RANMA 1/2: COUSINS
                                 PART 2

                            By:  The DragonBard


      You can now send all C&C to my present e-mail address at
                         dragonbard@hotmail.com

     The characters in this fan fic are not my property and are used 
solely for entertainment purposes.

     This is a repost, since it's been weeks since I first sent this and 
I haven't seen it get put up yet.

     For all of those who mentioned that the name of Nodoka's mother 
wasn't an Amazon one, since it wasn't the name of a HBC product, let me 
remind you that Linlin and Ranran were both Amazons and didn't have 
those kinds of names, as well as those two enemies of Shampoo's, but I 
forget what their names were exactly.

     Sorry this took so long, but I was too busy 'reading' fanfics to 
write more on this story.  Now I've got some more time and I'm going for 
it.
     This will be a bit darker than Cousins, but don't worry, that's 
just a temporary condition, I hope.
     Anyone who wants to archive this, just tell me and send me your 
URL.
     And now, on with the story.

**********************************************************************

     Ranma sat on the roof top of the Tendo home, where he had slipped 
off to, after showing his mother his male form.  He couldn't believe it, 
his mother finally knew about the curse.  What's more, he was Shampoo's 
cousin!  Well, he thought as he chuckled, at least 'now' I know what 
Moose was talking about that one day.
     Just then, Ranma sensed a presence behind him, a familiar presence.
     "Hello, Mom."  He said.  Nodoka looked at him.
     After a moment spent like this, Nodoka moved and sat beside him.  
Several minutes passed as the two quietly looked out on the lights of 
nighttime Nerima.
     "Why, Ranma?"  She asked.
     "You mean, 'why did you hide yourself from me?'" 
     "Yes."
     "Because of that DAMN promise Pop made!"  Ranma growled.  It was 
like something that had come out of Ranma's Neko-ken state, not a sound 
that could come from a human throat.  "I didn't even know about it until 
that first time you came to visit us at the Tendo's.  Then he up and 
tells me that the curse might cause my own 'mother' to have me kill 
myself!"
     He closed his eyes and visibly calmed himself.  "So," he asked, 
"when do you want it done?"  He tried to keep the faint tremor of fear 
out of his voice.
     Nodoka starred at him as if he was insane.  "Promise?"
     "The one to commit seppuku if I didn't become a 'man among men.'  I 
think this curse makes that a bit difficult to do!" Ranma muttered.
     "Ranma,"  Nodoka said, looking at her son compassionatly.  "I was 
born an amazon, but I was raised here in Japan, so my idea of what it 
means to be a man is. . . unique.
     "My mother taught me that men should be strong in battle, but 
subservient to women.  My life here in Japan taught me that men should 
be strong and dominant."  Nodoka chuckled.  "It certainly made things 
somewhat confusing for me.  But as I grew older, I finally figured some 
things out.
     "To truly be a 'man among men' one must have courage, honor, 
loyalty, and compassion.  And from what I've heard from your friends, 
those are things that you have in abbundance.  If I made you commit 
seppuku, it would violate the spirit of the pledge, and destroy my 
honor."  Nodoka then got a gleem of mischief in her eye.  "Anyway, any 
guy with 'four' women after him, even knowing he turns into a girl has 
got to be a man in anyones book!"  Nodoka wrapped her arms around Ranma 
in a tight hug.  "I've waited so long for this.  You are truly a man 
among men, and you are my son!"
     "Mom."  Ranma choked out, barely keeping himself from crying.  His 
mother however was under no such restraint and let her tears flow 
freely.  As soon as the two felt strong enough, they seperated and 
Nodoka dried her eyes.  Then, her entire posture changed, becoming rigid 
and formal.
     "Ranma Saotome," she said.  Ranma blinked and altered his posture 
to match his mothers.  Nodoka reached behind herself, and pulled out the 
family katana.  She held it reverently in her outstreched hands, as if 
it was some sacred relic.  "By his actions, Genma Saotome has proven 
unworthy of the position of the head of this family.  Will you, as the 
eldest son, take up the duties that your father has left lacking?"
     Ranma placed his hands over his mothers, took a deep breath, and 
looked into her eyes.  " I can't." He said.
     "Mom, I'm just not ready.  I can take on any physical challenge 
easy, but this is something I'm just not ready for.  If I take this now, 
then I'll probably make just as many mistakes as he did, but for 
different reasons.  I'm just not ready."  Ranma looked down at his hands 
as they rested on the family katana.  Nodoka relaxed her posture and 
smiled as she quickly resheathed the family sword.
     "Ranma, that is one of the most mature things I have ever seen.  A 
true martial artist knows their limitations, and strives to go beyond 
them.  I'm sure that when the time is right, you will bring great honor 
to our family.
     "Speaking of honor," she said as she stood up, "Let's go deal with 
that disgrace of a father of yours!"  With that, Nodoka turned to leap 
off the roof.  Ranma quickly followed her.
     "Do you think he's even still here?"  He asked  "Pop's pretty good 
at getting out of places when he wants to."
     Nodoka smiled.  It was the kind of smile you might see on the face 
of an animal when it knew it's prey couldn't escape.
     "Maybe, but I asked Great-grandmother to make sure he stayed 
around.  She said it would give her a chance to use some techniques she 
hasn't used in a while."
     Ranma grinned at that, a mirror of his mothers smile.  Cologne was 
easily in the same league as Happosai, his fathers former martial arts 
sensei and the founder of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and seeing how his 
father reacted around Happs, he would be cowering in fear just to make 
her happy!
     Downstairs, everyone waited anxiously for Nodoka and Ranma to 
return.  Only then could they know what the pronouncment would be, life 
or death.  The group stood when they saw Nodoka and Ranma walk in.  The 
two of them had very serious, very formal looks about them.  Nodoka 
walked over to her husband, and gave a nod of thanks to Cologne.  
Genma's eyes were open so wide that they looked like they were about to 
fall out of their sockets as he looked for some avenue of escape.
     "Genma," Nodoka said, "I have found Ranma to be a man among men, as 
per your promise.  You are free from your obligation to commit seppuku."  
All the Tendo's relaxed on hearing that, Genma nearly collapsed as he 
saw his sentence of death reprieved.  The Amazons did nothing as they 
had known Ranma's fate for days.  Nodoka had explained the promise to 
them and they had all agreed that Ranma was indeed a man among men.
     "However,"  Nodoka said, "You have broken your other promises to 
me."  Everyone tensed up again.  'Other promises?'
     "Other promises?"  Genma asked, uncertainly.
     "For one thing, you promised that if Ranma and you left on that 
trip that you would come back after at most five years, and that it 
would be 'my' turn to train Ranma in 'my' families school of martial 
arts.  You also promised to take good care of our son!  And I do NOT 
consider engageing him to Kami-sama only 'KNOWS' how many fiance's, and 
dropping him into A PIT OF STARVING CATS, AND DRIVING HIM INSANE, TAKING 
CARE OF HIM!!!!!  GENMA NO BAKA!!!!!!"  Nodoka screemed.  And with that, 
she pulled a bokken out of nowhere, and proceded to thrash her husband.  
The bokken was moving too fast for anyone but Cologne to see where it 
landed, but the cracking, tearing, and shrieks attested to the blows 
effectivness.  When she was done, Genma's arms were bent in strange 
angles, and then Nodoka punted him through the wall.  She turned around 
and straightend her kimono with a smile, and looked at the family.
     "Anyone for some tea?"  She asked.  Large sweatdrops appeared on 
everyones head.

**********************************************************************

     So how do you like part two of Cousins?  Don't worry, all you 
Amazon fans, Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne will not be out of Ranma's 
life, just no longer competing for Ranma.  Whenever I get around to it, 
I'll write Cousins part three, where Nodoka begins to train Ranma in 
'her' family martial arts, and you may never guess what it is (well 
besides the fact that it involves kendo in some way.  Also, a new, 
completely original someone shows up.  
     Don't worry about part 3.  It'll come out sometime later, and I 
plan on trying to make it a bit longer than these first two parts, so 
it'll take awhile.  I was originally going to make it part of Cousins 2, 
but I figured some people were getting anxious for me to post this, 
myself included.  So, till next time!

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