Copyright: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and her publishers. Ah! Megamisama is work of Kosuke Fujishima and his various publishers. No infringement is intended, this is just a fan work that is written for the enjoyment of readers.

A/N: Okay, so here it is, the long awaited Chapter 2 that I forgot was sitting pretty deep in my Google Drive waiting for me to finish it and put out to public. I am trying to get on a regular writing schedule and to update all my projects in a timely manner. Some come much quicker than others. I apologize for taking so long to put out an update. You folks have been waiting years

I'm going to make a point of trying to update regularly, hopefully at least once a month, and if time allows a new chapter for my various works every couple weeks. Depending on my available time and as the ideas come to me. I'm making a commitment to keep at writing and deliver for people enjoying the stories.

He looked up when he heard Akane's gasp, she was looking at him like he'd grown a second head or something. They stared at one another for long seconds, both uttering the same thought at the same instant.

"What just happened?"

Chapter 1

The living room wall-clock was the only sound in the room, apart from those usual noises a building makes in the cooler times of night. A pressing tension had settled over theroom following the few chaotic minutes that had transpired roughly an hour past. The two just sat staring at one another, three empty pizza boxes strewn out on the table between them. Ranma's hunger simply had to be quelled before they could talk and Akane had proven to be quite an eater when she was confused. Or she had simply wanted to stuff her mouth just to avoid talking to the jerk.

Ranma was looking at her nervously, jaw still stinging from the right hook that had sent him to the floor. It was amazing how much power she had in her arms, not considering her muscles were fueled by energy sources quite unlike ki when there was need. His mind was in turmoil over just what to think about her. Sure, she was cute. Something about her was awe inspiring, an extraordinary light that hovered around her...or something he couldn't put a finger on. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced she was a goddess.

He was torn between just gaping in awe at how ridiculously cute- beautiful wouldn't enter his vocabulary, nope not one second would he admit that her shimmering clothing and hair made her the least bit desirable to his hormone crazed mind- she was, not to mention that sweet punch she'd demonstrated point blank on his chin, and anger at having the effrontery to be so obnoxious when he thought it was a prank being pulled.

"Goddess Relief Hotline" who in their right mind would think it was anything other than a dumb trick. Just to cite, Kasumi had received the same complaint many times while making her opening line. She had warned Akane about such things, and to think her way through the situation carefully. There really should be a required course on proper and polite behavior when working the phones to the mortal world, and would be after this incident.

Akane didn't know what to think about any of this. She'd come to get a wish out of him and wound up with a totally expected result. Why couldn't he have just wished for a car, or a lot of money, or something common and that be the end of her problems? But nooo, the system just had to go all screwy on her. Giving a wish to a complete jerk and then granting a wish she wasn't even sure was a wish.

How did *I wish you'd show me how to do that?* qualify? Oh well, there was nothing she could do about it now. Of course, it didn't help that she was ignorant of what she was supposed to do. Teach him how to do magic? Show him how to deliver a really good punch? What was the condition to fulfill their contract and let that be the end of the matter?

It was only then she struck upon inspiration, while mentally slamming her head into the table. Nabiki! Of course, her sister was Class One, System Administrator-Unlimited. While it was a topic that was not brought up, lest Nabiki do something very nasty to you, she was several centuries old in mortal terms. Time had little relative meaning in Heaven. It was simply a function programmed into Yggdrasil to help keep order in the universe.

The higher and lower planes did not translate well into the basic concept of three-dimensional physics, with time being the fourth as an important constant measurement. Trying to understand all of the actual scientific rules involved just gave Akane a headache. She bashed demons, that was her trade and it worked just fine for her.

Nabiki on the other hand was a savant when it came to understanding of all the little rules and things the great picture of the cosmos ran by. In a short time she'd become chief administrator to the entire Yggdrasil system. For all intents and purposes she could be said to be pulling the strings of all mortal creation. Only Kami-Sama directly outranked her, and He rarely had a direct hand in the day to day affairs of running things.

There was a manual administrators were supposed to use in their duties. Nabiki hadn't written it, but she had taken the entire thing and revised it. The new version was more user friendly, and several factors more clear. Only the most base and distilled moron would be unable to solve most problems in the Yggdrasil these days. In a way, Nabiki probably could be said to have written the book, as her version of the manual was the new go-to solution for most routine problems.

If anyone could explain the situation, and provide an out, it would be her. Oh, she wasn't entirely obligated to hold the contract if she didn't want, but how would it look on her record if she refused something so mundane, whatever it was she was supposed to be doing to fulfill the terms of service. Now if he'd gone out of his way to request sex of her, the pervert, she'd just turn it over to the Earth Relief Hotline, and all would be good.

Why couldn't this bonehead wish for something straightforward? A simple material demand that would require only her to be Heaven's representative.

All frustration cast aside, she darted for the phone, almost running Ranma over to get at it. He could only blink as she snatched the mouthpiece from the cradle and began dialing a number he didn't recall from dialtone.

"Hey, don't go calling long distance unless you can pay for it..." That was an absurd thing to say to a supposed goddess, but it was the only thing Ranma could think to throw out.

Akane ignored him completely, finishing her call and then held her breath. Each successive ring caused her to become more tense. What if Nabiki was busy, or even refused to help?

No, no, she couldn't think that way. Her sister wouldn't leave her hanging. Right now positive thinking was what she needed. Whatever the cost her sister wanted to ring out of her, she'd get an answer to this problem and solve it. Then she could get back to her true calling.

After the fifth ring, her hope was beginning to abandon her. While it only been about a minute, and her sister was known for taking time to get her personal line, the stress of the situation was making Akane more irrational than normal.

Finally, there was a click, but Akane couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Akane, I don't know what you did, what's going on, or why it's going on, but I'm coming right down to get answers!"

Before the junior-goddess could even make sense of her elder sibling's rapid sentence, the line was dead. She just blinked dumbly at the ear-piece, as if that dial tone was trying to communicate in Greek (not that such a thing would be a problem as virtue of being connected to Yggdrasil allowed each divine being the ability to flawlessly communicate in any human tongue.)

Ranma was curious if the girl had reached a wrong number, or one not in service. It was a mighty quick conversation, whatever the other had said. The fish out of water look Akane was putting on was pretty funny to behold, though not enough to bring up more than a soft snicker the goddess ignored.

The house once again filled with the typical noises of shifting boards and the tick of the clock. Akane finally returned the phone to the cradle and sat back at the table. A wide range of emotions were splayed across her face. None of them very good. Shock, confusion, worry, rage? Yeap, those were the ones most easily identified.

Ranma couldn't help but stare, which was neither returned, nor acknowledged. The girl just looked blankly at the wall. A cough from the kitchen archway nearly caused Ranma to break his neck turning to see who this latest intruder was, he hadn't detected a thing, while Akane nearly jumped clean out of her skin.

Standing there in resplendent robes, like Akane, was another girl who looked remarkably, divine? Well, more noble-looking, like some kind of exotic princess, but the current girl claimed to be a goddess, and the new one was in a similar getup. The tattoos on her face and quality of garments on her body. After that, with the exception of noticeable resemblance in facial-structure, all associations ended.

Where Akane's clothing was billowy, clearly designed to allow for ease of movement, this new chick was decked in a dress, if one could call it that, which fell squarely into the category of "barely decent." The fabric molded to her body like a glove, with excess cloth hanging in places only to give an effect that seemed to make her float as she moved. Everything was covered, and not too much flesh exposed, except for her left thigh that almost totally on display, but her body shape was shown to all.

Ranma couldn't make up his mind what color the thing was, as it kept seeming to shift from a black deeper than midnight to a shimmering purple or indigo. As she walked the thing seemed almost like a pearlescent paintjob, shifting the range of dark colors all across the dress. The poor boy seized up, but not entirely because he was partaking of twelve point nine on a scale of ten.

No, what had him paralyzed was fear, his pride classified it as well advised caution, but a proud rabbit makes the exact same argument to himself when a wolf is near. In the depths of the girl's eyes, those radiant pools of dark chocolate, there was a tank of hungry sharks, surrounded by a pen of starving tigers.

The look the girl was firing right at him was downright terrifying. She was both looking feral, determined, and accusatory at the same time. What crime he'd committed against her, he had no idea, but it was clear she'd found him guilty of all charges and was about to deliver the maximum sentence.

Akane saw none of it, instead she saw her savior from this ridiculous madness. Her sister would know exactly how to get her out of this mess, or at least provide a solution to make it easily resolved.

"Nabiki!" And with that, for the first time in many a year, the youngest Tendo glomped her middle sister with enough force that any mortal body would have been snapped in half and then reduced to powder.

The taller girl, by five or six centimeters, smiled one of those indulgent little twists of the lips adults tended to give silly children. Poor Akane, while capable, was still far too immature and inexperienced really, despite her demon-hunting credentials she'd been sheltered too much by their father, in Nabiki's oh not so humble opinion.

"Don't worry, nee-chan. We'll clear this matter up before you know it."

That soft, sugary tone of sisterly love instantly transformed into a bark that caused poor Ranma to lock up again the instant those eyes swung back to pin him in place. He was a moth under a display glass, with this Nabiki hovering nearby with pins and a scalpel, prepared to dissect.

She produced a manilla folder from somewhere, and flipped it open, reading from the contents like a court clerk reading off a list of accused crimes.

"At 8:13 local time, Tendo Akane, acting for the Goddess Relief Hotline, temporary assignment, responded to the call of one Saotome Ranma. By local time 8:17, Yggdrasil logged the recipient's wish and formal contract was entered. Thirty-seconds later, an unrecognised program activated of its own accord locking the entire floor of personnel, System Head Administrator Tendo Nabiki included, out from pursuing the cause."

She flipped the folder closed and then bored into Ranma with an even greater level of prejudged prejudice for something he couldn't even pretend to understand.

"Your file is hardly more interesting than any other mortal on this planet. While yours is a slightly unique life, it is hardly outside the bounds of what we might quantify as 'normal.' Why you were given a wish is something not in my jurisdiction, entirely different boards of people decide that. However, when a seemingly unspectacular human being is suddenly and irreversibly registered in the system as an immortal, with a hidden classification, and a classified file only Kami-sama himself can access, it makes me stop and ask questions."

She threw the folder down onto the table like she was tossing a bunch of indescent photos that instantly incriminated the poor boy and slapped her palms onto the hardwood.

"Not one tick of your life meets the criteria for such a sudden shift in status, something that hasn't happened in the last four hundred years, and yet here you are. No longer a normal human being, bearing a mark that I don't even know what it means!"

Her finger stabbed out dangerously close to his nose, and he was forced to lean back lest she poke an eye out. Her hands began wild gesticulations which started some interesting motions in her ample bosom, at least a cup size more generous than her sister, that failed to hold Ranma's attention as well as her flailing limbs and iron-hard glare. Akane was naturally confused and watched completely bemused, not that the jerk didn't deserve a good tongue thrashing but he wasn't exactly deserving of a Nabiki borne tirade.

Ranma's brain finally found some purchase through the ton of confusion dumped on his skull and he attempted his level best to gain some foothold in this clash of wills before he was drowned. At the very least to slow down this girl's train before it ran him smack over, leaving him guilty of untold crimes against humanity, or whatever she was squawking about.

"I dunno what the hell you're talkin' about. I just live here with my Pops, go to school, and train in martial arts. Didn't know nothin' about goddesses, Yggadragga things, and whatever else it is you're on about. All I know is, I order out and get her." He jammed a thumb at Akane. "I thought it was a crank, which really put her panties in a twist. Then she comes outta my tv, slugs me, sayin' all this garbage about wishes and stuff. Then there's all these lasers goin' off, and now here you are actin' like I murdered somebody and stole the Crown Jewels!

"Well I aint done nothin! Not a bloody thing! I was just orderin' out for pizza, and here you two are! Go take a Midol and chill!"

Nabiki's eyes flashed dangerously, but what was worse was the lack of anger there. Instead she was filled with a great sense of amusement. Her grin would do well on a cat that was setting up the mouse. Rather than give off an angry glow like her sister, she instead slunk up to Ranma's side, trying a different, but time proven technique to milk out information. It wasn't that she had anything against the kid, she didn't even know him. But he'd given her a massive headache and a confusing puzzle.

Tendo Nabiki loved a good brain bender, it was always so satisfying to solve a complex riddle. However, she did not like things that smacked of top-level conspiracies that left her out of the loop. One of the greatest of her faults was the undying hunger to know. Knowledge was the most useful form of commodity and power in the universe, and she liked her position of having access to the richest veins. Heaven was hardly omniscient, like Akane's little temper tantrum with her contractie, but Nabiki prided herself on being the best with learning useful things.

"Alright, Ranma-kun." She grinned wider with the way he shivered. This was too easy, poor boy was obviously not used to the attention of an aggressive woman. "I believe you, and I'm sorry for my sister hitting you, she can be a little violent."

Akane had the good grace to blush, stifling the protest she wanted to raise in her own defense. It wouldn't do any good to try and explain her point of view. She'd been out of line, yes, but her sister wasn't going to say anything about it, for the right price anyway.

"But do you have any idea why this happened. Honestly?"

He gulped, face burning. "N-no...s-sorry...I don't know what's goin on. It'd be better to ask Pop, maybe he knows somethin?"

Satisfied with that, Nabiki abruptly changed gears again and nodded. "That's a very good idea, actually. I think I will have a talk with Mr. Saotome."

Akane was somewhat put off by her sister's almost perverted behavior, but not really surprised as she knew from personal experience it was just one of Nabiki's techniques for grilling info out of someone. She walked over to the table and picked up the file. Maybe it had some information on how she could resolve this wish and get back to work. Time was money, well metaphorically speaking, currency wasn't used in Heaven except in the form of favors and information.

While pouring through the general information on Ranma, well maybe he wasn't as boring as she'd first tagged him. Irritating and childish, yes, but boring no. She then came across a certain line in his bio that put a tick in her eye and throb in her temple.

The sound of crinkling paper-or was that the incredible tension being put on her muscles?-brought the attention of the other two. Ranma already having been on the receiving end of a couple fist-to-body blows backed up behind Nabiki. He wasn't scared, just following his old man's advice on not taking unneeded risks in a dangerous situation.

"Nabiki, would you mind explaining this little line right here?"

Akane's finger jabbed at a piece of information just below a photo of Ranma, which he thought looked too much like a mugshot, his school-id looked better. Nabiki never lost that unflappable aire of separation from all blame.

"Oh, you mean that little line about you and Ranma-kun being engaged?"

That blew fuses.

"Lemme see that!"

Akane's fist wasn't too willing to relinquish the file, so Ranma had to settle for reading the script. Right there under his name, age, and the usual stuff, in the space marked "Marital Status" read the line that simultaneously managed to both freeze his blood and make it boil. His said status, "Engaged, Tendo Akane."

"WHAT?!"

He was flabbergasted.

"Oh, don't get so carried away. Daddy and Mr. Saotome made the agreement, and invoked a seldom used, little known rule of guardianship on the books in Heaven. By formality, Daddy has the right to engage Akane to anyone he wants. Ryuujin was the first to do it, engaging his daughters to the founder of the Imperial Family centuries ago. Daddy just followed suit."

That didn't help calm the two teenagers, which was exactly what Nabiki had in mind. People were so predictable, human and divine. If she was going to wring her father and his friend for information, she wanted them in the tightest vice possible. Nothing better than two capable, hormonal, irritated teenagers to pull that off. Soun was no challenge to his youngest when she was in a rage, and Genma would be pounded flat if Ranma's buttons were pushed right (which basically involved simply pressing the solo, big red one that said "warning".)

"And where is Daddy dearest?" Akane asked in a voice dripping rage. If her words would manifest themselves, the air would be smoking.

"Yeah, I need to have a word with my Pops too." The cracking knuckles of Ranma were plenty of indication his fires were stoked enough.

"Oh, I'll get them." Nabiki grinned, she had to pat herself on the back for being prepared for just such an incident. Perhaps not this kind of incident, but for having the foresight to include a means of instantly being able to summon her father from the pocket-space she'd created.

In said dimension, two men who had been hoping for the ultimate fruition of their decades old plan to come about, through much up and down disappointment, and more than an hour's boredom, were quickly scrambling for a way to get out of their hidey-hole. To their great dismay, they found all the exits blocked and nothing but solid walls all about them. They were confined in a prison of Nabiki's creation until such time as she wishes to free them, and then subject them to torture of the highest order. Which was coming in about...now.

Nabiki held up her hand and spoke a readily prepared command she'd preprogrammed into Yggdrasil's mainframe. The air above her palm filled with spiraling lines of script that Ranma couldn't even begin to identify, but it was an interesting display. After a second of this, she held something similar to a standard credit card. She moved it through the empty air before her, and the result she wished promptly took place.

A soft flash of light, and two shapes fell from the formerly unoccupied space to land on the floor with a thud. One just thumped into a sitting position, immediately looking terrified at the glowing, literal halo projected by his child. The other rolled across the wood to land in a heap before his waiting offspring.

Genma, always quick to try and talk his way out of a situation, smiled up at Ranma and waved, face beading with sweat and eyes darting around for an escape route.

"Hi Ranma, I see you've met two of Soun's lovely daughters...do we have any pizza left?"

It didn't do any good, as his son took hold of his gi and hauled his heavy load of deadweight like he was a pillow and not a fully grown man. There he stood on his tiptoes, barely able to find purchase on the floor as he was held aloft, Ranma's gaze trying to burn a hole in his forehead.

"What's this about me bein engaged, Pops?! And you havin' everything to do with it?!"

"Yeah, Daddy. Want to explain to me why this is the first I've heard about it?"

The fathers looked at one another, their furious offspring, then Nabiki who offered no escape, then shared one more glance at one another. Taking quick measure of their options, they quickly dropped into time tested techniques. A coward's means of avoiding that dangerous blade of trouble, dancing as quickly as possible, while spinning the fastest yarn they could weave.

"Now, now, don't get so worked up. Saotome-kun and I are old-fashioned fellows, and we were thinking about the future." Soun began, Genma quickly followed.

Rising and putting an arm around his son's shoulders, the mortal father spoke in a serious tone. "Boy, your training wasn't only about just learning the family art. There's more to being a martial artist than just martial arts." Wasn't that a contradiction? "What you use those arts for is also important. Why it's probably the most important thing about the entire way of life! You might not believe it, but Akane is a first rate demon hunter."

Ranma knowing his father's usual antics, looked extremely sceptical while Akane was too angry to blush at the praise. Instead she turned a similar glare between Soun and Genma.

"Soun and I decided about the time both of you were born to engage you, not only because we thought it a proper thing to do, but so the two of you could become partners in demon hunting together. Just think of it Boy! All the people you could help, use your skills for the betterment of mankind!"

Rather than set the two at ease in that justification, it only made them burn hotter. Nabiki just covered her smile and laughed inside. The morons weren't helping their case at all, obviously to stupid to notice their efforts at putting out this blaze were just dumping on more fuel.

"I don't know what you're goin' on about Pops, but I aint out to hunt demons or whatever crap you're spewin'. What would I tell Mom, oh I hunt demons now, she'd have us both locked up in the wacko-basket!"

Akane burst in almost the same time. "I don't need a partner, I do just fine on my own! I can't believe you Daddy! Trying to pick my fiance for me, and a kid like him! Those demons would rip him to shreds, I can't do my job while protecting someone else!"

That spark just set off even more secondary eruptions.

"HEY! I'm not some lame gimp! I'm one of the best in the world! Take away all that ala-kazoom stuff and I could kick your butt with both hands and a foot behind my back!"

"The lowest level demon wouldn't have a problem spilling your blood all over the floor, then use your head to mop it up." She shot back, defiant in her assessment of his skill.

Ranma growled and slammed his foot near her, putting his face right up to hers. Despite him having a few inches of height on her she was hardly intimidated. Staring down ten foot oni and other horrors made mastering fear a very quick. One teenage mortal was hardly impressive.

Their mouths ran out of words so they just settled for glaring at each other. Neither willing to back down at this point. Even if only for matter of pride. They didn't know when to just apologize and get along.

The fathers, being fools themselves, didn't know when to just let something go and just decided to toss another can of gas on top of the burning pyre that was their children's fury.

"See, arguing like a couple already, Saotome."

"Yes, indeed Tendo. We were very wise to pair these two."

They suddenly both began to sweat as a wave of heat rolled across their faces. Both of the affianced pair had swept their gazes back upon both men. Soun jumped behind Genma. Even though he was a god, he still feared pain and retribution. Genma just tried to slowly push them both backward.

"We are not a couple!"

"What she said!"

Then the two startlingly joined in concert.

"This is all your fault, Dad!" "This is all your fault, Pops!"

That they had talked in stereo did nothing to shake them out of their anger. Their bodies turning and beginning to slowly stalk the male pair were trying to escape. They made it as far as Nabiki's legs. She was immoveable as a street lamp in the situation.

Both of them wheeled around and grabbed at her dress, whining for aid. Trying to beg the goddess' favor and mercy upon themselves. This was just sad to watch, especially given how one of them was a minor deity himself.

"I'm afraid it's too late, Daddy. Only Kami-Sama himself can countermand this. Well officially anyway, he's the only one I can appeal to. And you know how Kami-Sama hates to have to make executive level changes. So much paperwork and potential bugs in the system. It would take a very good reason for him to do so.

"Do you have one?"

His sniffling was the only reply. It was as much as she expected. He had invoked the ancient tradition of engaging his daughter to a mortal. To do such a thing was to bestow incredible blessing upon a man's house. The very Favor of Heaven. Seldom did a god owe a mortal that kind of payment for service rendered. It usually was for heroes who had saved millions, or who had given rise to great dynasties.

Soun seemed to have done this on a whim. Yet, what was done was done. To retract that blessing now, even if it had been given foolishly, would be an insult to Ranma and his lineage, and disgrace Heaven itself. They took divine blessings very seriously.

There was also something else which Nabiki wanted to to get the root of. Ranma was no simple mortal. There were classified portions to Ranma's bio. Something that shouldn't be off limits to her without very good reason. It was highest level "eyes only" restriction which only the greatest powers in the universe had need of. What was so special about Ranma that he had such protections?

She looked to them both and then the ceiling, continuing on in a saccharine voice. As if she were giving them some secret bit of information. Like someone at customer service saying, 'I shouldn't tell you this, but here's what I can do.'

"But unofficially you could try appealing to one of the back end deities. Someone with status equal to Kami-Sama but who deal with other facets of creation. Although, I don't have any pull with them.

"Mr. Saotome, maybe you know someone who can pull some strings?"

Ranma and Akane both paused and were processing what she said. The meaning though went completely beyond them. One of the other greater gods? Like who? Who other than Kami-Sama was there at the top in the divine order of things?

"What's she talkin about Pop? You know a god? Well I would have found that hard to believe, but Mr Tendo here."

The two fathers were suddenly caught in the headlights again. Glancing between the three children and looking more panicked by the moment. Ranma and Akane looked no less ready to commit patricide, and Nabiki was offering no solutions. In fact she was implying want for knowledge that would just make things worse.

"Tendo … should we?"

"We can't Saotome!" Tendo suddenly grabbed his friend by the shirt and shook him. A fear greater than anything in this room taking hold of him and rattling him down to his core. "Not her. If she finds out we acted without her permission, you know what kind of hell she will send us both to? Even my wife might show us mercy before she destroys us. But .. we can't let her find out about this."

"Tendo, our children are about ready to kill us, are you sure?" Grabbing his friend back and still not quite understanding the panic. Even with all his friend had revealed of the true being behind his wife. Genma Saotome simply could not imagine his sweet Nodoka being that … well anything remotely close to cruel. Scary maybe, but not cruel.

"I'd rather let them slay us than let her deal with us, old friend."

Everyone continued to be confused by this display, simply not getting what they were talking about. The youngest two just stared. 'Her?' 'Her who?' The hell were they so afraid of all of a sudden?

Nabiki was getting tantalizingly close to the answers she wanted, but her father kept from letting anything else slip. Whoever it was, he was outright terrified. Still, that could apply to many people. Her father had no spine at all. Even lesser immortal creatures could bully the man.

All conversation suddenly died as a brilliant light flared through the windows. Even more powerful than the beam which had shot out with the completion of Ranma's so called wish. The night became day, and then the day became nothing but blinding brilliance. The Sun might as well have parked itself outside the window, such was the intensity.

Even the divine Tendos were blinded under that horrid glare. One might think a death ray had fired and in the next instant all would be vaporized. A couple men in the room were suddenly holding to the insane hope such would come to pass. Yet, the light did not oblige by turning them into atoms.

It died down as quickly as it came. Three people ran to the window and stared out down to the street. A kindly woman in a lavender kimono was standing on a patch of asphalt. The road beneath was bubbling like a hot soup. A wrapped bundled in her arms. With her auburn hair done up in a neat bun.

She was very pretty, mature and had the softest looking air about her. A woman who was fully bloomed, but still beautiful and full of life.

Ranma was happy and confused all in one. Had been months since he'd seen her, but why was she here all of a sudden?

"Mom?" He spoke softly. Four sets of eyes looked to him in shock. While the two fathers began to wail again.

"It's too late Saotome, she knows! She knows already! I don't want to die! You have to beg her forgiveness, Saotome! Maybe she'll listen to you!"

He was trying to cry on his friend's gi, who hauled him bodily over to his son. Who was pulling Ranma down. The man was blubbering himself. "Boy, you've got to tell her I'm not here! I've gone on an extended training journey!

"Tell her … tell her to forgive me! Ranma for your father's life … no for your father's soul! Beg her to have mercy on me! She'll listen to you boy, you're the fruit of her belly! If she'll heed anyone, it's you and you alone!"

Now the poor boy was just locked in stunned silence. Oh sure, he'd seen the old man a quivering mass before. Kowtowing and begging his wife for mercy for some bit of stupidity. He had never seen the man like this. He was acting as though the Devil was come for soul.

The lock could be heard turning in the front door. How had she called the stairs that quickly? How had she gotten in?!

Oh wait, she had a key, duh. Genma cursed himself for ever letting his wife have the means of easy entry. Even if she had been the one who ultimately paid for the building and had funded his business for the first few months of its existence.

"Hello? Ranma dear, are you home? Genma? We have very important business to discuss." Her tone sounded gentle and caring, but Genma knew better. He heard the unspoken bite beneath that tone. The promise of torment awaiting him, and it would only be worse if he ran.

It was too late to flee anyway. She crossed the threshold and stood in the hallway. Glancing to all the people in the room.

"Oh my, so much company … well good, I suppose you are the ones my silly husband has involved in his schemes. And all divine beings at that. Goodness me."

She bowed low at the hip, "I am Saotome Nodoka, wife to Genma and mother to Ranma."

Her face then took on a glow and the two goddesses recoiled backward. Yggdrasil programming at work? Who was this woman? Suddenly, the weird Yin-Yang mark on Ranma's forehead made sense.

Nodoka was sporting a similar mark, but it was even more brilliant and surrounded by faint script. Few gods in all the heavens had such markings on their faces. That belonged to those with very specific functions and usually for those of the highest standing. Such as Kami-Sama and it would seem, this lady.

"You may also call me Izanami-no-Kami-Sama. I am the giver of life, and Queen of the Dead."