Chapter 5

by D.Fire
phongb9@idt.net

	Ranma snapped out of his deep trance as his memories reached
the point that his past self dove through the pulsating vortex.  What
disturbed him from his vision was the complete blackness and intense
cold he found at that point.

	"Have you been listening in, Azure?" he asked the panther
sitting at his feet.  He could feel his familiar's presence deep
within his own mind.

	<What an unusual life you led, Raeni,> came the reply.  <I
noticed that at least you don't fear giant bugs.>

	Ranma laughingly said, "That was a lobster, Azure.  They
aren't bugs.  They live in the sea, and humans in my world catch them
to eat, although they're normally only about yea big.  It's a
delicacy."  Ranma indicated a width of about two feet.

	<Oh yewch.  People actual eat those?  And you complain about
my raw meat,> Azure said grimacing.

	The chill from Ranma's memories slowly settled in his body, so
he reluctantly said, "I don't know if I want to see what came next.  I
now know how I left my world.  How did I get to this one?"  More
quietly, he shivered, "That felt like death."

	Shrugging off the chill that entered his bones, he got to his
feet.

	<Feeling a little fear, are we?>

	"Umm, no I'm just feeling," he replied.  His stomach suddenly
growled.  " ... hungry!  Yeah, that's it, I'm starving!  C'mon, Azure,
let's eat."

	Moving over to the 'kitchen' area, actually more like a table
set against the back wall, Ranma reached down to his side, pulling a
small pouch open.  Reaching in and concentrating, he pulled out an
incongruously giant slab of meat.  Slicing off a double-sized human
portion, he placed the rest on a clean spot on the floor.

	Azure, ravenous, immediately attacked his meal without further
prompting.

	Shaking his head in amusement, Ranma said, "Man, I thought I
ate like an animal.  You put me to shame."  Turning back, he placed
his own portion on a metal plate.  Waving his hand slightly over it,
he muttered, "ORUN KIALIS", starting a small but intense magical flame
underneath the plate.

	Leaving the steak to cook, Ranma pulled out the rest of
planned meal.  'I feel like a salad today,' he thought, pulling out
some clean lettuce and some tomatoes.  Using a handy dagger, he sliced
up his salad.  Drawing out a decanter of mixed vinegar and oil, he
liberally poured some on the salad.  By this time, the steak had
finished cooking, so with a wave of his hand, he banished the magical
fire and sat down to eat.

	"At least I now know that I'm not alone in this world, or at
least I hope not.  My friends ... Hey!  That old parchment Master
Hariule was always studying.  He kept telling me that I was a child of
prophecy.  Maybe the prophecy can tell me if the others are here!"

	Walking over the bookshelves lining one entire wall of the
room.  "Hey Azure, do you know where Master Hariule put the prophecy?
I know he kept several copies around.  I just need one."

	<Mmrf.  Munch.  Try the second bookshelf, top shelf, third
book, Raeni,> the familiar replied.

	Pulling out the indicated volume, Ranma leafed through the
blue-bound book.  "Translation of the Orippa Prophecy, as penned by
Gernit Hariule, Year of the Clam," he read.  "Hmm, I didn't know that
Poppa's first name was Gernit."

	There, in Master Hariule's neat script, lay the Orippa
Prophecy with the original script to the left, the translation in the
middle, and annotations in Master Hariule's personal handwriting to
the right.  Bringing the book over to 'kitchen', Ranma sat down on a
stool and began flipping through the pages as he ate.

	"Hey, Azure.  Listen to this!"

	"And lo, seven shall come unto the world,
	One of light and power,
	One of darkness and destruction,
	One of illusion and wit,
	One of stealth and shadows,
	One of death and daggers,
	One of earth and life,
	One of air and grace."
	
	"Seven, huh?  That adds up.  Seven of us were sucked into that
hole.  Let's see.  There was me, Akane, Nabiki, Ukyou, Ryouga,
Shampoo, and Mousse," said Ranma as he ticked off the names on his
fingers.  "That's seven all right."

	Examining the passage again, he then said, "Well, I'm the one
of light and power."

	<My, I see your ego hasn't changed much from before,> Azure
sarcastically thought.

	Wincing, Ranma replied, "That's not it!  That's what Master
Hariule called me when he cast the spell that returned my memory.  I
wonder who the others are though."

	In silence, Ranma slowly picked his way through the rest of
the book, pausing every once in awhile to re-read certain passages.
Suddenly, he grew very still.  He read a different passage aloud.

	"On the day of Remembrance,
	One key to the light
	Shall fall into the shadows."

	"He knew," Ranma whispered as a tear formed unbidden in his
eye.  "Master Hariule knew that his doom was coming for him."

	***

	As Ranma settled down to sleep that night, his mind was still
in shock from revelations he revealed by the prophecy.  Soon, his
turbulent mind calmed, and he drifted off into a deep slumber.

	Beyond his control, his memories from the point beyond the
hole rushed in to enfold him in their embrace.

	***

	Deep, searing cold and pitch-black darkness.  The only two
sensations she could feel in this place, wherever this place was.

	For an indeterminate time, she floated through the void,
existing but not being.

	Then she heard laughter.  Curious.  This was the first
sensation other than the cold and the darkness that penetrated her
senses.  A child's laughter tantalized her, a siren's call in this
void of nothingness.  It drew her like a moth to a flame.

	She could feel herself moving through the inky blackness,
drawing ever nearer to the source of that sound.  How she moved, she
had no idea, but the sensation of movement was unmistakable.  Closer
and closer she came to the sound, while the single giggling voice soon
became many.

	Vision slowly returned to her as she approached the laughter.
As the void faded away leaving sight, she could finally see around
her.

	'This is not what I hoped Heaven would be, and it definitely
ain't Hell,' she thought as took in her surroundings.

	It looked like she was in a children's playground.  There to
the right of her, a jungle gym stood.  To her left sat a sandbox with
...

	"Akane!" she shouted.

	The little girl sitting in sandbox looked up as she heard her
name called.  Seeing Ranma, she jumped up and ran over.  The girl was
without a doubt Akane, with her short hair-cut and a cute yellow
dress.  But she was -- shorter.  In fact, she looked exactly like she
did in a photo Ranma once saw in an old Tendou family album.

	"Akane, what happened to you?" Ranma exclaimed as the girl ran
up.  Then she noticed something.  Her voice had gone several octaves,
and come to think of it, Akane didn't look any smaller from her
current perspective.  Fearing the worst, she slowly looked down at
herself.

	"Augh!!  What happened to me?" she yelled as she realized that
she too had a child's body.  In panic, she ran around in little
circles clutching her head.  "This can't be happening.  This isn't
happening to me.  No way am I a little kid."

	Closing her eyes, Ranma sank slowly to her knees and silently
prayed, 'This has got to be a dream.  When I open my eyes, everything
will be all right.  I will be normal.  Akane will be normal.
Everything will be normal.'

	She opened her eyes.  Nothing had changed.  She sat there
dumbfounded as Chibi-Akane looked on in curiosity.  Sighing in
resignation, she got to her feet.

	At her movement, Akane finally approached her.  Extending a
hand and with a serious expression on her face, Akane said, "Hi there.
You're new aren't you?  I'm Akane."

	Ranma stared in shock, open-mouthed.  "You don't know who I
am?  I'm Ranma."  Suspiciously, she asked, "Shampoo didn't do anything
to you did she?"

	Taken aback, Akane answered, "Umm, no.  Shampoo didn't do
anything.  Why should she?  Do I know you?"  Then turning around, she
yelled out while waving her arm, "Minna, come over here.  We have a
new friend."

	Appearing, as by magic, five other children showed up to greet
Ranma.

	"Everyone, this is Ranma," said Akane as she introduced him to
the group.  "And this is Ryouga, Ukyou, Nabiki, Shampoo, and Mousse."
As she stated each name, she pointed out the appropriate person.

	The others, to Ranma's eyes, appeared to be normal as he
remembered them, aside from suffering from the same condition as
Akane.  They all seemed to be around five or six years old and were
very much chibi-ized.  Almost as one, they chorused, "Hi Ranma."

	Slapping her forehead in disbelief, Ranma could only shake her
head and groan.  Muttering under her breath, "You uncute tomboy, I
knew who they were."

	Unfortunately for Ranma, Akane heard her.  Tears formed in her
eyes as her lower lip quivered, and then she broke into tears wailing,
"What's wrong?  Don't you like me?"

	Ryouga gave Ranma a dark look and came over and comforted
Akane.

	Waving her hands in negation, Ranma frantically denied, "No!
No!  I like you."  As an afterthought, she added, "I like all of you.
Heh, heh."  She put her arm behind her head in embarrassment.  "Don't
cry, I didn't mean it!"

	The tears slowly came to a stop as Akane looked up, still
sniffing.  In a small voice, she asked, "Really?  You mean it?"  Then
she jumped over to Ranma, give her a great hug.  Ranma could only pat
Akane's shoulder to reassure her.

	"C'mon, Ranma."  Tears completely forgotten, Akane pulled
Ranma to the sandbox, "Let's play."

	The other children, seeing that all was once more right with
the world, dispersed to do their own activities.

	For a while, Ranma let the child before her lead her.  Not
knowing what else to do, she played the day away with Akane in the
sandbox.

	It must have been several hours later that Ranma noticed
something.  The sun in the sky had not moved even a little bit from
its original position, since she first came to the playground.  Akane,
noting her distraction, asked, "Something wrong, Ranma?"

	Pulling her thoughts together, Ranma replied with a question
of her own.  "Akane, we've been here playing for a while, haven't we?"

	"Yes," was the reply.

	"Well, the sun hasn't moved any since we started playing."

	"So?"

	"Well, don't you think that's unusual?"

	At this, Akane laughed, "Silly.  The sun doesn't move.  It
never has."

	"Never?"

	"Of course not.  Why would it?"

	Ranma spluttered a reply, "But, but that's the way people tell
time."

	Akane mulled over the answer.  "Ranma, what's this time you're
talking about?"

	Flabbergasted, Ranma replied, "Time.  You don't know what time
is?"

	Shaking her head in response, "Uh uh.  Nani?"

	"Uhh.  Umm.  I can't really explain it."

	Shrugging her shoulders, Akane said, "Oh well." Dismissing the
thought, she returned to her play.

	After playing with Akane for a little longer, Ranma finally
got up and dusted off her pants, saying "I'm gonna go look around.
Okay, Akane?"

	Brightly, Akane replied, "Okay!"

	"I'll be back in a little bit," said Ranma as she left the
sandbox.  As she left, Akane paused to sadly look at her retreating
back but then returned to her play.

	***

	As Ranma left the clearing with the sandbox, she entered a
slightly wooded area.  Here, three children were playing
hide-and-seek.  Well, actually, two of them were playing
hide-and-seek.  The third was lost.

	"Ryouga!  Ryouga!" Nabiki yelled.  "Where are you, Ryouga?
The game's over, come out."  Turning to Ukyou, she said, "I think he's
lost again, Ukyou."

	Noticing Ranma at the edge of the area, Ukyou pointed and
said, "Hey, Ran-chan.  Come over and play with us.  We need a third."

	Surprised that Ucchan would remember the affectionate
nickname, Ranma came over approached the two.  In a nonchalant tone of
voice, she ingeniously asked Ucchan, "Why did you call me Ran-chan?
My name's Ranma."

	Taken aback, Ukyou replied, "I-I don't know.  It just seemed
right.  Is it wrong?"

	"No, no.  You can call me Ran-chan if you like," Ranma
reassured her.

	Nabiki, dismissing the entire exchange, said, "Well never mind
that, RANMA.  Let's play.  We're playing hide-and-seek.  Wanna play?"

	Having no immediate problems to deal with, Ranma agreed.

	"Well, then.  Let's do Jan-Ken-Pon to see who's it," declared
Nabiki.

	Conditions agreed to, the children began their play.

	Ten full games of hide-and-seek later, Ryouga finally showed
up.  Now with a third member, Ranma said, "Well.  Ryouga's back so I
wanna see what the others are doing."  She made her partings and left
the area.

	***

	Ranma returned to the clearing with the jungle gym and the
sandbox.  Having not found Mousse nor Shampoo, she headed toward the
jungle gym.  She was not disappointed.

	The two in question were definitely having fun.  Mousse and
Shampoo scampered up and down, left and right, all over the play set.
The ladders, crossbars, and slides were being put to good use as they
romped all over, sometimes chasing each other, sometimes not.

	Ranma got dizzy just watching them play.  Not wishing to
interfere, Ranma turned away and headed off in a random direction.
Entering an unexplored area, she found a new piece of playground
equipment.  What she saw was a giant spherical frame made out of
metal.  What surprised her was the boy sitting atop it.

	This boy was older than her chibi-ized friends, maybe by four
or five years, and had an elfin cast to his features.  He sat on top
of the sphere as it slowly spun around at a lazy pace.  Round and
round it went.  The disturbing thing was that even though nobody was
pushing it, the sphere continued to turn.

	She cautiously approached the boy, hiding behind one tree
after another as she crept toward him.  When she reached the tree at
the border of the clearing the boy startled her by speaking.

	"Please come out of hiding, Ranma.  I know you're there."

	Stepping out from behind the tree, she glared at the stranger,
"What have you done to my friends?"  Looking down at herself, she
asked, "What did you do to me?"

	"My, how demanding you are, Ranma-chan," the stranger
benevolent smiled down at her.  "But pardon my rudeness, let me
introduce myself.  My name is Devon."

	Then came a moment of silence as Ranma glared with hostility.
Devon blithely ignored the glare.  Finally, he broke the silence
saying, "Please join me on the frame.  It's getting annoying losing
sight of you on every revolution."

{Hey out there, anybody know the name of this contraption I'm
describing?  Please tell me.  If you can't visualize what I am
describing and have seen Marmalade Boy, it's the thing chibi-Miki was
swinging around on in one of her memories as a child.}

	Still suspicious, Ranma walked up slowly, and after timing the
spin, she hopped onto the sphere, standing on one of crossbars.  To
her surprise, the spinning didn't even slow with her added weight.
Climbing up toward Devon, she settled on a spot just out of reach but
facing him.

	"So.  Explain," Ranma demanded.

	"About what?  Your current stature?  This place?  Please be
more specific."

	"Okay.  Why are we all six years old?" she asked.  "What
happened to us?"

	"That's a little complicated.  Let me start with a question of
my own.  Do you know where you are?" Devon evaded.

	"Who knows.  Heaven.  Or more likely Hell, considering that a
demon sent me here."

	Devon smiled, "Not quite.  You are in a place called the Void.
The demon meant to send you to Hell, but -- other powers  --
intervened."

	"Where is this void?"

	"Not a void, The Void.  Call Purgatory if you will, but that's
not quite correct either.  Some have called it Limbo.  Getting back to
your original question, why you're all so young.  That's a property of
this place.  It bends reality to suit the inhabitants."

	The boy laughed as he continued, "It seems that being six
years old is the only way all of you can co-exist in this realm.  So
voila!  You're all children again.  Before you ask, this playground is
here for the same reason, a neutral setting."

	Ranma fumed at the implication and heatedly demanded, "Oh
yeah, Devil Boy?  Why are you older then?"

	Looking deeply offended, Devon replied, "You mistake me, sir.
I am not a devil.  As to why I am older, well, because I choose to
be."

	Slightly abashed, Ranma continued, "Well then, why are you
here?"

	"I am here to watch over you.  To make sure you don't hurt
yourself or the others."

	"You're our jailer then?"

	"Not ... jailer.  Consider me your guardian."

	"Uh huh, " Ranma said, disbelief apparent in his voice.  "Why
have the others lost their memories?"

	At this question, Devon paused.  He regretfully continued, "I
am sorry.  I may not disclose that information to you."

	"Why are we here then?"

	"This is just ... a stepping ground, as you might call it.
All will eventually move on.  You are here for a reason."

	Ranma suddenly realized something.  "The others can't see you,
can they?"  Devon had been missing when Akane called in the rest of
the crew, and none of the others remarked on his absence.

	With a wry smile, Devon answered, "No, they can't."  With that
final answer, Devon slowly faded from sight.  His disembodied voice
continued, saying, "Ranma, I'm not your enemy.  Please trust me."

	Now spooked, Ranma froze there for a time.  Coming out her
shock, she slowly climbed down from the sphere.  Throwing furtive
glances as she left the clearing, she headed back toward Akane.

	Behind her, the sphere continued to spin, unheedful and
unstopping.

	***

	As Ranma approached Akane, Akane saw her and a beautiful smile
blossomed on Akane's face.  Happily, Akane came over and once again
dragged Ranma over the sandbox, saying, "I'm glad you came back,
Ranma."

	Smiling in return, Ranma just let herself go, playing with
Akane with abandon.

	'This is fun,' Ranma thought.  'I wish Akane was always this
friendly.'  This reminded her of their general predicament, sobering
her demeanor.

	Akane noticed the change, and misinterpreting it, asked, "Are
you hungry, Ranma?  I am."

	Curious as to what would pass for food in this place, Ranma
nodded her head.  "Sure, Akane.  Where do we get food?"

	Pulling Ranma over to a new area, Akane gestured to en empty
table.  "What do you want, Ranma?"  She imperiously demanded of the
table, "Give me chocolate ice cream!"  A bowl of ice cream slowly
appeared along with a tiny spoon.  With a great Cheshire grin, Akane
scooped up the bowl and spoon and began eating.

	Surprised, Ranma paused as her mind tried to think of
something she wanted.  She lamely asked of the table, "Give me a cup
of water."

	Akane looked up from her bowl of ice cream with face a mess
and said, "Silly Ranma.  You can't get water at a food table.  You get
water from a water fountain.  We use that fountain over there."  She
pointed to a beautiful fountain off to the side of the table.

	Numbly, with reflexes on automatic, Ranma walked over to the
fountain.  A plaque under the fountain read, "Fountain of Lethe."
'Lethe, Lethe, where have I heard that before?' Ranma wondered to
herself.  Shrugging, she bent down low and took a deep draught.  The
water was cool and soothing going down her throat.

	Ranma looked up as Devon's ghostly apparition faded into view
beside her.

	Giving her a wry smile and a two-fingered salute, he said,
"Goodbye, Ranma ... and Raeni.  You will find me again."  Falling to
her knees, she blacked out.