(A.N. – Don't kill me, this was a random idea. Regardless, none of them belong to me… sadly. Have fun reading, and let me know if I should continue. –Kryal (Cally)
Kawari – Replacement
Prologue
The young mother sat quietly on the bench and watched the others of her ilk moving happily about the park, laughing and chattering about the antics of their young ones. The children scampered about, carefree and happy, their delightful laughter ringing like music through the softly swaying tree branches.
It hadn't been more than a few months since she'd been among them, leading a delightful little cherub about by the hand and laughingly scolding him when he got himself into a childish scrape or squabble. He'd been better about getting himself away from messes because of his father's teachings, and the other children had come to view him as their guardian against the bullies. That had finally been what had convinced her to let the man take him away…
Her hands clenched in her lap as she watched a handsome youth demonstrating a simple but elegant kata to a group of slightly older children, children who had achieved some level of coordination. She had to tell herself, it wouldn't be that long before she'd be seeing her own boy doing the same, teaching a few simple tricks that would protect the innocent from the clumsy brutes who would take advantage on a child who was more slender or quieter than they. She had to tell herself that.
It would be too painful, to think anything else.
"Excuse me?" She started and looked up. The young martial artist was standing next to her. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even seen him approach. "Are you waiting for someone?"
She shook her head quickly to clear it. "Ah… no. Please, sit down."
"Thank you." He sat on the bench and leaned back, quietly watching the sway of the branches overhead.
"I saw you demonstrating to those children," she said quietly, finding that she didn't really want to fall back into her sad thoughts. "You're quite skilled."
"That?" He looked surprised. "You flatter me. It was a basic beginner's kata…"
"That's how I knew. It may have been simple, but your ease in it and your grace clearly showed that you were a Master."
He smiled. "Very observant of you, Miss…?"
"Mrs. Saotome," she corrected firmly. "Saotome Nodoka." She smiled to soften her tone. "My family are all martial artists, as is my husband."
"Rats, are all the beautiful ones taken?" The laughing sparkle in his eyes turned the border-line scandalous comment into an easy joke, and Nodoka found herself laughing. The young man brought his head up to glance around the park. "Is that your husband over there?" he asked, indicating a tall man who was watching a group of children with laugh-lines creasing his face.
"No," she said sadly, running Genma's craggy, shouting, intimidated face through her mind. "No, he's away on a training trip with our son."
The young man was a wonderful listener. Nodoka was astounded to find herself opening up to him, telling him about her young Ranma, the boy's easy laugh, happy nature, and his intuitive abilities in martial arts even at the tender age of six. She even told him about the seppuku promise, and although his face betrayed his thoughts on that, he said nothing. The entire experience left her feeling… purged, cleansed. It was cathartic.
"Thank you for listening," she said with genuine relief. "I really needed it."
He waved a hand. "It was my pleasure, believe me." He got up and offered a hand. "The sun is going down," he noted. "Would you grant a young man the grace of escorting you home?"
Normally, a lone woman such as Nodoka was would have been wary of such an offer. But her martial arts training had taught her much about sensing a threat, and they told her that this young man was the opposite of anything she should fear. "Thank you," she said, with a soft smile, accepting his hand. Together, they walked down the darkening streets. Once, a group of footpads began to move towards them, but a hard glare from the pair convinced them to seek out less able prey.
"I could wish for my son to have such a guardian!" Nodoka laughed after the encounter.
The young man smiled at her, his bright blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm sure that he'll take care of himself. Besides, if he's anything like you, he'll find a guardian when he needs one. It just happens, in my experience. Perhaps that's the universe's way of trying to make up for the mess that most humans experience in their lives."
"Still… I am his mother. Worrying about him is my prerogative." Nodoka sighed unhappily.
"None of that! Just remember, he'll come back. It may take a while, but he will come back. Is this your house?"
Nodoka blinked. "Ah… yes, thank you."
"It was my pleasure. Sun shine on your path, Saotome-san." He bowed and walked away.
"And yours…" Nodoka blinked, suddenly realizing that she'd forgotten to get his name.
"And oh, by the way?" He turned back at the corner, about to step out of sight. She caught the flash of a mysterious smile. "Your Wish is granted."