Ok, Next chapter. This is Side story stuff, to bring the characters more into how there are getting to where they got too. I know my chapters are short. I will try to update at least a couple of times a week to make up for that.

I got a couple of offer for pre-readers, email me, and I will start emailing you these in advance of posting.

And I will try and answer reviews at the ends of the chapters rather than the beginnings. ;)

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Side Story : Nabiki’s job offer:

Tendo Nabiki walked downstairs, again, with the feeling is missing “something” strong in her heart. This feeling had been there for months now, no matter how hard she tried to repress it, or push it down. Everyone always thought that one of two things would be the death of the ice queen, Jail, or the Yakuza. But in retrospect the ice queen may have been killed, by a pigtailed chaos magnet and his mother. 2 years, he lived with her. For 2 years she got to bask in him, without ever having to let loose, or open her shell. Then his mother came, and she gave her comparatively sane love, asking for nothing in return. Either of those would never have broken the armor her mothers death and fathers breakdown had made. Together, the cracks appeared, and grew, to the point that when the need to fix this “Engagement mess” came about, it was Nabiki, who arranged the secret marrage, who arranged to fly them to Australia, under assumed names, and who arranged to “Fake” the deaths, in a plane crash, just to give them some time alone.

“what a waste” she said out loud. Kasumi, walking in with breakfast looks at Nabiki but says nothing. She is used to Nabiki’s random outbursts of late, especially after word came back about Akane’s actions. Soun and Genma sat at the shogi board, but, like every other time either daughter had seen them, no pieces had moved, and they say blankly looking at the pieces. For all of the poor ways of doing it, they had truly wished the marriage to succeed, they had truly felt it was Ranma’s fault that it took as long as it did, and even they could not ignore Akane’s infidelity. She was no longer a member of either clan now, her actions dictated that. But it did nothing to change the pain in Nabiki, that she felt every time she came down stairs, or came home and no Ranma, to make her silently laugh. Over the months leading up to the marriage, and then especially afterwards, she had become closer to Nodoka, even explaining after he was gone, everything that Genma had put him through. Then came yesterdays arrival of the divorce decree, from the state, and once again she was alone in this house. Kasumi, was empty and her father, if he should still be called that was just as much an empty shell as her older sister was. Just when she was starting to find Something to let herself be alive again in, its all taken away again.

knock knock a post man stops and delivers a small package at the door. Addressed to Nabiki. She took it to her room, and opened it, reading the contents.

“Ms Tendo Nabiki,

It has come to my attention that my clan owes you a debt of honor regarding the treatment of my sister Nodoka, and my nephew Ranma. For this debt I heartily thank you, and offer you the welcome of my clan, and family. In speaking with my sister, she has pointed out your apparent talent with finances, and one of my subordinates has need of a good apprentice, to help her with the management that she is in charge of, in addition to any other duties she may have in regards to my family. Inclusive with this position if you are found to be acceptable, are living arrangements, and company provided education, commiserate with your position.

I would like you to meet with her, next Monday at 2:30, at the Sakuraba conglomerate building center room 311c. She will review your qualifications and make her recommendations accordingly. Her name is Kagurazaki Miyabi, and be prompt.

Nodoka speaks very highly of you, in spite of your family name. I expect that she is correct, and you can live up to her praise of you. At some point I look forward to meeting you.

Sakuraba Yuichiro,

C.E.O. of Sakuraba Industries”

Nabiki just looked down at he letter, Stunned. This was almost a complete job offer. Something that would get her away from here, and maybe means she could see Nodoka again. She held little hope that she would be able to see Ranma, nor get him to trust her, she had never really give him reason to. She felt tears runs freely down her face, as she saw something that she had not felt much of since she was a small child. She felt hope, that maybe, something good could happen. That maybe she would not be trapped here, forever with her sister, and Baka father. Sakuraba industries were a huge conglomeration of clothiers, one of the largest fashion companies in Japan. The Best formal wear in the country was Sakuraba wear, and they had department stores all over Asia, with a couple in the US as well. Another thing she owed Ranma, and Nodoka. A chance at becoming successful. The old Nabiki would have put the thought up into her head of ‘Ranma is his nephew, of one of the wealthier families in Japan’. This Nabiki, well, she will get to that thought, eventually, but right now, the thoughts of ‘I can get out of here, with the chance of a job, and career, and get to see one of the only folks to really show me love again’ are stunning her more mercenary side into a small emotional corner. In her room, she sits holding this letter, lying on her bed, and sobbing. At one point Kasumi looks in, assumes this is a bout Ranma, and leaves Nabiki to her pain. She could not have been farther form the truth.

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Side story : Nodoka’s divorce

Nodoka looked down at the paperwork before her, and felt surprisingly well, unconcerned. She had been a Saotome for almost 20 years now, but even that, did not seem to matter to her. Her Son was the sole reason she had not done this years ago. Her Manly son, who would show her brother that he was man enough to be a part of her family. That she was not a failure and disgrace to the Sakuraba clan. Ranma, h had become more than anyone could ever have hoped for, so much so, that her brother already had agreed to adopt into the clan, if he so desired. Ranma had made much of the last 10 years worth it, but… Still, it was not enough for her to continue to be with Genma, especially once she learned of everything that had happened. Ranma’s curse did not bother her. That was something that showed his strength of character. He was strong enough to face this, and continue to try to excel. It was the understanding of what her “husbands” training had done to Ranma., the once loving and hopefully boy she remembered.

Nodoka had lived alone almost ten years, her new clan had disowned her, because of her husbands action, and predilections, that she had turned a blind eye too, when he was around. Her own clan had disowned her as well, for becoming wed to someone they had such a low opinion of. Many times over the years, her sister in law urged her to come to her brother and ask for his help, but she was proud, and refused to. She felt herself the true holder of Honor in this. Watching her son, proved to her how little she understood honor. How little she understood family. She was no longer going to give that up. Ever. But first she had to get rid of the main destructive force on her life, that being one Genma Saotome. The Saotome clan in general had disavowed him, so getting the divorce was not to terribly difficult. She waited till after the secret marriage to do it, so that Ranma could have the chance to settle in to his marriage. Then he moved, was gone and she was s able to move forward. Thanks in much part to Nabiki’s honesty, and friendship, she was able to finally see past Genma’s lies, and to the truth of what he was. Nabiki had even helped with the divorce, even though she knew it would make it difficult if not impossible for them to talk much anymore, unless Nabiki left nerima. She gave as much help to Nodoka, as she gave to any of her private endeavors and she greatly impressed Nodoka. Many times during the preparations and times she spent with Nabiki, she wondered how things would have been different if this intelligent, and forceful young woman had been engaged to her son, rather than Akane.

After the divorce was finalized, Nodoka moved for a few weeks into one of the Sakuraba’s homes, with her niece Aoi-chan. There was a proper young woman. She was engaged to a very nice and thoughtful young man named Hanabishi Karou, who also impressed her greatly. Then Ranma contacted her to tell her he was coming back, and she offered to ler him stay there, with the blessings of the family. For two weeks after he got there she tried her best to cheer him up, but eventually came ot the conclusion that he needed time to recover, form everything before dealing with the woman who he only really knew to be the “dead mother who would tell him to kill himself”. After speaking with her brother about this, she sadly moved in with him in the families estate, leaving Ranma with Aoi-chan, and her family of friends there. She prayed to the Kami-sama that he would be able to heal, being around such folks who shared such a deep love for one another.

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Side story kind of Ranma’s view of a day.

‘Awake again. Why should I get up really. Nothing is going to change this’ Ranma realizes after a time that he has been staring at the clock. He vaguely remembers that when he first looked at it, when the knock came it said 815. it now read 920. he remembered nothing of anything during that time. Just emptiness. He gets up and staggers downstairs. Not truly seeing where he is going, only to wander into the dinning hall. Taeko-chan is waiting for him, a concerned look on her face, as she places the Miso bowl in front of him. Rice sits to the side. He looks at the clock 930. he looks at his bowl. Looks at the clock again 950 and Taeko-chan has gone. He takes the food to the kitchen, and Aoi-chan watches as he leaves full bowls on the counter, and wanders out to the lawn.

Here we almost see a return of his old self, though not near as energetic as he once was. He dances through is kata’s with a grace unrivaled anywhere in the world. Aoi-chan watches her cousin, but when she sees his eyes, they are flat, grey. His body moves of its own fruition, but his heart, she cannot see any sign of it at all. Twice Taeko-chan tries to call him for food, but he continues his dances, well into the evening. Finnally, she can not take anymore, she MUST act somehow to get him at least to eat.

“Ranma!” she says, Anger on her face evident. She gets no response from him. “RANMA!” She yells, Causing Karou-dono and co to peek out to watch the two of them. Ranma stops his kata, and appears to not even be breathing hard. “yes, Aoi-chan?”

“Ranma, you must come into dinner now, please.” She looks at him sternly, trying to get through to her depressed cousin. Ranma sighs, and looks at his watch, 845. He nods at his older cousin and heads into dinner.

He manages to eat his rice, and take a few bites of the smoked fish, before excusing himself, and heading to the baths. He knows after the baths he can sleep again, and at least in sleep, he feels no pain.

But this bath will be the start of a long night.

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Ranger5 : Sure send me an email and I will let you do so.

Dennisud : Working on the sentence structure. See I write what I am thinking, story wise, then go back over it and reload it until the structure works. I am going to try proofreaders to help me with this part ;) I like Nabiki, because, once you get past her walls, she is the smartest, and I feel just as caring for her family as her older sister is.

Light02 : yes she did. But we have not gotten to how she handles this yet, as a hint she did SKIM the file before hand. She knows why he is getting this wish after all. But she true to form did not heed Peorth’s warning that she needed to take special care here.

Ranma Hibiki : first off unless Ryoga has a sister just wrong …. Yeah. Look at his life, who would not feel sorry for him.