Possibilities: a Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction
	by Brian

*-*-*-*

	Ranma thought back on the failed wedding.  Two weeks had passed since 
then, and life had lapsed into something that passed for normal.   he 
thought, 
	
	It hadn't taken much for Ranma to forgive Ukyo, and it had only taken a 
little bit longer for Akane to accept her apology as well.  Shampoo had been 
another matter altogether, but had still worn down his defenses by simply being 
Shampoo.  Neither of them were dumb enough to act like nothing had happened, but 
nobody had gotten hurt and things had simply returned to the status quo.
	Akane had forgiven Ryoga almost immediately, a fact which galled Ranma 
more than a little bit.  He would've taken his frustrations out on the other 
annoyances that populated Nerima, but Happosai hadn't been seen since he drank 
the Naanichaun water.  Apparently ingesting water from a Jusenkyo spring has 
horrible side effects, which served the evil old man right.  He'd fled for 
China, and with any luck he'd be stuck there until he rotted from the inside.  
He'd left a note that commanded Soun and Genma to take over his daily raids, or 
they'd regret it, and so far it looked like they had.
	Mousse had been dealt with by Cologne, in a fashion that made Ranma cringe 
a little bit, and the Kunos, as far as Ranma was concerned, could go to hell.

*-*-*-*

	Ranma was sitting on the roof of the dojo.  He'd spent the majority of the 
last week up there, where he went when he had a lot of thinking to do.  The 
thunk of a ladder as it connected with the roof startled him out of his 
own mind.  Peering over to the edge of the rooftop, he saw his mother climbing 
up the ladder with some difficulty.  She deflected his offered hand with the 
back of her own.
	"I am not completely helpless, Ranma.  I can handle this."  She 
favored him with a gentle smile, which Ranma returned in kind.
	It took her a moment longer, but she managed to pull herself up 
onto the roof without any problems.  She walked to the center and set 
herself down where Ranma usually sat.  He followed and sat down next to 
her.  The two of them merely stared off into the sunset for a while 
before Nodoka spoke.
	"Ranma?" she asked.
	"Yeah?"
	"Why do you come up here all the time?"  Nodoka turned to face him 
with a puzzled look on her face.
	"I come up here so I can be alone,” was Ranma's simple reply.
	Nodoka seemed upset, though whether at his words or his relatively dark 
tone he could not be sure. "Would you rather that I leave, then?  So that you 
may be alone?"
	Ranma reached out a hand to stop his mother as she rose to her 
feet.  "No, Mom, we don't get to talk much, you know?"
	Nodoka nodded and sat back down, next to her son.  “So then, you come up 
here so that you may be alone, what else?”
	An uncomfortable pause followed.
	“I don't know.  I think about stuff, I guess.”
	“I should assume your fiancée to be among those things.”
	Ranma grimaced and turned away.  “Yeah, fiancée, which one?”
	Nodoka frowned.  “All of them?”
	“Some of ‘em, at any rate.”
	“Yes, well, that can be a problem, even for the manliest of men.”  Nodoka 
adjusted the bundle on her back.  A movement that, while subtle, Ranma did not 
miss.  “Have you given thought to the others who wish to marry you, my son?  I 
am certain that, well, most of them would make truly attentive wives for you.”
	“I just wish I knew, sometimes.  I don't want to hurt anybody, and there 
ain't a way I can see to do anything without getting somebody killed.  There's 
got to be a way.”
	“Everyone wishes to see the future, Ranma.”
	Ranma shook his head.  “I don't want to know what's going to happen, 
that's no fun.  I just wish I knew what could.”
	Neither mother nor son saw the shooting star that seared the sky at that 
moment.
	Nodoka and Ranma sat in silence for a long while after that, neither 
wanting the moment to end.  Unfortunately, Nodoka nodded off, and Ranma silently 
carried her into the Tendo home and the room she shared with his father.

*-*-*-*

	In the storeroom of the Ucchan, something that could best be 
described as a ripple formed in mid-air.  It was there only a few 
moments, but long enough for it to expel a sixteen year old girl with 
long brown hair.  Upon exiting the vortex Mariko Saotome, daughter of Ranma and 
Ukyo Saotome, collapsed in a heap.

*-*-*-*

	All across Nerima, this incident repeated itself.  In the Kuno 
Mansion, Senchi Saotome was conscious a brief moment before darkness claimed 
her.  Tsupai-Tse Saotome heard her mother scream as she was sucked into a 
spacial tear.  Belldandy Saotome appeared in the kitchen of the Tendo household.  
Noriko Saotome took a moment to examine the hole that had appeared in her room 
before being drawn into it.  Miyabi Saotome shrieked and tried to leave her 
grandmother's home, only to find the hole waiting out there as well.  Falling 
back on her martial arts training, she attempted to leap over the rift only to 
have it move to meet her.
	Ranko Saotome stared at the ripple in the middle of the dojo with 
a disinterested expression.  She watched it ripple for a moment before 
standing.  Twirling a small black object in her hands, she walked around 
the ripple to find that it about as thick as a piece of paper.  
Her mother slid open the door and shrieked as she saw the strange warp in the 
air.  Ranko's father stood there as well.  A pseudopod that resembled a cascade 
of water reached around and grabbed Ranko, hauling her into the vortex.
	Akane and Ranma looked on in shock as the hole sealed itself.  
Akane recovered first, turning to her husband with murder in her eyes.  
"Ranma... I don't know how, but this is your fault!"

*-*-*-*

 	Nabiki was usually a heavy sleeper, so when an unknown object 
tumbled into her bed she reacted with minimal fanfare, rolling the object off 
of her.  At the loud thump that accompanied that object hitting the ground, she 
did manage to somehow leave her dream.  Turning the light on, she shielded her 
face from the blinding brightness and waited for her eyes to adjust.  When they 
did, she let loose a shriek.  There was a girl unconscious on the floor of 
her room.  To top it off, Nabiki didn't recognize her, which made things 
only slightly more unbelievable.  Kneeling next to the unconscious form, 
Nabiki debated whether to wake her up.

*-*-*-*

	The Kuno family ninja, Sasuke, was surprised to find a young girl 
lying unconscious in the main hall of the Kuno estate.  She looked to be 
no more than sixteen, and had long black hair, very well kept and soft 
to the touch. He turned her over and gasped in shock at her face.
 
*-*-*-*

	It was almost two in the morning, a time at which not even Kasumi 
was normally awake, when the phone in the Tendo household rang.  Nabiki, 
who had been woken up , was the one to answer.
	"Hello?"
	"Nabiki Tendo... is that you?"
	"Sasuke?  What are you doing calling our house at two in the 
morning?"
	"Forgive me, Ms. Tendo, but there is a matter of some urgency 
which I must discuss with you.  We will be there in a few minutes."
	"Wait, what, we? Who? What the hell's going..."  Nabiki glared at the 
phone as Sasuke hung up on her.  "He'll wish he hadn't done that," she 
muttered as she headed back up to her room to try and haul the 
mysterious person in her room downstairs.

*-*-*-*

	Konatsu, the first male kunoichi and current resident of the Ucchan, was 
also a light sleeper.  The odd thump in the middle of the night worked very well 
at awakening him.  He was up and dressed within seconds, and ready to deal with 
anything that he should find in the Ucchan.
	What he did find, however, was a young girl.  Probably sixteen or 
seventeen, who looked a lot like Ukyo.  She was unconscious, which 
allowed him to relax himself as he looked to see if there was anyone 
else there.  Finding noone, he set about restraining the girl.  Just in case.

*-*-*-*

	Cologne did not sleep, she did not need to, she had gained nearly 
perfect control over her ki in the hundred years she had been alive, and as such 
was able to regenerate her body with only a few minutes of mild rest.  When she 
felt an unfamiliar presence in the Nekohanten, she pounced within seconds.
	When she arrived downstairs, even with her lifetime of 
experience, she was not prepared for what she saw.  A large glowing 
ripple was hanging in the center of the room.  From the rift emerged a young 
girl with long purple hair tied in an elaborate braid, hanging down to 
the middle of her back.  She was unconscious, thankfully, though even if she 
hadn't been, Cologne would have made certain that she was.  Using a single 
hand, Cologne flipped the girl over.  A gasp escaped her lips.   she thought. As she pogoed over towards the phone, she could be 
seen to be smiling.

*-*-*-*

	Nabiki and Kasumi, who had woken when the phone rang, were huddled in the 
living room examining the mysterious girl from Nabiki's room when Sasuke 
arrived.  He had another girl on his back, just as unconscious as the other.  He 
deposited her on the living room floor, then quickly leapt away when Nabiki 
glared at him.
	Kasumi ran over to examine the unconscious girl, removing her from 
Sasuke's back she placed her next to the girl who had appeared in Nabiki's room.
	Nabiki examined the girl from the Kuno Mansion and the girl who had 
mysteriously appeared in her room.  The similarities between the two were 
striking, but the differences were frightening.
	“Kasumi, I think we need to wake everybody up.  Things are about to get 
weird.  Really weird.”
	Kasumi nodded.  “I'll make some tea, then wake father and everyone else,” 
Kasumi said as she walked into the kitchen.  A few moments later she did 
momething that no one thought she would ever do.  She screamed.
	Everyone, awakened at Kasumi's shriek rushed downstairs to the family 
room, the majority of them having produced or obtained weapons at some point.  
What they found there surprised them, some more than others.
	Kasumi pointed at the girl on the floor.  "Um, there appears to be 
another one, Nabiki."
	Nabiki rolled her eyes.  “Akane, can you carry this girl into the living 
room.  I'll explain what I can.”
	Akane picked up their third guest, leaving Kasumi in the kitchen to make 
the tea as the three girls were placed alongside each other.  Nodoka, kneeling 
beside the third girl, turned to Akane.  "Akane-chan, perhaps it would be best 
if you were to wake Ranma."
	Akane nodded and headed towards the dojo.

*-*-*-*

	Ranma was a very heavy sleeper, so when a girl appeared in mid-air 
above him and landed on top of his sleeping bag, he did not wake up.  This was 
not a good thing.
	Akane opened the door to the dojo and saw Ranma in bed with 
another girl.  "You Pervert," she screamed as she leapt towards him.  
She hoisted him out of his futon and punched him in the head, waking him 
up and sending him flying towards the wall.  "What'd I do?"
	Akane then lifted the girl out of Ranma's bed and threw her 
toward the other side of the dojo, sending her violently into the wall.  
The redhead's eyes snapped open immediately.
	Ranma stood up from where he had created a small dent in the wall.  
"What'd ya do that for Akane?  I wasn't like I did anything any...way?"  
Ranma's words trailed off as he caught sight of the redhead at the other 
end of the dojo.  "No way!  Who're you?"
	The redheaded pig-tailed girl stared at Ranma with a mixture of 
shock and horror before noticing something.  "Pop?  Why do you look so 
young?"  Akane was the first one to absorb this information, followed 
immediately by Ranma.  Both of them fainted.

*-*-*-*

	When Akane screamed Nabiki had been the first to rush towards the dojo.  
As she stopped to open the door, the rest of the household barreled into her, 
sending her falling in the rest of the way.  The large tangle of people stared 
up at the scene before them.  The unknown redhead was kneeling beside Ranma, who 
lay unconscious at the far end of the dojo, and shaking him.  Akane appeared to 
be in a similar state, but on the floor not far from Nabiki and the rest.  
Somewhere a phone was ringing but no one noticed.  They had no idea what was 
going on until the redhead started speaking again.
	"Yo, pop!  You okay?  What the fuck's going on?"
	Calling on reserves of inner strength, Nabiki shoved the rest of 
the family off of her, where they slowly began to disentangle themselves 
from each other.  Walking over to the unknown redhead, Nabiki tapped her 
on the shoulder.  "Excuse me?"
	The girl turned to her in annoyance.  "Yeah, what?"  Then she took 
a good look at Nabiki.  "Auntie?  That you?"
	Reacting with legendary calm, Nabiki confronted the girl as though she had 
expected that response.  "Did you just call Ranma 'pop'?"
	She nodded.
	"And who is your mother?"
	The girl pointed at Akane's prone form.
	Nabiki assimilated the information and came to a very startling 
conclusion.  She was not yet certain if it was correct, but better safe 
than sorry. Pointing at Ranma, Nabiki directed their new guest towards 
the house.  "Could you carry him... uh... what was your name?"
	The girl turned to her, looking rather annoyed at not knowing what 
was going on.  "Ranko... Ranko Saotome."
	“Oh, this will be fun, I can tell,” Nabiki grumbled.


*-*-*-*

	In the Ucchan, Konatsu shook Ukyo awake, and received a quick 
spatula to the face for his trouble.  As Ukyo disentangled herself from 
the sheets in her room, she noticed the new face in the room.
	"Who're you?"
	The girl stepped forward, becoming illuminated by the moonlight 
streaming in from the window, giving her an almost unearthly beauty.  
Her long chestnut hair flowed past her shoulders, hanging loose.  Her 
face was almost perfectly shaped and she was well-developed for 
her age.  "Well, if what she says is true," she began.
	"Konatsu's a he."  Ukyo interrupted her.
	"Oh, well.  Anyway, if what he says is true I'm in the past.  
Hello, mother."  Mariko finished with a slight bow.
	Ukyo stood and padded softly over towards Mariko, a look of 
growing comprehension on her face.  "Your father... who is he?"
	Mariko noted the slightly apprehensive tone to her voice.  "It's 
Ranma Saotome, mother."
	Ukyo clasped her arms around the young girl's neck, she was nearly 
sobbing.  "I... I got him." Ukyo's legs became weak and she fell to her 
knees.
	"Yes, mother, you did." Mariko hugged her back.

*-*-*-*

	Over the Tendo's koi pond, another portal was in the midst of opening.  
From it spilled one Miyabi Saotome.  The splash resounded through to the 
inside of the house, bringing all of them running.  When catching sight 
of her, the entire group shared a single look of worry.  Soun was chosen 
to step in and remove her before she drowned.
	Hauling the soaking wet girl from the pond, Soun noted her 
incredible resemblance to Ranma as well.
	“This cannot bode well for Ranma,” someone said.
	Everyone else agreed.

*-*-*-*

	Cologne, having roused Shampoo, was on her way to the Tendo dojo, her 
great-great granddaughter being carried by her great-granddaughter.  
The ancient amazon matriarch was almost giddy with the anticipation of 
seeing son-in-law's face when he learned that he and Shampoo were 
destined to be together.  Shampoo was no better.
	The two of them passed the Ucchan's on the way, noting that there 
was a small commotion coming from within.  Cologne sent Shampoo in to 
check and make certain that Ukyo was not in danger, as sounds in the 
night could often result in that sort of thing.  Neither of them truly 
had anything against the okonomiyaki chef, but she was contending for 
Ranma's heart as well.  So they hid their indifference behind the 
competition.
	Shampoo shifted her daughter to a comfortable position and walked 
into the Ucchan.  Finding the door locked, Shampoo began pounding on it 
incessantly until she heard the latch click and an ecstatic Ukyo opened 
the door.  "Shampoo?  What are you doing here?  Not that it matters, 
come in, come in.  Have a few drinks, on me."
	Shampoo entered the Ucchan to see Konatsu sitting in one of the 
booths next to another girl that Shampoo didn't recognize.  There was a 
bottle of sake standing open on the table and Shampoo noted that the unknown 
girl looked slightly uncomfortable with it there.
	"Who she?"
	Ukyo leaned down and wrapped an arm around the girl, smiling the 
whole while.  "Shampoo, this is me and Ran-Chan's daughter from the 
future, Mariko."
	"But... that not possible."
	Ukyo's left eye twitched, Konatsu and Mariko looked interested. "What?" 
the three asked simultaneously.
	Shampoo shrugged, indicating the purple-haired girl on her back with a nod 
of her head.  "This Shampoo and Airen's daughter.  We going to get Ranma now."
	Ukyo retrieved her oversized spatula from behind the grill.  "I think that 
Ran-chan has some explaining to do.  Don't you, Shampoo?"
	The Amazon nodded.
	"Mariko, would you like to meet your father right now?"
	Mariko nodded.
	"Then let's go."
	Konatsu, Ukyo, Shampoo and Mariko headed out of the Ucchan.  
Stopping only briefly to explain things to Cologne, who accepted it all 
with a thoughtful expression.  Then, they sprinted off towards the Tendo 
Dojo.

*-*-*-*

	Nabiki stared at the six unconscious forms on the floor of the 
living room, two of which were groggily attaining an awakened state.  
The one that had arrived with Sasuke, and the one that had appeared in 
Nabiki's bedroom.  Ranma was out like a light, as was Akane, they'd probably 
thought that the girl from the mirror was back again when they saw Ranko.  That 
left the mysterious girl Kasumi had found in the kitchen, and the one who had 
appeared over the pond.
	Nodoka was on one side of the room interviewing Ranko.
	"Ranko-chan..."
	"Yes, Grandmother?"
	"You are Ranma and Akane's child, correct?"
	Ranko nodded.
	"Would you tell me what they are like in your future?"
	"I..."  Ranko's response ceased as there was a knock at the front door.  
"..have to get the door."  Ranko got up and bolted for the entrance, opening it 
to reveal six people, one of whom was unconscious.  Cologne spoke up as she saw 
her, "Ah, Son-in-law, good.  We were hoping that we would run into you and not 
one of the other people here.  We have urgent business to discuss."
	  Ranko mouthed the question silently.
	Not waiting to ask permission, Cologne shoved her way into the 
house.  She was followed by Shampoo, Ukyo, Mariko, and Konatsu, who was 
struggling with the weight of a purple haired girl.  Somehow finding his 
way into the living room, Konatsu placed her on the floor next to the 
other unconscious people.  Ranko was left wondering what the hell was 
going on.
	The girl with long black hair was now fully awake and kneeling 
over Ranma's prone form, she was shaking him rather violently.  "Father, 
Wake up!  Something strange is happening!  It's me, Senchi."  
Senchi turned her head to look around wildly at the people filling the 
room.  Her ponytail brushed Ranma's nose, causing him to sneeze, which 
in turn caused him to awaken.  His eyes opened and the first thing he 
saw was black hair, then he noticed the style it was pulled back in, he 
screamed.
	"Who let Kodachi in here?"  Ranma struggled free from Senchi's grasp and 
got a good look at her.  She was staring at him wide-eyed and amazed.  "Oh, you 
ain't Kodachi.  For a sec there I was scared."
	Mariko leaned over to her mother, “Who's Kodachi?”
	Ukyo granted her a puzzled expression.  “If you don't know, I'm not sure I 
can explain.”
	Senchi began to shake slightly as she found her voice.  She was 
almost deathly quiet as she spoke.  "What do you have against Kodachi, father?  
Why would you be scared of your own wife?"
	Ranma, unthinking, responded with the first thing that came to mind.  
"Because she's a psychopath, who in their right mind wouldn't be scared of her?"  
He laughed nervously.  It took a moment for Senchi's question to truly sink in 
to his mind.  “Wait a minute, I ain't married to that twisted psycho.”
	Senchi's eyes filled with tears as she slowly walked out of the 
room.  "I see..."  The sound of a slamming door echoed through the early 
morning.  All eyes turned to Ranma.
	"What'd I say?"

*-*-*-*

	Senchi wandered for a few minutes, not really paying attention to 
where she was going.  Night still permeated Nerima, and the moon glared down at 
the Earth.  If Senchi hadn't known better, she would've said the man in the moon 
was mocking her.  She found herself outside the mansion that she would someday 
call home.
	
	It was true, she could see in her father's eyes that the feelings he had 
displayed concerning her mother were genuine.  Perhaps she would never be born.  
It made her head hurt to think of it.  
	She looked at the gate, looming just as it had the last time she 
had seen it.  Senchi leapt the wall, she knew the way through the 
mansion by heart.    A million maybes but nothing was certain, Senchi 
knew where she would go under normal circumstances.  She would talk to someone.   
Problems always seemed clearer after you'd spoken them aloud.  A light shone in 
Senchi's eyes as she figured out what to do.   she decided, 
and set off into the darkness of the mansion.

*-*-*-*

	Nodoka stared at her son reprovingly.  Senchi had left several 
minutes ago and he still didn't understand what was going on.  Nodoka 
knelt next to him and cupped his face in her hands.  She forcefully 
turned his head so that he was facing her.  "My son, Senchi is your 
daughter.  Her mother is Kodachi Kuno, just as Ranko's mother is Akane.  
You will go out and find her now, and you will bring her back here."
	Ranma swallowed loudly as Nodoka gestured to the multitude of young women 
he didn't recognize.  "Do you understand?"
	The sound of the door shutting was echoing through the house 
before Nodoka finished speaking.  Nodoka began hunting around the room, 
a predatory gleam in her eye.  "Now then, Ranko-chan!  I must speak with 
you!"  Nodoka turned to Ukyo's daughter, "And I will wish to speak with 
you later, Mariko-chan."  Everyone continued to wait for the remaining 
children, and Akane, to awaken.
	“Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, Kasumi, me.”  Nabiki tallied off the 
mysterious women who had shown up, and looked at the last girl, the one from the 
pond.  “I can guess who your dad is, but who you call mom is the big question.”

*-*-*-*

	Senchi stared at the sleeping form of her mother.  Kodachi was 
tossing and turning in her bed, mumbling words that Senchi could not 
quite make out.  It was truly disconcerting to see her mother looking younger 
than she herself did.
	
	As a child, Senchi had often been scared of the storms 
that would rack Nerima, and would sleep with her mother and father.  Kodachi 
Saotome was one of the soundest sleepers that Senchi knew of.  But here 
she was, tossing and turning.  Senchi caught a snippet of sound, she 
heard Kodachi mumble something that sounded like 'Ranma'
	"Mother..."  Senchi muttered
	Kodachi's eyes opened, shocked at the voice emerging from her dream
into the waking world.  "Are you...?"
	Without words, Senchi reached into her blouse and removed a long
cylindrical object.  Unraveling the ribbon itself, she held the exposed
haft of the gymanstic tool in the moonlight.
	Kodachi produced her own ribbon, and compared the finely
engraved ivory handles, both bearing the kanji 'Kuno'.  The one held by
new girl looked to be the same, though with additional scars and slightly
more yellowed with age.

*-*-*-*

	Ranko was fluidly darting from one side of the house to the other 
in a vain attempt to dodge her grandmother's questions.  She turned a 
corner outside the dojo and smacked into a large form hulking there.  It 
was a man she had known since childhood, only he was a boy.  He was 
wearing a tiger-striped bandanna and had an evil expression on his face 
as he looked at her.
	"Die Ranma!"

*-*-*-*

	The entire conscious population of the Tendo household groaned 
aloud when they heard Ryoga's exclamation, Ranma would never come back 
with Senchi now.  The girl that had been found in the kitchen, as well 
as Shampoo's daughter, began stirring.
	A flash of yellow flew by the porch, the denizens of the crowded living 
room watched as Ryoga impacted one of the large stones surrounding the 
pond.  Ryoga stood up and rushed a redhead in a pigtail that leapt over 
him, grabbed him by the bandanna, and threw him back at the same rock he 
had crashed into earlier.  There was a spiderweb of cracks covering it 
now, and pieces were falling off.
	From inside, Cologne watched the battle with her normal intense 
gaze.  She watched as the two combatants squared off against each other, 
both adopting different battle stances.
	"That isn't son-in-law," was Cologne's simple statement.
	Ukyo stared at her like she'd grown a second head.  "What do you 
mean that isn't Ran-chan?  Of course it is... who else would fight 
Ryoga?"
	Nodoka spoke up, interrupting Cologne.  "I believe that is Ranko-
chan out there."
	"How can you tell, Auntie Saotome?"
	Cologne answered Kasumi's question first.  "Quite simple.  The 
battle stance that she is using is one that sacrifices mobility to allow 
maximum damage.  It reminds me a great deal of the way Ryoga fights.  
Son-in-law would never use something like that in a battle with the 
Hibiki boy."
	“I was merely going to say that her hair was much longer than Ranma's, but 
I suppose Elder Cologne's point is valid as well.”
	As if to reinforce the point, the crowd watched as Ryoga landed a haymaker 
in Ranko's stomach.  They heard a slight grunt, but she remained standing.  
Ryoga backed up and stared at her with wide eyes.  She placed a hand on either 
side of the stunned boy's head and locked eyes with him.
	The entire crowd winced in pain as Ranko jammed her forehead into Ryoga's
face, causing him to drop like a bag of cement.  "And I seriously doubt 
that son-in-law could remain conscious after something like that."

*-*-*-*

	Kodachi listened to the story told by her daughter patiently, her 
eyes flashed with evident anger as she related what Ranma had said, 
sobbing into Kodachi's arms.  Her voice was calm and soothing as she 
stroked Senchi's hair.  "Do not worry, Senchi-chan.  I will... speak... 
to your father.  We will settle this matter."

*-*-*-*

	Ranma was wandering the streets, he paused to look at a clock on 
the wall.    Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by an evil 
chuckle that seemed to come from all directions.  Happosai bounded out 
into the middle of the street.  He paused and waved at Ranma before 
jumping onto the roof on the other side of road.  Ranma grimaced and 
prepared to give chase, only to have something bounce off of his face.  
"Catch ya later, fem-boy," Tarou shouted as he leapt after Happosai, 
matching the pervert rooftop for rooftop.
	  Ranma decided to ignore the two for now, and 
concentrate on the task at hand.   The answer came to him almost immediately, and it was one he 
didn't like.  

*-*-*-*

	Ranma stood outside the gate of the Kuno estate.  Whenever he 
came here he just couldn't shake the eerie sense of foreboding that 
overcame him.  His senses filled with an odd presence, just as the air 
filled with a familiar laugh and a whirlwind of rose petals.  The girl he had 
seen at the dojo appeared before him.  Her eyes were filled with anger as she 
stared into his face.  Ranma shuddered as the laugh continued.  Kodachi appeared 
not long after, in her standard leotard, twirling her ribbon.
	"Ah... Ranma-sama, you and I must talk."
	Ranma reached out and grabbed Senchi's wrist, "Well, uh, gee, 
Kodachi, maybe some other time.  I hafta get back to the dojo with...” Ranma 
looked at the girl whose arm he held.  “What was your name again?”
	Ranma's daughter and her mother just glared at him.
	“Senchi Saotome, Father.”
	Ranma chuckled nervously as he backed away from Kodachi.  He felt a jerk 
as Senchi pulled on his arm.  "Mom's coming too."
	From the look in her eyes, Ranma knew he stood no chance of 
convincing her that Kodachi shouldn't come.  He didn't know how he knew, 
but he did.  Ranma sighed as he looked into Kodachi's eyes, and 
Senchi's... they were a perfect match.  "Okay, fine.  Let's go."
	As they headed towards the dojo, Kodachi pulled Ranma to one side 
of the street.  Senchi continued on as if she didn't notice anything.
	Senchi did not hear the words that her mother whispered into her father's 
ear, but forced back a chuckle as Ranma gulped audibly.

*-*-*-*

	The last of the children finally awoke, the brown-haired girl who had 
appeared over the pond.  Now they could finally get some answers, as 
Ryoga was the only one currently unconscious.
	Shampoo's daughter, who had been introduced as Spice, was sitting 
over by Cologne.  Each of the girls had revealed who their parents were, 
causing interesting reactions from the people in the dojo.  Belldandy, 
Daughter of Kasumi and Ranma, had received the most interesting one.  It 
was exceptionally odd, as Kasumi had never been known to faint before.  
Noriko had drawn a reaction that was quite similar when she revealed 
that she was the daughter of Ranma and Nabiki.
	Nodoka turned to the girl who had just awakened.  "Now then, dear, 
you are the last of my son's children... that we know of.  Would you 
please tell us your name?"
	"Miyabi Saotome."
	"And who are your parents Miyabi-chan?"
	"Ranma and Hinako Saotome."
	Miyabi looked on in shock as every person in the room did a 
collective facefault the likes of which has never been seen, before or 
since.  Everyone stared at her strangely for a few moments longer.  They 
would have continued staring, but the door opened, admitting Ranma, 
Senchi, and Kodachi.  Ranma looked decidedly uncomfortable.
	“Who's the girl in the leotard?”  Ranko asked Nabiki.
	“We'll clear all that up later,” Nabiki said.
	Ranma entered and sat down, as far as possible from Kodachi and 
Senchi.  Senchi looked upset at that, but said nothing.  Choosing 
instead to stare at the floor.  Nodoka sat down next to her son and 
whispered into his ear.  "Well, my son, you wanted to know.  Now you 
can."
	Nodoka gestured to each of the girls, who gave their name and 
lineage in turn.  Ranma's reactions varied only slightly, he smiled at 
Mariko when she introduced herself.  After all, Ucchan wasn't a bad 
choice, was she?  Shampoo's daughter received a greeting just as 
enthusiastic.  When Belldandy introduced herself, Ranma stumbled over 
his words.  
	"I am Noriko Saotome, it's nice to meet you father."  The short-
haired brunette was smirking as though she'd just said something funny.  
"I am the daughter of you and Nabiki."
	Ranma turned to glare slightly at the middle Tendo daughter.  For 
some reason, he couldn't seem to get mad, and he had very little 
difficulty imagining himself married to her.  That scared him a little.
	Next was the girl with waist-length brown hair, who looked like 
she wanted to be somewhere else.  "I'm Miyabi Saotome..."  She turned to 
Nodoka, "Grandmother, can't we wait until my mother gets here?"
	Nodoka's began glowing slightly when she heard herself referred to 
as 'grandmother'.  It just created a special feeling deep inside her.  
"I am sorry, Miyabi-chan, but we could not reach your mother."
	Miyabi lowered her head in defeat, "Okay...  Father, my mother is 
Hinako Ninomiya."  Miyabi watched Ranma carefully waiting for some kind 
of reaction, she wouldn't be disappointed.
	Ranma spent the next few minutes in abject shock.  After which, he 
fainted.  Every female in the room, save Cologne and Senchi, rushed to his side 
in an instant.  Genma looked slightly passive at the events that were 
unfolding in front of him, Soun looked angry.  The thought of Ranma 
marrying someone other than Akane was beginning to eat away at him, 
if anyone had been paying attention to him it would have been 
obvious.  There was a commotion raised as the girls battled to see who 
would see to Ranma.  Miyabi screamed in frustration.
	"Why does everyone do that when I say who my mother is?!"
	Things began to get out of hand when Senchi punched Mariko in the 
face, sending her flying into a wall.  “You bitch,” Mariko hissed as she reached 
into her blouse and brought out a small spatula, which she tossed at Kodachi's 
Daughter.  Senchi caught the small object and laughed derisively at Ukyo's 
daughter.
	The two teens were separated by a sheathed katana and a wooden cane.  
Cologne's voice rang out over the din of people.  "Everyone, please be 
silent!"  To Nodoka's amazement, as well as Cologne's, that's just what 
everyone did.
	"I will administer care to my son,” Nodoka said “if you would all please 
sit down and remain calm."  The tone in which she spoke let everyone know that 
she would brook no argument over her decision.  Belldandy and Kasumi 
stood up simultaneously, both headed into the kitchen perfectly 
synchronized.
	"I think that perhaps we should have some tea,” one said, “And a little 
something to eat," said the other.  Even their voices were similar.  It was 
eerie.
	As the mother and daughter pair disappeared into the kitchen, 
everyone remained staring.  Except for Ranma and Ryoga, as they were 
still unconscious.  Mariko rose from where she had been sitting next to 
Ukyo, and headed for the kitchen as well.  She stopped only long enough 
to glare at Senchi before disappearing through the door.
	Nabiki looked around the room a few times, before something odd 
finally dawned on her.  "Um, has anyone else here noticed that all of 
Ranma's children are girls?"
	Ranko spoke up, her eyes still glued to her father's unconscious 
form.  "It's part of the Jusenkyo curse.  All of pop's kids are girls."
	Ukyo and Akane looked worriedly at Ranko, both spoke at the same 
time.  "You mean Ranma isn't cured in the future?"
	Ranko shook her head sadly, "The Jusenkyo curses can't be 
cured... at least, not by jumping in the Naanichaun.  The guide told us 
a story of the last person who did that.  It wasn't pretty."
	Ukyo immediately understood what Ranko meant, and felt herself 
turning a slight shade of green.  Akane didn't quite grasp it though. 
"What do you mean?"
	"I mean, mom, that if pop jumped in the spring of drowned man, it 
would give a whole new meaning to the phrase 'go fuck yourself'."
	Miyabi blushed at Ranko's choice of words, Akane looked offended.  
At least, she did until comprehension finally took hold, and then she 
looked sick.
	"Ranko-chan!  That type of language is most inappropriate,” Nodoka scolded 
her, “please choose your words with better care."
	"I'm sorry, Grandma, but when I wasn't training with mom, pop or uncle 
Ryoga, I was training with grandpa.  He doesn't exactly hold his tongue."  
As Ranko finished speaking, Nodoka and Akane directed a glare at Genma's 
form.
	“Panda's can't talk,” said the sign he was holding.
	A slight moan drew everyone's attention back toward where Ranma 
was lying on the floor, Ryoga stirred slightly at the same time.  
Ranma's eyes fluttered open first, the first thing he saw was Nodoka's 
worried face, followed by the faces of every person in the room.  All of 
them were staring at him.
	"What'd I do?"
	Everyone continued to stare, Ranma noticed that all of them, 
consciously or not, were sitting in groups.  Shampoo, Spice, and Cologne 
were all sitting together. Kodachi and Senchi were next to each other. Konatsu 
was busily attempting to calm down Miyabi, while Ukyo sat across the room from 
them smiling happily.  "Where'd the other two and Kasumi go?" he asked.
	The reply came from a dozen directions in just as many voices.  
"They're cooking in the kitchen."  The response was verified when Ranma 
inhaled deeply, the smells leaking from the kitchen making his mouth 
water.
	"It figures you'd only care about the food, pervert."
	Ranma turned to her, gesturing at the people surrounding the room, 
"Akane, I think there are bigger things going on here than food."  Ranma ignored 
Genma's protest from the corner of the room.
	“Man, I can't believe I'd ever wind up with…” A glare from Senchi caught 
Ranma's eye.  “…so many different girls.”
	Akane bit back her retort as she looked at Ranko.  
	“Well, it is the Manly thing to do,” Nodoka added.
	Soun's demon-head filled the room, "Ranma! How dare you say you 
won't marry Akane!"
	A split-second later, Belldandy appeared in the doorway to the 
kitchen.  She walked up to Soun and tapped him on the shoulder.  “Grandfather, 
you promised you wouldn't do that anymore.
	The demon head deflated at the new title he had received.  He was 
scratching his head in wonder, he turned to Genma, who was still a panda.  "You 
know, Saotome, perhaps Ranma and Kasumi would not be such a bad match after all."
	The panda nodded.
	“You have a very strange name, however, Belldandy.”
	Kasumi's daughter blushed.  “There's a story behind that.  Mother enjoys 
telling it from time to time.”
	Shampoo stood up, glaring.  "Ranma not marry Kasumi, or 
Spatula girl, or Akane, and he definitely not marry psycho nutcase 
girl.  Ranma marry Sham..."  Shampoo's rant ended as she found herself 
embedded in the wall, Senchi's forearm pressed against her throat.
	"If you ever insult my mother again, I will break every bone in your 
body, and find a way to let you live through it."
	Senchi turned to face the large group of people, her forearm still 
pressed against Shampoo's neck, holding the Amazon a few inches off the 
ground.  "You really think that it's impossible don't you?  That my 
mother and father could never wind up together?"
	Reluctantly, everyone assembled there nodded, except for Kodachi 
who looked slightly put off by the disbelief that they displayed.
	
	Shampoo braced herself against the wall and forced Senchi's arm away from 
her throat.  As she settled back onto her feet, she exchanged a glare with 
Kodachi's daughter, but said nothing.
	Kodachi locked eyes with Senchi, and the two of them shared an unspoken 
conversation.  Senchi nodded, "Then I'll tell you how it happened.  My father,” 
she glared at Ranma for a moment, “usually leaves a bunch of things out, because 
he doesn't think I should have to hear them, but mom never does.  I've also 
spoken to aunt Akane, aunt Nabiki, grandmother Nodoka, and they all agree with 
how it happened."
	Senchi looked at the calendar on the wall.  "It started about a 
month and a half from now..."

End of Prologue

Senchi's tale is told in the story Possibilities, Fragile Flower

*-*-*-*

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