As Ranma and Ranko were nearing his mother's house Ranma was telling his daughter how to behave. "Now remember, Grandma won't remember you so I want you let me talk to her first ok?"
"Ok Daddy." Ranko walked pensively for a moment, "Daddy?"
"Yes sweety?"
"Will Grandma still love me?"
"Of course she will. Why would you ask that?"
"Mommy doesn't love me anymore."
Ranma sighed and hugged his daughter, "Mommy doesn't know she's Mommy right now. But Grandma will always be your Grandma. Trust me, little orchid, Grandma will be happy to find out she's your Grandma."
Ranko didn't reply but just snuggled into her father's embrace. They completed the walk in silence, and Ranma put her down before knocking on the door. They waited for Nodoka to answer, Ranko fidgeting nervously. Nodoka opened the door and smiled warmly at Ranma, "Son, this is a surprise. What brings you here at this time of night?"
She was answered by a cry of "GRANDMA!" and a energetic glomp by a 7 year old.
Nodoka looked from Ranko to Ranma's sheepish grin and fainted.
------------------------------------
Nodoka slowly came to hearing her son's voice, "She's starting to wake up so you're going to let me Talk to her first, right?"
"Yes, daddy," came the chastened reply.
Nodoka opened her eyes to find herself on the couch in the living room. Her son was sitting nearby, watching her. "Ranma, I just had the strangest dream the you came here with a little girl who called me Grandma."
Ranma chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, well, about that. I kinda, umm, did. Mom, I'd like ya to meet your first granddaughter, Ranko. Ranko, come over here."
Ranko slowly came around into Nodoka's line of vision. She smiled hesitantly at her grandmother, who just stared at her with wonder. Nodoka reached out and ran a hand down Ranko's face before drawing her in for a hug. So she was surprised when Ranko burst into tears. "What's wrong?"
"She was worried that you wouldn't want her."
"Why would I do a thing like that?"
"It's just been a little hard for her since she arrived. No one remembers her, and some people are having trouble accepting her."
"Why? There's not anything wrong with her is there?"
"NO, there's not!"
Nodoka was a little startled by Ranma's vehement reply. Then she realized Ranma wasn't focused on her, but on the girl in her arms. 'My son is a better parent than I am,' she thought. Before she could slide further into self-castigation Ranma continued.
"Mom, I want you to keep an open mind about this, ok?" After Nodoka nodded he went on, "Ranko is mine and Akane's daughter from the future."
Nodoka was shocked, "From the future? But.. what.."
"Hold on, let me explain. Ranko came back into the past after.. a horrible event happened. She did this using an amazon artifact which she wears around her neck called the Hand of Lakshmi. The Hand can do miraculous things but it has no power source of it's own. To use it one has to supply it with power, such as ki, after which it is almost irretrievably linked to it's owner. Right now there is a soul inside the Hand, keeping it powered. My soul, Mom. In the future, I was killed."
Nodoka was horrified and frightened for her son. She held Ranko tighter, more for her comfort than Ranko's, and demanded, "You will explain. Now."
"I don't know everything. The me inside the amulet has shown me some stuff, told me a couple things, but not a whole lot. He also sometimes, kinda, possesses me. Or other people." Seeing the expression on his mother's face he hurriedly continued, "Only to protect Ranko. Like when Shampoo recognized the amulet and tried to take it earlier he kinda took over for a bit."
"Son, are you sure that you are not being..," Nodoka searched for a way to say this delicately, "mislead about this?"
Ranma understood what she was trying to say, "I don't know how much you know about sensing ki, but that's ME in there. Pops and Mr. Tendo agreed."
Nodoka was slightly reassured by this, though she still didn't like to think of her son being possessed by anything, even if he said it was by himself. "Ranma, how did you die?" Nodoka expected to hear a tale about some monstrously powerful challenger, so she was surprised at Ranma's next words.
"Near as I can tell, it was the same old crap I go through now. The other me doesn't really want to think about it, so I don't know much. Seems me and 'Kane were havin an argument when Porky busted in and got a lucky shot." Ranma scowled, "My guard was completely down. Pops would kill me for makin a mistake like that."
Nodoka was hoping this was all just a dream. Her son was fated to die at the hands off the Hibiki boy? "Ranma, perhaps.. should we have the Hibiki boy put away? We could.."
"Nah, I can handle Pig Butt. I came over here for something else."
"The Amazons? I could petition to have them deported and then.."
"What? Why would ya do that?"
'Because I will not have my little baby killed!' Nodoka thought. She had been assured that Ranma was in no danger, that it was all just youthful high spirits and no one was going to be seriously hurt. Now her son tells her that he'll be killed by one of those people? Not if she could help it. Ranma would never allow her to take care of things, so she just wouldn't let him know.
Ranma continued when it was obvious his mother wasn't going to reply, "I need your help with Ranko. I want to send her to school and stuff, but she doesn't have any records or nuthin. I don't know anythin about this kinda stuff. Can you help me, Mom?"
Nodoka thought for a moment. She was touched that her son had come to her for help. If worse came to worse she could always go to THEM to smooth things out. "Of course I can. The easiest thing to do, of course, would be to have you officially adopt Ranko." Nodoka glanced at the sleeping girl in her arms. Her son got involved in the strangest situations. "I'll make some calls tomorrow and set things up. Do you plan to stay for the night?"
"Umm, yeah. We also kinda skipped dinner, an I told Kasumi that I wasn't gonna be in school for a few days while I sorted this out. If that's ok."
"While I don't approve of you missing any more school than you already do, this is a special situation. Why don't you take Ranko up to bed while I make you some dinner."
Ranma got up and gently took the slumbering girl from his mother. "Thanks Mom. I really appreciate this."
"It's nothing Ranma. Any parent would help their children in need, it's part few being a parent."
Ranma took Ranko upstairs while Nodoka moved into the kitchen. She would start things in motion tomorrow, but the first thing she needed to do was call her husband and his friend.
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(Posted Thu, 15 Jul 2004 18:45)
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