing made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. It was absolutely terrible.

She went in first, with the three girls walking just behind her, absentmindedly taking off their shoes with most of their attention focused on the small fur bundles that were restlessly shifting in their arms.

The three little kittens - all boys - were very small. Ranma would always avoid the conversations about cats like a wildfire so she wasn’t sure but they couldn’t be more than two or three months old. Their mother was nowhere to be seen, a fact that the redhead still wasn’t sure she was grateful for. On one hand it was good, if the small kittens were… surprisingly not as terrifying as she thought to be around, but she was sure that seeing a grown up cat suddenly running towards them would make her instantly panic, or worse - she could go into the neko-ken.

On the other hand the fact that the cats seemed to be abandoned made her girls even more adamant about taking them to the Dojo. They just couldn’t let ‘such small, cute things’ be left there, cold and hungry. Worse, they refused to budge, no matter how much Ranma tried to tell them ‘no’... and so there they were, casually entering the Tendo Dojo with three small strays.

She glanced back at the three sisters, standing almost perfectly in a line holding the three furry demons, that went from softly mewling to looking around with curious eyes, the hands of the kids the only thing stopping them from hopping down and exploring every nook and cranny of the house.

Akane’s cat had curious golden eyes and was the biggest one of the bunch. His fur was white with a one big black spot covering half of his head and a few other spots on his sides and back. When he was looking from left to right it almost looked like he had two completely different faces.

Nabiki’s cat was completely white with his main distinguishing feature being the fact that he had two different colored eyes, one being the same golden color as Akane’s and one icy blue one. He was really calm and rather than looking around like the rest of them, he seemed to be more focused on making sure that his two brothers were still within his sight.

The last one was completely black, his yellow eyes were skittishly looking around, glancing up at the eldest Tendo sister from time to time as if asking for permission to continue while snuggling up to her like to his personal heat source.

In short, every other person would think those three were just too cute for words and once picked up they would never let them go, and - to Ranma's inner despair - she was sure that her girls wouldn’t be any different. From the moment they crossed the threshold of their home, she knew it was over. The relative peace and quiet she liked so much in the Tendo Dojo would never be the same, and it’s all because of those furrballs.

“They are dirty,” Akane said, looking at her hand, covered in a little bit of sand and dirt from petting her kitten. “Shouldn’t we wash them?

Damn right, you should! She wanted to say not even acknowledging the idea that three dirty cats could walk around the house she’d worked so hard to clean up every day. She wanted to, but froze when she realized that the three sisters were all looking at her with pleading expectation in their eyes, even Kasumi, always that much more mature than the others, looked just as pleading and childish as the rest of them.

N-no way in hell that I’ll touch those little monsters! She wanted to say, but again facing the three pairs of puppy eyes staring at her she just couldn’t say it. She was opening and closing her hand, her back stiffened as the silence between them kept stretching out, making her feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

She didn’t know how long they stood there like that, but in the end, she relented, her posture seeming to deflate with her crushing defeat.

“Emm… Y-yeah, sure.” She said, wondering what kind of unforgivable sin had she committed in her previous life for gods to punish her like this. “Let’s… let’s wash them…”

Ranma watched as her girls looked at each other with satisfied grins, united in the single goal of making the redhead suffer hell, and they didn’t even know it.

She quickly broke eye contact, sending the sisters to the bathroom while going to the kitchen, preparing herself for one of the toughest and most difficult challenges in her entire life. Inwardly she wanted to just curse out loud. She hated the idea of doing anything for those three kittens, no matter how pitiful they looked out there. She was freaking terrified of those little demons! Who knew if she’d suddenly activate the neko-ken and do something to her kids? All of this was stupid, reckless and dangerous. She shouldn’t even humor the idea of her doing all that crap when it was the girls that were so adamant on keeping the cats no matter what. Surely it was their responsibility to bathe them as well…

All of that was just a talk, of course. She knew that the sisters knew nothing about taking care of such small creatures, and if - Kami forbid - something would happen to the cats she was sure that those girls would be blaming themselves for it and she would need to be the one to pick up the pieces. So the only thing she did was make one extremely long, reluctant sigh and start gathering the things she needed to do the job.

The worst part about it was the fact that she knew that she didn’t have anything to really take care of the things like fleas or other things that could be hiding in the cat’s fur so she would need to go to the pet store and buy a lot of things for those kittens. The very idea made her want to sigh again.

Refusing to even think about the possibility of holding any of those furry monsters without any kind of protection, Ranma started looking for anything that could be used as a barrier between her and the kittens. She put on her sturdier and thicker gardening gloves, put two long aprons, one on top of the other and two scarves, one on top of her head and one covering her mouth and nose. She would also put on some goggles if she could, but they didn’t really have any laying around so she had to settle for some old sun glasses.

At the end she probably looked like someone who was about to go into some kind of toxic area or a hazard zone, and that’s exactly how she felt about the whole thing.

Taking a deep breath the redhead shook her head, steeling herself for what she needed to do. She opened the door, already going deep into the Soul of Ice technique just so she wouldn’t freak out just by being in such a close space with not one but three cats at once.

The moment she entered, all six faces - three human ones and three feline ones - looked at her at the same time, making her freeze up for a moment.

“Mom, you look so funny!” Nabiki cried out, laughing.

Akane cocked her head to the side, clearly trying to understand why the redhead was dressed like that. She looked down at the three balls of fur that were sniffing the air around them.

“Are they scary?” She asked picking up her black and white one, lifting him towards Ranma.

“Har har, very funny.” The redhead said to the still snickering Nabiki while fighting the urge to take a few steps back from Akane. She took another deep breath, trying to go even deeper into the Soul of Ice, to the point that if it could manifest as a physical phenomenon it would probably frost the entire floor. “No, they are not scary, I ain’t scared of nothing!” She doubled down, but tense up looking at the three feline pairs of eyes, suddenly following her every move. “I just… I don't want them to scratch me, that’s all.”

Saying that, Ranma started walking very slowly, keeping eye contact with the kittens as she passed them and walked towards the other side of the bathroom. Only then did she dare to turn her back on them. It was also the moment when she realized that she’d been holding her breath the whole time.

“Alright girls, I’ll wash and you’ll wipe them, sound good?” She asked, taking the three spare towels and placing them on the ground while wishing to be as far away from all of this as possible.

Ranma turned on the water, waiting for the furo to fill up just a little bit so it would be safe for the kittens. All the time she was acutely aware of the three furry creatures moving not even a foot away from her and was working very hard to stay still and not run away.

“So, did you think about names?” She asked the girls, trying to distract herself. “You decided to pick them up, so you’ll need to take care of them.” She said, feeling a little bit like her own mom while she was trying to give her some ‘bridal training’ back in the day. “That includes giving them a name.”

“Oh and don’t think I’ll be bathing them again any time soon,” She added, sounding casual but being deadly serious on that one. She had no intention of doing something like this ever again. “Next time it will be your responsibility to keep them clean, just so you know.”

She wanted to make the girls talk about something, anything just so she could stop focusing on the three little creatures scurrying around on the floor, but now she wondered if maybe what she did was exactly what her kids - or at least Akane - was waiting for.

The youngest Tendo sister lifted her cat even higher above her head, making Ranma’s heart stop for a moment. “C-chan!” She announced looking like an over the top messenger proudly presenting an offering in some silly cartoon or a movie.

“I’ll call mine ‘Yen’, ‘cause he's precious,” said Nabiki, smiling happily at her kitten who was just in the middle of rubbing his head against her small hand, purring loudly while doing so.

Kasumi didn’t say anything for a moment, actually pondering the answer before she finally nodded to herself and joined in.

“Chichi,” she announced just before hugging her black cat a little bit closer and started scratching his head just behind his ears. “You’ll never leave me, right ChiChi?”

Ranma felt a little pang of unease looking at Kasumi. She’d thought that maybe the girl was just angry at her father and after some time passed she'd open up to him again, but it looked like it wasn’t gonna happen. In fact what was happening was the exact opposite.

The girl must have been really hurt by Soun and wasn’t doing a really good job dealing with it. The problem was that the redhead was really good at martial arts but had no idea what to do with a situation like this… all she knew was that this wasn’t healthy and it was clear that Kasumi needed someone else to talk to.

The redhead didn’t really know how to deal with the emotional stuff very well. She certainly could talk to the girl, but only after this whole nightmarish bathing experience was over. She was in no state of mind to deal with this kind of problem herself at the moment, but she made a mental note to take her eldest to the side later and try to get to the bottom of this… whatever was really happening inside her head.

She’d never really bathed any animal before, at least if you didn’t count those few moments when she was trying to drown P-chan, so she didn’t really know what she was supposed to do. She didn’t even want to look at those kittens. Most of the time she would keep her eyes closed shut, but every time she opened them ever so slightly she could see those creatures peering back at her looking more like pathetic, wet rats than cats.

After making sure that she she was doing a good job she would shut her eyes again, maintaining the Soul of Ice and thinking of anything but the soft, unhappy mewing or the feeling of pressure she could feel every time one of the kittens was fed up enough to try to sink his tiny claws into her gloves. The whole thing felt like an eternity.

When it was finally over, Ranma was completely beaten, both physically and emotionally. She was completely drenched in sweat and her head was pounding as if something was in there, begging to get free. She finally dared to fully open her eyes and looked to the side, observing all three Tendo sisters trying very hard to wipe all the moisture from their kitten’s fur making them look like literal furballs.

She quickly stood up from the ground, desperate to be on the move and as far away from the kids and their kittens as possible. The moment she felt the distance was safe enough, she slowly started peeling away all of her protective clothing which suddenly started to feel itchy and suffocating. The girls followed after her, each carrying their own kitten like their most prized possession, clearly eager to go on a home tour with their new pets. It was fine with Ranma, she would really appreciate keeping those furry creatures as far away from her as possible, even if she knew it would be impossible.

To add salt to the wound, it was also the moment that Soun walked down towards them from the first floor. His eyes glanced over at the four Tendo girls, one of his eyebrows went up, clearly surprised by what he’d just seen.

“Since when do we have cats in the house?” He asked. He didn’t sound either displeased or amused but rather baffled by the scene before him.

The redhead looked at him, there was no humor in her eyes either. If anything she felt tired and defeated. Who would have thought that she was able to fight with all kinds of martial artists and supernatural beings without an issue, and the things that were finally able to completely defeat her were puppy dog eyes and an attitude? She sighed. Who was she kidding, she’d never had a chance from the beginning.

“Since the girls announced that they won’t move from the sidewalk unless we brought those things with us,” she said waving at the girls and their new pets. “Believe it or not I’m even less happy that they are here than you are, but they are staying whether we like it or not.” She stopped and took a deep breath, suddenly feeling an overwhelming need for fresh air. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna see if we have any mail or whatever…”

Not waiting for any response from the man, the redhead walked past him and without skipping a beat she opened the door and took in a breath of fresh air, allowing the soft breeze wash over her, allowing her to relax ever so slightly after the stressful situation that miraculously hadn’t turned into a total disaster.

Looking back at all that happened in the bathroom she was really surprised that she’d been able to do this. Normally she could feel herself freaking out just from the very sight of a cat, and here she was even able to hold them - albeit with gloves and all - and somehow hadn’t gone into the neko-ken. I wonder if that’s thanks to the years of constant exposure to the strays and Shampoo or because those were just small kittens? She wondered for a moment, seeing a sliver of hope that maybe she would be able to survive in the Tendo Dojo right next to those felines. She really wished that would happen.

“Well, since I'm already here, I might as well check if we have any mail this time,” she said to herself, walking towards the front gate. She walked slowly, knowing that with the cats absorbing their all attention, no one would ask for Ranma for quite some time so why not savor that moment for as long as possible?

Of course she knew that the mailbox would be overflowing. She didn’t even try to understand why but before Hanna passed away, she and Soun apparently subscribed to so many monthly magazines that she was able to find a few of them almost every other day and ever since she realized that, the redhead was constantly canceling each and every one she could.

She opened the box, sure that it would be just another stack of useless catalogs, but to her surprise there was also a really fat looking envelope. It was the first time she’d ever seen something so official looking in their mailbox. Feeling kinda curious to see who’d finally decided to write to them, she picked up the envelope and turned it around to see who it was addressed to.

Her pulse quickened when her gaze fell on the neat, elegant handwriting that read: Ranko Tendo.

Without thinking, the redhead tore open the envelope to see a rather thick stack of papers neatly stacked within, with one crisp and expensive looking piece of paper sticking out from the rest. With slightly shaking hands, she took out the folded paper and opened it. Inside was a short letter, written in the same neat handwriting.

To my Dearest Daughter.

Ranko, I hope you are doing well. You stormed out in such a rush that you were gone before I could see you off properly. I want you to know that I still do not approve of this whole self-imposed exile of yours. And to go to such an extent to go live with Hanna and her Ronin Husband of all people.

I know that you also didn’t have it the easiest within our family because of your origins, was it that sense of kinship you feel towards your cousin that forced you to make this kind of decision? You know that even though I wasn’t able to convince the elders to bring your mother into our family I did everything I could so that everyone would treat you the same as every other Tendo, or at least I thought I did.

I wanted to believe that the family would treat you like I would. Now I know that I didn’t see things as clearly as I thought I did. I don’t think that's the reason to walk away from your family, but you’re already an adult and I know what you’ll say to me if I order you to come back home, so I won’t even try to do that.

But I would suggest that if you are committed to your decision , you should at least do it properly. I’ve sent all the documents you forgot to take with you from home. I still can’t believe that you forgot something so important. In return, just promise me you will take care of yourself and write back to me every once in a while. I know that we have our differences but you’re still my daughter and I want you to know that I love you and care about you, even if it’s hard for me to show it that often.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Yoshiro Tendo.

“No way,” was all Ranko could say, her hands unconsciously clenched around the letter, crushing it slightly at the sides, while the icy feeling eerily reminiscent of a panic attack started making its way up her spine. “No fucking way…”

Chapter Text

She was looking at the handful of neatly written lines on the expensive looking paper like she thought that just by staring at them they would disappear, or at the very least there might be some fine print at the end of the letter laughing at her for falling for such an oblivious prank.

The letter didn’t change, however, and the joke still wasn’t funny. Ranma could feel ice creeping up her spine, slowly reaching further each time her eyes scanned the letter over and over again, despite her best efforts to look away.

‘Nerima is a dead zone for the Tendo Family’, she thought, swallowing hard before bursting out with short, dry laughter. That’s what I thought anyway. But it’s logical, right? In this reality I’m not Ranma Saotome, I’m Ranko Tendo. And Ranko Tendo is a part of the family. That means that there's a Tendo wherever I go.

She winced as her vision darkened. A sharp but brief moment of pain exploded in the back of her head, as if threatening to split her skull open. The redhead leaned against the gate behind her as the unfamiliar memory flashed before her eyes.

She was holding a tall redhead's hands. Her face was blurred, to the point that Ranma couldn’t really see any of her features. Anything except for her gentle smile that for some reason seemed so familiar. It made her feel safe. The same way one feels when they see their favourite person welcoming them at the genkan after a long time away from home. It felt warm, homey.

Mom, she realized with a bit of a trepidation. She was looking at Ranko’s mom.

“Are you coming with us, mommy?” She could hear a girl’s voice coming from her own mouth. A young Ranko looked at her mother anxiously, sensing that something was very wrong.

“I can’t Ranko-chan, we talked about this,” her mother’s voice, one that Ranma knew was the voice of a stranger but at the same time it seemed as familiar as any member of her family. “The Tendos promised to give you a much better life than I can give you. I hope you’ll be able to grow into a wonderful woman, sweetie.”

“But I don’t wanna go, mommy!” Ranko cried out, grabbing her mother’s legs with all her might, her small hands holding tight to the woman’s skirt. “I wanna stay here!”

Ranma could feel her heart beating loudly. A strange, desperate feeling of longing, which she had never experienced before, overwhelmed her entire body, sending a shiver down her spine.

She… that girl, Ranko, was clinging so desperately to her mother's dress, but that didn’t change anything.

“I’m sorry Ranko,” a male voice, deep and sounding genuinely sorry, made her small body flinch. “Come on, Tiger. I know you can do it.”

The redhead could feel a big, rough hand rest on her shoulder. Ranko’s whole body shuddered while she tried very hard to keep tears from flowing down.

“No!” she cried out, hiding her head into her mother’s legs.

“Sweetie, be a good girl for mommy, please,” the older woman’s voice was gentle, even if Ranma could sense that she also was barely holding herself together. “I love you, Ranko-chan. Mommy loves you very much.”

“Come on, Ranko,” the male voice called her again. She could feel his hand starting to pull her away from her mother’s skirt. “It’s time for you to meet the rest of the family.”

“NO!” Ranma cried out, not knowing if it was Ranko-chan’s or her voice anymore. She could feel her trembling legs buckling beneath her and only the fact that she was already leaning on the front gate of the Tendo Dojo saved her from falling to the ground.

She didn’t know how long she was standing like that, waiting for her composure to come back, blinking away the tears she hadn’t even noticed had started falling down her cheeks. What the fuck was that?! She thought, still trembling slightly.

All of this felt so real, like something that’d really happened, even though Ranma knew very well that it hadn’t. Hell, it was more vivid than any memories of Ranma’s mother.

She froze, a sudden realization made her freeze as terrifying dread made her skin crawl. That scene she just saw wasn’t real for Ranma Saotome, but it surely was real for Ranko Tendo. That memory was real, even if her mind was screaming at her that it wasn’t. The redhead had been influenced by magic too many times to not fear the possibility of the Sword magic tampering with her mind in some twisted way.

In panic, Ranma tried to look back, latched onto the memories she knew were true, bits and pieces of their training trip, her first day at the Tendos, numerous fights and adventures blending into one another in a disorderly mess of flashes of images and voices, an echo of past events. That could be overwhelming for some other people but as she recalled more and more, her previously quick breaths became less rapid and her heartbeat slowed down. It was all there, she didn’t forget anything.

Rather, it looked like the magic of that damn sword was playing tricks on her, giving her a new set of memories, the memories of Ranko, even if they were scarce and fragmented… they were there, no matter how much she wanted to forget about them.

Who knows how many of them she would have in the future? And how would it affect her in the long-run?

Seriously though, why like this? She thought, after looking back at that quick flash of Ranko’s memory. Why did our pasts need to be so similar?

It looked like whatever had happened to her afterward, Ranko was also taken away from her mother quite early, just like Ranma was. And just like with her mother, Ranko’s mother allowed it to happen. She let her child be taken away by her father.

Mom, she thought, imagining a redhead wearing her favourite kimono, the Saotome family sword secured by her side. She never doubted that her mother loved her and cared for her, but was she as torn as the woman Ranma saw at that brief moment of Ranko’s memory? She wasn’t sure what to think about it.

Her head turned on its own toward where she knew their current home was located. She’d never actually been inside but there was this one time her mother took her there, to see the place their first house had stood all those years ago. The same house she now felt as if it was calling to her, promising something that - at least at that moment - she so desperately needed. To see mother. Not Ranko’s mother, HER mother.

It was a relief that her own memories didn’t seem to be affected, but with the fact that she was unaware when another flash of the new memories could take place, and with everyone around her calling her ‘Ranko’, the redhead had started to get really worried about the future.

She needed something, anything that she could use as an anchor that she could hold onto, no matter how many more those new memories would find their way into her head; and right now, she couldn’t think of anyone better for that role than Nodoka Saotome.

She’d been avoiding meeting her for far too long anyway.

Ranma tucked the stack of documents under her arm and turned on her heel, all of her lingering unease washing away with each step. She flinched slightly at the sight of the girls playfully taking care of the kittens. As she was marching towards her room she couldn’t help but notice that even though she was rubbing ChiChi’s belly, Kasumi was constantly keeping an eye on her. She was clearly trying not to be noticed, but she was a few dozen years too early for that. The redhead noticed but ignored the cautious glances of her oldest, trying to stay on course.

Once she was in her room, she tossed the documents deep into her wardrobe while trying to bury them deep into the chaotic and completely too tightly packed space filled with all sorts of woman’s clothing. She didn’t even realize how many of them she actually owned, now that she was making some real money.

Finally after a few minutes of searching, Ranma was able to locate a small stash of clothing, both the second hand ones that she’d decided to keep from Hanna’s private collection and, even deeper under them, a single set of clothing.

She looked down at the simple, slightly worn down chinese red shirt and black pants that were clearly a little too big for her smaller, female form. The redhead took them in her hands, letting her fingers feel the silky fabric. Just rubbing the clothes she had worn almost non-stop for so many months was enough to make her feel a sudden wave of nostalgia.

It hadn’t even been that long but they already felt sort of like a relic from another life. Smiling softly to herself she quickly stripped down and changed. Over the course of the weeks she’d spent in this timeline she’d slowly begun to get used to a different type of clothing, but if she was going through with meeting her mother, she was going to do it as Ranma Saotome.

Her mood improved almost immediately after she thought about it.

She was just finishing putting her hair into her trademark pigtail, when the door to her room quietly slid open.

The moment she heard the click, Ranma glanced to the side and froze, her hands still holding the rest of the loose red strands only a few quick moves before finishing the job while Kasumi was standing in the doorframe, looking at the redhead with eyes shining in awe.

“So cool…” Was all the brunette could say, looking at her aunt and her clothes from head to toe, making the redhead feel a little weird and embarrassed.

“Y-you think so, Kasumi-chan?” She asked a second later, her hands springing to life and finishing her pigtail. She looked down at herself, checking if there were any holes or other things that would need mending, additionally giving her little girl an overview of her favourite outfit. “Doesn’t it make me look too much like a tomboy?”

The oldest Tendo sister shook her head vigorously in denial, clearly forgetting why she walked in on her aunt in the first place, too busy gushing over just how great Ranko looked in her old chinese clothing.

“No! It makes you look cool M… Auntie!” She said practically bouncing around the redhead. “Can I get clothes like that too? I want to look like that too!”

The redhead scratched the back of her head and giggled nervously, a little taken aback by the girl’s enthusiasm. It was to be expected that Kasumi - the biggest tomboy in the Dojo - would really like clothes like that. The only problem was that it would be the exact same things that this world’s Ranma would arrive at their doorstep wearing.

I'll have to sew it myself, won't I? She thought, barely stopping her eye from twitching. Not even because of the cost, just that it’ll be the only way to make sure that the clothes won’t look too similar… I will need to ask the girls in the association for some sewing lessons later on…

“I’ll think about it,” she replied, smiling gently at the small brunette. “Did you want something from me, sweetie? I was about to go for a walk…”

Suddenly, Kasumi stopped bouncing around, her mood changed instantly, shifting from bubbly excitement to shock and unease. The brunette seemingly shrank back, looking at Ranko with an expression that the redhead didn’t recognize.

“Walk? Where?” Her oldest asked, looking very distressed, almost scared. “We didn’t… we didn’t upset you, Auntie Ranko… right?”

What was that about? She wondered, looking at the girl. It only took Kasumi a few seconds to pull herself together, but it didn’t matter to the redhead who still could see the girl’s distraught appearance in her mind’s eye.

And why would I be… she wanted to ask but then she remembered the scene she’d made, and all her comments about the kittens and the girls needing to take care of them because she refused to do so in the future. Oh…

“What? No, how could my ki… how could you ever upset me?” She asked back, scooping her girl into a hug. “I just decided to meet a friend of mine, that’s all.”

She started stroking her little girl's head gently while also cursing herself inwardly for her own stupidity. Because Kasumi - despite the fact that she often acted much more mature than her sisters - was still a little kid she would often get the wrong idea about things that Ranko didn’t even think about. Kids really worry about the silliest things…

Even so, the fact that her oldest was also someone she knew she could trust was a godsend at that moment. In the best scenario she would rather ask Soun, but after seeing him and Kasumi interact with each other she decided to scrap that idea.

“That reminds me, Kasumi-chan could you please take care of your sisters while I'm away in town?” She asked. “I don’t know how long it will take but I think I should be back home in time to make us a late dinner.”

With her aunt fussing over her so much the oldest Tendo sister visibly calmed down. Contrary to her usual tough and mature demeanor, she leaned into her aunt's hug with her eyes half closed. She even cocked her head at an angle, almost seeming to purr when Ranma’s fingers stroked her hair.

Ranma stopped to look down at the brunette and sent her a smile. “Can you do that for me?”

Instantly Kasumi’s eyes opened wide and her whole body straightened, startling the redhead a little.

“O-of course I can do that!” She cried out with her arms shooting upwards, only to quickly change direction and wrap themselves around her aunts' waist. “But you have to promise you’ll come back as fast as you can!”

She looked down into her eldest’s big, brown eyes. Truth be told she didn’t know how long it would take to talk to her mother, or if she’d even be able to. A small part of her - the one that was still shivering after what happened in the bathroom - even hoped that it would take a long time, since however long it took would keep her as far away from those furry monsters as possible.

Even so, she couldn’t do that. Not only because she couldn’t shake the image of Kasumi’s wide, anxious eyes but also because she knew that she was responsible for her girls. It didn’t matter that the sight of those three kittens that they’ll probably be taking everywhere made her skin crawl, she still needed to make sure they wouldn’t be hungry and they didn’t wake up screaming from another nightmare in the middle of the night.

They need me, she thought, feeling a pleasant warmth spreading through her entire body. It was a surprisingly nice feeling, knowing that someone relied on her.

They got me, she thought with amusement. It wasn’t a fight I would have any chance of winning, no matter how much I tried…

“Alright, then. It’s a deal” She nodded, ruffling Kasumi’s hair with her only free hand. “I’ll be back soon, sweetie. I promise.”

There was one place that Ranma needed to go to before visiting Nodoka. The visit had been delayed almost as long as the one to Nodoka, and wasn’t any less important.

She wanted to visit Hanna’s grave.

The redhead never really liked to even go near the cemetery. She would always rather focus on the living and try not to delve into questions about her own mortality… at least until Akane had almost passed away in her arms.

And now there she was, traversing row after row of gravestones trying not to get lost in the sea of marble. She’d only visited this place a few times, mostly with Kasumi, and thanks to that she at least had someone to talk to and distract her from the somber atmosphere of this place. Now the only people she could see were few and far between, too caught up in cleaning or paying respect to their own family members to notice a lone redhead walking by.

It was fortunate that Ranma still remembered the correct path, even if she took a wrong turn a few times she was eventually able to find the right place. The Tendo Family Tomb looked almost exactly the same as she remembered, except that it was in slightly better condition than when she visited it for the first time with the entire family.

“Now, where to start…?” She asked herself before she started looking for all the stuff needed to clean the grave. Originally she didn’t plan to do this - especially since Hanna was put to rest there not that long ago - but then she remembered her talk with Kasumi when she agreed to help her cleaning their Family Tomb a year ago.

“Ranma-kun, it’s not really about cleaning itself. We all know that those that have passed don’t really care about things like that,” she said, sweeping the fallen leaves off the grave. “It's about the thought behind it.. By diligently cleaning their resting place, you’re showing those that are buried there that they were important to you and you care about them, even when they’re no longer with us.”

And so the redhead did all those things. She poured water on the pristine tombstone, swept an already clean area around it and even removed the singular, barely visible weed from beneath the stone. All of it was completely unnecessary but for some reason Ranma felt quite good by doing it. Finally after everything was done, she put away the broom, bucket, and the ladle in the same place she’d taken them from and sighed deeply. The manual labour part was easy. She actually preferred it over the next part of her visit - the talk. It always makes her feel strange and eerie, regardless of whether it was her who did it or she was watching someone else doing it.

Strangely however, today she didn’t feel that way at all. She even felt a sense of peace and familiarity while looking at the Tendo Family Tombstone. Well, technically now it’s ‘my’ Family Tombstone isn’t it? She thought and instantly grimaced.

“I’d better get to it, shouldn’t I?” She asked herself, before looking directly at the marble stone.

“Hi there, Hanna-san,” she began, her voice soft and even. “Or is that too formal? After all, in this reality we are a family right? A cousin… though maybe we were more like sisters, so Hanna-Nee? Those memories that started popping up in my head… I kinda don’t wanna know more.”

“We are doing well, I think. Well, maybe except Soun but your husband is an idiot.” she began again. “I wonder if I, or rather Ranko, told you that before you married him. I kinda hope I did. You wouldn’t believe how much he screwed up right after you passed away. If I don't step up…” She went quiet for a moment, looking at her feet. It was ridiculous. She knew that she was practically talking to herself, so why did it almost seem like she was really talking to her ‘cousin’? “I hope you don’t mind me taking over after you, Hanna-nee? I really didn’t mean to do it at first but I didn’t want to see those girls end up like I knew they would.”

Ranma looked up at the clouds moving slowly through the sky and wondered how the lives of her three girls would turn out if Hanna hadn’t passed away. It was something that Akane sometimes did and the redhead had deemed as not being worthwhile, but now… now she really got it. When you know more about the person in question you really start to wonder, huh?

Looking at the state their house was in, Nabiki and Akane would probably grow up like ordinary kids, maybe later they would want to join their big sister in the dojo? She thought, but quickly shook her head. Akane maybe, but Nabiki was a completely different story. Maybe she would want to do something else entirely? She was very different from her sisters in her previous timeline as well.

And maybe in time Kasumi would be able to train the art under someone who would really notice her talent in martial arts and who knows, maybe that fact would even allow Akane to be better at martial arts too? Having her older sister as a sparring partner would be much better than endlessly breaking training dummies.

The redhead was almost certain that Hanna didn’t know about this whole arranged marriage deal Soun had with Genma. If she had known about it she would probably flip out from anger, or at least that was what Ranma thought would happen. If only she was there on that first day when she and her pop arrived at the Tendo Dojo, so many things would have gone differently…

She sighed deeply and looked around the graveyard. There were no other people around, only her and the wind blowing between the graves. Come to think of it, I never saw anyone else in this part of the cemetery, not even once in all the times I came here. Strange.

At least no one will be able to hear her talking to the grave.

“Remember when I told you that I came from 1990? I wasn’t joking back then… I really came from the future,” she said, twiddling her fingers. “I saw how our girls turned out years after you passed away and I gotta say, they actually made it pretty well, given the circumstances. They still miss you very much, you know? All of them.”

A few moments from Hanna’s Wake flashed before her eyes, making her feel uneasy.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t bring the girls with me, I still haven’t even told them that you passed away,” she confessed before the grave. “I didn’t want to crush their spirits. They are too young and vulnerable as is, I was worried what would happen if I let them know that they would never see their mom again,” a wave of sadness washed over her, making her voice quiver slightly. “I still think they aren’t ready. I was sure that maybe if I take care of them, I can help them grow up to be much better people than they end up in my timeline…”

She trailed off, averting her eyes to the side.

“I never really meant to replace you, Hanna-nee, really…” she started again, much quieter, slower. “But at some point during the past few weeks the girls started to call me their ‘mom’ too and… and I thought that I’d hate that, but…” she stopped flustered by her own rambling; but also a little taken aback by the amount of emotions she felt at that very moment. “...but it turns out that I didn’t hate it at all. The truth is that I really like it… but I couldn’t bring myself to admit that before I talked to you. I didn’t mean for this to happen, but since it’s already happened, I want to give the girls the best childhood they could possibly have.”

Or at least I’ll try to do it, she thought herself, feeling a little morose about the whole thing. She didn’t have a great childhood herself, so how could she give the sisters something she never knew herself?

Just don’t do anything the panda would do, she chuckled, remembering the mantra she would often tell herself whenever she had a hard time making a decision. It was certainly a way to be remembered, where someone was such a bad example that you could reliably just do the opposite of what they would..

If that was a valid metric then Ranma didn’t need to worry, at least. Especially during training with Kasumi, she acted nothing like her pop and that kid was so much better for it. Looking back at her own past, she couldn't remember ever smiling and laughing as much during her entire childhood as these three had over the few weeks since she’d started looking after them.

“What I meant to say is… you don’t need to worry about the girls.” She said, trying to sound confident, even though she still couldn’t shake the shadow of doubt that she would actually be able to do it. “I’ll make sure they’ll turn out great, even better than me.”

“They are doing so good already, though!” she said much more enthusiastically as she began to count on her fingers. “Akane-chan was in her first play - she was playing the main role, of course - and she did really well… at least for her age you know. She loved it… although those weeks when she wouldn’t stop talking about it while they were rehearsing were kind of hell to be honest. Nabiki is doing good too, she’s like a small mouse skittering around each shop we’d go into looking for sales and other stuff we need… she’s really adorable. She insists on helping me around the house and in the kitchen all the time, which is really funny to me. Well, at least until she decided to help me chop the vegetables and was about to take a knife from the counter. Don’t worry though, I stopped her so we’re good!”

The redhead paused for a moment, before letting out a long, tired sigh.

“Kasumi-chan’s doing fine too, I guess,” she continued. “She has one of the biggest talents in martial arts that I have ever seen and she looks so alive when we’re training in the dojo. She also doesn't shy away from helping me clean it and all… but I can’t help but worry about her relationship with Soun. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand why she’s pissed at your husband. He totally screwed up after you passed away, but… I hope she’ll at least be able to tolerate him at some point because right now she doesn’t even want to talk to him. I don’t mind her leaning more on me than him to be honest, but I don’t think that’s gonna be good for her or her sisters in the long run, especially since I can see Akane and Nabiki often trying to copy Kasumi…”

“Well, fingers crossed that it will all somehow resolve itself eventually, right?” She asked, suddenly feeling strangely helpless and somber. “Not like I knew how to get along with my parents even when I had the chance either…”

She shook her head, immediately trying to strangle those negative feelings. It wasn't either the time or the place for thinking about something she had no way of solving anymore. Instead, what she should worry about was the present.

“Thank you for the talk, Hanna-nee,” She said as she stretched her back while looking at the clouds once more. “I feel much better, I guess I really needed this…”

Even though the whole scene would probably be really embarrassing if looked at from the outside, she really did feel lighter, like some really huge weight was suddenly lifted from her shoulders. Ranma wondered if maybe that’s the secret why some people visited the graves of the people they knew and loved. It certainly felt good to be able to just tell someone all of the things that you normally wouldn’t be able to say to other people.

“...maybe even good enough to survive the talk with my mom.” She continued, as her shoulders slumped and she felt a sliver of a panic at the back of her mind. “That would be really nice.”

She was about to turn around and walk away but stopped for a moment to take one last, long look at their family’s Tomb.

“I’ll be off for now, then. See you soon Hanna-nee.” She said, smiling gently at the cold marble. “I’ll make sure to visit you again, maybe even with the girls? When they’re ready.”

Ranma stood there, staring at the traditional looking home she vividly remembered from the one trip she had taken with her mom several months back. At least one floor lower and half as wide as the one that she’d moved into some time after pop took her on their training trip.

It looked old and musty. Something that she would associate more with some elderly couple that lived in one place for decades, not with a young couple with a young child. No wonder Mom decided to move. I wonder why we lived here in the first place…

She shook her head, Stop thinking about useless things! She didn’t come here to muse about the architecture of her old family home, she needed to focus.

Ranma walked slowly towards the front door, swallowing nervously before knocking, suddenly starting to second guess everything. How was she going to explain all this? It had seemed like such a good idea a few moments ago, but… maybe she should come here as in her male form at least? Or maybe… She was pulled from her thoughts as the door opened and revealed a familiar, but far too young redhead.

Hold on, that can’t be right… just how old… How old was mom when she had me? She thought, taken aback by looking at the woman wearing a formal looking kimono who could be her exact twin, except for the brown eyes that were staring back at her.

"Hello? How can I help y..." The young woman paused, scanning over Ranma slowly while her eyes grew wider and wider as she came to the same conclusion - they were practically identical. Without a word, she slowly closed the door, and Ranma could briefly hear frantic scrambling from the inside. After a moment, the door calmly opened again, though Ranma noticed the woman's immaculate hair was slightly dishevelled, and... was that a shinto charm hanging from her obi now!? Wait, does she think I’m some kind of yokai or something?!

“Err… Sorry for dropping in on you like that Mo… Nodoka-san”, the younger redhead corrected herself. “It’s just that I needed to talk to you about something very important…” She started, but noticed the way her mother was looking at her and knew that she needed something big to convince her to talk to her. Luckily for her she had something just for the occasion. “...it’s about Ranma.”

One could say a lot of things about Nodoka Saotome, but definitely not that she doesn’t care - in her own way - about her family. The moment her ‘son’s’ name was mentioned, Ranma could see the shift in the woman’s eyes. It was still uncertain and suspicious but at the same time she could see a flash of surprise and desperate hope in her eyes.

The redhead would have almost felt bad for deceiving her mother, if she didn’t feel like she was speaking into a mirror. This is so fucking weird! She wanted to scream. I know that Nabiki said that we looked alike but this is a little overkill, right? How is that even possible…

Nodoka was looking at her, completely oblivious to the emotional chaos that was raging inside the younger girl, clearly trying to decide if getting any information of her child was worth letting someone into her home that she was so wary of that she’d even dug up a talisman to ward against them.

Ultimately though, Nodoka was a traditional and very family oriented woman, so for her the choice was quite simple.

She did it slowly and reluctantly but a few moments later she stopped away from the front door while making a polite but stiff welcoming gesture.

“In that case, please come in. Would you like some tea…” Her mother asked but stopped mid sentence giving Ranma that meaningful look.

“R-Ranko, Ranko Tendo” She said with a half smile, but couldn’t stop her eyes from twitching from the overwhelming feeling of deva vu. “Tea would be great, thank you.”

As both of them walked deeper into the house, Ranma couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking by coming here. She’d decided to visit her mother in the heat of the moment and now that she’d cooled off she’d started to realize that maybe she’d kind of messed up a little bit.

It was obvious that no normal person would be happy opening their front door and seeing their clone standing right in front of them.

I guess I should be thankful that she didn't have the family sword with her, she thought, offering a short prayer to whatever kami was looking after her at that moment. She would probably be able to pretty easily disarm her mother, but doing so would probably destroy the already fragile and uncertain relationship between the two.

It was clear that Nodoka didn’t trust the younger redhead one bit, and was only humoring her because of the promise of some sort of information about ‘Ranma’. She was let into the house at least so that’s something, but the problem she still hadn’t solved was what to do next. She had no idea how to explain to her mother what happened and who she was without looking like some sort of crazy person.

That’s not the moment to put my foot into my mouth either. I can’t just talk my way out of this like every time I pretended to be Ranko in my original world, she thought, desperately trying to think of a solution. This may well be my only chance to make contact with my mother in this timeline, I can’t just screw this up like I usually do...

As she thought of a way out of her situation she took a quick look at the house her mother was currently living in. It was the same one that she’d apparently spent the first few years of her life in, but she had almost no recollection of the place when her parents drew the seppuku contract that would plague her life for years to come. It had always been a nebulous and mysterious place that she’d only heard about in stories…

… and it was really disappointing.

She didn’t think about this place often, but whenever she did let herself ponder about it, she’d imagined what her first home looked like from the inside. She knew it looked shabby from the outside but always thought that there must have been something in there that made them stick with that place, especially with pop who - even though he could live with just a tent and uneven ground to sleep on - always preferred to live in nicer places. Hell, the house that Nodoka lived in when they were finally reunited was pretty nice and cozy, the complete opposite of the one in their stories. It had a traditional feel to it but was modern and very comfortable to live in; and that fact made Ranma even more certain that there must have been something about that old house of theirs that made them stay there for at least few years, even if they were able to afford a much better place for the three of them to live.

But from the redhead’s point of view, it wasn’t. This place had a traditional Japanese house layout and was old and musty. Even from the entrance anyone could see that her mother was fiercely fighting an uphill battle with the moldy, rundown building that probably had one foot in its grave already, seeing quick fixes around here and there.

The whole place looked like the Saotome family were tenants, living in someone else's home. It felt almost like their very presence was disturbing whatever memories of the previous owners of this place remained there. It was a very peculiar feeling.

It made her hope that Nodoka would move away from here as fast as possible. She couldn’t imagine living in a place like this for longer than was necessary.

“I’m sorry for the state of this place.” Ranma was brought back to the present by her mother’s voice. “It belongs to my grandparents, and we’re only staying here until next year when we were planning to move. I wanted a place that’s much better and bigger for my family…” She trailed off, a deep and profound sadness flickered in her eyes, but as fast as it appeared it disappeared again, hidden under a mask of indifference.

The younger girl blinked a few times, surprised by the sudden comment.

‘’You looked curious.” Nodoka explained, sending her an amused half smile before showing her to the coffee table and disappearing into the small kitchen.

As she sat there in the middle of the room, the gist of what she just heard finally hit her. That’s it? We just stayed here at my great-grandparents request? She thought, taking one more look around the washitsu. Wow that’s so… boring.

At that moment Ranma realized that some things were better when they remained a mystery. It would be much more fun and less disappointing if Nodoka just let her imagine some intricate, exciting reasons for them staying in a place like this. Now it just felt so lackluster.

The only interesting thing to come from it was learning that she still had great-grandparents. She hadn’t even known her grandparents, but she guessed that it wasn’t the time to pry into that. Maybe if she didn’t screw up this visit she would be able to learn more about the Saotome family? She kind of wished that would be the case even if her being a Tendo at the moment made her a little worried that maybe that would be too much to hope for. She wasn’t ‘technically’ family to them anymore.

Great, now I’m making myself feel depressed, she scolded herself inwardly before shooking her head, strangling the thought.

Not long after that her mother returned with a tea, Ranma noticed that her hair was once more styled properly and she looked much more put together, apparently fixing herself up while out of sight. She still kept the talisman though, which made Ranma’s eye twitch a little with annoyance.

Which disappeared completely as she watched just how beautifully and elegantly Nodoka was pouring the tea. Wow, so that’s how I would look if I was much much more refined and feminine. She couldn’t help but watch a woman with an identical face to her own making something so simple feel almost as profound as a proper tea ceremony. That seriously looks so pretty…

“So, you said you know something about my son?” Her mother said, looking up from the steaming cups, her eyes suddenly looking sharp and unyielding. At that moment Ranma knew that the theatrics were done and the other woman meant business.

And suddenly the younger girl’s mouth became really dry.

Even worse, now that she was sitting in front of Nodoka she noticed something that made her blood freeze solid. A family sword, the same one that her mother carried with her everywhere ever since she’d found her again, was laying neatly on a small table in the corner of the room. It was placed far enough to not be easily noticeable, but close enough to get to it in one quick jump and she only saw it now because she’d been too caught up in looking at the overall interior of the house.

Suddenly a myriad of memories of her Nodoka reciting the seppuku pledge and unsheathing the sword flooded her mind, throwing her ability to think straight out the window. Ranma’s whole body tensed as she struggled to not flinch at the sight of that cursed blade.

“H-how long ago did p… did Genma and Ranma go on their training journey?” She asked, trying to get a little bit more time to think, feeling a cold shiver glancing at that damned katana.

“A little over three months ago, but what…” Nodoka replied immediately before blinking a few times before sending the other redhead an angry glare. “Answer my question?! Who are you and where did you even learn about our family circumstances?! This whole situation is really freaking me out to be honest and if you’re planning to just sit there and…”

“W-wait!” Ranma cuts her off, feeling a rush of panic, cursing herself for being so slow and pathetic in a situation like this. She looked anxiously at her mother, her mind going into overdrive trying to think of a way to ease the tension. She needed to think of some excuse, some story that her mother might believe, despite the unbelievability of the whole situation, but as hard as she tried she couldn’t find any.

Then a thought entered her head, one that had been bouncing around in her mind ever since she knocked on the door. She remembered the first time she bumped into her mother all those months ago, she remembered pops convincing her to hide the truth and lie to her for months and just how many problems and guilt all of that caused her entire family.

And all of that could have been avoided if only she’d trusted her own instincts and not listened to her stupid father’s panicked excuses and just come clean to Nodoka the first time she could.

She’s gonna think I’m crazy, but I don’t want to start this new relationship with my mom based on another lie, Ranma thought, sucking in some air through her teeth and collecting herself. Preparing to take the big leap into the terrifying, dark abyss of uncertainty.

“T-the reason I know about you and why I came here is that…” she stammered, feeling her fingers starting to get sticky with sweat. “...is that I…The truth is that my name is not Ranko Tendo.” She trailed off and sighed deeply before looking Nodoka deep in her eyes, “It’s Ranma.”

Even as the words came out from her mouth the redhead could already hear just how weak they sounded. Nodoka on her part sat there eyes wide open from the audacity that the nineteen your old girl would claim to be her sweet five year old baby boy. She even stole a quick glance in the direction of her blade, which prompted Ranma to rush out a more detailed explanation, knowing that it may very well be her last chance to do so.

“I’m your so… I’m your child, Mother,” she said, correcting herself quickly before she could say ‘son’ since she wasn’t exactly one at the moment. “And I know that sounds crazy but… I came here from the future.”

They sat like that in silence for a few moments during which Ranma wanted nothing else but to cry. The strangest truth is better than the sweetest lie, or something? Bullshit! I just told the truth and if I was in mom’s shoes I wouldn’t believe myself either! She lamented, scrutinized by Nodoka who was looking at her like she’d completely lost her mind.

There was something else there too: disappointment. Pop took Ranma with him three months ago, her mom was alone for three months waiting for any information about her family and when suddenly there was someone who claimed to know something about them, it turned out to be some crazy girl.

She would probably feel like shit if she wasn’t so anxious and panicked at the moment.

“I was a fool to believe that someone could just knock on my door and really tell me something about my family.” She said, as her right hand was starting to open and closing as if trying to resist an urge to do something to Ranma. The other redhead’s body tensed up, her eyes automatically glanced at the direction of the blade in the corner of the room. “I don't know who you are and how it is possible that you look just like me but I’m not in the mood to talk to some delusional fool who…”

“I’m not lying! Really!” She cut her mother off again, desperation and pleading clear in her voice as she reached out her hand towards the older woman, begging her to give her a chance. “I can prove it, if you only listen to me for just a moment!”

For a full unimaginably long second Nodoka was looking at Ranma like she wanted to kill her right there. It was a bone chilling experience, especially since the redhead never knew her own face could look so calm and yet so terrifying at the same time. It only lasted a second though, after that something shifted in her mother’s eye, something that Ranma couldn’t really name, but it made the older woman’s lips turn into a straight line before she finally let out a sigh and let her arms slump for the first time since she sat down at the table.

“Go on then.” she finally said as she finally regained her composure. Her eyes didn’t really change and her hands were not laying on top of her knees, ready to leap for her family’s sword at any moment. “I can't wait to hear this.”

Ranma didn’t know if her mother actually saw something in her eyes that made her change her decision or maybe it was that lingering, desperate hope that even if the person before her was crazy she could have some real information about her son. What counted was that she was - sort of - willing to listen to her.

And so, gathering all her courage she started slowly from the beginning. Taught by previous experience, she started with being as precise as possible but at the same time she didn’t want to say everything, since revealing some of the stuff that will happen in the future - things like neko-ken or swimming from China to Japan - was just not safe to tell Nodoka. She'd decided to first talk about their family, everything she knew, what happened when she was born, and some more important things after that.

Her mother didn’t look even remotely interested at first, still glaring at her with this look like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to beat her up for spewing nonsense or just kick her out for being crazy. All of that changed the moment Ranma mentioned the seppuku pledge.

“H-how do you know about that?!” Nodoka asked with a gasp, as if the younger girl had suddenly blurted out her darkest and most shameful secret.

In a sense it was. If she remembered correctly, not even Soun knew about the contract, being just as shocked and - probably - disgusted by it as everyone else present in the Tendo Dojo that day.

“I told you, I’m from the future,” she replied, feeling sort of vindicated that her mother finally seemed willing to listen to her but also sad that it was only because of the mention of that wretched piece of paper. “That thing… it kept us away from each other for so long…”

After that it was as if someone had turned on a switch, Nodoka started to listen to Ranma’s story with honest but anxious fascination even if the younger redhead could still see a shadow of a doubt in her mothers eyes. The most notable change in expression occurred the moment when she told her about the cursed springs she and her pops fell into. She was staring at Ranma’s face as if wanting to drill a hole in it with her eyes, examining every feature as if she finally saw her for the first time.

What really surprised the younger woman was the fact that there was no disappointment in her mother’s eyes. What she saw was shock, sadness and… regret? Ranma wasn’t sure what was going on in her mother’s mind but the fact that she didn’t seem disappointed in her filled her with an immense relief.

She continued her story trying to be brief and not touching a lot of stuff that could have been too strange or hard to explain in one sitting, until she finally arrived at the point of meeting Nodoka for the first time in years and what happened right after that.

The sudden sound of her mother’s fists banging on the coffee table and the wood cracking underneath made Ranma’s heart skip a beat as she looked at her own face filled with anger and fury.

“What do you mean he told you to lie to me!? I mean her!? I mean… This whole god damn pledge was his stupid idea!” She yelled with her fists tightening on the damaged table, body leaned forward as she was trying to calm down, with no success. “And he had the nerve to just tell you to avoid me because of it?! If I knew that he was such a coward I would never allow him to take Ranma… I mean you… it’s just so confusing with you, like, sitting just across from me!”

Despite fear of her mother's anger, Ranma felt much lighter. To be so furious meant that Nodoka really believed what she was saying. It was as if she'd crossed some kind of threshold and she'd passed the most imminent danger of being kicked out of the house or even worse - attacked. She could feel her whole body relaxing a little, the tension she didn’t even realize was there started easing up slightly with each passing moment.

Maybe she really could pull this off?

“Why?” She asked. A sudden ease of tension between them allowed the younger redhead to find the courage to ask the question she'd never really thought about asking before. “Why did you even let pops take me away on that trip in the first place?”

Nodoka looked up at Ranma, eyes widening for a moment before she looked away. It was brief but she could see the anger, shame and guilt almost radiating from her mother’s eyes.

“I didn’t know he'd take you away from me for more than a decade!” She cried out again, although much quieter this time, almost like this one single outburst cost her almost all of the energy she had. “Genma was always mostly talk, he would exaggerate so many things that I never thought that this time… I thought that he’d take Ranma… you, on a trip to the forest for a week or so. Do the things that fathers and their sons do, teach you some things about survival in the wild or fishing or… I don’t even know anymore.”

The older woman closed her eyes and made a deep sigh, before looking at her child again, looking much calmer, but also really tired. The fire she showed Ranma just a moment ago vanished completely, leaving her seemingly much smaller and defeated.

“He told me that he’ll return once he’d made you a man amongst men,” she continued, scanning the other redhead's entire body. “And instead you came back to me as a woman…” She paused for a short dry laugh. “At least you look pretty, just like me. We should count our blessings when we can, huh?”

Ranma blinked a few times, taken aback by her mother’s words so much that she just blanked out. For a moment she was the one wondering if the woman in front of her was actually Nodoka, the woman that she dreaded revealing her curse to and who was so adamant about pushing her as hard as possible towards retaining her masculinity? That calm, almost amused response was so different from what the redhead expected, it was almost too good to be true.

“Well, you weren’t quite so understanding when you realized it was me the entire time, it’s… nice.” She murmured, not being able to look in her mother’s eyes for a moment. “Thank you.” She added, feeling her eyes tearing up.

“Because of the seppuku contract?” Nodoka asked, tensing up again for a brief second. “Oh, I’m going to tear that damn thing up, don’t worry.” She trailed off for a moment before speaking up again, her tone much calmer this time around. “Honor is one of the most important things to me and to our family but… why would I need it if upholding this stupid contract would cost me my family’s future?“

Ranma blinked a few more times again. That’s it? That’s all it took? She couldn’t believe it. The Nodoka she knew was so adamant about this whole man among men thing and - truth be told a little nuts - with her idea of what true masculinity looked like that she didn’t have much hope that she could convince her to let go of that contract for her younger child’s future. This Nodoka is much more open minded and easier to talk to, she thought, feeling a warm feeling in her chest spreading all over her body, making her feel gibby with immense relief. I really hope that she stays this way for a long while, then this world's Ranma won’t need to go through the same hell I did…

“If only me, Genma, and you know about the contract, then no one will even know if I just shredded it,” Nodoka said, noticing her child’s reaction. “It’s… not something I think I should do but if what you said is true… I don’t want that to happen, no mother would want to see their children being afraid of her, and I’m no exception."

“But Ranma,” she continued, sending her child a pleading look. “If you’re cursed right now could you… could you turn back into a man for me? I would like to see how my other son will look in the future.”

That should have been the first thing I did, even before coming here, she thought, wanting to slap herself in the face. It was obvious that Nodoka would want to see her son's face, she knew that but for some reason she'd completely forgotten about it.

Fortunately it’s really easy to remove the lock, she told herself, even if something in that statement made her feel restless. Like there was something in the back of her mind that she couldn’t wrap her head around.

“Umm, sure thing Mom,” she said, stopping her musings and smiling brightly at the woman. “Can you bring a kettle? I need some hot water for that.”

As she watched Nodoka retreating into the kitchen to heat the water, Ranma started working on her acupoints, trying to do it as fast as possible without taking off her shirt. It was a little tough but in the end she finally managed to do it. I should have done it before I knocked on that door, she thought, scolding herself again, inwardly. It would be much, much easier if I came to mom looking like a boy, that’s for sure…

If I even still can change into a man, she finally realized, as that intrusive thought gnawed at the back of her mind. Suddenly she looked in the direction of the kitchen with an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.

Those memories, the medical records in Dr. Tofu's clinic, the documents, the letter… every little piece of her new life as a Ranko Tendo was screaming ‘female’. She hadn't even thought about or had an opportunity to check ever since she'd started taking care of the girls but… her curse was still there, right? Ranma really wished that there would be some noticeable reaction after releasing her acupoints so she could know if things were back to normal. Instead all she could do was wait, drowning deeper and deeper in anxiety.

When her mother finally came back, the redhead didn’t even wait for her to sit at the table. She stood up, took the kettle and poured it all on her own head, hoping that she could feel the change happening as it always did.

Nothing happened.

Ranma looked down at her shirt and pants soaked in the steaming hot water and couldn’t stop staring at two big mounds to which the wet silk clung tightly, making them even more noticeable.

She hadn't changed at all.

“I didn’t work…” was all she could say, before she let her arms fall, almost letting the kettle slip from her grasp on the wooden floor. “T-that damn sword!”

Her mother quickly rushed over, taking the pot from her hands before looking at her child, confused.

“What are you talking about Ranma?” she asked, looking worried. “What sword?”

The redhead didn’t even resist as her mother started to guide her back to the coffee table, too busy trying to decide what she should feel at the moment. It had been a long time since she’d gotten her curse and she’d already gotten used to her male and female bodies. She didn’t care if she would need to live for a few months as a woman or as a man as long as she knew that she could switch between them at any moment.

Now though? Was she really going to spend the rest of her life as a woman? She knew how to be one, knew how to talk, how to walk, how to behave just like one but to truly be one and nothing else… she just didn’t know how to feel about it. It was almost like a sentence that she had no way to appeal.

And all of that was happening right in front of her mother.

“I… the day I arrived here one moron that I know attacked me with a strange, old looking sword.” Ranma tried to explain as best as she could, still looking at her body that stubbornly refused to be anything other than that of a woman. “He didn’t even hit me… I think. He just swung at me and then I appeared here.” She frowned, remembering that brief moment before everything turned white. “I’d thought at first that it’d just sent me into the past but after a bit some things started changing around me, like the world was trying to somehow fit me into this reality and now… now it looks like it made me stuck… I’m stuck like this again, and I don’t know if this time I can really do anything about it.”

“You were locked before?” Her mother asked again, still there was nothing but worry in her voice, which made Ranma a little less worried. Even with the way she acted before, old habits died hard and the younger girl still expected Nodoka to be furious that her child couldn’t turn back into a boy anymore.

“Yeah, a couple of times,” she nodded looking up at her mother. “But I always had at least a hint about how to break the lock and now… I have nothing.”

Well, come to think of it, I wouldn’t be able to change into a guy at home for quite some time. Not with Akane and Nabiki constantly demanding that I take baths with them, she tried to rationalize it to herself. So I would be looking at at least a year or two of constant girl-mode anyway but a whole life like this…

Suddenly Ranma was brought back to the present by Nodoka placing her hand on her child’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I… I can’t even imagine how you must feel right now, but…” her mother started.

“It’s ok,” Ranma stopped her and smiled weakly, “I… to be honest at some point it didn’t really matter to me if I’m a man or a woman. It’s just that… being able to switch between one and the other was something that made me… me. And if I'm stuck like this for good? I mean… you always wanted a manly son, didn’t you… mom?”

Nodoka didn’t reply right away, looking down for a few seconds before she straightened her back and looked her child right in the eyes.

“Ranma I… I’m so sorry.” She said, squeezing Ranma’s hand even more tightly. “Listen, I still have trouble wrapping my head around all of this… it’s honestly making me dizzy.” She sighed. “But I believe you. We really started on the wrong foot but I want to say that no matter what happens in the future I will be there for you, for what it’s worth…” She paused again and leaned slightly towards her daughter. “To be honest, I really don’t wanna turn into the version of me you used to know. She sounds kind of nuts to me.” She whispered.

Ranma couldn’t help but chuckle. Her mother followed soon after, making the whole atmosphere feel much lighter. Maybe… maybe it won’t be so bad, she thought, squeezing Nodoka’s hand back. Even if I still would prefer things to go back to normal, but still…

“I… thanks mom. Really.” She said, meaning every word.

“Don’t mention it.” Nodoka waved her off with her free hand. “Now, what do you think about some more tea?” She suggested. “I… can’t say I’m too eager to hear more of those weird stories about the future but I guess since I end up with another child out of the blue I would like to know them better.”

“I’d like that,” she replied, sending her mother her first, weak but genuine smile, suddenly feeling much closer to the other redhead than she ever thought possible. “Maybe you could teach me how to pour the tea like you did before? It looked so pretty, I wanna learn how to do it too!”

The sun slowly slipped behind the horizon as the two redheads finally left the house. Ranma didn’t even realize just how much time she’d spent just hanging out and talking with her mother, and would probably still be doing so if not for the fact that she had three probably already very hungry girls at the Tendo Dojo waiting for her.

“You can call me whenever you need, I stay home for most of the day anyway,” she said, turning back to see her mother. “I hope you’ll visit us soon too. I’m not sure how to say it to you, but I don’t think it’s healthy to stay in this old, moldy house for longer than necessary.”

The moment she uttered her last words, Ranma was surprised by Nodoka flicking her forehead.

“Show some respect to it, that’s your great-grandparents house,” she said with a hint of amusement in her voice as she watched the younger redhead massaging her forehead. “I’ll make sure to visit, don’t worry. It’s not every day that you learn that you not only suddenly had another child but also three grandchildren only an hour away… makes me feel old all of a sudden.”

“They aren’t really my kids,” Ranma replied, covering her face with her hand to stifle a sigh of exasperation.

Nodoka obviously didn’t take the hint, sending her a cheshire grin and cocking her head to the side.

“But didn’t you say that they called you ‘mommy'?” She asked, her voice sweet as syrup, her eyes shining with open amusement. “And that when they called you that you can’t help but feel..”

“...strange and irritated?” Ranma replied, sending her mother a tired glare.

“...warm inside?” Nodoka corrected her before nudging her slightly in the side. “If you want I can give you some advice, you know? Like one mother to another?”

The younger redhead shook her head, unable to believe that she really was a part of this conversation.

“It would be great, if you actually want to give me any advice and not just make fun of me?” She grumbled while rolling her eyes at the other redhead. “At least you’re not trying to kill me for playing a mom, the mom I knew would have probably already given me a tanto or something…”

Nodoka winced at the mention of the contract, all the amusement and humor vanished from her eyes as a shadow of guilt crossed her face.

“It’s still hard to believe everything you said,” she continued, looking much more serious, almost apologetic. “But if it's true then… I just hope that you forgive my future self for giving you such a hard time. It must have been hard for her, being alone for years in that old house with nothing but that contract and sword to keep her company… I’ll try to be better than she was, especially if going down that path would…”

“There's nothing to worry about Mom.” Ranma waved her off, already pretty sure that this Nodoka just couldn’t possibly turn into the one back in her original timeline. “Let’s just make sure that my brother…” she paused for a second, shocked just how strange this statement felt on her tongue. “That he won’t have to go through things I’ve been through alright?”

Nodoka crossed her arms over her chest, looking at her child as if she was pondering something.

“Nope, I just can’t help it,” she said. “It’s just so weird hearing a girl almost my age calling me ‘Mom’, especially with this face.”

Ranma chuckled.

“Same here,” she agreed. “You know how weird it is to know that your mom is only a few years older than you?”

Both of them had a short laugh and Ranma couldn’t believe just how light her heart was as she was doing so. It felt so good just being able to be with her mother and not needing to worry about displeasing her in any way. She didn’t remember if she’d ever felt so free while being next to her.

“Nice to meet you, ladies,” an old man’s voice suddenly called out and startled the younger redhead. As she turned back again, she noticed an elderly looking man walking towards them from the next house over. “Saotome-san, you never told me you had a twin sister!”

“Nice to meet you too, Nishimura-san,” Nodoka nodded at the older neighbour before glancing at Ranma with a mischievous smile. “That’s my sister, Ranko. We haven't seen each other in years but she finally got back to Tokyo a few days ago. I’m so happy that we are finally reunited after so long.”

Ranma glared at her mother trying to stop her eye from twitching as Nodoka was apparently having the time of her life at her expense. Even so, she needed to admit that - judging by how both of them looked - it was the most plausible explanation, she still couldn’t help but stare daggers at the older redhead.

“How fortunate,” the guy said, looking genuinely pleased by Nodoka’s explanation. “It’s good that you have your sister with you these days. With your husband and son gone for so long… I really hope that they’ll be back as soon as possible, Saotome-san.”

“Thank you for your kind words, sir,” Ranma said with a polite nod, before she turned back to look at her mother. “It's about time for me to go, Ka-nee,” she said with a silky sweet smile before winking at the older woman.

“You’re right, sorry for holding you up, Ko-chan,” her mother replied with a wink and a genuine smile of her own.

“It’s so good to see how much you two care about each other,” the elderly man said with a nod of approval. “It’s something people these days are forgetting more and more often. I really…”

“I’m really sorry sir, but I really need to get going,” Ranma stopped him and made a quick but - she thought - polite bow before she just turned on her heel and walked away waving her goodbyes until the old Saotome house disappeared from view. She didn’t want to wait for more pleasantries with Mr. Nishimura and luckily he didn’t call after her or anything, for which she was extremely grateful.

As she walked by the streets of Nerima she couldn’t help but think about just how crazy and strange this day was and what this meant for her in the future. Sure, she still dreaded a sudden flash of another one of those new memories making a mess out of her once again but - at least for now - it didn’t seem to re-write her own memories, only adding new ones so it wasn’t as big of a deal as she initially thought. At least she hoped that it wasn't.

She still couldn’t believe that she was able to talk to her mother. Even wilder was that she believed her and wanted to keep in contact, something she’d never even dreamed could become true. Granted, the fact that both of them looked practically identical, save for their eyes, made it really hard to treat her mother as well… her mother. Even their age was similar, which made it almost more like talking to her peers than to her parents, which was really weird.

Even so, the fact that somehow she was able to bring Nodoka back into her life, which was a miracle in and of itself and a real reason to celebrate… if she would find some time for celebration. Maybe when mom came to visit?

As she walked down the streets and between the older houses Ranma was caught up in wondering how she should introduce a woman that was almost her copy to her girls and Soun. It would certainly be a hell of a challenge, and she didn’t even wanna think about the implications it could have for the original timeline… or whatever was left of it after she came to this world anyway.

When she finally saw the walls of the Tendo residence she braced herself for a storm of chaos. She definitely was away for much longer than she promised and the girls were probably hungry and would demand some kind of explanation for why she was late.

Maybe I should figure out some sort of adventure story? She thought as she was walking past the front gate and walking onto the path to the main door of the house. If I make it interesting enough I’m sure that the girls will be excited enough to not be all grumpy with me for too long. I really hope that will work…

All of those thoughts went out the window the moment Ranma opened the door and walked into the genkan. A moment later she could hear the patter of little feet quickly approaching and as she turned out to face the corridor, all she could see was the three small girls running towards her with frightening speed.

“Mommy! You’re home!”, “Where have you been!?”, “I’m hungry mom!”

Her girls practically jumped at her, probably wanting to hug her, but Ranma didn’t catch them. She was too focused on the three little kittens scampering after the sisters meowing loudly as if trying to say that they were hungry too.

The moment the girls collided with the redhead, all of them fell to the ground, with Ranma’s back softening their fall. The redhead didn’t even feel the impact, as she was trying to wriggle herself out of the girl's weight and run away as the kittens closed at her with surprising speed.

The last things she felt were a rush of panic as she felt a small, sharp claw digging itself into her black pants and tights before she could feel herself going limp and everything went black.

Chapter Text

The washitsu was filled with the orange glow of the setting sun, making the few remaining specks of dust dance in the air like a slow falling snow. Akane observed all of this while sitting on her heels and petting C-chan’s belly absentmindedly.

Ranko-mama will come back soon, right? She thought ,feeling her stomach rumbling slightly at the same time. She was hungry and so were her sisters, especially after the apple slices and even the cookies mama left for them ran out. Mama promised to be back and make dinner, Sumi-chan said so…

Akane hoped that she’d be home very soon and that whatever they’d eat today will be delicious. It always was, and she was always so excited when she saw Mom in the kitchen humming something by the counter, but today she was already so hungry that she’d probably be able to eat anything. She almost went and knocked at her Dad’s door, but she couldn’t help but remember all the times when she tried recently and was always brushed away. Recently he’d started talking to her and Nabiki-chan again, he even said he was proud of her after the play! Even so, she was still a little scared to come near his door and would rather not go near them if she didn’t have too.

Maybe she’ll have to if Mama doesn't come back soon though, but the black haired girl really hoped she wouldn’t need to do that.

“When will mom come back?” She glanced back, a little startled by the voice of Nabiki. Her older sister was sitting on the other side of the room playing with her cash register, and tossing coins towards Yen who would try to grab them with his paws. The white cat would try hard but the plastic disk always slipped from between his claws, making the cat chase after it on the tatami floor. “I’m hungry and I wanna play…”

“She’ll be back soon,” Kasumi replied, sitting in the entrance to the washitsu, while constantly looking at their house's front gate. ChiChi was sitting right next to her, his black fur turned golden brown in the sunlight. “We can play if you want Na-chan.”

“Nuh-uh, you always say that it’s boring and wanna do martial arts stuff,” said Nabiki, blowing a raspberry at their oldest sister.

“I do not!” Kasumi replied, pouting.

“Yes you do!” The middle sister said, crossing her arms on her green dress. “Mom at least likes to play ‘shop’ with me.”

Akane remembered the last time they played, it was really fun! Mom would sit on the ground while looking at the things Nabiki had for sale and try to get a cheaper price, making this funny looking serious face. She made funny faces quite often, especially whenever they called her ‘mommy’ for some reason.

I wonder why mom is like that…, she thought looking at the clouds passing by through the sky. Did she not like being called like that? But she was her mom, right? Even Chika-sensei said so.

The youngest Tendo remembered when the teacher was talking to the class about what makes their parents parents.

“What’s the thing that makes your mom so special?” The older woman asked.

A moment later a sea of hands rose above the group of children with some of them not even waiting for Chika-sensei to point at them.

“My mom makes the best tamagoyaki!” One of the girls said. Akane didn’t see which one but she was shocked that she could lie like that to the teacher. It was Ranko-mama that made the best food in the world. The youngest Tendo almost stood up to see who said it but got distracted by the other kids yelling over each other.

“She plays with me and walks with me to the park!” Some boy on her right said. Akane nodded, her mom did that with them too.

“She keeps the monsters away!” Yuka cried out, making the black haired girl remember all those times when she would wake up from some scary dream and run downstairs to hide away in Ranko-mama’s futon. There wasn’t a single time that Akane had bad dreams while sleeping with her, so what Yuka said was probably true.

Chika-sensei smiled and clapped her hands a few times. Gradually the entire class went silent, focusing on the teacher.

“Very good everyone.” The older brunette nodded. “Preparing meals, spending time with you and making sure you’re safe and sound are certainly very important.” She continued, looking at the whole class and making sure that everyone’s listening. “But the most important thing that sets your parents, and especially your mom’s apart from other people is love. There’s nothing more important that your mom can give you but love. This is a very special thing and I hope you’ll all cherish it as much as your parents cherish you.”

Yes, Ranko-mama loves me! She even said so! Akane thought sheepishly, remembering that night just the other day when once again she couldn’t sleep and wandered off into her mother’s futon. She rubbed her forehead, she could still feel the place the redhead kissed her ‘good night’.

She really loved her too, and how she would snuggle with her at night or how she would let her choose clothes in the store and then she let her help in the kitchen…

Akane even said it in the letter she asked Kasumi to write for her. She told her mommy about all the things that Ranko-mama did for them and just how cool she is.

The moment she thought about her first mommy, the black haired girl looked down, suddenly feeling sad. She really missed her and even if she knew that it was difficult, she wished that she would write back at least once. Akane loved Ranko-mama but would really love to be hugged by her mommy again.

“She’s back!” Kasumi’s voice broke through her daydreaming and made her jump in surprise as her eldest sister jumped up and ran towards the front door.

Suddenly all Akane’s thoughts from before went out the window, her sad mood completely forgotten and changed into a surge of relief and excitement. She also tried to stand up as quickly as possible on her feet and make a few wobbly steps forward, unfortunately her legs were still asleep after a long time sitting on her heels. Nabiki was already running towards the genkan with a happy squeal before the youngest Tendo felt that her legs were ready to move again.

She chased after her older sisters, bubbling with excitement which only grew further when heard the sound of the doors opening, all the while being chased by the meowing of the kittens that were running after them.

Akane quickly joined her sisters, and the moment they spotted the redhead in a cool looking red shirt and black pants they started running towards her at full speed.

“Mommy! You’re home!” - “Where have you been!?” - “I’m hungry mom!”

Akane cried out at the same time as her sisters before jumping out right onto her mom’s belly. As she wrapped herself around the redhead’s midsection she closed her eyes and drank in the woman’s scent.

The smell of the dojo mixed with the herbs and flowers from the garden. It was warm, and familiar, making her feel safe and content. It felt like home.

It lasted only a moment however. A second later Kasumi and Nabiki also wrapped themselves onto their mom’s body. The redhead let out a surprised yelp and started to tilt, only to be completely tipped over backwards a moment later. Akane felt a sudden rush of panic forcing her to close her eyes and cling even tighter to her mother’s midsection as the four of them fell over on the wooden floor.

A few heartbeats later she could hear a loud thump and her body jumped up, even though she was holding on tight to the redhead. Despite the rough fall, she didn’t seem to be hurt since the older woman's body cushioned their fall. Even so, Akane groaned, blinking a few times, trying to feel if she was hurt anywhere.

At the same time she could hear curious meows again and sensed Ranko-mama’s body suddenly tensing up before she started desperately thrashing under the sisters body weight as if trying to flee. The youngest Tendo wanted to ask the redhead what’s going on but when she finally mustered enough strength in her arms to prop herself up on the woman’s chest, all the movement stopped. Her mother’s whole body went completely limp.

There were a few times when Akane and her sisters were playing with mom and she would sometimes lay on the ground, ‘playing possum’, so for a second the black haired girl thought that maybe it was the same this time, but something was definitely different this time.

“Mom?” She asked, but received no answer from the older woman. The only sign that she was still alive was the steady rising and falling of her chest. The same one the three kittens decided to climb onto while sniffing eagerly.

She exchanged worried looks with Kasumi and Nabiki and the three of them climbed up on the redhead’s body, looking at her unmoving face and closed eyes, trying to guess if she really wasn’t trying to trick them, once again.

Akane poked one of her mother’s cheeks and was about to call out to her again, but just as she opened her mouth to speak the woman’s eyes suddenly shot open, startling the three sisters and making them freeze in place.

A second later they could hear a frightening hiss and the redhead’s body disappeared from underneath the girls, making them fall face first onto the wooden floor.

The black haired girl felt a jolt of pain as she hit the ground, wincing at a sharp pain in her whole face as she lifted herself up from the floor slightly and looked around; and the moment she did, she froze once again.

Just behind her, at the bottom of the stairs Ranma-mama was crouching like a cat, her eyes looking at them with strange intensity while one of her arms were stretched forward like a paw, ready to strike at anyone that threatened her at any moment.

“M-mom?” Akane asked hesitantly as the redhead cocked her head to the side and focused her gaze solely on her.

The cat was confused.

She remembered a few times where she’d woken up trapped or held by something, but never pinned down by a mass of strange wriggling things. Instinctively she hissed in surprise and slipped away from underneath the sudden weight. Jumping on the stairs, she bared her claws. It was important to be higher in case she needed to fight something that was foolish enough to threaten her dominion over the house she was in.

She focused on the things that had pinned her down just a second earlier, wanting to hiss at them again… and froze.

She stared at the three small girls standing next to one another looking at the Cat with the same amount of confusion. Something about the three girls in front of her was strangely familiar.

“M-mom?” asked the black haired one, looking at the Cat with anxious confusion. She cocked her head in thought. She knew that word. It meant someone who bore her own kits. Was that her kit? She didn't remember even having a mate, let alone having any kits, but there was the other one… had the other one gotten a mate when she was asleep?

Curious, the cat walked to the three girls, sauntering cheekily towards them, while watching their confused glances. She looked straight into the black haired girl's eyes looking for any signs of a challenge or aggression, and when she didn't find any she started to sniff.

And backed away in shock soon after.

She knew this scent, it was the scent of her playmate, the one that gives the best head pats. But why is she so small now? Was she really the same one? And why is there a cat scent all over her too? Her instincts were telling her that she was hers, but it was all really confusing. She sniffed again to make sure that she wasn’t wrong, but the feelings were all the same. Mine, they seemed to be telling her in the back of her mind.

“What are you doing mom? ”The black haired girl asked, giggling and trying to back away from the cat. “Are we playing a game?”

“I think Mommy is playing a cat!,” said the other one, the brown haired girl looking at her with excitement. “Here!” She said, showing the Cat her opened hand.

She didn’t understand why the girl was so excited, but she still cautiously sniffed the hand in front of her… and was surprised again. The scent of the greedy girl! The one that would irritate her with that strange noisy thing she always pointed in her direction, or tease her with a pretty feather she refused to give to her. And she also smelled like she was hers! It was very confusing and it made her eye the girl suspiciously.

She moved past the small, greedy girl and looked at the tallest of the three, the most tense and awkward looking of them. She didn’t look as giddy as the black haired one and looked more guarded than the greedy one.

“A-auntie, wha…” The last girl started to say but froze the moment the cat meowed, looking at her intently. When the girl didn’t make any movements, she started to sniff the air around her.

The gentle girl! The one that would often give her snacks whenever this one or the other one looked! But why is she so small? The cat blinked at the three kids, confused by the fact that they looked like that and that all her instincts were telling her they were her kits?! They all have her scent, granted it was quite stale which means that the other one hadn’t groomed them properly in quite some time but it was there! It was all so confusing to the cat that…

A sudden meowing made her head shoot towards the source of the sound, beating her claws at the unexpected intruder… or at least she tried, but before she was able to make a swift slash at her opponent she realized that the claws weren't there.

Her claws weren’t there.

Momentarily forgetting about the wanna be intruder, the cat started to scratch the wooden floor, as if that could somehow make the ki-claws appear if she just scratched hard enough... but nothing happened. She didn’t understand what was going on.

She heard the previous meowing sound again, shifting the cat’s attention to the three small kittens that she hadn’t seen before. Her whole body tensed up, preparing to fight the intruders, but before she made a move she sniffed the air… and once more she could smell her own faint scent coming out from the three kittens. She cocked her head, even more confused than before.

Before she could react to that fact however, the three boys started walking towards her, looking at her with interest.

“Guys! I don't think that's the best idea…!” The small gentle girl cried out but before she could catch up to them the cat and the kittens were already sniffling each other intently, investigating each other.

The kittens were small, couldn’t be more than three months old and definitely inexperienced in life. No one taught them to be cautious while facing a larger predator - such as herself - or an even older cat for that matter. If they wanted to have any chance of survival in the world, the cat would need to teach them the necessary skills sooner or later.

As she sniffed the last kit, she realized her error right away, it wasn’t her scent she smelled - not exactly - but the girl's scent mixed with her own. Those three boys were soaked in it, so the six of them must have spent a lot of time together.

Were all of them hers? The cat wondered for a moment just what the other one was doing while she was asleep to end up with six kits but after a moment or two she realized that it didn’t really matter. They were hers and she’d take care of them as long as she needed to.

She lifted her right front paw, suddenly remembering the fact that she still didn’t know why her claws were missing. It was fortunate that it didn't look like she would need to fight with anyone.

Realizing that there was no one to challenge her rights to this territory, the cat finally relaxed. She stretched her back and yawned while a wave of fatigue and drowsiness washed over her. Feeling that it’s the best moment for sunbathing, she meowed at the six kittens letting them know to pay attention, because she'd be showing them the best place for doing so.

“Em… Mom? What are you…. woooaaaah!?” Yelled the black haired girl as the cat took her by the collar of her strange fur they named clothing and dragged her in the direction of the big door that was opened near the pond at the back of the house.

“This is so funny,” said the girl, giggling while dangling back and forth with the cat's every step.

“Mommy, where are you taking Akane?‘ Asked the greedy girl walking next to them. “I wanna ride too!”

The cat meowed at the girl, walking slowly towards the wooden platform stretching from side to side from the big door to the outside. She could already feel it being pleasantly warmed up by the sun.

With practiced ease she put the Black haired girl on the wooden surface and started scooping up the other girls and boys, ignoring the surprised and offended cries and noises as she gathered all of her kits together and wrapped herself around them as much as possible to keep them bundled together.

“Auntie Ranko, what are you doing?” asked the gentle girl, trying to wriggle herself from between her sisters.

“I don’t know but it’s suuuper comfy,” replied the greedy girl just before the cat started licking the fur on her head. “Buahaha that tickles, Mommy! Stop!”

“I can’t move and ChiChi’s whiskers are tickling my nose! Help!” Cried the black haired girl making strange high pitched noises.

The cat purred loudly and started to lick her extremely active kits, feeling very happy that all of them looked so healthy and energetic. She didn't really trust the other one to take good care of themself, not even mentioning their children… but it looked like they did a really good job this time around, fortunately.

If only the small girls weren’t being so loud she might even be able to close her eyes for a second and actually take a nap. Instead she only coiled a little tighter around the kits and closed her eyes, trying to relax a little…

…and immediately opened them as her head shot upward at the sound of the doors opening. The cat watched intently as someone’s footsteps were coming closer and closer, only to reveal the silhouette of someone she didn’t really wanna see, a crying man who also looked much younger than she remembered.

He was better than the panda man who the cat hated, but where one was, the other would most likely follow, so she watched intently as the man with a long mane looked into the main room of the house, and tensed as he noticed them.

“Em, Ranko-san… what is going on?” He asked, while she sniffed the air, for the first time realizing that she couldn’t sense even the faintest panda smell in the whole house, or at least the portion of the house that they walked by. It was weird and suspicious but also very good in a way, since the cat couldn’t stand that smell.

“Hi Daddy! We're playing a game!” Yelled a greedy girl.

“Wanna play with us?! It's very fun!” Added the black haired girl, making more of those strange high pitched noises.

The crying man looked at the cat with a strange, uncertain look on his face, irritating her. She wanted to relax with her kits, not deal with the stupid man that she didn’t even want to sit by. So she looked at him, like she would look at her prey, and hissed loudly warning him to not even try to walk a single step towards them.

She never really trusted that man. Sure he wasn’t nearly as bad as the panda man, but he was also very sneaky about things so the cat could never really feel relaxed whenever he was around. Especially when he got this look on his face. He may look different but she had to deal with him enough times to know when he was thinking something stupid.

At least he still knew how to read the warning, because he flinched and took a few small steps back deeper into the house, further and further into the shadows.

“I-I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said looking nervous, avoiding eye contact. “There’s not enough room… but you all play as much as you like. I won’t bother you any longer…”

That said, the crying man skittered to one of the rooms deeper into the house, finally leaving the cat and her kits in peace. She watched the interior of the room for a few more moments to be sure, and when she finally felt like it was safe, she brought the small girls back into the pile before laying down again comfortably adamantly trying to get her long, comfortable nap under the setting sun with all six of her kids safely near her belly.

Unsurprisingly, as she was able to find the right position and finally no one distracted her, the cat could finally relax and with the rays of sunshine dancing on her fur and skin she couldn’t help but start purring as she was slowly, contently drifted to sleep feeling the warm bodies of the kits pressing on her belly.

It was already late at night when Ranma finally finished all the household chores that were overdue because of the neko-ken incident. With all the changes going on around her and happening to her, she kinda wished that instead of her manhood the sword would take that damn cat-thing instead… but her luck was as bad as always and of course it needed to run out today.

Seriously, when I woke up with all the girls in this weird cuddle pile, I thought I was going to die… she cringed inwardly as she stretched her back, feeling it finally popping into the right place after cleaning up the washitsu. I thought they would be scared or at least suspicious if they found out about it, but who would have thought they would love it so much, to the point of wanting to ‘play Cat again’.... I fucking hate that.

The idea that someone would like her to be in a state where she was completely out of it and dangerous was so wrong that she wanted to hide in some ditch and die… something could really happen to her girls and she wouldn’t be able to stop it. The thought made a shiver run down her spine and made her knees weak for a moment before she forced herself to stop thinking about it. It was fine. Nothing happened and they were even excited so there was no harm done… well, except for Ranma’s pride, but it was a cost she was willing to pay for the safety of the girls.

If the redhead could, she could get rid of that freaking state once and for all, but it looked like the thing stayed and probably wouldn’t go anywhere even if she wanted it to. At least I was able to talk my way out of this somehow… I was kinda off my game at the moment and wouldn’t be able to think up a lie… not a convincing one at least.

But still, promising that they would for sure play that ‘game’ again someday in the future left a sour taste in her mouth… she wasn’t thrilled by it, but with the way the things were now she was sure that that will happen again… she only hoped that it didn’t happen too frequently, she had enough on her plate already and trying to explain to the neighbors why she sometimes acted like a cat wasn’t something she was too keen on doing.

Now if only those furry monsters stopped following me around that would be great, she cursed whatever the neko-ken did to the girl’s kittens. Ever since she came back to her senses, whenever those furballs spotted her they would follow her around with their bone chilling meowing and would stare at her in this weird, expecting way that creeped her out. She needed to ask the sisters to take them away while she made them some pancakes as a late night apology dinner. It was a good thing that no one could resist a good pancake tower or she would have had a problem thinking of any other dish that she could fix for the kids right away.

And now, finally, the Tendo Dojo was quiet. Soun as usual was cooped up in his room while the girls slept in their own rooms with their new pets, although Ranma was impressed that they were able to do so. She really expected them to just be three big balls of energy that couldn’t stop playing with the kittens… but it looked like today was too tiring even for them, which was good.

She finally had some alone time, a rare blessing for the redhead.

Truth be told, she also would love to just hop into her own futon and just fall asleep, she was beat after everything that happened today; but there was one more thing she wanted to look at before she called it a day. She wanted to look through all the documents that ‘her father’ sent her along with the letter. There were quite a lot of them and she was kinda curious who ‘Ranko Tendo’ actually is in this reality. So she stretched a little bit more and walked away to her room, turned on the light and retrieved the envelope from the mess that currently was her wardrobe. As she put it on the desk, the well stacked papers slid out of it in a clean motion.

The redhead sat down and started looking through the documents. The first ones that fell into her hands were her new ID and a passport. Ranma turned a piece of plastic around a few times, it was all there, name: Ranko Tendo, date of birth: 1957, sex: female.

There it was again, female. The redhead had already planned to have a good long soak in the furo after this, to check once again if her curse was really gone, but something deep inside of her was telling her that it was a pointless effort. She would probably be disappointed again.

Her passport was mostly the same. She never really got a good look at the one she had as Ranma Saotome but she was fairly sure that it was mostly for show. The one that she looked at right now was much more legitimate, it even had a few stamps.

“China, huh? Why am I not surprised?” She murmured to herself. “And this is… wow, Ranko was in South Korea? I’m so jealous! I mean… ‘I’ was in South Korea but I have no memories of it so it doesn’t count. But even so…”

I guess Ranko traveled a little bit, she thought, kinda hoping that instead of the sad family-drama like flashbacks she would get some memories of Ranko’s trips instead. Those might be a little less painful at least.

Next were some medical papers that she skipped over, not really carrying about some sprained ankles or vaccinations she’d probably gotten as someone who - from the looks of it - finally had a normal or semi normal childhood.

But then she started looking at surprisingly large numbers of certificates.

“Ranko is really into kenpo isn’t she?” Ranma said to herself seeing a bunch of papers stating her achievements of climbing through the ranks in kenpo martial arts school. “And… wow, I never thought that I would see myself have a complete education. I mean, it’s Ranko’s but since I’m Ranko then that's my papers, right? She mumbled to herself impressed by looking at the proof of a complete normal journey through the education system. Pre-school, elementary school, junior high, high school…

As Ranma Saotome, she’d dropped out of pre-school and thanks to pops she was in and out of so many elementary schools that she’d stopped counting them at some point. Junior High was the first time when she’d been able to go to one school for an extended period of time, but even then she wasn’t really able to finish it because of that stupid training journey. That said, her previous education looked more like swiss cheese so seeing the nearly organized diplomas before her was something that she couldn’t even put into words. For the first time since she came here she was actually grateful to the sword.

“But even so, it went a little overboard,” she commented, looking at her pristine looking high school diploma while pondering if what she was seeing was some kind of a joke. “I know that this thing can change the world around me but making me a ‘B’ student? Even if I would like to boast about it, I know that I'm too dumb to have such a high score…”

It wasn’t like Ranma’d suddenly become much much smarter than she was before coming here, so she was kinda taken aback by the sudden realization that people here - at least within the education system - thought of her as a decently smart person. I just hope nobody will come around that will want to verify it, she thought, feeling anxious for just a moment. They would be very disappointed…

Ranma sighed deeply, feeling a little ridiculous with her sudden discovery. She was about to put the school diplomas away and look through the rest of the pile when the sound of her door sliding open made her eyes shoot towards the source of the sound, her hand automatically pushing all the papers aside, far away from view.

She was about to ask the girl if she’d had another bad dream, expecting to see Akane, her most frequent nightly visitor, but paused momentarily realizing that it wasn’t the youngest but the oldest Tendo sister who was glancing sheepishly at her from the crack in the door.

“K-kasumi-chan?” She asked, looking at the brown haired girl, feeling worried. Ranma had gotten used to Akane or Nabiki constantly coming to her when they got scared or had any kind of problems, but the oldest Tendo was mostly self-reliant, not wanting to bother her too much. She generally worked everything out by herself and only rarely came to her with any troubles. The fact that she was there, at this hour and looking like this… it didn't look good. "Something wrong kiddo?”

Kasumi stared at the redhead, her eyes shining with shame and worry just before she looked down on the floor while wringing her hands awkwardly, completely silent.

Ranma stifled a sigh, realizing that her plans for a long, warm bath had just gone out the window.

“Alright Kasumi-chan, I don’t know what happened, but I won’t find out unless you tell me,” she said standing up from her desk and sending her oldest a smile as a very amusing idea flashed into her head. “Wanna join me for some tea?”

A few minutes later Ranma carried a small tray with two cups and a teapot out of the kitchen, feeling the curious gaze of the little brown haired girl who sat at the coffee table while hugging her own knees.

“Here we go,” said the redhead as she started to take everything off the tray.

“Why?” The oldest Tendo sister asked, looking lost but also genuinely curious.

“What, the tea?” She asked back, smiling as she tried to imitate her mother’s pouring technique but noticed that she’d butchered it from the start. “I had this one friend that would often do the same thing for me. Whenever I felt down or was in trouble she would pour me some tea - just like this - and encourage me to tell her what’s going on with me.”

Ranma couldn't help but giggle, remembering all the times she’d wandered here in the middle of the night while troubled, and Kasumi, almost as if she’d miraculously known she’d be needed, would still be in the kitchen. It was really funny to think about how the tables had turned for them at the moment… if only she wasn’t constantly worrying about her oldest girl and the reason for her acting this way.

“Alright sweetie, let’s hear it,” she continued, handing the steaming cup to the girl. “What happened?”

The redhead watched as the girl took the cup in both hands and blew at the steam - in contrast to her usual tomboy demeanor - looking incredibly cute.

She took a sip of the tea and swallowed it slowly and loudly before putting it back on the table and looked down at her hands, not meeting her aunt's eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding genuinely apologetic, going to such lengths as to bow slightly to Ranma through the table.

Ranma looked at the small girl, taken aback by the fact that the person she had apologized to previously on numerous occasions was lowering her head to her, but confused as to why she was even doing so.

“Why?” She asked, completely lost and trying to think of a single instance that would be deemed worthy of apology from the brunette. “You didn’t do anything wrong Kasumi-chan… or at least nothing that I know about.”

Kasumi started fidgeting in place glancing at her time and time again with eyes so sad that Ranma herself was this close to apologising to her for making her feel so guilty, even though she still didn’t know what the issue was.

Finally, after a few agonising moments of silence, the oldest Tendo sister finally looked up at her and held her eyes fixated on the redhead.

“I…” she started. “Because of us Auntie needed to take care of ChiChi and other kittens… even if she’s scared of them…” She continued even though halfway through, her eyes looked down at that table once more.

That’s the reason? Ranma raised one eyebrow feeling a little confused. Sure, that ordeal was a nightmare and it actually felt kinda nice that the girl acknowledged that it wasn’t ok for them to dump the bathing on her - even if she should do it anyway as an adult - but still, getting so worked up over something like this was a little excessive in her opinion. Kasumi really worries about the silliest things…

“Don’t worry about it,” she waved her off, feeling kind of embarrassed that she looked so pathetic around those kittens that even a little girl was feeling guilty for making her do things around them. It was much more of a blow to her own image than anything else after all. “Yeah, I’m scared of them, but even so I’m still your cool Aunty Ranko. I’ll just need to deal with it somehow…” she paused, not really knowing any actual way to do so but not wanting to show that to the girl. She already looked as if she felt she was solely responsible for her problem anyway. “It’s nothing you need to feel sorry about, really.”

The fact that a girl who was not even ten years old was this concerned about a woman almost three times her age was really sweet. It wasn’t really strange though. This was Kasumi after all, and even if she was a tomboy most of the time, it didn’t change the fact that she would do anything it took if it meant helping a member of her family.

Even so, Ranma still didn’t believe that a kid so young should be worrying about struggles of other - especially older - people. But of course Kasumi clearly disagreed.

“B-but… but you left right after cleaning them.” The brunette didn’t let go, getting increasingly agitated to the point that her shoulders started to shake slightly while she was trying to hold herself together. “A-and you were out for so long and I was so scared that you would l-leave and-and won’t get back just like…” As she was talking her voice became more and more erratic while her shaking worsened too, to the point that Ranma jumped around the table and held the girl tight, trying to get a handle on whatever was going on.

“Kasumi-chan, what are you talking about?” The redhead asked, worried that maybe the girl was about to start hyperventilating or get some kind of panic attack or whatever kids her age did while under stress.

Kasumi leaned on Ranma’s chest, one of her hands gripped Ranma’s shirt which somehow allowed her to calm down a little bit. The redhead watched as her eldest’s breathing became deeper and more even, until she finally stopped shaking.

She thought that it was finally over, but then the brunette finally looked up at her, and her eyes were like two pools of pure sadness.

“I know about Mother,” she said, and it was as if someone had stopped time and, while doing so, stopped Ranma's heart with it.

She knows, was all she could think about for a long, long moment during which her mind was trying to understand the information that it had been given. All this time I thought that I’d had everything covered, my girls were still very young and normally they wouldn’t even be aware that there was something like dying, right? That’s surely not a topic for someone so young, right?

Not only that but Kasumi never really acted like she’d known. She’d been going about her days normally, well… normal for Ranma’s Kasumi. She didn’t really know how Kasumi had acted before she was sent into this timeline. Even so it just wasn’t adding up.

“W-wha… how?” She finally found her voice again, but anything she could say was nothing more than weak and incoherent mumbling. “Oh my god, sweetie, I’m so sorry…”

Kasumi snuggled even deeper into Ranma’s embrace, but didn’t respond to her right away. It was almost like her previous outburst drained all other emotions from her, leaving her empty and tired.

“A g-girl in my class lost her dad a year before,” she finally started, although so quiet that the redhead needed to focus to hear what she was saying. “F-father ignored us all this time, only Auntie cared about us… I was worried that you’ll start to hate us too…”

Her words were cut short by a surprised gasp as the redhead scooped her into a tight, almost crushing hug. Ranma didn’t even realize what she’d done until a moment later, but even so she didn’t stop.

She remembered very well when she herself thought something similar about her own mother. After she’d grown up a little on the road and was tired of constantly asking pops about the reason why her mother wasn’t with them or why they wouldn’t even contact her… she often blamed herself for that. Thought that it was probably something she’d done or what she couldn’t do that made her mother hate her to the point that she didn’t even wanna know if she’s ok. It was only later in life when she figured out the truth, but until that time these thoughts were constantly on her mind, sometimes just subconsciously, but they were always there. Gnawing at her. Bringing her down.

She didn't want anything like that to happen to this sweet little girl.

“Don’t even think that Kasumi-chan, you know that’s not true.” She said, locking her eyes with the brunette and trying to pour all of her resolve and confidence into that statement. “No one could ever hate you. I would never…”

“But you’d never visited before.” Kasumi went on again, her whole body trembling for a moment again while she clutched to Ranma even tighter, burying her head into her chest. Her voice, more of a whisper than anything was hurt; but there was this tiny sliver of accusation in her tone, something that - even though she wasn’t really responsible for it - really stung the redhead. “Mother told us stories about you, but you never came to see us. Father said that it’s because you hate us just like the rest of the family."

But it wasn’t my fault, she wanted to say, but something in the way that Kasumi was talking to her prevented Ranma from doing so.

“S-sweetie, I…” she stammered, trying to say something, anything that could justify the fact that ‘Ranko’ didn’t ever show up in the Tendo Dojo for all these years, but before she could think of anything her head was almost split open by the sudden headache as an unfamiliar scene played out before her eyes.

Laughter and the yelling of vendors from the nearby festival rang out from the distance like a far away ambience for the two women still clad in pristine kimonos sitting in the nearby park.

Ranma didn't know when exactly it was taking place but judging by the fact that the other girl was much taller than her she guessed it must have been quite a while ago.

“I’m going to miss outings like this one,” said Hanna, making a long regretful sigh. “I kinda wished that maybe they wouldn’t be as stupid as I thought and we’d be able to figure it out somehow…” She paused before leaning forward, staring at the ground. “But I guess that's not the case.”

“I told you that this would happen,” said Ranko, munching on her candy apple. “The Tendo family is just full of people with sticks right up their asses, that's all.”

Hanna looked at Ranko with a sympathetic smile before she straightened herself up, looking more dignified and ‘proper’ than before. Ranma could feel herself - or rather Ranko - being in awe of her cousin's image.

“Are they giving you a hard time again, Ranko-chan?” She asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

“Like they’d ever really stopped,” the redhead rolled her eyes at her cousin. “But hey, if you really elope with that Ronin as you said then maybe I won’t be the only black sheep in the family anymore. Really, Hanna-nee, to ruin your reputation only to stop your cousin from being picked on by her own family…”

Ranko almost failed to duck before the stone hit her right in the face.

“Shut up!” Hanna shouted at her, laughing as her cousin nearly dropped her candy. “I really love him, you know?” She added, looking positively love struck while doing so.

“Yeah, you told me that many times before. It’s still gross by the way,” she nodded, feeling slightly irritated by her cousin’s being all lovely-dovely about a guy that wasn’t even there. “I just hope that he’s worth getting disowned by the whole family.”

So she knew…, Ranma couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by that fact and that it didn’t seem to bother the older woman that much.

“Trust me, he is,” Hanna replied with a smile and Ranma almost felt like rolling her eyes herself, knowing how that statement turned out in the future. “He’s a little silly at times but he is. You’ll understand it when you're older… Besides, it’s not going to be by the whole family.” she trailed off, looking at Ranko with a pleading eyes. “You will always be with me, right Ranko-chan?”

“Of course I will!” The redhead nodded furiously but contrary to that. Ranma could feel a crushing wave of guilt and sadness piercing her heart. “But Dad will be angry… he probably won't let me see you while I’m still in school…”

Her cousin moved closer to the redhead and hugged her tightly.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll see each other in no time!” Hanna said, waving her cousin off, like it wasn’t even a possibility that they would be separated for long. If only she knew.

“Still, I don't wanna miss the wedding…” Ranko murmured, pouting while looking at the night sky.

“I’ll tell you everything about it, don't worry,” Her older cousin said, looking all excited and dreamy, as if nothing could sour her excitement for the upcoming future. ”Just promise me you’ll visit us as soon as possible!”

“I will!” Ranko promised eagerly with a toothy smile.

“Great! It’s a promise then!” Hanna said, showing her her right Pinky finger.

“Promise!” The redhead agreed, reaching for her with her own finger, to seal the ‘pinky promise’.

And then all of nowhere she was back in the Dojo still hugging Kasumi as tightly as ever, only now she could feel tears suddenly going down her cheeks.

At that very moment the redhead didn’t care if she was Ranma Saotome or Ranko Tendo, both of them mixed together creating a mess that suddenly shuddered from so much sadness and shame that was simply overwhelming.

She’d made a promise to Hanna, just a simple promise. ‘I’ll visit as soon as possible’. She’d worked as hard as she could. Gotten good grades. Come as soon as she could, but it wasn’t enough... She wasn’t there. Hanna was able to have her dream wedding, make this place her home, gave birth to the three beautiful girls, and Ranko wasn't there. She wasn’t there for any of this and her cousin still told stories about ‘Auntie Ranko' to her girls as if nothing happened.

She didn't even know if she even was sending letters or if she just let her be all alone, just like the rest of the Tendos.

Ranko felt dirty, dishonorable and worthless by the very thought that this may be the case, even if she had a feeling that the little redhead from her memories wouldn’t have let it go without a fight.

If not for the fact that she was still holding the little brunette she would probably crumble completely right there.

She quickly blinked away the tears and cleared her throat, trying as hard as possible to put herself together despite the overwhelming weight of her emotions.

It took her a long moment, but she was finally able to start breathing normally. She let out a long, tired sigh feeling herself relaxing slightly, and only then dared to look down.

“...I’m so sorry that I couldn’t be here sooner,” her voice cracked slightly as she hugged her kid even more tightly. “I’m really sorry Kasumi-chan.”

She knew it wasn’t her fault, not really. She’d just appeared… or was put into this body not that long ago and didn't know anything about the past she had on this new timeline. It didn't matter much to her however, at that moment she couldn’t feel the distinction between Ranma or Ranko, the only thing she felt was sadness and regret as the realization hit her. She was wrong before, she really failed them. Failed Hanna, Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane… everyone.

And even after all this no one blamed her, except for Soun. The girls were even calling her ‘mom’.

I don’t deserve them, she thought, trying not wincing under the teary but honest and pure eyes of Kasumi staring at her with genuine affection. But I’m all she has I guess… at least until Soun gets his shit together.

She couldn't change the past. She wasn’t even really responsible for it, no matter how much those sudden emotions were trying to convince her that she was. The only thing she could do was be there for them to repay them for all the time Ranko wasn’t.

She knew now that she needed to do a lot more than she already had to make up for what she’d done… but no matter Ranma Saotome or Ranko Tendo, that redhead ain’t a quitter. No matter what.

“I don't think I’m in the mood for tea anymore.” She said, looking at the still half-full cups, suddenly feeling very tired. The toll of today’s events finally caught up to her, making her feel slightly lightheaded. “Wanna sleep in my futon tonight, sweetie?”

The oldest Tendo sister’s eyes went wide and shone brightly as she stood on her toes brimming with excitement.

“C-can I?” She asked, as if the redhead had offered her a priceless treasure.

Ranko couldn’t help but smile, seeing the girl’s reaction.

She knew she still had much more to do. She was still halfway through her own documents. She should probably write back to her ‘father’, informing him about Hanna’s passing, since the other Tendos had definitely stopped keeping tabs on her, ever since she decided to marry Soun and ‘embarassed’ the Family…

But all of those things could wait. Right now she was tired and there was someone else in front of her that needed her whole, undivided attention.

“Sure,” she nodded, ruffling the hair of her oldest. “Usually one of your younger sisters sleeps with me but both of them are sleeping soundly right now, so the spot has suddenly opened.”

Kasumi once again looked down at her own hands which were busy gripping the hem of her t-shirt. Ranma couldn’t see the girl's face, but she could feel her small body snuggling even more closely to her own.

“I… I’d like that very much.” Her tiny, sheepish voice came out from her breast as the little brunette suddenly wrapped her arms around the redhead’s midsection and refused to budge, making her feel like she was attacked by some kind of strange koala. “I love you Auntie.”

“I-I… I love you too, sweetie,” said Ranko, feeling her throat tightening as she looked down and kissed the top of the tangled, unkempt hair of the small brunette. “I love you too.”

Chapter Text

In the past, walking through Nerima’s shopping area was often more of a pastime for Ranma. As a person that more often than not didn’t have a single yen to her name, she was more of a window shopper than anything, except for the times when something really piqued her interest, but even then she’d usually just scam the vendor into getting the thing for free instead of actually paying for it.

A lot had changed since then with her being a mother - a title she begrudgingly accepted after some internal struggles - and having a whole household and a family to take care of forced her to become a regular in most of the shops around Nerima. While getting familiar with the area she’d somehow become a regular at a few local shops. She’d never thought she would be on a first name basis with any of the shopkeepers. She mostly tried to keep things professional, but there were only this many times Ranko could visit a butcher before he finally started making small talk with her and asking questions about her daily life.

She didn’t really like it, and it meant that the number of places she and Nabiki could scam people to get free stuff in Nerima was dwindling because of it.

The redhead looked down at the small brunette in her powder blue dress and adorable twin tails holding her hand. She never thought that she could become so attached to the middle Tendo sister, and even almost exclusively bring her on every shopping trip.

Ranma sighed and shook her head. A lot of things had happened in the weeks following the Neko-ken incident, and she still couldn’t believe just how normal everything started to feel to her after all that time. I guess I finally started adapting, she thought, reminiscing of the first few days in this new timeline and just how strange and chaotic everything was for her back then.

Now it had all finally calmed down significantly, allowing her to fall into the stable and comforting routine of cleaning the house, preparing meals, teaching martial arts classes, and playing with the girls. After about a week of hard work and a few hiccups she was able to dump almost all responsibility for the kittens- minus buying food and whatnot - on her girls, which was something she’d been afraid she wasn’t going to be able to do. Being forced to take care of those furry monsters while she was so stiff and anxious whenever they were near her would be a real nightmare.

That said, because of the Neko-ken they were still following the redhead around whenever they spotted her not doing anything. They would start meowing at her and try everything to get her attention, something she deliberately tried to avoid giving them at all costs, knowing already that if she did so they would be even more clingy and excited.

That fact, however, gave her an ideal excuse to start meeting her mother more frequently.

Ranma was so happy that she had her real mother back in her life. Of course it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. They were almost the same age and during her first few visits Nodoka still had a slightly guarded demeanor around her even if she tried to wave it off as ‘only a passing thought’, it was clear that it wasn’t easy for her to completely accept everything her new daughter told her about the future.

It was hard, but eventually they started to get along much easier, to the point that they started to take walks around her mother’s neighborhood together. Ranko really cherished those walks, enjoying herself to the fullest as both of them started to prank the passersby by playing twin sisters or whatever stories they came up with. It was a very strange but exhilarating experience being able to hang out with her mom before she’d gone as crazy as she was the moment she’d first met her… Truth be told, even back then, both of them had such similar tastes and mannerisms it was a little scary. Now that they looked the same?

The younger redhead kinda wanted to see if they would be able to scam someone for free food together, but she scrapped the idea because she didn’t want to look bad in front of Nodoka, opting for honestly paying for her food instead… Something that she’d regretfully started to do much more often now, which had a toll on her own personal budget.

Proposing for her to meet my new family because I don’t wanna spend more money… I guess it’s as good a reason as any other, she thought, grimacing slightly while remembering the cost of those parfaits she bought for them the last time. But if that’s the case why am I feeling so cheap about this? And how will the girls react to me suddenly bringing home my own clone?

An image of both redhead’s doing exactly the same thing and the comically shocked faces her kids would make, made her mouth curl up into an amused smile. Alright, maybe that won’t be the worst idea. I could get them back for constantly bringing up ‘the cat play’ and asking to play that ‘game’ again… damn brats. At least there haven't been any more slip ups with neko-ken since then. Gotta count my blessings whenever I can I guess.

That said, it was a little weird that Soun hadn’t said anything about it. Even stranger, he behaved as if he wanted to avoid the subject entirely, almost like a plague. That made the very rare instances when both of them finally had an opportunity to talk to each other incredibly awkwardly.

Ranko couldn’t be angry at him, however, because he really did start to make an effort of being in his daughters' lives over the last few weeks since Akane’s play. He was talking to them more and she even caught him once helping to take care of the kittens, so she really couldn’t say anything bad about him… for now.

Kasumi was a different matter. While their relationship never was better - with the eldest Tendo actually coming to the redhead with problems and being as frequent a night guest in her futon as her sisters - she was still very reluctant to interact with Soun. The only moments she really talked to him were when Akane or Nabiki were present, probably to keep the peace and not make them worry.

Before visiting her, Ranma had hoped that Nodoka could give her some advice about how to deal with this situation. Now that she knew that her mother had similar or maybe even less experience with raising children than she did, she wasn’t that hopeful anymore… although she still wanted to ask her about it after she got to know her ‘grandchildren’ a little bit better.

I wonder if it would be a good idea to invite mom to Kasumi’s birthday party, she thought, smiling at the mental image of Nodoka - granted the original Nodoka - being ecstatic from getting an invitation for her first grandchild’s birthday party. I guess it can’t hurt. It's not like any other member of the family would ever come to Nerima anyway…

…Or even reply to the invitation for that matter. Even after a few weeks since she’d informed her father about Hanna’s passing no one had written back to her. Ranma started to wonder if anyone ever would.

At least I haven’t had any other flashbacks for a while, thank the Kami…

The redhead shook her head, determined to not let any thoughts about the Tendos or magic bother her. She had something much more important to do today and she didn’t want to waste time on any of that anxiety-inducing stuff over which she didn’t have any control.

She looked down at the little brown haired girl walking happily by her hip.

“Say Nabiki-chan,” she started, focusing her daughter’s attention on her face. “Did you think about what kind of present you’ll want to give to your sister? Kasumi’s birthday is only a week away after all.”

The little girl touched her lips with one finger, making a really adorable ‘pondering' face. One that only kids trying to copy adults could do.

“Dunno,” she replied with a shrug after a few moments before smiling sweetly. “Can we go to the mall? There are a few shops where I think I could find something good.”

Ranko smiled back, sneaky girl.

“I guess we could,” she nodded, patting the girl on her head. “But only if you’ll also figure out what we should eat for dinner. Deal?”

There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation in the girl's eyes.

“Deal!” She cried out happily, bouncing a few times along the sidewalk. “I want pork!”

The redhead couldn’t help but chuckle, it wasn’t like she really needed help to decide what to make. The only reason why she even asked was to make it look like she was the one making a final decision. Maybe it was a remnant of her resentment towards her old Nabiki’s smug demeanor, and the fact that she always had the last word no matter what… but still Ranma saw it more as an assertiveness training than anything else. The fact that she felt her self-image healing slightly each time she did so was just a bonus.

“Well, that was quick.” Ranko nodded, turning quickly towards her new destination. “Ok, pork it is.”

The next few minutes passed by quietly, with Ranma making a shopping list in her head while simultaneously trying to remember every shortcut while Nabiki was walking proudly by her side, clearly satisfied that she was able to convince her mom to take some more time shopping…

…Wait a minute…

“You wouldn't happen to have your stamp sheet with you, would you?” She asked, eying the girl suspiciously as the outline of the tall facade of the mall finally became visible.

Nabiki didn’t say anything, but as she looked up at the redhead her lips curled up into a wide, triumphant smile.

Or course you would, she thought, realizing that she was just manipulated into doing exactly what her girl wanted from the very beginning. I shouldn’t be proud, but that was damned impressive…

“Alright then sweetie,” she said, ruffling her daughter’s hair before glancing to the side at the entrance to the mall. “Let’s have some fun.”

Nabiki was pretty sure ice cream was one of the best things in the world.

The only problem was that it cost money, but with her mom by her side that wasn’t really a problem anymore. On the other hand sometimes she needed to put in some effort, but scamming a shopkeeper with her redheaded guardian was always fun so she didn’t mind.

And so she was walking happily, munching on her chocolate ice cream cone next to one of her most important people in the world, looking around the mall, curious, and wondering which one of the shops they should enter next. Easy to say, the middle Tendo sister was in her element and loved every second of it.

She looked up at the taller woman next to her, devouring her own strawberry ice cream and smiled at her. Going shopping with mommy Ranko is the best, she thought, sensing a warm, giddy sensation spreading through her body, a feeling of pride that she was the first person she always asked to come with whenever she needed to get something from the store.

Akane was the youngest and often followed mommy like a duckling, always asking questions or trying to help with anything, mostly adding even more work to be done with cleaning up after her in the process.

Kasumi, being the oldest, would often get asked to help with more complex things around the house and as the only one really into the martial arts would monopolize all of her attention while in the dojo.

Nabiki also liked helping mom in the kitchen but would often need to let mom fuss more over Akane who needed constant supervision. She also thought about joining Kasumi in the dojo but didn’t really like fighting that much so she would only watch what’s going on in there from time to time, not wanting to disturb whatever they were doing in there at any given moment.

And so, going shopping was the only time when Nabiki could have mom all to herself, uninterrupted by any of her sisters and be the center of attention. It became sort of their own thing and the middle Tendo sister was always thrilled to go with mommy Ranko whenever there was an opportunity to do so, especially since it was almost always fun to go and see what new places she could discover or new sales she could spot while doing so.

Not even mentioning the fact that she needed to help mom decide what to buy and where to go. Nabiki loved her but sometimes mommy Ranko really needed help with choosing such things. Maybe that’s because she’s a grown up? She just doesn't get it sometimes, she thought, nodding to herself, looking at the older redhead whose eyes were scanning the nearby shops with an absentminded, sort of blank look. Lucky for mommy, I’m here to help!

That said, she really wondered about that friend mom said would be visiting tomorrow. Some older women from ‘an association’ or whatever it’s called would sometimes show up to give them something, but they never really went into their house. This time it was different and Nabiki was really curious since she didn’t even know that her Mommy had any friends. She hoped that they would be fun to be around, not someone stiff like the teachers or some other grown ups.

Now though, she needed to think about something she could give to Kasumi on her birthday. It was always difficult to give any type of gift to her sister who was only really interested in martial arts, but this time Mom said that she would pay so Nabiki just needed to think of something fun to give.

Still, she just couldn’t decide what would be good enough.

“Mom, what are you going to give to Kasumi-neechan?” She asked, walking closer to the older woman, licking the rest of the ice cream from her lips.

The redhead stopped at the question. Looking down and seeing Nabiki's curious face, she smiled at her in amusement before reaching into her purse, looking for something.

“Well sweetie,” she took out a handkerchief and started to clean off the brunette’s face despite her muffled protests. “Remember the outfit I wore when we, em… I played ‘the Cat’?” She asked, looking a little strange while saying that. “Kasumi really liked it so I decided to make one like that as a gift… if I’ll have enough time and can find good enough fabric that is.”

Nabiki giggled, remembering how much fun she had when Mommy was acting like a kitty, walking on all fours and sniffling around like the real thing. Mom was really embarrassed after that but the brunette suspected that it was an act too. She wouldn’t be acting so good if she didn't like this game, right? She wondered.

“What kind of clothes are they?” She asked again. The red shirt and black pants looked funny to her, ideal for a tomboy that is. She never saw anything like it but she had to admit that they would probably look good on Kasumi.

It didn’t mean that they didn't suit Mama Ranko. They did, but Nabiki mostly saw her wearing skirts and dresses, so seeing her in pants, and such baggy ones at that, looked really weird.

“Oh I got them when I visited China with my Dad,” the redhead replied before resuming walking. The middle Tendo followed her trying to think of where exactly China was on the map but could only remember that it was very close to Japan.

“Dad bought them for me, together with some other traditional Chinese clothing… I believe they were called ruqun? I think…” her Mom continued with a far away look on her face. “That shirt and pants are the only thing I still have though and they’re like comfort clothes for me.”

“Like my tanuki pajamas?” She asked, thinking about how warm and comfy her favourite nightwear with a big, funny looking yokai printed in the center of the t-shirt was.

The redhead giggled before patting Nabiki on the head.

“Something like that,” she said, suddenly stopping before some store the brunette hadn’t noticed before. “There we are.”

The middle Tendo looks up to see the display window for some kind of clothing shop that she’d never seen before. It had mostly foreign looking clothes on display and the name on the signboard was spelled in some weird looking kanji she’d also never seen before. Nabiki was proud of the fact that she already knew how to read some words but she had absolutely no clue what they meant.

“What’s that?” She asked, pointing at the strange symbols above.

“Those are chinese letters, Nabiki-chan,” her mom explained walking towards the front door. “If I want to make chinese clothes for your sister it would be good if they were authentic, right?”

As the brunette followed, she walked into the surprisingly spacious space filled with mostly foreign clothing - although she could see a few that she did recognize after all - a lot of different fabrics and different accessories and ornaments. From where they stood, the middle Tendo could see maybe two or three people wandering between the isles. Nabiki's eyes shone with excitement at the sight of so many new things she could check out for the first time.

“Mommy, can I look around? Please?” Nabiki pleaded making the best puppy-dog eyes she could. She really didn't want to be stuck looking through fabrics with her mom, especially with all the other much more interesting stuff all around them.

The redhead looked up, touching her lips as if she was deeply considering her daughter's request. The brunette already knew this trick, mommy Ranko always did that to make her feel nervous for some reason. She never really said ‘no’ however so Nabiki shouldn’t be worried about it… she shouldn't but looking at the redhead like this always made her a little nervous. She would never admit that to anyone though.

“Sure thing honey,” she said, patting the middle Tendo on the head with a smile. “Just don’t wander off too far, please. And if you find something you really like, bring it to me and I’ll buy it for you.” She trailed off, looking around the shop one more time. “I hope. This place looks like a real deal so please don't go overboard like the last time in the pet shop.”

Nabiki pouted, wanting to say that she didn’t go ‘overboard’ at all, she just wanted Yen, ChiChi and C-chan to have as many toys to play with as possible. It wasn’t her fault that they couldn't stay home the whole day to keep them company and Mom refused to play with them in any way.

She wanted to, but the idea of standing there instead of looking around the shop was too boring, so she just nodded a few times and ran away between the mannequins and racks of clothing looking in awe at the bright colors and strange designs.

She zipped around the sales floor looking at foreign looking shirts, pants, skirts and dresses, her mom’s words repeating in her ears. Every time she looked at some particularly cute looking piece of clothing she would try to imagine mommy Ranko wearing it, time and time again, every time arriving at the same obvious conclusion: Mom would look pretty in every one of them. Frankly speaking, the brunette was pretty sure that there wasn’t a single dress that could look bad on the older redhead.

Yup, dresses definitely suit mommy better than that tomboyish outfit. She thought, nodding to herself confidently. It's better to leave things like that to Kasumi-neechan, she’s the ultimate tomboy anyway...

That thought reminded Nabiki of why they were here in the first place.

Right, a present for Kasumi-neechan…

The middle Tendo sister walked away from the middle of the shop and started looking through the displays of accessories and slightly cheaper looking jewelry in the corner of the shop and started to think. Her oldest sister wasn’t very hard to read, all she really cared about was martial arts, her kitten ChiChi and mom. Nabiki had no real interest in martial arts and she didn’t really know what she could get for Kasumi’s kitten that they didn’t already have, since they already bought a lot of toys for the three of them not so long ago. That leaves the last option: mom.

Sis started to spend so much more time with mommy, lately, she thought, looking through the very neatly organised trinkets on the shelves. She’s been following her around more lately and I am pretty sure I saw her trying to move like mom when they were in the kitchen…

It was clear to see that Kasumi was trying to be like mom, but Nabiki wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to do it, with her being so much of a tomboy while mom was so pretty and feminine. Her oldest sister didn’t even really have anything cute, except maybe for a few colorful scrunchies to tie her hair.

As she was caught deep into her musing, scanning the merchandise until her eyes landed on a particularly good looking hair ornament. I had a hair tie with a small but pretty blue flower with a few beads around it. The petals were obviously made from cheap glass, but the scrunchie looked strong and solid, ensuring that it would stay in place no matter how much someone moved around. Nabiki stopped walking, eyes transfixed on the accessory.

Kasumi-chan would never buy such a thing herself, it’s too girly, she thought to herself before her lips curled up into a wide satisfied grin. It’s perfect.

With one fluid motion, the brunette snatched the hair ornament and slipped through the racks and alleys, holding her treasure tightly in her hands. It didn’t take long until she found a redhead standing by the counter talking about something with a grandma who wore an outfit very similar to the ones that Nabiki walked passed by all around the place, only darker and worn out.

She didn’t pay it too much attention though, too focused on running towards the women, and when she finally was close enough she reached for the hem of her mom’s dress and pulled it down a few times to get the woman’s attention.

“Mommy! Mommy!” She cried out happily when the redhead looked down in surprise, showing off the blue, flower shaped hair ornament. “Look what I found!”

Walking back from the mall with her hands full of bags, Ranma couldn’t help but sigh. She couldn't decide between being happy that she was able to find this chinese shop and buy the fabric she wanted or being angry at the store owner for setting her prices so high. It would be an easy choice if the lightness of her wallet was only caused by the high prices, but that wasn’t really the case either.

The redhead didn’t fully understand it but as she stepped into that mall with Nabiki it was as if she powered up, sort of like those characters she often played as in the arcade. Suddenly, she’d realized that the girl's hair had started to look really messy and would certainly use some new shampoo and conditioner. And somehow she even remembered one brand that she thought that Kasumi used in the past and was able to find something similar for the kids and bought it.

And then there was another issue, she thought while massaging her temples. While she and Nabiki had definitely bought more than Ranko wanted to buy - save for the pain from spending so much money - she realized that she’d had much more fun than usual.

Still, I don’t get what Nabiki-chan was thinking when she decided to buy this thing for Kasumi. The redhead shook her head, remembering the triumphant, wide smile the little brunette had while showing her the cheap looking flower ornament. That girl didn't even have one pair of clip earrings, I don’t think she would like that gift… it is pretty though, she had to admit. It looks kinda familiar… An… Orchid? I think?

Thinking about the gift the redhead felt a headache threatening to strike at her at any moment. The outfit wasn’t the only thing she wanted to give her oldest, though unlike the costume, she had no basis other than her own thoughts and ideas. She’d promised to show Kasumi their family style martial arts but except for the basic principals she didn’t have much to work with.

She was trying to create something around the vague concepts she’d heard from Soun and Akane in the past, but while she already had experience with making her own techniques, creating an entire fighting style was something else entirely. Surprisingly she was making a lot of progress lately, but it was still too little to call it a proper martial art, even if almost all the moves she’d thought of seemed to flow together naturally…

It's a start though, and it’s not like I need to teach her everything right away, she tried to convince herself inwardly.

“Mom, can I help with dinner when we get back?” Nabiki’s voice brought her back from her musings.

The question came as a surprise. Usually after they came back the little brunette would go right to Yen and start petting and playing with him for quite some time before doing anything else. Come to think of it…

“Aren’t you supposed to clean the litterboxes today?” She asked, vaguely recalling which chores she assigned to the sisters. The girls were doing alright with them but even so, because they were so young, Ranko still needed to make sure they remembered them, especially Akane. Kasumi was the least forgetful but even she would slip up every once in a while, which meant that even though she didn't want to deal with those kittens in any way shape or form she was forced to keep tabs on the little creatures whether she liked it or not.

“I will do that too.” Nabiki replied, determined. “Akane is still at Yuka’s house anyway so… I wanted to learn to cook too.”

Ranma looked at the little girl when a sudden realization hit her. Ever since that day with the neko-ken, she noticed that day after day the girls started to gravitate around her much more than before, asking her questions, wanting to help and overall just spending more and more time with her during the day. Nabiki wasn’t an exception, and just because somewhere deep inside of her head the redhead still had the image of the unapproachable ‘Ice Queen’ it didn’t mean that this Nabiki was just like her. In fact she was basically the opposite and just like her sisters she craved her mother’s attention.

Well, I guess a mom’s job is teaching her kids certain life skills, right? She thought, still feeling kind of embarrassed referring to herself as a ‘mom’, even inwardly. I need to teach all three of them how to at least fix an easy meal sooner or later. And Akane really monopolizes my attention every time she’s in the kitchen. I should at least try to find some time to teach Kasumi and Nabiki how to cook too…

“Sure sweetie, why not?” She said, ruffling the kid’s hair with a light smile. “But you will still need to deal with those litterboxes before…”

Her words were cut short by the sudden noise, it was muffled but still clearly audible for the martial artist’s sensible hearing: a child’s cry from just around the corner.

Nabiki quickly realized that something had caught her mother's attention, turning in the direction of Ranma's eyes. The redhead didn’t even think about it as her body moved on its own directed by the principles of the honorable martial artist. It was one of the few things that her pop hammered into her head that she actually held dear. The first and probably the most important one was to protect the weak, and there wasn’t anyone more weak and vulnerable than a child.

The redhead walked slowly and carefully, not wanting to spook the crying kid but also to let her own kid be able to keep up without needing to speed walk or run after her. A few moments later both of them were standing ‘eye to eye’ with a small boy who couldn’t be much older than Nabiki-chan and was sitting next to the wall of some old house, hiding his face in his knees. The only things visible were his short, black hair and dirty, slightly torn clothes.

No matter how you look at it, this kid must’ve been abandoned on the streets, she thought feeling bad for the boy.

Seeing this, Nabiki cocked her head curiously to the side and asked “Why are you crying?”

The sudden question seemed to startle the kid who winced and stopped crying, glancing up from behind his knees, looking rattled and embarrassed.

“I-I…” He started but when he looked higher and glanced at Ranko’s face he retreated slightly, looking down once again as if he was scared.

The redhead smiled at that, it was a natural reaction for a kid to be wary of the adults but she never thought that someone could be that scared of a petite girl in a sundress. Not that she wasn’t dangerous, but she doubted that anyone would really notice that. Maybe the kid is just sharp? Or was abused? She thought, thinking about all the training her pop forced her to endure when she was more or less that age.

She shook her head to clear her mind from the unpleasant memories and crouched down next to the boy.

“Are you lost?” She asked with a smile, trying to sound nice and harmless. No need to assume the worst. Not yet, at least.

He still didn’t respond to her, but he did look up at her, though, and after a few heartbeats of simply starting it seemed like whatever internal battle was raging in his mind must have ended because his whole body relaxed slightly and he nodded at her.

She nodded back, pleased that they were finally getting somewhere and that it wasn’t likely a case of child abandonment. Unlike with adults that were on their own, with a kid she would need to go to the police station and probably fill out a bunch of paperwork, or even go through questioning, and all of that would take time. Something she didn’t really have.

This would be much simpler and more straightforward.

“Do you live somewhere around here?” She asked again, leaning slightly forwards. “What's your name, kiddo?”

Apparently accepting that she wasn’t suspicious, the boy finally stopped hiding behind his knees, showing his dirty face and torso. Ranma’s heart skipped a beat in surprise as she saw a small, yellow and black bandana hanging loosely from his neck. It had probably slipped off his head, which is why she didn't notice it earlier.

No way…

“R-ryoga.” The boy said, sniffling, still looking cautiously at her face. “Ryoga Hibiki. My m-mom’s in I-Itabashi, I think..”

At that moment she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry, What were the odds? she thought, looking at this world’s Ranma’s future rival, now barely a six or seven years old kid. But really, to start getting lost so early, Ryoga really had it rough, didn't he? While I didn’t know where we were going most of the time, I at least always had pops with me, so I guess I was a lucky one, wasn’t I?

For a moment she wondered what she should do with the boy. The same way as with Nabiki, a part of her brain still wanted to treat him as the Hibiki she once knew, but she strangled the thought as quickly as it appeared. He wasn’t. At this moment he was just a lost kid who still wasn’t used to it and was clearly very frightened and distressed by the whole thing.

And she was a martial artist, bound by her oath to help the weak and helpless.

“I see,” she started, standing up. “My name’s Ranko Tendo and this is Nabiki. I’m sorry to say it but we’re a little far away from Itabashi,” she continued, shifting all of her bags to one arm and reaching down towards him with the other. “Wanna come with us? A house is a much better place to stay than this sidewalk, plus we have a phone. We can call your mom and tell her that you’re safe with us.”

Ryoga glanced skeptically at the offered hand for a few more heartbeats, a part of Ranko wondered if maybe he’ll refuse but then something shifted in his eyes and he reached out, grabbing her hand with a desperate squeeze.

“Good choice,” she nodded, pleased. “Our house is not far from here. Come on, let’s fix you something to eat… and maybe give you a shower. You look like one could do you some good.”

“No need to thank me, Shiori-san,” said Ranma, holding the phone to her ear. She was really glad that she still remembered Hibiki's phone number. All of those scams and pranks she did on the Lost Boy weren't for nothing. “As I said, Ryoga is safe and sound. I would walk him back to you first thing in the morning but I have a very important guest visiting us so maybe you could come here instead to pick him up? If it is ok with you of course, normally I would do it but it's really important for me so…”

“Don’t worry about it, Ranko-san,” came the reply, the woman’s voice was warm and strong, now that she knew her son was ok. “If anything it’s me who should be apologizing, you’re taking care of my boy even though you don’t know him…”

“Not a problem, really,” The redhead waved her off, her eyes fixated on the black and white kitten that was constantly watching her ever since she picked up the phone, as if waiting for permission to play or come closer for some snuggles… both things Ranko definitely wouldn’t let allow to happen. “I’ve gotta go now, Shiori-san. If anything else happens I’ll call you right away.”

“Of course, sorry for keeping you for so long,” said the Hibiki’s Matriarch, sounding slightly apologetic. “Thank you again for looking after my little Ryoga, you’re a lifesaver, Ranko-san. Truly.”

She didn’t really feel like a lifesaver, more like someone who was taking stray after stray that life kept throwing at her. First the kittens, then Ryoga… who next? Ukyo? Konatsu? Ranma didn't know how it happened but it really felt like someone was making fun of her… and the worst of it was that she really couldn’t do anything about it.

This world’s Ryoga was still just an innocent boy, so I suppose that I should act like a responsible adult and just take care of him until his mom comes to pick him up. She still couldn’t quite get used to the fact that right now she was a grown up woman. The only times she’d ever talked with Ryoga’s mother were when she was very young so there was always this child and adult dynamic between them. Now they were talking as equals… it was a little wild to her no matter how she thought about it.

After she ended her call, Ranma put the receiver back on the hook and - making sure to keep her distance from C-chan - she escaped back into the washitsu just as the kids were supposed to start their dinner.

The normal routine for the meal would be that one or more of the girls would join her in the kitchen to learn and help her prepare dinner, then all of them would eat and clean plates together. That should be the case but Ryoga's arrival made it impossible.

A boy - especially one of a similar age - never really came into their house so it was quite an event, to the point that if she didn’t send him to take a bath while she prepared the meal, Nabiki would probably drag him around the whole house, making a mess of things in the process. Fortunately since she asked to help her in the kitchen, the redhead was able to drag the small brunette with her and keep her busy for quite some time.

Akane who came back from Yuka-chan’s house a little bit later was also very happy that someone new came to visit, but she was more interested in playing with the cats or doing some ‘playing pretend’ games than getting to know Ryoga as more than just as a potential playmate.

And well, he actually didn’t look that much different from other kids when he finally came back from the furo, the fact that he didn’t need any help or didn’t get lost while in the bathroom was actually quite impressive to the redhead… until she looked at the black haired boy’s new attire, after that she needed to fight very hard to not start giggling at her temporary house guest.

As a place with exclusively young girls, the Dojo didn’t really have any boy clothes for Ryoga to wear, so while his own things were in a washing machine Ranko had quite a difficult - and funny - challenge to choose some things for the boy to wear and not embarrassed him too much in the process. Even if that was quite tempting.

Eventually she settled on one of Akane’s oversized yellow t-shirts with cute, big duckling on the front and Kasumi’s overalls that almost fit, although from his naked ankles it was clear that it was slightly shorter than she thought it would be. Overall, it wasn’t a masculine wear by any means, at best one could say that it was a unisex get up… making Ryoga look cute, in a tomboyish kind of way.

Ranma couldn’t help but be amused at the sight, but fought really hard to hide that from showing on her face. It would really complete the look if he wore his bandana as a hair ribbon…

She would probably need to explain his presence to Soun, whenever he got back from this whole board meeting or whatever he was called to do today, but that was a thought for another time. At that moment, the redhead was joining the four children at the table, trying to figure out what happened while she was on the phone.

“You’re mom should come to pick you up first thing in the morning, Ryoga-kun,” she said, smiling reassuringly to the Lost Boy. “Or at least I think she will. But you’ll stay with us until she can, so you don’t need to worry about anything.”

Ryoga nodded, glancing sheepishly at the redhead, but never really keeping eye contact with her for more than a few seconds. Is he shy or nervous around me? That’s… actually adorable, she thought looking at the boy with an amused half smile.

“So, Ryoga-kun, do you know martial arts?” Asked Kasumi when most of the food was finished and everyone else was seated around the table, full and - in the case of Nabiki and Akane - clearly quite sleepy. Her oldest was the last one to get to meet Ryoga and wasn’t able to talk to him at all until now… and she was clearly dying to do that.

The kittens had already learned from experience and were sitting close by, hoping that their mommies would give them any scraps of food while Ranma was trying to listen to the children’s conversation while ignoring their hungry stares.

“M-martial arts?” Ryoga asked, clearly still not used to so much attention. “What's that?”

Ranma stifled a giggle. Of course the Lost Boy never really learned any proper martial arts, at least not that the redhead would know of so it’s understandable that he wouldn't know what it is, especially at that age.

She was about to join in and explain it to him but Akane was a little faster.

“It’s something you do when someone wants to fight you!” Her youngest blurted out with one hand in the air as if she was in the classroom. It was positively adorable…

…and not at all accurate.

“Oh!” Ryoga’s eyes shone with sudden understanding. Ranma watched all of this with great amusement while trying to keep a straight face and waiting for the best moment to intervene. “W-well if that's what it is, then I know some of it…” The boy replied looking a little embarrassed under the eldest Tendo sister’s hopeful gaze.

Kasumi leaned over the table looking at Ryoga, her eyes shining with excitement Ranma had never seen before.

“Really? Great! Wanna spar?” She said, bombarding the boy with questions, making him move away from her a little. “It’s been ages since I’ve sparred with someone who’s not from our dojo.”

Ryoga looked like he wished he could make himself smaller or turn invisible if only that would make everyone else forget about him for a second. The redhead sympathised with the poor guy, wondering if she’d just watched the origin of his ‘I don't know how to talk to women’ thing that sabotaged his every attempt to talk to Akane or… basically every other woman on the planet.

“I-I…” Ryoga stuttered, sheepishly looking away trying to figure out what to do.

If it was the Ryoga she knew, Ranma wouldn’t do anything. Well, maybe she’d have a laugh or something. But this wasn’t the same Ryoga. She’d promised his mother that she would keep an eye on him and right now he was clearly in a pinch. That was her cue, the redhead cleared her throat making all the kids' heads turn towards her before she looked directly at the boy.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to, Ryoga-kun.” she said, with an understanding smile. “Kasumi just really likes martial arts and she’s excited, but you don't need to do it if it’s uncomfortable.”

Especially when you clearly don’t understand what the term ‘martial arts’ actually means.

Ryoga winced at the sound of her voice, turning all flustered as if he just now realized that Ranma was still there with them, only to turn all pouty when he realized what she’d just said to him.

“I’ll do it!” He blurted out standing up suddenly oozing determination, something that - she only started to realize - was a common trait in a lot of young boys, herself included.

“I’ll spar with you, but…” he trailed off, his previous conviction clearly faltering, making him look away in embarrassment again. “What’s a spar?”

The redhead wanted to hide her face in her hands. I’m done, she thought, trying to maintain her composure. Ryoga clearly didn't suddenly turn all dumb in middle school, he was like that from the start. I gave him the perfect way out and he blew it… fine then, he’ll just have to learn I guess.

“It’s something you do when you want to see how skilled you are compared to your opponent. I think it could be quite good for you now that I think about it,” she said, feeling a little bad by ignoring the boy’s question but justifying it by treating this as a life lesson. “But you need to wait a few minutes. You just ate and I don’t want any of you to have an upset stomach or worse.”

Of course it wasn’t entirely true, she could eat a whole meal and fight afterwards no problem. The difference was that they were still kids and she’d just cleaned up the whole dojo the other day, so there was no way that she was going to clean fresh puke stains from the floor if everything’s gonna go exactly as she thought they would.

“Especially you, Ryoga-kun. I promised your mom that you’d get back to her safe and sound and I wouldn’t want…” She paused for a second, hiding a growing smirk behind her hand. “I wouldn’t want to betray a parent to parent promise. Who knows how far your mom might chase after me.”

Just need to make sure Kasumi won't go too far. Even if Ryoga has an insanely tough constitution he’s still a kid after all…

“…So first all of you will help me with the dishes,” she finished taking a long, unwavering look at the kids.”

Unsurprisingly her words meet fierce resistance in the form of big puppy eyes and weak sounding pleas. Akane and Nabiki didn’t want to do anything, claiming that today’s day left them tired and sleepy - which was a lie, Ranma knew very well that they only needed a short nap for their batteries to be completely recharged - while Kasumi wanted to go to the dojo now and do the dishes later. The only one that didn’t complain was Ryoga, who just got up wordlessly and started stacking the plates, clearly happy for the change in topic, and the girls no longer focussing on him.

The redhead stood up slowly, joining him while waving at the girls.

“Come on, let’s go!” she said, ignoring her kids’ pouty faces as if they weren’t there and picking up the cups and chopsticks. “And remember, no spars until all of those dishes are sparkly clean!”

As the five of them entered the dojo, Ranko watched with a hint of amusement as Ryoga’s neck bent backwards with his head looking up at the ceiling in childish awe.

“Wooow, it’s so big!” He said excited looking curiously around the place.

The rest of the girls joined the Lost Boy, but in the case of Nabiki and Akane it looked more like they were dragging their feet after the rest of the group and just plopped up next to the wall and watched silently. They looked beat and sleepy making the redhead wonder if she actually should just send them for that nap instead of taking them along with her.

Kasumi on the other hand was trailing just after Ryoga, cocking her head at him.

“You’ve never been in a dojo?” She asked bewildered.

The boy shook his head, looking at the slightly taller brunette.

“No, this is my first time. It’s really cool though,” he said with an excited smile, which quickly dimmed as look around once more, realizing that he’d wandered exactly into the center of the room. “So, we’re gonna… spar now?” He asked, looking lost and unsure of what he was supposed to do.

When Ranma stepped in, she might have thought that all of this was a joke and had no real expectation from this fight, but she was still - self proclaimed but still - a master of this dojo and had certain standards to uphold, especially in front of her family.

“Yeah,” she nodded, walking towards the two of them. “It’s just a friendly match so you don’t need to worry, Ryoga-kun.” She added, sounding more reassuring while patting him on the shoulder.

“You stand there and Kasumi will stay here,” She explained, pointing at the two opposite sides of the dojo. “As for what exactly the ‘spar’ is…” Ranma continued. "When I say ‘begin!’ Kasumi is going to attack you. You just do whatever you do to defend yourself. And once again, don’t worry, it’s just a game, ok?”

In the corner of her eye the redhead saw her oldest was about to object but one gesture from her master was enough to make her stop. Ryoga was no martial artist, not yet anyway and she didn’t want to overwhelm him. It was good enough for now to let him think that it’s nothing more than a harmless game… although Kasumi probably didn’t think that way. I guess I miscalculated a little bit, she thought to herself with a grimace. Maybe I should just call it quits? Suddenly I feel really bad that I even allowed this to happen.

“O-ok,” he said, walking towards the place Ranma had shown him just a moment earlier. He then turned around, facing the brunette putting on an awkward stance and just stood there unsure of what else he should do. “So I just need to do what I always do when someone is angry and wants to fight with me?” He asked again, clearly still oblivious to what exactly a ‘spar’ means.

The redhead looked at the two kids before her, both of them seemed determined to go with it. Even if Ryoga was a little bit more tense and uneasy looking than Kasumi he still didn’t look like he would just back down. Maybe he thinks about it like a challenge? She wondered, feeling a slight pang of approval at the thought. She herself never backed down from a challenge fight so she could understand the boy… even if he didn't really have any chance at actually beating her oldest. Whatever, I’ll just step in the moment I’ll think it’s going too far and end it.

“That’s right,” She nodded reluctantly, standing just between the two. “Oh!” She winced at her slip up. “The most important thing. If I say stop, stop immediately. Alright, ready?” She asked, looking at them once more.

She waited for them to nod to her. “Begin!” she shouted.

Just as she expected, Kasumi shoots forward from her side and quickly shortens the distance between them, sending a hard, precise punch right towards Ryoga's face. What she didn’t expect was that the Lost Boy casually jumped out of the way, missing brunette’s blow by the hair.

It didn't stop there either. After freezing for a moment Kasumi went after the Lost Boy again, with blow after blow trying to shorten the distance between them while Ryoga desperately avoided every time, dashing to the side and jumping back like a rabbit or a monkey. It didn't resemble the boulder-like fighting style Ranma was used to seeing him use at all. If anything it looked more like the basic moves of the Saotome style, or a gymnastics routine…

Come to think of it, there was that one time Ryoga offered to train Akane with martial arts rhythmic gymnastics…

“Why won’t you fight me!?” Kasumi yelled, looking frustrated. Granted she was still much more in control than Akane was during their first spar, but Ranko’d never seen her this angry before either.

“B-but Ranko-san said that I should do what I do when someone is attacking me?” Ryoga asked a little confused while jumping away from another low kick from the brunette who huffed with frustration before going after him once more.

Wait, what? She thought, suddenly realizing that she may have made a huge mistake. Even though he was a six or seven years old scrawny kid, somehow in her mind he should still be able to give or take at least a few punches… the idea of Ryoga Hibiki being unable to defend himself or fight back was simply impossible for the redhead to grasp.

But looking at him now, that was clearly anything but true. This boy didn't know how to fight back at all, running away from the danger like he was born for it.

He really does have a talent for it, she thought, eyes glued to Ryoga’s body constantly moving, nearly getting hit but always somehow slipping away at the last moment. It was really a sight to behold, especially against Kasumi who was really good, well above her age range.

How could someone like that end up as… Ryoga? She wondered trying to understand but failing miserably to do so.

No matter how it happened back then, it didn't change the fact that right now Ranma let a boy with no training spar with Kasumi, a girl that had basically lived in the dojo ever since she was able to walk. It made her feel dirty watching such an unfair fight and knowing that she’d agreed to it.

If only Ryoga knew how to fight, he could actually be a good sparring partner for Kasumi, a brief thought passed through her mind, making her pause for a moment. It was an idea that she would never entertain if he was the guy she knew back then, but this was different… plus she felt kinda bad about this whole situation and that could be a way to sort of make up for it. But still, it’s Ryoga after all…

Oh, who cares…?

“Ok, stop!” The redhead commanded, realizing that prolonging the fight didn’t make any sense and would only make Kasumi more and more angry… which was something she really didn't wanna do.

Especially if both of them start seeing each other more often from now on.

I can’t believe I’m doing this, she thought, remembering all the times she and the Lost Boy fought each other and how much of a nuisance he was ever since her trip to China. But it would be such a waste not to…

“Ryoga-kun,” she started walking towards the boy, who after making sure that Kasumi - although still glaring at him while looking upset and irritated - stopped going after him, laid down on the floor panting heavily. “I don’t think you’re ready to challenge Kasumi-chan just yet,” she nodded towards her oldest. “But you do have a lot of potential and it would be a waste to just leave it like that, so…” she took a deep breath before reaching out to him, “...wanna join the Tendo Dojo?”

Chapter Text

Ryoga was about to cry.

This time, however, he didn't feel like crying because he was sad or frightened but because of the warm, welcoming smile that Ranko made while handing him another bowl of rice.

He was already used to being called a crybaby. A lot of people would call him that whenever they found him after getting lost again.

It happened to the lost boy a lot, and not only just to him, but his mom and dad as well. He already knew the drill, trying to stay near one of his parents for as long as possible, to the point of even trying to hold it in and not going to the bathroom often, scared of wandering off again. It worked for a time but eventually he would always get lost again, quickly getting cold, hungry, scared and alone…

Sometimes some people would help him, ask him who he was, where he lived, where his parents were. Those kinds of people were good, and they mostly helped him find his way home eventually. They were much better than the ones that pretended not to see him. They were never truly nice to him but at least they tried to help.

This was the first time that someone took him in and for Ryoga it felt a little overwhelming.

Ranko not only took him with her, she let him take a hot bath, gave him fresh clothes and even a warm home cooked meal and a clean futon to sleep on.

The clothes were warm and felt nice on his skin, but weren’t really his style; they were borrowed from the older redhead’s daughter’s after all so he probably shouldn’t be wearing them. He was told that his own clothes were already in the washing machine so he had no choice but to stick with what he was given for the time being.

At least they are comfy, he thought as he nodded towards Ranko san and started stuffing his face with rice and some more fish that she’d also sent his way a moment later. The young Hibiki knew better than to not appreciate the food, especially in a home when his mom or dad could get lost as easily as he did. He quickly learned where his parents kept all the canned foods and instant meals in case of his mom being unable to make something for him to eat. He almost always ate with at least one of his parents away from their dinner table.

That said, the atmosphere in the Tendos house was different than in Ryoga’s. It looked as if the meal wouldn’t start before everyone - including the somewhat intimidating older man with a mustache that Ryoga hadn’t seen the day before - sat at the table. It was probably because there were a lot more people but heed never seen so much food on the table at the same time, still steaming and with a smell that almost instantly made a small boy salivate at the very idea of being able to - as he was told - eat to his heart's content.

“You don’t need to eat that fast,” said Ranko looking amused at his stuffed face as he was struggling to swallow everything he put in there. “The meal will taste much better if you savor it. That said, I only learned that recently myself, so…”

Ryoga’s hand froze for a moment as his whole attention was focused on trying to not suffocate and only after he could finally breathe did he realize what she’d told him, immediately making him feel embarrassed remembering his own mom saying something similar to him a lot in the past.

“I-I’m sorry,” he said looking down awkwardly at his borrowed overalls, only now noticing the mess he’d made around himself. “It’s j-just because all of it was so good…” he trailed off, sensing his cheeks getting slightly pink as he said it.

He still thought that his mom’s cooking was the best but Ranko's wasn't much worse, maybe even on par with her. Ryoga’s dad once said that a mother’s cooking was the best because of the love she’s always pouring into her cooking, and that’s why he should always be grateful whenever he was able to eat something she made for him.

Kasumi-san and her sisters are really lucky, they can eat their mom’s cooking every day, he thought, swallowing the rest of his meal and looking at the three girls happily munching their own food with no care in the world. They were a very weird bunch, but he couldn’t say they weren’t nice and funny to be around… maybe except the time in the dojo, that was a little scary.

Ryoga still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to join the dojo - it would mean training with Ranko’s oldest daughter after all - but he really had enough of running away every time he stumbled on some dog or irritable grown up that suddenly got really angry when Ryoga walked into his house by accident. If he learned how to defend himself, maybe he wouldn’t be so scared of all of that anymore?

Ranko promised that she would teach him how to defend himself and he couldn’t help but believe her. She was the first person that really helped him except his parents, after all.

Kasumi-san looked up from her own meal glancing between him and her mom with a hopeful expression.

“Are we going to train with Ryoga today?” She asked, making the Lost Boy shudder a little bit as her angry and irritated face from yesterday flashed before his eyes. Will I need to run away from her again? He thought already feeling the ache in his whole body from the day before.

Is she really a girl? He wondered, thinking about all the girls he’d met in school. Kasumi-san didn’t resemble any of them, with her slightly rougher speech and this strange fixation on martial arts. Isn't she supposed to be less aggressive and more delicate? She doesn't really feel like a typical girl to me…

The redhead took a sip of her tea and shook her head at her daughter’s question.

“Don’t think so sweetie,” she replied, making the Lost Boy make a quiet sigh of relief. “Ryoga may have talent but he still needs to work on his fundamentals. He’s not a punching bag, but your fellow student now, so he needs to at least learn a few basic things first before I’ll let you spar with him again...”

He couldn’t help but nod along, feeling extremely grateful that he wouldn’t need to be beaten up by the brunette tomboy. It wasn’t even that he didn’t want to spar with her for real - now that he finally knew what that meant - but he really would prefer to at least know how to do something else other than running away.

That said he wasn't in a hurry to go back to the dojo. He’d much rather stay here eating delicious food than getting beaten up on the hard wooden floor.

Inwardly he thanked the Kami that it was Ranko that found him yesterday while stuffing one more mouthful of rice into his mouth while the redhead continued talking to her family.

“...Plus I hope you didn’t forget that we’ll be having a guest today?” The woman said, and by the frozen faces of Kasumi and the youngest girl… Akane, he thought, it seemed like she was spot on and they’d indeed forgotten about it. Ryoga didn’t know who that guest could be. It probably wasn’t even that important to him, since he was only staying here until his mom got here to pick him up…

…which, with her own directional problems, could actually take a while.

Maybe I should start paying more attention to this new person that comes here?

“I’m still shocked that you were able to get a friend,“ said the older man with a mustache. It was the first time he’d spoken since the short and polite ‘good morning’ he gave Ryoga when he sat at the table.

The Lost Boy wondered who exactly this man was. From the fact that he was the only man in the house and looked to be not much older than Ranko, he would probably be her husband. That was his first thought, anyway, but if that was true then the seating places were all wrong, with the redhead sitting in the middle of the table and the mustache man sitting next to Akane as if he wanted to be as far away from her as possible.

He looked as if he’d meant what he said, but immediately afterwards he winced as if he’d made a mistake and glanced nervously towards the redhead. Maybe they had some kind of a fight? He wondered, remembering that his dad also sometimes looked like that whenever he did something that displeased his mother. Women are scary, he realized watching Ranko defeating her husband with just one long stare.

“What does that even mean?” Asked Ranko with one brow raised up and a cold stare that seemed to make the mustache man sweat profusely for some reason. “I bet I have many more friends than you, Soun-kun.“

Ryoga watched all of it with growing interest, wondering if this was how other families were. His parents rarely argued, but whenever that happened, at this point his dad would already start to look down at his hands and apologise to his mom.

Ranko’s husband? was different however. He did look a little scared of the redhead but stood his ground… even if he avoided looking her straight in the eyes the entire time.

“When will your friend be here?“ He grumbled, picking at his food and taking a mouthful of rice, chewing slowly with his eyes closed.

Ranko shook her head, chuckling quietly before getting another sip of tea.

“Not long, maybe an hour or two,” she replied before looking at her daughters. “I will go to pick her up in a bit so I would like to ask you girls to not make too much of a mess when I’m gone, alright?“

All three girls immediately stopped doing whatever they were doing, focusing all their attention on the redhead.

“Yes!“ They replied, food still in the mouths of the two of them, but Ranko didn’t seem to mind, smiling at her girls affectionately just as Ryoga's mom would do from time to time whenever he would do something… well, he didn’t really get what exactly it was that he did, but it seemed to make her laugh so it must have been a right thing to do.

Looks like in the Tendo Household things looked more or less the same as in his house.

“Good,” she said, looking satisfied before glancing at the Lost Boy which made him wince a little, surprised that he suddenly had her attention. “Ryoga-kun, I’m sorry that you got caught up with this, but until your mom shows up I need to ask you to bear with it. I’m sure she won’t take long.“

He wasn’t so sure about that. He didn’t really understand how it worked, if there was something wrong with them or if they were cursed, but there was always a chance that he or his parents would suddenly get lost and would have trouble finding their way back to each other. His mom once decided to go buy groceries and didn’t get back for four whole days.

He only hoped that it wouldn't be the case this time. Ranko was very nice and welcoming, but Ryoga doubted that any grown up would be pleased with a sudden guest for more than a day.

Please Kami-sama, let mom come here soon, he prayed inwardly, fidgeting in place.

“I don’t mind, Ranko-san, t-thank you.“ He said sheepishly while looking at his knees, fearing that all of the things he’d just thought about would be reflected on his face.

“Do you need anything from me?“ Soun asked begrudgingly, making the redhead shift her attention to him once more.

In the corner of his eye Ryoga saw Ranko tapping one finger on her chin looking into the distance with a pondering look on her face.

“Not really, no,” she said after a long pause. “Just try not to make a fool of yourself in front of our guest, alright?“ She added, sending him a really pretty smile. At first Ryoga thought that she was just being nice but then he realized that the redhead’s eyes weren’t smiling at all. Ryoga knew those eyes, his own mom would look like that at his dad from time to time. Mister Tendo is in trouble, he realized.

Soun seemed to realize that too, because he didn’t say anything else after that.

After making sure that no one had anything else to say about it, Ranko nodded her head with satisfaction and got up from the floor in one fluid and graceful motion.

“Great! Now t-” the redhead trailed off as the three cats that Ryoga couldn't remember the names of suddenly sprung towards the table, as if Ranko standing up was some sort of command allowing them to join in for a meal. “...G-girls, can you take care of your kittens while I start getting ready?” She said in an unusual, tense voice. “I don’t want to… to have any fur on my clothes, that’s all.“

As the sisters chased after their cats and the redhead retreated back to her room, Ryoga couldn’t help but feel a pang of relief. It turns out he wasn’t the only one with a weird family.

“So you say that his best friend that he talked so much about lived so close this entire time and Genma never told me about it?” asked Nodoka as both redheads walked through Nerima only a few streets away from the Tendo Dojo.

Ranma looked up at the clear blue sky, feeling her skirt brush against her legs in the light breeze. It was such a nice, lazy day that didn’t at all deserve to be wasted thinking about Genma Saotome. Even, so she knew that her mother needed it and - in some way - she needed it as well. It felt almost therapeutic, talking about the man that made her life the way it was with no consideration for her feelings.

That said, it didn’t mean that the old panda was always at fault...

“I’m not sure if that’s necessarily true.” She replied, glancing at her mother walking gracefully next to her in the same kimono she’d worn the first time they’d met at the canal all those months ago. “Soun married into ou… into the Tendo Family years ago, but from what I know the last time they saw each other they were both still Ronins.” She held her chin and tapped at it absentmindedly a few times. “And yet when I was sixteen he knew exactly where we should go… I seriously don’t get it, now that I think about it.”

Just how many things were there that I didn’t realize what exactly was happening back then? She wondered, remembering all those times she and pops would stay in some village or temple for a few days. Most times it would be for some quick work or to learn some new technique, at least that was what Ranna would do.

All the while Gemma already had plans to marry her to the Tendo’s. It still felt so infuriating to think about.

Not if I have anything to say about it, she thought, already determined to step in the first moment Soun brought it up. If one of her girls ended up with this world’s Ranma, it would happen naturally, not because of some ridiculous promise between two pathetic men.

“And these three girls I’m about to meet, they’ll be you-, I mean your brother’s fiances?” Nodoka asked, looking a little embarrassed by her mistake. Ranko didn’t really mind. The situation was so complicated that even she still had problems wrapping her head around it from time to time, and she’d lived through it. “I still can’t believe that he did that and never even told me about it… I’ll need to have a word with him when he finally gets back.”

As she said that, her mother had this wistful expression on her face just like she did every time the topic of Genma’s return came up. She really misses him, maybe even loves him… I don’t get it, she thought walking by the other redhead letting both of them just be like that for a few moments. Genma Saotome isn't a man I would like to end up with, and mom doesn't hold back either, she knows that he’s full of shit no matter how righteous he tries to make himself seem… so why?

It was the sort of mystery she probably didn’t really want to know the answer to. It was probably better this way.

“By all means mom, I would also like to ask him a thing or two,” she said, although knowing pop she probably wouldn't get any real answers, no matter how much she tried.

But with both her and her mother looking the same, maybe she could at least enjoy a good show. Her lips curled up on their own at the thought of Genma Saotome’s face after confronting both of them… it will be quite hilarious for sure.

“Fortunately we may be able to get in touch with him and Ranma a little sooner than I thought we would.” She continued, looking back at everything that happened the day before and couldn't help but smirk at the recollection.

Nodoka glanced at her, surprised mixed with hope on her face.

“What do you mean by that?”

Ranma hesitated, a little taken aback by her reaction; only to scold herself inwardly. Way to go, Ranko, very smooth…

“I… I may have picked up a boy yesterday,” she began her explanation, suddenly finding it hard to find the words.” A very special boy actually, and…”

“Wait,” Nodoka cut her off, looking at her strangely. “What do you mean, you just ‘picked him up’, Ran-..., Ranko?”

Ranko blinked a few times realizing that her mother was looking at her with more than a little worry and confusion visible on her face. She slowed down for a moment to match Nodoka’s slower pace and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before she carried on.

“I found him on the street, he got lost… again.” She starts again with a sigh feeling her mother’s eyes practically burning holes into her face. Why do I feel like a criminal all of a sudden?

“His name’s Ryoga Hibiki, he’s just a harmless little boy right now but… in a few years he’ll end up going to the same school as Ranma…” She trailed off once again feeling this strange sense of disassociation, basically talking about herself but not really, at least not anymore. It was really confusing. “We were sworn rivals… and sort of friends ever since middle school.”

She still couldn’t believe that Ryoga - the brash, always depressed and noisy guy that was chasing after her yelling ‘prepare to die!’ every time they met each other could be this small, cute boy that was too shy to look her in the eyes for more than a few seconds. Honest to Kami, she needed to fight with herself to not pinch his cheeks back then when he asked to help with breakfast while his eyes were glued to his own feet.

The moment Ranko finished, it looked as if Nodoka suddenly deflated as if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

“Oh, thank the Kami,” the older redhead said with a huge sigh of relief.

Looking at her mother’s reaction, the youngest girl could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment, still not getting what Nodoka was even hinting at.

“Oh come on mom, do you really think I… I don't know, kidnapped him or something?” She asked, rolling her eyes at the thought.

The older redhead looked at her for a moment as if debating if she should say something more but in the end she just shook her head with a nervous chuckle.

“I’m sorry sweetie but you really should choose your words more carefully,” she said before composing herself some more. “So… this Ryoga Hibki…”

“…will take us to Ranma. In time.” Ranko finished, glad that the conversation got back on track, at least partially. The aftertaste of her mother thinking something strange about her still lingered, making her awkward and self-conscious.

Fortunately Nodoka didn’t notice, too caught up in her own musings.

“That’s… good. That’s very good,” she said to herself. “Pity that the only thing we can do is wait… I feel sick knowing that I’ll need to wait years just to see my son again,” She trailed off looking at her daughter apologetically. “I’m sorry, Ranko, I’m very glad that I have a daughter now too, it’s just that…”

“…it’s different,” the younger redhead finished. “I get it mom.”

I guess I would also be confused and conflicted about suddenly getting another kid. And almost the same age as me at that, Ranma thought, trying to ignore a slight ache in her chest. She was already more than grateful that Nodoka didn't just call her crazy and chase her out.It would probably be asking too much to be fully accepted right off the bat… even if she couldn’t help to wish for it anyway, knowing that she probably couldn't do that herself, either.

“It’s different for me too,” she admitted as both of them started to walk into the more familiar area of Nerima. “I kind of get my own - even if a little different - family now, which feels crazy to me. Like I’m living two lives at the same time.”

Not even mentioning the fact that it was starting to overlap in Ranko’s mind as of late. She’d only realized it a few days ago but recently it’d really started getting a little confused trying to remember if some things she remembered had happened to her as she was now or to the ‘Ranma’ from the past. That’s why she was so keen to spend much more time talking with Nodoka or trying to meditate more often; it was helping her keep the boundary between both of her identities more tangible. More real.

She was Ranma Saotome with fragmented memories of Ranko Tendo, not the other way around, she needed to remember that. Even if this whole slow merging of both of them seemed to be more and more tempting, she still wasn’t ready to just let it happen.

“Crazy, that's a good word for it.” Nodoka nodded, glancing at her with sympathy. “Like the fact that you are practically raising your own finances.”

Ranma couldn't help but giggle.

“It’s unbelievable," she agreed, making a wry smile, not quite amused but not sarcastic either, sort of a mix of both. “But I wouldn’t say that they could be my fiances, not anymore. Even if I could somehow go back I… I don’t think I would ever be able to see any of them as anything other than those little girls running up to me calling ‘mommy!’ anymore.”

Which isn't really that bad, to be honest, she thought to herself. She could still recall her life with the Tendos, her first spar with Akane, the chaos of her life in Nerima. But now, when she thought about the sisters the first thing that came to mind wasn’t any of those memories. It was the first time that Akane came to her room, hugging her legs after being scared of some bad dream, Nabiki’s wide toothy grin after their first scam at the ice cream shop or Kasumi moving gracefully through her kata looking more alive than ever before.

The memories of the Tendo Sisters from before she was sent back into the past were still very dear to Ranma, but the ones she was living with now were practically her daughters and so, even the thought of being something else beside that was just so wrong and strange that I didn't even wanna think about it.

Nodoka sent her a sad but understanding smile.

The rest of the walk was spent in comfortable silence, as if both redheads had already said everything they wanted to say and were now just quietly enjoying the scenery and each other's presence. It was something Ranma didn’t really experience much in her previous time, always busy keeping up her cover, and after she was found out, to maintain the image of a man among men to keep their family sword in its sheet.

Now however they were walking comfortably, the blade left at the small shrine in her mothers house and no real secrets between them, almost like a dream come true… if not for the fact that to almost everyone else in this world they were both strangers, but even so, the younger redhead was happy and content with what she had, counting the small blessings she was given in this life.

And so not even a half an hour later, Ranma could already see the familiar walls appearing from between the other houses' rooftops, just around the corner.

“Oh, there it is: the Tendo Dojo,” she said pointing at the familiar building, not knowing if what she’d just started to feel was more anxiousness or excitement… or maybe a mix of two. Either way, they finally reached their destination.

She couldn't stop wondering what everyone would think as soon as they crossed the gate.

So this is the place, she thought, glancing at the impressive looking estate, wondering just how many things her husband kept from her; because he knew about this place, she was sure of it. He knew and for some reason didn’t tell her his best friend’s new family name or this place’s location, but why exactly did he do that was a mystery she would hear for herself once he turned up… no matter how many years she needed to wait for it.

At least I won’t need to wait all alone anymore, she thought, a warm feeling spreading from her chest, the memory of her first meeting with ‘Ranko’ vivid in her mind. She was so close to acting rashly and chasing that girl away. The story she’d told her was so naive and unbelievable that any normal person would probably do the same in that situation, right? Time travel? It was something that could happen only in those silly mangas… and yet she’d been so curious where the story was going, so she’d let her speak.

And she was so glad she actually did.

Even though she still had her doubts, even to this day she couldn’t help but want all of it to be true. Ranko knew too much about the Saotome Family and Nodoka’s circumstances for all of it to just be some stupid prank. And the fact that both of them looked like twins… it was honestly really overwhelming and probably the deciding factor of why she’d even let her in in the first place. Yes, there was still the possibility that she could be a yokai, but from all the stories she’d heard they would be much more… skilled with words and were always said to be in control of the situation. Ranko was just too clumsy, too earnest and pure in her intentions. Chasing her away felt almost like beating a puppy or a kitten, clinging to her feet.

And it turns out that this strange woman wasn’t a woman at all… or at least she hadn’t started as one, she thought, still unable to believe that fate could have such an absurd sense of humor. The ‘man among men’ pledge was mostly Genma’s dream for sure, but Nodoka also wished for her little boy to grow up into a strong, manly son she could one day be proud of, one that would meet a great woman to create a family of their own.

And now she was walking side by side with her ‘son’ who not only looked like a spitting image of her, but exuded an aura of femininity no less than Nodoka herself did, her walk and gestures unmistakably that of a woman. The only exception was her rather crude speech, but even that was starting to fade each time the two of them went out into the city. It was as if she was slowly shedding every ounce of masculinity she’d still had.

The Saotome Matriarch had to admit she was conflicted about it. She knew that Genma only really cared about raising a son - he was fixated on Ranma from the very day he was born - but she’d actually wished that she could have also had a daughter and, deep down she couldn’t help but be happy that Ranko came into the picture. It was just… knowing the truth, the fact that she’d gained a daughter at the expense of losing a son, even if it wasn't her ‘original’ son, was still hard to process. Especially knowing that her original Ranma could end up the same way, if they did nothing about it.

Fortunately with Ranko’s knowledge they could do much more for her son in the future. Knowing all of this allowed the older redhead to - for now at least - focus more on her new daughter a little bit more. And there was a lot to focus on regarding her, that’s for sure.

I nearly had a heart attack when she talked about ‘picking up’ that boy… Nodoka thought, not entirely sure why. Maybe because of all those stories Ranko had already told her about the future events that she’d been through, she’s been thinking about her new daughter as someone not as… responsible as she would want her to be. But if that was the case then why did she feel so relieved when Ryoga turned out to be just a little boy she was looking after?

Because you’re worried about your child's sexuality? A small insidious voice whispered in her head. You’re worried that if Ranko and Ranma are the same, then even if Ranma didn’t fall into those cursed springs he wouldn’t be attracted to women? From the look of it, even with so many girls Ranko still didn’t choose any of them in the end…

Nodoka shook her head, trying to strangle the thought, but even so she still shot a worried glance at the younger redhead walking past the Tendo Dojo’s front gate. This ‘Ranma’ was a girl now; she’d said it herself that she couldn’t change back anymore and - strangely - she didn’t really seem to have a problem with that.

If that was the case, then she really hoped that her daughter would find a good man with whom she could get married, even if her mother wouldn’t be able to attend in the way she would want to, it still would be a joyous thing. That would be ok, because she was a woman and no one would bat an eye about it.

But what if her son was the same? Society wouldn’t look kindly on her child, and the social stigma would be something that no child or a parent of that child would want to bear. She didn’t wish that for anyone, the least of which for her own children.

She made a mental note to ask Ranko about later, she needed to know, even if that talk would probably be one of the most embarrassing talks either of them would ever have.

But not now, she thought watching her daughter opening up the door to the main house of the Tendo Dojo. For now she needed to focus on something no less interesting and much more pressing: meeting her unexpected grandchildren.

“Tadaima!” Said the younger redhead and while she did so Nodoka noticed a sudden shift in Ranko's demeanor. Her whole body visibly relaxed and her steps were bouncier and more carefree. As if she’d stepped into her own domain, she thought, watching the display of absolute confidence and authority. It was wonderful to see that, regardless of whether she was a woman or a man, her child was clearly able to take care of herself no matter what, and that she had managed to find a place where she felt as safe as she clearly did here.

“Okaeri!” A chorus of children's voices answered and, a moment later, the sound of little feet running toward them could be heard from inside the house, growing louder and louder with each passing second until the group of four children appeared from around the corner.

Nodoka watched with amusement as a black haired… girl? in overalls was dragged by the hand by the other black haired girl in a cute yellow sundress while trying to keep up with the other two girls, both brunettes that seemed to be racing each other to the front door. They all skidded to a halt, however, the moment the four of them finally saw the two redheads standing together, watching them in the middle of the genkan.

Their surprised faces were really something, but the fact that the two black haired girls hid behind the other two girls was a little too much.

Wait a second, aren’t one of these girls supposed to end up as my daughter-in-law? She thought, looking at the four kids clustered together before them, feeling a myriad of very complicated emotions as the realization hit her like a brick. When did everything become so needlessly complicated?

One of the girls - the black haired one in the sundress - looked up at them, timidly.

“W-who are you?” She asked Nodoka before glancing at Ranko. “Mommy?”

“Are you a yokai?” The slightly shorter brunette asked the older redhead, looking more intrigued than scared, which made Nodoka’s lips curl into a slight smile remembering her own reaction after seeing her daughter for the first time. At least I’m not alone with this one, she thought with a chuckle.

Ranko on the other hand looked a little disappointed at the girl's reaction. It only lasted a second though, with her own stern face also cracking into an amused smile soon after.

“It’s me Bunnygirl,” she said to the black haired girl before turning to the smaller brunette with a slightly more serious expression. “And there’s no such thing as yokai.”

“Sure they are!” Both Nodoka and the girl said at the same time. The older redhead did that more out of habit, feeling fed up with all the people who kept telling her that none of it was real, even though she knew that they were, with Ranko - her child from the future - being a prime example… though she couldn’t tell that to anyone.

She looked at her daughter and felt like saying some more but froze, seeing the look of exasperation and the silent plea in the younger girl’s eyes. She shot a quick glance at the kids, only then realizing that they seemed to be a little bit more anxious than before.

Maybe… maybe it's better to let it go, she thought, relaxing her shoulders and feeling a little embarrassed by being so agitated over such a thing. Kids don’t need to think about such things… I’m Ranko's mom so I should be helping her rather than making things difficult for her… right?

She sent her daughter an apologetic look and nodded at her to continue.

“Anyway…” Ranko started with a sigh. “This is Nodoka Saotome, she’s… she’s my friend.” She introduced her mother before she started pointing at the kids. “And these are my girls. This is Kasumi-chan, the oldest.” She pointed at the tallest girl, the one that didn’t say anything yet but stood like a shield before the rest of the kids. “Next is Nabiki-chan and Akane-chan,” two smaller girls gave small, hesitant bows. “And the last one here is Ryoga-kun.” The last child - the one with overalls winced a little when both redheads looked at him. “He’s the guest I told you about. He’s staying with us until his mom comes to pick him up.”

So he was a boy after all, she thought looking at the small kid that at that moment looked more like a little girl than her son's future rival. The future really seems strange…

“Well, hello there, sweethearts.” said Nodoka, smiling softly at the four children. “I guess our first meeting started a little strange but I’m really happy to see you. Your mom was telling me so much about you…”

“Are you mommy’s sister?” Akane asked, cocking her head slightly, looking from one woman to the other with a curious expression.

“No, we’re not,” both redheads said at the same time looking at the youngest girl.

The children looked at them, then at each other with strange expressions.

“Wow, do you think they practiced this?” Ryoga whispered to Akane, making Nodoka’s eyebrow twitch a little

“We didn’t!” Both redheads cried out simultaneously again, completely contradicting their statement while glancing at each other as if trying to blame each other for the spectacle they’d clearly made of themselves at that moment.

“They did it again!” Nabiki pointed at them laughing at the hilarious scene, with the rest of the kids soon following, filling the genkan with loud, childish laughter.

At least the tension is gone now, Nodoka thought, feeling silly, standing there suddenly ending up as the butt of a joke that, as much as she wanted to deny it… was actually really funny.

“I guess we’re naturals,” she said to Ranko who looked both defeated and amused herself.

Ignoring the fact that they still didn’t clarify to the kids who they were to each other, the first contact with the kids was a success. Nodoka was really happy that they were able to avoid anything troublesome happening because she was curious about the Tendos and she would be really disappointed if something went wrong and she had to leave.

Looking at the kids before her, the older redhead felt an emotion she’d tried so hard to keep hidden, starting to resurfacing once more. The feeling of longing, loss and loneliness that kept her up at night ever since Genma and Ranma went on that cursed training journey. Her house was filled with the same laughter not so long ago, but now the only person that would make any noise in there was Nodoka herself… and Ranko.

It was only then that she realized just how grateful she was for her daughter's presence. Her appearance on her doorstep and the hope she gave was one of the most precious gifts anyone had ever given to Nodoka in her entire life.

And now she was able to spend time with kids her Ranma’s age, and ones that would have so much presence in her son’s future life, it was a blessing the older woman didn’t know how, or even if, she would ever be able to repay.

She decided to start by getting closer to these kids. Taking care of all of them must have taken up all of Ranko’s free time, so maybe she'd be able to take some of that burden from her daughter’s shoulders…

“Alright kids, could you show me the rest of the house?” She asked, leaning slightly towards the kids to catch their attention. “Your mom and I…”

A sudden, loud meowing cut her off. Nodoka looked up and saw three small cats gracefully running towards their group, eyes begging for attention.

“I guess someone’s hungry?” She said, looking with amusement at the three cute furballs rubbing their bodies against the kids legs.

“Aren’t you supposed to feed them?” Asked Ranko, repeatedly taking small steps from the group. The older redhead watched this with a raised eyebrow, a little confused. Is she scared of the cats… in her own house? Why? She pondered, making a mental note to ask about that too, the next time both of them were alone.

“Sorry mom, I forgot!” Said Akane looking down with a guilty look plastered on her face.

“We were playing, sorry mommy!” Nabiki chimed in, making puppy eyes to her mother, they looked so brilliant that Nodoka started laughing at the sight.

“It’s ok, I guess with Ryoga-kun around this was bound to happen,” said the younger redhead, her eyes still glued to the three furry creatures sitting on the floor. “Let’s go into the kitchen so you can feed them like you are supposed to, and while you’re at it you can tell Nodoka-san all about them, alright?.”

“Yes!” The kids said and with strangely well choreographed motion the three sisters scooped their kittens into their arms and started walking deeper into the house, not even waiting for the redhead to follow.

Ranko nodded at her mother, answering the question she hadn’t even asked and, leading Ryoga along, followed after her kids. Nodoka followed right behind her, still a little taken aback with how organized and well behaved those kids were.

I struggled with one baby and she’s so efficient with three? I get that the age is different but come on…, she thought, looking at her daughter’s back as she went through the corridor. How come my own child, who hadn’t even been a woman for long, feels like a more capable woman than I am?

Nodoka couldn't help but feel conflicted about that thought, and was so caught up in her musings that she didn’t even notice when the three of them arrived at the washitsu. Or that just after they entered, a man appeared at the entrance to the engawa.

She blinked a few times, banishing her previous thought and focusing her attention on this stranger. He had long hair and an impressive mustache. He was also older than her, possibly Genma's age, wearing a brown kimono. Is this the man Ranko told me about? Was he…

“Ranko?” The man asked, squinting his eyes as if he was momentarily blinded by something. “I understand that your guest-” he trailed off while his face twisted into that of an absolute panic. “Kami save us. There are two of them now...”

From his stance it almost looked like he was about to flee or at least back up into the courtyard, but after a moment of looking at the younger woman his body froze as if he wasn’t dare to move.

“That was rude, Soun Tendo,” said Ranko, using slow, deliberate speech that seemed to make the man wince every time she paused. “I was quite surprised, too, but remember what I told you before about not embarrassing me?

The older redhead almost chuckled seeing the man’s reaction. Her daughter already told her about that man, how he handled his wife’s passing and how she’d dealt with him some time ago… It looked like she’d made quite the impression on the Tendo Patriarch. And a lasting one at that.

And that man made a deal with my own husband behind my back, she thought, making sure that her face didn’t show that she already had a certain… less than favorable image of the man in her head. Loss of a loved one aside - that she could actually sympathise with, she wouldn’t even want to imagine what that must have felt like - he went and engaged his daughters to her son behind their own wife’s back.

“Nice to meet you, sir. My name’s Nodoka Saotome,” she said with a bow, like the perfectly composed and good mannered woman her parents raised her to be.

And just like Ranko predicted, when he heard her surname, Soun’s eyes bulged out, almost seeming to fall out of their sockets for a moment in a comic like fashion. So she was telling the truth, she thought, erasing the rest of the doubts she still had about her daughter’s story.

“S-saotome?” Soun asked with a shocked voice just before he swallowed hard and started glancing back and forth between Nodoka and Ranko as if trying to figure out what was happening and how the hell two completely identical women were standing next to each other in the middle of his washitsu, and was clearly failing to do so.

Ranko was right, it was fun, the older redhead thought, before she decided to press the man further.

“Indeed I am,” she nodded. “When Ranko and I met and I learned about her surname I was really surprised.” She trailed off, making herself look a little unsure but curious; which wasn’t hard because in truth, even with the information she’d gained from the other redhead she was still a little curious about this man’s side of the story. “You see, my husband - Genma Saotome - had a friend with the same exact name. Tell me, Tendo-san, do you perhaps know him? Big round glasses, always wears his white gi and a scarf on his head to…”

“...hide that he’s balding like crazy?” Soun finished her sentence and - despite confusion - couldn’t help but make an amused half-smile. “Yeah, that's just how I remembered him.”

There was a clear and visible tenderness in his eyes when he mentioned her husband, and for a moment there it seemed like he forgot about Ranko standing right beside Nodoka.

“So you’re really Gemma's wife?” He asked, focusing entirely on her this time, like it was only then that he actually, truly ‘saw’ her. Not as ‘one of the redheads’ like a lot of people look at her these days but as an individual, which was… kinda pleasant at that moment. “I… I knew that he'd gotten married like I did but I didn’t know to whom.”

“He didn't talk much about you either, Tendo-san,” she responded in kind. “A shame, considering that we live so close to each other.”

Soun blinked a few times, seemingly genuinely taken aback by that information. So he didn’t know, she thought, pondering the possibilities. Were they really not in contact with each other for all this time?

“We do?” he asked, surprise evident in his voice as he once again looked back and forth between her and Ranko, as if finally starting to piece together a difficult puzzle. There was even a hint of hope in his eyes, which was rather surprising for Nodoka. “That is indeed quite a shame. I would love to have a chat with my best friend right about now.”

So he really doesn't know, she realized, unable to hide her disappointment. Ranko’d already told her that would be the case but even so, she couldn’t help but check for herself… but just as the younger redhead had said, it was just another dead end.

“That would be difficult, Genma took my son, Ranma on a training journey.” She replied, the mask she put on before cracked slightly, making her voice sound sad and weary. “They left a few months ago and… I admit I came here partially because I hoped that maybe you know something about them, Tendo-san. You are his best friend and trained with him all of those years ago…”

Nodoka paused, flinching from a sudden touch on the shoulder. She glanced to the side to see Ranko’s face, smiling with encouragement, her hand squeezing her arm, as if telling her that she was there with her. The older woman smiled at her with gratitude, it was comforting to have someone else standing in her corner for this… made it almost bearable.

“I… I'm sorry that I cannot be of any use to you Satome-san,” said Soun, looking a little embarrassed. “But I truly haven't met Genma at all ever since we finished training under our Master.”

A sudden chill ran through the room, making Nodoka shudder slightly despite the warmth of her kimono. At the same time all of them could hear a sudden hiss of one of the kittens coming from the kitchen while both Ranko and Soun looked slightly spooked there for a moment.

Weird, Nodoka though, glancing at both of them wondering what was that all about.

“I see, that’s a shame…” She said, shaking her head, feeling slightly dejected despite already knowing that it would be the case.

Another small squeeze from Ranko brightened her mood a bit.

“Don’t worry Nodoka-san,” she said, smiling softly. “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.“

Nodoka couldn’t help but smile back, grateful for her presence.

“Ranko is right,” said Soun, looking at her with genuine sympathy. “I know Genma, he can be reckless sometimes but he wouldn’t just disappear without a reason. He'll come back, I’m sure of it.“

He glanced at the younger redhead like he wanted to say something more but after a moment of silence she just shook his head, probably thinking better of it.

“But I shouldn’t take up any more of your time, especially since you mainly came here to spend time with Ranko…” he said, glancing at the younger redhead, but quickly looked away. “... but I would constantly get in the way. It was nice meeting you, Saotome-san, and if I ever learn anything about Gemma's whereabouts I will let you know, I promise.“

Saying that, Soun’s lips curled into a half-smile before he turned on his heel and retreated back into the garden with an absent gaze, lost in his own thoughts.

”I wouldn't count on that,” Ranko whispered to her mother watching him going back into the engawa. “He only learned that we’re coming on the exact day we arrived in Tokyo.“

Nodoka nodded, worn out. Her mind was out there with Genma and Ranma, wandering somewhere around Japan, far away from her or rather from anyone’s reach.

She couldn’t help but think about them, worrying if Genma would push their son too hard. Ranko told her a few stories from that time, the ones that make her feel a little more at ease… or they would if not for a fact that she could see the small changes in her expression whenever she talked about it. She doubted that she’d lied to her, but she surely was hiding something, probably to not make her worry.

Like her strange reaction after seeing those cats. Ranma loved cats, and to have such a reaction as she showed back then… what exactly will happen to my baby in the future?

Her train of thought was halted when Ranko pulled her backwards by the arm.

“Enough of this gloomy talk,” said the younger redhead, dragging her mother into the kitchen. “Nodoka-san, would you like to help me with dinner? I have some ideas but if you have some suggestions I would love to hear it.”

Nodoka was too taken aback to resist, letting herself be led back into the chaos, filled with cat meows and the kids' laughter.

She could see her daughter’s pleading look, puppy eyes not in any way less powerful than the ones that Nabiki made not so long ago. She just shook her head and chuckled before giving up.

“What did you want to do?”

The slowly setting sun was shining at the two redheads sitting next to each other on the engawa, enjoying some time alone after Ryoga was picked up by his mother.

Ranma closed her eyes, letting the evening glow warm her face, feeling satisfied. Just as she’d expected, Shiori Hibiki arrived by a cab a few hours after dinner, scooping her son into a bearhug almost right away. Seeing the Hibiki Matriarch fusing over Ryoga, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the hotheadedness and recklessness didn’t just run in the family.

She was really pleased by the fact that she’d made contact with the Lost Boy. He was really fun to be around - probably a perk of still being a kid - to the point that the redhead actually felt kind of sad letting him go with his mom. It was very weird, especially considering all those times she wished that Ryoga would just leave her alone. I guess anything can change, huh?

She glanced to the side, watching Nodoka stare at the koi pond. Well, perhaps that wasn’t quite right. While she was looking in that direction, her eyes were unfocussed as though looking at something far away, clearly caught up in her thoughts.

All things considered, her mother’s first visit to the Tendo Dojo was a huge success. It had honestly gone much better than Ranma could ever imagine, even with a few hiccups here and there.

Despite the rocky start, her girls had grown really fond of her and were excited when they learned that ‘Aunty Nodoka’ as they’d started to call her would start coming by more often from now on.

The redhead turned around to look into the washitsu where the girls - already pretty tired from the excitement of the day - were napping on the tatami floor. Even Kasumi was dozing off hugging ChiChi in her arms like a plushy, a rare and adorable sight to be sure.

“You’re doing a great job with them.” The sudden voice of her mother made her jump in surprise before she turned back to see Nodoka looking fondly in the same direction she had only a second ago. “I don’t think I could do better than you. I'm a little bit jealous.”

Ranma glared at her mother for a moment, before calming her breathing a little bit and followed the older redhead’s gaze once more.

“I'm just trying to do whatever I can,” she replied, feeling herself relax as she watched Akane stretching up in her sleep. “I love my kids, and I’m sorry that I can’t do more to help find Ranma,” she trailed off, still having some trouble getting used to the idea that the ‘real’ Ranma in this timeline wasn’t her anymore. “I wish I could do more.”

I told mom that Soun knows nothing about their whereabouts, but even so I did hope that maybe there was at least some clue… but I guess not, she smiled while remembering his shell-shocked face the moment he realized that there were two identical redheads standing in the washitsu. Even though they didn't learn anything new, that alone was worth it.

Only now, he would probably know how we met and what kind of relationship we had. I could see that in his eyes, Ranko thought, feeling her good humor dim a little bit. She was not the only redhead Soun wanted to talk about in private, that was clear too. She just hoped that Nodoka wouldn't need to lie too much on her behalf.

Soun was the only person who really knew her pops from before they settled down and Ranko, despite everything, wished that they could maintain a good relationship with one another, if only for her mother to have someone to talk to about him… but it wouldn’t be possible if their relationship was built on lies.

She just hoped that she didn’t sour their relationship with her stories already.

“You did plenty already. I can’t expect miracles to happen every single day.” Nodoka replied, smiling softly at her daughter while scratching herself behind her ear. “Seriously though, I can’t thank you enough honey, I don't know what I would do if it wasn’t for you.” She paused, looking deeply into Ranko's eyes. “And I’m glad that even with so many years without me my child was able to grow up into such a great woman.”

The younger redhead looked away feeling herself blushing. A part of her couldn't believe that Nodoka - the one that had threatened her life with their family blade if she didn’t act manly enough- would praise her for being ‘a great woman'. She’d never really planned to be a full time woman but to not only have her mother’s acceptance but to even be praised for it… it was really hard to believe.

Everything is so different now, it feels so surreal…

“You’ll need to tell me more about this training journey one day.” Nodoka continued looking at her with an impish grin. “But this time I would like to hear all of it.

Shit, was all Ranma could say before she looked down, suddenly fascinated by just how slender and delicate her hands appeared to be while in her girl form. How did she figure it out? Was it because of the cats? But I thought I kept it cool out there…

A quick glance in her mother’s direction and seeing her face, waiting for her response with a raised eyebrow made it clear that whatever gave her away, her mother already knew something was up.

“S-sure,” was all she could say to that, not wanting to get into even more trouble… at least as much trouble as she could get in this situation.

Both of them stayed quiet after that, not really knowing what more to say, and just enjoying each other's company while a gentle breeze blew on their cheeks. It was a rare moment of peace at the Tendo Dojo.

Come to think of it, it was rare for us to stay like that even back then, she thought, going back to the times when Ranko was just a simple disguise. Even then they hardly met each other just to relax, it was always some scam, some fight or misunderstanding that kept them from talking sincerely with each other… if at all. It was a really rare opportunity.

One that she didn't want to waste.

“I really missed you, mom,” she said, finally being able to say the words she never had a chance to say, feeling a strangely relieved that she was finally able to do it, but also sad that she wasn’t able to say the same to her mother from back then, the one that she really wanted to say that all along. “Ever since pop took us on that journey…” She chuckled, feeling a little emotional all of a sudden before she added. “Let’s make sure my ‘brother’s’ life will be different. Alright?”

Ranma watched as Nodoka looked at her, completely at loss for a moment, only to completely lose it a second later. The older redhead’s eyes teared up and the only thing she could do was make a few quick nods before she looked down while her body started shaking slightly. Her trying so hard not to cry made her daughter tear up too and soon after the both of them were sobbing quietly, one because she finally were able to tell her mother the one thing she always wanted to say, and the other because even though she missed her child so much she now knew that no matter how much time passed, her children will never forget about her.

Squeezing Nodoka’s hand, the younger redhead couldn't help to think just how strange it was. She sought out her mother because she longed for help and some kind of connection but ended up being a comfort to her mother herself.

Even so, looking at the teary but grateful face of the other redhead and seeing the love and gratitude in her eyes… what she wanted back then just stopped being that important. What was important was the fact that both of them were there for each other and that no matter what happened from now on, they will face it together.

Chapter Text

The first rays of the morning sun penetrated the small window in Ranko’s room, stirring her up from an uneasy sleep. Who would have thought that constantly sleeping with at least one little girl would make finally being able to sleep alone so terribly lonely.

After her mother’s visit, the Tendos settled down into their new routine. It wasn’t really that much different from the previous one but it now also had ‘Aunty Nodoka’ visiting two or three times a week for a few hours each time to help the kids burn off some energy and teach Ranko some of her family recipes. Needless to say their lives had become a little more lively.

It also helped give Ranko time to plan Kasumi’s birthday party. Back then, the oldest Tendo didn't really celebrate her birthday. Frankly speaking none of the sisters did… but the redhead knew from her own experience just how important things like that were for kids, and how miserable they can feel when there’s no one willing to celebrate their birthday with them. And so the plans were made.

She needed to wake up much earlier than usual to do everything she and her mother planned to do for the party, on top of all of her normal household chores, however, so she’d planned to turn in early. She’d even managed to convince the girls to let her sleep alone that day so she could get ready much faster and not worry about walking them up too early. At least that was the plan.

In reality, she’d hardly slept a wink that night, tossing and turning in her futon for a long long time. The weeks of constantly sleeping with her girls made her so used to someone’s company that it felt so weird and uncomfortable without it that it had taken the majority of the night to just tire herself out enough to pass into a fitful sleep, ending up with more of a nap than a real, good night’s sleep.

She was exhausted.

Even so, Ranko had too much to do to just lay in her bed complaining about being tired. With a regretful sigh, she reluctantly crawled out from under her comforter and did a few quick stretching exercises. It was one of the new additions to her morning routine, something she’d never really thought she would do but as it turned out, constantly having some work to do around the house, with three energetic kids on top of that, made her feel unusually stiff in the morning. Fortunately, years of sleeping on the ground taught her a lot of methods to relieve any tension that her body didn’t need… one of the things she’d learned from that training trip that had actually turned out to be useful.

She dressed up in her go-to dress for housework, a baby blue dress that she’d only recently realized made her look uncannily similar to Kasumi’s old look. The only real difference was the volume of the dress. It was still kinda spinny below the waist, but definitely far less than the one the older brunette used to wear and more close-fitting around her chest with puffy sleeves. Ranma wasn't really a fan of the design but it couldn’t be helped, it was comfy and that’s what mattered.

Leaving her room the redhead took a deep breath, appreciating the quiet stillness and peace emanating from her house, a rare moment in which she didn’t need to be alert for any unusual things or put out fires - both figurative ones and actual fires - she mused, absent mindedly rubbing the singed corner of her apron. It was also the only time when the complete silence didn’t fill her with dread that her daughters would cause trouble or destroy something in the house again.

Being a mom is definitely much more stressful than being a martial artist, she thought, scooping up a few girls' toys left laying around the washitsu and putting them in the corner. Pop was just so stupid, talking about ‘girls being weak’ and so on, he wouldn’t last a week in my shoes…

Allowing herself to not care, Ranma made a big long yawn while stretching her arms from side to side while walking towards the engawa, hoping to seize the opportunity to watch the early sunrise… and froze seeing a man with long hair and a brown kimono sitting comfortably on the edge of the wooden porch looking up at the pink colored sky.

Weird, she thought, letting her arms fall on her sides and shaking her head, trying to wake herself up. Didn’t he always leave his room just before breakfast? What is he doing here?

“You’re up early,“ she said with her hands folded behind her back, kind of expecting him to jump in surprise hearing her voice out of a sudden. He didn’t do that, instead he actually relaxed his shoulders and leaned back slightly, glancing at her as if he already knew that she was there… or as if he was expecting her to be here.

Both possibilities were irritating.

“Yeah, I started doing this a few days ago,” he said before turning back to staring at the sky. “One of many changes in my daily schedule. Keeps me a little tired for most of the day afterwards but the view is worth it.” He paused and tapped on a wood next to him. “Wanna sit down? I… actually I wanted to talk with you about something.“

So he was waiting for me, she thought letting her shoulders relax a little.

“I was kinda curious when you’d finally ask that,” she started, sitting down next to the man, which as always was slightly more time consuming while making sure her dress cooperated. It really felt like she’d become a full fledged woman, making sure nothing was out of place even while doing such a basic thing like sitting down.

“You’ve been avoiding talking to me quite well for the past few weeks,“ she continued, sounding accusatory even though her lips curled up in an amused smile.

“Hey, don’t blame me that much, you didn’t exactly seem to want to talk to me either,” he countered with a small chuckle before going silent for a moment, his eyes glued to the ground turning somber and… hurt. “But I guess I deserved that. It’s been really hard for me lately, you know? Being the only one in this house who mourns Hanna and all…“

Ranko felt as if an electric current went through her, straightening her entire body. Hearing that statement from her cousin’s husband felt as if someone stabbed her in the chest, she struggled to even remember if she’d ever felt anything like that during any of her fights as a martial artist. No one had ever insulted her as badly as the man in front of her did it at that very moment. She glared at him, feeling like she was about to murder him right there.

“Soun Tendo, don’t you say another word,” she said, with a dead serious tone, debating if she should maybe go for the Soul of Ice before she really did something to the man. “You know very well that’s not true, I…“

“…You barred me from telling my daughters that their mother had passed away.” He cut her in, completely unfazed - or maybe not carrying at all - by the redhead’s hostility before looking at her, visibly angry. “I know that you’ve visited her a few times already but my girls still think that she’s on some fucking vacation! It’s not fair that they’re living a lie,” he trailed off and once again looked down at his clenched fists, as if that short display of anger drained him completely, making him look tired and burned out. “Ranko, I know that deep down you know that's true.“

As she looked at him, not only his face but his whole body sagged, tired and defeated, her previous anger slowly dissipated, with only a small ember still smoldering deep under the surface. She also felt strongly about Hanna’s death, even if a small part of her was still pointing out that all of her memories were created with magic in contrast to Soun, who’s loss was raw, deep… real… She let out a deep sigh and let it go, turning her head away from him, focusing her eyes on the koi pond.

“I still think they’re not ready,” she murmured, fidgeting nervously with her hands trying to think about a scenario in which they try to break it down to the girls. “At least Nabiki and Akane. Kasumi… Kasumi already knows.“

At the mention of his oldest daughter, Soun's face visibly sank. He closed his eyes and started massaging them slowly before making a tired sigh.

“I really screwed up with her, didn't I?“ He asked rhetorically.

Ranko didn’t really have energy or a reason to lie to him on this one.

“Yeah, you did,“ she replied simply and evenly, feeling herself turning a little bit uneasy. She really didn’t like Soun, precisely because he’d screwed up with the girls, not only in this timeline but so many more times ever since she and pops arrived at his doorstep all that time ago. But now… am I really feeling sorry for him? Or is it pity? Is it because I am also a parent now? The very idea of one of the girls refusing to talk to me is just so…

She shuddered, not even wanting to think about it.

“I don’t even know what to do with her anymore,” he continued, sounding miserable, his face fixated on the ground. ”She walks away from me every time I try to tell her just how sorry and ashamed I am for what I did right after… right after the wake.” He paused, letting out a short, dry chuckle. “It’s like I am destined to forever be a villain in her eyes and it kills me. I never thought that my own daughter would look at me with such contempt.“

The redhead never really thought that she would feel so bad for this man. She watched him talking, looking as he shrank more and more with each word and felt genuinely sorry for him, to the point that her hand automatically reached out to him and almost touched him. It was only in a last second when she realized what she was doing and froze not even an inch from his shoulder.

It probably wouldn’t help much to be comforted by the woman that monopolizes his kids' affection, she thought, pulling her arm back closer to her own body even though it still pained her to leave him like this.

“That might actually be true,” she said, frustrated both at how conflicted she was feeling about Soun and how completely incapable she was of convincing Kasumi to really give her father a chance to at least repair some of the damage he’d caused to their relationship. It was truly vexing. “I don’t know what to do about that either but when I finally figure it out I’ll let you know.” She glanced at him, smiling weakly in hopes that it would cheer him up a little. “You’re someone that Hanna-nee chose, so the only thing I can do is support you. I hope that you’ll be able to somehow repair the relationship you had with Kasumi-chan… even if I still think you were a real dumbass back then.“

Soun stayed silent for a moment before glancing back at her, an unexpected, amused smile flickered across his face.

“I would be very grateful. I know just how much all of them look up to you,” he said, making Ranko blink a few times. Was he really paying attention to what’s going on? She thought, feeling a little strange, realizing that maybe she was wrong thinking that Hanna’s husband was numb to the world around him for the past few weeks. What else have I missed? She wondered all the while Soun’s smile grew a little more. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not entirely clueless,” he said, turning his head back towards the koi pond. “I heard Akane and Nabiki start calling you ‘mom’ too. I’m sad and I’m still grieving but I’m not stupid.“

For a moment the world around them seemed to vanish, with only the two of them in their own little world, along with Ranko’s heart that was beating so loudly she was almost sure Soun could hear it too. It was almost deafening.

“I-I… Soun, I didn’t mean to…“ she stumbled on her words, suddenly feeling like some terrible villain, as if she was an impostor wiggling her way into this family, taking a position that was rightfully meant for her deceased cousin. Her hands tightened into fists, trembling lightly while she tried to find a way to explain herself somehow and…

“Relax,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her near panic attack with a sad but genuine and gentle smile. “I know you didn’t really mean to replace Hanna. Despite my general distrust towards this family, I know that you two were too close for you to have any ill intentions towards her or my girls.” He trailed off, letting his shoulders slumped down, defeated. “It’s my fault that in their eyes, you're more of a parent than I am, even if I really, really want to deny it.“

Ranko was utterly speechless and didn’t even have time to process Soun’s words when his hand squeezed her shoulder as if trying to reassure her. It only lasted a moment, however, right after which he retreated, maintaining some distance from her, probably realizing how awkward it was for the redhead to sit so close to him.

She didn’t say anything to that, but she did find it a little easier to breathe after he backed away.

“I wanted to thank you for being here for them… for us.” He continued scratching his cheek awkwardly. “From what Hanna told me you were supposed to go to some famous university or something, but you ditched all that and decided to move here and help her get through this.” He stopped and looked at her with something she never expected to see: genuine gratitude. “You weren't able to do much while she was still with us but after… I don’t know what we would have done without you here. So… thank you, sincerely.” He trailed off again and chuckled, this time a little more lively than before. “And sorry for being such a ‘dumbass’ to you that time in the Dojo. I hope that we can move past this… in time. Or at least get to a point where you stop looking at me like you want to drag me to the dojo to pummel me into the ground again and again.“

Ranma just stared, not really sure what to do about all the strange feelings she was experiencing while listening to the man. Through the entirety of her stay in the Tendo Dojo she’d never once seen anything like this. Sure there were times when Soun was thankful, but it was almost always selfish, like all those times with Happosai or after every challenge she won so that those two old fools wouldn’t need to lift a finger.

This one was different though, It was heartfelt and genuine, something that she’d never seen him doing, not once in all those few years they lived together.

She almost felt sorry for ‘pummeling him into the ground’. She’d held back at that time, so it wasn’t a big deal anyway.

“It wasn’t that bad,“ she just said with a shrug, but even so she couldn’t help herself from sending him a cheshire grin.

Soun scoffed.

“Yes you did,” he replied, cocking his head to the side. “Do you think I’m blind? You get a look on your face from time to time when you think I’m not looking.“

If you don’t want me to do that then don’t behave like an idiot, she wanted to say but kept her mouth shut. Nothing good would come from bickering about useless things like that, especially not now, when both of them were trying to make peace.

“Ok, I think we can start with that,” Ranko nodded, hoping that she would be able to control herself enough to not glare at the man whenever he did something stupid. “The girls really need their father, so please be one for them again.” She sighs. “Kasumi won’t like it very much but give her time, I’m sure that she’ll come around eventually. Probably.“

I hope, she finished inwardly while feeling a little hesitant about her oldest. If there was one thing she’d learned about Kasumi over those weeks together it was that she could be incredibly stubborn when she wanted to.

She could see the same hesitation on Soun’s face, even if he tried to mask it behind a smirk and meticulously maintained ‘loose’ posture. They both knew that the chances were slim, if they were even there to begin with.

“Maybe? Everything is possible I guess?” he said, looking into the distance before looking back at the redhead. “I mean, you somehow brought the wife of my best friend to the Dojo, what were the odds, right? And to think that she looked exactly like you….“

Ranma’s heart skipped a beat, she knew that this conversation was coming but thought that this time it would end with Hanna and the girls, but apparently she was mistaken.

Not for the first time since then, she wondered if she could do things differently. She didn’t regret bringing her mother with her and introducing her to the girls but maybe she could have somehow prepared Soun beforehand? She did ambushed him that day and yeah, it was funny to watch his reaction at that time, but looking back it was a very stupid decision.

But I can’t do anything about that now, she thought, trying to focus on the here and now and to not show just how nervous she was in front of the man. Now the only thing I can do is roll with it.

“That’s how we met in the first place,” she shrugged, starting to count the rocks around the pond, everything just to not look at him. “You don’t meet your ‘‘clone’’ on the street and just let them pass by.”

Soun smiled at that. Ranko saw him shaking his head in the corner of her eye.

“No, I guess not,” he agreed, looking at her with eyes that surprisingly weren’t filled with suspicion - although there was some in there, she wasn’t stupid enough to believe that he didn’t have some doubts - but it was more cautious curiosity. “And you really aren’t related in any way? Sorry if it’s rude to ask but… come on I know you can find someone looking similar but not to this extent. Hanna once said that your mother was Ainu and…”

A memory of Ranko’s final parting with her mother flashed before her eyes, making her heart hurt as if someone stabbed her with hot iron.

“My mother had nothing to do with this,” she barked, angry for bringing up such a painful memory but paused, realizing that he wasn’t malicious in his question. He was just curious… and stupid. “Sorry it’s… it’s a touchy subject for me, ok? And no, I don’t know who Nodoka-san’s parents are and we were just as shocked by our appearance as you were… maybe even more so to be honest.”

At least that much was true, we were both speechless after all, she thought, preferring to remember the time in front of the Saotome’s house rather than the vague shadow of Ranko’s mother. It was still too painful to recall, even if she knew she hadn’t lived through it, not really anyway. But it feels like I did and it’s what makes it so heartbreaking… I kinda wish I was able to find my-, to find my new mother.

“I guess that's fair,” he nodded. “I probably would freak out if that happened to me, heck I almost did one time when Hanna started to pinpoint men that looked similar to me on one of the trips we took together.” He trailed off, smiling sadly, lost to his own memories. “She said she did that to keep me on my toes and to always try to be the best. It was honestly terrible. I never knew just how many guys out there looked almost identical to me. That’s why I started growing my mustache.” He chuckled but the noise died down quite quickly and his face turned much more serious and somber. “I lied to her, you know?” He added, not even looking at her but at his own hands.

Huh? Ranko thought, cocking her head slightly to the side.

“What do you mean?” She asked, confused. “Who?”

Soun didn’t answer right away, clenching and unclenching his fists as if debating whether he really wanted to go into more detail. It was foolish of course, now that he’d started Ranko would make sure that he told her everything, but for the sake of peace she let him mull over it for the time being.

Finally he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Nodoka,” he said, making the redhead’s whole body tense instantly. “The truth is that I did meet with Genma a few times over the years” he said, scratching the side of his neck and avoiding eye contact. “We had this small pub near Sugamo where we liked to drink and talk. That’s how I knew Genma is a Saotome now and he knows I’m a Tendo. We knew each other from way back and always tried to keep in touch even though we’ve drifted apart a little after our Master’s death.”

Saying that she was surprised would be an understatement. Yes, she did suspect that Soun was lying and that both of them did contact each other but she never thought that he would just flat out come clean to her of his own volition. Was that to show her that he really meant what he said? That he wants peace? Ranko wasn’t sure why he did that but she would be a fool if she didn’t use that opportunity to pry further.

“Why did you lie?” A simple question, but the one that she really wanted to know the answer for.

Once again, contrary to her expectations, Soun didn’t deflect or try to come up with excuses. He just closed his eyes and gave another long, tired sigh before looking back at her like a kid who was just busted stealing cookies.

“It wouldn’t really change anything,” he replied, trying to look like he didn’t care, even though he was clearly on edge. “Genma never really talked much about his wife, not even her name so I assumed that they didn’t really get along that well…”

Ranko just stared at the man, refusing to believe what she’d heard. It couldn’t be true, even Soun couldn’t be that stupid to withhold such important information just because ‘it wouldn't change anything’. It’s bullshit, she thought with a frown. It has to be.

“I swear to God, if you tell me that you lied to her because of some sort of stupid ‘bro-code’...”

Or maybe it was that simple? Men often were simple and dumb creatures after all so it's entirely possible that he genuinely thought that…

Ranma’s thoughts stopped in their tracks, only now realizing what was happening. What am I thinking about? I was a man not that long ago… sometimes anyway. I never thought that…

“Nothing like that.” Soun replied, bringing the redhead back to reality by waving his hands just a few inches before her face. “But I really don’t know where they went. The last time me and Genma met was half a year ago. He only said that he’d be going away for quite a while and he’d send me a message when he came back.”

The redhead struggled to stay focused on the conversation, irritated by something that seemed dangerously close to another identity crisis and wanting nothing more than to just end it as quickly as possible.

She couldn’t do that though, so she forced herself to begrudgingly continue on.

“I still haven't heard any good reason to lie to Nodoka,” she replied with a noticeable hint of irritation and anger in her voice.

“No no, it’s just…” Soun stuttered, this timę actually trying to come up with something, clearly startled by the sudden change in the redhead’s behavior, and was clearly struggling to come up with anything believable. “Heh, fine… it is a thing between men. I’m sorry, Ranko, but you wouldn’t understand.”

Ranko was about to tell Soun where he can shove his chauvinistic comments but then suddenly she wasn’t sitting on the engawa anymore. Instead she was standing in the middle of some park she didn't recognise.

Another memory, huh? She thought, noticing that it must have been one of the early ones, judging by the fact that she could see a lot of small kids running around and that all of them seemed to be at her eye level.

She didn’t care about them however, focusing completely on two small boys doing something like rock-paper-scissors or a secret handshake kind of thing. Ranko didn’t know what it was but her younger self was really fascinated by it.

“What are you doing?” She asked in a cute, girly voice that would probably give diabetes to any grown up who listened to it.

The boys however weren't affected at all, both of them glanced back at her, clearly annoyed that someone was butting into their business.

The moment they realized who they were looking at, it got even worse. They glared at Ranko with such hostile eyes that she instinctively backed away, feeling small, scared… and angry. She only asked them a question and they looked at her like she was some troublesome nuisance… It wasn’t fair.

“Oh, it’s you,” said one of them, the taller boy with black hair. His voice sounded like he was displeased that he even needed to use it at all.

“Go away Ranko,” the other one, the smaller brunette whose only other distinguished feature was that he was missing one of his front teeth. “It’s a boy's stuff. You wouldn’t understand.”

The redhead cocked her head to the side, he was kinda right, she didn’t understand. The problem was not about what they were doing, but with understanding what doing silly gestures in the air had to do with her being a girl. Were boys the only ones allowed to do that? She was sure that wasn’t the case, but maybe because they were older they knew something Ranko didn’t? She was still fuming about the way they treated her though.

“Why?” She asked, looking back and forth between them. “You were just doing some stupid handshakes though…”

They clearly didn't like her tone because they both frowned at her, the shorter one - who still was around a head taller than the redhead - leaned over her, making her take a step back, startled.

“I just told you, it’s guys stuff, girls wouldn’t understand,” he repeated with a tone that left no room for discussion, like it was just the way of the world.

“Come on, we can practice somewhere else,” said the taller black haired kid and before she could say anything to that they both turned on their heels and walked away, leaving Ranko clutching the hem of her dress. She didn’t understand what happened, why those boys were so mean to her, and what any of this even had to do with the fact that she was a girl.

“I hate boys…” she murmured before shooting an angry glare in the direction they’d disappeared.

You’re stupid!” She shouted, stamping her foot into the ground and crossing her arms on her chest. Her anger quickly dissipated however, making her feel sad and lonely. “I just wanted to ask you to show it to me,” she whispered to no one in particular, shuffling her feet onto the ground. “It looks really fun…”

Just as suddenly as she’d arrived at the park, she was back in the engawa, her whole body tensed up, as she tried very hard to regain her balance as everything came back to her.

So that's why, she thought, recalling everything she’d just seen. After something like that it wasn’t strange to react this way. In fact, looking at everything that Soun, pops, Ryoga or even… or even she did in the past, she couldn’t help but agree with her younger self. Boys tend to be stupid.

Suddenly she was no longer in the mood to continue this conversation anymore.

“You really are hopeless, Soun Tendo,” she said while standing up. She looked at him and started talking in a neutral, more professional kind of voice just so he knew that she meant business. “Today’s Kasumi’s birthday so I won’t press you for it but I expect you to talk to Nodoka sometime in the future and tell her exactly what you said to me. No more hiding the truth. No more lies either, believe me I will know.”

She nodded at him one more time and walked away. She didn’t wait for his reply, she heard him murmuring something under his breath, but she didn’t really care about it.

Glancing one more time at the sky she only now realized just how much time she’d really spent on sitting around, all the while there was so much stuff to do.

Enough dillydalling, she thought to herself, already making a list of things to do before her eldest’s birthday, promising herself that she would make it one of the best experiences Kasumi could ever have, no matter who she is or who she’ll become.

“Are you sure there’s no monkeys in your lineage, Kasumi-chan?” Nodoka asked the oldest Tendo sister while looking at her with pure affection while holding her hand. “From the way you are swinging you look more like a gibbon than a young lady.”

“She only can swing like that because you’re strong enough to swing her so high,” Ranko interjected, walking on the other side of a little brunette, holding her other hand. “Are you sure there’s no strange creature in Saotome bloodline instead? You’re much stronger than you look, Nodoka-san.”

Kasumi wasn’t even looking at the two redheads anymore, having the time of her life using their hands to swing every other step.

“You know very well that she’s swinging from both of us,” the older redhead replied with a chuckle. “You have much more strength than me. I’m just trying to keep up.”

They’d been teasing each other like this for some time now. Ever since Kasumi was informed that ‘Auntie Saotome’ was a master of the Blade and offered to teach her some of her moves, she’d shot up straight to her number two favourite person, right behind Ranko. It was a no-brainer that she needed to be involved in the young tomboy’s birthday.

Ranko didn’t mind at all, she was actually really glad that her mom was so effective in winning the girls over, since that meant that they could meet each other much more frequently… and she was great as a distraction, whenever the younger redhead needed it.

“So, em… m-mom?” Kasumi asked, still a little hesitant at using the term, though she’d started warming up to it ever since another Aunt that looked exactly the same as her previous one had shown up. It was less distracting that way. “ Where are we going?”

The redhead smiled at her and looked to the side at the last member of their group, nodding at her.

“Well, Kasumi-chan,” said Fumiko, one of her three friends from the neighbourhood association. “Ranko-san wanted to buy you a perfect birthday cake. And I happened to hear about this new pastry shop that makes some amazing sweets not far from here. I have a little bit of a sweet tooth you see, so I’m very well informed in this sort of thing.”

The oldest Tendo girl’s eyes grew wide and just a moment later they were practically glued into the younger redhead’s face, shining with childish excitement.

“Really? I get to choose my own cake?!” She asked, bouncing happily on the pavement.

Ranko couldn’t help but smile seeing this childish display of joy. Kasumi needed the most time to warm up to her and trust her for real, and now that they finally - hopefully - were past that she was just too pure for words. It was so adorable to see just how delightful of a child she could be when she's not pretending to be distant anymore.

“Of course you can,” she said, ruffling her brunette hair with her other, free hand. “Today’s your day so you can choose whatever you want.”

Ranma knew that most people usually would organise some kind of surprise gifts or other things of that sort but after so many ‘surprises’ that happened to her over the years the redhead grew to dislike this kind of thing. She would rather avoid anything like that at all cost, and her eldest’s birthday was no exception.

Fortunately she seemed to like it so far.

She looked up, locking eyes with her mother, both of them smiling at each other.

“This is gonna be great,” they said at the same time, excited to see more of Kasumi's adorable sight, it was something one didn’t see every day.

Fumiko looked at the redheads with a strange look on her face.

“I’ll never get used to this, no matter how many times I see it.” she said, shaking her head. “It’s like twins no matter how I look at it.”

Well, you’re not the only one, she thought sending her mother an amused smile. A lot of people mentioned that to us too but yeah… it’s almost scary just how well we’re coordinating sometimes.

Nodoka thought that too, but instead of seeing this as kinda strange - like Ranko did - she found it incredibly funny.

“Well, It helps that I always dress more traditionally,” said the older redhead pointing at her navy blue kimono she recently started to wear for almost all their outings.

Ranko rolled her eyes.

“It wouldn't kill you to wear something different from time to time,” she replied, only then realizing that she wasn’t much better. Recently, the only times she would wear any kind of pants would be during her classes in a dojo or during more demanding work in her garden. Even so, she refused to back down. “Any kind of dress would be better than wearing a kimono all the time…”

Nodoka gave her a critical glance, apparently realizing the same thing that Ranma did just a second ago. Then she smiled.

“Wanna switch outfits?” Her mother asked, looking at her daughter’s forest green sweater and long red skirt. “You never know, maybe you’ll start liking kimonos too?” She added but paused for a second before shooting the other, older woman an amused glance. “Or better not. Poor Fumiko-san wouldn’t be able to tell us apart if you did.”

Ranko chuckled at the thought, even if inwardly she already felt too comfortable with wearing dresses. The fact that she was now a one hundred percent girl didn’t mean that she needed to be a super girly girl or any other type of a girl for that matter. She was supposed to be herself and that meant that she needed to try to change her wardrobe a little bit. After Kasumi’s birthday, she promised herself, determined to finally find her own style… eventually.

Their light banter continued for a little bit more after that, with the occasional comment from Fumiko or a question or two from Kasumi, usually regarding how much longer it would take to get to the pastry shop.

The eldest Tendo sister let go of the two redhead’s hands when she noticed more and more people wandering the streets. As much as she adored this new, or rather hidden sight of Kasumi she also understood that she didn’t want to show it to just anyone. She was just happy that she and her mom were lucky enough to earn the brunette’s trust and they were even aware that this side of her daughter really existed.

She showed it to Fumiko-san too, Ranko pondered glancing at the older woman who was guiding them through this less familiar part of the ward. Is that because she visits us from time to time or because I told Kasumi she’s my friend?

She looked down at the girl, wondering if she would tell her if she asked but in the end she decided that it wasn’t something worth thinking about. She should just be glad that her little girl started to open up to people. She wouldn’t want her to end up as someone who bottled up her emotions… like the Kasumi from before.

“We’re here,” said Fumiko standing before a rather small, rustic looking shop sandwiched between two much bigger, modern buildings which somehow made its polished dark wood exterior stand out even more. A big sign hanging just above the door had freshly painted kanji that said: Takahashi Sweets.

Ranko didn’t remember any shops with that name standing on this plot in the future, but it sure looked like a place she would love to go to scam the owner for some free stuff. Kasumi must have really liked the place too, judging by the fact that she was barely stopping herself from pressing her face into the display window to look at the pastries put on the display there. The redhead couldn't blame her, she also nearly salivated looking at all those beautiful, almost decadent looking sweets.

The moment the four women walked inside their eyes were glued to all the different sweets that were practically everywhere. Some of them Ranko had never even seen before and some she only knew from pictures and all of them were there now. All she needed to do was to pay for it.

She was so focused on eyeing a particularly tasty looking eclair that she almost didn’t react the moment when she caught movement in the corner of her eye.

The man that walked out of the back was quite tall, standing something around six feet. He had short, tousled raven-black hair and dark eyes that paired really well with his crisp kimono-style jacket with cross-over neckline. His clearly used apron made it very clear that he’d made all of the sweets around them… perhaps he was the owner himself.

“Nice to meet you dear customers,” he greeted them in a warm, pleasant and earnest way. “My name’s Usami Takahasi, what can I do for you?”

The redhead opened her mouth to speak when she noticed that her oldest walked consciously towards the counter and she hurried back after her. She wasn’t sure if it was because Kasumi was so excited about this place that Ranko was worried that she would suddenly break something in there, or because she felt particularly protective today but she felt much better having the girl at least within arm’s reach.

Because of this she found herself so close to the man that she could clearly see just how much of a difference his six foot and her five foot nothing of height truly made. She had kind of gotten used to looking up at people but with this guy it was something else.

Kasumi on the other hand was used to looking up at people so she didn’t care at all while her eyes were glued to the man.

“Mister, your sweets look sooo good,” she said as if she could burst from excitement, but quickly realized what she was doing and paused just for a moment. “Do you… do you also make birthday cakes?” she whispered, which was so adorable that it made her mom giggle. Today really was worth the hassle.

Takahashi leaned over the counter to look down at the girl, his professional demeanor from before gone now as his face looked slightly more relaxed, maybe even a little amused.

“Birthday cakes you say?” He asked her with a half smile. “Well, young lady I do make cakes, but birthday ones are kind of special, aren’t they?” He glanced up, locking his eyes with Ranko for a second while his smile rose up slightly higher. “Usually moms around here are too proud to order them.”

Is he implying that I’m not good enough or something? The redhead thought his face looked almost like he was kind of mocking her because she hadn’t made the effort to make something for her own daughter. Even if it’s true that I’m not confident enough to make something so big you don’t need to rub it in… jerk, she wanted to say but bit her tongue, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of showing that he’d gotten to her with just a single comment.

“I… I still don’t have enough skill to make one,” she said, crossing arms on her chest, knowing fully well that she looked defensive but still keeping her chin up high. “That’s why we’re here.”

Takahashi cocked his head slightly to the side as if he was pondering her words but ultimately just nodded at her.

“I see, you’re in luck that you found me then,” he said. He didn’t sound like he was bragging, rather he sounded like he was merely stating a fact, entirely sure that he was just that good. It made Ranko’s brow twitch a little. “It’s sad that my finances are a bit tight, for I would love to give a charming customer such yourself a discount, little lady.” He added looking at Kasumi with a genuinely apologetic expression on his face.

What’s the deal with this guy? The redhead thought, feeling progressively more irritated. He’s making fun of me but is so nice to Kasumi-chan… Did he think I wanted to scam him? She’d thought about it for a moment but it was only a passing thought, it’s not like he could read her mind… right? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to come here after all…

“I see,” she replied overly sweetly to hide her irritation. “You better pray that I don’t learn how to make more sweets then, or I won’t have any more reason to come here.”

It was a poor way of hiding her mood, and it was noticed right away.

“I’m sorry if I offended you, miss,” He said, although he didn't sound sorry at all. There was a glimpse of surprise in his eyes but it quickly passed as he leaned back slightly, leaning against the counter. “As compensation, would you like me to give a few pointers about making pastries? I may not be a master but I’d say I'm very good at it,” he offered, looking sincere and almost… friendly while doing it.

This sudden change just irked Ranko even more.

“I’ll manage on my own, thank you very much.” she snapped at him, feeling kind of childish for doing so but doing it anyway. Arrogant jerk, like I need his help…

“What are they doing?” Kasumi - who at some point retreated from the counter - whispered to Nodoka who was standing some distance away from the counter.

At this point Ranko knew that her kids were bad at having secret conversations. It was the second time when one of them was trying to do this and once more everyone could hear it from miles away.

In the corner of her eye the redhead saw her mother looking at her with something akin to an amused smile.

“I think they’re flirting,” she whispered back, making no effort to be any stealthier than her granddaughter.

The younger redhead could feel herself burning up, and for a second there she wondered if maybe the color of her face started to match her hair.

“Like hell we are!” She snapped back.

Normally she wouldn’t really care about what her mother said. Hell, maybe she would even play along if she was in the mood but not in front of Kasumi! That girl doesn't even know what flirting is yet, but still… ahh, I must look so uncool right now…

If that wasn’t bad enough, Usami chuckled and scratched himself behind his neck, visibly embarrassed as if all of that wasn't entirely his fault.

“I think we started on the wrong foot.” he said, sounding much more polite after seeing Ranko’s furious eyes drilling holes in his own face, probably realizing that he’s a hair’s breadth from getting into real trouble. He then looked at the rest of their groups and made a short bow. “I hope that you ladies won’t think too badly of me just because I can sometimes say too much.”

Or anything at all, she thought, still glaring at Takahashi, who once again looked genuinely apologetic which confused her even more.

Nodoka smiled at the display and waved him off with an amused look.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said winking playfully at her daughter. “I really enjoyed the show.”

“Who was enjoying what?!” Ranko turned to glare at Nodoka feeling almost as if she was turning back time once more and needed to explain herself to Akane for something she didn’t do… while getting worked up for no reason. She didn’t even know how she’d ended up in this situation in the first place.

There wasn't anything to enjoy it either, safe for all those extravagant looking sweets and a mouth watering aroma of the freshly baked goods wafting through the air.

Ok, maybe there were things she could enjoy but it was definitely not talking to that guy.

Ignoring the bickering of the two redheads, Fumiko cocked her head slightly while looking at the man.

“Takahashi-san?” She asked, looking like she’d just had some kind of ‘lightbulb’ moment. She looked at the pastry chef with a new interest. “Are you from the Takahashi family?”

He glanced at her, slightly surprised by her question, but recovered quickly, giving an awkward chuckle.

“You can say that. I'm the black sheep of the family.” He said, sounding quite proud as he did.

Ranko’d never heard of the Takahashi family. So, is he rich or something? He didn’t look rich but then again she was from a respectable Family but other than owning a Dojo and a big house they weren't rich either.

Whoever he is, his family doesn’t do martial arts, she would have heard about them if that was the case.

Suddenly she could feel a tug on the hem of her skirt, and when she looked down she saw Kasumi looking up at her, a child's curiosity shining in her eyes.

“What's a ‘black sheep’?” She asked with a pure, innocent voice.

The first time she’d heard that voice she’d thought nothing of it, but as time went on she realized that it wasn't that simple. Her girls - and probably all other kids as well - did it whenever they really didn't know and were expecting their parents to explain it to them… and what was horrifying about it was that they would believe their parents explanation without further questions. If mom said something works like this it must be this way. It was a level of responsibility that Ranko found quite overwhelming.

No one ever really asked her for advice on anything else other than martial arts, and now she was expected to teach those three girls life lessons that could shape their whole understanding of the world around them.

And the redhead felt depressingly unqualified for the job.

More than once or twice she’d stood like that, looking into those curious eyes, hoping desperately that she had the right answers to give. She just hoped she wouldn't screw them up like her pop did with her when she was their age.

“That means that the rest of the family don’t like you.” she said with a crooked smile, ruffling the hair on her daughter’s head. Just like us, she finished inwardly, feeling frustrated that her three girls were being ostracized just because of their parents' choices. It was unfair.

Ranko shot a glance at Takahashi, as if asking him if what she said was right, which made him smile awkwardly and look away.

“Something like that,” he said, scratching himself on his neck while still avoiding looking at the redhead.

Kasumi looked at him, then all around the shop, then at him again with the funny face she made whenever she was trying really hard to figure something out. After a moment of hesitant pondering she just shrugged.

“Well, I think you’re pretty cool,” she said in a calm, confident voice. “All the sweets here look really good too.”

The redhead grimaced, wanting to argue about the first part, but even so she couldn’t deny that all the pastries around them looked incredibly tasty. Which made her remember the original purpose of their visit here in the first place.

The pasty chief glanced at the small brunette as if he wondered if she was making fun of him, but after confirming that Kasumi was sincere a small but genuine half-smile appeared on his face.

“Thank you very much, miss…”

“Kasumi,” she added, looking pleased too. “Kasumi Tendo.”

Ranko's hand moved unconsciously, hugging her daughter to her side, and the moment she did she could feel the small but firm arms of Kasumi hugging her back tightly, pressing herself even closer to her mother’s leg. It was good to hear that even with all the stuff that was going on and the fact that her family didn’t really want to have anything to do with her, Kasumi still felt proud of their family name.

Takahashi didn’t comment on that, but nodded at the little girl.

“Thank you, Kasumi-chan,” he finished before smiling widely. “Would you care to try a mooncake? Think about it as a sort of…” he trailed off, finally looking at the redhead. “...apology.”

She was about to say that they just wanted to buy a cake but paused just before she spoke.

As someone who really enjoyed quite a lot of sweets over the years, she was kind of ashamed to admit that, as much as she wanted to claim otherwise, she’d never had a mooncake before. She’d heard that they were delicious though and with Takahashi offering them for free… only a fool would say no to free food.

And so she said nothing and, when the pastry chef briefly disappeared into the back of the shop before appearing again with a tray full of beautiful looking snacks, she really was glad that she did.

“Don’t mind if I do!” She said when the man presented them with the mooncakes and quickly snatched a few of them into her mouth.

The rich taste of the red bean paste and the chewy texture of the dough was absolutely delicious. As she was chomping on yet another mooncake she started to wonder if she had judged Takahashi too hastily. Maybe this guy wasn’t as bad as she’d initially thought. Surely a bad guy wouldn’t be able to make such divine sweets, right?

Kasumi definitely agreed with her, making content, happy noises while munching on her own chewy treats.

In the corner of her eyes Ranko noticed the pastry chef looking at her with an ‘I told you so’ half-smile as if he was sure that she would like what he gave them, no matter what. Normally she didn’t like others to look at her in such a way - it was the same look that Nabiki would often make whenever she ended up in some kind of trouble with Akane - but this time she let it slide, too busy relishing in the texture and a taste to care.

She got some delicious treats for free, with less troublesome stares than after some of her previous scams, and this time she hadn’t even needed to do a thing. A few looks or amused smirks were nothing.

“Your sister is much easier to please than my sister, Tendo-san.” Takahashi said, looking at Nodoka who was much more restrained while carefully chewing her own mooncake, the one that she was able to rescue from the sugar starved gluttons standing a few feet away.

“You’re only half right, she’s not my sister,” her mother said with a soft giggle and took a small bite of the pastry, clearly enjoying it. “This is really delicious, thank you for the treat.”

He looked at her like he was waiting for a continuation of a joke, but when he didn’t get anything he just started looking back and forth between Ranko and her mother a few times making a confused face, one that the redhead could finally enjoy. It looked pretty funny.

It didn’t take much time before all the mooncakes disappeared from the tray. Ranko was pretty content with the meal - especially since it was a freebie - and decided that it was worth giving the guy at least one more chance. He’d earned it with his hard work and hard work should be rewarder after all.

“So… Tendo-san?” Takahashi - although still looking and sounding slightly confused - asked her, getting back to at least trying to act like a sales person. “You said something about wanting to buy a birthday cake?”

The redhead looked down at Kasumi, who looked back at her. Her oldest looked really adorable with quite a few crumbs and leftover filling all around her lips, which was weird for her, even if she was still much cleaner than her sisters would be in this situation. I better clean her up before mom comments on it, she thought and immediately started wiping off the brunette’s cheeks.

“It's for my daughter’s eighth birthday,” she said, after finally deciding that the girl’s face looks clean enough, and looking in her eyes with a smile. “So I think it's only fair for her to choose what she wants.”

Kasumi, looking relieved that her mom finally stopped messing with her cheeks, looked at her with wide, surprised eyes that quickly shifted to full blown excitement, eerily similar to Akane right after the play. Just more proof of just how similar to each other the Tendo sisters truly were.

“I want a chocolate cake!” She said, leaning forward excitedly, her eyes glued into Takahashi as if she was waiting for him to take a few of them out from behind his back so she could choose.

The pastry chef shook his head slightly and chuckled looking at the overexcited eight year old.

“Ok,” he said, coming out from behind the counter and guided them towards some of the choices on the other side of his shop. “let’s see what I can do.”

By the time the three of them left the pastry shop the sun started to set. Fumiko said goodbye to them, deciding to stay inside and ask Takahashi about some association event she wanted his help with. If she wanted him to make some more pastries, Ranko thought, remembering the taste of this guy’s goods. Then maybe I will even join in. He’s so full of himself it’s irritating but at least he really knows his sweets…

The redhead looked down at her daughter happily striding between her and Nodoka, holding a bag with a cardboard box inside. She knew that inside was one of the most insanely extravagant and crazy looking cakes she had ever seen. With an equal part chocolate cake, custard cream and a raspberry filing with real raspberries on top. It made her salivate just by remembering how it looked the moment Takahashi started to pack it in.

It was god damn expensive so it better be delicious, she thought, scowling while realizing just how much lighter her wallet has gotten. Damn jerk really didn’t give us any discount, even after seeing Kasumi’s puppy-dog eyes…

“We’re almost home, Kasumi-chan, are you excited for your eighth birthday?” She asked with a smile, already running a check list in her head to make sure that she didn’t forget anything.

The little brunette looked up at her and smiled back.

“Yes! I can’t wait for Nabiki-chan and Akane-chan to see my cake,” she said, hugging the box a little more tightly for a moment. Her eyes went out of focus for a moment before she made a small giggle, without a doubt imagining her younger sisters getting all jealous over the chocolate monstrosity. Ranko couldn’t really blame her. If she didn't know that she would get a slice of this beautiful thing she would be jealous too.

It didn’t take much time for them to see the familiar sight of their family home’s roof. The Tendo Dojo was just around the corner and Kasumi’s excitement grew more and more with every step towards it. The redhead couldn’t help but feel happy, seeing her eldest so bright and happy, a stark contrast to the image she showed the first few days she arrived in this timeline, or even back then in her original world. She couldn’t remember her ever being so expressive with her emotions as she was at this moment. It really felt like she was making a difference and she really liked that.

She was still smiling at Nodoka when she walked through the front gate and when she opened the front door to let Kasumi walk in first to let her brag to her sisters about her delicious looking prized possession.

“Tadaima!” She said when the three of them finally set foot on the genkan, already expecting the sound of feet rushing towards them from deep inside the house. But nothing happened.

There was no answer.

The happy mood she was in just a moment ago dissipated instantly as a really bad feeling settled deep down in her stomach. Just not saying anything back wasn’t really something to be anxious about, she knew that. But she also learned to trust her gut feeling and right now it was warning her that something bad had happened.

She exchanged glances with her mother, worry seeping in.

Suddenly she looked to the side, alerted by the sudden movement in the corner of her eye and then froze instantly, her heart skipping a beat.

Akane walked slowly from behind the wall leading to the washitsu, her eyes were moist and red, and there were fresh streaks of moisture running down her cheeks. She was crying.

The moment their eyes met, her youngest looked like she was about to burst into tears even more and run towards her, ramming into Ranko’s legs at full speed and clutching them with her arms as her whole body clung tightly to her as if her life depended on it.

“M-mo… mommy…” she was stuttering between her muffled crying, refusing to look up, hiding her face deep into the redhead’s skirt. Ranko crouched down, eyes wide and feeling as if someone was stabbing her heart in time with each quiet sob her daughter let out, and her eyes started to get moist as well. It was a strange and horrible feeling that she really wished to never feel again. She wrapped Akane into a tight hug as her small body started to shake, not knowing what else to do and what exactly was even happening.

Then another movement caught her eye, making her instantly look up. She saw the silhouette of Soun Tendo in his brown kimono, his shoulders slumped down, face ashen and guilt stricken to a degree she had never seen before. In one of his hands he was holding an unfolded, familiar looking crisp and expensive looking piece of paper.

She shot him a look, a silent question. What was going on here?! She wanted to ask and it looked like her message, even if not said in words reached the Tendo Patriarch, because he shrunk even more under her intense glare, looking like he’d just killed someone and all he wanted to do was to turn back time, which make the redhead feel even more anxious as she hugged Akane even more tightly, waiting for an answer.

“I… I’m sorry Ranko,” he said, his voice strangely hollow while also carrying an astounding amount of guilt, filling every word.” I didn’t…” He trailed off and looked down at his own feet while basically crushing the piece of paper in his hand. “They know…”

Chapter Text

Ranko looked at Soun, wracking her brain to understand what the man was saying while still feeling Akane’s small body trembling slightly in her arms.

She wanted to keep staring at the man in the hopes that if she did that long enough the situation they were all in would finally start to make sense but a slight movement to the side made her head turn involuntarily. She noticed Nodoka snatching the paper box from Kasumi’s hands, allowing her oldest to sprint towards Ranko and latched onto her and her little sister in a desperate, tight hug. 

She didn’t cry like Akane, but the redhead knew that she too was deeply affected by the situation by how stiff and strong her hug felt. Ranko’s heart hurt just by seeing her kids looking like this.

Her eyes shoot up, burrowing deep into the eyes of the man standing before her.

“Soun…” She started going into the soul of ice so her girls wouldn’t accidently feel the sudden rush of killing intent she was feeling in her chest. If not for the fact that her two kids were clinging to her so tightly, their father would probably already lay unconscious on the floor. 

She covered Akane’s ears before continuing through clenched teeth. “What the hell happened?”

Ranko wanted to be angry at him. He was the one that specifically talked to her this morning, wanting to reconcile, only to squander it only a few hours later. He didn’t deserve her sympathy. Didn’t deserve anything other than her contempt and a solid beating for making her kids cry like this.

But the moment she looked at him again she hesitated. Soun Tendo looked back at her, with the expression of a man burning at the stake. There was so much sorrow and regret in his eyes that she realized right away - nothing she could say or do would be worse than what was already happening inside his own head.

“I-I…” He whispered, too ashamed to maintain eye contact, looking down with his shoulders slumped down, looking defeated and broken. “You weren’t here and the girls wanted to surprise you b-by helping around the house...” He swallowed hard before shooting a hateful glance at his own hands. “I didn’t know what else was left to do so I said that they could bring me the mail…”

Ranko followed Soun’s gaze, suddenly fixated entirely on a familiar, expensive looking piece of paper while a cold, anxious feeling started to creep up her spine.

“This letter,” she asked with a quiet, anxious voice, pointing at the piece of paper. “Is it from…”

“It’s from the main branch of the Family. Specifically from your father.” Soun said, or rather spat out, crumbling the letter in his grip. “He wrote just how regretful he and his family feel, that they regretted not being here when Hanna… when she passed away. They even invite the girls to visit them someday…”

Ranko’s whole body freezes for a moment. Her father’s letter… truth be told, with everything she’d had on her mind lately, she’d completely forgotten about it, especially with the fact that it already had been quite some time since she wrote back and hadn’t heard from him ever since… until today.

The idea that in this timeline, this new world she was living in, she had completely different parents and a new family was still a hard thing to swallow. At the beginning she didn’t even have any desire to know any of them, much less meet them in person. Now though…

Now it was different. ‘Ranma’s’ and ‘Ranko’s’ memories started to blend together and sometimes she couldn’t really differentiate which was which anymore. All the Tendos she’d never truly met gradually stopped being just some random people the sword’s magic turned into her distant relatives. In a strange, twisted and completely not-needed way they’d started to matter to her. And started ruining the peace she was trying so hard to keep. 

And on a day like this nonetheless. It really seems no different from before, she thought, grimacing while looking at the crumbled piece of paper in Soun’s hand. Those people really are the worst…

It was strange though. Soun said that the letter was from her new dad and in it he was saying that he was sorry that he wasn’t here when Hanna passed away. Ranko didn’t have that much sympathy and even less expectations from the guy but she was sure that he wouldn’t just say what was in that letter out right. He wasn’t that stupid, even if she sometimes thought about him that way… he and her original father were always like cockroaches, they wouldn’t do a thing that would make their lives harder. And it was a given that Ranko would make Soun’s life a living hell… there must have been more to this than just him being an idiot. But what?

The long, stretching silence and the redhead’s eyes still glued to the paper must have made Soun think that she was still waiting for some more information. He shifted his body anxiously, looking reluctant but with Ranko not saying anything, not even changing her expression while she was engrossed in her own thoughts he eventually sigh and continued.

“Nabiki, she…” The redhead’s head snapped right back at him at a mention of her middle child. “She was able to read who sent it,” he said, bringing her back from her musings looking her in the eyes once again for a long moment, the mental anguish he was experiencing almost made her wince. “She opened it and read a little, asked me what ‘passed away’ meant a-and… and if they could know where exactly their mom ‘passed away’, and I…” His voice cracked, and a single tear line started to go down his cheek. “I’m sorry, Ranko. I shouldn’t…”

The rest of his speech turned into a buzz in the redhead's ears. Suddenly an image of Nabiki making her signature puppy eyes flashed into her eyes, same as an echo of her previous conversation with Soun. It’s not fair that they are living a lie! He said. It wasn’t hard to add two and two together to know what happened. Soun, you fucking idiot, she thought feeling her anger and frustration grew even more.

It didn't last long however. She knew that he was weak to his daughter's demands, he always was. Besides, she nodded to herself feeling a pang of pride when she thought about Nabiki. He never stood the chance. I taught her way too well.

Her girl was too skilled at it for her own good.

“Where’s Nabiki?” Was all she asked, cutting Soun’s speech short, not really carrying about it at the moment.

The Man went silent while his mouth still opened for a moment before he finally remembered to close it. He watched her for a few heartbeats as if he wasn’t sure why she didn’t kill him now and ask later, but after waiting some more with no further actions from the redhead he seemed to relax a bit. Or as much as he could in this situation.

“She…” he said looking down, downcast and defeated once again. “She ran away into your room.”

That’s all Ranko needed to hear. She nodded at him and started walking towards washitsu taking her two other daughters with her, getting passed Soun without another glance. A familiar sound of footsteps let her know that Nodoka followed quietly after them. She was vaguely aware of the presence of the kittens walking towards her but this time she ignored them, laser focused on the door to her own room.

She was already half way through the corridor when she felt a thug on her skirt. It was only for a moment, something the redhead hardly registered and almost ignored it completely if not for the fact that one of her girl’s bodies suddenly decided to stop moving as well.

Ranko slowed down momentarily and looked down, noticing Akane's small body holding her clothes tightly, her eyes, so big and sąd were looking at her, making the redhead swallow nervously. She knew those eyes, so desperate for comfort and answers; answers she wasn’t sure she knew she couldn’t really give. She felt so much out of her element at that moment…

“M-mom,” Akane’s voice came out quiet, almost whisper-like. She sounded confused and sad in a way only a child could be, making Ranko’s eyes start to water slightly. “Will… will we ever see mommy again?”

The redhead felt her voice getting stuck in her throat, not knowing what to say. Her mind went blank for a moment, staring into her youngest teary brown eyes as if the answer for her question would suddenly appear to them if she just looked deep enough.

She wondered if her pop felt like doing something similar that day too. She still vaguely remembered herself confronting him one night by the fire, hurt and tired after one more grueling day of training, feeling homesick and missing her mom so much it almost hurt more than her own muscles. Her voice went hoarse from shouting that night and as always she got nothing from it. It was also the day she started growing distant from her pop almost completely and stopped talking to him almost altogether.

She didn’t want to mess up like he did, she wouldn't bear to see Akane giving her a cold shoulder just like she did for her father.

“Sweetie…” She started, kneeling down while still holding Kasumi’s hand while her mind went into an overdrive trying to think of some sort of response that wouldn't be entirely disastrous in this situation, feeling as bad or even worse than anytime she was forced to explain herself to her old fiance. In fact at that moment she would rather face her old Akane once again rather than be in this situation. Back then she would only risk being clobbered into the ground and she would choose any amount of physical pain over this. 

“T-that’s… sweetie that's not so simple, I...” she stuttered, stumbling on her own words, not wanting to snuff out Akane's hopes but also not wanting to explain the topic of death either. “ O-one day maybe, but… but not for a very long time. I’m… I’m so sorry sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”

Ranko kept whispering the same words urgently to her youngest ears, hugging her tightly, feeling this ridiculous fear that if she lost her grip on her even for a second, she would disappear like smoke. She could feel her own tears going down her cheeks while she was rocking Akane’s body back and forth stopping only when yet another small body clung to her own. She didn’t even need to check to know that it was Kasumi who decided to join in their teary little group hug, trembling slightly and hiding her own face in the redhead’s green sweater. Even Nodoka put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder as if trying to say that she was with them too but didn’t want to interrupt the moment.

The four of them stayed like this for a few minutes or so, just until Akane stopped shaking and the previous desperate clinging to one another turned into a simple family hug, where they felt warm and safe. None of them moved a muscle, afraid that if they did that they would break this temporary spell and would be tossed back into the dark and unwelcoming reality. It was much simpler to just stay like this, in the embrace of their family.

The problem was that they were one person short.

The redhead made a long sigh and moved away, smiling softly at her two daughters.

“Let’s check on your sister, girls,” she said, whipping away the tear streaks from Akane’s cheeks. “We are a family and family sticks together.”

Kasumi sniffed and nodded eagerly before wiping up her own eyes, her face looking embarrassed. She probably didn’t want to show this side of her to her little sister.

Ranko stood up and smiled gratefully at Nodoka who looked back at her with a very peculiar face. Like she didn’t know if she should be hugging her or comforting her, all the while fighting very hard to not start crying herself. 

The redhead’s room wasn’t much further, only a few steps away but the atmosphere surrounding it was no joke. Ranko didn’t want to risk letting her girls break out crying again, not just after she was able to somewhat calm them down. 

With a long and tired sigh she glanced at her mother again.

“Can you look after them for a moment?” She asked with a pleading look.

Nodoka blinked a few times, visibly taken aback by the fact that the younger redhead thought that she really needed to ask.

“Of course,” she replied, walking closer to the three while putting her hands on both girls' shoulders. “Take all the time you need.”

The younger redhead smiled at her gratefully again before glancing down at the two kids looking back at her.

“Girls, I want you to stay with Auntie Nodoka, ok?” She said, ruffling the hair on both of their heads. ‘Mommy will be back in just a second.”

As she said that, Kasumi sent her a serious ‘I got this’ look before walking slightly closer to her younger sister. Ranko didn't know what was going on in her oldest head but it looked like she… decided to protect Akane until she’ll be back? At least that’s what she guessed from it.

She wasn’t sure if she was right but with Nodoka next to them she didn’t need to worry too much. She just nodded back at the brunette and turned around, walking towards the ominous door.

It was a really strange feeling: walking into the room she’d grown to treat as her own all tense as if she was walking into a fight, but that’s how it felt to her the moment she slid open the door.

At first glance everything was just like she’d left it a few hours ago. A clean and organised place, even her old Kasumi would probably approve of it if she saw it. The only thing that was different was a big, hill-like bump in the middle of her sheets, with something clearly sniffling under them.

Despite the situation and the depressive atmosphere around her, Ranko couldn't help but smile lightly at the sight. She went down and sat at the edge of her futon, far enough that she wouldn't touch her girl but close enough so she would know that she wasn’t alone.

“Nabiki-chan, are you there?” She asked, observing as a person under the covers stopped moving for just a moment as if debating how they should reply to her question.

“No,” came the muffled voice of her middle child. She sounded sad and hoarse. She’d probably cried a lot before the redhead came in.

Ranko shifted on her futon, eyes focused on the small person hidden under a thin layer of fabric before her, stifling a chuckle.. If she wants to play like that…

“I see…” she said, tapping the comforter a few times, making the girl shift her position once again. “Do you know where she is? I’m worried about her.”

There was a complete silence between them for a few seconds. Ranko found herself holding her breath just so she wouldn't miss even the tiniest sound her little girl could make. 

Then - finally - after an agonizingly long moment Nabiki spoke again.

“You don’t need to, she's fine.” She grumbled, making Ranko think of every time in the past she’d asked Akane if everything's alright. The answer would often be similar, down to the tone of voice. There was no doubt that both of them were sisters.

But the fact that Nabiki was still refusing to come out was really heartbreaking, the redhead wanted nothing more than to take the girl into her arms and squeeze her tightly just like she did with her two other sisters. She needed to know that even though Hanna will no longer be here she still has her family to lean into… but it was impossible until she came out.

The play continues, I guess…

“Really?” She asked, leaning slightly backwards. “That’s great! Can I talk to her then?” She asked, cocking her head slightly while watching the girl’s movement.

Nabiki seemed to curl herself into a ball under Ranko’s comforter and… turned back at the redhead? Or so it seemed from her point of view.

“She doesn't want to talk,” came the response, sounding sad and miserable, making the older girl’s heart ache.

“I see…” She said, her hand reached out on its own, moved by the almost overwhelming need to wrap her arms around her little girl and hold her tightly… only for the girl to curl herself into an even smaller ball and move further away, making the redhead freeze up for just a second. Ranko's eyes went out of focus as a sudden memory flashed into her mind. 

It went away as quickly as it came, making the redhead’s arms relax a little. It was she who moved this time, as she stopped sitting at the edge of her futon and laid down on it, face up without much care about keeping her distance from Nabiki’s hiding spot. For a few more heartbeats Ranko did nothing other than stare motionless at the wooden ceiling. The myriad of images and scenes she’d just experienced were still playing on repeat right before her eyes.

”You know, I was hiding under the covers of my bed once too.” she said, looking back at the memories she insisted were just created by magic but even so, couldn’t help but treat them like the real deal. They were too raw, too vivid. To the point that it made her almost… nostalgic. “It was a long time ago, I don’t remember where it was. All I remember was that it was raining heavily. It was the biggest storm I’d ever seen and the thunder was so loud I hid under my sheets with my eyes closed, waiting for it all to pass.”

The redhead still didn’t look away from the ceiling, the sound of the lightning striking in a distance that echoed in her head was almost too real, as if it happened just a few seconds ago… and in some sense they did. And now, laying down on her bed she was filled with an almost painful desire to live all of that once again.

”Hanna-nee - your mom - sat next to me during a particular nasty one saying to me that I shouldn’t be scared.” Ranko continued, each word and each pause making her fresh memories solidify more and more, making the ache she felt every time she thought about Hanna hurt a little deeper as she found herself missing a woman that in reality she’d known for barely more than one day. She didn’t want to think about that though, instead she just let herself go with the flow, reminiscing about memories that she didn’t even care if they were real or not anymore. “It didn’t work though, I still refused to get out of there. But Hanna-nee always was a smart-ass, she knew exactly what worked on me…” she paused for a moment to glance down at her little girl. “Do you know what she said?”

There was no answer, but Ranko expected that. What’s more important there was also no sound of moving around or quiet sniffles she’d heard ever since she walked into her room, which was good. It meant that Nabiki was listening.

”She said that if thunder is loud then we just need to be louder,” the redhead continued with a chuckle. “Sounds stupid, right? But that’s exactly what she did, every time we heard the thunder she would scream as loud as possible.” Ranko shook her head, genuinely amused by the memory. “And at some point I joined in. We were screaming together and the storm stopped being so scary anymore.” She made a heavy sigh, a brief moment when she was in a good mood passed as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her feeling deeply sad and… strangely lonely. “I really would love to do it ‘again’ one day…”

Getting a little off track and getting caught up in the already fading memories of Ranko’s time with Hanna, the redhead didn’t notice the sudden movement under the comforter. She only came back to reality the moment she felt a small body nestling itself against her side.

The redhead blinked a few times and looked down, only to see the most unkempt hair she had ever seen with strands of hair sticking out in all directions. It looked almost like some strange bird's nest that was attached to the top of her middle child’s head.

”I miss mommy.” Nabiki whispered with a sad, heart wrenching voice while trying to cuddle herself up even more tightly into the redhead’s midsection.

”I know sweetie,” she whispered back, stroking her girl’s hair in a slow, automatic motion while wrapping her arms around her small frame, her own sadness flared up but she forced herself to put a lid on it not wanting to add more to her daughter’s shoulders. Instead she brought her even closer and kissed her forehead. “I miss her too.”

“But…” She continued barely dodging one of Nabiki’s unruly hair strands to poke her in the eye. “I also would like to see my little girl.” She trailed off, holding her daughter a little away from herself so she could look at her more clearly. “You look like some woodland creature, not like Nabiki-chan.” She commented trying to fix the girls hair a little.

“I think we need to brush your hair a little.”

Ranko’s feet were dangling from the edge of the porch at the engawa, at the exact same place she’d sat with Soun only a few hours ago, feeling startlingly different.

Probably because she now had an additional person sitting on her lap as well.

“Sitting comfortably?” She asked, looking down at the small brunette haired monster who was leaning on her chest and smiled, noticing her nodding slightly. “Good, let’s do it then.”

The redhead was very glad that Nabiki wasn’t resisting leaving her room that much. She felt much calmer and knew that all three sisters were safe and sound - mostly. Revealing the information about Hanna did as much harm as Ranko feared it would but gathering the three of them together seemed to calm them down considerably. They were close to each other even now, with Kasumi hugging Akane just a few feet away on the engawa, waiting for their own turn. Nabiki-chan is getting her hair brushed? Me too! Her youngest cried out, forcing the redhead into a role of the temporary hairdresser.

Truth be told she wasn’t even sure why she was doing this. Nabiki needed to fix her hair for sure, but the very idea of making it sort of a ‘family bonding’ activity came from Kimiko who - as a mother of twin boys and one of the few friends she’d made in the neighbourhood association - was one of her biggest authorities when it comes to childcare. Even so some of the tips and tricks she shared with Ranko were kind of… embarrassing? And sort of dumb when she thought about them. I mean… what kind of bonding experience is this? It’s just brushing their hair… right?

Not like she would know much about it, she’d tied her hair into a pigtail for most of her life and even now when she’d finally started to take care of it and experiment with other styles little by little she didn’t feel anything about it… though maybe it felt different when someone else would do it?

It could also be something specific that mothers would do for their children and which she wouldn’t know about. As someone who had a very different childhood, or rather the absence of it, she wouldn’t really know. The most ‘bonding’ she would do with her pop was going into the woods to hunt and forage together but it was a strict ‘father-and-son’ kind of thing or so she’d been told. She had no idea what exactly mother-daughter activities looked like so she would always try to figure it out on the fly.

Nodoka offered to help her with the girls' hairs too, but they promptly refused saying that ‘they want mommy to do it', and as much as Ranko felt touched by this, she didn’t want her mother to feel left out. And so the older redhead was now busy in the kitchen, preparing snacks for all of them to eat later. Their birthday plans went out the window the moment they came through the front door but that didn’t mean that it wouldn't happen.

Not if Ranko and her mother had something to say about it.

The redhead shook her head, trying to focus on a task at hand. She moved her fingers through Nabiki’s hair, trying to deal with any tangled strand of hair and doing so as delicately as possible. Next was the brush she used to comb her daughter’s hair with steady, slow movements trying to fix her hair in the most enjoyable way possible, a complete opposite to the way she dealt with her own hair every morning. 

Contrary to Ranko’s scepticism, the even, gentle movements of her brush seemed to really do the trick. She could feel Nabiki’s body relaxing, or rather going limp after just the fourth stroke, for a moment she almost panicked, thinking that maybe something happened but after a quick glance it turns out that the middle Tendo sister was knocked out and was sleeping peacefully while leaning on Ranko’s chest. This situation must have really taken a toll on her young body and when she finally let it all go, she completely shut down. 

Seeing the little brunette finally looking peaceful after that moment in her room a small half-smile appeared on her face. She decided not to wake the sleeping girl and just continued working, actually starting to enjoy the simple, repetitive movements of the brush and seeing the effects it had on her child’s hair almost immediately. She didn’t really want to do anything much, she wasn’t confident in her abilities when it comes to hairstyles and she didn’t want to go for her old pigtail since, in her opinion, it wouldn't suit Nabiki at all. All and all when she finally dealt with every tangle and was pleased with her work she just opted for classic twin-tails, which made the brunette extremely adorable.

Her ‘first client’ fortunately woke up just when Ranko finished making sure everything was in order.

“There's my Nabiki-chan!” She said, seeing as the girl finally stirred and even made a cute big yawn, stretching her arms absentmindedly, almost hitting the redhead in the chin. “Morning sleepy head, I was just about to wake you up.”

The little brunette blinked a few times, still looking half-asleep, completely ignoring - or simply didn’t register - Ranko’s words and stiffening for a moment with a wild panic in her eyes. The redhead wanted to say something but fortunately Nabiki calmed down as quickly as she froze up, all it took was one look behind her, locking her eyes with the redhead.

Poor thing…, she thought, feeling a pang in her heart while her daughter wordlessly clung to her chest as if relaxing her grip would make her mom disappear.

Ranko didn’t say anything and hugged the girl back, guessing that’s what Nabiki needed the most even though she knew that she wasn’t the only one who needed her attention. Moments passed and even though the redhead still didn’t feel the little brunette's hands lose grip, after some time and after feeling some burning gazes on herself, she was forced to clear her throat and pat the girl on the back.

“Alright sweetie,” she said, making the suddenly awake girl wince as if she just woke up from some kind of trance. “I know that you would like it but you can’t sit on my lap forever…” She continued making a grimace. “Your sisters are waiting for their turn too, see?” She finished by pointing at the two other girls looking impatiently and… kind of angry at them from a few feet away.

Although reluctantly Nabiki moved from her place, letting others have their turn, which only meant that Ranko’s work as a temporary hairdresser continued. Fortunately after the middle one, the youngest and the oldest sister weren’t so difficult, but that could also be because the redhead had finally started the hang of this whole brushing and styling thing. Another thing that could contribute to that could be because Akane didn’t want any of the fancy stuff, she decided that she wanted to have ‘what Na-chan’s have’ and so Ranko could just relax and do another pair of twintails.

Kasumi on the other hand was even simpler. Apparently she really liked the style her mom did her hair the first day she went to meet Aunty Nodoka, which meant that Ranko was stuck doing nothing else but putting her oldest hair into an all too familiar pigtail. Seriously, why was making something like that on someone else much harder than doing it to yourself? It doesn’t make any sense… she thought about doing and redoing certain parts where she didn’t grip the strands of hair tight enough or when she suddenly decided that the whole thing didn’t look good enough. All and all she spent twice as much time making Kasumi’s hair that she spent on both of her other girls combined, but the smile her oldest gave her in the end made it worth all of the effort.

She’d thought about it before, but it felt really enraging and unfair that these three sweet girls' worlds could be shattered like that and almost nobody cared. In her original timeline even Soun was too heartbroken and depressed to realize just how much Hanna’s passing affected his daughters until who knows how long after it had already happened. Those three needed professional help or at least an adult that could somehow at least unburden them a little bit until they were able to heal from something so dramatic as this.

Ranma only got to know the Tendo sisters years after the fact, after that tragedy had already molded them into the people she grew to know and love over the last two years.

But now that she was sent back, she came to know them once more and once more she grew to love those three again, even more than before… and with a much different, stronger kind of love, one that in the past she would never have thought that she was capable of feeling. But there she was, sitting on the engawa and stroking the small girl's hair hoping that whatever she was doing it would somehow help them deal with whatever was going on in their heads.

Looking at the much less sad or depressed looking faces of the Tendo sisters, Ranko couldn’t help but admit that maybe Kimiko’s idea of brushing their hair had some therapeutic effects after all.

After she was done with sisters, it was time to go back to Nodoka, who had already finished preparing everything for the birthday feast. It was supposed to be a happy, celebratory thing but because of the previous events no one was in the mood to celebrate anything… not as much as before anyway.

It didn’t mean that they couldn’t have at least a little bit of fun. In fact after successfully avoiding the worst possible outcome Ranko was actually kind of desperate to strike while the iron is hot and keep going. She really hoped that some sugary sweets and at least a little bit of party spirit would let her kids forget about today’s event - even if only for a little bit - and just have some fun while they can.

And by the looks of hunger and a glimmer of excitement on her girl's faces after seeing the cake and other snacks sitting on the table, it was already working.

“Now then,” she started when all of them were together, salivating just by looking at that chocolate masterpiece of a cake in the center. “Before you try anything, go wash your hands. Nabiki-chan, Akane-chan, if you have something to give to Kasumi-chan you should bring it here after you wash your hands, ok?”

It was good that her kids were very organized or there would be chaos. Instead the three of them moved almost like a hivemind, turning on their heels and running for the bathroom door. 

As luck would have it, the moment the girls disappeared inside Soun's head picked out from the door to the engawa, looking anxious, probably unsure if he was even allowed to be here at the moment.

Ranko wanted nothing more than to ask him to get out, but ever since she came to terms with the fact that she will probably stay here for good, she knew that it wouldn’t do her any favors in the long run. 

It didn't mean that she would like it, though.

“My present for Kasumi is upstairs,” she said looking straight at the brown haired man with a neutral expression. “Could you help me bring it down?”

Soun looked startled for a moment, clearly not expecting to be addressed directly by the redhead. He stood in his place for a few more heartbeats, probably assessing if she was messing with him in some way, but in the end decided that even if that was the case it was worth the risk.

The moment he nodded, Ranko turned around moving towards the stairs, leaving her mother to wait for the girls to finish getting ready. She could hear Sound’s footsteps behind her every step from the washitsu, then up the stairs and through the door to the guest room. None of them said anything, she didn’t even look back until both of them were out of earshot to not alert the girls downstairs.

But once they were alone, it was fair game.

She moved like lightning, on second standing a few feet from him and a moment later she was facing Soun, grabbing him by his kimono and lifting him up making him gawk in shock.

She didn’t blame him, the fact that the girl was much smaller and clearly weaker than him lifting him up… must be quite a scare.

Especially with the look she gave him.

“I want you to know that I am extremely angry at you,” she said, feeling her anger and frustration flaring up just by looking at the man. “But because I already know you’re an idiot… and that you didn’t intend for all of this to happen I will let it slide… this time.”

She paused, and with a long, tired sigh she put him down, only now realizing what she just did. I told myself that it's not something I should do… get a grip, me!

“We both want what’s best for the girls,” she continued as if she didn’t notice Soun massaging his chest, shoulders after being lifted up just like that. “But from what I can see you have even less idea of what you’re doing than I do. And honestly, if not for the fact that I had Kasumi and Akane in my hands back then….” she trailed off again as the images of what she wanted to do to the man just an hour ago made her shiver.

“I really want to help you, Soun,” she said, holding a bridge of her nose, trying to get the images of the man’s bloody body out of her head. “I want you to be there for them but from now on you won’t do anything without my supervision. You”ll be their father just like you wanted, but if I ever see any of them crying because of you ever again I swear I will fucking end you, you understand?” She finished with a murderous glare, just so he knew just how serious she was about this…

…and he just took it, looking resigned and defeated, almost like he was hollow inside.

“I get it,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless to the point that Ranko started to wonder if that quick glint of surprise in his eyes just a moment ago wasn’t only in her head. “I’m already feeling like garbage, you won’t say anything that would make me feel even worse than I already do.”

She studied Soun for a little longer, she didn’t feel sympathy for him - not at all - but she needed to see if he really did know just how much he screwed this up and if he really regretted what he did. I hope he won’t do anything stupid in the future, she thought, trying to not think about a certain deal between those two idiots that will be a real headache in the future.

“Alright,” she continued. “Now go down there and just be there for the girls. I don’t think Kasumi would be too pleased but I guess we need to start somewhere… and please,” she paused, grabbing the man's arm and squeezing it to get his attention. “Don’t mention Hanna-nee to them again… at least not today.”

Ranko wouldn’t let him go, at least until he swore that he would do exactly as she told him to do, after which she kicked him out. She could hear the sound of two pairs of small feet running past the guest room, after which there was this brief moment of silence before it came up again but this time from another direction, quickly growing distant as the two girls ran downstairs leaving the redhead completely alone. 

She didn’t waste more time and quickly turned towards the corner of the room, the same place she’d used for years to hide all of her disguises and other personal items. She always makes sure that no one was around whenever she would put something in there, just so that future Ranma would have a place to hide his own stuff here in the future. Everyone deserves at least a little bit of privacy after all. 

With a few almost automatic movements the redhead reached into the place and took out the neatly folded bundle of silk, the fruit of all her efforts and quite a few sleepless nights she’d spent cursing her own lack of skills that forced her to try again and again until she’d finally make something she wasn’t ashamed to gift to her eldest today. She touched the fabric, imagining the face Kasumi would make when she saw what her mom gave her and she couldn’t help but smile.

When she walked down to join the others she saw that - as expected - everyone was already there. Her daughters were practically jumping in excitement, with her two youngest standing facing their oldest sister but the moment the redhead appeared, every face turned towards her. Ranko stopped in her tracks for a moment while under the burning gazes of the girls before she shook her head and chuckled, amused by the sight before her.

“Alright, should we start this party, or not?” She asked, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, even sending them a big, toothy grin. There was nothing else she would need to say. In just a moment everyone else’s attention shifted towards Kasumi, who was clearly pleased by the attention… even if a bit overwhelmed.

The first one to give her present turned out to be Akane, a small girl with a black twintails looked a little shy, probably because the eyes of everyone in the room were focused on her for a moment, but even so she took a piece of paper she was holding behind her back and gave it to her sister with a small smile.

Ranko looked at the present - a small, crude looking drawing done entirely with crayons showing a stick person in a yellow gi and brown sticky hair in something that looked like a flying kick. There was also one smaller stick person in the corner, with a black gi and a stick of red hair, with its sticky arms crossed on its chest. It was probably the little girl’s masterpiece.

“It’s you,” Akane said, hiding her face on her older sister’s shoulder. “You’re so cool Sumi-chan!”

Kasumi was looking at the drawing for a few heartbeats before she finally blinked a few times as if just then realizing that her youngest sister was hugging her.

“I’ll do my best!” she replied, hugging her sister back.

Next one was Nabiki, who - while still not looking her best - was walking towards her oldest sister with a smug, amused half-smile on her face, which grew slightly larger the moment she handed Kasumi the scrunchy with a crystal looking blue flower with a few beads around it.

“It will look so cute on you!” She said, looking extremely pleased with herself. “Happy birthday, Kasumi-chan!”

The redhead glanced at Nodoka while both of them were trying hard not to laugh while seeing a grimace of disgust the eldest Tendo sister made while looking at the extremely feminine hair accessory. 

Not wanting to let this opportunity pass, Ranko snatched the scrunchy from her eldest’s hands and quickly wrapped it around the tip of Kasumi’s pigtail, knowing fully well that it was probably the only moment for a really long time that she would ever see her kid anywhere near something like this.

And she looked quite cute in it.

“I knew it!” said Nabiki, laughing at her sister who just by adding something so simple like a flower-like accessory already looked quite sweet and feminine… and clearly hated it.

After having her moment of fun, the redhead quickly took out the accessory so as not to aggravate the situation even further and so they could continue on. As expected, Soun didn’t give his daughter anything, if that was because he didn’t prepare anything or knew that she probably didn’t want to take anything from him, Ranko didn’t know but thought that it was probably for the best. Especially after Nabiki.

Nodoka came up next, and it was quite a bit of a surprise for the younger redhead since they never really talked about it. The older woman came up to the small brunette and handed her a brand new looking small wooden tanto.

“I think it’s best to start slow,” she said, smiling brightly looking at the birthday girl whose eyes shone brightly with excitement at the sight of her new weapon. “Take care of it well, I will teach you how to use it next time I come to visit.”

Ranko knew it was possible, but seeing Kasumi buzzing with so much excitement after learning about future training sessions with Nodoka she just shook her head. If not for the fact that it was her mom who made it happen, the redhead could maybe even feel jealous, but instead of that she just felt happy that her oldest was clearly having the time of her life at the moment.

And when it was finally her turn, Ranko walked slowly towards the little brunette with a warm smile, letting the silk bundle unwrap the moment she was only about a foot away from her, making the girl gasp in awe.

Right there in her mother’s hands there was a near perfect replica of the outfit Ranko wore for her first visit to Nodoka’s house. It was fitted for a much smaller body, and made from dark blue silk and silver colored buttons instead of the gold ones that the redhead’s one had. I sincerely hope it will hold, she thought, sending a quiet prayer to whatever god was watching her at the moment. I know just how much I sucked when she started sewing this outfit, just how many stupid and illogical seams I needed to rip open and, ehh… I just can’t watch those buttons, knowing just how much I screwed up the distance and placement between them… fuck maybe I should tell Kasumi-chan that I will take that for a moment just so I could correct that…

Ranko's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a gentle thug, when Kasumi took the outfit and began rubbing the fabric between her fingers, completely absorbed with looking at each detail as if she was now looking at some priceless treasure.

The redhead took one glance at the speechless girl and couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well come one sweetie, go to my room and change” she said, letting go of the silk outfit, which almost immediately was clutched close to the brunette’s body. “I wanna see how it turned out.”

Kasumi didn't need to be told twice, almost immediately she bolted towards the redhead’s room, so excited she basically threw her t-shirt out of the room in a hurry to change into her new outfit, causing everyone - even Soun - to burst out laughing at the sight.

It didn’t take long until the birthday girl jumped out of the room to show off to everyone just how great she looked, and for just a moment, Ranko was speechless.

She didn’t know if it was because of the fact that she was wearing identical pigtails or because the work she put into the outfit actually paid off but for just a moment Kasumi looked like the spitting image of Ranma… with the only difference being her brown hair.

The shock was only momentary but it was enough for her to stop her from reacting to the sudden hug from her oldest, who jumped at her at full speed and clung to her chest, wrapping her arms around her neck.

“I love it!” she yelled, seemingly tightening her grip with every moment. “Thank you! Thank you very much!”

Ranko was suffocating under the girl’s increasingly strong grip but instead of saying something she only chuckled and patted her on the back wrapping her other hand around her midsection. She could take a little bit of strangling if that meant seeing her daughter’s happy smile for even a few seconds longer. She would comment on it soon enough though, but for now she decided to just let the girl go wild. She never celebrated her own birthday when she was her age, but right now Kasumi was the birthday girl. This was her special day after all, so whatever she wanted, the redhead would do, no questions asked.

And even though this whole party’s start was a disaster and even though it wasn’t her birthday, she was actually having a blast. Truth be told, she was already looking forward to the next one. 

Ranko was laying in her bed, not for the first time today, staring at the wooden ceiling, her thoughts wandering aimlessly around today’s events. Her plan turned out to be a great success, right after Kasumi got her hands on all the presents Nodoka started urging everyone to start eating, a suggestion that was approved almost immediately and with great excitement.

This Takahashi guy really knows his stuff, she thought, begrudgingly accepting that she was probably much, much inferior in her culinary skills to that arrogant jerk from earlier. His cake was just illegally good, to the point that everyone was savouring their slices and Nabiki and Akane almost started a fight over the last remaining one.

She still could sort of feel the taste on the tip of her tongue, already thinking if it would be ok to go visit that pastry shop again in the near future, if she would be able to eat something this good again, she could suffer a short small talk with that guy… probably.

The most important thing was that just as Ranko hoped for, all of the remaining heavy thoughts and feeling of the girls were buried under the amount of sweet and tasty snacks, which allowed them to have have at least a bit of the party during which they could just focus on having fun and not… not on the stuff that was just too heavy for girls their age.

It had worked great and the girls had a blast, which was good. The problem she had at the moment was that the party was over and there was nothing else to distract her kids anymore.

I knew what could happen, I took the risk, and it turned out great, she thought, stifling a big, long tired sigh. Too bad that the only thing I never think about is the aftermath. 

Ranko relaxed her shoulders a little bit and looked down at the three girls nestling themselves all around her, two of them in their pajamas and the last one - who simply refused to take off her present even for a minute - was still wearing her new silk clothes while wrapped around her midsection.

It's been an hour and a half since they decided to go to bed, but of course none of them could fall asleep. The large amount of sugar that the redhead thought would ideally knock them out actually had the opposite effect and even after more than an hour had passed they were still going.

The fact that they didn’t want to let her go wasn't the issue. Ranko’d already dealt with that a couple of times so it didn’t bother her that much anymore. The problem was that they were apparently too afraid to sleep now, whether that was because they feared the nightmares or that she herself would disappear after they woke up, she didn’t know. She only knew that she was exhausted and she wouldn’t be able to get any sleep as long as those three didn’t go to sleep first, which was incredibly frustrating. To the point that she was really debating using other tips she got from Kimiko… singing.

Whenever my boys were cranky or afraid I would just sing them a lullaby or two and they would be dead asleep in no time. It works like a charm every time, trust me, she said this one time Ranko actually asked for a crash course on childcare. At that time she felt really awkward just hearing all of those tips and tricks she was being told about, not even trying to imagine herself actually following through with any of it… 

But the hair brushing works so maybe singing would too…

She rubbed her eyes, not believing that she was even entertaining thoughts like that, but as much as she resisted it, she couldn’t say that it wasn’t at least worth trying. At least there was no one here that could really make fun of her for that.

Thank god older Nabiki isn’t here, she thought, feeling a shiver going down her spine from just that. I’m sure she would have one of her cameras stashed here somewhere, make a video and then blackmail me with it for the rest of my life. 

Ranko lay like that for a few more heartbeats, pondering if she really was going through with this and if just one night without sleep was worth casting her last remaining piece of pride away, but the more she stayed like that the more sure she was that yes, she really wouldn’t mind doing it just for a few hours of uninterrupted night’s sleep.

I’ve had enough, let’s do it, she finally gave up, already feeling like crying because of what was about to happen. But seriously, Kimoko taught me so many better lullabies… why, just why can I only remember the most embarrassing one?!

The redhead adjusted her position on the futon and scooped all of her girls around her, trying to not show just how anxious and embarrassed she felt at that very moment.

“Mom?” Kasumi asked, looking a little puzzled at the redhead, who for the last twenty or so minutes hadn’t really moved much and only limited herself to stroking the girls' heads with no words whatsoever, suddenly just pulling them all into a tight hug.

“I'm going to sing you a lullaby,” she said, flatly while looking in the eyes of each and every one of her kids. “This is my first time doing it and it will probably be awful but I would appreciate it if you won’t laugh at me if it goes badly, ok?”

The Tendo sisters stared at her for a long second as if they weren’t sure if they’d heard her correctly only to exchange glances with each other, then back at her and nodded almost simultaneously. All of that startled Ranko a little bit, making her wonder if maybe those three really had some strange way of communicating that she had absolutely no idea about… Or maybe it’s just a sibling thing? The only person I could say I’m able to understand without a word is Nodoka, but she was my mom so… maybe it’s not a sibling but just a family thing? Or… 

She shook her head, realizing that she was just trying to stall for time, and the faster she was done with it, the faster she’d deal with the embarrassment she’d unavoidably feel after the fact. She moved her body slightly to the side to make it more comfortable and loosened her grip on the girls a little so that they too could make themselves a little more cozy, after that she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Stars and moons and air balloons

Fluffy clouds to the horizon

I'll wrap you in rainbows

and rock you to sleep again

Teddy bears of pink,

Ducks and lambs of white

Don't you cry dear, i'm here now

I'll be your nightlight

Stars and moons and air balloons

Fluffy clouds to the horizon

I'll wrap you in rainbows

and rock you to sleep again

Smiles to cure the frowns,

Twirling and tumbling in laughter

Someday life will always be

happly ever after

Nevermore will the storms come

to destroy your little world,

Nevermore will the waters rise

'till the mountains no longer touch the skies

Stars and moons and air balloons

Fluffy clouds to the horizon

I'll wrap you in rainbows

and rock you to sleep again

I'll wrap you in rainbows

and rock you to sleep again

She didn’t really watch the girls, having her eyes closed the whole time, focusing on not dying from embarrassment and not screwing up the song, but even then she could clearly feel the little bodies of her kids relaxing all around her. It was kind of strange but somewhere around half way through the song she even started having a little bit of fun - after she made sure that she didn’t sound totally awful while doing it - and when she finally opened her eyes all she felt was a satisfaction from a job well done. She saw all three sisters laying fast asleep, their bodies rising and falling with every gentle breath. Kasumi’s hand still firmly gripped the hem of her pajamas and Akane drooled on her hair a little… all of that brought a warm, delighted smile onto the redhead’s face. 

Looking at them, laying peacefully like that, Ranko was finally able to relax a little. The weight of the whole day’s events finally caught up to her, making her thoughts clouded and her eyelids much heavier than before. Before she even knew it, her every move became sluggish. She was finally falling asleep as well.

With the last bit of strength she had she pulled the covers over herself and the girl. It was the last thing she was able to do before her consciousness finally decided to shut down, pulling the redhead into a peaceful, quiet and well deserved sleep, dreaming peacefully of a distant thunderstorm, and a gentle hand brushing through her hair.

Chapter Text

Ranko stood under the stove fixing her apron for the second time while checking the calendar she’d put on the wall some time ago. She told herself that it was for practical reasons. The girls had more things they wanted to do now, so it was much easier to just mark the day of a school trip or some event the redhead promised to go to with one of her kids. She said that to herself time and time again, but deep down in her heart she knew that the real reason for doing so was much simpler and much more personal than that. Despite the fact that she’d already made her peace with the fact that she was stuck in this timeline… she was still counting days. She didn’t even know why she was still doing it but for some reason she just felt compelled to do it. And today was no exception.

It’s been almost three years now, she thought with a quiet, short sigh while shaking her head slightly. It’s crazy that I’m almost twenty two and already spent so much time here… much longer than I’d spent at that other Tendo Dojo… it’s still so surreal, no matter how much I think about it.

Sometimes it almost felt like this was her actual reality, and the one she’d lived in before was some lucid dream instead. She would catch herself having thoughts like that from time to time but each time it happened she would force herself to remember all the things she went through over the years and reminded herself of her life from before. Even though she barely resembled the wild, arrogant and clueless guy she was the first time she stepped foot on the floor of the Tendo Dojo.

I couldn’t act like that anymore, even if I wanted to, she thought, suddenly remembering to check on the slowly shimmering broth. She had a sick child to treat with it upstairs after all.

The redhead never really considered being sick as something scary. She used to be ill from time to time and except for a very few times when it was really bad she mostly powered through it on her own. All of that changed the moment one of the girls got sick for the first time since she got here. It wasn’t anything serious and yet Ranko went into a full panic mode for the first few hours, until Nodoka calmed her down, assuring her that everything would be just fine.

Since that first time all three of her daughters had gotten sick from time to time and one might think that this would make it easier for her to see them like that, but that wasn’t the case for the redhead. Sure, she’d stopped panicking at the sight of the girls burning up or coughing something fierce from time to time but she still felt restless until they got better. This time, the source of her worries was Akane who’d gotten the flu just two days ago and was now resting in her room, buried under her covers and a few blankets Ranko covered her in last night. Just a few hours before her youngest was sweating buckets the last time she checked on her, so it was only right to prepare some soup to help her heal up faster. Fortunately she had just the thing.

If I still could, I would really thank the Old Ghoul for this one, she thought as a wistful smile appeared on her face at the memory of the old gremlin-looking Amazon Elder. The soup she was now making was one that she’d made for Ranma one time when she’d gotten seriously ill. At first the redhead thought that maybe it was just another plot of hers, but contrary to her expectations the ‘Herbal Chicken Soup’ not only tasted amazing but also got her back on her feet amazingly fast… to the point that she’d just needed to ask the Old Ghoul about the recipe. It had been some time since she’d actually made it though.

Looking at the contents of the pot, she had probably added a little too much dried jujubes and probably could cut those dried wild yam into slightly smaller pieces, but she told herself that it didn’t matter that much since all of that was already so soft that Akane probably wouldn’t even notice it. She kind of wished that she could remember exactly what each ingredient was good for, but unfortunately it had completely slipped her mind. She only knew that after assembling it all together her youngest daughter should be good as new in no time, and that’s what mattered.

Shortly thereafter, when the broth was ready Ranko quickly ladled a portion into a bowl and was about to walk out, when suddenly the bottom of the noren opened slightly, letting a snow white cat with two-colored eyes into the kitchen. He walked in with something that would probably be grace but because he was the biggest and the fattest - although Nabiki kept calling him ‘cubby’ - of his siblings she couldn’t call his walk anything other than an energetic waddle, immediately locking his eyes with the redhead.

“Y-Yen, what are you doing here?” She asked, slightly startled by the cat, who as always didn’t make any sound and just sat there, not even pretending he wasn’t just waiting for a treat. Both of them stared at each other for a few heartbeats, until the redhead made a huge sigh and shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t just name you Genma, from the way you’re mooching from me. One might think that Nabiki didn’t feed you much more than she should, from the way you so shamelessly beg for food every time she’s not home…”

Ranko put the bowl on the counter and took out the chicken pieces she’d boiled the day before - a sort of treat she had at hand for a situation like this - and tossed them in the corner of the kitchen causing the white cat’s body to shoot out from his position with an uncanny speed, making her shudder.

When she agreed to keep those furry creatures, she explicitly said that she wouldn’t take care of them, no matter what. Of course as she could predict, with the girls spending more and more time at school or with friends they didn’t have time to take care of their pets as much as was necessary, which meant that once again Ranko needed to step up and take care of them too… even if she would rather just not be in the same room as them to begin with.

At least thanks to her needing to interact with them for a little over two years now, make her a little less scared of them. She would still freeze up occasionally but she was no longer panicking just by them standing too close to her. She’d lost consciousness to Neko-ken only four times during that time, to her kids' delight and her own frustration and chagrin… but at least she was improving. Somewhat.

Taking advantage of the fact that Yen was busy devouring his treat, Ranko quickly took the bowl of soup and disappeared behind the noren, leaving the furry creature to its own devices with a big sigh of relief.

Then her eyes automatically went towards the small closed off shrine, she knew now contained a small portrait of Hanna. This and the one that she put high on the wall of the dojo were the exact same ones she remembered from her original timeline. Back then she would sometimes show reverence and respect out of obligation, but now whenever she looked at one of those small shrines she would often feel a sense of loss and a pang of sadness deep within her chest. Not to mention this lingering shame that seemed to not want to leave even though it had already been two years since the girls found out about their mother’s death.

It’s almost scary just how much can change after enough time has passed and one could look back at their own actions from a new perspective. That day, when she learned that Soun told the girls about Hanna’s passing she was furious. She wanted to wait for them to grow up a little more, to let them mature… but it looked like some things cannot be avoided, no matter how much she’d tried.

Back then she’d wanted to do something to Soun, fortunately she didn’t or she - probably - would’ve really regretted it later on. Especially since as it turned out, he was right.

She’d never apologised for her outburst and he never really asked her to. None of them really spoke about that birthday, as if both of them were trying really hard to just forget about it. Even after almost three years under one roof, they still had certain problems with talking to each other. It was easier to just pretend that nothing ever happened.

Ranko never admitted it out loud, but he was right all along. Sure everything could end up a terrible mess, maybe even worse than in her original timeline; but it didn’t. What’s more, thanks to the fact that after Kasumi’s birthday she and Soun worked together to help the girls, they actually started healing. To the point that after a while he was even able to finally talk to his oldest daughter without her walking away the moment he said a word. It was the first time in a while the redhead saw him turn into a water fountain, much like the Soun she used to know. It was a really nostalgic day.

It didn’t mean that everything was ok. Akane still would occasionally have nightmares, ones that would compel her to look for safety in her mom’s futon.

Nabiki was - sometimes obsessively - focused on making sure that everyone in their family was ok, often asking Ranko if she could help with chores. It sometimes felt like she was scared that if something in their small family stopped working as it should, they would fall apart or something, which worried the redhead quite a bit at times.

And when it comes to Kasumi… she was doing quite a lot of stuff. If she wasn’t helping her mom, she would play with her cat, or train in the dojo, or do her homework, or just read a book… she was constantly doing something as if stopping just for a moment was something that should be avoided at all costs. The only times when she would get some rest was during the night, or when Ranko asked her to just stay with her for a while.

All of them had their own issues, but even so, they were improving.

I’m just glad the girls are ok, she thought, shaking her head and resuming walking towards the stairs. Her eyes lingered on the closed shrine for just a moment longer, and the flash of the older, brown haired woman sending her a tired but sympathetic smile flashed before her eyes.

“I’m fine, Hanna-nee, don’t worry,” she murmured, sending her own, cheerful smile towards the shrine. It was a little silly, taking the photo, but she just couldn’t help it. Sometimes Ranko just needed someone to talk to, and while she loved talking to her mother, this way she no longer needed to fear if she said too much. Of course Hanna couldn’t reply to her, but at least she was a good listener… and - at least for now - it was enough for her. “Akane-chan will be fine too, once I give her that soup, you’ll see.”

That said, the redhead didn’t waste any more time and went straight for the stairs, taking a moment to ponder about just how much her perception of this place has changed over the past few years. When she first came to the Tendo Dojo, she loved those quiet moments she was able to get while hiding in different spots in the house and wasn’t really paying attention to the mess she and others would leave after themselves every single day. Now, after living and caring for the three kids for so long, the quiet - while still enjoyable to some extent - now made her feel restless, anxiously thinking about every way the girls could get into some kind of trouble or messing around with the building itself, especially Akane.

Keeping their surroundings clean was also mostly Ranko’s responsibility so she started to get extra careful about it, unconsciously noticing every spec of dust or a stain all around her or even cleaning it absentmindedly. In short, she became the very definition of the housewife she’d considered Kasumi to be… while still being the best martial artist in Japan, even if no one really knew about it. She wasn’t really bothered by it either, taking it head on as something that had to happen. She was a mother to three kids after all.

How much further could Ranma Saotome, Man among Men, fall, huh Pops? She thought, giggling while thinking back to her father’s endless nagging whenever he caught her staying a girl for more than a moment, especially just after they were both cursed in China.

He wasn’t here though, so he couldn’t nag her anymore, which was a plus… but it sucked that he wouldn’t be able to see just how much better she’d gotten during all this time. No one would for a very long time.

Ranko shook her head, it wasn’t the time for such thoughts, trying to focus on the things that mattered. She shook her head and turned to the side, staring at yet another nostalgic thing: the wooden duck-shaped nameplate with ‘Akane’ written on it. What’s strange was that it actually wasn’t there originally. Both her youngest and her sisters all had their names carved on the tags on their doors but they were just generic, rectangular nameplates. The decision to change all three of them was really just an impulse, sort of indulgence for her… a piece of the world she’d left behind.

The redhead smiled fondly at the piece of wood and gently opened the door, walking to her daughter’s room and immediately grimaced, realizing just how stuffy it was. It was a typical place that was just like any other eight year old girl would have, a small bookshelf with fairy tails and some mangas the girl started to show interest in around half a year ago. Some toys were scattered around and a chair full of her daughter’s used clothes she’d more than likely forgotten to bring to be washed. Ranko made a mental note to take it with her once she was done checking on the girl before she looked to the side.

At the far corner of the room on a small kids bed she could see a human shape buried under the light blue covers, a little bit of a raven-black hair was sticking out from under it, while the rest of the bed frame was swimming with all kinds of plushies, most of them bought by Ranko over the years with one - probably the most important one - laying face down on the floor.

The redhead chuckled, quickly walked towards the window and opened it up, inviting the gentle morning breeze into Akane’s room and making it a little bit more livable. She put the soup on the table and turned around. As she walked towards the girl, she picked up the plushy rabbit from the floor with an amused smile. This was her daughter’s beloved stuffed toy and somehow whenever she fell asleep it always ended up falling off the bed somehow. She chuckled and shook the human shaped bump a few times until it let out a few sleepy groans.

A moment later the small, still a little disoriented head of her youngest daughter emerged from under the covers, blinking slowly a few times. Her mouth then opened wide making a huge yawn as her whole body stretched out, letting her small feet and arms out in the open making her look incredibly cute.

“Good morning Akane-chan,” said Ranko, giving her back her plushie bunny. “You dropped something.”

Akane’s eyes focused on her for just a heartbeat and when they realized what the redhead was holding they grew wide momentarily.

“Mr. Bunny!” She cried out before her arms shot out to snatch the plush toy and wrapped themselves around it with all the force the still half asleep kid could muster. “Thank you mommy.”

Ranko shook her head after seeing this sudden moment of clarity in the small girl's eyes, which died out almost immediately after she got her hands on the bunny.

She needed to hurry up before the almost eight years old child fell asleep once more.

“You’re welcome,” said the redhead pulling up a wooden stool standing to the side so that I could sit next to the bed. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

Akane turned on her side in bed so that she could look at her mother without lifting her head from the pillow, looking as if she was really pondering her mom’s question.

“I‘m sleepy,” she replied with a serious tone, emphasizing her answer with another big yawn.

Ranko couldn't help but smile at that, reminiscing about the past and when she lived with Akane. Just how many times had she wished that they could spend their time like this? Being comfortable and not fighting with each other? Granted she was often guilty of pushing her buttons too but even after Saffron, there were times when interacting with one another turned quite messy very fast.

She wondered, if they could meet one another now, would they still fight just like they used to? She wasn’t the same person she was three years ago. She wanted to believe she would act differently… of course it was only her, daydreaming about something that couldn’t happen.

She was here and Akane was there, and Ranko wasn’t going back… and that was it.

Let’s focus on something that I can do…

“Sleepy, huh? Let me see…” She said, putting the back of her hand to her daughter’s forehead. It was warm, much more than it should be but definitely less than the day before. “Well, the fever went down a bit at least…”

She was unable to finish, because at that very moment Akane finally realized that something in her room smelled very peculiar. Her eyes perked up as her head rose up a little.

“What’s that?” She asked, sniffing the air around her.

Ranko smiled at the youngest Tedno's reaction, while stifling a sigh of relief. What she realized during these few years was that except for Nabiki, both other sisters were very reluctant to take medicine that tasted or smelled funny, which made convincing them to take almost anything one of the biggest challenges the redhead ever faced.

It was fortunate that the Chinese food medicine smelled this good. The fact that her youngest showed interest in it without her mother’s commenting on it first was a very good sign.

“Mommy’s special chicken soup,” She said, reaching for a still slightly steaming bowl to show it to her youngest. “I know that you’d probably say that you’re not hungry but if you eat all of it, I promise you you’ll be running around with Yuka-chan and your other friends from school in no time.” She trailed off, scooping some broth into a spoon and held it in front of the girl's face. “Will you do it for me, sweetie?”

Her previous interested dimmed out a bit as Akane looking the spoon suspiciously looking at the all different herbs and vegetables her mom was able to scoop onto it, but after eyeing if for a few heartbeats and exchanging glances with the redhead she nodded slightly before taking a mouthful, swallowing hard as if she was forced to eat some unknown sludge.

“That’s my girl,” Ranko said as she slowly started feeding the girl, each bite feeling like a personal small victory.

As she was watching her daughter eat, she once again started thinking back about Akane. She did that a lot lately, wondering what she would say if she was able to see how Ranko was handling raising her and her sisters. Back then Ranma was the one clueless about the world, the only thing she was good at was martial arts, but she was totally inept with everything else. It would be so funny to see the reaction of the Tendo sisters now that the roles were reversed and she was to one that was teaching those three young girls all about the world.

It would certainly be something, she thought, smiling as her daughter finally started eating her medicine with gusto instead of just forcing it down her throat. Shame that will never happen.

Ranko walked the busy streets of Nerima just like any other day, a well-known route that she could walk practically without thinking. She was trying to figure out what to do about today's dinner and which ingredients she had and what she would need to buy. Her steps were light, organized, as her eyes were absentmindedly scanning other people.

In her previous timeline all the stuff that was happening in the world was not of her concern, and even if they were she was too young to understand any of it. Even when she was finally old enough to know that there’s much more to the world than just Japan, during the time when she was settling in with the Tendos she also hadn’t paid attention that much, too focused on honing her skills in martial arts and dealing with the bunch of crazy fiancées that were making her life miserable. Now it was different.

No matter if she just heard it while shopping or she was told something by her girlfriends in the neighborhood association or even occasional things she happened to see on TV she was now very well informed. Of course she still didn’t really pay attention to stuff that was happening on the other side of the planet or anywhere else except for Japan. Why would she really care about any of that stuff? None of it mattered to her while she was on the training journey with her pop so why would it matter to her now? Well, maybe except for one thing.

She was finally able to walk the streets of Nerima wearing pants with no one commenting on it!

Sure, most women she saw around still were mostly wearing skirts and dresses, Ranko had nothing against that, especially since after so much time living as a woman she’d also found some of her dresses very comforting. There was nothing better than a cute sundress on a hot summer day, but…

…She wasn’t really one of those girly girls. She’d lived as a boy for most of her life and was avoiding pants only because it would make her stand out too much. But finally after so much time she started noticing more and more young women in the open wearing pants, which meant that Ranko could finally start wearing things she actually liked. Not that she would get rid of all of her skirts and dresses, but she could finally have much more to choose from.

I should probably go and buy some clothes soon, like a new bra, she thought increasingly aware of the fact that she got yet another growth sprout in her chest, judging by the constant pressure. Come to think of it, Noguchi-san said it may be a good idea to finally get Kasumi her first training bra. Uhh, I can already feel the headache…

Ranko could still remember vividly how much she herself was opposed to the idea of buying her first bra. Not grabbing the first one she saw just so she could put on some over the top feminine disguise or to mess with someone, but her own, properly fitted bra for proper every-day support… and something was telling her that with Kasumi she may have an even worse time than that. Of course, from my own experience she knew that when the little tomboy’s chest started growing she would be thankful for it, but before that? Oh boy…

She was dreading the day when her oldest finally had her first period.

As she was walking down the sidewalk, shuddering from the images of the future she noticed a familiar, scrawny, young boy wearing a school uniform standing right in the center of the crowd only a few feet away from her. From the look of it, he was clearly lost.

Ranko raised an eyebrow at the sight.

“Ryoga, what are you doing here?” She asked, looking down at the boy. Her voice must have finally brought him back from his musings because he blinked a few times after she finished and looked up at her, first looking shocked, then relieved and right after that… flustered? He held his gaze on the redhead for only a second before he looked down and started fiddling with his hands.

She studied the nine years old boy, the one who in her previous timeline she regarded as her only male friend and her only real rival in the world… and now one of her best students and a friend of her girls.

“R-ranko-san!” He said while still avoiding her gaze. Maybe he’s embarrassed? She wondered, cocking her head slightly while looking at him. He did have a tendency to try to make himself smaller and not look at her whenever he messed up during training, or outside of training too, now that she thought about it. She’d noticed that several times over the course of the last few months… So maybe that’s it?

“I… I guess, I got lost again,” he continued, with a short nervous laugh.

Ranko sighed.

“I can see that. I’m asking, why are you lost?” She asked again with a frown. “We put you into the same school as Kasumi so that she could keep an eye on you and take you to and from school so that a situation like this didn’t happen…” she trailed off, looking at the small boy a little closer. “She didn’t ditch you, did she?”

In truth, the ‘we’ never really happened. Ranko didn’t want Ryoga to change schools or anything, having a small hope that maybe by keeping an eye on the kid, she would be able to track down Ranma’s future school. The problem was Shiori Hibiki. The woman was so delighted that her son finally had some real friends that she’d decided to put Ryoga at school with Kasumi. The redhead’s eldest was of course delighted too to have her best sparring partner and friend going to the same school as her… and that's where they were at.

Basically Kasumi took Ranma’s place as Ryoga’s friend who would guide him from home to school and back… frequently taking him to the Dojo first for dinner and additional spars shortly after. Ranko was very conflicted about the whole thing, she was a little upset that her plan went out the window, but on the other hand she observed those four kids playing together, especially Ryoga being carefree and happy instead of alone and depressed was making the disappointment she felt much more bearable. And really, if she was going to blame anyone for her plan falling apart, it was herself for not remembering the name of her own school… Nah, she could still blame pops for that.

“W-what? N-no, not that! It’s just… umm…” The lost boy started stuttering, looking increasingly nervous with each word, until at some point he just froze for a moment. He then let his shoulders slump slightly, before taking a deep breath and continuing with a more even, resigned voice. “There’s this boy Kōki Tanaka, he’s Kasumi’s friend, I think. And he…”

“Wait, she left you alone and walked away with some boy?” Ranko cut him off, feeling herself getting confused and strangely disappointed by her eldest’s actions. It was so not like her to just walk off.

“No, she didn’t!” Ryoga protested, desperately waving his hands in front of her. “Tanaka said that he wanted to talk with Kasumi about something. Said that it was important so… Kasumi told me to wait for her for a little bit, said that she’ll come back in just a second and told me to not wander off without her…”

“But you’ve wandered off anyway,” the redhead finished, shaking her head in exasperation, while at the same time feeling immense relief that she was proven wrong before she could do something stupid.

“Yes,” the lost boy nodded, looking down at his feet, clearly disappointed at himself and that his sensei witnessed him screwing up again.

Right, Kasumi would never do such a thing. She’s often too brash and reckless - just like me - but she cares about her friends and family. She wouldn’t do something like that to Ryoga, she thought, relaxing a bit. I’m a little curious about this Tanaka boy, but I guess I’ll just ask her about this when she gets back home.

She needed to deal with the lost boy first.

“Thank you for telling me,” she nodded, walking closer to him. “You already missed one class but if you hurry up you’ll be able to get there maybe about half-way through the next one.” Ranko continued while taking one of the boy’s hands and guiding him in the direction of the school. “Come on Ryoga, let’s go.”

The lost boy didn’t complain, he just froze for a second before he followed her lead. The redhead stifled a chuckle, remembering all those times with the other Tendos when she’d dragged her rival somewhere, constantly hearing him grumble or complaining about her always butting in into things that weren’t her business. I’ve got to say, it’s much more pleasant to help him when I’m not hearing his constant negativity…

That’s said, it wasn’t like he didn’t react to being dragged by her at all. Ranko was keeping a light pace and whenever she looked down at her temporary charge she would see him looking down at his feet, his face red as he glanced at her from time to time, looking really embarrassed.

The redhead wondered why. There wasn’t anything strange about her taking the boy to school. In their previous timeline she did that all the time and he never reacted this way. Was that because she was way older than him now? She thought about it and only now realized that she was walking him to school as if he was just a small kid, but at his age he probably wanted to be treated more seriously, maybe he wanted to look tough or something? That must be it.

Well, too bad, she rolled her eyes at her own conclusion. It’s better to suffer a little humiliation than getting another absence mark with his teacher.

Ignoring the lost boy's silly behavior, Ranko thought that maybe Roga just needed something to distract him, at least until they arrived near the main school building. It shouldn’t be difficult. Back in the day she was able to distract him very easily.

“How are you doing at school these days anyway?” She asked, glancing at the boy with feigned interest. “Everything’s alright?”

Ryoga almost tripped, not expecting the redhead’s question. He blinked a few times as if trying to go back to reality from wherever his mind had been just a moment ago.

“I-I guess,” he stuttered, focused on Ranko's face once more. “Now that I’m not getting lost…” he trailed off glancing at the redhead’s hand that was guiding him through the crowd blushing slightly at the sight. “...almost not getting lost, some kids are actually talking to me. Classes are interesting too.”

She smiled at him, it was good to hear that the eternally lost and alone Ryoga Hibiki had some other people to talk to instead of his own thoughts. Who knows, he may even turn out to be an entirely different person than in her timeline. Of course Ranko never learned how exactly he lived his whole childhood - she only met him in middle school after all - so she couldn’t actually know what he was like back then, but she sure knew that this wasn’t it.

Maybe she could even prevent the creation of ‘P-chan’ altogether? That would have been something.

“Is someone picking on you?” She asked a little bit more, gradually becoming more invested in her young student’s life at school. “You can tell me if they do.”

“S-some boys are making fun of my sense of direction,” he admits, looking like he just ate something incredibly sour. It passed however as his grimace quickly turned into a rather satisfied smirk, one that Ranko rarely saw appearing on his face. “But not much. Mostly Kasumi or I would scare them off so it’s ok now.”

It was her turn to blink as she observed the previously timid and embarrassed kid looking smug and very clearly pleased with himself for being able to stand up for himself. Surprisingly, Ranko found herself grinning too, feeling proud of the boy in front of her, something she would never have thought she could feel towards the lost boy.

On the other hand, why would she be surprised? He was her student, the only one that could go toe to toe with her oldest daughter and the one she would take care of from time to time, whenever she would stay over or somehow get lost right in front of the Dojo. Even if she wouldn’t admit that to anyone else - even her mother - she kinda started feeling responsible for Ryoga, much more than she initially thought she would.

“Very good, you can’t let them do whatever they want,” she nodded with satisfaction and ruffled his head right above his bandana looking at him fondly. “You’re my student so you better not lose to some stupid brats in the locker room,” she said, sending him an encouraging, toothy smile and - in one fluid motion - she let his hand go, only to quickly pull the smaller boy closer into a short side hug. “I’m proud of you, Ryoga. You’re doing great so keep it up.”

It didn’t last long, only a few heartbeats before Ranko let him go and kept walking, dragging the boy after her. The lost boy didn’t comment on any of this, in fact he stayed silent for the rest of the way, seemingly lost in thoughts looking at his feet the whole time.

Hmm… maybe I shouldn’t have done that? She wondered, glancing at the lost boy from time to time to make sure that everything’s ok. Ryoga always had problems while interacting with women and right now he can only think of me as one so…

To be fair, Ranko really thought that maybe thanks to him constantly interacting with the sisters he would be able to finally interact with women better, but maybe she was wrong about that?

Ryoga does seem to enjoy his time in the Dojo. He was mostly relaxed and joyful every time he spent his time with the girls, to the point that she even entertained the thought very similar to her pop all those years ago: what if the boy went soft a little too much? It was only a passing thought however and was quickly dismissed when she remembered all those times when Ranko took him and Kasumi to the dojo for their usual spar. Outside, he might look harmless and naive but when he was fighting he was just as focused and vicious as any other serious martial artist, giving Kasumi a run for her money multiple times, taking his place as her oldest daughter’s first and greatest rival.

She thought about all of this and still couldn’t really understand why Ryoga was acting so sheepish and embarrassed just by her holding him in public. She didn’t get it.

They were walking like this for some time, both silent, deep in their own thoughts so much that Ranko didn’t even realize where they were until they were standing before the front gate of the Hokei Elementary School. The place looked deserted. The only movement the redhead could see was a janitor doing some kind of work near the wall, and occasional movement in the classroom windows. The overall still and quiet atmosphere around the building meant that - just as she’d hoped for - they were able to get there before the end of the second period.

Finally, she thought, stifling a sigh before looking down at Ryoga. “Alright Ryoga, let’s find a teacher who will be able to…”

She paused as a movement on the edge of her vision suddenly caught her attention. A man - young and neatly dressed with short, black hair - was walking rather quickly by the school ground. Ranko didn't recognize him. She wondered whether to ask him to take the boy to class, but seeing that he was clearly in a hurry, she gave up on the idea and decided to look for someone else... But then he spotted her.

Their eyes met for just a moment, and then - for some reason - he turned around and walked towards her looking both surprised and relieved at the same time.

“Miss Tendo, I’m so glad that you’re here!” he said without skipping a bit and smiling at the confused redhead. “My name is Nishihara Dai, I’m vice-principal of Hokei. I called your house but no one answered so I was worried but… anyway, could you please come with me to the principal's office? There’s been… a problem with your daughter.”

Every other question that Ranko wanted to ask him, disappeared from her head the moment he finished speaking. Her heart stopped for just a moment while her eyes pierced the man with a cold, serious and very urgent stare.

“What happened?”

“Bullied?! Kasumi would never bully anybody,” Ranko yelled at the two men in front of her. A vice-principal who brought her here from the schoolyard and the principal himself sitting in the chair behind a huge desk. She was just staring at them, unable to comprehend the absurdity of the claims she’d just heard. “All of this is just one big misunderstanding, I’m sure of it.”

While talking, the redhead instinctively positioned herself between the principal and Kasumi who was - at the moment - sitting by the wall clearly angry but keeping a lid on it while glaring at the men with defiance.

The redhead was fuming too, but more than that she felt incredibly anxious. She remembered very well all the times she herself was called into the office like this, but at Furinkan High she didn’t care at all. At worst it was annoying at best she could get under the skin of principal Kuno… this was different.

She just couldn’t help but worry about what it could mean for Kasumi to get in trouble in school. Ranma wasn't really concerned about it. It was well known that she was a bad student and no matter how severe the punishment it wouldn’t matter for her academic career in the long run. Kasumi though…

Kasumi was smart, gifted. She could do whatever she wanted if only she'd finish school with good grades. Ranko was really anxious about her daughter's future.

That can’t be true, no way, she thought, grinding her teeth, trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

But those two geezers in front of her seemed to have something completely different in mind.

“Tanaka’s story is really compelling though,” said the principal, a sleazy looking scrawny guy with a partially bald head who clearly had to fight with himself to keep looking her straight in the eyes. “Not to mention that Kasumi’s overall behavior in school is… less than ideal.” He said before starting to nervously fiddle with his hands. “That’s why we wanted to contact you, Tendo-san, although your daughter is a top student, her overall performance could use a little… improvement.”

Ranko suddenly felt an overwhelming need to punch this man. How dare he even imply that Kasumi - her Kasumi who was putting her blood and sweat in the Dojo and at school - need to do even better? It was infuriating.

But then she caught the name.

“Wait, Tanaka? Kōki Tanaka?” She asked, remembering her talk with the lost boy only a few minutes ago. The alarm bells in her head started to go off really fast. “Ryoga just told me that he wanted to talk with Kasumi alone just before school started…”

At that moment Ranko regretted that they let Ryoga go back to class. He would have been a great help right now. Who is this kid anyway? She wondered, getting frustrated that she was kept in the dark about someone so troublesome… and apparently he’s Kasumi’s friend? What? What kind of friend gets their friend in trouble with the principal? So either this is a lie.. or my girl had a poor taste for people.

She wanted to press them for more information, but this was the moment that the brunette chose to let everyone know that she’s the part of the conversation. She quickly and loudly rose up from her seat and would probably have stormed her way to the principal’s desk if not for Ranko stopping her at the last moment.

“That’s what I was telling you!” She said, looking hurt and furious. The redhead could feel the small hands tightening their grip on her arm. “But you didn’t believe me!”

The redhead’s eyes went wide for a moment before she looked down at the small brunette, unsure if she had heard her correctly.

“Wait, you told them that? Then why is only my kid here?” She asked, shooting the principal and vice-principal an accusatory glare. “Where is that boy that she allegedly ‘bullied’? He clearly lied to you.”

The principal - his name was Koichi, if Ranko remembered correctly - quickly looked away, though he still had this air around him, like someone who was irritated by the fact that he was forced to still be here and deal with some stupid drama instead of doing something more important… and she couldn’t agree with him more, this whole meeting should’ve never happened in the first place.

The vice-principal Dai however looked much more professional, standing his ground and actually meeting Ranko’s gaze with a calm, neutral expression on his face.

“Tanaka-kun is in the nurse's office,” he replied, shooting a quick glance at the brunette. “He asked to not be near Kasumi for the time being, says he’s afraid she’ll beat him up again…”

“What?!” Kasumi cut him off, looking hurt and… betrayed? She wasn’t sure about that one but the girl was definitely taken aback by the man’s words. “But I didn’t even…”

Her outburst didn’t seem to impress the man at all, whose only response was a long, disappointed sigh and a shake of his head - both which made Ranko want to punch him… just a little.

“The teacher caught you holding his shirt, threatening him,” he continued, looking Kasumi straight in the eyes. “Are you telling me that it didn’t happen, Kasumi-san?”

Facing the gaze of not only the vice-principal but also the principal and her mother, the small brunette’s bravado wavered visibly, only to be crushed completely a moment after. Ranko watched as her girl’s eyes shot between him and her, desperate and pleading. The redhead’s voice caught in her throat just by looking at it.

“I-I… I mean no, but… but I didn’t punch him or anything!” Kasumi tried to explain, stumbling on her own words, tightening her grip on her mother’s arm harder and harder by the second. “I was just so angry and… and…”

It was clear that the girl was starting to panic, Ranko instinctively crouched to her daughter’s level and caught her into a tight, strong hug cutting off whatever she was trying to say next. She could feel Kasumi’s body freeze for just a second before it latched onto her neck, desperately as if wanting to hide from the world around them.

“Honey, relax,” she said, drawing small circles on the girl's back. “Just… breath, ok? In and out.”

The girl made a few quick and sharp nods before focusing on the things her mom said, she was trying to breathe normally, not looking at anyone else in the room.

“I believe you.” she added, putting a small kiss on the brunette's forehead before shooting one more accusatory glare at the two men… only for it to change into a tired, pleading look. “Look, I know my daughter. Yes, she can be impulsive and yes, hotheaded too sometimes but… she wouldn’t just beat up that Tanaka-boy, she just wouldn’t.”

When she first came here, she was ready to tear this place apart if she needed to. She thought that it would be easy. It was easy back when she was in school, so why would it be difficult now, right? Wrong.

She couldn’t just power through anything anymore, especially not in a situation when it would impact her little girl’s future. Suddenly she felt incredibly weak, and tired and only wished for all of this mess to just end here and now so both of them could go home.

But she knew that these two wouldn’t let it go just like that. Guess it’s time for some Anything-Goes detective work.

“Kasumi-chan, can you tell me what really happened?” She asked after her daughter finally calmed down a little, and - although her grip on Ranko’s arm didn’t decrease at all - at least her breathing sounded stronger and more even than before.

“K-Kōki told me that he wanted to talk to me about something.” She said with a single sniffle, trying to sound more calm and collected, but it was clear that she wasn’t doing a very good job with it. “I followed him and when we were finally alone he s-said that he’s sorry but w-we can’t be friends anymore.” Her grip on the redhead tightened up even more. “He… he said that he doesn't want to be friends with… with some v-violent tomboy l-like me… a-and…”

As she was holding Kasumi’s slightly trembling body, the previous fatigue and doubts disappeared and Ranko’s mind suddenly turned strangely cold and quiet. The only thing remaining inside was a desire to kill that stupid little brat that made her little girl cry into her arms like this. It would be simple and so so easy… but she couldn’t do it. She went into the Soul of Ice as quickly as possible to keep her emotions in check, leaving only a small ember of the raging storm she felt just a moment ago.

She hated the fact that she needed to be cool-headed at the moment, it would be so simple to just let go and get her hands on that worm. But Kasumi needed stability, someone who had her back and didn’t lose her shit just because of something like this.

So, with great difficulty, she let it go. For now.

It didn’t mean that she didn’t feel like killing someone.

“Principal Koichi, I would like to talk to that kid,”she said with a dangerously quiet, even voice, letting a small amount of her aura leak out from her, so that everyone in the room knew that she really meant business. “He owes me an explanation…”

It may have worked a little bit better than she thought it would, seeing that both men were suddenly looking at her with faces as white as sheets.

“T-that won’t be necessary, Tendo-san,” said the vice-principal Dai, waving his hand nervously as if the situation suddenly wasn’t that big of a deal. “P-perhaps we judged the whole situation a little bit too hastily, so… I promise that I will talk with Tanaka-kun personally later. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

“Maybe it would be good for Kasumi-chan to go home?” The principal chimed in, with a disgustingly sweet, nervous smile, trying to wipe off the droplets of sweat that started going down his neck. “She is clearly shaken by everything that has happened...”

“Great idea,” Ranko replied, taking the opportunity to be out of this place with no hesitation. Before any of the men could say another word she immediately stood up, taking her daughter’s hand. “Come on sweetie, we’re leaving.”

She didn’t even look back to see if they wanted anything else from her; she just walked out with her little girl in tow and started walking through the school corridors and staircases wanting to get some fresh air.

She was still angry, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew that she’d messed up back there, and that - when the fear finally subsided - principal Koichi would probably be quite angry and want to see her again… but she just couldn’t muster any energy to care. The truth was that he was just a weak, pathetic guy who relied on his vice-principal to do all his work for him and she was a very well known and quite popular master of martial arts. She worked her ass off for the past three years for the reputation she now has and her word actually mattered. Maybe not officially but in the community… she was actually a well-liked and respected person and she would not hesitate to use it if she had to.

In the worst case scenario she will give him her formal apology, after all she didn’t really do anything wrong, had she? Other than being a little rude… right?

Ranko walked without stopping until they were finally outside of the school gate, when she suddenly felt a little bit of resistance. A small, short tug in the opposite direction which, when she finally stopped and looked down, was coming from Kasumi herself.

Her daughter glanced up at her, looking so young and so small… At that moment the redhead forgot that her kid was already almost able to break a brick with her fist. She was just a little girl that was clearly hurt.

And Ranko desperately wanted to make it all feel better.

“M-mom,” she started and almost immediately looked down, eyes glued to her own two feet. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

The redhead was looking at the cowering brunette, feeling both a deep sadness and a warm feeling of pride building up in her chest. She didn’t let it show on her face though.

“What are you sorry for?” she asked her, cocking her head to the side.

Being aware of one's weaknesses and learning from them were a big part of martial arts training. Back when she was at her age, she would often suffer multiple different injuries, bruises, maybe even a broken bone or two, to remind her to not make the same mistake again. It did make her a formidable martial artist but the price she had to pay for that wasn’t something she wanted for her children.

The fastest method isn’t always the best one after all.

Kasumi went silent for a moment, she was fidgeting with her fingers, tapping them against each for a few more heartbeats before she finally pulled herself together and looked up at her mother.

“For getting angry and g-grabing Tanaka’s shirt…” she said, looking genuinely sorry and ashamed by her own actions. “I… I don’t even know why I did it. I was just so angry…”

Ranko nodded and cut her off by ruffling the hair on her head. She wanted her student to understand her mistake, not to start breaking down at the mere mention of the incident. What she heard was enough, after all it was pointless to dwell on mistakes; instead, it is better to think about how to avoid making them again… by any means necessary. That was the true spirit of Anything Goes Martial Arts.

“Well, it’s good that you know what you did wrong.” she said with an encouraging smile and a short nod. “I know that it was probably a very hurtful thing to say but… you can’t just attack someone who doesn't know any martial arts and can’t defend himself, Kasumi-chan. It’s not the way of a martial artist.”

The oldest Tendo sister hung her head down, probably expecting some additional scolding from her master. Instead, Ranko took her chin and lifted her head so that she could look her in the eyes, her smile didn’t waver one bit.

“However, no one said that you can’t get back at him in another way.” she finished with a mischievous wink. “But let’s talk about it some other time. For now, let's go back to the Dojo.”

Kasumi blinked a few times, completely taken aback by Ranko’s words. She didn’t say anything even when the redhead decided to pick her up, only wrapped her arms and legs around her, too caught up with her own thoughts or just too tired emotionally to care about it. Her mom didn’t mind that one bit either, she just wanted to let her child know that whatever happened in school today was over and that she was safe. That as long as her mom was holding her in her arms nothing bad could ever happen to her. And she meant it.

They were more than half-way to the Tendo Dojo, when Kasumi finally shifted her weight a little bit and glanced at Ranko with an anxious look.

“You think Ryoga is going to be ok?” She asked, sounding genuinely worried about the lost boy. “He could get lost if no one guides him home.”

The redhead changed her grip on the girl slightly, while pondering her question for a few moments before answering. It was true that Ryoga would - almost always - get lost if out of sight for more than a few minutes, but she didn’t really feel as worried for the lost boy as her daughter was. With the amount of times he ended up before the Dojo lately it would be fair to assume that he would just knock on their door by the end of the day.

“He should be fine, it's only for today after all.” she said, but after glancing back and seeing that her answer didn’t really make the worried look on the brunette’s face go away she sighed and shook her head. “But maybe you’re right honey, I’ll call his mom and tell her someone will need to pick him up when we get back home.”

That seemed to do the trick, as her kid’s body seemed to deflate a little and her head snuggled into the redhead’s neck again while the rest of her body nestled itself more comfortably in her arms once more. It wasn't long before she felt quiet but regular breaths brushing against her neck.

The rest of their walk was quiet. Ranko didn’t let go of Kasumi until they passed the front gate of the Tendo Dojo, and even then she only did that once they were already in the genkan, feeling particularly hesitant to let go of her oldest child.

When she finally did, she knelt down on one knee and put one hand on the girl's shoulder.

“If… if anything like that ever happened in the future…” she started, looking straight into her daughter’s eyes. “You know you can always come and talk to me about it. Right, sweetie?”

She didn’t even know where the need to say that came from. She remembered hinting at it multiple times already, but maybe what she really needed to do was just be blunt and tell her that to her face? As long as it got her point across, that’s fine. She just needed to make sure her oldest child wasn't hiding her problems from her… just like she did with pop back when she was her age…

She won’t tell me anything, will she? she thought, holding herself back from letting out a hopeless chuckle.

Kasumi shuffled her feet on the floor, shooting a quick, nervous glance at Ranko. “I don’t want to be a bother.” she said, averting her eyes once more.

She really didn’t expect to hear anything sillier than she’d already heard today, but there it was. Ranko just knelt there, before the brunette, looking at her as if she’d just grown at least two new heads… and right after that she scooped her into yet another strong, and tight hug.

“Who ever said you’re a bother, sweetheart?” she asked, feeling incredibly stupid and - frankly - very bemused. “Akane constantly sneaks up into my futon at night and Nabiki practically gives me a report of everything she did during the day when she comes back from school… if they can do all that, why can’t you? I promise that I can handle another girl talking to me about her day.”

Was she spending too much time with the other two sisters? She didn’t think that was the case, but what if it actually was? Kasumi was the oldest of the three and she was constantly trying to look like the one that can take care of herself, as if trying to prove that she didn’t need to be looking after as much as Nabiki or Akane… maybe Ranko should keep closer attention to the oldest sister? All of those questions were playing on repeat in her head, while she was still hugging the girl as tight as ever… and wishing very hard that it would actually be enough to cheer her up.

“I’m not forcing you of course, I…” she continued, caressing her thumb under her daughter’s eyes, getting rid of the accumulated moisture. “...I just want you to know that I’m here for you, whenever you need me.”

She’d just opened her mouth to say something else, but paused mid sentence. It was only after she’d said all this that she realized that right now she was telling Kasumi exactly what she’d wanted to hear from her pops when they were on their training journey… and what she’d eventually stopped wishing for, knowing she’d never hear it.

“Thank you, mom.” Kasumi whispered, weakly but with a wide, genuine smile that would melt the heart of just about anybody lucky enough to see it. Ranko couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“Now, go and use some of that free time your principal so generously gave you.” she said, giving her daughter a gentle push in the back. “I’ll call you when I’m done with dinner.”

The brunette nodded, eagerly, almost looking cheerful if not for her still slightly red looking eyes.

“I’m going to train in the dojo,” she said as a matter of fact, and sprinted into her room to change clothes.

“Alright,” she said with a short nod following her girl with her gaze, letting out a small chuckle. “Give those bricks hell sweetie.”

That said, the redhead took off her shoes and walked into the house, finding small comfort in standing in her own territory. A moment after she walked a little deeper inside, she needed to duck to the side to not be run into by the little brunette with her new white gi. Ranko just couldn’t understand how someone could make fun of such a hard working and lovely girl.

I mean… I thought that teenagers can be cruel. Who would have thought that kids that are barely ten could be even worse? She thought, shaking her head, feeling a cold, quiet fury building up in her chest at the mere thought of the things Kasumi needed to deal with just because she’s not like the other girls. It was just… wrong. She kind of knew that, because of the way she was, some kids would not like her very much but this was something else entirely.

She really tried to stop thinking about it, but even despite her best efforts, the whole unpleasant interaction she’d had in the principal’s office was still playing on repeat in her head. The redhead walked into the kitchen, hoping that maybe focusing on making dinner would allow her to just let it go… only to realize that with all this mess with Ryoga and Kasumi she completely forgot to buy any groceries.

Great, now what do I do now? She thought, feeling a pang of irritation in her chest at the idea of going out of the house once more. It didn’t matter though, it was this or a take out and she really wanted to make something of her own to cheer up her kid.

Looking around and already making a grocery list in her head, she stumbled upon a note held by a freezer magnet. The redhead cocked her head and leaned forward slightly trying to read the hastily written scribbles that someone left behind.

I was called for a Town Council meeting. I will probably be late for dinner, don’t wait for me.

                                                                                                                                     Soun

She scoffed, wondering about why he decided to put this note specifically in the kitchen. He could put it anywhere, on the table, near the telephone, but he specifically chose the kitchen. A small part of her wanted to be irritated by it, but she - just like Kasumi - felt mentally exhausted and didn’t have the energy for it. That and it was true, she did spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It was understandable that she would come here first after coming back… it was a mother’s duty to prepare a meal for her family.

Resigning herself to her own fate, Ranko let her arms slump down and begrudgingly she walked past the noren, walked into the washitsu… and froze.

She wasn’t really sure what it was, but something wasn’t right. At first glance everything looked just like every other day, but she was sure that something was in the air… it was too still, as if something was about to happen any moment. Ranko stood like that for a heartbeat, then another, then a few more but still nothing… nothing.

Finally after who knows how long, she thought that it was probably her senses going haywire from all the stress she was under today and waved it off. She turned on her heel and started walking towards the genkan when…

“-ou doing you idiot!!” She heard someone shouting, but was just too surprised to register who’s voice that was. She was too busy staring at four people that suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

Ranko just stopped near the wall, shell-shocked with one of her legs frozen midstep mouth agape, trying to understand what just happened.

There was no flash of light, no cloud of smoke, she didn’t even blink, at least she didn’t remember blinking. They just… appeared. Out of thin air.

Silhouettes of people who she was sure she would only see in her scrambled memory were standing right in front of her, looking a little older, confused… and definitely tangible.

And then, they noticed her too.

Her mind had problems comprehending what was happening as she watched as one of them - a face she’d thought she would never see again - looked at her with wide eyes’ and suddenly took an unsteady step towards her, looking as if she was a ghost.

“R-Ranma? I-Is… is that really you?”

Chapter Text

Only a few moments earlier Akane’s heart was beating like crazy, her jaw tightened with overflowing frustration and her hands were throbbing from hitting that useless scrap of ancient junk called the ‘Sword of the Past’, or something like that as hard as possible to vent even a fraction of the emotions that had accumulated inside of her for the past three years.

It was all gone now, with every noise and every other sensation being seemingly cut off as her eyes focused on a singular point: the person she thought she had lost forever and had been desperately trying to bring home ever since that dreadful day a few years ago.

He… or she? At some point after their failed wedding it started to be really confusing how she should think about Ranma anymore. They looked different now, but it wasn’t strange after so much time had passed. It was honestly fairly expected. They were no longer just skin and bones. Akane still vaguely remembered the small redhead being dragged into her house by the panda. Ever since then, thanks to Kasumi’s meals, her fiance was starting to almost look human but now… there was an undeniable feeling of firmness around them. Ranma was still powerful and had muscles - she could clearly see that - but she also looked more… round. Not chubby by any means, but there was definitely a little more fat in there, mostly on her face and chest. It made her look strangely motherly… especially in those rather tight-fitting jeans and a beige knitted sweater, with her red hair put into a long, loose braid.

Ever since the wedding, the youngest Tendo had tried to be at least a little bit more feminine, but even so, Ranma - her ‘man among men’ fiance - looked a hundred times more womanly now than she ever was. She still remembered feeling bad about it back in the day, but now… now she just couldn’t believe that she was standing there, looking at the face she was almost ready to give up on. It was almost too good to be true…

…and her redheaded fiance apparently thought so as well. Ranma was looking at the four of them as if they were ghosts.

A myriad of questions flooded Akane’s head. Is that really Ranma? How has she been? Where are they? Did she miss her too? Did she also try to figure out a way to come home? This and many others were swirling in her head. Her mouth opened but no sound came out, not at first at least. With her head still spinning and her mind in chaos she actually staggered slightly and put one foot forwards finding herself off balance.

When she finally felt reasonably steady on her feet, her eyes were still glued to the shell-shocked face of the painfully familiar redhead. The youngest Tendo’s mouth opened up again instinctively uttering the first and the most important question of them all.

“R-Ranma?” She stuttered, inwardly cursing herself for not being able to at least try to keep it together and not look like a complete mess of a person. “I-Is… is that really you?”

She knew that she was probably asking the same question that the others probably wanted to know the most too. Not only her, but Shampoo, Nabiki and even Kasumi were giving their all to somehow crack that bullshit piece of junk that sent Ranma to who knows where… and had now seemingly done the same to them after Akane broke it into pieces in a fit of rage just a moment ago. Come to think of it, she thought, glancing quickly at the crushed pieces of the rusty sword laying all around the floor. I didn’t screw us over, didn’t I? It still can be put together to send us back home… right?

A sudden chill ran through her as the initial shock faded and she finally started to once again pay attention to her surroundings. The fact that she was indeed standing in the middle of what clearly was their family washitsu, the gentle breeze coming through the door to the engawa. The quiet, barely audible creaking sound of the wood from the direction of the stair…

Her eyes went wide, and so did Ranma’s.

“Hide!” She hissed and turned her back on the Tendo Sisters, face first towards the approaching sound. Akane didn’t know what it was, but something in the redhead’s tone of voice made her move, her body seemingly reacting on its own. Without thinking she glanced to the side, grabbing Nabiki - who still apparently was in the middle of processing what had just happened - and leaped up into the ceiling, her whole body tensing up holding her and her sister in place between the wooden frames. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Shampoo and Kasumi were doing exactly the same thing, then she refocused on the redhaired, watching with bated breath to see what would happen next.

Shampoo stifled a groan, adjusting her position between the frames. All of her senses were on high alert.

She hated being thrown into unexpected situations to begin with, but right now it was something else entirely. She glanced the the side to look at Kasumi’s startled face, and after making sure that she was ok, Shampoo sent a very irritated glare towards Akane, who unfortunately didn’t even notice it, too focused on the redhead below to notice her or Nabiki’s accusatory stares. She was entirely out of it.

That just pissed off the Amazon even more, especially since all of them knew just how old and fragile that artifact really was. Not to mention Great Grandmother’s constant warnings about being careful with it, since its age and overall state had already made the magic inside of the sword very unstable. And of course, the first thing Akane did after only a few attempts at working with it was to smash it to pieces.

Their goal was to get Ranma back into their timeline, not getting zapped into the past too! They were all alive for what it was worth but they didn't even know where they were or if they would even be able to go back!

The only good thing about this whole situation was the fact that they had actually found Ranma. Because it was her, Shampoo was sure of it.

Akane had only just started to realize it, but she was trained by Great Grandmother in ki manipulation techniques for a very long time. She knew how to read it and - even though three years had passed - she still could visibly remember Ranma’s ki. This was it, there was no doubt about it. Even so, it was different, strange and twisted but not in the same way it was before. It wasn’t because of the curse, in fact the redhead’s energy seemed to be entirely devoid of any residue of the cursed spring's influence... and completely female.

Looking at Ranma reminded Shampoo of the one of the matriarchs she saw from time to time in her village. The ones that were still young but had already experienced the hardships of motherhood and challenges of leading their own households. She wasn’t the brash, overly confident and cocky teenager she’d met all those years ago and this was what really made her wonder what had happened? What kind of life had the redhead lived during her stay in this… whatever timeline they ended up in.

If the circumstances were different I would probably want to make her mine even more, she thought, a hint of a smile appearing on her face as she mused about how different their fate could have been.

Shampoo shook her head and her other hand instinctively tightened its grip on Kasumi’s midsection while her eyes focused on Ranma once more. Just in time to see that the source of the noise that alarmed all of them just a second ago was… a small black haired kid?

A girl, she corrected herself when the child came completely out from behind the corner of the room. She was really small, probably between six and eight years old with unruly black hair, wearing light blue pajamas with countless yellow ducks printed all over them and hugging a slightly ragged looking bunny plush toy with button eyes close to her chest. She was visibly distressed, with her eyes glued onto Ranma’s face as if nothing else existed in the world.

“Mommy…” Shampoo’s eyes grew wider at the little girl’s words. She could feel Kasumi’s weight shifting but she dismissed it, too caught up in observing the - apparently - mother and daughter walking towards each other.

I was right! She thought while the gears in her head began spinning at breakneck speed, trying to come up with the explanation of what she was seeing. That girl is definitely too old for Ranma to have had her - she’d arrived here only three years ago - so that girl was almost certainly adopted. But what could make the supposed ‘man among men’ not only be cured of her curse but also step into the role of that little girl’s…

“Akane-chan, what happened?” The redhead’s words completely stopped her train of thoughts leaving her looking blankly as Ranma picked up her daughter with one arm and hugged her to her chest. It took a moment for the gears in Shampoo’s head to start moving again, trying to understand what was happening.

“Couldn’t sleep?” the redhead asked, cocking her head to the side at which the girl nodded a few times before burying her head into the older girl’s shoulder. “Had a nightmare again, sweetie? Is that what happened?”

What the world… She thought, watching with fascination as Ranma patted ‘Akane-chan's’ head in a tender, maternal way not bothered by the fact that she had an audience.

The girl didn’t respond immediately, instead Shampoo could hear some kind of mumbling sounds she couldn’t understand and the mess of black hair clung a little closer to her mother’s shoulder.

“Can I sleep in your room?” A pitiful, muffled voice came from the girl with her small arms wrapping themselves around Ranma’s neck. “Please mom.”

The Amazon could feel her throat tightening as memories of her younger self reemerged suddenly. She’d once dreamed about a scene like this with a kid of their own running towards them just like this, a small girl wearing traditional Amazon clothes - same as Shampoo used to wear - snuggling for comfort into her parents' joint embrace.

It was in the past now and she was happy with the life she had now. The one she often dreamed about in the past… it was a foolish, one sided wish that was never going to happen. Didn’t make it any less bitter though.

She forced herself to forget about it and watched the pair below. Ranma started caressing her kid’s head and turned slightly, enough so that the four women could clearly see one side of the redhead’s face, allowing them to see one of the brightest smiles Shampoo had ever seen on her face.

It was so pure and natural, completely different from the ones she’d seen on Ranma’s face ever since she’d come to Nerima. It was as if only now, far away from the chaos at home, she was able to be completely free. Looking back at how she’d treated her at that time… it made Shampoo feel really guilty.

“‘Of course you can,” said the redhead, who - contrary to the Amazon - looked rather amused while giving a gentle tap to the girl’s nose. “Better hold on to Mr. Bunny, you wouldn’t want to sleep without him, right?”

The younger Akane made an adorable little giggle trying to evade the redhead only to press her face between Ranma’s neck and shoulder, tightening her grip around her body.

“Ok,” she said. “But it’s Miss Bunny now,” she added with pouted lips.

She saw Ranma blink several times, then look closely at the stuffed toy, as if to make sure it was the same toy she thought it was, and then look at the girl with a questioning expression on her face.

“Huh? But she was Mr. Bunny this morning, wasn’t she?”

The whole situation was so bizarre and - frankly speaking - the Amazon was having a hard time to make a sense of what was happening, but she did find it quite funny to see a little, probably not even eight years old girl looking at Ranma as if she just embarrassed her before the whole village. That would have been a very entertaining thing to watch, if not for the severity of their situation.

Meanwhile ‘Akane-chan’ propped herself on Ranma’s chest to look her ‘mother’ in the eyes.

“She was, but she doesn’t feel like it anymore.” she said, with a hilariously serious look, as if she were a little disappointed that she had to explain something so obvious to her “So she’s a girl now, you know?”

Ranma just stared at the kid, matching the serious look she was giving her… only to break the act a few heartbeats later with a huge, toothy grin.

“Well honey, if you say so, then I guess it must be true,” she said, tossing her lightly to readjust her position in the redhead’s arms. “Hold on to Miss. Bunny then.”

Shampoo couldn’t help herself and barely stopped a chuckle from escaping her mouth as she watched Ranma giggling softly, shaking her head while looking extremely amused by the girl’s words. The Amazon shot a quick glance at Akane, but the black haired girl was just hanging there, frozen with a shell-shocked expression on her face… which was an understandable and - at the moment - kind of uncomfortable thing to see.

We’ll deal with that in a moment, she thought, looking down at the redhead who’d just started to walk slowly deeper into the house, in the direction of Soun’s and Happosai’s room.

No… she wouldn’t, Shampoo couldn’t help but tense up, as a sudden and dreadful thought flashed into her mind. This kid version of Akane called Ranma ‘mommy’, and I know from Kasumi that their mother passed away when they were very little… Please don’t tell me…

She knew that it was simply absurd, but a vision of the redhead and Soun Tendo together with the three smaller versions of the sisters assaulted her mind, making her whole body shudder. It couldn't have happened, she was sure of that... but still, deep in her mind, there was this persistent, horrible whisper that she couldn't silence… an irrational doubt…

She watched in nerve wracking anticipation as the redhead walked slowly away with the black haired girl in her arms, completely unbothered by the four pairs of eyes following her every move.

“I will,” the black haired girl nodded before she wrapped her arms around Ranma’s neck one more time. “I love you mommy.”

The redhead laughed and rubbed her face against her daughter's, which made the child giggle with pure joy.

“I love you too, sweetie,” she said at the same time as she turned right, disappearing into the room just next to Soun’s. Shampoo needed a moment for her brain to catch up with what happened and the wave of relief that washed over her was so great that she almost lost her grip and fell down to the ground. It was only thanks to her Amazon training that she was able to steady herself at the last second and stayed stuck to the ceiling… minus a startled yelp but she decided to pretend that it hadn’t happened.

The rest of them didn't notice anyway; after all, they had much more important things on their minds at the moment.

And now that it had all gone quiet it finally started sinking in. Although it was all a complete disaster, they’d done it, after all this time, they'd really found Ranma! But the Ranma they found was…

“What the hell was that?” Shampoo whispered, her eyes still glued to the door behind which the redhead had vanished, trying to wrap her head around what they had gotten themselves into.

“I don’t know but…” Nabiki’s voice sounded hesitant and worried, but not weak at all. In fact the Amazon didn’t even need to look at her to know that the cogs in her head were already starting to spin. “...it tracks I guess? That pile of junk was supposed to send you back in time, and just by doing so it creates a different timeline, right?” She paused for a moment. “But I have no idea what exactly got screwed up enough for it to end up like this.”

The ‘Sword of the New Beginning’ is a very dangerous artifact, Shampoo. Even in our texts it only appeared a handful of times and the information we had on it is fragmented at best… be careful with it Child, or you could share the fate of your beloved... I would hate for it to actually happen. Her Great Grandmother’s warning played out in Shampoo’s head as if she was right there with them. That bastard Kuno said that the seller called it ‘A Sword of the Past’ but he was probably mistaken or maybe tricked for some reason.

‘Getting rid of a problem with a slash of the sword’ my ass, it just dumped whatever it slashes into the past. Or at least that’s what legend says… well I guess at least that one was true, she thought trying to remember more of the stuff she and Nabiki were able to dig out over the years, but with the amount of gibberish they’d needed to go through it wasn’t an easy task. She was sure that there was more to it than just sending people into the past though, she just couldn’t remember what.

A sudden change in her vision interrupted her train of thought when a few locks of brown hair appeared on the left side of her face and tickled her in the nose.

“Was that really… Akane?” Kasumi’s voice was strained, she was clearly trying to keep her emotions in check, but after two years of living in the Tendo Dojo Shampoo knew that she was really struggling with it at the moment. “She… she looked so happy… But if it was her then me and Nabiki should be here too, right?”

That’s right, from what they told me, they were quite miserable when they were kids, the Amazon remembered one of their talks from way back, and after feeling Kasumi’s body stiffening she could sort of figure out what she was thinking about. If Ranma was here and this younger Akane was happy… maybe the rest of the sisters were like that too?

Despite the severity of their situation, Shampoo really hoped that it was true.

“Sh-I wondered what you looked like when you were small,” she said, glancing to the side and winking at the older brunette with an amused smile. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that. Nabiki too.”

It was in times like this that she was so glad that she pushed through and finally learned how to speak Japanese more fluently. The ‘sweet but stupid’ facade she took when chasing after Ranma was funny for a time but she’d much rather be easily understood and be able to convey her thoughts much more coherently. Especially when-

“Can you focus, we’re are in the middle of a fucking crisis here.” Nabiki asked, sending them one very annoyed and exasperated glare. However, it did not stay with them for long, quickly moving on to her youngest sister. “You really couldn’t help yourself Akane, huh? You just needed to get us into this mess…”

Shampoo was kind of expecting that Nabiki’s nagging would earn her some kind of reaction, but what she got was nothing but silence. Akane was still holding her and her sister’s weight between the wooden frames but other than that she looked frozen solid, her eyes weren’t even blinking, still looking at the place Ranma was standing just a moment ago. She didn’t need Amazon training to know that the girl was in shock. Hard.

“Sis?” Nabiki said, finally realizing that something was wrong and patting the youngest girl on her shoulder.

“Akane-chan, are you alright?” Kasumi asked a second later, sounding worried.

“Kitchen-Destroyer, are you alright?” Shampoo chimed in, sending Akane her the best cutesy smile, to rattle her up a little. She knew the youngest Tendo was tough. There was nothing wrong with her, she needed some time… but that wasn’t something they had much of at the moment.

“Don’t call me that you-!” Akane’s head snapped at the Amazon, but something - probably a very stern look from Kasumi - made her swallow whatever words she wanted to say next, forcing her to look down. “...You know that I hate that nickname, Shampoo… I…” she paused for a moment before making a disheartened sigh and shook her head. “Forget it, I know that you don’t understand.”

She sighed, it stung like always, but she knew it couldn’t be helped. Akane was really stubborn, and with how much time both of them spent in their rivalry over Ranma it was impossible to just forget all of that and treat each other all cheerful and happy, and she knew that.

I guess I should be thankful that she’s no longer staring daggers at me every time we walk past each other, she thought, trying to keep a straight face while looking at the other girl. Or blaming me that I just ‘got over Ranma like he was nothing’. That one was just below the belt…

Especially since it wasn't true at all.

“Don’t worry, I know.” She said, trying to dismiss her words with a gentle - almost Kasumi-like - slight half-smile. “The most important thing is that you snap out of it. Are you ok?”

Akane glanced at her, sending her one quick thankful nod before she once again looked down, this time focusing directly on the door to what Shampoo assumed to be Ranma’s room.

“I… I don’t know,” she replied, looking anxious and really, really lost. “Was that really… was that really me? And Ranma… what is the… why s-she… I mean I-I… why would she call Ranma her ‘mom’...”

Suddenly Akane was interrupted by the sliding of the door, all four girls immediately looked down to see the redhead slowly walking out from her room. She lingered in the doorframe for a heartbeat before she finally walked out and closed the sliding door behind her, and only then did she look up.

“Alright, you can come out now.”

She didn’t need to tell them that twice. Even before she finished, the four of them were already on the ground, Shampoo and Akane groaned, feeling their muscles protesting after staying still for such a long time.

Ranma looked at them with a hint of a half-smile on her face. It was the only visible sign of emotion on her otherwise stiff and clearly weary body language. She had her guard up, but whether it was because she wasn’t sure if they were real - which after so much time was understandable - or she wasn’t sure what they wanted to do to her, she had no idea.

Shampoo had some experience with this kind of situations, when she was still going after them, Ranma often was weary of her and their other fiances, that’s why she often clung to them, trying to make sure her former airen wouldn’t run away… but from the look of the redhead before her, she knew this time was different. Back then, she was always looking for some way to run away, but this time she was standing her ground… it almost felt as if they were invaders and she was trying to protect her house from them. Shampoo didn’t really like that thought.

She wanted to say something to ease the tension, but before she could say anything, Nabiki took a small step forward, trying to look as composed as ever, but clearly the situation was too much even for her.

“Ranma,” she asked, pointing at the door the redhead just walked out from. “What was that?”

The redhead stared at Nabiki for a moment and opened her mouth, but just before she said something her eyes shifted to Akane and she closed it again. She looked over the four of them, again letting her gaze stay on Akane for a moment longer, clearly torn about what she was supposed to do. The five of them stood like that for a few more seconds before Ranma finally let a nervous, tired sigh escape her lips. Her whole posture relaxed slightly, like she was finally releasing a really heavy burden from her back… or at least trying to.

Shampoo felt herself getting restless, waiting for the redhead to finally shed some light on the stuff they’d already seen and hopefully help them better understand what exactly they needed to deal with going forward… even more so if - as she feared - they were stuck here for quite a while.

The redhead glanced at the youngest of the sisters one more time and sighed again.

“Akane-chan had a nightmare and wanted to sleep in my room,” she said, shrugging off as if it was nothing. “ She sometimes does that. More importantly…”

“What does she… I…” Akane cuts her off, looking strange. She looked lost before but now she looks more… worried? Or rather concerned about something. “What does she mean when she calls you ‘mom’, Ranma?”

The redhead blinked a few times.

“What do you think?” She asked, making almost the exact same face the smaller black haired girl made at her only a few minutes ago. “I mean, it’s only natural, right? She’s my daughter after all.”

“And it’s Ranko, by the way.” she said, looking a little embarrassed, even scratching the back of her head in the same manner she remembered in the past. “At least in this… timeline, I guess.”

Nabiki couldn’t help but scoff. “Ranko? Really?” She smirked at the redhead. “Did you come up with that all by yourself?”

She laughed it off, but in reality she was not in a humorous mood… at all. When she saw Akane smash that rusty sword to pieces all she could do was cry out, before the four of them were just… sucked in and appeared here. She was in so much shock that she’d only now finally started putting herself together and - as much as she wanted to hide it - she wasn’t taking all of what happened very well.

Why did I get involved in this in the first place? She’d asked herself this question numerous times over the past three years, but only now did she really start regretting letting her emotions get the better of her, and not just write Ranma off in the first place. Why couldn't she just be the Ice Queen everyone thought she was? Now she was stuck in some kind of fucked up bizzaro timeline with no guarantee of ever make it back.

I’m fucking hate my life sometimes.

She needed to calm down and think, she spent much more time going through all the bits and pieces of information they were able to get their hands on regarding that sword, she knew it wasn’t as simple as just throwing someone into the past.

They were now in a version of the past that was magically tailored around Ranma… or rather ‘Ranko’, but if she had any say in any of this or if everything was pre-determined beforehand, Nabiki had no idea. She really doubted that she would use that name in the first place.

“No, it’s just my name. Everyone has been calling me that since I arrived here,” the redhead said, but - contrary to what she thought - she didn’t sound exasperated or even resigned to her fate rather, she just stated it as a matter of fact. “I even have an ID to prove it.” she added, a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. “This freaking sword has been messing with my head and the world around me ever since. Or at least I think it’s the sword, I was really in no position to verify it or anything.“

So, pre-determined then? Nabiki nodded to herself, desperately trying to stay in her cold and calculated mindset. It was the only thing keeping her from freaking out about their current situation.

I really wonder how exactly it all works, she thought, looking intently at the much more mature looking redhead. How did it go? ‘...get a new place among the people…’ or something?

She shot a quick glance to the side where the small shrine to her mom was placed - exactly in the same spot it was in their timeline - and stifled a sigh of relief. It seemed that this rusty junk wasn’t able to ‘replace’ their mother with Ranma, but if that wasn’t it then how…

“Messing with your head? What do you mean… Ranko?” Kasumi asked with a worried - but also very curious - look on her face. “And what do you mean you're Akane’s ‘mom’? Surely you’re not…“

“She’s not mine, w-well, she is but...” Ranma stuttered out, but stopped for a moment to rub the bridge of her nose looking kind of helpless. Nabiki couldn't help wondering if the redhead often gave explanations like this... because that's really what it looked like. “I just sort of… stepped up after Hanna-nee passed away, and after that… It's a long story and it’s quite complicated, ok?“

Nabiki was about to ask what she really meant by ‘complicated’, but before she could say anything she froze. “Wait, what did you call…”

“More importantly,” Ranma cut her off, for once looking genuinely happy and excited to see the four girls. “How did you even get here?! I mean… I really can’t believe it, y-you’re here! I-I…” She paused, deflating a little bit. Her right hand rubbed her left arm while her eyes looked down, sad and… embarrassed? “I was sure I would never see you again. And…”

“Mom!!” The rest of her sentence was interrupted by an excited voice of a young girl. Whoever the kid was, she had really good lungs.

And she certainly knew how to get Ranma’s attention

“Emm…” the redhead’s head turned in the direction of the dojo, then back at the sisters and to the dojo again with speed that would probably dislocate the neck of any none-marital arts master. “Shit, what do I…”

“Which one of us was it?” Akane asked, cocking her head while observing Ranma’s reaction with curious gaze as well, or at least that’s what it looked like on the surface. Nabiki knew her little sister well enough to know that she also had something else in mind, but unfortunately right now she hadn’t had a clue of what that ‘something’ actually was.

Ranma also seemed to be a little reluctant about answering the question, judging by the way her whole body language just screamed ‘uncomfortable’ with the way she avoided eye contact and how she was clenching and unclenching one fist while her other hand was busy scratching the back of her neck.

Back in the day, she would probably be a little annoyed that the redhead was stalling and wasting her time, but this time she was actually happy to see her doing it. This reassured her that this was really the Ranma they knew. Even if some things definitely were different, some were still the same. Like the fact that after only a few more heartbeats the girl gave a defeated sigh, capitulating under the pressure.

“Kasumi,” the redhead replied, shooting a quick glance at oldest Tendo sister. “She had a bad day at school and went to blow off some steam in the dojo.” Nabiki was about to ask what she meant by that, but before she was able to open her mouth the redhead looked each of them in the eyes with a very serious expression. “Listen, if anyone asks who you are, just say that you’re my friends, ok? You’re visiting or something, just… just go with it for now, ok?”

Who would have thought that Ranma Saotome, a man among men would end up as such a ‘mama bear’, Nabiki couldn’t help but smirk at the sudden switch of behavior when it came to… to her ‘kids’. Gosh, the very idea of that being a thing is so weird… seriously how does that even happen?

“Sure thing, Ranko,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “But only if you tell us what our sweet, gentle Kasumi is doing in the dojo?”

Something about the tone Ranma used when telling them about Kasumi was bugging her. She… didn’t remember much about her childhood - other than most of it being quite miserable - but she really wasn’t sure if she ever saw her older sister anywhere near the dojo other than when it needed to be cleaned once in a while. The only one that really used that place, at least before the Saotomes, was Akane, and even that only started somewhere around middle school.

She wasn’t stupid, she knew what ‘blowing off steam’ meant, but imagining her sister doing anything similar to what Akane or Ranma did was… really hard to imagine. On the other hand, I just saw a smaller version of Akane with some kind of genderfluid bunny, so… who knows what kind of other crazy things are there?

“Well…” the redhead started, shooting another, strange look at Kasumi before giving a hollow chuckle. “It’s better to see for yourself, I guess.”

And what a sight it was.

What the hell am I watching? was all Nabiki could think, looking at the small brunette version of Ranma sporting a pigtail and smaller version of Ranma’s favorite chinese clothing, recreated in navy blue with silver buttons. She was jumping like lightning between four wooden training dummies, hitting all of them in quick succession in different spots. Each hit forced the dummy to rotate which forced the girl to also evade the wooden sticks protruding from them at the same time. Seriously, what the hell is this?

“Mom! Mom, did you see?! I did it!” The girl that was supposed to be Kasumi cried out to Ranma, panting and sweaty, but beaming at her mother with a toothy smile.

“Very good, sweetie! You finally got it!” said the redhead walking quickly to the girl and stroking her head gently with genuine affection. “You could have done it a little better though. If you time that kick here…”

The young brunette was too caught up in absorbing every word that came from Ranma’s mouth to notice the four girls standing clustered together in the entrance to the dojo, observing the whole thing… completely speechless.

She was watching the girl that was far closer to being a carbon copy of Ranma than the Kasumi she knew. Nabiki tried very hard to remember any instances of her older sister ever showing interest in or talking to her about the dojo or the martial arts, or being such a pure blood tomboy for that matter - that somehow was even more unbelievable than the fact that she was somehow so skilled in martial arts - but she couldn’t remember a thing. Most of her childhood was shrouded in mist anyway so it was understandable.

But she really thought that she wouldn’t forget something as significant as this. She’d watched Akane and Ranma fighting and training over the years and she knew that this small girl’s level was far higher than that of any ordinary student her age. She must have had some ungodly talent like Ranma or something.

Don’t tell me that big sis had this much talent and…? She thought, shooting a quick glance at her older sister, and pausing momentarily, seeing the taller brunette standing still, her eyes laser focused on the mother and daughter pair and… w-wait, is she about to cry…?

Not even thinking what she was doing, her hand reached out to her older sister, and she was about to ask her if everything was ok, but as always luck would have it that it was exactly the moment that the smaller girl finally noticed the four of them. In the corner of her eye she saw the kid glancing at them and whispering something to the redhead’s ear.

Ranma smiled at her in this strange, motherly way that somehow made Nabiki feel strangely uncomfortable before she patted her on the back once again and started leading the kid towards them. The small, tomboyish version of Kasumi was looking at all of them, at first her gaze was nervous, but when the redhead put her hands on her shoulder, she visibly relaxed and her gaze became more relaxed and clear. As if just by being there Ranma was making all of the girls’s worries disappear.

She felt a quick, burning pain in her chest, but it only lasted for a moment, replaced by the chilling realization. In this whole mess they’d forgotten the most important thing! How are they going to introduce themselves?! They can’t just tell their real names! That would have been a disaster!

Taking advantage of a moment when the child's gaze was momentarily elsewhere, Nabiki locked her eyes with the redhead sending her an urgent, desperate look, wishing she somehow got the message and… and she did?

She saw something like a glint of understanding before Ranma nodded hastily and looked down at the girl.

“Kasumi-chan as I said, those are my friends. That’s, uhh, Yasuka... Na, er, Kanami, and... uhhh.. Ha...sumi…” she said pointing respectively at Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi, sending all of them apologetic looks while the three of them wordlessly followed along. Nabiki even nodded back at the redhead, but not with mockery but respect, really impressed by just how smoothly it all went down.

She really would need to talk to Ranma about her naming choices, though.

“And that’s…” she said, pointing at Shampoo, but before she could say anything, the Amazon bent down to be almost at the young girl level and smiled at her.

“Soap!” She said happily, grinning at the kid. “Nice to meet you, Kasumi-chan, Ranko told us a lot about you!”

I guess Amazon’s names will never stop sounding ridiculous, she thought, and the little brunette must have been of the same opinion. She cocked her head to the side, looking strangely at Shampoo.

“Soap? Really…? That’s a strange name…” she said, but when she realized what she said, she immediately started scratching the back of her head, looking almost identical to Ranma. “Oh, but it’s ok! It’s an… interesting name actually, hehehe.”

Shampoo didn’t seem to mind any of it, she just smiled at the girl and patted her on the head, smiling.

“That’s ok, I know it can sound funny for some people," she waved it off, shooting a quick glance at the redhead. “I heard that all the time.”

However, the brunette did not notice this, even more confused by the Amazon and keeping her eyes down towards the wooden floor.

“Well… my name is Kasumi Tendo. It’s very nice to meet you all!” She exclaimed, bowing quickly and deeply, almost losing her balance, which made Shampoo and Ranma giggle as they caught her before she fell.

They were the only ones laughing however, with three other Tendo sisters still looking rather tensely at the scene.

Nabiki still tried to somehow come to terms with the fact that this tomboyish, loud and clumsy copy of Ranma she was looking at was really the younger version of her older sister but still wasn’t able to come to terms with the reality standing just before her eyes.

Kasumi was still looking at her younger self - still speechless - hiding her inner turmoil behind her unbreakable gentle smile.

And Akane… she seemed to finally get over her initial shock, looking at the brunette carefully as if she wanted to study every fiber of the little girl’s body.

“Say, K-Kasumi-chan…” her younger sister started, struggling a little with the name. “What was that, what you were doing”?

“Oh,” the girl said startled, looking up at the redhead and only looked down after getting the nod of approval from her. “It was just one of our family martial arts techniques,” she said, sounding quite proud of herself, to the point that she even looked up at Ranma again, but this time she clearly was fishing for some more praise from her ‘mother’.

And of course, gullible as always, Ranma happily obliged.

“That’s right,” she said, petting the brunette’s head, sounding even prouder than her. Nabiki couldn’t help but imagine her with a tail wagging happily as the girl leaned into her mother’s hand. “Kasumi is learning our family martial arts, and she’s really good at it.”

Wait, what?

“Y-your family techniques?” Akane asked again, looking a little taken aback and this time Nabiki did exactly the same, shocked that it was only now that she finally connected the dots. She must have been more shaken up by all of this than she thought.

“You mean-” Akane stuttered.

“Tendo Ryu,” Kasumi replied excitedly looking up at the black haired girl. “Our family martial arts are focused on stalling or holding on to our opponent and… emm…”

“...And that’s why sometimes it’s better to keep the enemy busy or evade attacks to tire your enemy instead of tiring yourself.” Ranma finished, in a serious, teacher-like voice looking down at the brunette. “It’s something that you could learn too Kasumi-chan, instead of charging ahead like a rhino…” She paused to shake her head, but even so she smiled at her daughter, giving her a long, warm side hug. “Even so, you did very well. I’m proud of you, sweetie.”

Suddenly aching again, Nabiki hid a grimace of discomfort from the rest of the girls. Fortunately it faded as quickly as before, leaving her with a strange, bitter taste in her mouth and a strange feeling of longing she couldn’t quite recognise.

Shampoo on the other hand, walked towards the pair and leaned in as if she was about to whisper something secretly into the girl's ear looking giddy and excited.

“Kasumi-chan,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Your mom hasn't told you yet, but Yusuka and I are pretty good martial artists too. We can spar later if you want, and who knows?” She asked with a wide grin. “Maybe we could teach you a thing or two… what do you think?”

They didn’t really need to wait long for the reaction. Just after the Amazon finished talking, Kasumi’s eyes grew wide and practically started shining as if she was just presented with the ultimate prize, her gaze started jumping between Shampoo’s carefree smile and Akane’s suddenly nervous and embarrassed face with barely contained excitement.

“Really?! I’d love to!” She cried out and immediately started bombarding the two martial artists with questions about the techniques they knew and where they learned them. No matter how she looked at it, this Kasumi was much more similar to the Saotomes than to the one Nabiki grew up with… it was a really strange, uneasy feeling.

She couldn't stop shivering at the very thought of what she’d see when she finally meets her younger self. Seeing her two sisters' chibi versions was bad enough, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to face something like this. She just hoped that Ranma didn’t screw her up too much.

Kasumi hoped that Ranma would continue to do such a wonderful job in the future. She couldn't help but smile, watching everything around in wonder, the warmth, the laughter and smiles of herself and her sister. Everything she hoped she could give and what she’d failed to provide… She couldn’t believe just how much Ranm-...Ranko’s presence had changed everything.

This socially awkward, repressed and overly boisterous kid turned out to be such a great mother… she didn't even need to see anything more than the smiles and the absolute trust their younger selves had in the redhead to know that they were exactly what all of them needed. And Kasumi was so, so grateful.

The only thing she wanted now was to thank them and ask to continue to be the supportive parent the three of them will need in the future.

Ever since that day three years ago, all of them had worked hard in hopes of bringing Ranma back to them, but none of them ever stopped for a moment to think if they would even want to go back. And now, seeing Ranko with their little girls Kasumi had no doubt about it, no matter what any of them said, the redhead would never abandon their family, she was sure of it.

She looked up at the dinner table and all the other girls seated around it. Unfortunately she wasn’t sure if the rest of them had figured it out yet.

All of them were focused on the bunch of rusty pieces of metal - everything that’s left from the sword that was responsible for all of this - with rather hopeless expressions.

“It… doesn't look good,” said Shampoo, earning irritated glares from Kasumi’s two younger sisters. “Sh-..., I know that it’s obvious, but someone had to say it, ok? That silence was killing me!”

Kasumi couldn’t help but giggle, thankful for the Amazon’s carefree presence. Her sisters - especially Akane - were sometimes irritated by Shampoo’s antics but she was actually grateful for it. She often overthought what to say and having someone who wasn't afraid to say what she thought in the room helped her to be a little more open with what she herself was thinking too.

“I only saw it for a moment but I don’t remember it being so rusty and… brittle,” said Ranko, taking one piece of the blade and examining it with a doubtful expression. “Or it’s just A-… Yasuka, who's much stronger than I remember?”

“I’d say both,” Nabiki replied, winking at their youngest sister. “After we got it from Kuno he said that it’d deteriorated massively after he ‘banished you’ as he called it.”

“I’m guessing that Kuno didn’t simply hand it over?” Ranma asked again, putting the fragment back at the table.

Kasumi looked down, trying not to think of what happened to Takewaki Kuno.

She really didn’t want to know just how many horrible techniques their father was actually keeping hidden from them… or maybe they just remembered them from the times when they were traveling with Grandpa Happosai? She shook her head trying to forget the thought, it wasn’t something she wanted to remember anyway. Those days were… awful.

“Of course not, but it’s not like anyone was really asking him to anyway,” Shampoo snorted, looking rather pleased with herself.

The oldest Tendo wasn’t ignorant, she grew up in the family of martial artists, she knew very well that winning a challenge or a duel was something to celebrate, even brag about, it was only a natural thing to do.

But what happened with Kuno Takewaki wasn’t anything like that. It was more akin to a mad manhunt which resulted in the stupid boy being sent to the hospital. She wasn’t even sure if he would ever be able to lift his sword again.

She didn't consider it honorable and definitely didn't like to hear anyone bragging about it. It would be better if all of them forgot about that incident and moved on, especially since they’d finally found who they were looking for.

Once again, she was apparently the only one who thought so.

“After you disappeared…” Akane chimed in with a grimace. “...let’s say he didn’t enjoy his ‘victory’ for long. I’ll tell you about it later…” she paused and shot a glance to the side. “Now is not the time.”

Kasumi smiled and looked in the same direction, feeling the warm sensation rising up in her chest. There she was, the little girl with raven black hair put into a messy ponytail and apparently still a little bit sick and needing rest. The youngest girl in the house woke up after hearing the commotion in the dojo, and after learning about the fact that ‘mommy’s friends came over’ she refused to go back to bed.

She was laying not that far from the redhead, half buried under a blanket with her plushy rabbit, engrossed in some fairy tale book Ranma apparently bought for the girls some time ago.

She remembered this plush toy, sort of. Akane did have one when she was very little but the last time Kasumi remembered seeing it was during one of her little sisters outbursts, one she would do when she wanted to see mom again… the brunette never saw it again after that. She never really thought much of it, just another lost toy which her little sister had a lot of when she was younger, but the way she’s constantly carrying it around in here… a small part of her wondered if maybe this toy was somewhat special, and losing it may be something that hurt her Akane much more that she realized at the time. She didn’t want to see this little, happy face turning sad again.

And then, there were the cats.

There were three cats wandering around the washitsu, curiosity sniffing at the four women that apparently invaded their territory. They were of course the most interested in Shampoo - probably because of her curse - but somehow always kept their distance from Ranma… who surprisingly didn’t look as terrified of the three felines as Kasumi thought they would be. They still looked tense, glaring at them if one of them wandered a little too close, but other than that they were actually ignoring them. It was good to see how much Ranma was able to grow in these three years, especially after worrying about them for such a long time.

It was always so heartbreaking to see the redhead getting so frightened of those sweet furry creatures which - as Nodoka told her once - she really loved when she was very little.

She remembered all the times she would find Akane taking care of the Cat and all the time she needed to discreetly and with a heavy heart chase away some strays from the Tendo Dojo to prevent their ailurophobia from acting out. She was really happy to see that she was really getting better, even though there was still some way to go.

There were so many things that she - and the rest of them - couldn't wait to ask Ranma, and she was sure that the redhead had just as many, if not more, questions for them. To do that however, they would need some privacy, so for now all of them were just sitting in the washitsu 'enjoying each other's company and playing along’, which the oldest Tendo was fine with. Thanks to that she could without any interruption observe yet another marvel she never thought she would ever see.

“What is that?” Kasumi’s younger self head peaked out from behind Ranma’s shoulder and ducked under her arms nestling herself comfortably between the redhead’s legs looking excitedly at the fragments on the table.

It was so surreal to see her own childhood face. She’d almost forgotten how she looked back then and frankly, she wasn’t too keen to remember those times. She was forced to let go of so many things and dreams so that she could take care of her younger sisters.

Kasumi often daydreamed - especially during cleaning - of how she would have turned out if she hadn’t needed to focus on running the house other than visiting the dojo, even though Father wasn’t really keen on teaching her much anyway. She vaguely remembered that she really wanted to learn her family's martial arts but he would always brush her off saying that she’s too young for things like that. She also remembered how frustrating it felt and how much she was angry with him over it… but then mother happened and she never had much time to come back to really train in the dojo, gradually forgetting about her aspirations and dreams.

And now she was seeing this little tomboy, proudly wearing identical clothes to Ranma and being able to pursue whatever she wanted, being free and happy with no one’s expectations on her shoulders except her own. Kasumi knew that no matter how much she tried to go back to who she was before, she would never be able to do everything she ever hoped to achieve, but seeing her younger self being able to do everything she could have ever dreamed of was enough for her.

She looked at the redhead, whose attention was completely focused on her little girl and smiled gently, feeling her eyes watering slightly. She wanted to thank them so much, not only for taking care of her younger self but also of her sisters… it was just as they told them, Ranma stepped up in their mother’s shoes and gave them love, warmth and stability so they wouldn’t grow up broken as they originally did. It was a gift Kasumi knew she would never be able to repay, but already decided she will try to do it anyway. It was the least she could do.

“It’s magic sweetie,” said the redhead, pushing the rusty fragments away from the little brunette's reach. “So be careful with it, ok?”

The girl looked longingly at the table and pouted adorably, looking down at her own feet.

“There’s no such thing as yokai or magic, though…” she murmured, clearly disappointed that she was barred from doing something fun.

In the corner of her eye, the oldest Tendo sister was able to notice Akane’s head whipping around in their direction.

“They're not?!” she asked, sounding completely flabbergasted, her eyes wide and glued into her oldest sister as if she stabbed her in the back.

Kasumi was watching all of this in quiet fascination. It felt a little bit like discovering things about herself that she completely forgot about… it was a very weird experience.

She watched as one of the cats - the chunky one with two different colored eyes - began rubbing its muzzle against Nabiki's hand, clearly demanding attention.

“There are cats in here.” she said, begrudgingly caving in and scratching him behind his ears, much to the cat’s delight. “If that’s not magic then I don't know what it is.”

“How did this even happen?” Akane asked, holding the second cat in her arms - completely black, with yellow eyes - which seemed to be playing dead and letting her stroke its fur for as long as she wanted.

Ranma didn’t answer right away, but looked at all three cats sullenly.

“I was outvoted,” they sigh with resignation. “It wasn't magic, it was ganging up on me three to one.”

Kasumi giggled at that. She’d only seen a few interactions the redhead had with the girls but it was enough to see that they were very much a doting parent, so it wasn’t hard to figure out that if all three of them asked them to take the cats home she probably wouldn’t be able to resist for long. Even if it meant having to deal with the very source of their own worst fears every single day.

She looked at Ranma with sympathy wanting to cheer her up somehow, but they didn’t even look at her, too focused on glaring at Nabiki, who looked very amused taking the white cat she was scratching before into her arms and stroking his back, dangerously close to where the redhead was sitting.

From the look on their face, Kasumi was almost sure that Ranma would snap at her younger sister - similar to the way they sometimes do back in their timeline - but instead, their eyes suddenly shone mischievously and a familiar, cheeky looking half smile appeared on their face.

“I’ll show you magic,” they said, standing up without saying anything else as she walked quickly into the kitchen. Everyone walked them out of the washitsu with puzzled looks on their faces, not really sure what they meant by that.

At first the brunette thought that maybe she would want to show the girls how her curse works, but she immediately dismissed that idea. She’d raised them for three years. It was impossible to keep something that worked with hot and cold water from such small kids for long, so they probably already knew about it. It was interesting that even with that in mind they still were calling Ranma ‘mommy’ though, maybe the redhead really decided to commit to being one gender?

Maybe I should ask them about it?

Her train of thoughts were cut short by Ranma, walking through the kitchen noren with a plate full of cookies which she then proceeded to place between the sword fragments, directly in the middle of the table.

“Try it,” they just said, taking one of them themselves.

The four of them leaned over, looking sceptically at the plate before them. Just as Kasumi suspected it was a bunch of shortbread cookies, cut into round shapes of different sizes. Did Ranma make these? She thought, remembering that they were trying very hard to improve their cooking skills right before they disappeared.

Guessing that maybe she just wanted to show them how much she’d progressed, Kasumi didn’t think anymore of it and took one of the larger ones and took a bite, feeling a little bit of pride that - as Ranma’s first cooking teacher - she could say without a doubt they actually tasted pretty good. They were crispy, pleasantly buttery, and left a pleasant aftertaste that only encouraged you to take another one. They were simple but delicious.

“Hey, that’s pretty good,” said Shampoo, already munching on the second larger cookie.

Ranma nodded, looking with great satisfaction at everyone around them enjoying their pastry, their smile growing with each passing second.

“Right? I think so too,” she said, taking another big bite of her own cookie. “Akane-chan baked them, by the way.”

Years of trying Akane's cooking meant that suddenly all four women had to fight their instinctive reflexes to avoid spitting out everything in their mouths. Akane included.

It was a little shameful on her part but Kasumi too initially felt her throat tightening at the news of what she’d just eaten but it passed quickly, washed away by the delicious taste, completely contradicting the awful, toxic feeling one would expect after tasting one of her youngest sister’s meals. It was still very good… and it was really baked by Akane?

The others quickly understood this fact as well.

“H-how?!” Akane cried out, looking shell-shocked at the half eaten cookie as if she wondered if what she just ate was actually real. Kasumi also started examining it, shocked that her little sister somehow was able to create something of such quality. Well, it wasn’t her exactly but technically they were the same so it should count… or so she thought. She couldn't be bothered to think about it, too preoccupied with the fact that her sister really had the potential to learn how to cook if she just put her mind to it… but how did Ranma manage to do it, she had no idea.

“She is really a great cook, you know?” the redhead asked looking gloatingly at them - especially Nabiki - before glancing at still shell-shocked looking Akane. “When she’s following the instructions.”

That comment seemed to snap her little sister out of the daze, with her blowing a raspberry at Ranma which quickly turned into a rather awkward but amused chuckle. Akane shook her head in disbelief and continued munching on the pastry with a thoughtful, far away look on her face.

Suddenly, there was a quiet sound of the front door opening and the sound of shoes hitting the wooden floor.

“Tadaima!” The voice of a little girl coming from the direction of the genkan caught the attention of everyone at the table.

“Okaeri!” Ranma called back tenderly, and not long after that a small brunette with a cute elementary school uniform and an interesting looking bracelet with a few beads - that would make a clinking sound with her every step - ran into the room with a big smile on her face.

“Mom, you never believe what Sakiko did today in…” a girl, who Kasumi guessed was a young Nabiki, stopped right in her tracks and looked wide eyed at the room packed with people she’d never seen before. “Oh, we were expecting guests? Why did nobody tell me?!”

As if the thought suddenly appeared in her mind the girl seemed to now realize that she was still in her school uniform and quickly ran away to change, leaving quite the impression… especially on her older self.

“Sa…. say Ranko, what exactly has that girl been up to ever since you got here?” Nabiki asked, shooting daggers at Ranma, who looked back at her, confused and startled by the angry glare she was giving them.

Kasumi just smiled at that, helping herself to another cookie. When they were suddenly thrown into the past she was scared and confused. They were able to find Ranma just like they always wanted, but they were also stuck here with them, with no guarantee if they were even able to go back home. She should be anxious, scared or maybe even angry, but… but she wasn’t. The more she learned about this place and saw the things that turned out to be different to the past she knew… she was getting more and more excited to find what else changed and how it could shape the future. All of them were new. And she couldn’t wait to learn more and see more of it still. Kasumi couldn't remember the last time she’d actually felt so alive.

Chapter Text

Akane was lying on the futon staring blankly at the ceiling of the guest room of the Tendo Dojo, the same one Ranma and their father occupied just three years ago. She couldn’t help but notice just how tables had turned. She still remembered that fateful day when all of them were looking with panic at the giant panda carrying a red headed girl on its shoulder. They showed up out of the blue and occupied this room from then on… will the four of them start doing the same? From the shape of the sword and the fact that none of them really knew how to fix it, it looked like they would stay here for a while.

The youngest - well maybe not really the youngest anymore? - Tendo glanced to the side, looking at the silhouettes of Nabiki, Kasumi and Shampoo sleeping soundly on their own futons. She wondered how they were feeling about it.

They didn’t have any real plan and they didn’t have any information about how or even if this scrap of junk could be fixed… but it had to be. It had to be or all of them were sentenced to spending the rest of their life here, in this strange version of their own world, their own house. Even though it didn’t really feel like their home anymore.

She noticed this particularly when their dad entered the house. The moment he walked in on them, she and the rest of them froze, looking at him with absolutely no idea what to do. What can you say when you see your father - the one you remember from the past looking more like a ghost than a person - standing in front of you, looking completely normal?

She was still a little pissed at herself for blanking out like that. If not for the redhead who stepped in and introduced them as her friends that came to visit for some time they would have stayed like that for Kami knows how long. To say that it was weird seeing them casually deciding to host four people in the Dojo and somehow get absolutely no pushback other than a few grunts from the ‘Master of the House’ was an understatement. Ranma was behaving like the absolute ruler, or rather matron in the house whose word was final and dad wasn’t even trying to argue about it for some reason.

Watching all of this unfold, she couldn’t help but shake her head a little, asking herself over and over… how the hell did all of that happen?

Akane didn’t even know what to call it but there was this strange… alien feeling she had, watching them interact with the younger version of her and her sisters, their ‘daughters’ and doing it so effortlessly. She was so cheerful, her eyes were so genuinely full of tender affection.

Even when she was walking through the same rooms as the one at home it felt different. It felt warm, and bright… it was something that Akane subconsciously craved for her whole life but didn't remember ever having it. Even though she was sure Kasumi had tried very hard to give it to her and Nabiki, she had never managed to do so.

But Ranma did.

Am I… envious? Is that it? She wondered, listening to the creaking of the wood, a sound so constant that normally she could almost forget that it was there. I was so happy that we were finally able to find Ranma. I thought that we were finally able to rescue them from this hellish limbo or whatever they were sent to in the first place. Instead we’d probably gotten stuck here, and from what I see Ranma… Ranma doesn't really seem to need us anymore.

She wasn’t stupid, she could see how quickly the redhead’s shocked but happy eyes switched to anxious and wary the moment their younger selves came up. As if Ranma was afraid that the four of them would do something to those kids… or tell them something they shouldn’t hear, which… she could kind of understand. Didn’t sting less though, not after all those years they spent trying to reach them.

She had so many questions to ask them. Not just about how they feel about her, but also about what they’d been doing all this time, what changed, what exactly she’d meant when they said the sword was messing with their head, why did they stay here instead of trying to find their way back… if only the girls weren’t there for the whole time… she wanted to talk with Ranma so badly.

Not able to stay still any longer, Akane got up, determined to talk to the redhead right now. It wouldn’t be the first time one of them visited each other in the middle of the night.

She sneaked out as stealthy as she could, sliding open the door and leaving it like that, not wanting to cause unnecessary noise.

When she finally got out of the corridor she could feel a slight shiver. It was probably the first time in her life when she looked at the familiar walls and ceiling of the Tendo Dojo while feeling like she was trespassing. Or rather, it felt like she was walking through a house that looked almost exactly like her own while knowing that it wasn’t. It felt very weird.

She moved quickly, not wanting to ‘sneak around’ the house as much as possible. She headed downstairs, jumping almost the entire staircase and tiptoeing her way through the rest of her way towards the redhead’s room. In her head she was already trying to decide what question she would ask first… and paused.

The doors to their room were slightly ajar with a soft, quiet sound spilling out from within.

Against her better judgement, Akane crept closer, just enough to look through the crack in the door.

Ranma was there, sprawled in the middle of her futon, all three of the girls snuggled around her - with her younger self laying right on their chest - listening to the redhead’s… singing.

…twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high!
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are!

When the blazing sun is set
And the grass with dew is wet
Then you show your little light
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night…

Akane watched all of this with wide eyes, feeling a mix of emotions. She’d never heard Ranma’s singing voice… or rather their girl form’s singing voice. She remembered a few times she’d caught them singing as a man, and wasn’t really impressed by it. But this clear, tender soprano was so captivating that she just couldn’t help but stay in place just so she could listen to it just a little bit longer.

On the other hand she felt dirty, like she’d just walked in on something intimate and private. Something she wasn’t supposed to see. She knew she should just turn on her heel and walk away but she just couldn't move, being too captivated by not only their soothing voice but also by just how beautiful Ranma looked hugging their kids under the silver moonlight.

Suddenly Akane felt a hand on her shoulders which made her jump up in panic… If not for a quick, steady hand shutting her up she would have certainly woken up the whole house.

“Maybe we should get out of here,” Shampoo whispered into her ear, glancing at the sight behind the door with a soft, wistful smile on her face before getting back to the black haired girl. “I don't think Ranko would be happy if we woke up the children.”

Akane wanted to ask Shampoo what the hell she’s even doing here, but she was held firmly with no way to get free without alarming the redhead only a few feet away.

She sent the Amazon an irritated glare, but conceding the point, she nodded.

The Amazon let go a few heartbeats later, but didn’t walk away, lingering a little bit longer - probably to also listen a little bit to the redhead’s voice - but shook her head soon after.

“No matter what you want from her, I bet it can wait until morning.” She added, turning away and walking away. Slowly, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Akane didn’t stay behind.

She grimaced, hating the fact that the purple haired girl was right. No matter how much she wanted to, she knew that nothing would be important enough to walk in on Ranma right now.

Cursing under her breath, Akane glanced back one more time, then followed, with only the soft moonlight illuminating her way and a soft, angelic voice of the redhead still playing out in her head.

The rays of the early morning sun were sneaking into the kitchen as Ranko put still streaming cooked rice into the bowl. She gave a long, relieved sigh, grateful to whatever Kami was there for these few minutes of solitude. With four new mouths to feed, she wasn't sure when she'd be able to enjoy another moment like this, but it surely wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

She looked back at the day before, still having hard to believe that they were here. It has been three whole years, but finally… finally she wasn't alone.

Ranko felt her throat tightening and immediately she started to fight with her watering eyes. It wasn’t time for that, she couldn’t break down here, she couldn’t cry, so close to the room where her kids were sleeping soundy… even though the three of them could be such heavy sleepers that waking them up with just this probably couldn’t happen.

Come to think of it, aren't those three light sleepers? She thought, thinking back to all those moments whenever someone showed up in the Tendo Dojo - mostly to attack her - which would wake the whole house up. My girls wouldn't wake up for anything less thana bucket of water or call for breakfast… I wonder what happened for them to change like this?

The redhead giggled, remembering the time when she was literally forced to use a bucket to wake up Kasumi after one very intense training session. The poor girl looked like a sad wet puppy for the entire morning, including flinging water off herself in all directions.

She shook her head, smiling at the memory of the two of them standing wet in the middle of her oldest kid’s room, successfully driving away the sappy feelings.

Who would have thought that one of the Saotome Secret Techniques: Running away could also work on the stuff in your head? She chuckled to herself, putting the kettle on the burning stove. Maybe Cologne was right? Sometimes you really need to grow up to understand the usefulness of some less flashy techniques.

“You really turned into an early riser, didn’t you, Ranko?” Kasumi’s gentle voice makes her whole body freeze, but she quickly relaxes, glancing to the side, seeing the oldest Tendo sister looking… fine. She was smiling at her, wearing the same clothes she had yesterday and with slightly disheveled hair. All in all it wasn’t a bad look, but remembering the perfect one the girl always had, it felt kind of wrong in the redhead’s eyes.

“Well, you know how it is, the kids must be fed before school and all that,” she replied, cocking her head in exaggerated disappointment. “I thought I gave all of you some clothes to change into yesterday, but I guess mine are too small for you aren’t they? We will need to buy you all some clothes. I don’t want to see you wearing the same outfits over and over again like some beggars…” she said, getting progressively more and more irritated by the older woman’s hair. “That includes appearance too. Your hair is a mess, let me fix that for you.

Ranko didn’t even wait for a reply, she just got to work, walking towards the older - and taller - brunette and started working on her hair. Kasumi on her part was dumbfounded at first, not expecting something like this but she didn’t protest. On the contrary, when the first shock passed and the redhead started to work on the few knots in her hair she actually relaxed and leaned into it making the Ranko’s work much easier.

“There, it’s much better,” she said when she was finally satisfied with her work. It could be much better, she didn’t have time to do as much as she wanted, but at least nothing was sticking out and it looked neat enough.

“You really seemed to be doing it a lot, aren’t you?” The brunette asked, glancing back at Ranko with a gentle but amused smile on her face. “It even feels much better. Thank you very much, mom.”

She chuckled.

“Well, missy”, she replied with a wink. “That's because I have a bunch of rather messy kids that require constant maintenance.”

Both women smiled at each other with deep, profound understanding of each other's struggle. They were like two peas in a pod.

Ranko never thought that she would feel such close connection to the oldest sister.

“You’ve changed," Kasumi said with a matter-of-fact tone, but her face remained amused, clearly happy about it.

“You’ve changed too,” she replied, feeling the same way. “Since when have you become so cheeky?"

The brunette’s face darkened for just a split second - so quick that the redhead wasn’t sure if that even happened - but the smile returned just as quickly, even bigger than before.

“A lot of things happened while you were away,” she said cryptically, before pointing at the stove. “What are you making?”

As luck would have it, it was also the exact time when the steam going out of the kettle was ‘just right’. Ranko quickly put it out of the stove and started pouring it into the previously prepared tea pot.

“Ochazuke,” she said, automatically going through the motions, scooping rice, taking the leftover salmon from the fridge, shredded nori… all the good stuff all the while being aware of Kasumi watching closely from behind her back. “It’s my comfort food. I make it every time I’m feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or… or just needed to relax after a very long day.” She paused to add the green tea to the bowl, feeling herself warming up from the familiar aroma. “I like green tea, it always calms me down, no matter what. This, or laying on the roof.”

Kasumi chuckle.

“Are you still sitting on the roof? A mature, well put-together mother like you?” She asked, although her questions seemed more good natured. “You never told me about the tea. I would have invited you to join me more often.”

“No, it doesn't work if it isn’t me who’s making it.” Ranko shook her head and took another bowl before glancing back at the brunette. “Besides, I’m not the only one to keep secrets… lady vegetarian.”

Score, she thought seeing the look of absolute befuddlement on the girl’s face.

“Huh?” Was all she said, at least until finally something clicked. Her eyes grew wide for just a moment before she looked at her with shock and disbelief. “H-how? It was so long ago…”

“Your mother's cooking diary.” she shrugged, smiling to herself at the thought of the old, worn down book she - at this point - had it completely memorized and which was her life saver in the first year of her stay here.

Ranko put the diced tofu instead of salmon into another bowl, poured in the remaining green tea, and turned to serve it to Kasumi.”Wanna try?”

The taller brunette blinked a few times, apparently not realizing what the other woman was doing but it herself together a moment later, smiling gently at the redhead. “Gladly, thank you.” she said, nodding with gratitude.

Both of them knew that they should go to the washitsu - that’s what etiquette required - but neither of them felt like moving, too comfortable in this small space, it felt safe, familiar and strangely private even though the only thing that separated them from the rest of the house was the thin nori.

And so both of them stayed exactly as they were and started to eat in silence.

Ranko took a bite, savouring the warm and comforting taste of the rice and green tea while observing the oldest Tendo at the same time. Kasumi didn’t say anything, taking small bites on her own, her eyes glued to the bowl.

There was something in cooking, or rather in taking care of her family, but in cooking especially that she finds endearing. And yes it was sometimes hard and frustrating. She’d stopped counting the times she’d messed up a dish before she learned to do it just right. Even so by the end of the day, the sight of her kids - even Soun - enjoying her cooking, seeing their smiling faces and asking her for more was worth it.

It took her some time to realize it, but a warm, homecooked meal wasn’t just that simple. It was one of the ways to show affection, to lift you up after a hard day, give you energy to keep going and to let you know that there was someone who had your back. It was only after she’d started cooking for her kids that she’d realized it, and at the same time she’d realized that it was also something that Kasumi did for all of them when she was living under her care.

Or she was just good at cooking and Ranko was leaning a little too much into it. Even so she still felt a great deal of gratitude to the brunette for taking care of her for such a long time, even though her arrival only put more work on her already busy shoulders.

“Look, I’m sorry for the way I reacted when you all ended up here,” she said, feeling ashamed by her previous actions towards the people who were so dear to her. “I’m very happy that I can see all of you again, I really am. It’s just… the moment you appeared some part of me got so scared that somehow, the girls will figure out who you are and it will mess up everything so…” She murmured, trying to find words good enough to explain herself until a sudden clap of chopsticks made her wince. She paused and looked at Kasumi who was now looking at her with a very unfamiliar looking frown on her face.

“Ranko, stop.” She said, pointing at her with her chopstick. “You don’t need to apologise. I understand why you did it and no, I’m not mad at you.” She continued, deflating and putting an empty bowl on the counter, before nodding politely. “Thank you for the meal, it was delicious.”

“And thank you… for being here,” she added with a warm, genuine smile.

There really was so much more going on with Kasumi now. After all those years of constantly seeing nothing more than a gentle smile, seeing all those different expressions made Ranko feel strangely proud of the taller woman and the growth she clearly went through…

Wait, what am I even thinking right now? She’s not my Kasumi! She remembered, immediately feeling stupid and flustered. I can’t mix them up, they will never let me live this down if I do that.

Although, now that she’d started showing more emotions, she’s really feeling more like her younger self, it’s-

Fuck, I’m doing it again…

“W-what do you mean?” She asked nervously, still trying to pull herself together and focus… only to suddenly be brought into a tight hug. She was so shocked that it was a miracle that she didn’t let go of her own bowl, feeling both paralyzed from shock and feeling a strangely fuzzy feeling in her chest after Kasumi tightened her grip even more.

“Ranko,” she started, her voice raspy, filled with barely contained emotions. “My sisters don’t really remember it… but our childhood was simply terrible. We struggled so much when our mother passed away…” her voice hitched slightly before she took a few ragged breaths, snuggling tighter into the redhead. Ranko unconsciously hugged her with one free hand, feeling almost the same as when she was comforting Kasumi-chan the day before. It seemed to be working just as well with the older one, because soon after the brunette’s shoulders relaxed a little and her breathing started to steady. She sniffled a few more times before she pulled herself together enough to continue. “I really tried holding all of us together, but no matter how much I tried, I was not much older than them. I sacrificed so much for my family.” She laughed hollowly. “Separate, meat-free meals? Martial Arts? Hobbies? To tell you the truth I almost forgot about most of it at some point. I was just too busy trying to take care of my sisters.”

Ranko didn’t say anything to that, there was nothing to add when she knew it was true. She saw that, ever since she ended up here, with every day she lived, with every moment she decided to step in she knew that if she wasn’t there those kids would struggle so much. She really had no idea how the three of them were even able to end up as they were originally, it hurt her just to think about how much they would need to struggle; it was just too cruel for her to let it happen.

The sudden disengagement of Kasumi brought her back from her reverie. As the brunette stepped away from Ranko a little bit, she was still very close. Close enough for the redhead to look at her and see genuine affection and gratitude deep within those pale brown eyes.

That’s why I’m so grateful to you, Ranko,” she continued, glancing to the side in the direction of the dojo. “It was so strange to see myself doing martial arts… and calling you ‘mom’, but the way they look at you and how genuinely you love them…” she paused, looking at the redhead again. “I’m so happy that they can do all the things. Things that we couldn't. I’m so happy that…”

Kasumi shook her head, and put her hand on Ranko’s shoulder.

“I don’t think Akane or Nabiki would ever tell you this but I want you to know.” she said, looking straight into the redhead’s eyes with such love and something else… something that Ranko couldn’t describe but it makes her feel incredibly flustered, unable to look away. “Thank you for being their new mother. You’re the best parents they could ever have.”

That was it then, the moment she subconsciously yearned for all this time.

Ever since the day Hanna passed away, Ranko wondered if the Tendo sisters would approve of her taking on this role. She would do it regardless, it was without questions but it didn’t mean that it wasn’t weighing on her mind from time to time. She was doing everything she could to ensure her kids happiness, but without the sword’s magic she and then were complete strangers… it was understandable that she had doubts, right? Everyone would feel that way if that would happen to them.

But now she knew that it was ok. And it was such a relief that she just couldn’t hold it any longer. She could feel her eyes watered and her throat tightening again as she fought very hard to not just start bawling her eyes out right there in front of her friend.

“T-thank you, Sumi,” she whispered hoarsely, looking down at the apron she wore, suddenly noticing a few things that would need fixing later. “T-that means a lot.”

It was a very long time since Ranko was on the receiving end, being comforted instead of reassuring was… nice. As if a warm blanket was wrapped around her, soothing her, making her calm and fuzzy. Just like when-

Her surroundings had shifted. The kitchen was gone, so was Kasumi, even the feelings she just had were different, amplified and accompanied by enormous relief that surrounded them.

She was held by someone, someone bigger than her. Warm and soft… she cruddled closer into them, feeling a desperate need for closeness and security. She didn’t want to be alone.

“It’s ok now, you’re safe now, Ranko-chan,” a familiar voice of Hanna washes over her, making her tears go down her face. “You were a very brave, little cousin. I’m very proud of you.”

And then, just like that she was back again, looking back into Kasumi’s now slightly worried eyes.

She blinked a few times, still a little shaken from a sudden vision. It has been a long time since the last time she’d had one of those - at least half a year - and most she’d had weren’t this intense. She’d fallen out of practice in hiding it, that’s probably why Kasumi looked so worried.

Shit, that’s just great, she thought before she chuckles nervously, scratching the back of her neck. She figured that if she tried to wave it off, hoping that the brunette would somehow drop the issue. Unfortunately the persistent stare the redhead got from her indicated that it was not possible.

“Ok, breakfast won’t do itself, isn't it?“ She said, feigning a cheerful smile, and made her way towards the fridge.

“Say Hasumi… if you were Kasumi-chan, what kind of breakfast would you like to eat?”

Nabiki never thought of herself as an early riser. She barely functioned in the morning, and the fact that she was now in the past didn't change that at all. She was still half-asleep when she walked down to the kitchen and grabbed her morning coffee, only realizing that something was wrong when she noticed that the mug she was holding wasn’t her favourite one. And it wasn’t Kasumi who gave it to her, but Ranma. In an apron.

Right, I almost forgot how fucked we are.

Her relationship with Ranma was… complicated. She did use them for a lot of shit, mostly for profit and a few laughs, but over time she’d started to warm up to the dumb but honest and sometimes kinda funny martial artist. It was to the point that she really, honestly wished for Ranma and Akane to finally get together and be able to be happy just as they wanted. Kami knows that Akane needed that, well… all of them needed that but her youngest sister was the closest one of them to actually achieve it.

But all of it was ruined by that bastard Kuno and after that all they’d really focused on was to get their supposed brother-in-law back with them, and they’d finally succeeded! Completely by accident and it fucked up their situation beyond belief but they did it! Nabiki should be happy about it. She was happy about it! But…

…the amount of craziness she was witnessing around her was simply too much for her to ignore. I mean… I guess even before they disappeared I saw Ranma in the kitchen cooking a meal a few times but seeing Ranma being IN CHARGE of the kitchen commandeering Kasumi as they pleased wasn’t on my bingo card.

What also strange were the looks her older sister was giving Ranma almost every time the redhead passed her. It piqued Nabiki’s interest almost immediately. It was like an oasis in a desert, something she could focus on instead of getting assaulted by the craziness from all around her. She’d rather focus on something she could actually think through instead of trying to hide just how strange everything around her felt.

And there was definitely something off that her dear sister caught on to but she was unable to pin down exactly what it was. She also couldn't just ask her about it now with all the others present. She would have to wait until the time was right. Which means, she thought with an exasperated sigh, that I still need to deal with all of it.

“All of it” of course meant the Tendos of this timeline, which just by itself was freaky. But with just how different everything was - at least for Nabiki - the weirdness was turned up to eleven.

And it would only get worse from here.

She would never admit it to Kasumi, but she actually remembered some of the things from their early childhood. One of the things she remembered were the meals they had, back when her older sister wasn’t yet that good at cooking. They would basically eat huddled together trying to pretend everything was normal, all the while wishing their mom was still with them or that their dad would finally leave his room… or did something just so they wouldn’t feel like they were out there all alone. It was the worst and the most depressing period of Nabiki’s life.

But instead of that, she was now sitting with Akane, Shampoo and Kasumi on one side of the the dinner table, Ranma and her kids on the other and Dad - the same Dad who she remembered shutting himself in his room whenever he could - was sitting at the end of it in a place reserved for head of the household, looking… normal. Almost identical as the one they left behind in the future.

Ranma wasn’t even looking at the man, too busy with her kids, who also looked rather peculiar. Each of them were wearing their school uniforms looking crisp and clean and were clearly all ready for school, except for their hair, which was left loose or tied in a messy ponytail, without paying much attention to it, even Ranma and Dad seemed to not see anything wrong with that for some reason.

Akane was eating with a gusto, stuffing her mouth with rice and fish with no real care about etiquette and Kasumi - who finally didn’t look like Ranma’s clone - was also eating fast but with much more restraint than her youngest sister. Rather puzzling for Nabiki, both old and young Kasumi had some additional vegetables and marinated tofu next to them and were munching on them with very content and identical looks on their faces.

Nabiki looked down, putting a piece of - surprisingly good - tamagoyaki in her mouth trying to distract herself from looking at the center of the other side of the table… and failing miserably. She stole a glance at Ranma wolfing on the food with one hand while the other was wrapped tightly around the midsection of Nabiki’s younger self who for some reason sat there, leaning against the redhead’s chest, smiling and giggling at the speed at which Ranma was making various foods practically disappearing from the table. All of them looked genuinely happy.

It all looked so strange to her. Strange and cruel somehow. It was almost like her dreams manifesting in reality just before her eyes, but with the knowledge that all of the warmth and happiness she’d wished for all her childhood would never be hers. It belonged to her and all she could do was watch it from afar. Compared to them, their own childhood sucked and it made Nabiki feel incredibly jealous of just how lucky those three were… if only they would have had someone like Ranma in their lives, too.

She should be like Kasumi, grateful that at least this version of themselves had a shot at happiness. She knew she should feel that way... but was it wrong that she wished that they would have a chance to be happy too? I guess Kasumi already found her happiness so at least that’s good for her.

She, on the other hand, never really had a chance to look, always too busy making sure that her family was taken care of. Even the fact that she was here now was because she wanted to make sure Ranma was ok and Akane could once again be happy. Too bad that it backfired so badly.

Nabiki glanced at her younger sister, she seemed fine on the outside, eating rice with a faraway look, but every now and then she would still glance at Ranma, seeking their attention. The attention that was almost solely captured by the kids that were demanding it much more loudly and aggressively so of course mama bear will focus on them the most.

Who would have thought that ‘man among men’ wild guy would turn out to be such a doting mom? It’s kinda hilarious how that turned out. She chuckled looking at the redhead’s beaming smile as cleaned Akane's face. I wonder how she will act when she has her own children… she'll spoil them rotten for sure.

“It’s good to eat together every once in a while, right, Kasumi?” Dad’s voice brought her back to reality. He was looking at the small brunette who was - at the moment - stuffing her mouth with a piece of marinated cabbage.

“Yeah, it’s nice.” she murmured, forcing a smile on her face.

It was yet another change that was baffling Nabiki. She’d only been here for a day but it was clear that, while she was tolerating him, this world’s Kasumi wasn’t really fond of her dad. She wasn’t hostile to him or anything but it was clear that she didn't like interacting with him.

It was in stark contrast to her oldest sister who - while often being exasperated by him - still clearly loved and cherished Dad. Even after all that had happened.

“What do you mean, F-... I mean, Tendo-san?” Shampoo asked, taking a sip of her tea.

Their Dad looked at Shampoo with a polite smile. It was obvious to Nabiki that he still wasn't sure what to think about having four women - even if they were ‘Ranko’s friends’ - staying in his house but for some reason he seemed incapable of talking back to the redhead and just went along with it.

He didn’t need to like it, but even if he didn't, he was still smiling politely at Shampoo like a good host, which was actually impressive. Their Dad wasn’t known for keeping his emotions in check after all, no matter how big or small they were.

“Kasumi-chan rarely eats breakfast with us,” he said, looking disappointed for just a moment. “She usually eats with Ranko and heads out first to pick up Ryoga-kun from home.”

Wait, who? Nabiki almost asked, feeling her mask of indifference slipping off a little. The other three women were also visibly stunned by that information, but fortunately didn’t look at each other for confirmation that they’d indeed heard the same thing, they just looked at their Dad with dumbfounded expressions.

“Huh?” Akane was the first to break the silence, looking quizzically at the redhead. “You mean…”

“Ryoga Hibiki, we’re going to the same school.” Said a small brunette with a cheerful smile, seemingly unaware of the awkward atmosphere around the table. She just continued to stuff her face with rice as if she was trying to mimic Ranma’s speed eating. “He’s my friend and a fellow student of Tendo Ryu. I'm better though.” She added with a smug smile.

“I wouldn’t say you’re better, Ryo-chan can still overpowered you,” Ranma countered while her chopsticks blurred in an attempt to steal Kasumi’s food, leaving the kid’s chopsticks empty.

“I’m faster than him!” She said, glancing at her mother with a pouty look. “Not as fast as you, though.”

“Some day you may catch up,” the redhead said, sending her daughter a smug, but approving smile. “Don’t get overconfident though, you still have a long way to go.”

“You’re one to talk,” Shampoo giggled, looking quite amused. “I seemed to remember a certain redhead shouting ‘I never lose!’ quite often.”

Nabiki and her sisters looked at themselves and - despite everything - they couldn’t help but chuckle as well remembering all those times when Ranma’s own overconfidence bit her in the ass. She noticed the curious gazes of the kids - especially Kasumi’s - and she just knew that they were probably dying to hear of their ‘mom’s’ adventures. Against her better judgment Nabiki leaned over and pretended to whisper to the kids.

“I’ll tell you later,” she said with a wink, before she glanced at Ranma with a cheshire grin. Sure they were all screwed up, but being in the same room with Saotome again somehow made her want to tease her for some reason.

Maybe because of the priceless look of embarrassment and panic in her eyes?

“Please don’t ruin my reputation just after you came here,” the redhead pleaded, rubbing the bridge of her nose before she looked down at her kids. “And you, if you've finished breakfast then line up so I can fix your hair.”

After she said this, she and her sisters just watched slightly dumbfounded as the girls walked after their mother to the sofa a little further away from the dinner table all the while the redhead prepared a couple of combs before putting the Akane on her lap and starting to fix her loose raven black hair.

It was so sudden and out of nowhere that Nabiki’s brain had a slight delay in processing what was actually happening, all the while Ranma’s skilled slender fingers were untangling the knots and smoothing the girls hair with remarkable speed and precision, almost like they had a mind of their own, practically without stopping.

“I still wonder why I even do all this when you’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself…” she said, bridging a very small and thin braid on the side of Akane’s head before scooping it with the rest of the hair and putting it into a simple ponytail.

“But we want you to do it mommy! We can’t do it as well as you…" said Nabiki’s smaller version, switching places with her younger sister, and looking quite giddy while doing it.

“Besides you like to do it mom, you told me that yourself!” Kasumi added with a smile, watching her middle sister getting her hair brushed loosely and put under a simple head band.

Ranma looked at her oldest kid and smiled at her with visible amusement, but there was also something tender and warm behind her eyes, something that made Nabiki’s chest ache again.

“Well, that’s true,” she agreed with a shrug, making some last touches around the smaller brunette’s hair. “It would be nice not to do it every morning though.”

Twilight Zone, we really are in the Twilight Zone.

Nabiki realized that she felt kinda numb after watching all of this, the younger version of herself and her sisters, their happy smiles and carefree attitudes, the way Ranma changed, how much she’d matured and how happy and fulfilled she looks basically all the time. Yesterday all of it felt strange, scary and uncertain but now that she was finally able to breath a little and observe the world around her, her mind finally started to work the way it was supposed to, and with that came the thought that completely changed the way she saw things, especially Ranma and the whole three year long struggle to get her back.

It was all for nothing, she thought, feeling really stupid after she got hit by that realization. Even if we find a way back, Ranma will never come back with us. And frankly I can’t force myself to blame her for it…

Nabiki watched the redhead braiding Kasumi’s hair with a big, wide smile, saying something about a way to avoid getting long hair into her eyes during a fight, looking like one of those stupidly happy, fulfilled mothers that she’d seen on TV shows and just couldn’t think of a single thing that she could say to Ranma that would convince her to leave those three kids and go back home with them.

She probably should be irritated that they’d spent so much time and resources to get here and all of it was for nothing, but… after looking at the redhead and her kids, she was strangely ok with it. She still felt jealous. She wanted to deny it but she knew it was true. Even so, some part of her was happy, that while for her it was already too late, maybe at least Nabiki in this timeline will have a better life than she had. If Ranma doesn't screw her up to be a push over or something.

Maybe I should stay here for a little while longer, make sure that this girl will at least know how to handle herself properly…

While she was wondering about the things she could teach her younger self, Ranma finally finished doing Kasumi’s hair, putting it in an identical pigtail to what she wore for almost the entire time she lived with Nabiki and her family. She looked critically at the tightly made braid and when she didn’t find any flaws in it she nodded to herself, looking satisfied.

“Alright, you’re all set. Still, I want all of you to try and do your hair yourself, alright?” she said, letting the brunette off her lap, ushering them towards the genkan. “And you Kasumi, I know that yesterday wasn’t great but try to ignore that kid as much as you can… he’s not worth your attention anyway.” She added, stopping her and looking straight into the eyes of her oldest kid.

For a moment, Kasumi looked like she was caught redhanded, which actually was pretty funny to watch if not for the fact that Nabiki still had problems reconciling what she saw with what she knew about the girl she knew. It really felt like comparing night and day.

The brunette held on onto her mother’s gaze for only a brief moment before she looked down with pout.

“Alright mom, I… I’ll try.”

“That’s my girl,” Ranma nodded with a satisfied smile. “Now come here.”

In the corner of her eye Nabiki could see Shampoo, Kasumi and Akane watching everything with interest. Their chopsticks frozen in place, as their eyes followed everything that was playing before them. Normally Nabiki would probably make some comment on that, but right now she was doing the same thing.

They all watched Ranma approach each girl and kiss them on the top of their heads before pushing them lightly towards the genkan and waving them off, completely ignoring the fact that everyone was watching her every move.

The redhead only stopped looking after the girls when the doors locked behind them. Only then did she exhale and seemingly deflated before walking towards them and plopping to the ground on her place beside the table.

Does she do all this… every morning? Nabiki wondered, feeling genuinely impressed by everything she’d just seen. She probably should apologise for always calling her a freeloader.

“What’s that about the kid you were talking about?” Da-... Soun asked the redhead while taking a sip of his tea.

“Some stupid kid named Kōki Tanaka was mean to Kasumi.” Ranma shrugged, probably trying to look uninterested, but the fact that she seemed to be stuffing her face with rice much quicker than before told a different story. “He called her a tomboy and a brute… and when she got angry at him for it he ran to the principal’s office. Not a big deal, but Kasumi was very upset about it.”

Nabiki felt a prick of annoyance, and she was sure that the rest of the table felt the same as well. Soun also frowned and seemed to be pondering something for a few moments before he put his cup away.

“Hmm, I know Tanaka-san, we’ve met a few times in the Town Council,” he said before he started to stand up, a clear resolve written on his face. “Maybe I should pay him a visit.”

The brunette raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the sight of her Dad actually showing some initiative on his own.

“That would be great.” Ranma smiled and looked Soun in the eyes, sharing something between each other before both of them nodded and broke eye contact. “And while you are at it, remember to take your time. I want to catch up with my friends, we haven't seen each other in quite a while."

As Soun looked at the four of them, his gaze swept between each of them as if he expected them to trash the place while he wasn’t there or something like that… at the very least Nabiki was sure he didn’t trust them, but - for some reason - he still refused to talk back to Ranma about it.

“Alright, I understand.”

And that was it, no further questions, no nothing. Nabiki just watched as her Dad quietly turned around and walked away.

What the hell did Ranma do to make Dad act like this? She couldn’t help but wonder looking at the redhead who - at this point - looked much more like the master of the house than Soun ever did.

The same Ranma who was just sitting across from her, walking him away with her eyes. Only when they all heard the sound of the doors sliding shut, did the redhead finally look at the four of them again.

“Alright, now that we’re all alone…” she started, clearly not as comfortable as she tried to show, even though she somehow conjured the same stubborn look on her face Nabiki still remembered after all those years. “I guess it’s finally time to talk, right? Could you tell me what happened at home while I was gone?”

Ranko was very glad that Soun went along with everything that was happening, even though he probably wasn’t too pleased with having so many guests in the house. It was fortunate that over those three years he’d somehow become complicit with everything that she decided to do, choosing comfort over making decisions - much like in her original timeline - and just let her do what she wanted.

Thanks to that she was able to keep all of them together without any problems… even though it was probably only temporary anyway but it was good enough. She’d dreamed about something like this for so long… but now that it was finally happening the redhead was really starting to get anxious. After she’d decided to not go back, she tried to not think about it but… her parents must have been devastated, right? They put so much ‘effort’ into raising me - especially pops - that it must have hit them hard, right? The joining of schools was impossible now and all that fiancee business was void too…

She saw it on the face of all four of them, they were dying to ask her the same question she just did, but as it was Ranko’s territory and - this time - they were the guests for a change she had the upper hand.

She wasn’t too keen on telling everything she’d done here for the last three years… at least for the time being. Especially after she sent her girls to school. She was already dying from embarrassment, feeling their eyes on her the whole time even without wondering what the hell they were thinking about her during all this.
The four of them exchange glances, probably trying to choose which one of them would start the tale, but - just as with Ranko - none of them were too eager to start. Finally Nabiki shook her head and sighed with exasperation before locking eyes with her.

“Well… shit hit the fan pretty fast,” she said, circling one finger around her now empty mug. “Back then we didn’t know yet what actually happened so it was chaos at first… as you already know practically everyone we know started chasing Kuno to know what exactly he even did… and when we finally learned the truth… let’s say that there was some mixed reaction. At first everyone was dead set on getting you back…”

“But after about a year of constantly chasing the wind and no progress a lot of them gave up,” Akane continued, clenching her fists, trying to suppress her visible frustration. “It was very depressing and… disappointing. Eventually even our parents stopped being interested anymore. They said that chasing after false hope was too painful. Even the Amazons finally decided to leave-”

“Great-Grandmother decided to leave, not me.” Shampoo corrected her quite fiercely, although something in the way she and Akane’s face changed after that was strange to Ranko. There was a sudden change in the atmosphere around the table that the redhead picked up, but was too busy digesting the information she’d gotten to react to it.

She was mostly disappointed. Genma spent more than ten years raising her, to secure his future… and stopped trying to get her back only after a year? He often was a lazy ass who would use other people to do what he wanted if he had the means to do it but when it was really heated he was able to put his weight into it. Ranko refused to believe that he just gave up, but if that wasn’t the case… then why? “Too painful” my ass, pop wouldn’t be so sentimental, he would rather try to do something… so maybe it wasn’t true at all and there was something else going on that he didn’t share with the Tendos…

Soun was probably devastated, and mom… I honestly don’t even want to think about it, she thought, as the idea of never being able to see one of her three little girls made her whole body shudder. She would do everything to keep them safe, no matter the cost. But because of that it felt even more strange that her own parents gave up on her so easily.

Kasumi sighed before glancing down at her own hands, looking sad and disappointed.

“Dad was rarely home at that time,” she said. “Mostly because - as he said - he wanted to support Auntie and Uncle Saotome. But I know that he did that also because-”

“Because he was angry at us. Me and Airen that is.” Shampoo added, grasping tightly at Kasumi’s hand, with a pouty face. “He was just stubborn, that's all.”

Ranko’s mind blanked out at that, not really sure how to process what she was just seeing.

“Y-your what?” She asked, looking confused between the eldest Tendo sister and her apparently ex-fiance. “Wait, are you two…”

“Together?” Kasumi finished her sentence with a warm, gentle smile before she leaned slightly closer to the Shampoo’s side. “Yes, believe it or not, we’re actually married.”

The redhead blinked a few times, still confused.

“Huh?”

Akane shook her head and rolled her eyes at Ranko’s reaction, but she also - which was evident even to the redhead - was visibly not happy about the fact that her sister and her ex-rival were so close to each other.

“Not really, it’s an amazon type marriage,” Akane explained waving it off. “It’s not legal in Japan anyway. But I was not happy about it.”

“But that was pretty much Dad’s reaction too. You’re quite good at this now, Saotome.” Added Nabiki with an amused smile on her face, clearly having a blast from looking at Ranko’s dumbfounded face.

I mean… I should be happy I guess? She thought, looking at the two women that were clearly happy with each other's presence. Kasumi definitely deserves to be happy, and it’s actually a relief that I don’t need to worry about Shampoo talking about the kiss of marriage and all… but how? How did this even happen?

“Father-in-law can be as angry as he wants to be, not that it matters.” Shampoo said dismissively, although it was clear to Ranko that she indeed felt bothered by it, even if she just said that she didn’t. “Males cannot interfere in amazon women’s love affairs, not that he wanted to listen to any of that anyway.”

“True,” Nabiki nodded. “He was just wailing how ‘Your Mother would be heartbroken,’ or ‘Your Mother would never approve of this,’ and so on. It was very low and kinda embarrassing to listen to.”

Ranko couldn’t help but chuckle at that, the memories of all the talks and sightseeings she and Hanna did in the past just pouring in. She could vividly remember the talks they had, the plans and wishes she had for her future kids and just how ridiculous the claims that Soun apparently was spewing were. It was just so laughable that she couldn’t help but shake her head.

“Not to mention how wrong he was.” she said, stifling another chuckle. “Hanna-nee wouldn’t care about something so silly, she would just be happy that Kasumi found someone who loves her. I think she would actually really like you, Shampoo,” she added, smiling at the amazon… and realizing what exactly she just said.

Shit, talking about taking it slow, Ranko’s eyes twitched, trying to keep it together. Everyone always complained that I tend to put a shoe in my mouth, why couldn’t I do that now too?! I wanted to take my time to think about where to start and now-

Shampoo looked at the redhead with something between shock and embarrassment before she looked down at her and Kasumi’s hands.

“Thank you Ranko, that means a lot,” she said with an immense gratitude, completely oblivious to the woman’s internal struggles, a fact that gave her a little bit of hope that maybe that little slip up will somehow remain unnoticed…

“And how do you even know that? You didn’t know our mom.” Akane said, cocking her head strangely while looking at Ranko, burying her hopes into the ground.

Yeah, good luck with that, she thought, feeling really dumb. Ranko knew that she would need to tell them everything, scratch that even if she didn’t tell them her kids will probably tell them a lot instead so it was actually kind of pointless, but…

…how do you even tell the four people that apparently hadn’t stopped trying to bring her back that it was all for nothing? That she now had a new family here, new responsibilities… that she wasn’t just ‘Saotome Ranma’ anymore? She really had no idea how to do that.

But she didn’t have any other options, did she?

Oh, fuck it, we’re all adults now. Besides, they deserve the whole truth anyway.

“Oh but I know her,” she said, bracing herself for whatever that will happen next. “I know her very well actually. She was my cousin after all.”

As much as she was nervous about that, the shock in their eyes and the dumbfounded faces of the Tendo Sisters was really something. Ranko probably looked similar after seeing Kasumi and Shampo locking hands. At least they aren’t looking at me as if I’m crazy or something, although Akane did seem to be trying to move away from me slightly… or is it just my imagination?

“So, when you call mom ‘Hanna-nee’ you…” Nabiki asked, strangely cautious, as if she was trying to solve some sort of a puzzle that the redhead wasn’t really sure what it was.

At the very least they didn’t seem to think that Ranko was lying, so it was a start. Who knows, maybe she was worrying for nothing and this whole explanation will go much smoother than she thought?

“I mean that she was my cousin, yes,” she nodded, looking the middle Tendo straight in the eyes, trying to keep a calm demeanor but with each word she spoke she started going off script, practically without pausing. “We actually grew up together… I mean Ranko did. What I mean is, in this timeline those girls that I just shooed off to school? They are my nieces. I am not just some stranger who usurped the name Ranko Tendo…” she finally stopped for a moment to take a breath and pointed at her own chest. “I really am Ranko Tendo.”

Aaaaand, there goes my hopes that it will be easy, she thought, seeing the looks on the four women’s faces.

“Alright, that is. I’m too sober for this shit,” said Nabiki, looking seemingly unfazed but her movements she did when she was standing up were strangely deliberate, almost robotic and with a slight delay. “If we are to continue this conversation I need a drink, a strong one. Got something like that in here?”

But it’s not even noon yet, she wanted to say but after looking at all of them she decided to not comment on it. She just gave a hollow chuckle, realizing that it was the first time she’d ever been able to shock Nabiki this badly.

“Yeah, the same place it always was,” the redhead said, pointing at the kitchen.

It was all the invitation middle Tendo needed, Ranko was still sitting in her place while her face was starting to look increasingly worried as Nabiki brought more and more bottles from Soun’s stash to the table.

It’s not that she cared much about the booze in the house - actually she would rather there not be any at all - but it was the side of the Tendo Sisters the redhead had never seen before. She didn’t know how well they could hold her drinks and if she would need to clean up after… whatever they would do when they get wasted enough.

At the same time, a part of her was sad that she wouldn’t be able to get drunk with them too. She still had classes to teach in the afternoon. That would probably be a little bit of a shock too - especially for Akane - but she couldn’t really cancel it, not with the four new mouths to feed and probably clothed too… as much as Ranko was happy that she was able to meet them, the Tendo Sisters were going to be a little bit of a headache going forward, she was sure of it.

Her train of thought was stopped by Nabiki holding her a glass of whiskey. She wasn’t kidding when she said she needed something strong. The redhead took the glass, but frowned upon the strong smell of the liquor. When it came to this type of thing she preferred a sweet taste of bourbon. She kind of sensed that she didn’t really have a choice in the matter.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. For some reason everyone was too shy or anxious to restart the conversation… Ranko included. She was just sipping - or rather wetting her lips with - her whiskey and watching the four women getting progressively more drunk. It was a really strange experience, seeing all of them progressively looking more and more loose and unfocused, except for Kasumi who - even though she also did not hold back at all - looked completely sober.

Maybe because of that she was also the only one who, just like the redhead, had enough of this strange prolonged silent drinking.

“Ranko,” she started, putting out her glass on the table. “Earlier in the kitchen, when you suddenly froze for a moment… What was that? It looked… unsettling.”

Oh right, she must have been shocked by that. The redhead thought back to that short moment a few hours ago. It didn’t really phase her that much. Even her kids thought that their mom sometimes just looked out into space as if she was thinking about something very hard so she stopped caring about it. For Kasumi it must have been something else though.

“Well, it… I told you that here, I’m Ranko Tendo, right?” She said, trying to find a way to explain it in as simple terms as possible. “It’s… not exactly one to one. I got these seizures… or flashes? of memories from my life here. It’s like I forgot them and then suddenly can remember everything vividly once again. It comes and goes, it’s confusing, but thanks to my mom I’m able to keep it in check. I still remember who I was before. I’m still me.”

It was… a strange feeling, being able to tell someone about what she was going through. Even with her mother, Ranko only told her about her life as Ranma Saotome. She didn’t really discuss her fractured memories as Ranko Tendo, not wanting to overwhelm the other redhead. It was actually very freeing, being able to share her struggles with another person… even if the confused stares looking back at her weren't the ones she really wanted to see… it was still a huge relief.

But as much as she was feeling lighter now, she could see that the four women around her looked even more confused than before.

“By ‘mom’ you mean-,” Nabiki asked, cocking her head to the side.

”Nodoka, my real mom.” Ranko replied and smiled, looking back at the awkward first time when she knocked on her door. “I met her not long after I ended up here, she knows everything. She actually helps me stay sane and take care of the girls. Honestly I don’t know how I would be able to survive without her.”

She knew she shouldn’t but she couldn’t help but compare them: the Nodoka she’d met at the canal and the one who’d opened her door to her three years ago. She knew it wasn’t fair, and she knew that the mom she left behind was probably hurting right now. The redhead knew she would be hurting too if she was in her place, but still… she had no real desire to go back. She wasn’t sure if that made her a horrible person or not, but she didn’t care. Not anymore, that is.

”She’s much different now than when I met her back then.” Ranko continued, looking into a glass, still filled with golden liquid. “I guess all that time waiting for me and pop must have really gotten to her, but now… now it will be different. When we meet Ranma in a few years.”

As expected, the news came as a shock to the Tendo Sisters… especially Akane.

”Wait, We!?” She asked, leaning on the table with her arm, her eyes already slightly blurred, but even so Ranko could still see an anxiousness and hurt written all over her face. “Are you… are you planning to stay here? You don’t wanna go back?”

She sighed, having a hard time keeping it together. That look in Akane’s eyes... She knew it won’t be easy, she will probably hate her for it, but… she deserved the truth. No matter how painful it could be, Ranko refused to lie to or deceive her ex-fiance. It was better, right? A clean break.

She deserved someone to love in their old timeline instead of chasing after someone who decided to stay in the past. I would be better this way. Even if it was painful.

”No, I don’t.” She shook her head, sending Akane a sad smile. “I’m sorry, I know that you all spend so much time trying to get me back but… I have a family here now. I have kids… kids that need me.”

For a moment, everything was quiet again while everyone seemed to digest Ranko’s words. Well, everyone except the youngest sister, who was glaring at the redhead with a full on ‘you traitor!’ look at her face. It could be worse however, she could always have used her mallet… but fortunately she seemed to be in no condition to do that. Ranko was lucky.

”Yeah, I figured it out the moment Akane-chan came into the room yesterday.” Kasumi said, looking at the red-haired girl with a kind, gentle smile. “It’s ok Ranko, I understand.”

Ranko smiled back, thankful for this understanding.

”Onee-san!”

”Yeah, I kind of figured it out too…” Nabiki chimed in, glancing at her younger sister with a sad smile. “Sorry Akane, I don’t think we can convince her like that… I mean… I don’t think that ‘Aunty Ranko’ would even listen to us now, would she?” She added winking at the redhead.

The redhead didn’t know how to respond to that, only that it made her feel really strange. Drunk Nabiki was just… strange.

”So… Shampoo and Ranko are family after all!” Shampoo cried out - apparently forgetting her more fluent Japanese - and glomped Kasumi with all her might. “Airen! Shampoo’s so happy….” the rest of the amazon’s speech was muffled by her mouth being pressed into the brunette’s neck.

”Sham-chan, please not in front of everyone.” Kasumi said, trying to get her ‘wife’ off her, looking extremely embarrassed and shooting an apologetic glance at everyone… but especially her youngest sister for some reason.

”I can’t believe that all of you just… accept this so easy.” Akane’s hands clenched into fists and her eyes started to water up. “Ran-... Ranko, are you really sure? I… I missed you so much! I… I wanted you back so much… *hic*” Suddenly her ex-fiance launched at her and clinged to the redhead’s midsection while her whole body started to shake. “A-And now you’re saying that you won’t go back with me…”

”Akane…” Ranko said, automatically placing her hand on the black haired girl’s head and start caressing her in the same way she would whenever Akane-chan would have a nightmare. She continued to do so, until her ex-fiance’s body stopped shaking and there were only a few occasional sniffs that she could hear at all. She really wished she was mature enough to do that back then before she disappeared… who knows what could have happened if only they didn’t pick on each other so much and just be this gentle and caring to each other from the start?

”This is sooooo nice…” she could hear Akane’s clearly drunk murmur, but she didn’t stop, three years of experience telling her that if she stopped now, she would just need to start over.

”Well well Ranko, you really have the touch don’t you?” Nabiki said, looking at the two women with a cheshire grin, but frown soon after. “But… why is your glass still only half empty?”

”Because - as much as I would love to - I can’t get drunk just yet. I still have classes to teach in the afternoon, you know.”

Nabiki cocked her head, looking confused.

”W-wait, what do you mean classes? Dad stopped teaching martial arts ever since mom died. Don’t tell me…”

”Well… we needed the money and I happened to be quite skilled so…”

”Hehe… Ranko-sensei… this is so funny…” Shampoo murmured again, cuddling even more into Kasumi’s side, almost like a koala.

The brunette sighs again, looking down at the amazon with an indulgent smile.

”Qīn'ài de, bié ràng wǒ nánkān,” she said something in chinese that Ranko didn’t understand. She didn’t have time to think about it however, because she also felt Akane’s body weight leaning even more on her own forcing her to hold her even tighter so that she wouldn't fall to the ground.

”Please, remind me to never give you any alcohol ever again…”

Chapter Text

Shampoo sat with her back to the dojo’s wall, her eyes glued to the redhead walking between a small group of students. Unlike Kasumi and her sisters-in-law, the amazon had the opportunity to learn a lot of ki manipulation techniques which helped her ‘sober up’ much faster than normal. Thanks to that, while the other three women were still numb from alcohol back in the house, she decided to accompany Ranko for her training session, dying of curiosity to learn how her ex-fiance was doing as a real sensei. 

So far, she was very impressed.

The group the redhead was teaching right now wasn’t big - only a handful of people - gathered around, watching her going through specific techniques smoothly like water. ‘They are seasonal martial artists’ Ranko said before they entered. ‘They are here only to polish their techniques. Easy work, easy money’. 

Well, she wasn’t wrong. They definitely had some skill, she thought observing from the side with a slight smirk. But it’s clear as day who the sensei is here.

Ranko was definitely the best in this dojo, Shampoo included. This pleased the amazon greatly, since she was a little worried if her ex-fiance’s new responsibilities as a mother head of the house would make her slack off in her martial arts training. Fortunately it didn’t, and better yet, the redhead seemed to be even more impressive than the last time they’d seen each other.

I wonder if that’s what Great Grandmother saw when she decided to take Ranko into the tribe, she wondered, wistfully thinking about her last meeting with the Amazon elder. As she is now, she would be a priceless asset to the tribe. She would probably have a lot of kids of her own and train twice as many students… such a shame, she thought, smiling to herself despite her mood. Watching her, she felt a growing need to test her own skills against the redhead.

Too bad that the shop with Jusenkyo products won’t open for at least a few more years, she pouted discontentedly, still laser focused on the redhead. I really wanted to order some Nannīchuan powder for me and Kasumi… now we will need to wait a few more years or go to China ourselves… 

Too bad they probably shouldn’t do that. This world’s original Saotomes won’t be there for some time but being so close to Joketsuzoku village would be dangerous. On the other hand, Shampoo probably would be able to go there without much trouble. After all, the Guide doesn't need to know. 

But come to think of it…

Ranma will be screwed when he finally shows up, Shampoo thought resting her head against the wall to ease the dull pain inside of it. I can only imagine what will happen when he and the stupid panda arrive, now that Ranko is in charge of the Tendo Dojo… 

…or when my younger self shows up as well… I hope that she won’t be stupid enough to attack any of the sisters… Ranko will knock her to the ground if that happens.

Shampoo immediately started to think of a way to prevent any of that to happen. She was almost certain that with Ranko here almost nothing would go the way it originally had, but as long as there was even a slight chance that some of it would happen, then she needed to make sure her younger self didn’t ruin her relationship with her future mother-in-law.

“Ranko being my mother-in-law,” she muttered to herself with a small, short giggle still feeling slightly light headed. “Now that is something I would never expect to happen…”

I wonder what Kasumi-chan would think about my other self when she finally shows up…, the amazon thought to herself trying to imagine this miniature version of Ranko interacting with her younger self and couldn’t help but-

A sudden movement in the corner of her eye made Shampoo’s head shoot to the side, only to exchange glances with one of the girl's cats - a black one with striking yellow eyes - who was curiously sniffing the girl from the distance. 

“Are you checking on me, little guy?” She asked, cocking her head to the side, smiling softly while moving her hand a little closer to the cat, allowing him to get another sniff. “Don’t you worry, I know it’s your territory and have no desire to fight for it.”

The cat didn’t answer of course, but started sniffing her more intently, probably smelling the residue of her own cat form from her bath earlier. Every feline she’d encountered since she was cursed could somehow tell that she was a part-time cat, giving her much more attention that she wanted - especially when she was still still pursuing Ranko - and it would often make her quite mad.

Not this time though, now she was actually glad that this guy came here for a visit.

He was proof that - even if not by a lot - Ranko was getting better with her fear of cats. It was great news, especially if they ended up stuck here and she changed into her cursed form next to the redhead.

“She really came a long way, hasn’t she?” Shampoo asked no one in particular, scratching the cat behind the ear, in a place she knew was absolutely the best for scratches. I will need to ask airen to scratch me there too, it is always so relaxing…

She really didn’t mind their current situation. She’d effectively left her tribe to stay with Kasumi and her father-in-law didn’t really like her anyway. She’d ended up here with her wife, and that was all she really needed. She was sure they could build their life here with some work and really be happy like this…

…but she wasn’t sure that Kasumi wouldn’t miss her Father. That was the only thing that really made Amazon still think about finding a way to go back, even if deep down she’d actually started to wonder… what would it be like if they actually wanted to stay?

Shampoo stayed like that, the entire dojo was filled with sounds of students panting, stomping on the wooden floor, and striking or blocking constantly. She didn't really hear any of it, however, too busy scratching the black cat and pondering about the future she, Kasumi and her sisters would have had… and how to convince them that she wasn’t crazy.

Ranko was really glad that Shampoo decided to not participate in her classes, knowing just how much of a gap there was between the Amazon and her students in terms of martial arts skill, and how discouraging or inspiring someone like that could be… and she wasn’t in the mood to either comfort those people or listen to them begging her for more pointers to be able to catch up to Shampoo’s level… If not for the money she would probably have cancelled all of today's classes completely.

But it was all over now. She had a few more hours off but, unlike before, now she wasn’t really able to relax or do chores or any of that. I guess that we will probably continue the ‘talk’ when we leave… Well, so long as the three of them didn’t drink themselves unconscious or something.

She never knew that those three would become like that after just a little bit of alcohol… It was kind of cute in a way. Cute but also mildly irritating, especially when they started to act like liquid and slid down to the floor.

“Hey Shampoo.” Ranko started, glancing to the side at the amazon who was walking next to her with ChiChi nestled comfortably in her arms as if he was riding a carriage. “Did Kasumi drink a lot? She held her drinks much better than Nabiki or Akane.”

Shampoo shook her head.

“Not much, we’re more into cooking than drinking,” she said, scratching the black cat’s chin. “Airen does have a strong head though, that’s why I haven’t  taught her the ki technique I use to sober up quicker, yet. I may do that in the future though…”

“How did that even happen?” She asked, cocking her head to the side and giving the other woman a curious look. “I don’t think you really talked to Kasumi when I was still around like… at all? Don’t get me wrong, it’s clear that you two love each other and all, but… how?”

The redhead still had a little difficulty understanding how both of them really got together. She may be guilty of not really paying attention to Kasumi as much as she probably should at that time, but she was pretty sure that she had her eyes on Dr. Tofu? So how was Shampoo able to win the older brunette’s heart to the point that the two of them got married?

Shampoo’s face grew pink for a moment, before she composed herself, looking down at ChiChi with a reminiscing smile.

“Well… looking for clues about how to bring you back was hard.” She looked up at the ceiling with a serious expression. “It was like… finding a needle in the haystack? I think that’s the term.”

“There were times when we would get stuck. I’d spent most of my time in the Tendo Dojo at that point, so…” Shampoo smiled gently to herself, it was the most natural and sincere smile Ranko had ever seen on her face. “Airen was the only person I could comfortably talk to about… anything. So we talked. I told her about my village and my childhood, she taught me more about Japan and shared more… personal things. We started spending more and more time together… you know how it is.”

She didn’t know, not really. She did grow closer to Akane before she was sent back in time, to the point that she truly thought that she and Akane really could be a couple, but after that… she really didn’t have time to think about dating anybody. She was too focused on making sure her kids were as happy and healthy as they could ever be.

She didn’t regret her actions one bit, but seeing Kasumi and Shampoo so happy together made Ranko feel… kind of lonely.

Even so, it wasn’t their fault. The redhead forced a smile on her face and nodded at the Amazon.

“I guess so,” she said. “I'm very happy for you two.” 

Shampoo smiled back at her, looking very pleased and… relieved? 

“Thank you Ranko, that really means a lot.”

They didn’t talk at all after that, both equally dreading the state they would probably find the three sisters in after leaving them alone like that. Strangely - and contrary to Ranko’s prediction - they actually find them being squeezed together on the sofa, leaning over something. Wait, are they… crying? Even Nabiki looks stunned somehow… Wha-

A few more steps towards them and everything was clear. They’d found a photo album.

Suddenly Ranko’s world spun around, she was sitting in a very spacious but unfamiliar living room, sitting on a couch next to someone… someone she immediately recognised. 

She looked up seeing the smiling face of Hanna-nee looking back at her. She wasn’t an adult here, which meant Ranko was a teenager… but how old exactly they were, she had no clue. At the moment, what was most important for the redhead was the fact that she was next to Hanna-nee… and the fact that apparently they were in the middle of a conversation.

“Thank you very much for this photo album Ranko-chan,” she said, stroking the cover of a book that looked strangely familiar to the one the Sisters were holding just a second ago. “I’ll fill it to the brim as much as I can. You’ll have a lot to see when you finally visit me in Nerima.

Ranko smiled at her cousin but it faltered quickly, turning into a disappointed sigh.

“Still can’t believe you really did that, Hanna-nee,” said the redhead, glancing at the other woman’s quite prominent belly. “And to really have a kid with that guy… what did you want to call them again?”

Ranko felt a mix of emotions when looking at  her cousin. On one hand she should be ecstatic - she’s going to be an aunt! - but on the other hand she hadn’t really believed that that thing between Hanna and Soun would really go through… and now she was all alone here. The redhead really thought that she would be able to keep Hanna here with her… but it looked like she wasn’t the most important person to Hanna the way Hanna was to hero…

…and it hurt. So very much.

“Kasumi,” the other woman said, patting her belly with a loving smile. “I still can’t believe it either. I’m so happy…” she paused for a moment, glancing at Ranko with a much dimmer, sadder one. “I only wish that you could be there with me, she would really appreciate her aunt being with her I’m sure.”

Ranko huffed.

“I would be, if someone didn’t decide to run away from me as far as Tokyo, you know?” She replied, realizing that she sounded much more accusatory than she wanted and quickly switching the blame on someone else. “Or if the family wouldn’t be such pricks and stop pretending you never existed.”

Unfortunately Hanna-nee wasn’t fooled at all

“Ranko-chan, you know that it’s not like that…” she said, looking apologetic and reaching for the redhead, only for Ranko to slightly move away.

She could feel her throat tightening, her eyes were slightly watery so she looked down to hide it from her cousin. She couldn’t control her voice though, which was shaking and hurt.

“I didn’t want you to leave, ok?” She said, feeling terrible but not knowing how to stop it. “You and I were going to stick together forever… you even pinky swore, remember?” She made a hollow chuckle. “Liar.” 

Her head hung down, perfectly capturing how she felt inside.

“Now I not only don’t have Hanna-nee, I won’t even be able to be the cool aunt I always wanted to be-”

A sudden weight cut her off and soon after she could feel strong arms wrapping themselves around the crook of her neck and her midsection. It felt warm and soft, even though she was sure they were dangerously close to crushing her. She didn’t mind that much though, She felt calmer like that. Peaceful.

“I’m sorry, Ranko, but please understand…” Hanna sighed and hugged her closer, resting her forehead on the crown of Ranko’s head. “And even if you don’t, some day you’ll also fall in love and then you’ll understand how I feel. It’s not like I wanted to leave you. I…”

…I just can’t love you the way you love me, the redhead finished for her in her mind with a sad smile. It’s ok, Hanna. It was me who was too greedy, wanting things I have no right to have in the first place. Just as they always said.

It's ok, Hanna-nee, I’m sorry.” Ranko said, wrapping her hand around her cousin's forearm, still wrapped tightly through the crook of her neck. “I’ll get over it, somehow, I always do.” 

“And hey, you’re having a baby soon!” She said, forcing herself to sound as cheerful and excited as she could. “I may not be with you right after Kasumi-chan will be born but I sure as hell will visit you as fast as I can! I already decided to spoil her rotten when I finally do!

Hanna-nee started to chuckle at that, but the sound started to fade, really fast. As if Ranko was suddenly pulled away with a shocking speed away and away until she once again stood in the washitsu of the Tendo Dojo, the three sisters were still softly crying leaning over the photo album the redhead bought for their mother all those years ago. 

Suddenly Ranko felt like crying too.

So… in this timeline I and Hanna-nee… we… I mean I… oh fuck…

That actually explained quite a lot.

But it also made her hate herself quite a lot too. Why didn’t I come here sooner? I could-

“O-oh Ranko, you’re here. W-we here just…” Kasumi finally looked up, her eyes red and watery. She was crying just a second ago, but one look at Ranko’s face instantly made her pause. “What happened?”

At this point Nabiki also looked up and was looking at the redhead with, while still quite shaken, a rather curious look on her face. Only Akane was still glued to the photo album like a statue, completely ignoring everything around her.

All the while Ranko was being pierced by two other girls' eyes feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

”W-what? W-, oh, em…” she fumbled with her words while scratching the back of her head nervously. “Don’t worry about it. Another flashback, that's all.”

There is absolutely no way that I’ll tell you that I liked their mother in that way… 

Kasumi cocked her head to the side, as if trying to read her mind with a simple look. Ranko could almost feel the intense pressure of her gaze, but focused all her strength to keep her face cool and collected.

Eventually the oldest Tendo relented with a disappointed grimace.

”If you say so… but-”

”Ranma?” Ranko’s - and everyone else's faces turned toward Akane who seemed to finally be back into the present… mostly. Her red, puffy eyes were looking at the redhead with wide eyes, a mix of cautious hope and anxiousness written on her face. “W-what’s all this?”

The redhead frowned, not really understanding the question. She must have known what it is, right? She and her sisters were glued to this for who knows how long… Ranko wasn’t sure what Akane's deal was, but even so she decided to humor her… she was probably just overwhelmed by the amount of things she gathered there over the years… I mean, who wouldn’t be?

”It’s our photo album,” she said with a shrug, smiling softly at Akane and the rest of her sisters. “I remembered what you told me once… that you didn’t have many photos of your childhood. So I thought… I thought that it would be nice if that wasn’t the case this time.”

Akane’s eyes fluttered for just a moment before she once again looked down at the photo album, stroking one particular photo…

”This, did I really…?”

It was a photo of Ranko, wearing her navy blue button up dress while holding a small Akane-chan wearing her ‘princess costume’ with Nabiki and Kasumi on her sides and Soun standing a few feet away. All of them were smiling to the camera, although it was clear the Tendo patriarch was rather uncomfortable, probably because at that time Kasumi still refused not only talk to him but even be close to him… she even stood on the other side of Ranko so she wouldn’t need to see the man if she didn’t want too.

A sudden wave of warmth and joy washed over the redhead as she leaned over to look closer, her mind replaying the entire event, her daughter’s every line, every time she smiled and squealed excitedly when she couldn’t contain her emotions on the stage.

She couldn't believe that three years had already passed since then. 

”Man, this really takes me back,” she giggled before looking up at Akane’s shell-shocked face with a gentle, motherly smile. “Yeah, you… I mean Akane-chan was sooo excited about the play,” she quickly corrected herself, shaking her head slightly. “She just couldn’t stop talking about it. Kasumi-chan once complained to me that she was worried her ears would fall off from listening to it…”

”I played Juliet?” Akane asked, seemingly not even listening to Ranko at all, still fixated on the image. “I really-”

”And what about this one?” Nabiki pointed to another photo in the corner of the other page. “What the hell have you done to me, Saotome?”

Her eye twitched as she sent a side eye at the brunette.

”Tendo, right now I’m Ranko Tendo,” she corrected her with a slight grimace. She knew that they were all alone in here but even so, it was better to just call her Ranko… how did Nabiki of all people not understand that? “Besides what are you… huh? Well…”

The photo she pointed at was taken not long after the play, both Akane and Nabiki were very excited about making the apricot pie Ranko learned about during her cooking lessons. Both girls were waving, looking at the camera while covered with flour, while their little hands and faces were all sticky from mushed apricots… Nabiki even had some on her face, but it was easy to overlook thanks to her charming smile, which revealed that she was missing a few teeth... which strangely made her even more adorable.

“Oh, that was just after the play, Akane-chan and Nabiki-chan were so excited about cooking that…”

Not even realizing how it happened, Ranko spent the next hour or so, sitting between the sisters - Shampoo included - while walking through the entire photo album, or rather the majority of the album that she’d filled herself.

Most of it just showed mundane stuff: Kasumi doing kata, Akane placing chocolate chips into the bowl focused so much that her tongue was sticking out, Nabiki triumphantly showing off a plushy snail she found that was twenty percent off because it had a tear… all very precious moments for the redhead, which she could immediately conjure from her memory as if they just happened.

After that they went through a series of very cute photos with all three girls. One when they were sleeping with their kittens for the first time, the ‘sleepover’ they had in Ranko’s room during a particularly heavy storm, and the one on the beach under the umbrella after a very intense swimming lesson.

“Wait, they already know how to swim?” Kasumi asked with her eyes wide. “Even Akane?”

“More or less,” she replied, scratching her cheek with an embarrassed giggle. “Akane-chan still won’t swim more than a few feet away from me, though.”

Ranko went through the pictures like a force of nature, going from one to another able to perfectly recall even the most ambiguous ones with perfect clarity, giggling to the memories of all those precious moments she’d spent with her children. She really felt like a mom telling her friends about her kids' mischievous childhood… it was a very good, very rewarding feeling. As if she did a really good job and was finally able to show it off. 

Well, she certainly made an impression.

Nabiki didn’t really say anything the whole time, looking shell-shocked at the album and only her mouth was twitching from time to time when a particularly sweet photo of her younger self would show up.

Kasumi was practically crying the whole time, chuckling through tears from time to time whenever Shampoo would point at pictures that showed her younger self doing something or looking particularly funny. Ranma smiled at that as well, feeling vindicated that she was able to give the Tendo Sisters something they never really had… a happy childhood.

And she vowed to herself that she will continue to do so, no matter what.

Suddenly the redhead felt a hand squeezing her forearm very intensely. She looked to the side, locking her eyes with Akane. Ranko was stunned for a moment, overwhelmed by the sight of so many emotions she could see going through the youngest of the sisters.

“Ranma…” she started, unblinking. “There’s no one else beside us in the house. Could you…” her hand squeezed Ranko’s forearm some more. “Could you please turn back into a guy for a moment. I haven’t seen that form for so long, that…”

She felt her throat tightening, her eyes still firmly fixated on Akane’s face. Her every day was so packed and her thoughts were always circling around her kids that she practically forgot about that… the fact that she once had a second body. She’d grown so accustomed to her female one, the way other people treated her, the expectations that society demanded of her… that she almost forgot that she could once just… change into a different skin. Even now, when Akane called her ‘Ranma’ she felt this strange sense of dissociation, as if she could no longer really say that she was the ‘Ranma’ that Akane wanted to see.

She smiled at the other woman. Sadly. Apologetically.

“Akane I am so sorry but… but cannot do that,” she said. “You see, the curse… the curse is gone. Been gone for the years now. That’s the only body I have.”

She could see the realization of what she’d just said slowly starting to get into Akane’s brain as her eyes started to widen, shifting her face into one that people would usually make when you suddenly tell them that in reality, Santa does not exist.

“What?”

Akane sat in the middle of the washitsu, her elbows resting on the table, supporting her head as she stared into space trying to sort out her thoughts while one of the cats - the one with the black and white face - was trying to get her attention by rubbing his head on her thigh, but she ignored him. Him and her persistent but slowly dissipating headache. Normally she would berate herself for letting herself get as drunk as she did, but right now she had more important things to think about.

Like the fact that the person she called dumb in the past was apparently able to give them - or at least a version of her and her sisters - a happy childhood, which was their unfulfilled dream for as long as she could remember…

…or the fact that Ranma was a girl, now and forever. The idea of her fiance not having a curse was very hard to process. It was a similar experience to that time when Nabiki finally told her who P-chan truly was. She was in a daze for quite a while just like she was now. The only difference was that right now she couldn't just get angry and smash Ranma into the ground like she did with Ryoga… Ranma hadn’t done anything wrong.

And she just needed to accept the fact that she will never again see her fiance’s black hair… It wasn't really a reason to be depressed about it - Ranma was still there, alive and well - but it still put a bad taste in her mouth. It was as if she got back only one half of them. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't help feeling bad about it.

And now she was sitting here, trying to make sense of the fact that her life just got flipped, turned upside down, while Ranma and Kasumi were in the kitchen debating what to do for dinner.

“Honestly, I never considered Saotome to be the ‘motherly’ type of a person.” 

Akane almost jumped out of her seat, startled by Nabiki’s voice. Her older sister was in almost the same state she was, being in a daze of sorts ever since she’d dug out that photo album from Ranma’s room. She knew why she had problems with accepting everything that happened after that, but Nabiki? She wasn’t really sure about that… other than the fact that she seemed to not like the fact that her younger version was so sweet and… strangely more Kasumi-like than Kasumi in this timeline. 

Just another thing that Akane had trouble understanding, nothing new.

“W-what do you mean, Nabiki?” She asked, startled.

Nabiki shrugged, stealing a glance in the direction of the kitchen.

“It’s just… I always thought that Saotome was just this scared, strange kid that was so deep in the closet they’d sooner find Narnia than admit she liked the outfit you laid out for her that day. She hid herself in so much bluster, bravado, and ‘manly recklessness’ that she would never step up to the task and act responsibly”, she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I never thought that she could be… this.”

“True, Ranko seems to be a great mother.” Shampoo nodded, still looking through the photo album with shining eyes. Akane didn’t fail to notice that she was looking almost exclusively at the pictures of Kasumi, but said nothing about it. “Really good sensei too.”

Akane gave a sigh, feeling slightly irritated by the carefree voice of her sister-in-law. Mostly because she couldn’t help but agree with her. Anyone with eyes could see just how great Ranma was at being a mother and a homemaker… and if Shampoo said that she was a good teacher that must have been true too. The purple haired woman would never lie about something like that.

It’s just that… Akane never thought that ‘Ranma is a great mother’ would be a statement that she would agree on. It felt… very weird. And strangely painful.

“I always knew that keeping this place open would help to keep us afloat…” Nabiki continued with a grimace. “But of course convincing Daddy to do anything about it was like talking to the wall.”

Am I the only one that doesn't like how great Ranma is here? Just how much she settled down in this place? She thought, feeling a hot, uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

Am I the only one that wishes that Ranma would choose us, over… this?

“Yeah it’s great, everything is so great here,” Akane said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at her sisters. “Ranma is so busy taking care of this place that she stopped even thinking of getting back to us…” she murmured, instantly feeling down the moment the words escaped her mouth.

“I don’t think that’s really the case, little sis,” Nabiki said back with a far away stare. “It’s more like… Ranko had no idea what had happened or what to do about it. It’s not like she just ‘chose’ this place over us, she just… didn’t really have a choice on the matter.”

Akane huffed, straightening up and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, it looks that way to me,” she pouted.

“That’s not true,” Shampoo replied, putting a hand on Akane’s shoulder. “And you don’t think that way either.”

She brushed her hand off her shoulder.

“Why wouldn't it be true? Didn’t you see how she is with those three around?”  She asked, looking at the amazon. “She said she won’t be coming back with us. It sure feels like she chose this place and those three over us, doesn’t it?”

Akane grimace, she didn’t mean for it to sound this way, she knew that she was very unfair to Ranma at this moment, berating her for wanting to give them a better, happier future. She could feel herself slipping and not knowing why, being angry but not really sure at what she was angry anymore… it was all so confusing, with nothing else for her other than trying to deal with the frustration and sadness she was holding inside for so long she actually forgot that it was there.

Suddenly she really wished there was a little bit more alcohol laying around… at least when she was drunk she didn’t need to think much about that stuff… about anything really.

Too bad she couldn’t do that. Plus she would probably cause a scene like when Ranma needed to comfort her like a child… she didn’t want to let the redhead confuse her for a kid again.

“Akane, it’s not that simple and you know it…” Nabiki rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to reason with her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m on Saotome’s side in this. She was stuck here for three years, much longer than she stayed with us, all the while being fed new memories by the sword. You saw those pictures, she and those three… they are family now, and you know just as much as I do that you don’t abandon your family. Can you imagine going somewhere else leaving me or Kasumi behind knowing that you won’t ever be able to see us again?”

The very idea made Akane shudder uncomfortably. There was no way she would do that… and so it would be wrong to expect Ranma to do the same. She knew all of that, of course, but it didn’t make it any easier.

Nabiki nodded, seeing her reaction.

“Thought so.”

“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way, Akane-chan,” Shampoo added, drawing both women's attention to herself. Akane wanted to interject, asking how could someone who’s in a happy relationship know what she thinks but Shampoo didn’t give her a chance to do so. “You think about it as if Ranko chose those versions of yourselves over you, but it’s not true, you know? You and them are completely different people, you just looked the same.  The fact that Ranko is kissing the younger Akane on the forehead or singing her lullabies before bed doesn’t mean that she will love and care only for her and won’t ever love and care about you.” The amazon smiled encouragingly at her. “You just need to be patient… and persistent.”

Akane couldn’t help but chuckle, not expecting the Amazon - who was notorious for glomping her fiance whenever she could, even going so far as to sneak into their bed - was giving her advice like that. What was even more shocking was the fact that… somehow what she was saying made sense. Somehow.

It was true that she felt left out… who wouldn’t in her situation? She spent three years of her life trying to bring her fiance back, only to learn that she lost to… her younger self? Who wouldn’t be angry about that?!

But it was also true that - although their starting points were the same - both her and her younger self were very different. Maybe… maybe there was a way to… to pick up where they left off? Or at least start over? She wasn’t sure if that was possible, but if it was? 

It would definitely be different from what Shampoo had in mind, that’s for sure.

“It didn’t really work out for you, did it?” She asked, with a small, slightly amused half-smile.

“What are you saying, Sister-in-law?” The Amazon winked at Akane before lifting her proudly as if she was the queen of the world. “I’m with the person I love the most in the world, of course it did work out for me,” Shampoo paused, abandoning the act and smiling warmly at her while placing her hand on Akane’s shoulder once more. “And if it did work out for me then it can work out for you, you just need to be a little bit more optimistic.”

This time Akane didn’t remove the Amazon’s hand, feeling strangely small, embarrassed and… grateful? She blinked a few times, realizing that she really did feel grateful for the other woman’s words of encouragement. 

Ones that she didn’t really deserve, since she was never really too welcoming to Shampoo, not even after she and Kasumi ended up together. She suddenly felt like a jackass.

“Wait, where does this ‘lullaby’ thing come from?” Nabiki asked, taking her younger sister completely by surprise. For a moment Akane almost forgot that her older sister was even there.

“Oh you see, Akane decided to sneak out of the guest room last night and…” Shampoo quickly switched focus on the brunette, seemingly forgetting about Akane, which allowed the youngest Tendo a moment to breathe.

She didn't have much time to do so however, because as soon as she began to relax a little, she heard the sound of the front door opening.

“Tadaima!” A sudden voice brings her back from her musing. 

Akane, Nabiki and Shampoo turned their heads towards the genkan. Ranma didn’t tell them to expect anyone other than their family and the voice they heard didn’t belong to anyone they knew. It was definitely an adult voice. A woman’s voice.

“Okaeri!” Ramna replied from the kitchen, appearing from behind the noren with a big - but clearly strained - smile on their face. They didn’t even look at the three women, passing by them in a hurry and disappeared behind the corner adding to the sister’s overall confusion.

 They looked at each other not really knowing what to do or what to expect. Akane was about to say something but before she was able to open her mouth she could hear the sound of footsteps - two of them - drawing closer and closer, forcing her to look towards the genkan once more.

And freeze soon after, not really understanding what she was seeing.

In the entrance to the washitsu she could see two Ranmas. One was clearly the same one who just passed them a few seconds ago, wearing the same chinese red shirt and black pants they always do, their hair styled in a long, thick braid going down from the front of their left shoulder. And the second one…

…the second one was wearing a traditional black kimono with red flowers all over it, their hair pinned up into a low bun. They - in contrast to the other redhead - looked as surprised as Akane and her sisters had felt, looking at all of them with an uncertain expression.

If not for different hairstyles and clothes both of them would have been identical, especially now while both of them stood next to each other, even their height, measurements and posture were identical. 

Akane’s heart skipped a beat. It was like the cursed mirror situation all over again and she could feel her shoulders stiffening just thinking about it.

“R-ranko, who-” she could barely utter a few words while her eyes were wandering back and forth between two redheads in anxious confusion.

“Ranko dear, you didn’t say that you had guests…” the other Ranma - the one in the kimono - said to the other one with a strangely scolding tone, glancing nervously at the three sisters.

Ranma scratched the back of their head nervously, looking a little bit like a kid being scolded by their mother.

Wait… don’t tell me…

“Yeah, sorry mom, I forgot about it,” they said with an apologetic smile. 

The silence that fell in the washitsu could be cut with a knife. Akane and her sisters were looking at the second redhead eyes wide, not really knowing what they should do.

Akane barely noticed the movement in the corner of her eye - Kasumi finally decided to join them from inside the kitchen - when Ranma finally decided to clear her throat while looking at the sisters.

“It’s, em… kind of awkward...” they said, sounding apologetic, before taking a deep breath. “...but since we are all here… everyone, this is Nodoka Saotome.”

Chapter Text

Nabiki didn’t know if it was because of the amount of unbelievable things that she was discovering one after another, the drinking or the fact that the two redheads that were standing before them looked so uncanny identical she was finding it a little creepy, but she just couldn't help but slip while looking at the two with wide eyes.

“Nodoka…? Wha…?” She blurted out before she was able to catch herself.

The contrast between this woman that looked just like a more traditionally dressed Ranko and… and the one back home was so great that it was very hard for Nabiki’s brain to process it.

On the other hand, Shampoo didn’t look shocked at all, buzzing with happy excitement instead

“No way, really?!”

Nodoka was clearly out of her element here, suddenly being the center of attention with four pairs of eyes looking at her. She immediately started to shrink in on herself, momentarily hiding herself slightly behind Ranko’s shoulder.

“R-Ranko dear… what’s going on?” She asked in a voice that - although a bit different - was also very similar to Ranko’s. “I though-”

“It's ok mom, you don’t need to worry.” said the redhead squizzing her mother’s arm with an encouraging smile. “They are from the future, the one I told you about.”

Yet more proof that they were in the Twilight Zone. The way the two of them were obviously so effortlessly close to one another, actually talking to one another instead of having a weird and definitely unhealthy conversation where both of them were trying to not push each other's buttons like back home.

And instead of needing to convince her further Nodoka seemed to believe Ranko without a second thought, glancing at the four Tendo Sisters with a - while still anxious - definitely curious look.

“R-really? Then…”

Ranko nodded.

“Yeah. This is Akane,” she said, pointing to each one in turn. “Nabiki, Kasumi and Shampoo, the Amazon I mentioned a few times.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Nodoka-san,” said Shampoo with a deep bow, still smiling at the other redhead.

Ranko’s mother was clearly having hard time processing the information, looking at each of them with an expression of pure bewilderment and amazement. Nabiki forced herself to not show any discomfort and say nothing when the redhead in a kimono was dissecting her with her gaze, but wasn’t able to hide the way her shoulders relaxed when Ranko’s mother’s eyes moved away from her, leaving the middle Tendo sister with a sense that she’d just passed some kind of strange screening.

“It… It’s so bizzare… So that's how my granddaughters will look in the future?” Nodoka said, looking back at Ranko, seeking confirmation in the other redhead’s eyes. Nabiki didn’t miss that she just called their younger versions her ‘granddaughters’ and couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was the deal the two of them had between each other… especially since technically - in this timeline - Nodoka and Ranko weren't really related in any way… probably. Their relationship was purely because of Ranko but even so the other redhead seemed to really care about the three smaller Tendo sisters, and… 

…and Nabiki once more started overthinking everything instead of focusing on the current conversation.

 “Nah I don’t think so,” Nodoka murmured, looking more closely at Nabiki's older sister. “Kasumi-chan would never in a million years be dressed up, let alone radiate the aura of such a fine, demure lady.” 

“No offence, it’s just our Kasumi-chan is just too much of a tomboy, so…” the redhead added, realizing what she just said and scratched her cheek with her index finger, laughing nervously.

Kasumi on the other hand obviously didn’t seem to mind and seemed to find the other woman’s remark quite amusing.

“None taken, Nodoka-san,” she replied with a chuckle of her own. “I’m eternally grateful to Ranko for allowing my younger self to grow up in the way she wants, not the way she needs." She glanced at Ranko who was standing right next to her mother. “Nothing could possibly make me happier.”

“And we’re not ‘from the future’, not really.” Nabiki decided to join the conversation. “We are from a different timeline, the one that ‘Ranko Tendo’ did not exist.”

The attention of the entire room focused on her expectantly, but that was good. As long as they could change the focus from them to Ranko and maybe… possibly, start to think of a way to go back home. At least for the ones that actually wanted to go back.

She doubted that it would really shift the conversation, but it was good to at least remind everyone which pressing issue they should focus on, if not now then in the future.

The change of the topic seemed to really please her little sister too.

“We all came here for Ra-..., for Ranko from her original world… but now we are stuck.” Akane added finally joining the conversation as well. “Honestly I never thought that we would ever meet, but… nice to meet you Nodoka-san. You…you’re so…different from the one at home.”

Yeah, no shit, Nabiki thought looking at the redhead, still unable to understand how much of a stark difference this version of Nodoka was in contrast to the one they all knew. It almost made her sad to think about it. She and her sisters lost their mom but at least they had each other. Nodoka didn’t really lose her family, but she hadn’t seen them for all those years… and it clearly ruined her. If only that fat idiot didn’t keep her from Ranma all that time… so many things would be different.

Nodoka grimaced at Akane’s words. It seemed that Ranko really had told her about how she’d turned up in their timeline… and it clearly bothered her a lot. Nabiki wasn’t surprised at all. She’d be bothered too if she were in Nodoka’s place.

“So I’ve heard.”

“We may look very similar to those three because they are us from the past, but now we are not… how do I…?” Akane continued, apparently also realizing that Nodoka didn’t like to think about her other self and desperately changed the subject again. “It’s em… it’s a little difficult to explain, I don’t really get it that great myself but…”

“…Ranko was sort of… put into this place and mixed into it by magic,” Nabiki went for the rescue and cut her sister off, trying to somehow explain what she and Shampoo discovered not long before they ended up here. “I guess you can call it that. Because of that she’s changing the original flow of time and things that should have happened just by existing.” She shot an amused smile at the other redhead. “Stirring up troubles whenever you go, right Saotome?”

 Ranko looked at her with an offended look, but the slight twitch at the edge of her mouth told Nabiki everything she needed to know. Especially with the huge goofy grin she showed a moment later.

“More like fixing whatever I can, thank you very much.”

Nabiki smiled at the redhead. She was right about that, even if she would never hear Nabiki saying it out loud. She didn’t want to admit it, but… Ranko really was doing something here - she was giving them a chance for a normal life, something that Nabiki never thought possible.

It felt… nice to see herself smiling, really smiling for the first time in a long time.

“So, Nodoka-san… how much do you know?” Akane asked, looking curiously at the other redhead. “I understand that Ranko told you some things about, em, well… us and… and her-… I mean, Ranma’s future? How much do you know?”

“Before that, how about  we all sit down?” Ranko said, before Nodoka could say anything, leading her mother deeper into the washitsu. “I’ll make some tea for us, and-”

“Don’t worry about that Ranko,” Kasumi interjected with her usual gentle smile. “I’ll do it.”

“Huh?” The redhead blinked a few times, but before she could say anything the oldest Tendo sister was already half way there towards the kitchen. “Oh, ok then… alright, Kasumi. Thank you.”

I swear, she really sounds just like Kasumi, Nabiki couldn’t help but chuckle at the look of absolute confusion on the redhead’s face who - even if only for a second - didn’t know what to do with herself. It was the same kind of reaction that Nabiki would see from time to time whenever her older sister lost herself in her chores only to realize that someone already took care of it for her.

It would be quite funny if not for the fact that Kasumi was like that because of the fact that she was the only one doing chores in their house for years with no real help… and now Ranko was like that too.

But at least she had help… and she did choose this, not like Kasumi who had no choice in the matter.

Once everyone was seated while waiting for Kasumi to get back, Nabiki had the perfect opportunity to observe two redheads even closely, especially since both of them decided to sit next to each other.

They were practically identical.

Not perfectly of course, ignoring the clothes and the hairstyle their eyes had a different color with Nodoka having chocolate brown eyes and Ranko clear blue ones. The more she looked, Nabiki started to notice more differences with slightly different brow shapes, slightly different nose structures and more… all of those were very minor differences that were easily missed if you look for it, but they were there.

It wasn’t really something that bothered Nabiki that much. What bothered her was that now that they were sitting next to each other she once more had this strange feeling looking at how they shifted in their seats in the same way, how they both pull the unruly strand of hair behind their ears in the same fluid motion and how their faces looked identical whenever they smiled. It felt as if they weren’t mother and daughter but clones… or twins.

It was really weird.

Fortunately it wasn't long before Kasumi came back bringing the still streaming tea. She quickly put a cap before each of them and sat down next to Shampoo who - as always - didn’t shy away from rubbing her side against her wife with pure delight. 

Nabiki sort of expected that Nodoka - as someone who was so hellbent on following traditional values - would throw a fit… but it wasn’t the case.

Instead Nodoka just smiled fondly at the two women as if she didn’t just see the display of affection not only between two women but between two women from different  countries.

Just more proof that this Nodoka was completely different from the one back home… and that something must have gone horribly wrong with her during Ranma’s training journey.

“About your question Akane-san,” Nodoka finally spoke after taking a long sip of her tea. “Ranko told me a lot about the future…” she paused, frowning. “I know about the engagements. I know about a lot of things that were supposed to happen when Ranma and Genma finally come back... And I know… I know that ‘me’ in your world is…” she said as her face fell with something that Nabiki could only describe as nothing less than self-loathing. “...is not the greatest person.”

The older redhead looked at each one of them before lowering her gaze to her clenched hands.

“To tell you the truth at first I thought that Ranko was exaggerating a little, but…” she sighed. “... but seeing all of your faces when you learned who I was makes me think that it was probably true,” she glanced at Ranko with a deeply apologetic look. “I’m sorry again sweetheart, you didn’t deserve what you got from the other me back then.”

Ranko put her hand on Nodoka’s shoulder and looked at the other woman deep within her eyes. She couldn’t really be sure but Nabiki could swear that the two of them somehow had a very long conversation between each other just with this one look alone, ignoring the other four women that eagerly wanted to be part of that conversation… well, at least Nabiki was.

 “Come on mom, you know that it’s not your fault,” Ranko finally spoke up, smiling at her mother. “You’ve been nothing but a godsend to me… Seriously, I don't know if I would be able to take care of everything around here if it wasn’t for you,” she paused, pulling her into a tight, bear hug. “Thank you.”

“We better not tell her how our Nodoka reacted when Ranko disappeared,” Nabiki whispered to her sisters, who for once nodded as one without a single word. It would be much better for Ranko’s mother… and for Ranko too for that matter, to not know everything about what their parents were doing during the whole three years when the redhead was gone.

Shampoo seemed to want to go even further, completely changing the topic of discussion altogether. 

“How did that even happen?” She asked, leaning forward like a true gossip girl, smiling to the redheads. “Ranko isn’t really someone with enough initiative to approach people on her own… but somehow you’re here, Nodoka-san… how?”

Nabiki was about to glance at her amazon ‘sister-in-law’ but was caught up in another strange show of both mother and daughter immediately going silent, scratching the back of their necks almost simultaneously with a nervous chuckle, visibly flustered.

Fuck, this is so creepy… I can already tell that I will never get used to this…

“That's… kind of embarrassing really,” Nodoka said, glancing at her daughter with a sheepish, awkward smile. “Ranko just knocked on my door on day and I-”

“She was so startled she dug out some kind of old charm from somewhere,” Ranko finished, with an amused snicker. “She thought I was a yokai or something...”

The two redheads started to make fun of each other after that, telling them story after story of all the things they did for the last three years… or the ones that they remembered and were interesting enough for them to share.

Thanks to that they learned that both of them were frequently exchanging places - especially when it came to parent-teacher meetings - and that was supposed to be the reason why their habits and reactions were so uncannily similar. 

Thanks to this Nodoka - although still gravitating more into traditional clothing like kimonos - was starting to wear less formal clothes that belonged to Ranko and was actually quite fond of some of her dresses, to the point that Ranko practically gave them to her as a gift.

And on top of that apparently Nodoka actually had some real friends, but she would probably alienate herself from them - and in their original timeline she probably really did - if not for the fact that Ranko almost bullied her to reach out to some of them and keep in touch… and to prank them with their ‘clone routine’ as they called it. 

All and all, this seemed to be as stupid and chaotic as everything else that was going on around Ranko even before she ended up here, but at least this time it was actually all in good fun. Even Nabiki chuckled a little bit after hearing the story of that one pastry chef guy that apparently flirted with Ranko… it must have looked really funny.

But of course not everyone had a great time during all of this.

“What’s up little sis?” She asked Akane who was looking solemnly into her own already cold drink. “What are you trying to find in this cup of tea?”

It was very sad to see her little sister having such a hard time with everything that happened. Even though she and Shampoo gave her some advice - one that for once Nabiki really thought could work even in this situation - it wasn’t clear how things would go from here, but judging from how defeated and depressed her sister looked at the moment, they were very far away from the finish line.

And apparently it wasn’t only Nabiki who noticed Akane’s sullen mood.

Ranko leaned over so much that when her little sis finally turned her head to the side their faces were only an inch or two from each other, making Akane jump away with a startled yelp. 

The redhead just looked at her ex-fiance with a relaxed, simple smile.

“Hey, Akane, wanna spar?”

Akane agreed to go with Ran-.. with Ranko. Of course she did, why wouldn’t she? They did spar quite a bit before she disappeared, although… although all those spars were pretty one sided no matter how she tried. The last time they did it was three years ago, however, so who knows, maybe this time will be different?

Maybe… maybe she even will take her seriously, now that she ended up as a woman too? 

She adjusted the gi she borrowed from Ranko. Akane wasn’t sure if the redhead gave her her own spare set or if she just had some additional ones laying around somewhere but they definitely didn’t fit as well as her own does, leaving her ankles and wrists exposed much more than she would like.

On the other hand her ex-fiance was wearing her usual red chinese shirt and black pants and was grinning at her with the familiar simple joy she always had whenever they would spar in the past… it actually had her chest feel warm and her throat tighten just by the sight of her… I missed this so much…

“I missed this, you know?” Ranko mirrored her thought, walking to the opposite side of the dojo with an unwavering grin. “Having a real opponent, I mean.“

The moment they were in, the familiar gestures, moves, the effortless cockiness the redhead excluded while getting ready; Akane dreamed of being able to just do such simple things with Ranko again, and now that it was happening she just couldn’t help but feel the lump that was in her throat for the whole day loosening a little as her own face betrayed her, allowing a slight half-smile to appear on her face.

“Aren’t you a sensei now?” She asked, cocking her head to the side, pretending to be surprised. “Shouldn’t you have plenty of students to spar with every day?“

Ranko chuckled.

“None of them had enough talent to ever be near my level,” she sighs, looking dejected and sad for a moment before she pouted with her arms crossed on her chest. “Besides, most of them never really get the spirit of our school. Almost all of them start gravitating towards one martial art school eventually which… “ she deflated. “Which it's not bad at all, but… come on, none of them will ever compare to you, Shampoo or Ryoga…” she once again sends Akane this devastating smile of pure joy. “That’s why I’m happy that I can now spar with you.“

Just a sight of that smile made Akane’s heart skip a bit for long enough that she apparently didn’t even realize when Ranko announced the start of their spar. Only by sheer luck and instinctive reaction she was able to dodge the incoming blow from the redhead, almost landing hard on her butt in the process.

“So, will you tell me what it was all about?” her ex-fiance asked, twisting her body and sending a powerful kick right into Akane’s side. She was able to block it in time, gasping when the impact sent her flying to the side and into the wooden floor.

It was actually happening, Ranko was taking her seriously, or at least enough to attack her! Normally she would be ecstatic that she could - potentially - trade blows with the redhead, and she would do so already… if not for her sudden question.

It made her good mood disappear without a trace.

“What do you mean?”

The question was rather pointless. Of course she knew what she meant, Akane was probably rather obvious… she never was good at hiding her emotions and it didn't improve with age as much as she hoped for.

“There in the house,” Ranko said, sending a few slower punches, very easy for Akane to dodge...  “You looked pretty depressed in there, why?”

Akane contrattacked, sending a few punches of her own, trying to find any opening to grab by her ex-fiances shirt. She found none.

Instead it was Ranko who grabbed her instead.

W-wait… since when did she use grappling techniques?!

Not only that but Akane - no matter how she struggled - wasn’t able to break free at all.

“Y-you know why,” she said, flustered.

Ranko was looking at her with an unreadable expression, switching her posture with no effort and started to apply pressure on Akane, slowly but surely forcing her onto the ground.

“Perhaps,” she said, looking at Akane when she was gritting her teeth, trying to not get pinned down. “But even if that was the case I would like to hear it from you, Akane.” 

Despite all her efforts, a swift sweep of the redhead’s leg sent her to the ground with a loud thud.

“So?” Ranko asked again, looking down. “What was that all about?”

Akane lay on the wooden floor, panting. Her muscles burned from being strained too much… but it was nothing compared to the feeling of true defeat she was feeling while looking at her ex-fiance.

She didn’t let herself go, even though most of her thoughts during these three long years were focused on getting Ranko back, she was still training diligently. She was sparring with Ryoga, Ukyo and Shampoo, so that when she finally met Ranko she would be able to show her how much she's grown… but apparently her ex-fiance wasn’t just growing soft either. Just one more thing that she was able to do here and not… not there.

 It was all so unfair… Ranko… Ranko…

“Ranko…” Akane whispered, feeling her throat tightening again, her eyes turning teary. “I… you just… you… you are happy here.”

Akane tried to stifle her urge to cry as much as she could, while Ranko crouched down beside her, her eyes sad and full of… of compassion? Or was it pity?

Please let it not be pitty…

The redhead’s hand reached out to her and for a moment she thought that Ranko would just start treating her like a child again…

Instead she gently wiped out moisture from Akane’s eyes.

“Well…” she started looking straight at her. “Yes I am. Is that bothering you? Why?”

Akane just couldn’t take it anymore. She could feel her whole body starting to shake uncontrollably and the eye that Ranko touched just a moment ago getting moist again.

“You are happy here,” she whispered through tears. “But if that’s the case then you wouldn’t want to go back with us, no matter what I say.”

The redhead holds her gaze on Akane for a few more seconds before she looks away.

“I told you, didn't I?” Ranko said, quietly, her voice sounding guilty. “I can’t leave, my kids need me,” she sighs. “I thought you would understand…”

Akane’s hands tightened into fists.

“I… I do,” she said truthfully, even though it hurt like hell. “It didn't make it any easier though.”

She could feel the pain in the redhead's eyes, even if she wasn't looking at her. Neither of them said anything after that, and with every second of them staying like that Akane felt more and more like a bad guy.

Why did I say that? She thought, still looking at the other girl. It’s not like Ranko is doing that to hurt me, it is not her fault that I am like this… 

Her hand acted on her own, brushing slightly on the redhead’s forearm.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking away.

The silence between them continued some more after that, with neither of them being able to look at one another.

“Why don’t you stay?” Ranko’s voice came suddenly. Akane's mind needed a few moments to register what she just heard

And after that it went blank.

“Huh?!” She turned her head towards the redhead. “What are you talking about?”

Akane could help but think that, but after she finally saw the redhead's face: pure and unbothered, as if what she just said wasn’t just some crazy talk. Ok, scratch that, of course she is…

As if she actually could just stay here…

“What you just heard,” Ranko said with a shrug, clearly thinking that what she was saying made perfect sense. “You spent all those years doing nothing but try to get me back, right? But I’m not leaving, I can’t and I won’t…. “

Thank’s for clarifying…, Akane wanted to say, as her tears started to dry out, her sadness slowly shifting into a slight irritation.

“…so why don’t you stay here instead,” cocking her head to the side, as if wondering why Akane didn’t come up with it on her own. “I mean… we don’t even know if you can go back…”

Akane was at a loss for words… but she could feel the vein on her forehead popping out as she was struggling with her sudden desire to stragle the redhead with her own two hands.

“Y-you… why are you so…so… You idiot!” She roared jumping at the redhead sincerely wishing she had her mallet on her so she could knock some sense into her head… or smash her head into the floor. “Do you really think this is so simple?! “

Ranko on her end was actually taken by surprise and was struggling to evade the mad barrage of kicks and punches, almost getting knocked out a few times, something that only made Akane even more determined to beat her up.

Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Akane thought, her eyes laser focused on the panicking and flustered redhead. This is really so simple to you?! You know that I have life out there, right? That I have friends that…

…that I didn't reach out to for at least half a year.

The last time she reached out to Yuka and Sayuri they were able to get into the same university and moved into the same apartment together. Her whole class finished school ages ago but Akane - in contrast to all of her friends - didn’t pursue higher education after that. She couldn’t even hold down any real job, focusing solely on finding a way to bring Ranko back to them.

All of her friends moved on, Ryoga got lost somewhere a few months ago, Ukyo hid from her loss by burying herself in her business while Akane’s dad almost stopped coming back home altogether, preferring spending his days with the Saotomes than in the Dojo, getting reminded that they weren’t able to unify the schools and that Kasumi decided to marry another woman.

…maybe Ranko had a point? Did I… Did I really have anything to back too…? I-

“Aaaaaa, not fair! A pouty shrilly voice came out of nowhere, reverberating through the whole dojo startling both Akane and Ranko, whose heads shoot out towards the dojo’s main door.

Kasumi-chan stood there, looking at them with a sulky expression full of childish indignation, as if she had just realized that someone was playing a game that not only had she not been invited to join, but no one had even told her about.

She was striding towards them all the while dragging someone behind her, her small hand was gripping tightly on the hand of some small boy with a yellow bandana…

Wait, is that…

“Kasumi! You'll tear my arm off!” The boy cried out with helpless irritation at someone who knew that he wouldn't be able to get away from the situation he found himself in but at least wanted everyone to know about it… just like… like…

…Ryoga?!

The sudden realization caused Akane to suddenly lose balance and slip onto the polished wooden floor. Her focus suddenly shifted as - thanks to the previous momentum - she now started to fly head first into the redhead with a panicked yelp. 

“Mom, why didn’t you wait for me?!” Was all Akane was able to hear before she slammed hard, right between the redhead’s massive breasts.

“So, what should we do about you, not having any real form of identification?” Nodoka asked, sitting at the table across from the older Nabiki, hoping the uneasiness she was feeling right now wasn’t showing on her face. “Nerima isn’t exactly that hard, you barely ever need your ID for anything, but we don’t know how long you will need to stay here… do you have any ideas?”

It almost felt as if she was opening the door to see her carbon copy all over again, only that this time she was observing the copies of the kids she grew to love… and suddenly learned exactly how they will look a little more than ten years from now… it all felt really weird, but so was seeing her own child growing up to be exactly like her. She would probably feel weird about it no matter what, so she wasn't that bothered about it.

Even so… those four women were now stuck here with no tangible identity and no real plan of what to do next… it was normal that she would be worried, right?

Nabiki, or rather Kanami - Nodoka thanked the Kami that she was able to learn all about how the four of them got here and what happened with them before the girls came back from school - took a sip of her tea, with a slight grimace.

“I do, actually,” she said, pushing the cup as far away from herself as possible. “There’s this guy I know… well, I knew him… a few years from now…” she paused to massage her temples with a deep sigh. “Nevermind, it’s all too confusing for me at the moment. The point is, the guy that I know should already be able to get us all the documents we need… for a price of course.”

Nodoka nodded at that, her eyes wandered, landing on the table where a single rusted shard - a part of the old blade, now shattered - was placed next to her cup of tea.

It was really hard to believe that all of their lives were turned upside so much because of something like that… the very idea of magic actually being real was already-

A sudden shift on her lap shifted her attention to the small body curled up by her side.

That girl really can sleep anywhere, Nodoka couldn’t help but smile, lovingly stroking the hair of the little girl that was shamelessly drooling on her kimono, passed out after a whole day of boasting about ‘her mommy’s cool friends visiting’ to all her friends at school. 

Nabiki-chan on the other hand was still bursting with energy, and was using it all to bond with that pretty Amazon girl - Shampoo - while playing with the cats on the other side of the room, completely oblivious to the world around them.

Watching all of this happening around her, Nodoka couldn't help but be amazed just how much different each version of the middle Tendo sister was from the other.

I mean… one practically feeds on social interaction and the other seems like she would want to be anywhere but around other people…, Nodoka glanced at the woman in front of her. …and that she could use some more coffee. 

And all it took was the presence of Ranko - a mother figure - in her life.

I wonder if… I… how much would Ranma… how would our lives have changed if I didn’t allow this whole damn training trio to happen and actually be present in my child's life? I wish I could do that instead of allowing all of this to happen…

Nodoka's mouth formed into a small, sad smile, trying to focus on something else other than dwelling on things she could no longer change.

“Let me or Ranko know how much money you need,” she said with a short sigh. “Maybe we will be able to figure something out with-”

“And what exactly happened to you?”

Nodoka’s eyes widened as she glanced at the entrance to the washitsu, seeing Ranko sporting still bright red hand-shaped Mark on her face while Akane was walking next to her, pouting angrily while holding Ryoga’s hand… and clearly trying to look everywhere other than at her fellow redhead.

The only person who looked sort of cheerful was Kasumi-chan who was walking a few steps ahead of them with an amused smile.

“Yasuka-san won the spar with mom!” She announced getting the full attention of everyone in the room.

Ranko scowled.

“She didn’t win anything, it was just a lucky mistake,” she interjected, crossing her arms under her breasts. “Besides, it was all because of you distracting me, Kasumi-chan,” She added, making a teary, dejected face. How could you betray your mom?”

Kasumi-chan looked up at her mother with a face of pure innocence.

“But mom, you always say that when it comes to spars in the dojo, then it’s always ‘anything goes’...”

The silence that came after that was immediately filled with a loud laugh from everyone in the room. Nodoka could feel her youngest granddaughter slowly waking up from her nap and caressed her hair slightly, while still admiring the show.

Akane didn’t turn her head but her eyes shifted to the side, glancing at the redhead.

“See Ranko?” She said with an amused smile. “Maybe you should listen to your daughter and stop being such a sore loser.”

The redhead’s head shot to the side, frowning at the other girl.

‘Who do you call a loser, you tomboy?! I win fair and square! Besides, if you don’t want to apologize, then don’t talk to me!”

Akane’s head suddenly shot to the side as well, exchanging angry glances with the redhead.

“Why would I?! You were the one that-”

It’s even worse than before… Nodoka thought with a disappointed sigh as the two of them started bickering to their fullest. I guess you can’t have it all. Ranko is only a few years younger than me and already is a great mother… but she clearly doesn't know shit about romantic relationships…

“I really thought that if we left them alone they would talk this out somehow…” the thought escaped her mouth before she realized.

Nabiki glanced at her, already leaning onto the table, resting her head on one of her hands in a loose, almost relaxed manner, visibly amused by the whole thing.

“Oh but they did,” she said with a big, genuine smile. “I never thought I would see that again. This is so nostalgic…”

Nodoka cocked her head slightly to the side, not sure if she heard her correctly.

“Don’t tell me this is their way of getting along?” She asked, getting more and more confused about the whole thing.

Is that how the ‘lesbian relationships’ works? And I thought that my relationship was complicated…

“You’ll get used to it,” Nabiki said, staring at Ranko and Akane as if they weren’t sending daggers at each other next to Kasumi-chan who apparently had the time of her life looking at them. “I don’t believe that they really talked all the things out but as long as my little sis isn’t depressed anymore, then we’re on the right track. We just need to give them time.”

Is it really that simple? She thought, looking sceptically at the two women. She was in a very peculiar place. There was nothing that Nodoka wanted more than her family’s happiness, that’s why normally she wouldn’t care much about the other party as long as Ranko would be safe and happy… but she was also couldn’t help but root for all of them, since they were the same girls she grown to love and care for… even if they were almost - or practically the same - age as she was… it was very hard for her to figure out her own feelings when it comes to this.

Except for this older Nabiki, Nodoka knew that this one was a really tough nut and she’ll probably never crack… but since she was the toughest of them all, she was probably the one who somehow was the glue that held all of them together.

 So if she said that they were on the right track, it was probably true.

“I really hope you’re right, Kanami-san.”

Nabiki sent her a glare.

“Uhhh, even your sarcastic voice is the same as her…” She rolled her eyes before she started to groan. “Are you sure you two aren’t clones or twins, or something? Cause I wouldn’t be surprised one bit.”

Nodoka chuckled and winked at the other girl. She still wasn’t sure what to make of all this and how exactly they would make it work… but she knew that as long as the four of them stayed in the Tendo Dojo, things around here were bound to be interesting….

…no matter how long they stayed.

Chapter Text

Soun drank in the atmosphere, enjoying the sound of laughter and smiles of people all around him which - at least for now - didn’t make him feel a gnawing sensation of grief and regret. 

After all, he was now ‘enjoying’ the festival. Even though his wife passed away, even though he was supposed to be a father for his kids, he’d failed at the festival too, just like he failed at being a real master of the art he’d grown to love so much… He really was a pathetic man.

I can’t show that to them, even though it’s harder and harder with each passing day, he thought, looking at the bunch of women in front of him, especially the three - well, four but he only really cared about the three - small kids in yukatas buzzing with excitement and looking around with literal stars in their eyes. They deserve to have as much fun and happiness as they can get. Not… whatever they would have if I was still the one really raising them anyway.

Ever since that day three years ago, he’d distanced himself from his kids almost completely. Ranko’s words cut deep into him, making him doubt that he would ever be good enough to raise three girls on his own normally, and with how grief stricken he was at that time… it was much better to leave the upbringing of his daughter in the hands of a woman that clearly was better at it than he could ever be.

Looking back, it was one of the best decisions he could ever make.

Even so, recently - at Ranko’s suggestion - Soun started being more and more present in his children’s lives. Little by little he was getting more and more involved, overjoyed to once again spend even a little time with them, regaining a fraction of the relationship he and his daughters once had… no matter how small it was.

That was precisely why all of them were at this festival in the first place.

Soun thought back to a few days ago, when he finally came back from the council meeting. He already knew that things would be hectic at home, with the sudden appearance of Ranko’s ‘friends’ - although he still wasn’t sure who those four strange women really were - but even then he was still not prepared for the amount of noise and movement that greeted him the moment he waked in into the washitsu.

First of all, it was absolutely brimming with people. While it was normal for the Dojo to have him, his girls and Ranko here, with three cats and four… no five other people here - When did Nodoka even show up? -  it really felt like stretching the limits of his house to bursting. 

His eyes gazed through the crowd of people, instinctively looking after his kids to make sure they were ok before he was spotted by other people. Akane was in the furthest corner of the room, playing some strange hand to hand game with Ranko’s friend - the one with purple hair - looking absolutely engrossed in it with a sweet, big smile on her face.

Nabiki was much closer to the dinner table, but still keeping a rather lengthy distance from it, surrounded by the cats - clearly so that Ranko’s strange fear of cats wouldn’t flare up - and was talking to that tall brown haired girl… her name was ‘Hasumi’ or so he thought. Hasumi did seem to like what Nabiki was telling her, smiling and nodding in a strange way, one that was eerily familiar to Ranko’s and… and Hanna’s…

Soun averted his eyes, feeling the usual pang in his chest whenever he started to drift back towards his wife and focus on his oldest - and the most estranged - daughter. Kasumi was, as always, following Ranko like a duckling talking about something with an expressive face and moving her arms widely while doing so.

The moment he looked at his oldest daughter was also the very same moment he was finally spotted, standing at the very edge of the room.

“Oh Soun, you’re finally back,” said Ranko, already wearing an apron and half-way through towards the kitchen. “Just in time, we were just debating if we should wait on dinner until you got home or start regardles… thank god we didn’t need to choose after all.”

Soun couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching at that, thank god his mustache concealed it somewhat… he didn’t want to be seen as ungrateful or anything of that sort.

It was just… it was really hard to look at Ranko without him feeling like such a failure sometimes. He still remembered the first day when she showed up, and those first few days after Hanna passed away. How he treated her and how she basically forced herself to ignore him, focusing solely on the girls… caring about their family much more than he did. The moment he finally realized that… the shame he felt that day was so great that he wasn’t sure if he was ever truly able to get rid of it.

That was also the reason why it was always so hard for him to talk to Ranko, at least in an honest way. He could never find the words to convey just how sorry and grateful he was, and how much he valued what she did for this family over the years… it always felt so awkward whenever he even tried to bring it up. In truth, the only person in this house he actually could talk more or less comfortably was-

“Where have you been anyway?” Asked the other redhead, previously engrossed in the conversation in the other brunette. “I thought you wanted to stay home more often to stay close to the girls…”

Nodoka. Wife of his only true friend in the whole world, a person with whom he, surprisingly, could talk to with ease - probably because she made his thoughts drift back to his younger days, of simpler times on the road - and who was pushing him even more towards mending the bridge that he’d almost destroyed between him and his children. She was someone he initially was very, very sceptical about but who turned out to be invaluable for both him and his family. If only she and Ranko didn’t look like clones of one another though… 

“A little more work with the Council,” he replied, clearing his throat to hide how awkward he felt, suddenly being the center of attention of so many people. “Can’t help with that one, unfortunately.” 

“Speaking of which,” he continued, wanting to put forward his proposal before he chickened out or be talked over, as was often the case with his eldest. “One of the things that were discussed today was preparation for the upcoming festival. Say…” he paused, looking hopefully at the people around him. “When was the last time you were at one of those?” 

He was very glad that he had the courage to ask that question, thanks to that he was able to see his daughters smiling so happily, knowing that he was the one that - sort of - made it happen.

He didn’t even mind that much that the rest of them decided to tag along too.

“It's been so long since I last went to a festival…” said Ranko. She was wearing a navy blue kimono with a bunch of peach blossoms all over it, making her look much more mature than normal, almost like a full fledged matron of the family. “I forgot  how much I missed this.”

She and the rest of her friends were still bunched together, even though the purple-haired one was clearly trying very hard to not sprint into the crowd. She was almost as hyped for all of this as Soun’s kids.

All of them were wearing hand-me-downs.

“Thank you very much for lending us your clothes, Nodoka-san,” said the woman with raven-black hair, smiling while looking over her own pale pink yukata with white and purple flowers. “I didn’t think you would have enough for all of us, though…”

Nodoka chuckled at the other woman’s reaction and waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh Yasuka-san, don’t worry about it,” she said looking at her own lavender yukata. “I had them in spades, a lady can’t have too many clothes after all. It's just that most of my clothes are kimonos…” she paused and playfully nudged the other redhead in the side. “Though Ranko is working very hard to fill my wardrobe with other options, even if I am still mostly wearing my old clothes anyway.”

Soun really wished he could understand what exactly was between the two redheads. From what Ranko said to him, both of them never met each other prior to her coming to Nerima for the first time three years ago. Nodoka supported that claim too, so he shouldn’t really question it, right? But even so…

…could two people who had only known each other for that long really be this close to each other? This in sync? Or was it just something women were able to achieve between each other? He and Genma were best friends but even they had a very rough start and they needed years of joint suffering under their Master for them to really cement their lifelong friendship. Ranko and Nodoka didn’t have anything like that, in truth, the only thing Soun could say about them was that the only thing they really did together was taking care of his daughters. Maybe that was it? While men formed connections on the road and faced a common enemy, women did the same during child rearing and managing their families?

That could be possible, but it still didn’t explain how both of them could-

“I will convince you to start wearing more ‘modern’ clothes one day, you’ll see, even if I die trying.” Ranko nudged the older redhead back with a wide grin which quickly broke out into heartfelt laughter, which Nodoka quickly joined in on, harmonizing to it perfectly. 

-behave like carbon copies of each other? He thought

There were so many things Soun didn't know about Ranko, many questions he wanted to ask her, but wasn’t brave enough to do so… or rather, he understood that to some things he was just not privy to.

Not after what she’d already done for him and his family.

“I’m very happy that you’re enjoying yourself,” he said walking up towards them with a faint smile. That's right, he didn’t need to know everything. The thing that he needed to know is that everyone in his family is happy.

That was the most important thing.

“Very, especially the girls,” Ranko said with a smile, pointing at the kids that apparently couldn’t help themselves - especially Akane - and were already disappearing into the crowd of people. “Just look at them go,” she continued, shaking her head with an amused smile. “We will probably need to search for them later.”

Soun couldn’t help but feel worried, letting his three daughters just roam around such a big event with so many strangers. In fact the only thing that that was stopping him for going after them, and actually sort of calming him down in this situation was that Ranko seemed to be fine with this, she was even smiling into the crowd as if imagining what kind of mischief the three sisters will be able to cause while out of sight. 

He forced himself to breathe deeply. It will be fine, if Ranko was ok with this, then they will be fine.

He was so caught up in trying to calm down that he didn’t even realize one of the redhead’s coming up to him and placing her hand on his shoulder.

“This was a brilliant idea, Soun,” Nodoka said, smiling at him. “You did good.”

That smile probably was supposed to show just how proud she was of him… unfortunately because her face was identical to Ranko’s it made him feel kind of strange and awkward. He smiled back at her anyway. He knew what her intentions were and he didn’t want to make her feel bad about it.

Ranko on the other hand didn’t say a thing. The only thing she did when she and Soun looked at each other was a brief half smile and a sole nod. That was all.

And that was enough for Soun to almost break down crying right there in front of all those people. That nod of recognition was enough for his heart to skip a beat.

He did good, it was the first thing he’d done in such a long time that didn’t turn out to be a failure.

Soun grabbed his forearm, trying to hide the fact that he was barely managing to keep his shoulders from shaking.

“I hope so, Nodoka-san,” he managed to say, somehow preventing his voice from starting to shake too. “I really hope so.”

Kasumi was going through the crowd, looking around not knowing which thing she should stop at first. It wasn’t her first festival, her first was with Hanna-mama a few years ago but she was so small at that time that she barely remembered anything… and she didn’t have her sisters with her at that time so - in a way - she could say that this was her first festival with her entire family.

And some very fussy guy she was dragging after herself so he wouldn’t get lost again.

“Why did I even agree to come here?” Ryoga pouted, clearly not used to the way his borrowed clothes were constricting his movement.

“What do you mean, I thought you wanted to come?” She looked back at her best friend and cocked her head to the side, confused.

“But not like this!” He cried out pouting while glancing down at himself. “I’m dressed up like a girl!”

Kasumi’s first instinct was to tell him that he was exaggerating as usual. Unfortunately, this time he was not… and it was in part her fault. She insisted that all of them would go to the festival in the same clothes after all.

Ryoga was standing before her, wearing a pale purple kimono with violet petals on its hem and sleeves. He wasn’t wearing his usual bandana, letting his hair down giving him a sort of bob-cut, which - paired with his usually shy demeanor - really made him look like a girl.

A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She knew just how much Ryoga didn't like being compared to a girl, especially since he mostly hung out with her and her sisters.

Why did I think that would be a good idea? And why did mom not say anything about it? She was the one that helped us put on those yukatas, but she only smiled at him and didn’t say a word…

…And now, instead of having fun like she does, Ryoga is just feeling embarrassed in front of all those people.

Kasumi really felt bad for him.

On the other hand, Akane just looked up at him with that big, clueless smile of hers.

“Don’t worry about it, Ryo-chan,” she said, giving him a thumbs up. “I think you’re cute!”

She saw a myriad of emotions going through Ryoga’s face while he stared at the youngest of their group. He surely didn’t want to hear that right now.

“You’re not helping, Akane,” he groaned, unable to really be mad at her, a privilege of being the youngest and - objectively - the cutest of them all. “And it’s ‘kun’! I’m a boy Akane… please could you at least not make fun of me.”

Just by looking at her younger sister’s face it was very clear that she didn’t really understand what Ryoga had in mind. If Kasumi had to guess, she would say that Akane was just honest and just did what she thought out loud.

She really could work on the timing though.

“You look really good in this though,” Nabiki said looking at him up and down with an amused smile. “Are you sure you don't wanna be a girl? Oh! You can be our fourth sister! What do you think about it, Ryo-chan? I’m sure mom wouldn’t mind! You already spend more time at our house than your own anyway…”

“Alright Nabiki, that’s enough,” Kasumi intervened, stopping her sister from going overboard. 

She would probably use some harsher words if not for the fact that she knew that Nabiki didn’t really mean anything bad by it. Ryoga was practically a part of the family already, so Nabiki felt free to tease him as much as she wanted… but she also should learn a little bit of restraint while doing so. 

Kasumi knew that it was her sister’s way of getting his mind off of the embarrassment he was currently feeling. After all, the four of them grew up together for ages now, they cared about one another no matter what… even if they sometimes like to tease each other.

Except for Akane, she was still a little too young for that.

“Don’t worry about your clothes, Ryoga,” she said, putting her hand on the boy’s shoulder with an encouraging smile. “Nobody will make fun of you. And if they will, we just need to beat them up until they shut up, right?”

Seriously though, when will he finally start standing up for himself? She thought with a little hint of annoyance, although she didn’t really mind taking care of him that much. Ryoga was her best friend, the only one that actually could spar with her and was actually pretty good at it. Kasumi wasn’t even bothered by going out a little bit early to walk him to school, mostly because for a better part of the month he was actually sleeping in their house anyway. 

That and he was really funny to be around.

Ryoga glanced at her hand on his shoulder for a moment before relaxing them. 

“Y-yeah, I got it,” she stuttered with a sigh, mustering a weak smile. “Thanks.”

“But they are right, you look just so cute...” she couldn’t help but say, actually feeling a little jealous by just how effortlessly cute he looked. 

Unsurprisingly the gratitude she’d just seen in Ryoga’s eyes disappeared instantly, switching into a pure annoyance.

“Kasumi, you-”

“You’re right,” a sudden voice, one Kasumi definitely didn’t want to hear, cut through the sounds of the people around them, making her whole body tens up. “He really looks cute in this. What’s up, Ryoga-chan, finally decided to join the other side?”

Kasumi took a deep breath and slowly turned around, trying really hard to not show what she was thinking at the moment. 

Just as she suspected he was there, Kōki Tanaka. He and two other boys from their class were standing only a few feet away smirking at them… or rather at Ryoga, the rest of them were just extras.

Just one look at that smug face, the one that she actually found so easy to be around not too long ago, made her go back to that awful day at school. It took her all just to not walk up to him and hit him in the face, she didn’t care that had his glasses on.

She didn’t want her mom to be scolded on her behalf again though, so she only glared at him. Very hard.

“Go away Tanaka, I’m not in the mood,” she said through her gritted teeth. “And don't you dare pick on Ryoga. Only I am allowed to do that.”

“Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!” Ryoga cried out.

“Exactly, who said that only you can have all the fun-” Nabiki chimed but was quickly cut off by Tanaka.

“You can’t do anything to me, tomboy,” he said, ignoring both Ryoga and Nabiki, looking solely into Kasumi’s face. “My dad told me that you will get in trouble if you do.”

Kasumi frowned. She wanted nothing more than to snuff that irritating smirk from his face, but he was right though. She couldn't really do anything to him if she didn't want to get her mom involved… and it was all her fault.

Why did she even want to hang out with that snake to begin with?

“By the way I saw your mom and dad on our way here…” Tanaka continued, looking at his sides as if making sure that the guys he was with were listening before looking back at her again. “They looked weird… do they even like each other? Is that why you’re so weird too? Or-”

“Shut up, Tanaka,” Before she could respond, both Ryoga and Nabiki spoke up in unison. “You don’t know anything,” Nabiki added, glaring daggers at him so much that he actually shut up.

Kasumi was actually speechless for a moment, not understanding how stupid Tanaka could have been. Did he even know what he was doing, talking like that about her and her family?

At this rate she is really going to beat him up.

“As if Ranko-mama would ever marry someone as useless as Dad…” she muttered to herself. “I don’t even understand why Hanna-mama married him in the first pla-”

A sudden thug on her sleeve makes her look down to see Akane glancing up at her looking like she was about to cry.

“Sumi, don’t call Daddy names like that,” she whispered to her with teary eyes. “He will be upset if you do.”

Kasumi already opened her mouth… and then closed them again. Truth be told she didn't really care about it, even though the anger and hurt she felt every time she saw Dad already passed she still didn’t really care about him. She wasn’t like her sisters, she just didn’t see the need to get closer to him again, even though mom asked her to at least think about it.

The only reason she hesitated was so that Akane wouldn’t cry…

…besides this whole outing happened because Dad suggested it, so… damn it, maybe I really shouldn’t say that? I hope I didn’t sound ungrateful or anything…

It's all because of that idiot, she thought, sending a glare towards Tanaka. Why did he even bring up Mom and Dad in the first place? If only he-

Her train of thought was cut short the moment she noticed a familiar figure making her way through the crowd. Mom's friend, Hasumi-san was walking around not that far from them visibly looking for something… or someone? Either way it was a perfect excuse for Kasumi to take Ryoga and her sisters and just get out of this situation… The less time she spent next to that jerk the better. Any more time looking at that stupid face of his and she really would break his nose or something.

Not to mention that Akane was still looking at her with teary eyes that were totally making her look like a bad person at the moment.

“Fine. We don’t have time for you guys, so do whatever you want,” she said, sending one last glare towards Tanaka and the two guys whose names she forgot. 

She looked down at Akane and then at Nabiki and Ryoga and simply nodded at them.

“Come on, we’re leaving,” she said, grabbing Ryoga’s and Akane’s hands and taking them into the crowd again, circling away from Tanaka and his friends as much as possible.

Kasumi guided their group straight through, focusing solely on Hasumi-san’s head, still clearly visible above the crowd of people, trying to ignore the boys and those infuriating memories of them in the principal’s office. It wasn’t worth it, she didn’t want that jerk to ruin the festival for them even more than he already did.

She just needed to walk away.

“Kasumi, wait!” Tanaka’s voice, suddenly not so amused, but… desperate? cut through the noise of the crowd, making her - even though she wished for nothing more than to just leave - stop for a moment and look back at the guy once more.

Their eyes met and she could clearly see that he wanted to say something to her, but for some reason the moment she looked at him his whole face turned strangely pinkish red and he looked away.

“I-I…” he mumbled nervously. “N-never mind.”

What is that all about? She thought, cocking her head slightly to the side, for once not really mad but confused by how quickly his entire demeanor seemed to completely switch.

“And you said I was weird,” she murmured, before she shook her head and looked away, suddenly panicking as Hasumi’s head was - at this point - barely visible between the sea of people.

Not waiting for Tanaka’s response, she quickly started making her way through the crowd to not completely lose sight of the woman and - at the same time - hoping to get as far away from that guy as possible.

Nabiki followed her sisters though the sea of people, grateful not only that Kasumi was so good at clearing the way through them but also that she was smart enough to not beat up that stupid former friend of hers.

She was really looking forward to this festival. It wasn’t every day that they could have some fun - like dressing up Ryoga as a girl. Mom even gave her some money so the four of them could buy some things if they wanted to. Nabiki was almost bouncing out of excitement at the thought of going through the stalls to look for some nice things… but now she was forced to follow her older sister though the crowd of people instead.

She at least hoped that wherever Kasumi was dragging them would at least be fun. She refused to spend the entire festival hiding from some stupid boy. She didn’t say anything about it yet… she still wanted to see where exactly they were going.

But really, where exactly…

“Hi, Miss Hasumi!“ Akane’s voice brought Nabiki out of her musing. Her head immediately went up to see a much taller woman looking down at them with a surprised expression.

“Oh hello girls,” she said with this gentle smile, almost the same one their mom often made whenever she looked at them. “And you too, Ryoga-kun,” she added quickly, sending him an apologetic look.

Nabiki couldn’t help but snicker at this. Mom’s friends were so much fun. 

At first she - just like her sisters - was a little taken aback by four people suddenly showing up at their house, especially since mom didn’t even tell them they were expecting anyone, but it didn't take long for them to figure out that all of them were actually really fun to be around.

That wasn’t strange though. Mother wouldn’t be friends with anyone boring after all.

Nabiki especially liked Kanami, the other brunette was super fun and had a lot of super interesting stories from when mom was younger. She loved to hear all of those incredible stories that mommy never really talked about.

Hasumi was quite fun too, she and Soap were super funny to look at, especially in the morning.

“Are you enjoying the festival?“ Hasumi asked, looking at all of them but eventually landing her eyes on Kasumi.

Her older sister obviously didn’t want to admit that she almost started a fight with the same boy that got her in trouble at school only a few days ago. 

“Umm, y-yeah. Sort of. We….” She immediately started fumbling with her words not really knowing what to say.

“What are you doing, Hasumi-san?” Nabiki decided to help her out, looking curiously at the woman, surprised that Soap - with whom she seemed inseparable - was nowhere to be seen. “Are you looking for something?“

Her question worked like a charm, with Hasumi's attention shifting entirely to her… but why would Kasumi's smile change slightly while looking at her? The plan worked and Kasumi was able to avoid explaining herself but Nabiki started to worry if her mom’s friend hadn’t just played them instead somehow.

Hasumi’s eyes shifted, looking around once more before she gave a long, restless sigh.

“Well you could say that,” she said, crossing arms under her breasts. “I’m looking for S-..., I’m looking for Soap.” 

“She gets really excited during events like this and usually gets lost in the crowd…” Hasumi continued tapping on her arms with worry. “I’m trying to find her, before she gets herself into any trouble.“

Oh, it’s just like me, Nabiki thought, feeling a sudden pang of sympathy towards the woman. She also needed to constantly watch after her two sisters so that they wouldn’t get in trouble. Both Kasumi with her hot headed tendencies and ‘do first, think later’ mindset and Akane’s usual airheadedness. 

It was usually a lot of work but since mom asked her to keep an eye on them, Nabiki did as much as she could. Ryoga too, although she just couldn't help herself to tease him a little bit from time to time. It sort of made her feel like a big sister, even if she was in the middle.

It was nice to know that she had important things to do. She liked being helpful, especially to mom and the rest of her family.

“Do you need help finding her?“ Kasumi asked, immediately. Nabiki sent her a quick glare - not that she would see it anyway - realizing that this probably was her sister’s plan all along.

All the while Nabiki wanted nothing more but to check the stalls.

“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you,” Hasumi said, waving them off in that specific way that told Nabiki that actually would really like for them to help her. Just like her teachers at school. “Though if you find her please tell her I’m looking for her. And…“

“…I know it sounds strange but if you somehow find a pink cat, please bring her to me.“

Huh? Nabiki cocked her head. Pink cat? Like the one in mom's bedtime stories?

“Pink cat?” Kasumi repeated exactly what Nabiki was thinking with a confused expression. “Do they really exist?“

“Sure thing Miss Hasumi!” Akane cried out excitedly, raising her arms as high as her yukata allowed with a big smile on her face. I’m great at hide and seek, I’ll find her!“

Hasumi smiled back at her sister and patted her on the head.

“I’m sure you do, Akane-chan,“ she said, making their youngest giggle with delight all the while Nabiki was quietly pouting.

It’s not like she didn't want to help and all, but with every minute this took, all the things she could buy and all the prizes she could get were potentially forever out of her reach.

In her mind, she could already see all those things disappearing from her view, never to be seen again. Like those cute pins she saw briefly while walking through the crowd.

She was so engrossed with those thoughts that she didn’t even notice that Hasumi wished them good luck and went her way, leaving them on their own in the sea of people.

Not that her sisters were complaining, they were too busy being excited by the new ‘adventure’.

“Ok guys, we got our mission!“ Kasumi said with shining eyes at the sight of which Nabiki couldn't help but sigh with exasperation.

“Are we really going to look for Soap?“ she asked, clinging desperately to the foolish hope that maybe she would be able to talk her siblings out of this and go look for fun things to do instead.

“Yeah, why not?“ Kasumi replied with a look she really didn’t understand her question… immediately shattering Nabiki’s hopes into pieces.

“I was kind of wanting to check on some stalls, you know?” She explained with a slight pout. “Mom gave us some money and I really wanted to use it.“

“We can use it after we find Soap, though,“ Ryoga chimed in, but she wasn't sure if it was because he really wanted to do it or because Kasumi wanted to do it.

Nabiki rolled her eyes.

“That's true, but what if they’re sold out by then?“

Why do I even bother asking, he will just take Kasumi’s side anyway, she thought with a sigh. In situations like this Ryoga was like this irritating little brother mimicking everything his older sister would do. Nabiki really hoped that - when she gets a little older - she would be able to convince Akane to do the same thing but with her instead. Otherwise she would always be outvoted no matter what they did.

“Guys, guys,” Kasumi said, walking between both of them with her hands up high, like she wasn't the one that caused that situation in the first place. “What does mom always say?”

“The Tendos stick together!” They all called out together - Nabiki too - almost automatically.

“And…?” Kasumi continued, looking straight at her with that over excited, wide grin of hers.

“And leave no one behind,” she muttered under her breath. She didn’t like it, but even so, she couldn’t help the small smile from showing on her face.

Nabiki knew exactly what her big sister was doing. She was telling her that since Hasumi and Soap were their mom’s best friends they were practically family… and a Tendo would never abandon their family, that was the law.

One that had to be followed.

“Ok, I guess we could go look for a chinese woman with a funny name before we go to look at the stalls,” she grumbled, still not liking it but not daring to go against their family’s motto. 

She didn’t want to know how mom would react if she ever did.

“But if I find a prize that I want you will have to win it for me!” she added, pointing both at Kasumi and Ryoga with a pout. She may go along with her big sister’s idea but she won’t allow them to just go away with this scot-free.

Later - Nabiki wasn’t sure if it had been fifteen minutes, half an hour or a few hours - the four of them were walking around the festival looking for Soap. Nabiki was sure that searching for someone with purple hair in the sea of black and brown heads would be quite easy but no, they weren’t able to find anything.

At some point her legs started to get quite tired and hurt a little, so she let herself slow down to the very end of their group, sulking a little while the rest of them were still looking around and talking among themselves with no sign of fatigue.

It made Nabiki feel a little lonely, so - not really sure if it was because she was tired or because she wanted to be included again - she decided to ask them a question she’d been thinking about for quite some time.

“Hey, listen,” she said quickly, not wanting to waste any time before she inevitably lost her courage. “Do you… do you think it would be fine if I ask mom to sign me for… em… for like, I don’t know… like rhythmic gymnastics?”

A part of her - a big part of her - immediately wished for them to not hear her over the crowd but no, of course they heard her, they even stopped in their tracks and looked back at her with puzzled expressions.

“Huh?” Kasumi cocked her head, but - surprisingly - didn’t laugh at her question. Rather, she actually seemed to think about it seriously, which Nabiki knew from that funny way her older sister pouted her lips whenever she was concentrating.

“Well…” Kasumi continued. “I don’t see why not, but… why? Wouldn’t you like to join us in the dojo?”

Nabiki’s shoulders dropped a little. She knew that question was coming, but… what should she say? That she didn’t like-... no, that she was afraid of fighting? In the martial arts family?

Even so, it was true. She liked physical activity, doing katas with mom and her sisters was always fun and all. Watching Kasumi and Ryoga sparring was always so exciting too, but whenever Nabiki thought about herself sparring she would always freeze in place feeling anxious and scared.

She felt better talking than hitting, but she didn’t want to tell that to anybody.

But well… maybe she should? She’d already asked them the question…

“That’s… the thing is….” she fumbled for a moment before finally making a long, defeated sigh. “I don’t really like martial arts, ok? The katas are fine, I enjoy it quite a bit. But fighting is, well… more your and Ryo-chan’s thing you know? And Akane constantly talks about being an actor when she grows up…”

“Because I will!” Akane cried out, but Nabiki ignored her, too anxious to watch Kasumi’s face.

“…so I wanted to do something like that… I don’t know, different?”

There, I said it! Nabiki though feeling herself tensing up, her hands tightening into fists waiting for her sister’s reaction, hoping that at least wouldn’t laugh at her.

Kasumi didn’t do anything like that, instead she looked at her seriously and asked.

“But why gymnastics?”

Nabiki blinked a few times, unprepared for her sister being so normal about it, it wasn’t like her at all.

“A friend of mine was talking constantly about wanting to join,” she explained right after, feeling her face warning up a little under Kasumi's curious gaze. “I guess she makes it sorta sound interesting.”

Again, there was no laughter… her sister did smile however, but it was her usual smile, not a smirk or anything.

“Sure Nabiki, if you really want to,” Kasumi said with a shrug. “I’m sure mom will support you, she always does. You’re mom’s favourite after all,” she added with an amused smile.

I knew she would do it!

“No I’m not,” Nabiki replied automatically with a pout.

“No she’s not! I am mom’s favourite,” Akane backed her, puffing out her cheeks, mortally offended that Kasumi dared to imply that someone other than her could be mother’s favourite.

And she looked so cute doing it.

“Well… can’t argue with that I suppose,” Nabiki nodded, pulling Akane into a hug, almost immediately feeling all of her previous worries melting away by the second.

“Besides, you’re one to talk,” she said to Kasumi while still hugging Akane with all her might. “You spend so much time with mom in the dojo, sometimes I think you’re her shadow or something.”

“Hey, that’s not true…” Kasumi murmured back while sheepishly looking away. Nabiki smiled even wider, happy that finally she was able to make her sister look embarrassed for a change.

“Yes it is,” she continued with a wide grin. “You’re more, em… what’s the word? Infu-... Infa… emm, you’re staring at mom and following her through the house much more than even Ryo-chan does.”

“W-what?” Ryoga cried out, caught off guard suddenly being called out like that.  “I-I don’t stare at Aunty Ranko!”

Nabiki only looks at him with a smirk.

“You do, everyone can see you do. Well, except for mom…”

“Nabiki, I-” Ryoga was already puffing his lips, ready for another argument with her, and she was-

“Oh, look! It’s Hasumi-san!” Akane suddenly called out, wriggling herself away from Nabiki’s arm and would have probably run away into the crowd if she wasn’t grabbed by Nabiki in the last second.

Ugh, seriously, she’s only one year younger than me but sometimes she feels almost like a toddler…

She was right though, when Nabiki followed Akane’s gaze she could clearly see Hasumi and Soap walking together only a few feet away laughing about something to one another.

Yes! We can finally start doing something fun instead! Nabiki could already feel a wave of excitement washing over her just by thinking about all the things she may be able to get before the end of the festival…

…but before she could say anything, someone from the crowd pushed his way through and while doing so pushed distracted Soap directly towards the fish pool.

The Chinese woman fell into the water with a small splash. No one even turned around to see what's going on… except for Nabiki, her sisters and Ryoga.

And so no one saw that - instead of a wet woman with purple hair- what jumped out of the pool was a very angry, hissing pink cat.

Akane barely paid any attention to what was happening around her. She followed her sisters and Ryo-chan when the adults scooped them up from the crowd. She listens to the hushed voices of Nabiki and Kasumi but she didn’t really hear what they were talking about, same with mom and Yasuka-san who were busy talking about something with dad some distance away from them. Everything around her was moving but she wasn’t really interested in that in the slightest.

Because there was something much, much better to be focused on.

Magic was real! She knew it! She will get Nabiki to apologise for lying about magic not being real when they get back home.

Not now though, for now Akane was too busy looking at the still slightly damp pinkish cat - Soap - who was sitting comfortably in Hasumi’s arms. 

Even though she was super cute - she even had a little bell near her ears! - she didn’t look too happy, constantly licking her fur and stroking her ears with her paws.

All the while Akane was simply dying to pat her on her head.

“Soap-san, is that really you?“ she finally asked after she wasn’t even sure how long, walking towards Hasumi. She looked spellbound as the pinkish cat stopped licking herself and looked down at her with sparkling, intelligent eyes and let out a single ‘miau’ before nodding at her a few times.

Akane’s heart started beating faster at the confirmation. It was real! Really, really real! 

“So cool!” She cried out jumping with excitement. “Can I learn to do that too?! I want to do that too!“

“Do you really want to be a cat?” Nabiki’s voice pierced through her excitement. Where did she even come from? Akane thought before she remembered that the four of them were together the whole time since they went to the festival, she was just to focus on Soap and forget about it… again. “We have three at home already…“

Four counting Soap, she wanted to say, but was suddenly caught up in what Nabiki was saying. Her sister was right, there were already cats in the Dojo, so even if she somehow learned how to turn into a cat it wouldn’t be anything special at all. But what if…

“I want to be a tiger then!“ She decided, feeling very proud that she was able to track down Nabiki’s comment so easily.

Hasumi looked at the four of them and chuckled.

“That's not really how it works, " she said, while one of her hands started stroking Soap’s back in a fluid motion. Soap immediately stretched out in Hasumi’s arms, purring loudly. “Her village lies next to Jusenkyo. It's a place full of magic springs, ones that - if you fell into them - can turn you into all sorts of creatures. Soap fell into one that turned her into a cat, that’s all.“

“Can we go there? I want to go there!“

Akane started to jump up and down in excitement. It just sounded so fantastic! She didn’t even need to learn anything, just jump into the water!

She could almost see it, a big field filled with springs, each able to turn her into a different animal, even those she’d never heard about before. She wondered what kind of creature she could end up as. Maybe a snake? Or a dog? Or maybe elephant, or dragon, or-

“Are there any springs that could turn you into a bird?” Kasumi asked sheepishly with a hunt of hope in her voice. “I always wanted to fly…

A bird would be very cool too… 

“But what if you fell into the wrong spring?” Ryoga asked, looking anxiously at Soap, then at Akane and her sisters. “I wouldn't like to end up as a hedgehog or a little piglet or something…“

Hasumi was watching them, debating which animal would be the coolest to change into and suddenly started to giggle.

“There's a guide who knows which spring is which,” she said, making all of them stop talking and focus all their attention on her, hoping for some more information about the magic springs. “But no, you can’t go there… not without your mom’s permission-“

“Which you would never get,” mom's voice makes all of them shudder before they turn around to see her casually standing after them for who knows how long with a stern face. “Forget Jusenkyo, no one is going to China before you finish college.”

What?!

“But mom!!!!“ Akane cried out, feeling like she was about to cry.

Her mom didn’t say anything to that, however, just picked her up, seemingly not caring that just a second ago she just shattered her daughters all hopes and dreams.

And the worst part was that - just as always - no matter why she was upset, whenever her mommy would pick her up and hug her tightly all anger would dissipate from Akane altogether, making her just automatically hugging her mom back feeling comforted by the familiar smell and the warmth.

Her sisters and Ryoga were clearly upset too, but they didn’t say anything about it, knowing well that when mom said something in that stern voice of hers there were no chances for negotiation. All they could really do was wait for the right time and maybe bring it back up again… but for now all they could do was just that, wait.

“Really though, how did it even happen?” Mom said, looking at Hasumi and Soap with an exasperated expression. “It’s just like all those years before… please don’t tell me we will need to deal with all that crap all over again…?“

Just then Akane noticed Daddy and Aunty Nodoka joining them, and just like she did, they immediately walked towards Soap, looking at her with wide eyes.

“I’d say, listening to stories is completely different from seeing it with my own eyes,” Aunty said, just before she exchanged a quick glance with mommy - Akane was very curious what was that about - before she once again focused on Soap. “Such a bizarre thing.“

Dad was looking curiously at Soap’s cat body too, with his arms crossed on his old brown kimono while rubbing his chin thoughtfully for the entire time.

“I agree,” he said. “I’ve heard stories about things like that existing somewhere around the world, but seeing it with my own eyes makes it actually feel real.“ 

Both him and Aunty then started talking about some old stories and weird names that didn’t really make sense to Akane, especially since - while being still hugged by mommy - she could feel her whole body growing heavy and she started to have difficulty with keeping her eyes open.

She barely even registered the other two friends of mom - Kanami and Yasuka - joining the conversation too, but she already couldn’t open her eyes when they joined.

“It’s as real as the fact that we caused a commotion and probably shouldn't go back to this festival for some time,” Akane heard Kanami’s rather irritated voice. “Did anyone else have some idea where we could go to relax for a bit? Nothing against the Dojo but I really could use some vacation time at a hot spring or something…“

Hot Springs would be nice… mom even promised to take us to one some time ago… her thoughts were already sluggish but she forced herself to stay awake, hoping to hear more.

“Hmmm… you know what, Kanami-san?” Aunty Nodoka replied. “I think I actually know a place.“

Akane wanted so badly to hear more, but soon the other voices merged into a single, incomprehensible babble, and she fell asleep shortly after.

Chapter Text

Nabiki sat down on Hasumi’s lap, looking to the side at the rural scenery passing by outside the window. She had never really been on a train before, let alone outside of Tokyo and - unsurprisingly - she could barely contain her excitement. 

The only reason she wasn’t kicking her legs in the air was because she would hurt the older brunette and she didn’t want to end up looking careless. She wasn’t a baby anymore after all.

That was Akane's role.

Even so, she couldn’t help but giggle in delight looking at her hands. A simple - and definitely cheap - crystal pendant was hanging from the bracelet on her wrist. The sun's rays were falling upon it, scattering particles of light in the colors of the rainbow all around her making it look so pretty and magical that she couldn’t help but beam at herself for having such a treasure.

She was very grateful to Mommy for winning it for her right before they all left the festival. It was very funny too, Nabiki never thought her mom was actually so competitive when it came to winning prizes. She even started shouting so much that Aunty Nodoka needed to cover her ears so she wouldn’t hurt her hearing… or at least that’s what she’d said. 

Nabiki wasn’t sure if she believed that, however. It was more likely that Mom was using bad words and Aunty just didn’t want her to learn any… but it didn’t really matter to her that much. The most important thing was that she actually got something from that day… and that it was so pretty.

And now they're even going to the hot springs!

Although she seemed to be the only one excited about it. She could see Kasumi sitting right between mom and Yasuka talking about some new martial arts move she was trying to learn - obviously - and wasn’t even paying attention to all the cool looking greenery or rural buildings they were passing through.

And Akane… Nabiki didn’t even need to check to know that she was pestering Soap about her transforming into a cat and her village magic… things that actually really were interesting but they were also something that they could ask her about at home… she really didn’t understand how her sisters were able to ignore the fact that they were actually having an adventure and weren’t excited about it.

She took her eyes off of her wrist to take a little closer look around the cabin, which - unsurprisingly - was filled up by most of Nabiki’s family and her mom’s friends. The only ones missing were daddy and Ryo-chan.

It was very weird to go on a family trip without Ryo-chan tagging along. Yes he was mostly following Kasumi and yes, he was constantly getting lost anyway which was annoying but even so… she hardly could remember any times when Ryoga wasn’t living with her and her family in the Tendo Dojo.

He was like this silly, irritating older brother that actually felt  more like a younger brother instead…

…the same one who decided to stay home to ‘have some time with no girls around’ or something like that. Nabiki overheard her mom speaking with Yasuka, laughing about Ryo-chan’s ‘masculinity taking a hit’ after the festival, although she wasn’t really sure what ‘masculinity’ actually is. Nor how he could even get hit in it, walking hand in hand with Kasumi the whole time.

At least he and daddy would take care of Yen, C-chan and ChiChi while they’re gone. Nabiki really liked their neighbors, but didn’t really like letting anyone other than family take care of their cats.

So even though it was weird to go somewhere without Ryo-chan, at least she didn’t need to worry about Yen so she could focus entirely on having fun with her sisters.

If they finally realized that they were supposed to be having fun and not doing the same thing they did at home.

“Are you excited about the trip, Nabiki-chan?” Hasumi asked her, while she was pouting at her sisters blatantly ignoring everything that was happening around them.

Looking up at the older brunette’s gently smiling face worked like magic, washing away her sour face and making her feel all giddy again. Finally someone got it!

“Yeah! I can’t wait!” She nodded, glancing outside the window with a small hope that she would finally be able to see the village. “When will we arrive?”

Nabiki glanced at Hasumi as the older girl followed her gaze with a thoughtful look on her face before looking back at her with the same - or maybe slightly larger? - gentle smile.

“Very soon,” she said, cocking her head slightly to the side. “Will this be your first time at a hot spring?

Nabiki thought about it for a moment and shook her head.

“Mommy took us to the bath house a few times,” she said with a shrug. It wasn’t anything special and they mostly went there so mom could teach them how to swim a little before going to the beach.

“Aren’t those and hot springs pretty much the same?” Hasumi asked again, touching her mouth with a confused look.

“Nuh-uh,” Nabiki shook her head even faster, feeling a little offended that the older brunette was even comparing the two. “The bath house was close to the dojo, and now we’re on a train!” She explained, trying to justify mom’s friend’s confusion with the fact that she was an adult. They usually didn’t understand a lot of things and - she was almost sure of it - it wasn't really their fault.

Hasumi nodded in agreement, clearly wanting to learn from her mistakes so Nabiki didn't see any need to hold it against her either. 

It was nice to meet an adult that didn't think she was just a clueless kid. She hadn’t really met one other than mommy, or at least she wasn’t sure if she had. Even the nice grandmas in her neighborhood often looked at her with amusement whenever she told them something even though they otherwise were… well, nice. Who knows if Hasumi would become the same as those old grannies?

She wasn’t like them for now at least.

“We sure are, aren’t we?” Hasumi said, glancing around the cabin with a small smile. “Do you like trains, Nabiki-chan?” She asked with genuine interest.

“I-I… I like the view,” she murmured sheepishly while looking away. She couldn’t help but feel flustered all of the sudden, unused to getting so much attention from anyone other than her immediate family.

Hasumi clearly saw what she was doing, but surprisingly didn’t comment on it at all. She just looked at her for a moment before getting back at observing the scenery outside of the train’s window.

As if she did nothing weird.

“Yeah, I can see that,” she said, agreeing with Nabiki once more. Just a few seconds later, a faint smile appeared on the older brunette’s face. “Say, Nabiki-chan… wanna play a game? It will help you pass the time before we arrive.”

Still a little embarrassed by her awkward reaction as well as the constant attention, Nabiki needed a few moments to think about what to say… but ultimately the curiosity and a shy excitement about the possibility of getting to know some new game she would be able to show her sisters later were much stronger than her previous shyness.

She stopped looking away from Hasumi’s eyes and gazed at them with cautious interest.

“What kind of game?”

Ranko put away the last suitcase with a sigh. She’d definitely packed way too much stuff for just a short trip outside of town, but it was their first trip… well, anywhere. It was their first time outside of Tokyo so she wasn’t really sure how much she actually should take.

Even during the ride she was constantly going over the checklist of the stuff she brought, constantly having second thoughts and worrying that she forgot something essential that they would need later. She was so absorbed in it that she almost didn’t notice the strange sense of deja vu while looking out the window.

Something about the scenery - especially closest to the town - made Ranko feel as if she had been here already. Had she passed through or maybe even stayed the night somewhere close in the past? She wasn’t sure if that was the case… or even if that feeling were actually real. For all she knew it could just be the magic again, some faint memory of ‘Ranko’ from the past that she would suddenly remember clear as day.

Nothing like that actually happened though, leaving the redhead with the irritating sensation of deja vu and confusion.

She looked around the rather spacious, traditional style hotel room, one of the two they booked for the weekend. From what the owner told her most of the rooms in here were mostly the same so it didn’t really matter which one anyone took… which was essential to prevent her daughters from complaining about ‘one of them sleeping in a better room’ later on.

For now she could actually faintly hear the kids’ muffled laughs and voices as they were probably running around the area checking out every nook and cranny, leaving her alone for the first time in quite a while.

Well, almost alone that is.

 “Ka-... Hasumi really knows how to handle children,” Nabiki said, moving the rest of the already moved luggage to the side. Ranko wasn’t sure if she wanted some more peace and quiet or what but the middle Tendo Sister was glued to her side ever since they exited the train. The redhead didn’t complain about that, allowing her to help move things, since it would all take much less time if she did so…

…and it allowed her to tease Nabiki a little bit.

“Children… or you?” She asked, looking to the side with an amused smile.

It wasn’t hard to see that Nabiki - unlike Kasumi who absolutely loved and adored her younger self - was very conflicted about Nabiki-chan. She wasn’t sure if it was simply embarrassment or disapproval. The redhead refused to believe that the middle Tendo was displeased by the fact that her younger self had a happier, more fulfilled childhood than her so… she kind of guessed that it was more of an image issue. The ‘Ice Queen Nabiki’ probably wasn’t happy that her cold, business-like image was being shredded by this pure, innocent bundle of joy that basically fed on social interactions.

If Ranko was right then it was silly as hell and she had every right to call it out and make fun of it.

Nabiki squinted her eyes at her, but - from experience or whatever other reason - she didn’t chew out Ranko, in fact the redhead would swear that she saw a glint of amusement in the brunette’s eyes as well.

“I guess both,” she replied with a shrug, before squinting her eyes again. “And stop looking so smug all of the sudden, just because you turned into a milf when we weren’t around doesn't mean you get to mother me too.”

Ranko laughs, heartily and genuinely amused by the idea of her having even a sliver of any kind of power over Nabiki. Even now with them being in this new timeline it felt as absurd as ever… it was kind of funny thought, though. 

“Wasn’t planning too, don't worry,” she shook her head, remembering all those times while she was raising her girls and had no clue what she was doing, smiling at the memories. “It is funny though, before you all showed up I was constantly worrying ‘how would they think about me, if they knew what I’ve been doing’, while I should have been thinking ‘oh, if they could only see me now, it would be sooo funny…” instead.”

Both of them were looking at each other, Ranko with an honest, amused smile and Nabiki with that Ice Queen emotionless face of hers, like she often did whenever she was trying to hide what she was truly feeling at the moment. The mask that… at that very moment started to break as the corner of her mouth started to twitch a little…

…only to fall off completely, showing an amused - if a little bit embarrassed - smile of her own.

“Every time I see them I think I’m going to die from embarrassment, so that’s true,” she admitted with a short shake of her head and hopeless sigh. “I mean, how could Hasumi distract me so well with a simple game of ‘I Spy’? How embarrassing.”

Ranko chuckled at that.

“That’s because she isn’t actually you,” she corrected her crossing her arms under her breasts. “The starting point is the same, but now… I mean, Nabiki Tendo bursting from energy every morning and being genuinely nice to people around her? You would never…”

A small jab, more humorous than anything. Ranko wasn’t sure why she was acting so bold towards Nabiki… in the past… or rather in the previous timeline, after years living in the same house she would never do such a thing. Even then she would always maintain that wall between them, as if telling her that she may be almost like a family to all of them, but it was as far as she allowed her to go and that’s what she always will be: almost.

Ranko wondered what happened that seemingly changed that dynamic. Was it because she was a mother now- and thanks to that - she wasn’t the clueless kid Nabiki always thought she was before? The redhead didn’t really know, but deep down she'd always hoped that Nabiki and her would finally be able to-

“We’re not the same, huh?” Nabiki repeated after her with this devilish kind of amused kind of sadistic smile on her face Ranko almost forgot about. “Careful who you tell this to Ranko, else my little sister might get her hopes up.”

-be civil and nice to each other… I guess not, huh? She thought, feeling her heart skipping a beat. Who even gives Nabiki the right to comment on things like THAT?! Did she even have any type of relationship with anybody that wasn’t business-like? Ranko didn’t remember her talking about anyone - a boy or a girl - in any romantic way and the last time she showed any interest, it was towards her and it was only for shits and giggles… so she could cash in on some things obviously but that was beside the point.

The point was that Nabiki wasn’t a person she would accuse of having any experience with relationships but for some reason she felt like she could comment on things that were beyond her paygrade… and ones that Ranko still wasn’t sure how to tackle herself… and honestly was kind of afraid to touch at the moment.

It was a sore spot for her and she couldn’t help but send a dirty look towards the brunette.

“T-Thats is a low blow, you know?” she murmured too stunned and embarrassed by Nabiki mentioning it out of nowhere to do anything else. She wasn’t even angry… ok, she was, a little… but it was nothing compared to how unsure and anxious she was about the topic. “Shouldn’t you focus more on something more important than our mess of a relationship?”

She asked this, but from the fact that Nabiki didn't seem to have any real change in her expression probably didn’t see the same way Ranko did.

It almost felt as if they turned back time again, with Nabiki holding some sort of blackmail and waving it before her nose just to keep her on her toes…

“It is more fun to remind you who's the boss, though,” she replied with a big, shit-eating grin. “You don't need to worry too much, fortunately the guy I was using while at school is actually pretty active now too.”

The atmosphere in the room changed the moment Nabiki mentioned the things that actually kept them on their toes. The first time Shampoo brought up the possibility of them staying here, Ranko wondered if maybe the sword's magic would treat them just like her… but nothing happened. None of them had any flashbacks, no ‘out of nowhere’ knowledge, nor sudden mail with their new ID’s.

As if the magic of the sword was completely gone the moment Akane broke it a few days ago…

…even though it clearly was still going strong. Ranko was still having periodic flashbacks from time to time. This time with the photo album too… there was no difference for her, the magic was definitely still there.

But apparently not for them.

And so, they'd decided to go the old-fashioned way: forgery.

“I already contacted him for all the new documents we need,” Nabiki continued before sending her a slight half-smile. “Thanks for the money by the way.”

Ranko smiled back, feeling a pleasant warmth spreading through her chest. Not because she received thanks - Nabiki would never let her live it down if that was the case - but because she could help, actually help her best friends…

…she could really get used to this.

“Don’t mention it,” the redhead waved her off. “It’s sort of my fault that you all ended up here anyway so… that’s the least I can do. Though I’m surprised you still didn't cash in a winning lottery ticket.”

Wasn’t that one of the most overused tropes of time travel stories? She thought, suddenly bummed out realizing that she missed the opportunity to get rich.

“And how do you think I would be able to know the numbers?” Nabiki rolled her eyes, her voice stopping with irony. “I didn’t have a useless hobby like remembering a few years old lottery numbers… though… if I knew that we were going to end up in the past…”

“…It could've been pretty useful.” Ranko finished after her, exchanging glances and feeling sympathy and a strange sense of shared disappointment.

It looks like she wasn’t the only one bummed out because of their wasted opportunity.

“Yeah,” Nabiki nodded. “Well, there’s no point crying over it now. We better just-”

“Mommy this place is soooo cool!” Nabiki-chan’s voice echoed through the room accompanied by the sound of the door sliding open right behind her back.

Ranko didn’t even have a chance to react before three distinct pairs of arms wrapped around her legs and waist.

“...better talk about it later, I guess,” Nabiki said with a sigh of exasperation looking down at the girls who apparently decided to cling to Ranko like three very excited monkeys.

“Mom! Mrs. Bunny and I are sleeping with you tonight!” Akane - who was glued to her right leg called out to her, the girl’s genderfluid bunny held tightly in one of her hands with its button eyes looking at her almost pleadingly.

“Not fair, you always sleep with Mommy!” Nabiki-chan said angrily from behind the redhead’s other leg, but Akane didn’t even say a word at that…. she just blew a raspberry at her, starting a fight that Ranko was barely stopped by holding both of them by their dresses. 

“Mom, can we go now?” Kasumi asked her, not even bothering commenting on her younger sisters antics, focused more on the prospect of going into a genuine hot spring than the increasingly common scuffle between them.

And I could swear that they said something about wanting to do stuff ‘on their own’... figures that wouldn’t last long… she thought with a small sigh, effortlessly separating her kids from pulling each other’s hair or pinching one another… either way she was in no position to continue her talk with Nabiki.

“Yes, I think you’re right,” she nodded, before looking at her kids… particularly at the quarrelling pair with a stern, serious gaze.

“Stop arguing girls, you can all sleep with me tonight," she said, giving another doubtful look at the current state of their room. Half of the suitcases were still untouched and the one she was currently working on was making quite a mess, begging to be taken care of before anything else. “But about going right now…”

“Don't worry about it,” Nabiki said, offering her a slight smile and waving off at the mess around them. “You better take the kiddos now before they burst from excitement or something. We can always unpack later, right?”

Ranko sent the other woman a long, doubtful look, but after a quick observation and - surprisingly - rather genuine look on the brunette’s face there was nothing else for the redhead to do but admit that she meant what she said. Nabiki really offered to help unpack later… for free.

And it was her murmuring something about the ‘Twilight Zone’ a few days ago…

“I guess you're right,’ she finally replied, shaking her head and once again looking down at the three girls eagerly awaiting what their mom’s about to say. “Ok girls let’s go, let's see what this place that Aunty Nodoka chose for us is all about.”

Akane couldn't remember the last time she’d been to the hot springs. 

Was that maybe… a year ago? Akane grimaced at the sudden wave of memories from that one time she went there with Yuka and Sayuri. It was more like a pity outing than anything else, a desperate attempt on their part to pull her head out of the funk she was in for the last two years. It would have been a sweet gesture if not for the fact that at this point the only things she was able to talk about were the things they'd done to find a way to bring Ranma back and her martial arts… the only two things that were constant in her life, the things that kept her going.

In a way Akane had regressed to the point Ranma was in the first few weeks after they ended up at the Tendo Dojo, able to talk only about martial arts and her training journey. It was no surprise that the whole visit to those hot springs ended up as a disaster.

Akane just didn’t have the patience and wasn’t able to pretend to care about things that were going on in her friends' lives at college.

No wonder both of them started reaching out less and less with time after that.

Akane quickly slapped her cheeks to stop thinking about it. Whatever happened back then, it was in the past. She was here now. She’d found Ranma… or rather Ranko and everything was different now. She needed to focus on the good things right now, get into the right headspace. It was supposed to be a fun little vacation for all of them, a moment to unwind and forget about all the uncertainties they would face back in Nerima… she really should just go along with it and try to relax a bit…

…but somehow she just couldn’t get over the image of Ranko completely naked in the hot water. Something about that image, even if she knew now that the curse was gone, was making it really, really weird. Or maybe it was the fact that her body had changed so much during the last three years that she had a little trouble adjusting to it?

Ranko’s body didn’t turn chubby or anything like that, she was still without a doubt at the peak of her game with muscles clearly visible with every move… but it also had much more softness to it, with an additional weight that made her already prominent curves even more outstanding. Especially the two mounds on her chest that were definitely a size larger than before at least.

Akane made all of those observations in the brief moment between the redhead taking off her robe and her quickly averting her eyes and suddenly turning bright red for some reason. It definitely wasn't because she couldn’t help but notice that Ranko now looked even sexier than before, no sir! It was because… because Akane felt embarrassed that Ranko would see her naked for the first time in years and this time it would be intentional and not just a weird coincidence. That’s it!

Anyone would feel awkward and self-conscious in a situation like that, for sure.

This and the sight of the three little girls, among which was also the younger version of herself running around naked while having a good time with little to no care about pretty much anything. It was really something else to say the least.

To think I really could smile like this if mom didn’t pass away, she thought with a sad grimace but right before she walked through the door into the pool area someone’s arm suddenly latched itself on her neck.

Akane looked to the side and saw Nabiki, just like her, wearing nothing and smiling sadly while looking at the exact place the kids just disappeared into.

“It's really strange to see just how much would change if mom was still with us when we were kids, right?” She asked, looking strangely absent, as if - at least for the moment - she was somewhere far far away.

Akane followed her gaze, seeing a little bit of the springs and the people in it, happy people, not… sad and broken from the loss and hardship of living a life that was too hard too early. She nodded. Nabiki was right.

It really was incredible just how full of joy and completely oblivious to the hardship of the world their younger versions were just because Ranko decided to take care of them… making all of their childhood struggles almost trivial… all they needed was just one adult that would care and love them… life was really unfair sometimes.

“Tell me about it, I still can’t believe how much everything’s changed just because Ranko decided to fill that role,” Akane shook her head. “It’s kind of scary just how good she is. With being a mom I mean.”

"If Genma was able to see this he would probably have had a stroke or something, all that ‘man among men’ bullshit only for his precious son to turn out to be a damn good mother… I almost wish he was here so that could actually happen."

Nabiki chuckled at that, actually genuinely chuckling. Akane hadn’t really heard that sound in ages… at least while her sister was sober, that is. It almost felt weird and unnatural... It was good to see her sister smile for a change. 

It made Akane want to smile a little bit more too.

“Tell me about it, it's almost as if she was born for it,” Nabiki nodded before letting out a short, poorly stifled giggle. “Maybe don’t tell her that though or she’ll start calling herself a ‘mom amongst moms’ or something.”

Akane didn’t have the same self-control as her sister and simply burst out laughing at the thought of the redhead proudly calling herself a ‘mother amongst moms’ while wearing that cute pastel-blue apron of hers with absolute confidence written all over her face. The image was so absurdly funny that she was giggling all the way to the pool area.

“Maybe this trip won’t be as bad as I thought it would,” Nabiki added while Akane carefully submerging herself to her midsection in the heavenly pleasant warm water. “I would have never guessed Aunty Nodoka knew places like this. But then again, we never truly talked with her about anything other than Ranma, the engagements or her trying to convince us to go through her bridal training…”

“Uhh, please, don’t remind me about that one…”

She really didn’t want to remember that time when Ranma was pretending to be Ranko and Nodoka was trying to just make all of them - except Kasumi - go through that damn training too… it took a very long time to get her off their backs with that one. She was really glad that this Nodoka was much more pleasant and… truth be told, actually fun to be around.

The place was very nice too. Although Akane couldn’t shake that strange feeling of deja vu she’d had from the moment just before the train stopped at their station. It really felt like she’d already been here - or at least in some area around here - before but she couldn’t tell exactly where and when. It was gnawing on her mind for some time now.

Was that something akin to those ‘flashbacks’ Ranko were talking about? Is the sword’s magic actually working on her even though it was destroyed? Akane felt a slight shiver of excitement, for a moment thinking that maybe that would be the case… but quickly dismissed it. Ranko described it as a sudden flashes of events she was looking at as if in real time, not a vague feeling of deja vu as it was in her case. 

It was a little disappointing though. It would be really something if-

“Remind you of what?” A sudden voice came from the side, bringing her back from her musing and forcing her head to snap exactly in that direction… only to nearly have a heart attack.

Why do they have to look almost identical? Akane complained to no one in particular as Nodoka made her way towards them with a vibrant, relaxed smile on her face… a face that looked exactly like Ranko’s. Those two redheads will be the death of me one day, I swear…

At least this Nodoka felt more like a friend, a normal person that one could actually talk to instead of that anxiety inducing and overbearing swordsman they left back home.

“Nothing important,” Nabiki quickly interjected, keeping a polite half-smile while glancing between Nodoka and Ranko who was staying on the other side of the pool. “We actually visited places like this a few times in the past… and it always ended up as some kind of disaster. We were reminiscing… and were kind of impressed that nothing had really happened yet.”

“Oh I wouldn’t say that nothing’s happened yet… well maybe not for you. The kids have had a blast a few times already, so I’d say for them it was one adventure after the other ever since they walked out from the Dojo.”

Akane looked to the side at the other side of the pool when Ranko was standing… or supposed to be standing. It was hard to say with all the splashing the girls were doing over there, but she was almost certain that she saw red hair somewhere in the middle of it. 

Kasumi and Shampoo were there too, but were keeping some distance from all of it.

It looked just like in one of those picture perfect family commercials she saw sometimes, ones that she really wished to be a part of in the past.

“Say, Nodoka-san… what are your feelings about this?” She asked, glancing at the other redhead who also was looking at the splashing chaos in the distance with a fond half-smile. “Ranko… Ranma is your son, and… and yet there she is, doing a better job as a mother than any of us could probably ever hope to do. Well, if not me or you then Nabiki at least.”

“Hey!” Nabiki sent a quick but clearly playful jab with her elbow into Akane's right side. “Just because it’s true you don’t need to rub it in, little sis…”

She looked at Akane with a frown for just a moment before both of them started laughing. It was that simple, heartfelt laugh, Akane couldn’t remember the last time they’d both laughed like that.

In the corner of her eyes she could even see Nodoka looking at them with an amused expression. Akane smiled anyway, though. 

It was strange right now, spending time with everyone like this she finally started to feel at ease. She really could sense her whole body relaxing ever so slightly as the time went on and for the first time in… probably ever since Ranko disappeared she could actually feel light.

“Let me ask a question back to you, Akane.” Nodoka said after both of them finally stopped laughing, and hearing her name - her actual name - and not ‘Yasuka’ served as a bucket of cold water, focusing her whole attention on the redhead once more. “What do you feel seeing Ranko taking care of her little girls?” she continued with a confident, knowing smile. “From the stories my daughter told me, yours and their childhood is already completely different… so I don’t think they will end up like you at all.”

“Our lives consist of an enormous amount of experiences that shape us into who we are…,” said Nodoka, glancing over at Ranko and the girls, playing carefree in the water, which turned out to be much less crowded than before.. at least the part in the immediate vicinity of the chaotic splashing. “And as such I accepted Ranko as who she ended up being… though I can’t say it was easy.”

Nodoka paused for a moment, starting in the distance with a far away look, probably reliving the time when she met Ranko for the first time with a wistful smile.

“Just as you said, I never thought that the boy I gave birth to would one day turn out to be a much better mom than me…” she said after some time before she shook her head with a dry laugh. “But that doesn’t mean that my Ranma will end up the same as her either.“

The distant sound of splashing stopped at that moment. The three of them glanced into the distance and couldn’t help but chuckle the moment they saw that yes, the girls finally got bored trying to create a man-made tsunami, deciding to work together and gang up on their mom, trying to make her fall head first into the water instead.

“Just like those three gremlins out there aren’t really the same people you are, my son who is still out there can be an entirely different person than Ranko is over there.” Nodoka said with a toothy smile watching as the girls finally succeeded in dragging the other redhead into the water. “I just need to be patient and see just who he will end up being. As long as he will be here so I can see him and support him, that’s enough for me.”

For just a moment the only sound that they could hear was the laughing of the girls and the soft murmur of other people's conversation going on all around them. Akane didn’t really care about any of that, too busy looking at the redhead before her. 

I already knew that but damn… this Nodoka is so cool. It’s a shame that the one we got wasn’t like that. Everything would be different if we did…

“Well, that’s a bummer.” Nabiki said with a disappointed sigh. “I kind of hoped for some more family drama, not this ‘good parenting’ kind of thing…”

“Oh come on…”

Fortunately Nodoka didn’t seem to mind the comment, she even chuckled at that with a rather amused expression.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” she said, glancing at Ranko and the girls once again. “Shall we join them? This conversation is nice but I would love to enjoy it next to my grandchildren over there.”

Not even waiting for their response, Nodoka started heading towards the other side of the pool. Akane and Nabiki didn’t really have a response to that either… 

…I mean how do you even tell a grandma - even if you are basically the same age - to not go to play with her grandchildren?

The only choice they had was to follow.

By the time the three of them walked towards them, Ranko was standing in the pool with her long red hair hanging from her head in loose, wet strands like sea weeds with both Nabiki and Kasumi swimming in circles around her. Strangely, Akane-chan was nowhere in sight.

The game - or whatever that was - stopped however the moment the girls noticed them .

“Aunty Nodoka!” Kasumi swimmed towards the other redhead and latched herself at the woman's midsection.

“I see you’re as lively as ever Kasumi-chan.” Nodoka said, peeling the wet stands of hair from the girl's face with a slight smile. “Did you girls have a good time?”

“Can’t you tell from all the commotion they were making all this time?” Ranko asked her with a mildly irritated tone, but the loving look she gave her girls clearly stared that she didn’t mean anything by it.

Akane noticed all that incidentally, focused almost entirely on the fact that she was finally able to locate her younger self.

And when she did that, she couldn't help but feel her whole face burning up.

There she was, covering her mouth with both of her small hands, hiding behind Ranko’s wet, hanging hair as if behind the curtain… with her whole body nestled right next to the redhead’s belly… and right under Ranko’s massive breasts. 

With the redhead’s arms hanging loose it almost looked like the girl was hiding inside of a shallow cave… looking at it from the side, part of Akane's soul wanted to hide under some rock and just die in shame.

“We’re playing ‘sharks’!” Nabiki-chan said, still circling around Ranko. “Me and Sumi are sharks and Kane’s a fish we need to catch. We are searching for her right now!”

In the corner of her eye she could see Akane-chan trying to hold it in but ultimately ending up letting out a quiet giggle of pure delight. It was honestly disarming just how adorable this girl was.

Wait a second, Akane cocked her head, confused. I couldn’t see her because of Ranko’s hair, but the girls must have seen her the whole time while swimming around. So why…

Nabiki must have come to the same conclusion as she did, but instead of just thinking about it, she - as usual - decided to speak up.

“Do you need help finding her, girls?” She asked while eyeing the youngest who was still sitting right behind Ranko's hair-curtain. “I think I know where Akane-chan is…”

“You really can’t find your sister?” Akane almost jumped up, startled by Shampoo and Kasumi. She looked to the side, noticing them, as they finally started to slowly walk towards them and apparently Shampoo - as easily excited as she always was - was already shaking her head in disbelief. “You two would do a terrible job as shield-sisters, you know? Akane-chan is clearly-”

“Shhhhh” Akane-chan said, putting one finger to her lips with a funny mix of clearly barely contained excitement and a comically serious, childish face. “You can’t see me! I’m invisible now!”

Her younger self apparently decided that so many people around meant that play time was over and then immediately proceeded to explain exactly why the ‘sharks’ is the best swimming game and why when she’s hiding under her mommy she's basically untouchable.

“You know what, Yasuka?” Nabiki said, a faint amused smile flickering across her face.

“What?” She replied, glancing to the side.

“I think this Akane is way cooler than you were as a kid,” she said with a smug smile. “Do you think she would like to hang out with me when we get back home?”

Akane didn’t reply right away, instead she wanted for a few more seconds, scratching her chin as if she really thought about it.

Then, when she finally purged from her mind an image of herself drowning Nabiki in the pool she turned around, looking straight at her older sister.

“Okay, first of all, no way in hell…”

She sighs before looking away and starts making her way to join the rest of the family.

“….and secondly just shut up.”

Kasumi really wasn’t expecting the hot springs to be so much fun. In the past she would occasionally go to the few Nerima saunas and public baths to unwind a little, but she would always do it alone, with only the recent addition of Shampoo joining her from time to time ever since they get together, which already was much more fun than just going there alone. But this? This was something else entirely.

It was really true what they said: The more the merrier.

But all good things must come to an end and so she and her wife were going back first, letting the kids have the last few minutes of fun. It was a normal thing for the two of them and so Kasumi stopped even thinking about it that much.

There was only one problem with their current situation which Kasumi completely forgot about before going here, however. 

She completely forgot just how absolutely beautiful her wife looked like right after a good, long soak…

…or how much she just wants to tease her, every time she saw her from behind like this. She didn’t even realize that her body moved on its own until the very last moment.

Not that she would actually want to stop it, though.

“Hi there, Kitten,” Kasumi said, suddenly hugging Shampoo from behind across her midsection, pressing their naked bodies against each other while at the same time putting her head right into the crook of her wife’s neck.

“K-Kasumi,” Shampoo gasped, completely caught off guard by her wife’s sudden attack, froze beneath the brunette’s hands as she slowly caressed her stomach. “W-what are you doing?”

Kasumi could feel the amazon’s body shudder as she pressed her face to her neck, drinking in her wife’s familiar scent.

“Appreciating the view,” she said with a gentle smile, leaning closer to her ear.

“And maybe I hope to hear some of those sweet, soft purrs of yours?” She whispered, feeling her wife tensing up. She always did that at this point, it was so cute. “You know I love it when you make them for me…”

Kasumi could feel Shampoo’s resistance wavering as her previously tense body slowly started to melt under her touch, leaning on her, pressing ever so gently as if giving permission to continue…

…all the while her face was blushing in a weak, fake protest.

“B-but I… in-... in a p-place like this,” Shampoo stummered, breathlessly. A-airen y-you-... you p-pervert…”

Kasumi chuckled before planting a soft, gentle kiss behind her wife’s ear, making her shudder once more.

“Why? I’m only hugging my wife,” she replied, hugging her a little tighter. “Besides, you're one to talk. Who's the one constantly showing her belly for scratches whenever she turns into a cat?” She pointed out, with an amused smile. “If that’s not the very definition of shamelessness then I don’t know what it is.”

Shampoo’s face turned bright red, almost the same shade as Ranko’s hair while her eyes began to dart around frantically, looking everywhere except at Kasumi.

“T-that's different,” she pouted sheepishly while still avoiding eye contact. “M-my human and c-cat’s body are different!”

Kasumi didn’t say anything to that, too busy taking in the view of her beloved wife, all cute and flustered by her other wife’s pushy advances. Her hands stopped wandering around the amazon’s body and embraced her gently, conveying all the love and affection Kasumi felt towards this sweet, purple haired creature.

Her chin rested on the crook of Shampoo’s neck as she glanced at her with a pure, content smile.

“Doesn't really make much of a difference to me,” she said, rubbing her nose against her cheek. “Whether you're a cat or human I will love you all the same.”

Shampoo’s face finally stopped running away and when their eyes finally met, Kasumi felt as if she could get lost in those deep, dark pink eyes, smiling lovingly while her wife started to purr rubbing her cheek on Kasumi’s face…

…until they realized that they weren’t all alone anymore.

At the edge of her vision, Kasumi saw Ranko and Akane’s faces freezed in shock as they desperately tried to cover Akane and Nabiki-chan’s eyes, which in turn left only Kasumi-chan vulnerable to see everything… which she surely did, judging by the way her eyes were darting between the two of them.

It all made Kasumi feel incredibly self-conscious, like a bucket of icy water poured all over her head..

“Oh my…”

“C-could you two maybe…” Akane stuttered, looking almost as red as Shampoo.

“Shameless…” was all Ranko could say, looking shell-shocked.

Kasumi’s whole body moved slightly, covering Shampoo’s remaining modesty while feeling more and more exposed herself.

“Soap purrs just like mom!” Kasumi-chan said with delight and - as if breaking a spell - the heavy atmosphere that was crushing them disappeared in an instant.

“Kasumi, don’t tell them that!” Ranko cried out, turning all red too, focusing her attention on the younger brunette…

…who at that very moment were looking at her mom with pure childish confusion.

“Why?” she asked, curiously cocking her head to the side. “They know that you sometimes act like a cat, right?”

Ranko visibly stifled the sigh of exasperation before massaging her eyes with one hand, clearly struggling to keep a straight face.

“Yes they do sweetie, but that’s besides the point! You can’t just…”

Knowing that this chance would probably not present itself again, Kasumi wrapped her hand around Shampoo’s still frozen solid body, grabbed two towels and a bathrobe not even bothering checking for the sizing and made a run for it.

It was the first time Kasumi was in a situation like this, previously she would only hear about them from Ranko or Akane, often wondering how they always ended up in such situations and how they actually felt when those things happened to them… Well now she knew exactly how it felt, and - while certainly thrilling - she knew it would get exhausting very quickly.

We need to be more careful next time, she thought when she finally decided to stop running away and realized that both of them were still butt naked while certainly far away from the bathing area.

“Well, that was certainly interesting,” Shampoo huffed, trying to put on the bathrobe which - unsurprisingly - was a few sizes too small, barely covering anything. 

Kasumi nodded sheepishly, struggling with her own bathrobe, fully aware that both of them ended up in this situation because of her…

…even though she was like that only because Shampoo was just too precious not to tease but she had enough self-awareness to wait with comments like this for much later. Preferably when they were back home and had a little privacy. 

She made a mental note to do that and decided to focus more on the immediate task of getting back to their room without making a scene with their… rather skimpy attire.

She quickly turned on her heel and was about to take a first step, only to suddenly feel a rather unpleasant sensation of something hard slamming into her belly. She yelped and would probably fall into the ground if not for the fact that Shampoo steadied her just before that happened.

The same couldn't be said about the person- cause it was indeed a person that Kasumi collided with - who right now was buried under a mountain of dirty laundry and a huge wooden basket, without a doubt the thing that hit her into her was resting on top of it.

Her first impulse was to apologize and help anyone who was currently buried under that small mountain of laundry, but at that very moment the person inside finally emerged from under it… making Kasumi's heart skip a beat.

They were much, much younger and basically skin and bones, but their absolutely precious, familiar face was unmistakable.

Kasumi steadied herself, barely paying attention to her surroundings while her body moved forward seemingly on its own while she herself focused solely on the small child in front of her.

“A-are you alright? Konatsu…chan?”

Chapter Text

Akane ran her hand through the still slightly damp braid her mom tied for her. A gentle gust of the chilly, evening air coming from the small garden made her shiver slightly. Usually she and her sisters would get their hair brushed and dried off by mom - or mostly by her - since she insisted that they should start doing some of that on their own, which Akane didn’t like very much. 

This time however she hadn’t even really dried off their hair, just put it into a quick braid and left it like that. She looked to the side at Kasumi and Nabiki who both had the same hairstyle she did, but quickly looked forward again, glancing curiously at the reason why the adults were suddenly acting so weird all of a sudden.

A girl that looked more or less Akane’s age stood right in front of them. She looked cute, probably the cutest girl she had ever seen, even if she was super thin and had really old, torn and patched-up clothes. She was standing there, holding one arm and looking down with an anxious, uncertain look on her face, one that Akane thought didn't suit her at all.

She didn’t like to see anyone looking like that, so she did the only thing that came to mind.

“Hello, my name is Akane Tendo,” she said, reaching her hand towards the girl with her biggest smile. “Do you wanna be friends?”

People liked it when you were nice to them and smiled, right? That’s what mom always says.

The girl looked sceptically at the offered hand, but eventually she reached back with a cautious, hopeful smile.

“Hi, I’m Konatsu, f-from the Kunoichi Clan” she said, scratching her cheek nervously. “I've never really had friends, so I don't know what ‘friends’ do, but… em… s-sure we can be friends.”

She grabbed the girl’s hand and shook it energically, happy that Konatsu agreed to be her friend. She always loved to have more of them! Right now she only really had Yuka, so having one more was so exciting! 

“Wait, did you say ‘kunoichi’?” Kasumi asked the other girl with a sparkle in her eyes. “Are you a ninja?! Do you know some cool martial arts?!”

Akane couldn’t help but snicker at the sight. Her oldest sister was really a musclehead, only talking about training and martial arts techniques if given the chance. It was really unfair that even though she spent more time in the dojo than actually studying she was still almost at the top of her class. She barely needed mom’s help with homework! Sometimes the world is just so unfair, Akane thought about pouting at her sister, but relented. She wasn't actually upset with her sister, she loved doing homework with her mom after all. 

Nabiki on the other hand snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Uhhh, and Sumi’s all gone again,” she said walking up to the sheepish girl, completely ignoring Kasumi’s annoyed gaze. 

“Hey Natsu-chan, do you know Hasumi-san?” Nabiki asked, cocking her head to the side, looking thoughtfully to the other side of the room. “Actually it seems as if our mom and the rest of her friends somehow know you too…”

Akane put a finger onto her chin, also finding it really strange. How did Hasumi-san know Konatsu-chan’s name? She knew that mom knew a lot of things and a lot of people, especially around Nerima. She’d also told them a few stories of her life before she came to Tokyo, so Akane knew that she also knew some people elsewhere but it was super strange. 

Mom’s friends were sometimes very mysterious too, and Soap was magic so… maybe Hasumi has magic too?! Maybe she can read minds or can see the future, or…, or…

She looked excitedly into the room to look at Hasumi and Soap and almost even asked them about it, but then she suddenly realized that yes, the adults were talking amongst themselves, but strangely neither Hasumi nor Soap were there. They must have left not that long ago, but she didn’t even notice.

Akane made a long face, she really wanted to ask Hasumi if she, maybe, could read minds or something. Maybe she could tell Akane if the lady from the market that always gave her the red lollipops that were ‘only for her’ really had them only for her? She was almost sure she saw her giving one of them to some other girl but she wasn’t able to see it clearly back then. But if Hasumi really has magic…

“N-no, I don’t know,” Konatsu shook her head looking quite flustered and confused. “It’s my first time seeing any of you, or them.”

She then looked at Kasumi and - still under that excited gaze of her older sister - seemed to get even more flustered than before. She rubbed one of her shoulders and looked down at her feet, refusing to look up again.

“And I know some arts…” she murmured, sheepishly under her breath. “N-not many though. I was only recently granted access to some kunoichi manuals so… a-all I can do is make one clone and hide in the s-shadows pretty well, so…”

Konatsu said that in a voice that probably meant that she didn’t think that it was that impressive at all, maybe even thought that she was slow and stupid because she could only do this much yet… but at the same time both Kasumi and Akane both squealed with excitement.

“Wait, you can clone yourself?!” Kasumi asked with wide eyes, as if suddenly realizing that she was standing next to some kind of superhero. “That’s so cool!”

Akane bounced around the other girl too, somewhat aware of the fact that she looked a little startled by the sudden attention but she was too excited about the mental image of the two Konatsu being able to do different things at the same time to really care about it.

We would be able to do so many pranks with Natsu-chan if she really could do that… it would be so fun!

“Can you show us?!” she asked pleadingly while tugging on the other girl’s tunic. She gathered all her strength to make the best puppy eyes she could, the ones that even mommy never was able to resist and looked up. “Please, please, please…!”

Suddenly a shadow fell across her vision and she could feel an arm wrapping up around her, pulling her a few steps away from Natsu-chan. Akane felt a pang of panic for just a second but a moment later she realized the familiar touch and scent of her older sister who was - just now - holding her in a very tight hug from behind.

She pouted as Nabiki removed a hand from her face and her vision returned. Sometimes her sister just didn’t know how to have fun…

“Kane, I don’t think that's a good idea,” she was chastised by Nabiki with a stern voice, before a slightly taller brunette looked up at Konatsu again. “You'll just want her to teach you it and then we will be here forever. Don’t worry about them, your mom will probably be worried if you aren't home soon right? If you do what Akane says you'll be here ‘till tomorrow.”

Akane looked up and blew a raspberry at her sister. Nabiki could be such a meanie sometimes. She wouldn't want Konatsu to show off her cloning technique all night! Probably…

The previously animated and clearly flustered face of Konatsu suddenly dimmed and her eyes turned strangely hollow. The hand that she previously had been rubbing on her other arm stopped and gripped at it strongly as the whole body seemed to shrink somehow.

It made Akane feel strangely uneasy.

“O-oh, d-don’t worry about it,” Konatsu said with a weak, pensive voice while avoiding to look at them. “My… My step-mother wouldn't really care about me that much. Then again, she’d probably get angry with me if I'm late. I wouldn’t want to get her angry again...”

Suddenly all the remaining excitement left, leaving Akane uncomfortable and uneasy. She wasn’t really sure why but she had a feeling that whatever she just stumbled upon was something incredibly important.

But she had a very hard time grasping it.

‘Mother wouldn't really care about me that much’, were words that Akane just couldn’t understand. Her mom was the most caring person in the world. She hugged her tightly at night, she helped her with homework even if she couldn’t understand a thing, she praised her in the kitchen even if she sometimes still messed up a recipe a little and always kissed her on the head before school.

Until now Akane thought that something like that was something normal. Everyone else also had moms that loved them as much as her mom loved her right? Having a mom’s unconditional love was something natural for her, like breathing.

Was that not true?

The very idea that her mommy wouldn’t care what's going on with her or her sisters… the sudden, ice cold feeling of anxiousness and panic that she felt made her want to immediately run back into her mom’s side just to convince herself that it would never ever come true.

Akane felt a very uncomfortable lump on her throat that stubbornly didn't want to go away, no matter how hard she tried.

“W-what? What do you mean by-”

“Hello there girls,” a voice,seemingly out of nowhere came from behind them, making Akane jump in place and look back with wide eyes. 

Aunty Nodoka was standing just behind her, smiling softly. It wasn’t her mommy, but with both of them looking practically identical she was close enough. Akane latched herself onto her midsection, squeezing tightly, only feeling herself relaxing once she could feel a hand gently patting her head in a familiar, slow rhythm.

The lump in her throat finally started to ease, if only just a little.

“Konatsu-chan,” Aunty’s voice carried this precious familiarity and warmth to make her feel much better right away. “We talked with the owner and she said that you don't need to work here today or tomorrow anymore.”

Aunty’s words must have had as much or even more effect on Konatsu, who looked like she was just awoken from a very deep sleep. She was blinking with disbelief while her hand went back to rubbing against her other arm. She was completely focused on Akane’s aunt at the moment.

“R-really? Why?” She asked anxiously with a strange look on her face. “S-step-mother said that I had to or else…”

Whatever Konatsu wanted to say after that was cut away by Aunty Nodoka’s hand that simply ruffled her hair with the same gentle smile that she always had.

“Don’t worry about it. Let us adults take care of things from here, ok?” She said, waving her hand before looking over the girl. “You should really rest and eat something, you’re just skin and bones.”

Akane could see that Konatsu took Aunty’s words really hard. She looked down again and stayed like that for something that felt like a full minute before she looked at them.

“Why… why are you so nice to me, ma’am?” She asked with a shaky, uncertain voice. “And how do you know my name?”

Akane could feel her aunt tensing up for just a second before her body relaxed again.

“My friends over there heard it by chance,” she said with a long, tired sigh. “No child as young as you should be forced to work as hard as you have… so just relax a bit, will you, sweetie?”

Konatsu’s eyes grew wild but before should say anything Aunty Nodoka looked down at Akane and her sisters with a pretty rare, serious face.

“Girls, I want you to take care of Konatsu here,” she said, gathering Kasumi and Nabiki a little bit closer to herself. “She’s clearly been through a lot and I’m sure she could really use a friend or two… or three for that matter. Can you do it?”

Akane was still wondering why her aunt tensed up just a second ago but the moment she asked her those thoughts went out the window, replaced by the innate desire to show off.

“Yes! Me and Natsu-chan are friends already!” She exclaimed happily wanting to talk more and more about her new friend, but then paused. The words she said to them just a moment ago make Akane feel a slight chill again. “S-she is very cool, Aunty! She…she can clone herself, you know? She just told us!”

The older redhead looked at Konatsu and cocked her head, both impressed and intrigued by that information.

“Well, that is a very special ability,” she nodded. “Don't show it yet, Konatsu-chan. At least until you eat something and rest a little.”

She then looked to the side and gave one more long, exasperated sigh.

“I have to go do some more adult stuff,” she said to them with an apologetic smile. “You girls play nice and try to not wander off too far away, ok?”

“Ok!” Akane said with her hand up in the air, suddenly excited once more at the very thought of playing with her new best friend. “Come one Konatsu-chan, we will show you our room!”

Nodoka sat at the larger stone not that far from the center of the hot springs garden, looking at the beautiful night sky and tried really hard to suppress a sigh.

 She had a lot of really fond memories of both this place and the kunoichi village much further up the mountain. She’d spent quite a lot of time there, not only deepening her understanding of the blade, but also learning how to wield a variety of different hidden weapons as well.

When she proposed visiting these hot springs she did it both for the truly beautiful scenery and to feed her own nostalgia.

She would never have guessed that in the future this place would be a source of so much chaos and hindrance for her child and their friends.

Or that it was hiding away such a tragedy.

She thought back to the pitiful, starved and clearly neglected girl that Hasumi and Soap brought with them just a few hours ago.

Nodoka had a hard time trying not to laugh at herself, remembering the scolding her daughter gave her when she brought this up.

Konatsu is a woman, mom. Just like every one of us here. Her body may be a different story but her spirit is that of a kunoichi, not a man. I may have had the ability to change my sex but it took me a lot of time to get used to the idea of actually ‘being a woman’. I am one now but for Konatsu it was never even a question to begin with…

She should get used to it by now - having a daughter who once was her son and all - but it wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be. 

She trusted her daughter though, so if she said that Konatsu really is a girl then that is who she is. A very malnourished, and miserable little girl.

Nodoka was absolutely heartbroken seeing the state that kid was in, but after learning about Konatsu’s life in the future…

It was just not right to make a sweet child like this go through all of that horrible mental and physical abuse. It was a good thing that they’d taken her in, now they only needed to figure out how to deal with that supposed ‘step-mother’ of hers and-

A movement caught her eye, interrupting her thoughts and making her face turn to the side, only to see a small figure clad in a nemaki. She was walking through the garden with her head hanging low and her trusted mister - or is it miss? - bunny kept close to her chest as if to guard her from anything that could hide in the shadows, her face was unusually thoughtful for how small a child she was.

And far too downcast for the cheerful, happy girl she usually was.

“Akane-chan, what are you doing here?“ Nodoka asked, cocking her head to the side with a slight concern. Her youngest granddaughter looked up at her, startled like a wild animal, but the moment she realized who the person calling out to her was, she calmed down a little, going from startled to something akin to a mix of anxiousness and embarrassment instead.

“Couldn’t sleep,“ she said, suddenly looking very interested in the dirt and stones just beneath her feet.

Now, that actually did sound like a plausible excuse for Akane. Not so much with Kasumi and Nabiki who Nodoka knew could sleep perfectly well without Ranko, but for some reason chose not to. 

Akane on the other hand really did sleep better next to her mom. This trip was supposed to be an opportunity for her to try sleeping with only her sisters for the first time, so it had a very high chance of failing… but Nodoka wasn’t so sure.

If that was the case her little granddaughter would immediately go hide under her mother’s bedsheets, not wander around in the middle of the night.

“Is that so… and you decided to take a walk?“ She pressed a little more, leaning slightly further towards the little girl with a small, gentle smile she had picked up from Ranko and which worked surprisingly well while talking to the girls.

Akane didn’t say anything, but gave a short nod, still not daring to look up at the redhead.

“Would you like to sit with me?” Nodoka said, patting the rock she was sitting on invitingly. “I would appreciate some company.“

A part of her was worried that Akane would decide to just walk away - especially judging by the way she was fidgeting slightly under Nodoka’s gaze - but fortunately after a few nerve-racking moments of hesitation the youngest of the Tendo girls walked towards the place Nodoka was sitting and hopped onto it, momentarily snuggling as close as possible to the redhead.

Nodoka wasn’t sure if she did that for warmth or just because she liked to snuggle, but she didn’t really care about that. Instead she decided to just appreciate it and put one of her arms around the smaller girl's body, hugging her from the side.

“Was there some specific reason you couldn’t sleep?“ She asked once again, looking down at the small child, now firmly pressed into her own nemaki.

She could feel the girl’s body tense slightly after she asked the question. Akane didn’t say anything this time either, but she did give a slight nod.

Just as she thought.

And she had a pretty good idea of what it was, too.

“Is it Konatsu?“ She asked.

Akane seemed to shrink slightly at that, but then she nodded again.

“Why? I thought that you four got along pretty well,” Nodoka looked closer at Akane's small frame, becoming more and more intrigued… but also genuinely anxious about the little girl’s current state. “Was she not as fun to be around as you thought she would be?”

Akane’s face finally looked up and her eyes met Nodoka just before she furiously started shaking her head.

“N-no, that’s not it,” she said rather firmly but the fire in her eyes dimmed quickly as she looked down again, although not as low as before. She even snuggled a little closer to Nodoka’s side, relaxing her whole body even more than before. “Natsu-chan is nice, she’s kind and cool… I won’t be playing hide and seek with her anymore though, she’s too good at it,“ she added with a little pout.

That flash of the usual, carefree Akane made Nodoka’s lips curl up a little, but it didn’t change the fact that her little granddaughter was clearly struggling with something.

The redhead ran her hand alongside Akane’s shoulder trying to cheer her up.

“So what's the matter?“ She continued with a slight sigh.

Both of them went silent after that. Nodoka looked down at the little girl as she was probably trying to decide what to do next… only for her little arms to wrap themselves desperately around the redhead’s midsection.

“She… Aunty, she said her mom doesn't care about her…” Akane whispered into Nodoka’s side so quietly that if she wasn’t listening carefully she would probably miss it all. “That’s… that’s not true… right?“

Right there, for just a moment Nodoka couldn’t hear anything other than the sudden ringing in her ears. Of course that is what it was, Akane’s recent years ever since Ranko showed up were all filled with love and affection. On the other hand Konatsu’s life was anything but. In fact the little kunoichi’s life was more akin to…

…to the life Ranma was living ever since Genma took them on the training journey, at least if what Ranko said was all true. And that… that hit much closer to home than Nodoka thought it could.

Suddenly her whole body started to feel really, really cold.

“Oh, Akane…“

Ever since Ranko entered her life and introduced her to her ‘sort-of grandkids’, Nodoka plunged herself into the role of the helpful, cheerful aunt, one that would always be there for those three little rascals, no matter what they needed. She did that because she genuinely adored all of them and with time she really started to see them as her actual grandkids, even though she was only twenty nine this year. Deep down though, she knew that she did all that for one more reason, one that was really selfish and one that she didn’t really admit before herself.

She was desperately trying to not think about all the things that Ranma was probably experiencing right now, far away from her reach. Ranko promised her that not all of it was that bad, plus they already were discussing what to do with her son when both he and her husband were back in Tokyo… but it didn’t put her at ease, at least not as much as she hoped it would. She still felt sadness and regret about being complacent about the whole training journey. 

She didn’t want to think about it because just thinking about what her sweet baby boy could experience without her to make it all better was just too much to bear. That was also the reason why she never really pressed Ranko to tell her in more detail what exactly were the worst things she lived through on that many years long trip with Genma. She was scared about what she would do if she learned the whole truth.

She wasn’t brave enough to go through that.

Nodoka looked down at the small body of the girl who apparently just learned that not everybody was as fortunate as her and had a very hard time dealing with that fact. It was really funny that she shared that with someone like her, a parent who wasn’t really that much better for her own child than Konatsu’s mother was…

How to explain it to such a young child? She wondered while also dealing with the sudden wave of feelings and thoughts about her own little boy. A sudden urge to share - even though the only person who she could share it with right now wouldn’t possibly be able to understand it all - gave her an idea.

She leaned a little closer to Akane's ear.

“Hey, wanna hear a secret?” She asked, immediately peaking the little girl’s interest. “I have a son. A beautiful baby boy. His name’s Ranma.“

It was always amusing to see the emotions on the kids' faces change as if by the flip of a switch whenever they heard something interesting. The same thing happened with Akane, with her once anxious and tense face turning bright and excited in an instant.

“You do?! I want to meet him!” She explained tugging at Nodoka’s clothes looking at her with those shining brown eyes. “Why didn't you bring him to us before?“

The gentle smile she was trying very hard to maintain cracked slightly at that question. Akane was still too young to understand things as convoluted as they were in her son’s case. Not to mention that even telling all this to a child as small as her, it still made Nodoka feel like the worst phoney imaginable just thinking about that day… she bit her lip to stay focused.

“I… I let his father take him on a very long training journey,” she said, suddenly very interested in the state of her own nails, not having enough nerve to keep looking into those pure, innocent eyes. “Back then… Let’s say I made a mistake. A huge mistake that I regret every single day. I should have kept him with me, so he could meet you and your sisters. I’m sure you four would make very good friends.“

“I miss him every day,” she continued, not really sure if she was still talking to Akane or just to herself, but once she started talking she seemed to be unable to stop herself. And so she kept going. “Some people would say that I also ‘didn’t care’ about him. I let him go somewhere far away without me after all…. but that’s not true,” she paused for just a second to look into Akane’s frozen, wide eyed face that was probably trying really hard to keep up with whatever her aunt was just saying to her. Nodoka’s lips curled up into a slight, sad smile. “You three are very lucky, having a mom that loves you and cherishes you so much as Ranko does.“

Nodoka forced herself to smile more brightly and patted her little granddaughter on the head.

“Remember Akane-chan, a lot of parents love their children in their own way, even if you think it’s weird or you can’t really understand it.“

Or if they themselves do not really understand what they are even doing, only realizing what they did a long time afterwards…

“Though unfortunately, there are people that really don’t care that much about their kids, and care only when they feel like it,” she continued. She didn’t want to, but it was important for Akane to understand that things like that weren't something unheard of… and that she could meet other people like that in the future too. “Unfortunately Konatsu-chan seems to have one of those people as her mom… poor thing.“

The moment she finished speaking, Nodoka's face fell down slightly. Yes, she was explaining all of this using Konatsu’s situation as an example, but at the same time constantly comparing the kunoichi’s situation with her own child and couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret and shame about what she had done in the past… and what would come out of it in the future.

She was so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that she barely noticed when a small hand that previously wrapped itself around her grew tighter and the head that was leaning onto her pressed itself a little bit harder into her side. 

Nodoka didn’t even need to look down to know what was happening, so she just shook her head. The plan was to somehow explain things and cheer Akane up a little bit, not be the one cheered up by her… she’d really messed up this one big time, hadn’t she?

“I wish Konatsu had a better family, like we do,” Akane said looking up at her aunt with much more energy than before, she was even smiling a bit. “I really like her, Aunty. She’s nice and funny and she really can clone herself! It was sooo cool!“

A moment later the girl’s face fell again.

“But she sometimes goes all quiet and sad and… and I don’t think she likes other adults that much,” Akane continued with a shy, anxious voice. “She always goes quiet whenever some of the working people pass by and don’t say a word until they’re gone“.

Nodoka instantly went back to the fact that Konatsu was ‘working’ in these hot springs, even though she couldn’t be really that much older - maybe even was the same age - as Akane was. This and the fact that from what she heard she was carrying much more than a child her size and stature should carry make her glad that Hasumi and Soap maybe sort of… threatened to beat up the owner until she let them keep Konatsu with them… and tell them what exactly the deal was between her and the girl’s step-mother.

Those were things that she won’t be discussing with a child though.

“You are a very good girl Akane-chan and a very good friend,” she said, patting a girl on her head once again. “Exactly who Konatsu needs right now.“

This and a safe environment she could thrive in, too. It is unfair that this small, precious child was destined to live such a miserable life before we arrived here, she thought, and - while she did so - a plan slowly started to formulate in her head. Maybe this time I could actually do something good for once… at least for this child…?

“Don’t worry sweetie, we will help Konatsu-chan," she said, hugging Akane a little closer to herself, even though her thoughts were already wandered elsewhere. “I promise we will.“

Shampoo stretched, the heavenly sensation of releasing the tension went through the end of her nose to the tip of her tail. The sun’s rays were warm on her fur, making her instincts try to win her over, promising a great time sunbathing on that one rock she noticed yesterday as they arrived in the springs. She couldn’t let them win though, she had a task to do.

The mission ‘keeping an eye on the girls while they’re exploring and playing while not getting discovered by the stuff that was on high alert around her’ already started. It was their last full day at these hot springs and while Ranko and the rest of them were deciding what to do about Konatsu’s step-mother and how to take the girl to Nerima with them, Shampoo volunteered to be the girl's guard. With that, she could come to their rescue whenever someone wanted to cause them harm - she would just need to jump into whichever hot spring was the closest - and observe the staff interacting with the kids.

After yesterday, when she caused a scene and almost beat that stuck-up owner to a pulp for exploiting Konatsu, she knew that the only reason they weren’t kicked out yet was because they were afraid of them… but it wasn’t a reason to ruin it all for the kids. They really had a blast yesterday and she really hoped they would feel the same today… for as long as possible at least. All the while she would watch over them from the side.

Or at least that was the plan.

“Soap-san what are you doing here?!” Nabiki’s voice came out right behind her at the very last moment of her stretch and before she could even react, Shampoo was suddenly lifted from the ground and into a rather clumsy but firm hold into the girl’s arms. 

She glared at the small girl for daring to sneak up on her during such a vulnerable moment, but quickly gave up on that and just made a sigh - which in her cat form sound more like a soft meow - resigning to her fate. The whole idea of this was so she could keep an eye on the girls, whether she would do it from the side or from their arms, there was no real difference.

Well, except for all the additional attention.

“Oh my, what a beautiful cat!” Konatsu gushed over Shampoo, looking her over from practically every angle. “I didn’t know creatures like that actually live here!”

Shampoo's neck straightened and her tail started to move, listening to the young kunoichi’s praises. She was very pleased that Konatsu was knowledgeable enough to acknowledge her undisputed uniqueness and beauty. Of course it wasn’t even close to the ones given to her by her wife, not to mention that Kasumi always would say them while giving her her well deserved belly rubs or scratches ...something she… sort of became addicted to over the years. Though she would never admit it out loud.

“It’s not a cat, it’s Soap-san!” Said Akane, using the opportunity and starting scratching Shampoo behind the ear. The amazon’s feline body practically moved on its own leaning more into the girl's hand while a soft purr began to escape from her chest. “You don’t know Natsu-chan, but Soap-san can change into a cat with cold water. She’s magic!”

Konatsu tilted her head and looked skeptically at the cat now fully enjoying her scratches.

“This is Soap-san? Really?” She asked, making Shampoo’s eyes turn right at her face, frowning.

What do you mean, really? Have you ever seen another cat with fur the same color as my hair? She wanted to say, but as a cat she regrettably lost any ability to do so. What happened to that naive and gullible kunoichi that would probably believe that the sun rises in the west if only Ukyo said it did?

Part of her wanted to immediately go to the nearest hot spring and change, if only so she could prove Konatsu that yes, she was who she was… but doing that would make Akane stop scratching her behind the ear and she couldn’t have that… so the only things she do was to growl slightly, just so she knew that Shampoo was not happy with her.

“Yes, really.” Kasumi said, crossing her arms over her chest with a curious look. “And judging by the fact that she was following us, I bet Soap-san is here to keep an eye on us… right?”

Shampoo nodded and gave a chirping noise as a confirmation. She was quite pleased with how clever the girl was already, even though she was still so young. Not that there was anything strange about that. She was a younger version of her beloved wife, so she had to be resourceful and clever!

“Soap-san, is keeping an eye on us?” Nabiki asked with a quite puzzled expression on her face. “Why?”

“We didn’t do anything wrong, right?” Akane’s face fell slightly before she gave Shampoo a slightly concerned look. “Right?”

As if the three of you could yet cause anything that serious… Shampoo thought, thinking back on the amount of chaos she and the rest of Ranko’s friends and family caused in Nerima all those years back. They are still too young for that… I hope…

On the other hand, the past is vastly different from what it was. And they are Ranko’s kids, which means… oh boy.

Shampoo felt a shiver going down her spine just by thinking about it.

“T-that… well, I think it’s because of me.” Konatsu said, looking at her feet with a guilty expression. “I’m supposed to be working here now and not… not playing with you, so…”

Whatever the kunoichi wanted to say next was cut off by Kasumi’s arms wrapping around her neck as she was brought into a close - and rather rough - side hug.

“Well too bad,” Kasumi said with a cocky grin, almost a mirror of the one Shampoo remembered Ranma gave all the time in the past. “Konatsu is with us now and whoever has a problem with that will have to go through me.” The girl paused for a moment, making a side glance at Shampoo. “And Soap-san too, I guess.” 

Shampoo meowed in agreement. It was already decided that they would take Konatsu with them so it went without saying. Even though apparently no one thought that it would be a good idea to tell that to the girl for some reason…

Konatsu was clearly startled by suddenly being grabbed like this, but even more so by what Kasumi just said to her. It was clear that this kid had been all alone for so long that just hearing someone say things like that must have been a huge shock.

She was almost certain that she saw the little kunoichi’s eyes water slightly but she quickly looked away.

“I-I… really, you don’t have to be…”

“Come one, Natsu-chan, you're our friend now!” Akane chimed in, hugging the poor girl from behind with a wide smile. “The Tendos stick together!”

“She’s not a Tendo, though,” Nabiki pointed out with ‘as a matter of fact’ look on her face but right after that she looked at Konatsu with a grin of her own. “Which doesn’t mean that we will leave you behind of course, don’t worry.”

Shampoo felt a warmth spreading from her chest at the sight of all three Tendo sisters smiling and giggling around the little kunoichi. Over the last two years since she started living in the Tendo Dojo she was finally able to observe the dynamics between each of them and… there were a lot of issues there, ones that none of them would probably have noticed themselves.

That said it was clear that each of them loved and cared for one another. They just had a strange and often very roundabout way of showing it, which was often very frustrating to see from the side.

It was good to see that those three were very close and not really beating around the bush about anything. Maybe they will at least be honest with each other when this timeline’s Ranma finally came back.

“Oh, oh! I almost forgot!” Akane let go of Konatsu and started jumping up and down with childlike enthusiasm with her eyes wide and shining. “Did you know that we have a cousin?!”

Shampoo pricked up her ears at that, what was the girl talking about? Her two older sisters must have thought the same thing as well, because both of them looked at their youngest sister with sudden - although slightly reserved - interest.

“Huh? I mean, I guess?” Kasumi said, rolling her eyes with a pout. “Mom said that there’s a whole bunch of other Tendos out there, but they are jerks that don’t want to meet us…”

“No no, not them.” Akane shook her head with a big, excited grin. “Auntie Nodoka has a son! She told me last night! His name is Ranma!”

"Mrrp?!" Shampoo’s whole body tensed up and her tail puffed up for just a second before she could do anything about it. 

Nodoka told you what?!

Granted, she wasn’t aware of any reason why they should keep ‘Ranma’ a secret, but she just assumed that they wouldn’t want to change everything about how the past events broke out. Then again, maybe that was actually a good thing? From what she heard the first encounter the Tendos had with Ranma was rather rough…

Nabiki looked quizzically at her sister, clearly trying to discern if she was actually serious or she was just bluffing to get a reaction out of them

“Wait, really? Then why did we never meet him?” She asked, not even trying to hide how skeptical she was.

Shampoo leaned a little bit further too, also curious about just how much Nodoka actually told Akane… and how much the little girl even understood about any of it.

The youngest Tendo’s previous smile dimmed a little.

“Auntie said that he’s on a training trip with his dad,” she said, quietly, drawing a little circle in the dirt with her foot. “She was really sad about it though…”

Shampoo laid her ears back while looking at the little girl. Nodoka told her quite a lot, even though Akane was still so young… a poor kid clearly didn’t really understand that much, but what she did understood…

Maybe I should have a chat with Nodoka? Tell her to not burden this super fragile kid with things as hard as this.

Kasumi didn’t really notice - or noticed but wasn’t too bothered - that her little sister was concerned and went full on Ranko-like typical martial artist reaction to the word ‘training trip’.

She went and started gushing about it.

“Training trip? Oh wow…” She said with a dreamy look in her eyes. “I’m kind of jealous…” 

“Not that I would want to be away from mom and you guys for long but still…” she let go of Konatsu and waved defensively with both of her hands, but not long after her eyes started to have a far away look once more. “I wonder what kind of martial arts he knows…”

“And you're all about that again,” Nabiki makes a tired sigh and starts massaging her temples like an old lady. “Seriously, I hope when Ranma gets back he won’t do nothing but talk about martial arts too… I don’t think I can stand two muscle heads at the same time…”

“Hey, who are you calling a muscle head?!” Kasumi asked with feigned indignation which led to both of them snickering at each other. The information about a mysterious boy named ‘Ranma’ completely passed them as something with no real significance. They had no idea how important that ‘boy’ would be in their future.

Not that Shampoo complained, to be completely honest, she wasn’t looking forward to all the chaos that Ranko’s younger self would bring once he came back from his training trip.

The girls resumed their exploration of the hot springs area after that. At some point Akane decided that it was her turn to carry Shampoo, which in turn changed into a few minutes long rotation during which each girl was able to carry her in their arms everywhere. The Amazon didn’t argue, if anything it allowed her to just relax, sunbathing while observing everything around them.

Konatsu was still looking at her skeptically, but even so when it was her turn to carry her she did it carefully and with respect so Shampoo decided to forgive the girl for her lack of faith. The fact that it was a little kunoichi who was guiding them around the hot springs, showing fun and truthfully mesmerising sights hidden all around this place could be called a price worth paying for still being perceived as ‘probably just a very beautiful cat’. She would need to find a place to change back soon anyway, then she would finally show the girl who she really was.

At least that was her plan when they started, but then suddenly the fur on her back stood up and just a fraction of a second later the amazon’s instincts started screaming at her very loudly.

She could sense upcoming danger.

Right then a loud crash could be heard by all of them, Shampoo and the girl’s sight was blocked by a sudden wave of dust and dirt. When everything was finally cleared Shampoo’s whole body tensed up at the sight.

Right in front of them stood three… women? Each one she looked at was taller than that last, almost looking like nesting dolls stacked next to each other. They wore something that blended kimonos with kunoichi’s clothing and very heavy make-up… which did nothing to hide the fact that all three of them were just… horrifyingly ugly.

To the point that Great Grandmother was probably a ten in comparison to all three of them, maybe more.

“I heard some interesting news, Konatsu-chan,” the smallest of the three - one that reminded Shampoo of a face painted monkey - said while sending daggers straight towards the little kunoichi’s face. “Apparently you’re not working as you’re told to do. I thought I’d already taught you how to be a well-behaved child and do what you’re told… but I see I need to give you another lesson.”

Akane lay down on the floor, her eyes transfixed on the very peculiar tree knot on the ceiling. They came here to soak in the warm waters as much as possible and relax a little… but right now using the hot springs was the last thing any of them could think about.

The most important thing on their mind was Konatsu and how to take her with them in the cleanest, fastest way possible. Not to mention figuring out where she would even stay afterwards. She knew that Ranko would probably take her under her care no matter what, but she knew very well just how many people could be stuffed into the Tendo Dojo realistically… and they were already pushing it to the very limits.

They needed a plan, and they needed it fast.

Seeing Konatsu like this… it didn’t top the moment she saw her younger self hugging Ranko while calling her ‘mom’, Akane was pretty sure that nothing will ever top that, but it was very much the second strangest thing she’d ever seen in her life. It was so surreal to see a person she remembered laughing, training and fighting side by side… looking so small and miserable. It just felt wrong and it needed to stop.

Like… right now.

“I still can’t believe that we just… stumbled onto Konatsu like that,” said Nabiki, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I can. You should've seen it when me and the girls stumbled upon Ryoga, it was basically the same thing,” Ranko said with a short chuckle, although she was even less amused by the whole situation than Akane was. It was strange, but to her it looked as if the redhead felt particularly sad and… angry at how Konatsu was treated here.

Akane wondered if maybe her ex-fiance felt some sort of kinship with the young kunoichi. If she remembered correctly, Genma also frequently ‘rented’ Ranma to do some labour to pay off his debts or other things during their training journey.

It must have hit too close to home.

“Ryo-chan I can actually believe, that kid could probably end up getting stuck in the dojo for a week or jump out of your closet sometimes,” Nabiki continued with a long, sad sigh. “Konatsu though? I heard that the girl had it rough but…”

In the corner of her eye, Akane could see Ranko’s previous far away look suddenly hardening.

”We’re taking her out of here, no matter what,” she said with a steely resolve, one that told Akane everything she needed to know. The redhead had grown a little bit and maybe was more responsible than before… but that hot headedness she always had didn’t really go away.

”Konatsu-chan can’t be here any longer, I agree,” Kasumi said, looking absentmindedly into her own hands. “After Sham-chan got the owner talking about what she forced Konatsu to do… the girl is not strong enough for this kind of labor.”

Akane decided that she'd laid down enough and with one fluid motion she got up and twisted her body to immediately go from laying to sitting position, both of her arms placed firmly on the tatami mats as she looked the redhead straight in the eyes.

”So, where will she be staying?” She asked. “Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t even a question if we should take Konatsu with us, but as much as I would love to, Ranko, we just can’t take her to the Tendo Dojo. With all of us in there too… there’s just not enough space in there.”

She hated it, but someone needed to address the elephant in the room. She still remembered just how much strain - at least at first - Kasumi was under when the Saotomes came in and made themselves at home. Now Ranko needed to somehow deal with not two but four additional people in the house and as much as she appreciated that the redhead didn’t comment on it, it must have been much more work to deal with. Adding one more person would just be too much.

”Don’t worry sis, once we get our new papers we will be able to pull our weight too,” Nabiki said, holding onto one of her knees and rocking back and forth on the ground. “Getting our own place, a stable job somewhere… it will work out. As for right now, well…”

”You don’t need to worry about that either,” Nodoka, who was quiet until now, finally spoke up, drawing the attention of the whole room to herself. She looked nervous, but determined with a steel resolve, almost identical to Ranko’s. “I’ll do it. I’ll take Konatsu.”

The silence that came out right after that was almost deafening.

Akane sat on the floor, frozen… having a very real and overwhelming desire to punch herself. Why didn’t they think about that before? The answer was right in front of them the entire time but somehow none of them saw it, right until now…

She suddenly felt guilty of not including Nodoka as a viable possibility. Sure back then she was this older, strange and kind of unreliable adult that they would often try very hard to brush off before doing their own things. This Nodoka however was different, and she didn’t deserve to be left out just because of the actions of her other self in a completely different reality.

Those and some other thoughts were spiraling around in Akane’s mind, all the while Ranko looked like her own thoughts were going in a little different direction, as she frowned, giving her mother a very sceptical, hesitant look.

”Mom? But you-” the redhead started.

”I’m what?” Her mother cut her off. “My current house is big enough. Plus, I already thought about talking to my grandparents and getting something bigger, more modern for the girls to visit… and having a kid to live with me full time?” A slight, amused smile flickered across her face. “It will be nice. I didn’t really do any actual ‘parenting’ ever since Genma took-”

Nodoka’s voice caught in her throat. She didn’t need to finish, everyone knew what she was trying to say. Akane was actually very impressed by just how well the older redhead was coping with the whole future mess that she now knew would happen… and what did happen after she let Genma take Ranma on that whole training journey.

“Besides, if Konatsu wants to live as a girl,” Nodoka continued after pulling herself together. “She will need someone to teach a lot of things, don’t you think? I think…” there was a hint of hesitation in her voice, but it quickly dissipated, replaced by excitement and anticipation. “I think I will like that very much. Hopefully she will like it too.”

Akane smiled at that. She really liked this version of Nodoka. She was a mother who had been deprived of the chance to raise her own child, so it’s no wonder she was excited about the opportunity to actually, really be a mom to someone. Not a mentor, not a cool aunt… but a mom. And Akane just couldn’t help but root for her.

And apparently she wasn’t the only one who thought that way. Ranko was looking at Nodoka for a long, quiet moment and then suddenly it looked as if she woke up from some… strange dream? She blinked a few times and only then she focused on the other redhead.

“I… Thank you mom,” Ranko whispered, her voice full of a lot of different emotions. She walked up to Nodoka and wrapped her arms around the other redheads' neck, hugging her tightly. “You’ll do great, I know you will. I… she will like it too, I’m-”

The sound of a sudden explosion made them all flinch as a big column of dirt and debris, tall enough that even they were able to see it from the small patch of the sky that they were able to see from their tsuboniwa. 

Akane slowly rose up from the ground. Her ears - now that the aftermath of the explosion had finally quieted down - were able to pick up a faint, faraway sound of someone, or rather a few someones fighting in the same direction the column of dirt and debris rose from. It looked like trouble - just like almost every day ever since Ranma ended up in her life - had found them again.

Chapter Text

Konatsu's whole body froze in place the moment she saw those three. Ever since her mom passed away and… and her dad too, those three did everything in their power to make her suffer. Calling her dumb, calling her ungrateful, teaching her some kunoichi techniques but only the ones that could make her useful. She couldn’t understand it, why would dad trust someone so ugly and bad to take care of her before he left?

He probably thought that he would get back quickly… but he disappeared somewhere out there instead, leaving Konatsu behind in a place that - even though it was full of people - made her feel absolutely and utterly alone.

The young kunoichi wanted nothing more than to be useful to her new guardian. At first she really hoped that her ‘step-mother’ - as she was ordered to call her - would at least sometimes be kind to her, her dad did leave her under her care after all… but she quickly learned that wasn’t the case. She would be useful or she would be miserable.

She really wanted to just have someone who would love her, to care for her… to tell her stories in bed or blow on her scraped knee the way mom did before… before she passed away. The everyday life in the Red Hot Tea House was slowly but steadily crushing any hopes of that, to the point that Konatsu started to become numb to everything around her. 

Konatsu didn’t even protest when her step-mother ordered her to go help at her friend’s onsen for a couple of days, since she’d gotten so used to going on different kinds of errands already. Besides, the only real drive she still had was to master as many kunoichi techniques as she could, so she could one day be as good in her family arts as her dad was… until yesterday.

Until she met the Tendos.

They came out of nowhere. She didn’t know them at all but they were kind, they didn’t judge, they actually said that she was cute and fun to be around… and Akane-chan even said she wanted to be her friend. For the first time in a long while Konatsu felt like moving again, she actually started looking forward to hanging out with them, dared to wish again… but of course, she didn’t deserve good things.

Her step-mother said that to her so many times… and this time was no exception. The moment she saw the three of them, she already felt like resigning herself to her fate, the only thing she wanted was to spare her new friends the kunoichi’s retribution. 

And so she hung her head low and started walking towards her step-mother with a resigned expression, determined to take all the blame for herself, so that Akane-chan and her sisters wouldn’t be hurt. She took the first heavy step towards them and… someone’s hand grabbed her by the shoulder, keeping her in place.

Konatsu turned around in surprise and looked straight into Kasumi’s eyes; the kunoichi was frozen in place by the girl’s unyielding determination and cocky, proud smile.

“I don’t know who you - the three uglies - are,” she said standing between them and Konatsu and her sisters. “But don’t you think that you are the ones that need to be taught a lesson? It’s very rude to butt in when kids are playing, you know?”

Konatsu froze on the spot, not really daring to even look her step-mother in the eyes. She’d already learned her lesson about doing what she was told, and could only pray that the three kunoichi sisters weren't in a particularly bad mood and would just let it pass, focusing all of their anger on Konatsu instead.

Unfortunately - as always - things didn’t go the way she wanted them to go.

“Know your place you brat!” Kome cried out and pointed one of her sausage fingers towards Kasumi, her giant mouth twisted into an angry grimace.

Koeda quickly followed suit, waving her twig-like - or rather, that’s how they always looked compared to Kome’s - arms at them with an offended expression on her face.

“Your mother clearly didn’t teach you any manners, child,” she chimed in. “Get lost before I teach you myself.”

Konatsu flinched under their angry gazes. They would always pick on her, berating her for the slightest mistake. 

It was all too easy to imagine those two venting their anger on her friends. She shuddered, trying not to think about someone as small and vulnerable as Akane trying to run away from someone like Kome.

She almost jumped out of her skin the moment she heard Soap hissing, her fur standing on end, claws unsheathed as she looked angrily at her step-mother and her sisters.

 Konatsu watched in horror while Soap tried to stand up on Akane’s arms, her eyes locked in on the three kunoichi, as if she was just preparing to jump at them with no other thought in mind.

“It would end better for you if you keep that furball on a leash or something,” her step-mother said with absolute disdain for the pink cat, before her big, painted lips crocked into an amused half-smile. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to it, am I right?”

Konatsu was on the verge of a panic attack. The whole situation was quickly getting out of hand. She wasn't stupid. Now that all three of them were clearly pissed off, they would be lucky to get out of there in one piece.

She wanted to grab Akane, cry out for her to take Soap - no matter if the magic was real and that cat was really her - and run away. It didn’t matter if she was a cat or a martial artist, one person won’t be able to hold out against the three kunoichi, it just wasn’t possible.

Before she could do anything of the sort however, Akane pouted and glared at Konatsu’s step-mother looking mortally offended.

“You can’t talk like that to Soap-san!” she yelled at the kunoichi at the top of her lungs. “Better apologise or you will be sorry!”

Soap seemingly agreed with her with a loud hiss. Konatsu could practically feel the blood draining from her face seeing a grimace appearing on her step-mother's face.

Especially when the small woman looked directly at her.

“Konatsu-chan, you really don’t have an eye for people,” she said, shaking her head before glancing at her sisters. “They are really irritating, aren’t they?”

Koeda and Kome exchange knowing glances. The smile that appeared on the sisters' faces made a shiver run down her spine.

Konatsu swallowed loudly, already dreading the consequences.

“My thoughts exactly,” said Kome, already setting her eyes on the oldest of the Tendo sisters.

Then they disappeared.

At least that's how it looked for Konatsu. As much as she tried, she was still too inexperienced and had too little skill to be able to follow the kunoichi sisters movement with her eyes. 

The moment she saw them again was only a second later. Everything seemed to be in slow motion for Konatsu, who could do nothing other than watch as all three kunoichi went for a different target.

Kome appeared in front of Kasumi who - unbelievably - seemed to be able to sense the attack and put up her guard just before the woman's arm slammed her into a nearby boulder. The little kunoichi winced, hearing a gasp as the air escaped the girl's lungs on impact.

At the same time Koeda appeared in front of Akane. Before she could do anything, however, Soap jumped at her, attacking her head fiercely with her claws, leaving deep bloody marks on the kunoichi's face. 

Koeda let out a cry of pain and with one swift hit she sent the pink cat right into a nearby hot spring, making a strangely big and loud splash.

All of that was noticed by Konatsu at the same time, but her main focus was on her step-mother Kotetsu who appeared right above her, looking at her with the same look she always had whenever she was about to ‘teach her a lesson’. Konatsu flinched, curling up and closing her eyes in anticipation of a hit that… never came.

The young kunoichi opened her eyes at a sudden, loud bang, seeing her step-mother and her sisters all laying on top of each other in a freshly formed hole in the ground.

And more or less right between her and the kunoichi sisters stood a redhead. Her yukata fluttered gently from a sudden gust of wind, Kontasu suspected it was caused by the woman's sudden arrival.

Looking at her, for a moment Konatsu was almost sure that it was Nodoka who came to their rescue, but the moment the thought crossed her mind she immediately realized that it was not the case. The redhead that appeared before her was not only giving her a completely different feeling, her hair was also longer, put into a messy braid.

Also, her aura was truly terrifying.

Everything seemed to come to a stop, except for the woman who - Konatsu now realized - was Akane's mom, and her step-mother.

She watched as the redhead walked towards the kunoichi's with slow, measured steps. Kome and Koeda twitched, probably realizing that something terrible was approaching, but the redhead completely ignored them, walking towards Konatsu's step-mother instead.

The young kunoichi found herself out of breath, watching with terrible fascination as the Tendo Matriarch grabbed Kotetsu by her kimono and lifted her with no apparent effort.

The redhead picked her up until Konatsu's step-mother was barely an inch or two away from her face.

“How dare you lay a hand on my children?” she said quietly, with every syllable dripping from barely contained rage.

Hearing those words and feeling a chilling sensation of dread the moment the last word landed made her shudder, all the while her legs seemingly moved on their own as Konatsu took a step back. It was the first time in her life when she wasn’t scared of her step-mother at all. In fact, she was almost sorry for her.

Almost.

“Hey Ranko! Glad to see you! Clean up this mess, would you? We are going to play in the garden.” A voice echoed in her ears.

“W-what? Why?” Her voice. Younger, not even ten years old at that time. “I didn't… I didn't make it, so why-”

“So what?” Another voice, a boy’s, cut her in with irritation and indignation. “Don't think you are one of us. Just because grandpa didn't chase you out doesn't mean you are really a Tendo.”

“Yeah! Be grateful that you are even here!” a girl chimed in.

“No way. You make a mess, you clean it up. I'm not gonna-”

Even after the memory faded, Ranko could still feel the pain from when her arm was pulled behind her and her face was pressed into the ground.

“Shut up and do what you're told, bastard. Don't you dare talk back to me ever again!”

Voices of the other kids from the Tendo House still haunted her even after she left their room. Ranko wasn’t sure what was happening, but the moment the vision faded, it was as if it unlocked some sort of floodgate, showing her a myriad of random images, scrambled and incomplete memories of the past. She suddenly could recall some parts of her life in the Tendo Family. The cold glances, indifference of adults. teasing and bullying of the kids…

She realized then, that she was always an outsider. Only allowed to get the surname Tendo because of her Dad's earnest pleading… and later because of her extraordinary talent for martial arts, nothing more.

The only ones that were kind to her and loved her were her Dad and Hanna. They were the only ones who made her early years in the Tendo House somehow bearable. At least until she was so good at martial arts that she could basically bully all the other kids herself. She could faintly remember that the idea was tempting, but someone talked her out of it. Maybe it was Hanna?

Before that though, the kids made her life absolutely miserable, only interacting or playing with her if some adults told them to and otherwise dumping all the cleaning and otherwise tedious stuff they should do on her. She would comply or she would be beat up, after all she was almost always outnumbered.

Just like Konatsu was.

She always thought that the kunoichi was just vague about her life in the Tea House because there wasn't really that much to talk about, and that at most she was exploited similar to Ranma on the training journey.

Now that Ranko could remember some of her past more clearly she knew better. It wasn’t that there wasn’t anything to talk about. Rather, there were so many little traumas making someone's past just too painful to talk about.

To the point that you shudder at the very idea of looking back.

It was with that thought in mind that she ran towards the place she was sure Konatsu and her girls would be… but the moment she arrived at the scene none of that mattered.

Her mind suddenly went blank.

She watched as one of the kunoichi - the skinny one - threw Shampoo into the hot springs. She didn't really worry about that, though. Once Shampo walked out of the water she would erase that woman from existence without a second thought.

But when she looked slightly to the side…

…seeing her eldest be sent flying into a boulder and making a short cry of pain…

Ranko’s vision went red as both rage and worry exploded inside her chest. She could feel her eyes getting watery seeing her baby wincing on the ground and a righteous fury flared as she looked at the fat, ugly creature that did it to her child.

She didn't roar, she didn't cry out, she didn't gasp. Her body moved on its own with cold, calculated efficiency and a speed that would probably surprise her as well if not for the fact that she was so focused on destroying whatever was threatening her family.

Within seconds she was in there, striking them one after the other straight into the ground. She debated using Hissatsu Tenshin Amaguriken to strike at their Moxibustion points. Normally she would think of this as cowardly, but those three attacked her daughters, and by doing so they forfeited every last bit of mercy Ranko would ever consider giving them. 

But no, it wasn’t time for that yet. That would end the fight, and she wouldn't take away the retribution that Shampoo was surely craving. That she craved.

They would never hurt anyone ever again, she would make sure of that.

Slowly and painfully.

Ranko walked slowly towards Konatsu's step-mother trying and failing not to imagine all the things that woman did - or rather would do - to Konatsu before Happosai dragged Soun, Genma and Ranma here in the future.

It would probably have worked if not for the fact that she had observed Konatsu interacting with people around here today. She saw everything, her getting scared and quiet whenever someone walked by, the face she made when her girls were just having fun and the small kunoichi wasn't sure what she should do… and how curled up and scared she looked facing her step-mother just a second ago.

And all of it just made Ranko more and more angry. No child should ever flinch when they saw their family.

She walked towards the small monkey-like woman and picked her up, feeling dirty just by holding her by her kimono.

It felt like holding some slimy and disgusting worm.

“An opening!” One of the sisters - the skinny one - cried out, apparently thinking that she wasn’t paying attention and tried to hit Ranko from behind. 

The redhead didn't even look back when she kicked the annoying pest - which at that moment was exactly what she was for Ranko, a pest - more or less in the direction where Shampoo probably was. 

 The woman in her hands finally seemed to get her bearings and was now staring daggers at her, Ranko could feel the small body of Konatsu's step-mother tensing up, probably preparing for some kind of counter attack.

She weighed her options in her head, trying to decide what to do next… but every time she was close to making a final decision the face of Konatsu - scared, whimpering and mumbling something in her sleep - would appear in her head. This person in her hands was the one who did it, or at the very least allowed it to happen.

Ranko furrowed her brows, her lips twisted into a grimace.

And then she threw the hideous woman ahead with all the strength she had.

Nodoka was watching everything that was happening with a complicated expression on her face.

She pulled the children closer to herself, all four of them. She was able to get a hold on them almost immediately after they arrived at the scene. The first thing she did after getting there was make sure that Kasumi wasn't really hurt after what happened. She knew that Ranko would do the same thing once she was done… doing whatever she wanted to do but until then Nodoka was responsible for her grandchildren - and Konatsu's - safety.

Once she had all of them within her arm's reach, Nodoka could simply stay with them and watch the show… if the things that she was looking at could be called that at all… There were so many things happening all at once that her eyes were jumping back and forth just to keep up. 

It was utter chaos.

The first thing that grabbed her attention was the sudden burst of water from the nearby spring. Soap emerged from the water, visibly angry and butt naked starting in the direction of the three kunoichi with a look that promised vengeance.

Nodoka felt her hand going up to cover the kids eyes, but then she remembered that they - well, at least her grandkids - saw the amazon bathing only yesterday. She let her hand go and continued watching.

Just a moment after Soap emerged from the water one of the kunoichi was sent flying straight towards her. The amazon noticed that too, and when she did a very unsettling, almost predatory smile creeped up on her face.

“Come on you bitch,” she said, cracking her knuckles and taking a battle stance. “Let’s see which one of us will end up on a leash.”

Nodoka realized that she probably should have thought about covering the children's ears instead.

On the completely opposite side of the fight the obese looking kunoichi was somehow trying to crawl out of Ranko’s sight, only to end up straight at Yasuka’s feet. It was still kind of unreal for the redhead to think that this clearly seasoned and tough martial artist was the kind of person her youngest and very emotionally fragile granddaughter would grow up to be in the future… especially after Yasuka started pounding that kunoichi woman muttering something about ‘payback’ whatever she meant by that.

And then there was Ranko, who was probably the most… extreme of the three. She was eerily quiet and had completely abandoned any semblance of dealing with the kunoichi with any discernable martial arts. 

The woman she was facing had a mix of an absolute panic and hateful determination written on her face. She was switching between trying to escape and attacking at the points she thought were openings, but Nodoka was sure they were just traps that Ranko was leaving open just so she could clobber her into the ground.

It was a very chilling experience, seeing her daughter's face - cold, calculating… devoid of any emotions - finding the places she thought it would hurt the most and striking at them with the precision of an undisputed martial arts master. 

Nodoka never thought she would see this kind of expression on her always cheerful, lovely daughter's face.

It was a little frightening.

And all of that was seen by the four kids under her care. With Akane and Nabiki still kind of scared - though since Ranko appeared they had visibly relaxed - after the initial attack. The sight of their mom destroying the other woman didn't phase them at all either, which Nodoka found a little odd.

Kasumi on the other hand, expectantly looked at all of the fighting around her with wide, excited eyes… 

…and then there was Konatsu who, even though it was clear that the kunoichi sisters had basically no chance of surviving any of this, still looked tense and worried.

Nodoka put her hand on the young kunoichi's shoulder.

“Don't worry about it,” she said with a gentle smile before shooting a quick glance ahead. “Their skills are subpar at best. Yasuka and Soap shouldn't have any problem dealing with them.”

I’m more worried about the woman that Ranko is dealing with… she thought, trying to keep her expression from falling off. Or rather, I would if not for what she did to poor Konatsu-chan. Still, I hope Ranko doesn’t kill her. That would really be a problem…

Coincidentally, Ranko grabbed the kunoichi and threw her far away into the woods and ran after her; which only made Nodoka even more anxious of what her daughter in her current state could do.

“How do you know?” Konatsu's question pulled the redhead back into the here and now. She quickly made sure her gentle, confident smile was still in place, and when she did, she focused all attention on the kids. 

“There up ahead,” she pointed at the top of the nearby mountain. “On the other side of that mountain stands a kunoichi village. I spent around a year there with my friend learning kunoichi blade and hidden weapons techniques.” She paused, smiling softly at the memories of her simpler, carefree, non-married life.

“Thanks to that I’ve seen real kunoichi masters and I know those three…” she looked at the two women being beaten to a pulp nearby. “They are really poorly trained. Terrible really.”

“Wait, you trained to be a kunoichi?” Kanami's sudden voice nearly gave Nodoka a heart attack. “What other exciting things didn’t you tell us?”

Turning around she noticed both Kanami and Hasumi standing just behind her, looking as invested in what she was talking about as the children were.

Oh, right, they’re here too…

“I'm not really a kunoichi or anything,” she waved it off, but then she looked at Konatsu with as much warmth and sincerity as she could. “But I can teach you what I know, Konatsu-chan. If you want.”

Nodoka thought back to what she said to Ranko only a few minutes ago. She was serious when she said it, so she decided to take care of the little kunoichi no matter what… she just hoped that she would be able to find a common ground with her and the girl would see that she was entirely different from her previous ‘family’.

Konatsu looked at her with those big, inquisitive eyes, and the redhead needed all of her willpower to stop her hand reaching out for her and pulling her into a hug. The girl was just too precious for her own good.

“I…” the kunoichi started, then paused for a moment, letting her eyes drop and start admiring the stone and dirt under her feet. “I think I would like that.”

Nodoka couldn't help but smile more widely, feeling a warm, pleasant sensation spreading out from her chest.

Then suddenly she felt a tug on her sleeve.

“Hey, me too! I want to learn that too!” Kasumi exclaimed with a pout.

Her eldest granddaughter was clearly upset that she had been left out of the matter.

Nodoka chuckled.

That girl - on the other hand - was too much into martial arts for her own good.

But I guess there is a special kind of charm in that as well, she thought, looking fondly at her oldest granddaughter.

“Of course you do,” she said, ruffling the hair on Kasumi's head and working really hard to ignore a sudden explosion she could clearly hear in the distance.

Ranko's punch made the older kunoichi fly straight through the door of the Tea House. A part of her wanted to congratulate herself. It really had been a long time since she'd been here but somehow she was sure that this place had to be somewhere close by.

And she was right.

She hadn’t really had enough time to look around since Happosai had destroyed this place almost immediately after they’d gotten here… but truth be told she didn't really lose out on much.

The place was old and decrepit already, even though it was clear that the kunoichi did everything they could to repair it or cover up the damage whenever they could.

Walking inside of the Tea House, Ranko’s nostrils were attacked by heavy smells of smoke, sake, heavy perfume, sweat and something else… desperation?

Maybe… or maybe not? After all, Happosai dragged them here, lured by stories about the kunoichi's ‘unique beauty’, which meant that some men really did somehow find the three sisters attractive… Ranko shook her head, she wasn't going to think about that.

It didn't really matter, she wasn't planning to let this place stand after she left anyway.

Not when she knew just how much Konatsu lived through here and how much more she would suffer if this place was left in peace.

Ranko's gaze fell onto Konatsu's step mother who was now trying to stand up from the debris of a very large and tacky looking table, the disgust she felt every time she looked at her hadn’t diminished at all, even though her opponent was already bruised and beaten.

She just couldn’t force herself to care about the woman in any meaningful way, even if she would normally feel a little bit of respect for a woman who was beaten up so completely and yet still looked at Ranko with such anger and hatred.

“What are you doing?!” She yelled at her, trying to get up from the ground, brushing the dirt off of her already ruined kimono. “Do you know how much all that co-”

Ranko slapped her in the face.

“Shut up,” she said, sending Konatsu’s step-mother straight into a nearby wall. The impact was loud and left a satisfying looking hole in it, exposing a wooden beam that was clearly rotting.

It's a miracle that this place survived in passable condition until Ranma arrived.

Konatsu’s step mother walked out of the hole looking dizzy and angry, to the point that her red face was visible even through her heavy makeup. If looks could kill, Ranma would have been dead a few times over before the woman pulled her whole body through the hole in the wall.

“You crazy bitch, what do you-” her voice was cut off again, this time by Ranko’s leg. The redhead sent the woman back through the wall again with a quick kick into the stomach, not even bothering to use any martial arts to do so. Someone as pathetic as these kunoichi sisters didn’t deserve to see even a glimpse of Ranko’s techniques… or her pity.

“I said shut up. Everything so far was for my kids, by the way,” she clarified, walking through the wall herself into some kind of small storage room… or at least that’s what she thought it was until she realized that it was only half true.

It must have been a storage room before, but it was clearly repurposed - well, at least half of it - to a very bare and minimalistic bedroom. A single old futon, a big chest and a small coffee table were cramped together in the only space free of the multitude of crates and other containers.

She almost certainly was standing inside of Konatsu’s ‘bedroom’.

The sight of it all made Ranko’s blood boil again.

“And about Konatsu…” she said through clenched teeth. “You have a lot to apologise for.”

The woman shot her a hot, hateful glare.

“For what?!” She shouted. “Do you know how much that brat costs me?! Damn it…If I knew how much trouble this little shit would get us into I would have never agreed to take him in.”

Ranko looked down at the woman, having a strange, surreal sensation as if she was looking at a very big, nasty cockroach. A part of her wanted to strike her down once more, but she strangled that thought. She could always do that later.

Instead she walked towards the woman and crouched down to her level. It was time to talk.

“You could have thought about it before marrying her father, you know?” She said coldly. “The responsibilities and-”

“What are you talking about, you crazy woman?!” Konatsu's step mother exclaimed with wide eyes, looking at Ranko in a way that actually made her pause. “Who would want to marry such a bum? He was on the verge of destitution for Kami's sake.”

Ranko looked at the older woman with bewilderment. What she’d just heard felt all wrong - especially with Konatsu herself calling the woman ‘step-mother’ and all - but she couldn't sense any deception in her voice. No, she was so angry and beaten up that she probably couldn't care less about lying. 

But if what she said was true…

“What are you talking about?” Ranko couldn't help but ask.

“That brat's father was here, yes,” She practically spat those words out. “I thought that he would be a client… but instead he just dropped his kid on me, gave me this… this worthless piece of paper, telling me to act as that kid’s ‘guardian’ for a while and to keep that kid alive until he came back with money.”

Suddenly all of the pieces of information were starting to come together in Ranko's mind. 

“But he never did,” she said, plainly.

“Yeah, he never did,” the woman nodded, looking at her hatefully. “Keeping the kid costs money, you know? And with no sign of his father Konatsu needed to earn his keep. It was only fair, after-”

Ranko slapped her again.

“Stop talking,” she said, the cold in her head started to turn and she couldn't focus with all that noise. 

“Or… you know what, no,” she said, cocking her head slightly, looking at the kunoichi in a way that made her shudder. “That piece of paper… tell me all about it.”

“You have to be kidding me,” Nabiki murmured to herself looking at the scroll in her hands.

It was early afternoon, not long after they dealt with the kunoichi sisters and… whatever Ranko did with them and the Tea House. Frankly, this time she didn't want to know. She was kind of scared of the redhead whenever she went into ‘mama bear’ mode… it was much safer to just let her do whatever she wanted until she calmed the fuck down.

But Nabiki would have imagined that letting Ranko do whatever she wanted would be this funny… or rather ironic.

Looking at the piece of paper Ranko supposedly ‘retrieved’ from the Tea House, she really wasn't sure if she should laugh or shake her head.

This is all this fucking seppuku pledge all over again, she couldn't help but snicker helplessly at the thought. Well, not exactly but… what's wrong with all these people and their honor-bound contracts… are they stupid? Scratch that, of course they are…

“What do you think?” Ranko asked from the side.

It was really amazing how striking the one-eighty was, from this bone chilling, deadly mama bear to an anxious mess after seeing Kasumi's scraped and bruised shoulder and then to the sweetest mommy tucking her kids to sleep after a very emotionally taxing afternoon.

Nabiki couldn't help but be impressed by all of it, much more than she thought she would be.

Even so, to still be so simple and naive after living through so much… It was actually kind of cute.

She shook her head.

“Honorbound contracts have no legal standing so, the short answer is - no,” she said, even though she knew that was not enough for the redhead.

Nabiki looked at the scroll in her hands once more, racking her brain about just how careless Konatsu's father actually was. 

…’acting as a legal guardian until the day I return…” was he high or something? She would facepalm but she didn't want to risk waking up the kids.

She understood that the guy must have been mourning his wife and all, but there should have been limits to how thoughtless and careless you could be.

“Well, there's no two year old kid’s hand print on it so I'd say it is a little bit more legitimate,” she said with an amused smile, but dropped it the moment she saw how worried Ranko's face was. “Although barely. The government would just laugh it off,” she continued, scratching the back of her head. “But… I think it could help Nodoka's case if she really wants to take Konatsu in,” she glanced to the side at the other redhead. “Do you?”

Nodoka glanced at her. The older S-, the Saotome, was making sure that all the girls - especially Konatsu - were all tucked in and were ok after everything that happened.

The tender way the other redhead was looking at Konatsu made Nabiki feel foolish for even asking that question.

“Of course I do,” she said, quietly standing up and joining them at the edge of the garden.

“Konatsu will need real stability, a place she will be able to thrive,” she continued, looking at the perfectly arranged inside garden with a thoughtful expression. “Frankly speaking, I think almost anywhere would be better than what she had… Was that sack you brought was really all she owned?” Nodoka asked Ranko at which the younger redhead nodded solemnly.

Nabiki’s eyes drifted to a singular cloth bag that even if not really small, definitely wouldn’t be able to hold anywhere near as much as an eight or nine year old child should have. Judging by the looks of it, the three kunoichi weren't stingy when it came to their clothing, and so they definitely had - or at least earned - a lot of money. They definitely would have enough to buy Konatsu much more than the amount that could comfortably be put into a medium sized sack.

She could only imagine how angry Ranko got when she realized all of that. Once more, Nabiki was very glad that she wasn’t there to see it… she wouldn’t want to be crushed under the debris when the Tea House was eventually destroyed by the redhead.

Nabiki glanced at the spread out futon again, where all four small bodies which were laying right next to each other just a second ago were already tangled up with each other. Their heads, arms and legs were sticking out in all directions, looking like some strange human-like octopus. The four kids somehow were able to synchronize their breathing, making the pile rise and fall like a singular unit, making it even more strange and fascinating to watch.

“I’m sure it’s only a temporary thing. Her new guardian will surely buy her enough things to match her new friends, right?” She said winking at Nodoka. The older woman rolled her eyes at her, but the half smile that appeared on her face told Nabiki everything she needed to know.

Yes, Nodoka would definitely take Konatsu shopping once they were back home, that’s for sure. And she was going to enjoy every second of it.

“I’m so glad they got along so quickly,” Ranko said, following Nabiki’s gaze. “Especially Akane. Those two just seemed to click so naturally…”

“They will be very good friends, I can tell,” Nodoka nodded, smiling too.

Looking from the side, Nabiki once again was hit by that very strange feeling, looking at two women that looked, sat and even smiled so identically it was almost uncanny.

She shook her head, there was nothing to gain by thinking about this, now. Even if she actually had enough energy to do it, which she did not.

“Come to think of it, where are the others?” Ranko asked, apparently only now realizing that the three of them didn’t come back with them to their room.

Some things never change… Nabiki chuckled, feeling herself relax a little as she leaned against the wooden beam.

“Apparently after what we did to those three, the owner wanted to kick us out right away,” Nabiki summarised with an amused smile. “Sham-, I mean, Soap and Hasumi ‘convinced’ her to give us time to the end of the day. Yasuka went with them as additional muscle. I think they said something about soaking as much as they still can, or something.”

That and Shampoo demanding some additional ‘things’ from Kasumi for protecting the girls when we were away… but it would be better if I won’t mention it, she thought to herself and shuddered involuntarily after remembering the one time when she walked in on those two during one of their-

She could feel herself blushing and immediately strangled the thought, trying very hard to focus on the here and now.

“What did you do to them by the way?” Nodoka asked, and Nabiki immediately latched onto it, hoping to dispel the image that was so persistently appearing in her head.

Ranko’s big, soft smile hardened into something akin to a chilling smile of satisfaction. It lasted for only a second though.

“Don't worry about it,” she said in a matter of fact tone, looking away, suddenly very interested in the paintings on the walls. “They won't bother anyone anymore… the Tea House is gone too, so it will be better for us to just forget about it.”

Nabiki and Nodoka exchanged glances at that. She knew that both of them were equal parts curious and hesitant to probe Ranko for more information… and that she won’t be the one to actually do it this time. She wasn’t stupid.

Instead she decided to be smart and just drop the issue. She’d lived long enough to know that she can live without knowing everything… even if it was a little frustrating.

She adjusted the collar of her kimono.

“Well, either way we still need to get out of here by the end of the day,” she said, giving one more look into the perfectly arranged indoor garden to her side.

A pity, I actually kinda liked this place, she thought looking back on yesterday’s relaxing soak and the peaceful, soothing atmosphere of this place… but then she remembered Kasumi and Shampoo bringing Konatsu to their room for the first time. Well, whatever.

Ranko must have been thinking about something similar too. Her eyes looked somewhere far away for a few seconds before she suddenly blinked a few times and then turned her gaze at the children sleeping peacefully on the futon spread out on the other side of the room.

“Good, once the girls wake up we start packing,” she said with little to no emotion written on her face. “I wouldn't want to come back here ever again, anyway.”