Ranma Z

 

Chapter Eight

 

The Truth Revealed!  Crisis on Ranma!

 

 

 

            Ayeka wakes with a groan.  Her hand goes to her head to steady herself and in an attempt to chase away the dizziness.  After a moment she looks around.  (“Home?”)  She thinks.  Indeed she is home, lying in her room.  She rises, unsteadily, and makes her way to the door.  She opens it and is surprised to find Ryoko leaning on the wall opposite the door.  “Ryoko?”

            “Bout time you woke up,” Ryoko says with a grin.

            “What happened?”  Ayeka asks.  “I remember the Saiyan and Lord Tenchi, but everything after that is a blur.”

            “We got our asses handed to us, basically.  Come on, everybody’s waiting downstairs.”  Ayeka nods and follows.

 

            They immediately head to door that leads to Washu’s lab.  Tsunami, Tenchi, and Sailor Pluto are waiting just outside the lab.  Tenchi smiles as they near.  “Good to see you’re all right.”

            Ayeka nods and looks around.  “Where is the Saiyan?”

            Tenchi smiles nervously.  “Well…” His explanation is cut off by shouts coming from the lab.

            “I really don’t think that’s necessary.”

            “Oh come how, I am the scientist after all.”

            “What are ya goin’ do with that?”  The sound of a drill is heard followed by a scream and then, “Keio-ken!”  Ranma runs out of the lab with his red aura flaring.  He quickly closes it and leans on the door hoping to keep it closed.  “That woman is crazy!”  He screams.

            Tsunami and Sailor Pluto giggle while the rest look at Ranma in shock.  Ranma takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself and dispels the Keio-ken.  He glares are Tsunami.  “K, I did what ya wanted.  Now you keep your end of the bargin.”

            Tsunami nods.  “Of course.  You’ll have to wait in the living room of course.”

            Ranma nods and begins to walk away from the lab door.  He yelps and spins around.  “Damn it!”  He yells as he holds his tail.

            Washu smiles and dangles a piece of his fur in front of her.  “Sorry, I needed a sample from your tail.”  She says before disappearing back into the lab.

            “Damn it!  Just be glad my tail ain’t my weak spot no more!”  He growls.  Sailor Pluto makes a mental note of this.

 

            Ranma, Setsuna (she dropped out of her Senshi form), Ryoko, Ayeka, Tenchi, and Katsuhito all sit in the living room.  They are not speaking and the air is filled with tension.  Ranma yawns, and Ayeka’s patience runs out.  “All right what is going on here?”  She demands.

            Ranma scratches the back of his head.  “I ain’t real sure.”

            Setsuna frowns.  “We’re here because there’s something odd about his DNA,” She points to Ranma.

            “His DNA?”  Ayeka asks.

            “He was able to use the Tenchi Key,” Tenchi explains.

            Ayeka pales.  “That can’t be,” She mutters.

            Katsuhito nods.  “Only those of royal blood should be able to use the Tenchi Key.  That’s why Ranma is here.”

            “You guys are here to hear about that,” Ranma says with a frown.  “I’m only here for one reason and one reason alone.”

            Ayeka frowns and glares at Ranma.  “And why is that?”

            Sasumi decides to answer that question.  “Dinner!”

            Ranma blurs out of sight.  But his voice tells where he is.  “Seconds please!”

 

            Washu exits her lab and settles down at the table as Ranma finishes off his fifteenth helping.  “So what did you find?”  Katsuhito asks.

            Washu sighs.  “Ranma here has one of the most complex DNA structures I’ve ever seen…outside Ryoko and my creations.”  She begins.  Ranma continues to eat but strains to hear.  “The DNA of three different races blended into one.  One is Saiyan, one is Jurian, and the other is human.  I don’t think the DNA from the human side came from the Earth though.  There are a few differences.”

            “But I thought that the human race had yet to expand beyond the Earth?”  Tenchi asks.

            “That’s not true.  Thousands of years ago there were humans on living on every planet and most of the moons in this system, Pluto having the lowest population of one.  But there was a catastrophe that made all of the planet, except the Earth, uninhabitable.  I already have an idea from where Ranma gets his human DNA,” Setsuna explains.

            “Where?”  Washu asks.

            “Odds are the Saiyans got the DNA from the Royal Family of the Moon during the war the two fought.”

            Washu nods.  “That would explain it.  The reason Ranma could use the Tenchi Key probably means that the Saiyans got the DNA from someone in the Jurian Royal Family during their war.”

            “And my Saiyan DNA comes from the Spring of Drowned Alien at Jusenkyo.”

            Washu shakes her head.  “I doubt that.”

            Ranma gives her a confused look.  “Why’s that?”

            “The DNA of the three races has been blended together too well.  It is highly unlikely that your Saiyan DNA came from a cursed spring.  Odds are you were born this way.  Odds are your family adopted you.”  Ranma frowns.  “Ranma I know this is a shock, but I’m telling you the truth.”  Ranma continues to frown and stares off into the distance.  He is like that for a few minutes.  He doesn’t move, he doesn’t speak, and he doesn’t eat.  Finally he rises and moves to the door.

            “Ranma?”

            He stops at the door but doesn’t turn.  “You have my number.  Call me tomorrow, I’ll find out the truth by then.”  He opens the sliding door and exits.  His aura flares as he takes to the sky and streaks off towards Tokyo.

 

            The Saotome home is quiet.  Genma is still staying at the Tendos, and will probably continue to.  He will return in a few days to try and force Ranma to return with him.  To fulfill the vow of marriage made between the Saotome and Tendo houses.  But nothing will come of that.  Only Nodoka is home now.  She stares off into the distance and sips on some tea.  She notices the gray dot in the distance.  When she confirms that it is headed towards her, she knows what, or rather who, it is.  “Welcome home,” She greets Ranma as he lands.  His stern face, however, is not the greeting she expected.  Worry immediately replaces her happiness at having her son home.  “What’s wrong?”

            Ranma continues to frown.  Finally he speaks.  “I was just told somethin’ interestin’.”  He slowly makes his way to his ‘mother’ and sits down beside her.  He closes his eyes and tries to think of the best way to say what is on his mind.  The most direct way is the only way he finds.  “Why didn’t ya tell me I was adopted?”

            Nodoka drops her tea.  “Who told you that you were adopted?”

            “I find out today.  I always knew I wasn’t completely human.  At first I always thought it was a side effect because of Jusenkyo.  But today I got in a fight with someone who isn’t human.  One a his friends told me that it’s not because a Jusenkyo.  I was never really human.  You and Oyagi, you’re human.  So it was kinda obvious after that.”

            Nodoka nods.  “I can’t have children.  I was left barren after an accident during my childhood.  Genma found you when he was returning from one of his training trips with Happousai.  You were like a blessing from heaven.  But when Genma took you away, it was like my heart had been ripped out.”  She is openly crying.  “I don’t care if you came from body or not.  To me you are my son.”  Nodoka places her head in her hands and begins to weep.  She is a bit surprised to find strong arms wrapped around her.

            “And to me you are my mother.  Nothing will ever change that.”  And with that Nodoka’s defenses come crashing down.  She buries her face in Ranma’s chest and weeps until she falls asleep.

 

            Sometime later, Genma and Soun’s game of shoji is interrupted as Ranma comes through the door of the veranda.  He looks calm enough, but that is just the outside appearance.  Inside he is nothing but controlled rage, and his control is slipping.  He deliberately walks towards Genma in a slow and threatening manner.  Genma instinctive knows he is in trouble.  Ranma reaches downed and picks up his ‘father’ by the front of his shirt.  “You’re going to show me.”

            “Show you?”  Genma asks in confusion.

            “Show me where you found me.”  Genma goes pale.

 

            Two days later

            Washu whistles at what her computer is showing her.  “Impressive.”

            “What’s that?”  Ranma asks.

            Washu pats the white circular spacesuit and begins her explanation.  “This thing can go much faster than the speed of light.  For a race that was supposed to be very stupid that is a major accomplishment.  Humans, who are supposed to be smarter than Saiyans, haven’t even begun to approach the speed of light.”  She turns back to the ship and continues to work on it.  “You sure you don’t want to keep it?”

            Ranma nods.  “I have a spaceship that’s a whole lot bigger.  Bulma-san and her father based it off of the Saiyan Spacepods.  But they upgraded it, made it bigger, and added some training stuff.  Plus it’s in capsule form.”

            Washu nods.  “Those capsules are good to have.”  She looks over the control board and presses a few buttons.  The door opens.  “Looks like I’ve got some work to do.”

            Ranma nods.  “I’ll see my way out.”  Washu nods but doesn’t speak.

 

            Days later

            Ranma has just arrived home from work.  He is met at the door by his mother.  “Welcome home.”  She hands him a piece of paper with a phone number on it.

            “What’s this?”

            “Oh, Washu-chan asked that you call her when you got home.”

            “She did?”  Nodoka nods.

            Moments later, Ranma is on the phone.  “What’s up Washu-chan?”  He asks.

            “I’ve got some bad news Ranma.  I found something on the spaceship that I really wish I would have found earlier.”

            “What’s that?”

            “It looks like when we brought the ship here we activated some kind of homing beacon.”

            “So?  You said the Saiyans died out a long time ago, right?”

            “I’m not sure.  Just in case I began scanning the solar system.  We have incoming.”

            “Incoming?”  It took a moment for Ranma to understand what she meant.  But when he finally did he became deadly serious.  “And?”

            “I don’t know if they’re Saiyan or not, but I’m sure they’re headed for the Earth.  They’ll be by the end of the week.”

            “Are they strong?”

            “I don’t know.  The ships are interfering with my scanning.”

            “Ships?”

            “Two.  They’re about the same size as the ship that brought you, so I’m pretty sure there are only two people coming.  But we must be ready.”

            “I understand.  I’ll contact Setsuna and the Senshi.  You can pick us up before they land.  We’ll have to hit ‘em hard when they land.”

            “My thoughts exactly.  I’ll call later when I know more.”

            “All right.  I’ll go tell the Senshi right away.”  Ranma hangs up and bolts out the front door.  He spars one look up at the sky before he takes to the sky.  “Things have just gotten more interesting.”