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[Day 1]

Ranma was going to say something when the television came back to
live after a pause and a voice could be heard shouting, "Yomigaeru
Aiyan Sheffu!"

Everyone turned to the screen to see the life-size portraits of
three gentlemen being displayed on the background, and said gentlemen,
themselves, being raised via platform to stand behind their portraits.

Announcer Kenji Fukui's voice could be heard as the camera shown
close-ups of the three gentlemen, "Here are... Your Iron Chefs! Iron
Chef French... Hiroyuki Sakai! Iron Chef Japanese... Rokusaburo
Michiba! Iron Chef Chinese... Chin Kenichi! Whose cuisine shall reign
supreme?!?!?"

The camera cut from the Iron Chefs to Chairman Kaga on the floor.
Next to him, stood Ranma, who was in his early twenties, slightly
younger then the one who stood in the living room, groaning in
embarrassment as the magical tape continued.

Chairman Kaga asked, "Which Iron Chef shall you challenge,
Chef Saotome-san?"

Ranma bowed towards the Iron Chefs and said in a polite voice,
"This one would be honored if Iron Chef Michiba-sama would accept this
one's challenge."

The camera focused on Iron Chef Japanese, Rokusaburo Michiba, who
looked at Ranma, slightly surprised and calculating, then nodded his
head.

The screen went blank for a moment and then Chairman Kaga's
voice-over could be heard saying, "If memory serves me correct...
There is a place out in the country-side, where Time had barely
touched. There Tradition and the Old Ways flowed from field to
field.
"There was a simple restaurant serving Traditional foods and enjoyed
by the local populace. I happened upon this quaint little place one
day, and was pleasantly surprised at the skill and timeliness of the
Traditional foods they served.
"Intrigued, I sought out the chef, and discovered this young chef!
One does not find such dedication and skill in one so young....
I was amazed and humbled by this young chef."

The camera shows an interview with Ranma said with a humble voice
with a lot of sincerity in it, "Hachirobei-sensei was kind enough to
take me in when I had nothing left in my life. The least I could do
was give him and the Art my all."

Scenes of the local area and regulars patrons praising Ranma's
cooking, stating how Traditional, yet convenient and quick it was.

the Chairman voice-over continued, "From humble beginning to noble
grandeur... Show us what you're made of, Ranma Saotome!"

The screen blanked for a moment, then returned with Ranma and Iron
Chef Michiba facing Chairman Kaga, whose stood behind the display for
the Main ingredient. The Main Ingredient was Tofu, the simple but
traditional food stuff of Samurai and farmers.

The Ranma on the screen was one that the parents were not familiar
with, he was quiet, humble, and determined. As he cooked, he was asked
if he would win, instead replied, "It was an honor simply for such an
icon and great figure as Michiba-sama to accept this one as a worthy
opponent."

One could hear and feel the sincerity in Ranma's voice. Missing was
the "Ranma Saotome never lost," or barbs at his opponent. Yet, there
was a determination to learn and improve in his eyes, vastly different
then the determination to win that they had usually saw there.

After the hour was over, Ranma had produced eight traditional tofu
dishes to Michiba's six, although, Ranma's two extra dishes were a
different type of soup and a different style of dessert.

Even before the verdict was given, Ranma was congratulating
Iron Chef Michiba's on his win, and asking questions about his
technique and food choices.

After the match, when interviewed, Ranma again thanked Iron Chef
Michiba for the opportunity to learn and sharing in the joy of
cooking.

The screen once more went blank, and the parents turned to Ranma
for an explanation.

"That was the third world we had /visited/," he stated. "In
the prior world..."

Seeing that Ranma could not continue, Nabiki did, "Ranma was cursed
by a jealous goddess."

"Stupid magic-girl," Ranma muttered under his breath.

Holding him close, Nabiki explained, "The curse was serious one..."

"How serious?" Genma inquired with a touch of fear in his voice.

"Never to use Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu again," Ranma replied in a flat
voice, still pained after all the time since then.

"Never?" Soun and Genma echoed. Soun wailed that the schools would
never be joined, and fainted, while Genma simply paled in fright.

Nodoka knew how much the Family Art meant to Ranma, it was his
life... To have that taken away... she, too, paled and held her
husband close.

"With my Family Art denied me," Ranma paused and then continued in
an even voice, "I lucked out and found a new Art... the Art of
Cooking."

"Not that you had any other skills, Saotome," Nabiki joked.

Ranma lightly caressed Nabiki's back and smirked at her flushed
face, challenging her to counter his implied statement.

Nodoka understood and grinned with a Mother's Pride.

"Shortly after finding out the extent of the curse, and that there
wasn't much we could do on that world," Ranma continued the tale. "We
found a restaurant run by a kindly old man that needed help, and for
room and board, we did."

"Hishida-sensei taught us a lot about the restaurant business and
Ranma how to cook as a chef," Nabiki took up the tale. "Ranma, of
course, applied the same determination he gave his Martial Arts to the
Culinary Arts. Very soon, Ranma's culinary skills exceeded even
Hishida-sensei's. And the restaurant's patronage grew."

"Three years later, Hishida-sensei sent a challenge letter to the
Iron Chef show. Someone, not sure if the Chairman actually came or
not, came one night, sampled some of my cooking, and the following day
a letter came accepting Hishida's challenge," Ranma stated. "The
following week, Nabiki and I went to the studio and you saw on the
tape what happened."

"Of course," Nabiki added, "what you didn't see what that our Ranma
here impressed Michiba-sama, that he traveled all the way out to our
place to sample and see Ranma, himself. That later in the season, the
producers had gotten a Chinese Chef, whom had cooked for two Emperors
of China, our Emperor and his family, and several Heads of State of
Russia, Britain, and the U.S.. And this Chef won't accept the
invitation to the show, unless his conditions were meet."

Ranma held up a finger as he counted those conditions off, "One,
that there would be no assistants from the show. Two, that he would
face off only against Michiba-sama and no other. Three, that he would
have his own equipment with him. Four, that his apprentice and Heir
would be the only assistant he would need. And Five, that he could
select the main ingredient."

"It was a coup for the show that they couldn't pass up," Nabiki
resumed. "So Michiba-sama asked Ranma to be his assistant for the
show. And official became his apprentice there after. At the end of
the season, Michiba-sama announced his retired and asked that Ranma
would succeed him as Iron Chef Japanese."

"Battling in Kitchen Studio for three seasons was different then
anything else I had ever experience or done before," Ranma said with a
laugh.

"And Ranma became a household name," Nabiki giggled. "And the
endorsements..."

"I prefer to remember those I helped to learn to enjoy the culinary
Arts," Ranma remarked.

"Endorsements?" Genma asked puzzled. Something in his brain linked
the word 'endorsement' with 'money,' but he was unable to make out
what the connection was.

"Yep," Nabiki grinned at Genma. "Lots and lots of money... just for
using something Ranma would have used anyways..."

"Money?" Genma and Soun said greedily.

In a mock, sad voice, Ranma stated, "But you can't take it with
you."

"Why not?" Genma inquired.

Ranma, Nabiki, and Nodoka just looked at Genma, who sat back down.

Ranma continued, "From then on, we tried to broaden our skill
sets and be as independent as we can."

"Are you a Martial Artist, boy?" Genma asked his most important
question with a degree of seriousness, that none save Nodoka had heard
from him.

Looking directly at his father, Ranma stated, "No."

Genma looked to Nodoka, unable to look at his son.

"No, I am not a Martial Artist. I am a Warrior," Ranma said
seriously.

Genma's head snapped towards Ranma's and his eyes searched Ranma's
deeply. He saw something, he nodded his head once, and tears formed in
his eyes. He said with in a whispered voice with tears falling from
his face in sadness, "I'm sorry, my son."

Ranma was shocked. Never had he seen a single true tear in his
father's eye, let alone seeing his truly cry as he was. He looked to
the others, and they were shocked too. Then he understood. His father
was a Warrior too. A Warrior who tried to teach his son only to be a
martial artist, yet failed to protect him fully. For a rare moment,
Ranma understood his father completely. Compelled by emotions, Ranma
hugged his father, and his father hugged him back.

Soun's started to cry silently, for once, and Nodoka smiled at her
husband and son /sharing a deep moment together/. Nabiki stood
by silently, giving Ranma some time with his father and awaiting his
return to her side.



Dinner that night was a relatively quiet affair.

Akane would glance at Ranma mutter, "pervert", and then look away,
then look at Nabiki mutter something even she, herself, was not sure
what she was muttering, and then looked away elsewhere, only to return
to stating at Ranma, starting the cycle over again.

"Now that you're married," Nodoka stated. "What college will you be
attaining, Ranma-chan? After you graduate from High School, of
course."

Akane's muttering ceased. She turned to Nodoka and croaked,
"Married?"

Nodoka went on to describe Ranma and Nabiki's marriage to Akane and
Kasumi. Both Tendo girls listened with great interest about their
mother. When Nodoka got to the part where their mother held Nabiki
close, just before the symbolical leaving the Tendo Clan for the
Saotome Clan, Kasumi started to cry and Akane ran up to her room.

Surprised, Nabiki gathered her sister into her arms, whispering
soothing words to her. Nodoka went upstairs to comfort Akane.

Genma and Soun just shrugged not understanding, and continued to
eat.

Ranma looked at the Fathers, frowned, and looked at Nabiki and
Kasumi. He took Kasumi into his lap, and both gave comfort to her.

Kasumi calmed down a bit after a little way, and realized that she
was in Ranma's lap. Very comfortable in Ranma's lap, she found.
She heard Nabiki teasing her a bit, but she could not handle it, and
fainted.

Ranma shot Nabiki a look of annoyance, to which, his wife just
humorous return his look with a smile on her face.

Ranma then carried Kasumi up to her bedroom, setting her down
gently on her bed, and left Nabiki to get her ready to sleep it off.
Once in Nabiki's room, he stripped to his boxers, folded his clothes
neatly to the side and got into Nabiki's bed.

In Kasumi's room, Nabiki floated her sister above the bed,
magically removed her clothes, conjured a set of silk pajamas onto her
sister, floated the bedding up slightly, and gently floated her sister
into the bed and tucked her for the night.

Nabiki then headed to her room, paused and took in the sight of
Ranma in her bed, smiled at him, stripped completely naked, and slid
into bed with him. Ranma's arms encircled her as she drifted off to
sleep.