Author's Note: Most people have voted against the retcon, so I will leave it as-is. Thanks for the feedback! I also know that the courtroom drama part may not be accurate. I don't know much about law even in the United States, much less in Japan. I also know this one's a bit short, but I felt like it needed to end where it did.

AZant: Thank you! I too am a fan of the harem ending for this, though it'd have to be because the girls actually wanted him and would need to flow naturally. I have plans, but they are secret at the moment and flexible as well.

And yes, Ukyo is in a bad place...but better than in canon. The canon had her father knowingly arrange a dishonorable marriage and then let her deal with the fallout, gender identity trauma, and hatred for a decade. He dumped all the responsibility for his mistake on her and took none for himself. It was also strange how he tried to give away his school's heir so easily. Ukyo could not have inherited the school if she were married out of the family or adopted as a Saotome, so the only answer I could think of was that it was an intentional effort to render her ineligible as soon as possible. Dressing her as a boy and allowing the gender identity issue to fester in the first place could imply disappointment in her for being female and considering her unsuitable to be the heir because of it, which fits as a motive. The best reason he would have to be sneaky about it instead of just remarrying and trying again for a boy would be if he lacked the authority to change the heir. Implying that his wife or some other relative was the one who held the position in the first place.

Likely not the only possibility, but it's the one I went with.

Chapter 20: Judgment

A lightly sleeping Ranma was awoken by a flash of light that got through his eyelids. He wasn't too concerned about his restrained state because he was accustomed to feeling Ukyo clinging to him on waking, but it was a surprise to feel warmth against him on both sides and on top of him. His eyes widened and he looked around himself to take in the situation. Ukyo was sleeping to his left with her arms around him and clinging tightly. The somewhat pained expression on her sleeping face made him hesitate to extract himself from her, unlike on other mornings. To his right, Kasumi was similarly affixed but seemed to be sleeping more peacefully. Finally, he looked down to his chest and saw a blue mop of hair. Akane was on top of him and clinging in her sleep as well. This newest addition to the pile was a particular surprise that made Ranma's pulse quicken. Was it love or a feeling of self-preservation? It was hard to discern due to his skewed life, but he figured it was the latter.

Another flash seized Ranma's attention as he transitioned to full wakefulness. He noticed Nabiki at the foot of his futon. The middle Tendo removed her eye from the viewfinder of her new camera and regarded Ranma with a cheeky smile. It lacked the predatory tone he knew her to have in her later teenage years, but she was still amused by the scene.

This second flash seemed to disturb the other girls, whose eyes each fluttered open in turn. Ukyo was surprised to still find Ranma in her arms and clung more tightly to his side. Kasumi let go and sat up before giving her typical gentle smile. Akane finally let go and rubbed her eyes a bit before she looked to Ranma's face. Her expression shifted to one of childish determination, which seemed out of place in this situation.

"Akane...why were you clingin' to me?" Ranma whispered in confusion so as not to wake Natsume and Kurumi.. Akane gave a reply that matched his low volume, her expression staying focused.

"You escaped your futon at the shrine, even with Kasumi and Ukyo holding on. Nabiki said to keep you from escaping our spar and to make sure I wake up when you did!" Akane smiled at the clever idea and was grateful to her big sister, unaware that Nabiki was manipulating her for her own fun. On realizing that it was just Akane being eager for a match rather than anything else, Ranma gave a sigh of relief.

"I ain't runnin' out on the spar, Akane. All I did when I escaped last time was start makin' the girls breakfast. It's not like I ditched them or anythin'. It's more like a trainin' game between me and Ucchan, though I decided to stick around last night so she can sleep better. Yesterday was rough." Ranma's words reminded Ukyo of the previous day and made her pull the boy closer to her, her face burying itself into his shoulder. The boy gave her a series of encouraging pats on the back, still being a bit awkward in dealing with such things. A rustling nearby was heard and, as if reacting to the word 'breakfast', Kurumi poked her head up expectantly.

"Yeah...time to get cookin', then. Ucchan, want to help?" Ranma gave Ukyo a distraction from her thoughts and the assembled group of children gave up any pretense of being able to get any more sleep. Nabiki inwardly kicked herself for waking everyone up before dawn and thus having to stay up herself if she wanted breakfast, not realizing that Ranma would have woken up shortly anyway.

By the time Soun had helped his wife prepare for the day, breakfast was already done and waiting.

"Oh my, you all didn't have to do this!" Kimiko said with a mix of pleasant surprise and a tinge of regret that she couldn't have cooked this meal. It was the same feeling as she had last night, but she forced that guilt down and praised the children.

"Yes, it all looks very good." Soun helped his wife to her seat then took his own. Akane looked a bit sheepish due to her inability to help much with cooking, something her father noticed. "Hmm? What's wrong, Akane?"

Akane shook those thoughts from her mind. She was never one who took her own perceived inadequacies well, but she knew from last night that she'd need time to learn and catch up. No, she had to worry about the spar today. "Just thinking about the spar, Daddy. I fight Ranma right after breakfast, right?"

Soun thought for a moment. He was worried about his little girl fighting Ranma, even in a spar. The fact he'd managed to teach Ukyo as much as he had implied that he knew how to hold back, but the man still worried for his youngest child. Ranma had beaten a man that Soun would lose against three times out of five even before the training journey, and the child now stood as a Master of the Art. The gap between Ranma and Akane was immense regardless of their shared age. "Hnn. You should spar after a light breakfast if possible. Being punched in the belly on a full stomach can be a bad thing. You can eat the remainder of your breakfast afterward."

"Ewww!" Nabiki exclaimed, grossed out by the comment. Akane simply abided by her father's advice though, seeing the practicality. She knew of some of her father's students in the past losing their lunch through such means. After a short meal, which was smaller than Ranma's, the girl rushed off and donned her gi before returning. The child then grabbed Ranma's arm and practically dragged him to the Dojo as the sun just started to rise.

"Come on, Ranma! Let's go already! You can eat more later!" Akane was strong for her age and a bit pushy, enough for Ukyo to be a bit irritated at seeing her friend dragged around like that. The chef followed to watch the sparring session and make sure Akane behaved herself. Before long, everyone in the Tendo house had taken position in the Dojo to observe while Akane waited in position and in stance. She couldn't start without the referee, after all. "Hurry up, Daddy! Ranma, get in your stance!" Ranma had not taken a stance, instead merely standing where Akane had placed him opposite her.

With a chuckle, Soun stood and observed. His trained eye noted that there were no openings in spite of Ranma's relaxed appearance. The boy was ready to defend even though Akane failed to notice and assumed him to be taking the spar lightly. Indeed, this boy was trained by Saotome. The psychological battle had already started. "Alright. This is an Anything Goes Martial Arts sparring session. No lethal strikes or special techniques. That means no ki attacks. Victory is attained by knockout, submission, or a twenty strike lead." Soun added the twenty strike limitation in hopes that Akane wouldn't be hurt badly in the spar, noting Ranma's confused glance at the unusual condition. Akane focused more on the lack of ki techniques and pouted a bit at this mention, having wanted to see such techniques. Of course, it didn't occur to her that she could be hurt badly if they were employed. Soun moved his hand above him. "Ready..." He then swung it down in front of him as a signal. "Begin!"

Akane saw that Ranma had not taken a stance and she hesitated, but her face showed irritation. She rushed forward, throwing a punch toward Ranma's face. "Take this seriously!" The move, telegraphed from Ranma's perspective, was dodged by the barest of margins as Ranma stepped into Akane's guard...and flicked her forehead firmly with his finger. She stumbled back, crying out and vigorously rubbing the 'injury'. After being given a moment to recover by her opponent, the girl looked to Ranma with anger in her eyes.

"You overextended. I could've made that really hurt if I wanted to." Ranma said bluntly, biting his tongue on further criticism in a herculean effort not to trash talk. Training Ukyo had required him to develop techniques around that new priority, and the most important parts were holding back both his strength and his tongue. Akane was more than a bit surprised, blinking for a moment in confusion. Her eyes soon narrowed, however, as she dismissed the idea that Ranma lacked defense. Rushing forward, she tried to go for a gut punch. Ranma batted the arm aside and kept a hold of her wrist as he moved forward. Staying on the outside of the limb and using it to keep her off balance, he moved along her side and flicked Akane again several times in fluid succession. Kidney, rib cage, armpit. He then pulled her down onto his raised knee, knocking her breath out of her and making her stagger back. Akane was more thankful than ever that she'd abided by her father and hadn't eaten a large breakfast.

She also knew what those flicks meant. Each was a point he could have struck to hurt her, and hard. Ranma's finger would flick the girl painfully enough to teach a lesson as the match went on, but not badly enough to cause injury. When her footing or form got sloppy, he took advantage and dished out a little more pain or made her fall. Such things were punished more harshly.

'I'm sorry, Akane.' Ranma thought to himself. 'You were never as good as me, but maybe takin' you more seriously would have helped us back then. I'll try to meet you halfway here.'

Soun realized quickly what was going on. Ranma and Akane were so far from equals that the boy could hardly consider this a spar. He instead limited himself to weaker strikes intended to highlight Akane's mistakes with measured doses of pain. To teach through combat was something the Master and Genma would both have done, though Ranma was trying to do it with a little more consideration for his opponent.

This wasn't a spar, this was a practical lesson.

Twelve strikes in, Akane finally got the hint to be a little more thoughtful with her attacks and mindful of her defense. On the fifteenth strike, where she was separated from the ground entirely, she was briefly scared. The sixteenth strike managed to restore her to balance, and the seventeenth snapped her back to reality and compelled her to quickly back away from the boy.

"You don't kick much. Maybe it's just somethin' about the ground style, but it really limits your options." Ranma observed, his responses limited to things he thought might actually be useful information. Soun's eyes were the ones to narrow slightly this time. It was one of the critiques that Happosai had made when he and Saotome had elected to split the schools. Akane, meanwhile, moved back into striking range and attempted to land a few quick jabs. These were meant less to do damage and more to score a few strikes for breathing room in the tally. She was fighting a little smarter out of necessity but was still clearly outmatched.

The eighteenth flick from Ranma hit her square on the right ulnar nerve when he evaded one of her strikes, making her hand and arm feel strange enough to hinder her movements temporarily. The 'funny bone' strike was followed up with Ranma moving to his left around the arm, striking her shoulder for the nineteenth strike and the back of her neck for the twentieth.

"That's the match! Ranma wins, twenty strikes to zero." Soun announced. Akane rubbed her elbow, glaring at Ranma. Still, she and Ranma turned and bowed to each other. The girl wasn't too happy about the outcome, but Akane wasn't sure what she was expecting. Soun noticed her expression and stepped in, putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You did very well, Akane. I could see you improving as you fought."

"But I didn't win..." Akane said, grumbling a bit as she pouted. Ranma noted this, but didn't say anything.

Kimiko, however, wheeled herself over and decided to intercede. Putting her own hand on Akane's other shoulder, she spoke as well. "Akane, spars aren't all about winning. They're about learning and improving one's self, right dear?" Soun looked to his wife and gave a nod of agreement, deciding to build from that. Akane wasn't used to being anything less than the best in her age group.

"That's right, Akane. If you always won, you would not learn as readily. A loss can teach you more than a victory, so spars against strong opponents are the best way for you to grow. So long as those opponents are honorable enough not to intentionally hurt you needlessly." Soun glanced to Ranma, the man's expression attempting to look stern but with a measure of relief thrown in. Ranma hadn't done anything to hurt his daughter, so the Demon Head Technique wasn't necessary to intimidate the boy. The older master looked back to his youngest child, smiling. "Speaking of learning, each of Ranma's strikes was a result of an opportunity your form allowed him to take. I will use the information the spar provided to adjust your training and refine your form. I want you to also think of ways to improve from what you've experienced today. Alright, Akane?"

Akane smiled at the promise of training from her father, brightening up. "Okay, Daddy! I'll work hard! I want to beat him next time!" Soun wasn't sure if that particular goal was tenable, but at the very least his daughter wasn't depressed and seemed that much more interested in moving forward in the Art. Ranma managed to stay quiet and keep his comments to himself.

If only he'd made that breakthrough about two years sooner...

Shaking that thought from his mind, he decided there was no room for regrets. That Akane, that whole world, they didn't exist anymore if this worked anything like the Nanban Mirror's form of time travel. The best he could do was to do better this time around. "I'm takin' a bath. I don't want to smell ripe when I go to the courthouse." The truth of the matter was that Ranma hadn't broken a sweat in handling Akane, but he knew that his mother would insist. He rushed off after proclaiming this to make sure they couldn't ask him to share the tub with Akane. He would prefer to avoid such embarrassment. When he cleaned himself off and spent five minutes in the bath uninterrupted, he thought he was in the clear.

Nodoka entered the bathroom's changing area and poked her head into the bathing area proper, providing the first sign that Ranma had thought wrong. "Good, you're getting yourself clean without being told! I'm changing out your clothing for something a little more appropriate for court proceedings." She approached Ranma and gently grasped a shoulder, starting to inspect his hair.

"M-Mom, what're you doin'?" Ranma asked his mother in shock. She looked a bit confused, before realizing his feelings and simply smiling at her son.

"Oh, don't be shy! I'm just making sure you can clean yourself. I am told that children your age still need help with that, but you seem to have washed your hair well enough on your own. I guess you won't need help bathing." The thought of that left Ranma wide-eyed and unable to respond as his mother kept on speaking. "To think you've grown so self-sufficient in just four years! I used to bathe you every single day...while I am proud, I can't help but feel that I've lost out by not being part of that growth."

"Well, it was sink or swim with Pops around. Anyway, I'm about done, so..." Ranma said, wanting to leave the bath but hesitant while his mother was around.

"Oh, of course! I'll get the towel and help you put on the suit after drying you off! It's a bit complicated, so please pay attention..." Nodoka started, blissfully happy to assist her mortified son and unwilling to take no for an answer.

The only silver lining for Ranma was that there wasn't someone taking pictures this time.

Xiao Mei ate breakfast with Mousse, her medication taken without commentary this time in favor of the more prudent topic of conversation. "So let me get this straight," the hairstylist of the Xiu elected to summarize, "a magical presence in a Cursed Spring took the form of a girl named Lan who your future self used the forbidden Wind Tunnel technique on. She provided important information from that future on where the notorious pervert of legend is and where the village's stolen treasures may be." Mousse nodded, the girl having it right so far. As such, she continued. "Elder Lu Fa made sure the council ordered Elder Ku Long deal with it, but Elder Ku Long had magic used on her to reduce her age and thereafter replenish the Cursed Spring which Lan expended to manifest. This also helped the Phoenix People, who apparently exist after all, and improved relations between them. Now Elder Ku Long and Lan have taken the girl you like and have gone off to kill the pervert of legend or reclaim the stolen treasures. You've been sent after them for a reason that you can't divulge." Once more, the six-year-old Joketsuzoku in glasses nodded in confirmation.

The mint-haired spy was impressed in a sense. This child would grow up to have enough proficiency with the Hidden Weapons Style to mess up that badly? The Wind Tunnel wasn't exactly something that was easy to employ. Apparently he'd done so in a dishonorable way to claim this girl he liked, making the village crackdown on his training before someone sent him out on this mission by employing his obsession and ignorance against him. She suspected the other Elder, but it really could have been anyone displeased with the target who wanted to take advantage. The access to the poisons, printing press, and communications system of the village narrowed down the suspects to the more influential members of the village, at least.

She was forced to re-evaluate things. Simply telling him the truth probably wouldn't work. He was so engrossed in his fantasy of being a hero for this girl of his that he wouldn't accept it without evidence. Xiao Mei pondered how best to handle this and gave a sigh. Perhaps it would be best to teach him more than one lesson at once. "Alright, Mu Tsu. Put out the rat traps outside and then we'll open for business." She resolved to do it later tonight, when they didn't have the workday ahead of them. He needed training, after all.

The boy found it strange that the woman had switched to live rat traps for the day. He was sure he had seen normal spring traps around the building last night...

With the flash that went off again, Ranma found himself regretting winning the camera for Nabiki. She was grinning widely at him with only one of the many irritating reactions he had found himself receiving at the moment. Akane was laughing loudly with her recent loss long forgotten. Ukyo was smirking and trying her hardest not to do the same. Kasumi couldn't help but giggle a bit. Mrs. Tendo was joining his mother and grandmother in fawning over him. The only ones who seemed to show him any empathy were his grandfather and Soun, though Kurumi and Natsume didn't seem to understand the problem. That issue was the attire his mother had made him wear.

The light brown tweed suit he wore was paired with a brown flat cap, a white undershirt, and a red bow tie. Ranma had no way of knowing when or where this was in style, but it certainly wasn't any place nearby or any time recent.

Thankfully, Ranma's grandfather Tenma elected to aid his ailing grandson. "Nodoka...we wish to ensure custody of Ranma and protect him from his father, right?"

"Hmm?" Nodoka peeled herself away from adjusting Ranma's bow tie to regard her father. "Of course we do. What are you leading to, Father?"

"That maybe we shouldn't make our job harder than it needs to be. If Ranma walks in there dressed like that, the court will pity the boy." When Tenma stated this with the typical Saotome bluntness, he received a bit of a glare from his wife. However, Tenma put a hand on Ranma's shoulder, standing firm on this and going up a few notches in Ranma's book. "Trust me. This outfit may be cute to you, but Ranma is not a doll. He is someone who is clearly ashamed and embarrassed right now. The court is watching carefully for such things. I'll make some calls and see what I can do." The sigh of relief from Ranma confirmed his grandfather's words, and the ladies who had been so excited suddenly felt sheepish.

Maybe this would turn out alright after all...so long as he could destroy Nabiki's negatives.

Cologne and her group had managed to make it into Xining, though they dared not approach the military base that had sprung up in the area. They had instead stopped off at a restaurant which was run by a member of the Xiu and her husband. The man cooked the meals while the wife washed dishes, her expression vacant as she moved through the motions. Ran wasn't sure of the circumstances of their membership in the clandestine group, but the woman seemed to be heavily programmed by the Xi Fa Xiang Gao. Given the displeasure that the husband silently conveyed, it was likely not an amicable situation. Ran felt unwelcome and desired to move on as swiftly as possible.

The purchase of a few newspapers spread across the table with their food provided a sea of information which brought Cologne a measure of both dread and amusement while she read them and ate breakfast. Efforts to censor any articles on a wider scale were fast falling apart with the arrest of various officials in charge of media control and the general efforts of the Xiu not to let the Chinese Government obscure the chaos. Few suspected their high profile barber of programming them into sleeper agents without comprehension of their actions, after all. They just enjoyed the styling and recommended their barber to their co-workers and families...sometimes with some gentle mental prodding if necessary. Manipulation of the mind was a powerful thing, though it wasn't the absolute weapon that some on the Council considered it to be. She suspected some of the deaths and disappearances reported in the paper to be a result of assorted targets resisting their programming and needing to be put down.

One article detailed a group of Chinese Generals drawing forces away from much of Qinghai Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region to attack the Indian and Bhutanese borders to seize various disputed territories. They were even poised to push into the Kashmir region, sticking their nose in the Pakistani-Indian conflict there. It was likely a fool's errand intended to divert away forces that might otherwise be seeking out the Joketsuzoku. The maneuver would also sow more unrest and discord within the PRC Command as well as internationally.

There were suspected to be a large number of Chinese Communist Party members using Macao casinos and Hong Kong businesses to convert currencies and leave the country as well. This was because there were massive arrests and even assassinations happening as a result of the information the Xiu had leaked which had been collected since their inception. Alliances were destroyed, enemies were made, and the Party was tearing itself apart. Cologne wouldn't be surprised if some of that laundered money found its way into Swiss bank accounts set up for the village's use.

None of this was of a particular shock...though after some digging, Cologne was able to hit upon the impetus for this madness. Ranma Saotome, the boy who Mousse had sent into the past and who Ran had split off from, had used Joketsuzoku techniques against his abusive father in front of a large group. Happosai had been present and even clarified the origin of the Hiryu Shoten Ha. This event was televised live across Japan first, but was promptly shown in Russia as well. It was also serving as the latest chapter of an ongoing story with the Saotome family which was gripping the Japanese consciousness. These were surely the consequences of the Wind Tunnel's use on the boy.

Ran, who was also reading this, couldn't help but chuckle. She already knew he'd done this from their ki-space correspondence, but it was nice to see it in newsprint. She needn't hide the fact she knew anymore. 'He finally ditched the old panda. He's free now. Good for him.'

'Perhaps, at least until the suitors come calling. A six-year-old capable of using the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken and the Hiryu Shoten Ha won't be ignored any longer than necessary.' Cologne said to Ran, who glared back slightly in response to the comment. She understood what Cologne was saying. Once the lock down on the village wasn't necessary anymore, challengers would start heading to Japan. Possibly mothers with their young daughters, given the ages in play.

'My other self would be furious if children were forced to fight him and risk their futures for a law, especially one that doesn't care about his own rights.' Ran warned, balancing respect and bluntness as best she could. The look Cologne gave her was one of speculative warning, but Ran continued. 'That law has no weight where we are going. That is not disrespect, but simple fact. Ranma has also spent his whole life with others trying to decide his future and has had enough. I must remind you that he and Happosai also know exactly where the village is at a time where revelation of that knowledge would be deadly. My other half may be too forgiving for his own good at times, and would not want to reveal that information to cause harm, but pressing him would be reckless.'

The youthful Elder couldn't help but sigh, thinking on the matter as she watched Shampoo try to read the scattered newspapers around them and copy the characters with her own hand using some charcoal. Ran was right. Pushing Ranma too hard right now could be unwise. She felt that there were things that Ran was still concealing about the boy, though. 'Lan, tell me...where did he learn our techniques? I know Happy did not know about the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken.' Ran was silent, clearly hesitant to explain, but Cologne was starting to understand. 'You seem to know exactly how Ranma would respond to the Kiss of Marriage with absolute certainty. I could accept that on its face given your origins...but the fact that he knows our techniques and that a Xian Pu-obsessed Mu Tsu felt threatened enough to use the Wind Tunnel against him all point to a single conclusion.'

The gestalt of the Spring of Drowned Girl still bore girl-type Ranma's expressive and honest face, the expression gracing it leaving Cologne smiling. 'It seems I've hit the nail on the head. A shame that this version of Shampoo has yet to establish the claim her elder self did. Or perhaps I should simply keep regulating my age and wait for him to grow...'

Ran's eyes narrowed, regarding the smiling woman. The being spoke quietly and calmly, to leave no uncertainty in her words. 'Honorable Elder...do not make me choose between you and my other half. You may not like my answer.'

The once-old woman sighed, knowing that she had pushed too far this time. 'Fine, fine. I'll hold off for now. You are right in that doing anything at the moment would be too troublesome. His blood is already in the tribe through your own.' Ran regarded Cologne with suspicion, strongly suspecting that she hadn't given up on the matter. Unfortunately, the redhead had no choice but to let it go for now.

Takefumi Auchi was clearly displeased as he moved down the main hallway of the courthouse. He had been confident yesterday evening that Nodoka Saotome and her family would be forced to abandon claiming full custody of Ranma in favor of a quicker divorce, if only to avoid monetary responsibility for the lawsuits that Genma Saotome would inevitably be subject to. The cause of his current mood was that he had since heard that something happened the previous night to change things and he had no idea what. He was used to being more in the loop due to his work as a Prosecutor, but he wasn't serving in that role in this Family Court. In fact, the man felt that he was getting the run-around.

He thus found himself irritated and uncertain as he entered the courtroom and took his position as Genma's counsel. The television screen showing Genma's face was once more present, the man gaining noticeable stubble. No one was interested in taking the risk to give him a razor to shave with. The ex-Master of the Saotome School also looked like he hadn't slept well, with circles under his eyes. Nodoka, by contrast, looked well-rested and confident. Takefumi felt a greater sense of dread.

"It is March 28, 1977, 9:00 AM. Court is now in session." The Judge seemed prepared to proceed, and blissfully ignorant of the change in the courtroom's mood compared to that from the end of the previous day. "Yesterday we parted on unusual terms. While Genma Saotome is clearly unfit for sole custody, there were concerns raised that Nodoka Saotome was in a similar state. Then we devolved into a case of he said-she said before adjourning. Have there been actionable changes in the situation since that time?"

"No, your Honor. Now if you would care to proceed with a ruling..." Takefumi said with a bit of urgency and hoping to shut down the matter swiftly.

Regrettably for Takefumi, Nodoka's team was far more ready to proceed. "There have been massive changes on our end since yesterday, your Honor. Ones apparently sufficient to scare the opposing counsel into desperation." Chihiro Ayasato stated while she bore a slightly predatory smile.

"Oh? What sort of changes?" The judge inquired, wondering just what Mrs. Saotome's counsel had to present.

"First, Mrs. Saotome has since seen both a psychologist named Doctor Riho Gekkogahara and a psychiatrist named Doctor Aoko Hatano. Both are in good standing with the court and have deemed her fit for parenting. Both are also ready to be called as witnesses if required. I present their reports and diagnoses to the court." When bidden by the Judge, the attorney handed the bailiff the documents who then passed them to the Judge. After taking a look at them, the Judge found them to be rather convincing.

"Mrs. Saotome," The Judge prompted of the woman, "I will ask you of one sticking point. I want to hear it in your own words and not in the words of this paperwork. What are your thoughts and intentions regarding the suicide pact?"

Nodoka nodded and gathered herself for a moment. After a few seconds, she began to speak with care and honesty. "When Genma tried to take Ranma on the training journey, it was initially against my will. I fought. I yelled. I struck him over the head with a pan when he tried to steal Ranma in the night. It was the first time I disobeyed my husband. When he made that pledge...I was fooled into thinking that it was a sign of how important it was to him. He convinced me that a mother's care would be too soft for the upbringing of someone learning his school and that it was truly for the sake of our son's future. For that, I yielded." The woman shifted her gaze and glared to Takefumi as she continued to speak. "I've been presented as a psychotic monster who wanted to take life when I truly mistook my husband's greed for honorable resolve. Accepting that document and letting Ranma go was the worst mistake of my life. I recognize that plainly. But I reject the malice that my mistake has been presented with."

Nodoka looked directly into the Judge's eyes. "That suicide agreement should never have existed and is not Ranma's mistake to bear. He will never be held to account for it, nor be judged by its standard in any way. I will accept him unconditionally, as a mother should."

The Judge seemed to be satisfied with this, nodding in response to the statement from Nodoka. "The concerns that Nodoka Saotome was unfit were admittedly weak and tenuous from the start. I believe this resolves them unless Mr. Saotome's counsel has further information regarding Mrs. Saotome's mental state or fitness as a parent." His Honor prompted Takefumi for any input.

Takefumi's hands shook and he started to sweat. His gambit had clearly failed. The woman had managed to recover enough to pass two evaluations that she'd somehow gotten done on a Sunday and then convinced the Judge with her sob story. He had to think quickly! "N-no, Sir. We have no more information to present...but we have to have a higher burden of proof than this! It's not like the child is here to convey their will! We have to speak for him!" This was a desperate bid, really. It was Mrs. Saotome's side that had more 'proof' by every measure. But if he could use cause a delay, then maybe he could find something...

"I don't need some balding suit puttin' words in my mouth!" A voice called out from the galley, prompting murmuring from the court.

"Order! Order in the Court! Who was that?" The Judge inquired, hardly expecting such a crass comment.

"That'd be me, Mister Judge...Honor...however you say it. I can speak for myself just fine." Ranma said while standing with the Tendos, Ukyo, Natsume, and Kurumi. He wore a slate gray suit with a white undershirt and a red tie, the lattermost element being the sole concession Nodoka was allowed in choosing Ranma's formal wear.

Amused, Chihiro elected to clarify. "That would be Ranma Saotome. When he ran away from his father, it was because he learned of his mother's existence. He arrived at her home in Nerima last night, under his own power and initiative, with Ukyo Kuonji and two other children in tow. Mrs. Saotome voluntarily informed the police. Social workers have verified that Ranma is in sound condition and has a surprisingly solid grasp of the situation and his own desires."

"W-wait, you mean..." Takefumi was feeling the strain double, very worried that the case had taken another bad turn.

"That's right. Ranma ran away because he wanted to return to his mother's care. I would say that clarifies Ranma's 'will' quite nicely, wouldn't you?" Chihiro's words compelled the court to murmur again, leaving the Judge to ponder the matter while looking at the boy in the galley. Genma's expression was one of utter disbelief, revealing that he never expected this development.

"Ranma, might you be willing to come to the stand and speak for yourself, then? And I am referred to as 'your Honor' in this court, for your reference." The Judge didn't seem angry about this. Ranma was just a child, after all.

"Ah. Sure thing, your Honor!" Ranma jumped down from high in the galley without a concern, landing on the floor below and making his way to the stand. Finding it a bit too high for him to comfortably stand at and be seen normally, he simply jumped onto it and had a seat. Nodoka wanted to speak out and tell him that was improper conduct, but couldn't really do much before the Judge spoke.

"Now, Ranma. I would like to hear your own reasons for leaving your father and anything else you think is relevant. I want to hear your will in this matter." The Judge would be carefully listening, determining if Ranma understood what was going on.

"Well, I went in ignorant when Pops threw me into the pit full of starvin' cats. When I came out, I was...different. I understood a bunch of things a lot better. I realized a lot of what Pops was doin' and didn't like it. When I woke up the next mornin' and Pops was tryin' the cat thing himself, I looked at the papers he had and realized Mom was alive. I found out about the seppuku pact and it was scary, but I also know how good Pops is at makin' smart people agree to stupid things. Err...nothin' bad meant by it Mom." Ranma apologized to Nodoka, who had a slightly bewildered look on her face before accepting it with good grace.

"So you chose to seek out your mother from the beginning?" The Judge inquired, earning a nod from the child.

"I wanted to figure out if she was as nutty as Pops, or if she was just another person he tricked. Before I went to do that, I tried to cancel the engagement with Ucchan only for her Pop to toss her aside. Turns out that her Mom made her Pops promise to train her and make her inherit her school, but he didn't want to do that...so he tried to get rid of her by marryin' her off. Only found out about it last night with the cops' help though." Ranma said, glancing apologetically to Ukyo in the galley.

The Judge looked to Chihiro for clarification on that matter, which she provided. "Ranma took a safe from the Kuonji home that held the marriage contract with the intent of keeping Ukyo Kuonji from being forced to go through with the engagement. Upon Ranma learning that the papers were invalid and being asked by the Kyoto Police to return it, he did so. When they checked the safe's contents, the police found that almost all of it was Ukyo's inheritance as well as a letter from her mother proving the circumstances. Ranma will not be charged, and Ukyo's father has already been arrested."

"I see...so many men being unwilling to do their duty to their children..." The Judge said, finding the whole affair to be distasteful. "Please continue, Ranma."

Ranma nodded, and continued to describe his journey. "Well, I was responsible for Ucchan and she's my best friend, so I decided to take her along and train her on the way in the Art. We met the sisters Natsume and Kurumi, who ran away from an orphanage to stay together. I figured if Mom was a good Mom, she might've been lonely without me and Pops...so I'd ask her to adopt 'em and help Ucchan, too. I beat up Pops when he caught up to us, and we came to Tokyo. I found Mom's house, went in, and waited for her to come home. While we did that..." Ranma hesitated for a moment...and glared at his father's face on the screen.

"...What's wrong, Ranma?" The Judge asked while Nodoka bore a puzzled look.

Ranma sighed and continued. "We found my room. It had a picture, a crib, my old clothes wrapped in plastic...and it was spotless. No dust at all. Mom spent four years cleanin' my room just in case I showed up. Keepin' it ready for a kid who was never s'posed to make it back. Thinkin' about it gets me mad at Pops all over again!" The court was silent as a pin drop. Takefumi realized that things were going horribly wrong here. The kid's thoughts were too developed for his age. Was he coached?

Ranma didn't stop talking long though for anyone to speak, though Nodoka seemed to tear up a bit. "We met Mom when she came home, all had dinner that Ucchan cooked while we were waitin' for her to show, and things were good! Very good! She apologized for that stupid seppuku agreement and I found out I had a Grandma and Grandpa. Natsume and Kurumi were really happy to be accepted by her, too! Mom had to call the police and tell 'em we were okay though. Pops always taught me the cops were trouble, but I decided to try it their way...but if you guys tell me I'm goin' back to Pops, I'll just run off again."

The child looked to his father on that screen, noting that he looked the worse for wear. The boy clearly wasn't happy about what had to be done. "...Don't get me wrong. I love ya Pops. Didn't want you in jail, either." Genma seemed a bit surprised to hear this, though Ranma continued promptly. "But you're a pretty sucky father. Everythin' you taught me, everythin' you've done, and all the sufferin' you've caused was to fill your own belly. I'm more your meal ticket than your son and that'd never change unless I made a stand. Sorry 'bout all this."

"Do not apologize for justice being done, Ranma." The Judge said before Genma could respond. "Your father was arrested for his own choices. He is responsible for the consequences, not you."

Genma took note of things and knew that all was lost. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit of surprise at still being loved. The strangest emotion he felt, however, was pride. His son made a stand and won, introducing the Saotome School to the world. "I will not apologize for making you the best martial artist of your generation." Genma awarded his son high praise that surprised Ranma thoroughly. "I expect you to lead the Saotome School well. When I get out, I want to see the school better and stronger than ever before." Even now, Genma could not bring himself to apologize for his conduct, or truly regret it...but what he could give his son was acknowledgment.

"Heh...thought that went without sayin' Pops." Ranma said with a wan smile on his face. Genma responded with a stern expression and a nod. It was with this simple exchange that the Saotome School had been fully entrusted to the next generation.

"With that, I am prepared to give my ruling." The Judge regarded the two sides and the child in front of him. This was an unusual case, but one which was now so one-sided that his choice was fairly obvious. "This court rules in favor of Nodoka Saotome, allowing divorce on the grounds of abandonment. She retains all assets aside from those illegally obtained by her husband. Nodoka Saotome is also awarded sole custody of their son, Ranma Saotome. The abandonment is also noted to have happened prior to Genma Saotome's alleged crimes, so this court hereby enters in a recommendation that she and her family not be deemed liable in any resultant civil litigation." This was largely a formality in case someone tried to explicitly name her in a lawsuit for Genma's actions. Nodoka had been swift in starting these divorce proceedings and had avoided most forms of civil liability through the divorce. "Genma Saotome is expected to pay attorney's fees and, at the behest of the head of the Saotome Clan, is stricken from the Saotome Family Register. The divorce is final as of this day, March 28, 1977. Court is adjourned."

The last thing Genma would see of the courtroom before his camera feed cut out was Nodoka rushing in and picking her son up from the witness stand in a tearful embrace. While he sat within his bubble prison, the imprisoned martial artist was left to his own thoughts and regrets.