Honorable Father - Part One by Dave Eddy A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2. (See also the Author's Notes.) The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the property of Takahashi Rumiko and her licencees. Last updated: 2-Jan-03 "Lime" warning - This story is rated PG-13 for nudity. It contains explicit descriptions of nudity, although no sexual or otherwise adult situations take place. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you should not read this story. The postcard arrived two weeks before the start of summer. Nodoka's eyebrows raised as she read the missive: Dear Mother, I must meet with you before returning home. I will meet you in the evening of the 10th at Nishiyama Onsen. Ranma Nodoka nodded to herself. The Nishiyama Onsen in Hayakawa-cho, Yamanishi prefecture, was not far away, perhaps fifteen kilometres. It had, once upon a time, been a part of the family's fief, and the clan had even been honoured to host the legendary Ieyasu Tokugawa there at one time during the years of his Shogunate. For that reason the clan had been careful to maintain its ownership of what was now a moderately well-known resort even through the turmoil of the Meiji restoration and the "reforms" which followed. Checking the date on the postcard once more, she nodded again to herself. Moving over to a low bureau, she opened a panel and lifted the receiver of a telephone concealed there. "Shibito?... Yes, you and seven others. We will meet Ranma at the Nishiyama Onsen tomorrow evening... Yes... Yes, I expect he will be there too... Good. Well done." Hanging up the telephone, Nodoka wondered whether Genma knew that the place was owned by the Saotome clan. She was quite certain that *Ranma* knew - she had told him three years ago, and that boy never forgot anything. If Ranma was bringing his father - and the meeting point away from the main compound suggested as much - he was clearly trapping him into a *world* of hurt. Smiling coldly but with a trace of concern for her boy, Nodoka wondered what Genma could have done that would make Ranma want to do *that* to him. * * * The Nishiyama Onsen Resort was, as always, fairly busy. It was never actually *quiet* as such, but during the major holidays, it was always packed to overflowing with people who wished to take in the pure, hot waters of the springs and the spectacular views to the south and west. As with most onsen resorts, Nishiyama consisted of a number of pools of varying temperature, some tiny, some more than large enough for a double football team to bathe in comfort. Some pools had natural privacy provided by the hillocks and dips of the landscape; these were typically fenced off if they were small and made available for private parties for an extra charge. They tended to be popular with honeymooners. One in particular was in a small, private dell at the opposite end of the pools from the main resort accommodation. The onsen itself was small and largely unimproved, consisting mostly of a deep, U-shaped basin in the living rock about two metres in diameter, but nearby the rock gave way to shrubs and grass, and a small house nestled against the base of the rise backing the area. Most importantly of all, the water was pure and clear with a gentle but persistent flow, and a hot but comfortable (to habitual onsen users) forty-five degrees Celcius. This was the private onsen of the Saotome clan, although use by staff members of the resort when the family or their retainers were not in attendance was permitted. Now, in the evening of this 10th of June, it appeared deserted. Oil lamps sitting in simply-carved stone vestibules provided a low light over the entire area, and two rows of four oil lanterns on stakes illuminated an area of the grassy sward located between the house and pool more brightly. There, between the rows of lamps, had been placed twelve tatami to form a large rectangular 'floor'. Four zabuton - the flat, broad cushions used by the Japanese when extended kneeling or sitting is required - were set out on the tatami. To one side, also on the matted area, sat a small, low table with tea-making implements upon it. A charcoal brazier glowed to itself, casting heat but no smoke, with a cast iron kettle and a bucket of water sitting beside it. The ever-present sound of cicadas stilled, and there was a creak as the gate in the surrounding fence was opened. A large, misshapen figure slipped through the gate and closed it before proceeding to the tatami-matted meeting area. Now in the light, the walking figure resolved into a hooded and caped person carrying another over one shoulder. With a slither then a thump, the standing person dropped Saotome Genma to the mat. Unconscious, his hands and ankles were tied. Quickly the cloaked figure knelt and cut the ropes, then knelt in seiza on one of the zabuton facing the house. One of the shoji that formed the walls of the house slid back and Saotome Nodoka, coiffed and kimono'd, stepped out onto the engawa surrounding the house. A sword-wearing guard followed her. Quickly she slipped sandals on her feet and stepped across the grass to the mats, where she once again doffed them and slipped smoothly onto the zabuton opposite the cloaked figure. The guard followed, kneeling behind and to the left of Nodoka. A glance at the still-unconscious Genma, a quick hand motion, and seven more guards slipped out of the house and ringed the meeting area at a distance. Nodoka smiled, and the cloaked figure reached up and pulled back the cowl of the cloak. It was Ranma, and quickly he bowed deeply from seiza, hands flat on the mat in front of him and forehead almost touching it. "Good evening, Mother. It is a pleasure to see you again," he said. Automatically Nodoka returned the bow, and sitting up again she sat back comfortably on her heels and drank in the sight of her son, cataloguing the changes that the last ten months had brought. The most obvious change was his hair... shockingly, it appeared he had dyed it, and it was now a pale, translucent blue-green. Frowning internally whilst maintaining her smile, she mused that the colour was almost exactly that assigned to water, an odd choice for a rebellion she would have thought. More likely would have been a wild cherry pink, or perhaps brilliant lime green, or a strong, royal blue. But the colour of water? Odd, even though as she reflected on it, she admitted to herself that it appeared to suit him very well. His cheekbones had changed too, more pronounced. His eyes, the same as ever. Still no sign of a beard, she mused, then stopped, shocked. Was the boy wearing lipstick? His lips were darker and looked... feminine. Hastily Nodoka double-checked to make sure no fraction of her feelings was leaking onto her face, then she addressed him. "Ranma, my son," she said at last with a smile, "welcome home. Have you been well?" Ranma grimaced, and Nodoka reminded herself that she would have to give the boy more training in schooling his expression. "I have been well, mother, but..." A pregnant silence stretched, and Nodoka felt her heart sink. Was that why the boy was wearing that cloak tonight? He had been maimed somehow? At last she could resist the pressure no longer, and prompted him. "But?" Ranma tipped his head forward, shadowing his eyes. "But... something happened at a training ground in China. I fear it has changed my life forever... and...," Ranma added with a gulp, "it may render me ineligible to fulfil the family pledge. Mother... I asked you here tonight to discuss the matter with you, and to beg of you your help in deciding how to proceed." He bowed formally once again before resuming his upright kneeling posture. Nodoka felt her heart sink. If Ranma was correct in his assessment, it may mean that her only son would be forced by the clan to commit seppuku... as well as her husband, worthless waste of flesh that he was, and herself. Steeling herself, she said, "What is it that has happened, Son?" Ranma said nothing, but turned his head, indicating the guards. Nodoka saw and realised he wanted the guards dismissed. She turned her head to Shiboto and nodded. Moments later, the pair were alone except for an unconscious Genma. Reaching out of his enveloping cloak, Ranma drew a teacup full of cold water from the bucket near the brazier and, with a flick of his wrist, tossed it onto his unconscious father's head. After a brief moment, Genma was replaced by an absolutely enormous example of a Giant Panda. Without a sound, Nodoka fainted. * * * Ranma gazed across the seemingly endless pools of Jusenkyou, smiling as he enjoyed the simple pleasure of the mild morning sunshine of this lovely spring day. The lumpy, near-vertical mountains so typical of the Chinese landscape made a picturesque backdrop to the scene, with some light mist still clinging to the ground shrouding the far side of the valley and making it appear as though the pools went on forever. There was not a breath of wind, and the crystal waters of the pools looked inviting despite the likelihood that they were icy cold. Sticking out of the pools were bamboo poles, in some pools two or three poles; in others only one. As a training ground, the objective was clearly to balance on the poles and move between them without getting wet. "I've gotta tell you, Old Man, this looks like a pretty nice place. Looks like pretty easy training, too." He grinned. "I wouldn't've thought you had it in ya, Old Man. You must be getting soft in your old age." He turned to see how his father had reacted to this sally to see that Genma was paying him no attention. Instead he was staring at a figure in a Maoist uniform running towards them, yelling incoherently. Curious, Ranma wandered over to stand by his father. "" the Chinese man called in Mandarin as he approached. "What did he say, Boy?" asked Genma after a glance at Ranma to confirm that he had come over. "He said this is a very dangerous place." Genma snorted. "Of course it's dangerous. I wouldn't have brought you here otherwise, Boy. We're not here for a rest holiday you know." "It looks like a balance exercise to me." "Yes, well, we'll spice it up a little by fighting each other as we go, Boy!" Genma smirked. "That water looks cold." The Mao-suited man came puffing up. "I Junsenkyou Guide, this very dangerous place!" he said in broken Japanese. "" asked Ranma of the Guide. "" "" "What are you jabbering on about, Boy?" interrupted Genma. "He says these springs are cursed." Genma snorted again. "Good. That makes it better training." With that he grabbed the collar at the back of Ranma's gi and flung him in the direction of the nearest cursed pools. He leaped to follow, yelling, "Fight, Ranma!" "" yelled the Guide. "" Heart thumping and with adrenaline coursing through his system, Ranma reached out and snagged a bamboo pole as it went by. Nimbly he scrambled up to the top and took a Crane stance - very basic and somewhat restrictive of options, but just the thing for when you only had room for one foot to balance on - just in time to fend off an attack from his father. "" *SPLASH!* "" The Guide cut off his commentary as the massive panda flung itself out of the spring, water flying everywhere from the violence of its passage. Ranma jumped frantically to one side to avoid the flying water and was off-balance when the panda attacked. The huge animal, easily twice the size of a normal panda, smashed a blow into his ribs with stupendous force and he found himself bearing down on another spring. With a frantic stretch he grabbed for the spring's sole bamboo pole, but it was in vain as his fingers slipped on the slimy surface of the pole near the water and he splashed down into the spring. He was right, the springs were numbingly cold. Odd that his balls hadn't painfully retracted into his... Oh boy. Standing up in the shallow spring, Ranma was relieved to see that he at least had hands. A quick check - but not frantic, never frantic - showed that he had a set of breasts far larger than any he had seen before except in some imported magazines. He looked up to see his father the panda still balancing on a pole, waiting for the battle to continue, eyes just now bugging out in surprise. "" said the Guide sympathetically. Ranma turned to the Guide, then hauled himself - herself - out of the pool. With a sigh, she turned to face him. "" she asked quietly. "" Her heart leapt. "" The Guide pointed to a nearby spring. "" The Guide cut himself as Ranma flung herself into a leap towards the indicated pool. "" Ranma blanched as she fell towards the Nanniichuan. She had a baaaaaad feeling about this. Seeing that she was going to land in the water with a pole safely out of reach, she closed her eyes and mentally cursed herself for her impetuousness. Again the sensation of numbing cold, and the pressure of the water as it closed over her head. This time, however, there was a sensation from the curse itself; unlike when she fell into Nyanniichuan, which hadn't felt of anything in particular, she could feel a distinct tingling all over her body. No, Ranma decided, *his* body. I'm a guy again, I can feel my penis, and my balls. The water was cold enough to *hurt* on that sensitive part of his anatomy. With a huge grin, Ranma burst out of the spring to lie on the lightly-grassed ground between two pools. 'I'm a guy again, I'm a guy again!' he thought to himself as he lifted his head to look down at himself. A gentle, rustling puff of breeze underscored the sudden, utter silence that fell. For a long moment Ranma stared down at his (now somewhat smaller) breasts, and at the bulge in his - her? - wet gi pants that betrayed a penis. But something felt odd down there, something... Nervously he slid a hand down, past his penis and testicles (Hmm, something's not right there) to where the frenum would be if he were normal. With a sinking feeling approaching utter certainty of what he would find, he crooked a finger and found folds of flesh where instead he should have found almost-flat skin. But it was the surge of sensation that surprised him, caught him unawares. Ranma's head hit the turf with a thud as he passed out. * * * "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me, Ranma," said Nodoka hesitantly. Without a word Ranma nodded and turned to the now- singing teakettle. Checking to see that the water was hot but not boiling, he lifted the kettle and poured it over his father, who promptly changed from a panda back to a human, but did not otherwise stir. "Why does your father not wake, Ranma?" asked Nodoka. "I hit his unconsciousness point. He won't wake up for a bit no matter what I do." He returned the kettle to the brazier. "Anyway, Pops has the curse in its ordinary form. Cold water transforms you, and hot water changes you back to normal until the next time you get hit with cold water." Nodoka's heart sank anew. "Ordinary form? Then, you...?" Ranma nodded. "We enquired at a nearby village, which happened to be a tribe ruled by women, sort of like Japan reversed..." * * * Cresting the pass, the small party - the Guide, in his Maoist uniform, and Ranma, in a ratty gi tied with a black belt leading on a leash a massive Giant Panda which had its forepaws securely tied with rope - saw that in the valley below there was a village. "" said the Guide. "" 'Hmm, woman righteousness tribe,' thought Ranma to himself as he looked down at the scene below. Frowning, he noticed that there was a large crowd in the centre of the village surrounding a suspended log of some kind. "" he asked, puzzled. "" The Guide shook his head. "" "" he said. Suiting action to word, Ranma stepped forward, yanking sternly on the leash. Switching to Japanese, he said, "Let's get moving, old man. You better hope this ain't permanent, or I'm gonna be wearin' a panda skin coat pretty soon." The old, old woman shook her head sadly. "" "I ain't no girl!" snarled Ranma, speaking in Japanese out of habit. "Oh yes you are," returned the old woman sternly. "This has happened to us before, young Ranma. We have lived by the springs for millennia, and we know their ways. This happened before... until we learned better." Ranma shivered at the doom that seemed to fill the old ghoul's voice. "The Guide did not lie to you, young Ranma. The cure to Nyanniichuan - spring of drowned girl - is indeed to go for a swim in Nanniichuan. But only if two things happen first. You must be thinking of a cure when you enter the pool, *and* you must have first left the vicinity of Jusenkyou before returning. If you do not do both of these things, the curses merge instead of cancelling, which is what happened to you. You became a hermaphrodite." A cold shiver ran down Ranma's spine. 'That's it, I'm dead,' he thought to himself. 'All I can do is go out with dignity.' "What has happened to you is similar to what happened to others who shared your fate. You are both male and female... but to all intents and purposes, you are a woman. You have breasts and functional female sexual organs; you can have a baby. True, you also possess functional male sexual organs, so I see your point of view, but there are two critical points that make you female, not male." Ranma waited, but the old lady said nothing. Finally realising what was required, Ranma bowed his - her - head and said in Mandarin, "" She grinned wickedly, a truly daunting sight. "" She broke into a cackling laughter as Ranma fought to keep her, his, her self-control. At length Ranma let out a long sigh. "" Ko Lon settled herself from her laughing pose, although she could not help grinning a little. "" Ranma frowned, puzzled. "What do the kami of the springs have to do with anything?" she asked under her breath. Despite being old, Ko Lon heard Ranma. "Your hair is a mark of their favour," said Ko Lon in Japanese. "It has been made the colour of water." "I guess that's permanent, too?" Ko Lon grinned again. "Well, you could always try dying it, young lady." * * * "I found out later why Cologne was grinning, mother. Dye will not 'take'; my hair rejects it." Or I would have dyed it before coming here, Ranma added to herself. Nodoka looked at Ranma, her eyes round. "You said she told you that you have *fully* functional sexual organs?" "Yes." "*Both* kinds?" "Yeah," Ranma sighed, depressed. She was having trouble reading her mother's attitude. "We stayed there for a coupe of months, and she taught me what I need to know about my new body. You know, periods and such." Her voice was resigned, then she smiled and lifted her. "But it wasn't all bad, Cologne also taught me some useful stuff, like the pressure point I used to put the old man out." Another long pause during which the whoops of playing teenagers came briefly, faintly in the momentarily still air of the night. Then the breeze picked up again and carried the resort noises away, and all was quiet except for the faint bubbling of the water outflow and the stirring of the night animals. Finally Nodoka spoke again. "Ranma, I... I need to see what you look like before we can discuss this further." Ranma nodded. "I expected that you would, Mother." She stood, dropping her voluminous cloak, to reveal that she wore a yukata - a short robe which was almost universal wear at an onsen. Quickly Ranma undid the belt of the yukata and slid it, also, from her shoulders. Now nude, she stood still and bore her mother's inspection. Nodoka looked at her son turned daughter. As always, Ranma's build was very athletic, but now it was expressed as that of a woman, not as a man. But looking more closely, she saw that even that was wrong. As a woman, Ranma's arms, shoulders, and chest were more muscular than even most body-builders - kind of a half-way house between male and female athlete's anatomy. Yet she now saw that Ranma had lost the 'ripped' look that she had noticed on his, no her, previous visit home. Instead he seemed to have normal body fat for a woman, which was good as Nodoka had never liked the appearance of female body-builders. The breasts which surmounted her pectorals somehow failed to look out of place, high and round and somewhat large considering it normally takes a fair amount of body fat to muster a decent breast. They sat smoothly atop her pectorals, lovely to look at, a C cup she estimated, which she decided would make Ranma suit a number of modes of feminine dress very nicely indeed. Looking further down, Nodoka saw the subtle outline of her abdominal muscles, again shaded by a partial move towards feminine structure and a major change from previously rippling bulk there. She was reminded of the look of gymnasts she had seen on television. Lower still, her hips were not broad but not slim, just good for her overall body shape, the stomach dead flat and the muscles of her hips and buttocks making a perfect, attractive shape. Her thighs were more rounded, having lost the masculine angularity and ridges but still looking very powerful. The major thing that attracted her attention, however, was her son's absolutely enormous penis. Fully flaccid, it hung down from her pelvis at least 10cm, and it looked to be at least 2cm wide. He did not at first appear to have testicles, but looking more closely she saw that they were there, but not as prominent as her husband's. Ex-husband's, she suddenly decided. She would appeal for a divorce - based on what had happened to Ranma, she felt now had ample grounds. At last she returned her gaze to Ranma's face, and she noticed that the poor girl was looking quite nervous, almost ill. Her mother's heart reached out to her child, and almost without thought she stood and started untying her obi. "Won't you please join me in the onsen, Ranma? The evening grows chill." Ranma smiled, her first of the evening, and nodded. "Of course, Mother. May I help you with that?" As Ranma helped her undress, Nodoka reflected that she was already thinking of Ranma as her daughter, not her son. She wondered to herself what that would mean for the pledge, for in spite of his conversion to female, Ranma was still capable of fulfilling the pledge if she had a mind to - and if one of the Tendou daughters was bisexual or lesbian then perhaps the change would be for the best. With catch of his breath then a sigh, Ranma sank into the hot waters of the onsen. At her mother's quizzical look, she said, "It's been a while since I've been in water this hot, mother. It's been hard findin' ways of keepin' clean for me since I came back to Japan, ya know." Nodoka nodded, but said, "Ranma, please watch your language." With a start, Ranma realised that she'd been slipping back into her old habit of road talk, following her old man's example. She shook her head, mentally switching her speech into 'proper' style and pronunciation, and furthermore reminding herself to speak in the feminine mode. "I'm sorry, Mother." "That's better. I hope you don't mind me asking some blunt questions?" Ranma nodded. "Of course not. That's one reason why I asked you here." "I take it from you use of female speech that you plan to live as a female?" Looking off to the side, Ranma considered the twinkling lights in the far distance, taking in the view. After a long moment, she sighed and seemed to deflate. "Yes, Mother, you're correct. Elder Cologne was right - to anyone who casually encounters me, unless I'm naked then I'm a girl. If I go around insisting I'm a guy, they look at me like I'm some kind of weirdo... or they pity me. I'm not sure which is worse, to tell you the truth. "The thing is, though, that I can't really be *accepted* as a girl. You shoulda - should have - seen all the stares I got the first time I tried to use a public bath here in Japan. The customs are different in China, but here, unless I'm *really* lucky, there ain't - isn't any way I can hide the one thing that makes me *not* female." Nodoka smiled. "I noticed that. Have you *always* been that...?" Ranma shook her head. "Nah. I reckon it's easily half again as big as it was before... Jusenkyo. Elder Cologne said she thinks it's some kind of compensation by the springs. It's a real pain." "And... what of your preferences?" Blushing a raspberry hue, Ranma examined the ripples in the water of the onsen meeting her sternum. "Girls," she whispered at last. "I like girls. I've been doing some reading since we got back, and I... I guess that makes me a lesbian. But I... I sure don't know what kind of lesbian would want a girl with a *prick*, since ac... accordin' to what I've read, most of 'em can't stand the thought of... of..." Nodoka moved over and took her trembling daughter into her arms. "Shh, Ranma, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay. Where did you find this out?" Ranma looked up, her face no longer at all happy but she no longer seemed about to break into tears. "I asked at a shop the other day. I snuck away from the old man and found a... book shop and I asked if they had anythin' about girls who like girls. The... girl who served me looked at me like I was... like I was some kinda... f- freak, then showed me where they had books on that kind thing. She gave me a book and then directed me to the checkout. I wanted to tachiyomi ('standing-reading') it, it only woulda taken a minute or two, but... The g-guy at the checkout looked at me, like, I felt all... d- dirty. I was so embarrassed, I just got out of there as quick as I could." Finishing the last in a rush, mortified once again at reliving the memory in all its excruciating detail, Ranma clung onto her mother, still trembling, looking away but unable to let go. Nodoka's heart reached out to her son turned daughter. She had tried her best, but Ranma who had been such an excellent scholar throughout her life had apparently not done her research properly despite a lifetime of habits to the contrary. Ranma did not appear to have any concept of bisexuality, or the infinite variations of lesbianism that existed. A sudden flurry of activity interrupted Nodoka as she was about to say as much. A series of rapid thuds sounded, and Ranma suddenly jerked herself out of Nodoka's hands and seemingly levitated to stand, glistening nude, at the side of the onsen. "Old man," she growled, her voice filled with hate. Looking around Ranma's legs - and what fine calves she had, so powerful yet shapely, she noted in passing - Nodoka saw that Genma was conscious, upright, and facing Ranma in a challenging pose. She could see limp bodies scattered about behind him. Genma yelled at Ranma. "You sound like a weak girl, boy! Sobbing to your mother like that. 'I'm such a freak, nobody loves me, nobody will ever love me!'" he finished in falsetto. "This is all your fault, old man. Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now," snarled Ranma as she moved into a stance, her back to her mother. "Even assuming you could - which you can't, Boy, you're too weak and girly for that - you couldn't touch me in a million years in a *serious* fight. *Boy.*" "Oh yeah? Well let me tell you, shit-daddy, you're about ten seconds away from findin' out for real what I learned at Joketsuzoku, an' you'd better believe it wasn't all hygiene an' herbal lore." Genma narrowed his eyes at Ranma, and they stood in silent, hateful tableau for about ten seconds. Then, convinced that Ranma was not going to attack, Genma relaxed and turned his back. 'The Boy has become a girl in more than appearance, it seems,' he thought darkly to himself. Genma listened carefully for any evidence that the Boy would attack him even now, but when nothing came anger rose in him. The Boy was acting just like a girl, and in Genma's lexicon there could be no bigger insult. He saw Ranma's restraint as a flaw that cuts clear through an otherwise perfect diamond, weakening it irreparably and rendering it valueless. All his time wasted, a lifetime's work evading the Master and numerous creditors and enemies, now he would have to find another suitable heir and start all over again. The very thought of repeating the trials he had put the Boy through made a cold, mindless fury push itself out through Genma's throat. Looking over his shoulder, he spat contemptuously, "I knew you were too weak, *Boy*. I guess you've become a girl for real, Jusenkyou was just the final straw, makin' your outer form fit your inner nature. Your books, your drawin', you're too namby-pamby to be a *real* martial artist." Facing away again, Genma made a tossing away motion. "You make me sick, *Boy*. You and your half- assed family have been wastin' my time. If you're so all- fired curious to find out how things work, why dontcha ask yo'momma, I'm sure she'll be only too happy to spread her legs for you and show you how to use your *equipment*. You came outta there after all; I'm sure she'd love to let you back in." Stunned, Ranma stood, jaw working in disbelief as fury at the depth of the insult rose like a tidal wave. But before she could move, before she could drive a spear hand through her father's chest from spine to sternum and show him his still-beating heart before he died, she was drenched by a spray of hot water and passed by her mother. Even to her highly-trained senses, Nodoka was a moving blur as she drew her katana in a glittering arc and in the same move hamstrung Genma before he even realised the source of the attack. "Shibito!!" she yelled in fury over Genma's scream of pain and surprised betrayal. A groan answered, and she saw that her guard force had all been laid out, some just unconscious, some with disabling or crippling strikes that included broken bones and joints. Snarling in fury, she pulled a phone from nowhere and made a call. Ten seconds later she hung up, and ninety seconds after that two paramedics had arrived on the scene and were stemming the bleeding from Genma's wounds and triaging the injured guard force. * * * In his study, Saotome Hayao blanched as he read the secret report of his chief enforcer, Shibito. It was still only eleven at night, and he decided that he had at most twelve hours to make his decision before his daughter contacted him and asked for a determination. He studied the photos which Shibito had attached to the hasty report he had e-mailed from his iMode phone. Shaking his head, he found himself agreeing with Ranma's own conclusion, a conclusion that Nodoka appeared to agree with - that Ranma was now, to all intents and purposes, a girl. Nevertheless, the fact that young Ranma could still technically fulfil the pledge meant that there was no good reason to order the boy, girl, whatever, to commit seppuku to clear the way for another branch of the family. Not that he wanted to issue such an order. He should be above such considerations, but Ranma had thoroughly wormed his way into Hayao's heart without even meaning to, with his unfailingly cheery demeanour, eager learning, and amazing achievements. That was the other part of the equation - there was nobody else anywhere near as prepared for the merger as Ranma was, whatever he had told Nodoka and Genma. So superior was Ranma to any other possible candidate that this issue even overrode the issue of any potential complaint by the Tendou clan about Ranma's gender and resulting incompatibility with the likely sexual preferences of the Tendou girls. He had disliked having to mislead his daughter, but if she had not believed that Ranma could easily be replaced she would, all inadvertently, have passed the knowledge onto Genma, and that he could not have afforded. Still, it looked very much as though now was the time to make a clean break with the boy's - no, girl's - father. The insults the man had issued were sufficient cause for a blood feud, but perhaps it would be far better to simply have him disappear, or die of his sword wounds. He would have to have some expensive paperwork done in preparation to having Ranma's official sex (and name) changed in case it was needed. Also, he had absolutely no doubt that Nodoka would be petitioning him for a divorce from Genma, with this latest infliction to her son, now daughter as the final straw. But now it could be said that the purpose of the original pledge had been fulfilled so no dishonour would attach to dropping Genma like a hot potato, if he could keep from killing him outright that is. Then a thought occurred to him, and he grinned nastily as he realised how to ensure that Genma had passed absolutely everything on to his son. * * * Dawn at Nishiyama Onsen brought a chorus of birds greeting the day and a gentle susurration of low-voiced conversation of early-rising onsen-goers to accompany the ever-present sounds of gently flowing water and occasional burps from the hot springs. On this day, in the private Saotome area of the resort, dawn also found Ranma, freshly risen and dressed in loose Chinese kung-fu style trousers and tang, practicing alone on the grassy area that lay between the small house there and the spring itself. She was watched by four guards, replacements for those injured last night. These were present simply as a precaution, more to keep curious resort visitors out than for any actual protection since the main danger the boy faced was now safely locked up in a secure hospital ward. Eventually, with the sun now a finger's width above the horizon, she stopped, bowed, and padded inside. Ranma made her way to her room, quickly doffed her clothing and donned a yukata, and collecting her bath things went to the outdoor-facing bathroom that was normally used to wash before entering the onsen itself. Entering the bath, Ranma took off and hung up her robe and slipped into the bathroom proper. Nodoka was there, using a brush to scrub her back. "Good morning, Mother," said Ranma with a smile as she put down her bathing things and moved to her mother's back. "Let me do that for you." "Thank you, Ranma," said Nodoka with a smile. Ranma took Nodoka's washcloth and took over scrubbing her mother's back. "That was something else, what you did with that sword last night, Mother," she said as the ran her hands over Nodoka's back. "I've got some questions...?" "Of course, Ranma. Do you want me to wash your back?" "Please." Ranma turned, as did Nodoka, and Nodoka took Ranma's soap and washcloth and began plying the cloth slowly over Ranma's shoulders. Ranma slumped forward a little, smiling happily. "You had some questions?" she prompted eventually. "Yeah. Just lemme wash my hair." "I'll help you." Ranma nodded and reached back to deftly undo the tie that bound her hair, then after dropping it into her bucket she quickly ran her fingers through to disassemble the braid. Nodoka took her bucket and filled it, dumping it over Ranma's head. She then began to shampoo her daughter's hair, her fingers massaging the scalp strongly. "I like your hair, Ranma," she said, apropos of nothing. "The colour is so unusual. I think you could wear it in a different style, though." Ranma shrugged. "I guess. Though if I'm going to masquerade as a boy the style can't be too girly." "Feminine, Ranma, not 'girly'." "Feminine, then. I... I didn't know you were a sword master." Nodoka nodded, and smiled in satisfaction. "Yes. I think the time has come to broaden your martial education, Ranma. Now that your father's training has all but reached its end, do you think you could benefit from some additional styles?" "I don't know," said Ranma after a long pause. "The old man has trained me in a whole lot of different styles, you might be surprised." "He did?" "Yeah, particularly in the last two years. He said he did it so I could defend against them, and also as part of building my own integrated style." Nodoka was stunned. "He did?" Ranma snorted. "Yeah, it sure doesn't sound much like him, does it. Even so, I've noticed some areas we haven't spent much time on that I'd like to explore. Elder Cologne introduced me to some really odd techniques, almost like magic but she said it was just manipulation of ki energy, and I feel there's a whole new world there to explore. Thing is, it's the kind of thing people don't talk about, and I've never seen anything written about it except in the most general terms. I might have to go back to Joketsuzoku to study if I want to learn more; even though I feel the old man might know a bit about it he won't talk about it... and after last night, I don't want to have anything more to do with him even if he does have something more to teach me. Not after the way he insulted you." "Thank you, Ranma. I love you too," said Nodoka with a smile as she continued to work on Ranma's long hair. "Even so, I can show you how I was taught speed in combat and we can see if it will help you." Ranma nodded, then quickly soaped herself as Nodoka finished her hair. A quick rinse with cold water later, and the two of them were in the furo which was fed by a feeder from the onsen. Ranma spoke up again once again, her face thoughtful. "I was thinking last night, Mother. The clan has put a lot of effort into training me, and I think that if there's any chance at all the Tendou daughters might go for me then I think I'll find myself still being put forward to them as part of that agreement. So that's probably going to mean I'll be masquerading as a guy at least part of the time." She sighed as her mother sank deeper into the hot water. "I wonder how Ucchan's doing? What's she going to think?" It was Nodoka's turn to sigh as the water lapped at her chin. "I don't know," she said honestly. "She and your other sisters really wanted to come out here with me, but I forbade it, and as it turns out I think I was right to do so. We have to decide how we are going to introduce this change to the clan as a whole." "Do they have to know?" asked Ranma plaintively. "I can appear as Ranma for a short time easily enough - I mean, I fooled you for a while, didn't I?" Nodoka shook her head. "Only for a few seconds at close range, Ranma. Your lips have changed shape and colour, they're the female shape now, and of course your larynx does not protrude as a man's does. I knew something was wrong almost as soon as you took off the hood of your cloak. "Still, the idea is worth considering, since it would mean that there would be less likelihood of the story leaking out and embarrassing you. Some people would have to know, of course - your grandfather, Ukyou of course, and the Tendous - but for day to day living I can see that your idea has merit. And perhaps we can hire somebody to teach you how to disguise yourself better." She raised herself again, her shoulders, pink from their immersion, peeking out of the hot water. "Do you have a name you would want to go by as a woman, Ranma?" "I guess Ranma really is a guy's name, isn't it?" Ranma turned to look out at the view to the south, the mountains falling away to the fertile flatlands in the far distance. The sky was a pellucid, pale blue, promising a spectacular day to come. "I dunno, maybe Ranko?" Nodoka smiled tolerantly. "Do you really want to be known as 'wild child' or 'orchid child'?" Ranma snorted. "'Wild child' would kinda suit me, wouldn't it?" Nodoka shook her head. "But I would never have chosen it as a name for my child, Ranma dearest. Boys should have strong names like yours; girls should have elegant names." "I refuse to be called Kikuko, Hanako, Nadeshiko, or any other kind of flower." "How about we name you after your hair? It's the colour of water... how about Uzumi, water beauty?" Ranma grimaced. "Yoshiko, perhaps?" "Perfumed child?" asked Ranma with raised eyebrows. "I had in mind 'beautiful child'," said Nodoka with a small moue. "Still, I suppose the final decision will really be up to Father." * * * Ranma knelt next to her mother, facing the head of the Saotome clan, her grandfather Hayao. The formal receiving room with its tatami of the finest quality, ancient lacquered cabinetry and the calligraphy hanging on the walls was highly intimidating to the unfamiliar; to Ranma it was simply the Chamber of God, from where pronouncements that affected his life for good or ill were handed down. Outside this chamber, Hayao-ojiisama could be a nice old coot, very personable and approachable. However all decisions were handed down in here, and in here the rules were to be followed strictly. That had been a stern lesson of one of his earliest summers after he began his training with his father, one he had never forgotten. Still, as disciplinarians, the Saotome clan had nothing on his old man. Privately, he thought they possessed too much compassion to do a really good job. Not that he was complaining. Ranma wore formal clothing whenever possible when summoned to this room - another early lesson, this time from her mother. So it was that he now wore a kimono of dark grey silk, with the Saotome mon emblazoned in white, black, and red on his upper chest (both sides), upper arms (both sides), and in the centre of his back. A simple black obi tied the kimono closed over his simple under-kimono of grey silk and white hadagi; white tabi adorned his feat. His mother sat to his right wearing a kimono of pale blue silk textured with herons. Hayao cleared his throat, then spoke. "Ranma, I have reviewed your situation with your mother. Let me begin by saying that I am very pleased with your handling of the situation to date." Ranma bowed. "Thank you, honorable Grandfather." "I agree that from this point forward, you will be forced to live your life mostly as a woman. However you still fulfil all criteria of the union with the Tendou clan, and as you know we have had you earmarked to fulfil our obligation to them since early childhood, so you will still be advanced as a marriage candidate to the Tendou family. An omiai will be held in eight days' time at the house of Tendou Souun, the member of the Tendou clan who has been selected to provide the distaff side of the agreement. "A tutor has been employed starting tomorrow who will train you in the arts of disguise so that you can believably pass as the male Ranma. "Arrangements have been commenced for you to adopt a female identity. I agree with your mother that Ranma is not a suitable name for a girl, and she related to me the difficulty encountered in selecting a new name to you. Therefore I have chosen your female name for you. You have been registered as Saotome Kanomi." "Yes, honorable Grandfather." "Now, as to the details of the arrangements that have been made in your regard..." ********************** Author's Notes: As I said in the prologue, the original idea for "Honorable Father" came to me one night when I asked myself, "What would it take for Genma to be an honorable person?" This story bears little resemblance to that premise, but that was the starting point. The prologue was published with little hope of the story going anywhere. I had no idea what actual story I would like to tell; it was merely a neat idea. Some time after that I was exposed to the work of the manga-ka Toshiki Yui. Some of you may be familiar with some of his work, which is prolific. The comic "Hot Tails" and a number of other comics published by Eros Comics in the USA are his work. In this comic series, he has a number of stories featuring a girl named Kanomi who is a normal - if well-endowed - girl who happens to have a functional penis. In other words, she is a "dick girl". Dick girls appear frequently in Toshiki Yui's work, especially in those which have not (yet) been translated by Eros; he seems to have a fascination with them, and he uses them for both comedy and social commentary (as well as being a good excuse for a bit of X-rating in a manga, of course). So anyway, I wondered if I could somehow make Ranma a "dick girl" like Toshiki Yui's Kanomi, and what it would mean for him. How would he function, what choices would he make, and so forth. The first question was, "how do I make it happen?" It seemed natural to have Ranma take a dip in the Nanniichuan whilst still wet with Nyanniichuan as a result of being too smart for his own good... which in turn suggested to me that this might be a suitable use for the Honorable Father universe. Obviously there will be those who feel that this is a waste, but those people can write their own stories based on the Honorable Father prologue if they feel strongly about it, with my blessing. Certainly this is not the course I originally had in mind for the story... but that's life. I don't plan to make this a crossover or fusion with any of Toshiki Yui's stories - I think the universes are too dissimilar for that to work unless this story were to be a pure lemon (i.e. explicitly sexual), which it will not be as that would restrict the audience too much. On the other hand, the use of slapstick humour is similar in the two series, although of course Toshiki Yui's humour is much more overtly sexual than is the norm for Takahashi Rumiko's stuff. On onsen temperatures: To most Westeners, 42C is quite hot but not unbearable (in fact my wife prefers her showers at that temperature); 45C is considered scalding by most right-minded people :). But familiarity breeds contempt - or in this case, content. :) To the Japanese, 45C is hot but by no means unbearable; some Japanese can tolerate spas which are seriously hot, 50C or more... but most people regard people who *enjoy* such temperatures as somewhat strange. Thus, the comment about Tokyo Grandfathers early on in the Ranma 1/2 manga. Speaking of which, Nishiyama Onsen is a real place, and its location is also real, as is the fact that Tokugawa Ieyasu once visited there as Shogun, as is the type and temperature of the water it is said to have. Its ownership by the Saotome family is complete fiction, however. Next time, Ranma returns to a more 'normal' plot as he travels to Nerima to attend high school in the company of his would-be fiancee.