hEpiphany Chapter 3

By Tripolar Disorder

This is an alternative universe from the Ranma timeline.

To sum up chapters one and two.

In this Universe, Genma and Soun are dead.  Fell into the canal,
after a long night of drinking.

Nodoka believed her son was dead, and that Soun had been hiding
Genma from her, and making the Tendo girls lie about it.

When she confronted them, she found out that he was alive, just
scared to see her because of the contract.  She denied the 
contract's existance, and told them that see just wanted her son
back.  That was when she learned the turth about Ranma.

Ranma meanwhile has had a mental breakdown.  Seeing the pain that
his mother was in he confessed and the shock caused Nodoka to
faint.  Ranma-chan took this to mean Nodoka didn't want to love
her after all, and the stress of the whole situation caused the
breakdown.

Finally Nodoka learns about the Neko Ken when she witnesses one
of Ranma's Nightmares.  She began to hold Ranma-chan while she is
still asleep.

Meanwhile in Ranma's nightmare...................

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

Darkness.  A swirling mass of black, so dark that no light could
escape it.  He was trapped within the icy cold tentacles of the
darkness.  It played with him, permiated him, leaving him weak
and defenseless against the coming attack.

The cats were on him.  All over him.  Worse than the darkness, he
felt their claws tearing away at both his flesh and his mind.

Ranma struggled to retain control.  He could not let the cat in
him take over.  He tried to fight back, but the hopelessness he
faced could not be overcome, and he lost.

With the last strength he had left, he weakly cried out for his
mother.  

A terrible crash near his feet and he thought he saw her.  Nodoka
was there and she would save him.  But instead the figure tried
to remove his hands from his face, so the cats could rip out his
eyes.  He screamed out as he tried to keep his face protected.

Suddenly he was no longer in the pit.  He was flying, in her arms
as she seemed to burst from the darkness and soar upwards into
the sun.

He blinked and found himself in his room at the Tendo's.  He
cursed himself that it was all a dream, and that he had been
weak to be frightened by it.  He got up and walked over to the
door, and was about to open it, when a hand was placed on his
shoulder.

Ranma jumped and turned around to face his girl-side.  She was
wearing the familar silk shirt and tie leg pants.

She pointed toward the door.  "You aren't ready to wake up yet."

He was curently staring at her.  Montionless he stood for several
seconds, before coming to his senses and grabbed her by each arm.

"Who the hell are you?   Another mirror clone?  I am gunna kill
the old pervert!"

She looked at him, and smiled.  The smile became a giggle, and
the giggle in turn became a laugh.  She put up her index finger
in a mock scolding pose.  "Silly Ranma, you are still dreaming.
I am not a clone, I am you."

Ranma had a cufused look on his face.  "But shouldn't there only
be one of me in my dreams?"  He said.

"Wow, you actually do learn something in school bright boy!!"
She chuckled yet again, causing Ranma to get upset.  "so who are
you then?"  He said while gritting his teeth.

"Hmm, a good question.  You can call me Ranko, since we are fond
of the name."

"Ok 'Ranko'" Ranma put extra emphisis on her name.  "What are you
doing here?"

As he said it her cheerful face lost it's emotion.  "Ranma.. you,
umm, we.... have a problem.  We need to straighten it out."

"What kind of problem?  I don't know what you are talking about."

"Wake up Ranma.  You and I both know the truth.  You like being
me.  You like being a girl."

Ranma of course was quick to deny it.  He almost yelled out.. 
"That ain't true.  I'm a Guy dammit!  No way I like being a girl,
ok?"

"Calm down Ranma, I am not your enemy.  We both know the truth.
You were born a boy Ranma, but years of torture from Genma-baka
and his forcefullness have changed how you act.  You look in the
mirror and see a tempermental hulkish brute, incapable of feeling
happy or sad.  Pain or happiness.  I know it hurts.  Your face is
a reminder of all the terrible suffering that father put you
through.  All the emotions he made you suppress.  All the cuts,
bruises and broken bones and the most important thing he took
from you.  Your happiness.

But you have another side to you.  A completely different person
who's eyes you look out from.  Someone uncorrupted and safe from
the torture father put you through.  That is me."

Ranma had heard enough.  Someone was behind this and he wanted to
figure out who.  He sneered at Ranko.  "You lie.  All of it, LIES
I swear it!"  His fists balled up in anger as he said it. 

He turned away from her, only to have her turn him back.  He saw
into her eyes.  Those deep pools of blue, that seemed to gaze
into his very soul.

She hugged him.  "Please Ranma, this denial hurts us more.  I
know you better than anyone else, because I am you.  You know I
am telling the truth.  Ask anyone and they will tell you that you
you are unhappy in your boy form.  You barely smile.  Every
picture that Nabiki has of us, you look so somber and
emotionless.  

When we take this face, our attitude changes.  We get feelings.
We get personality.  We have more fun and enjoyment as a girl.
You have been so brainwashed by Genma, that you will not go for
ice cream unless you are a girl."

At this point Ranma had fallen to his knees.  He was trying to
control it, but his eyes had begun to water.  He was pounding on
the floor.  "I am not a girl.  I am NOT a girl.  I..I am not a
girl.  I am N..N..NOT a girl."

His voice becoming ragged and his fists bloody.  Ranko finally
wrapped her arms around his torso to get him to stop.

When Ranma finally calmed down, Ranko gave him a quick kiss on
the forehead.  She let go of him, but still stayed close.

"I know Ranma, you think all girls are weak, and you are weak for
being one.  You have had no one to protect you except yourself.
But we are not weak, no matter what we look like."

Ranma was still shaking as he tried to form words.  "But everyone
will think I am a freak.  They will think I am a pervert."

She hugged him again.  "Ranma don't you see?  Mom said it 
herself.  She missed Ranko.  She enjoyed our company as a girl.
We made her happy just being there.  She is comfortable with us
either way.

And Akane actually treated you different cause she thought you
were a girl.  She wanted to be friends with us.  We really wanted
that.  Stupid Panda-man never let us have any friends.  "

Ranma nodded, quietly.

Ranko seemed in deep thought for a few moments before speaking
again.  "So, is there any other reasons you would rather be alone
and miserable, or are you going to break free from the prison 
that you created in your male form?  Do you want to be angry, or
are you going to try and be comfortable with yourself for once?"

Ranma looked at her, and with one last bit of determination.  He
spoke.  "I am a guy."

Ranko smiled at him, and giggled.  "Not for long silly!"  She
said as a bright light engulfed both of them.  

Ranma could feel a new source of power engulf him.  He could feel
it flowing through his veins and giving him strength.

When the light faded, Ranma noticed that Ranko was gone.  But
he noticed that he was a she.  Then he heard her voice.

"Okay Ranma-chan.  Time to start your new life .  You can go
ahead and wake up now."

Ranma-chan stepped over to the door.  It opened, to reveil a
bright white light.  And she stepped through. 

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

Nodoka had carried the sleeping girl downstairs, laying her on
the couch.  She had then gone in to help Kasumi with breakfast.

She returned to look upon Ranma-chan, who was still there.

Nodoka was about to wake her, when she noticed Ranma-chan's face
contorting and a dark blue aura formed around her.

Nodoka took a step back as the aura became larger and encompassed
more area.

As she continued to watch, the aura began to brighten.  Marbled
clouds of bright red flowed across it until it settled on a 
violet hue.  then it faded away.

She was conserned about what she just saw and was moving closer
when Ranma-chan's eyes opened.  She yawned and sat up.

"Oh man, what a dream."  As she scratched the back of her head.

Nodoka came over and hugged her.  "How are you feeling dear?"

Ranma-chan smiled, and returned the hug.  She looked around at
the living room.  "How did I end up here?"

"I carried you down here.  I saw you having a nightmare last
night but I couldn't seem to wake you out of it.  I am sorry."

"You saw my nightmare?  I was hoping you wouldn't find out about
that."  Ranma-chan hung her head.  "Please forgive me for not
telling you."

"I heard you crying out my name, so I ran in to save you.  Did
it help?"  

"Yeah mom, you saved me from the pit."

Nodoka frowned.  "I hope that you can tell me that the Neko Ken
was the worst of the training that your father put you through.
I do not want you to withold anything that that from me."

Ranma-chan nodded, and Nodoka gave her another hug.  She didn't
let go for a few seconds, but just held on.    

Kasumi interrupted them by exiting the kitchen with food,
signaling the start of breakfast.

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

Breakfast went rather uneventful.  A few minutes after breakfast
however, Ukyo showed up.

She had been worried about Ranma since he did was not at school.
She had also seen Shampoo, who had told her that Ranma's mother
was at the Dojo too, and that attacking her was a bad idea.

at the current moment however, Ranma-chan and Akane were becoming
ill at the sheer volume of sucking up that Ukyo was doing.

Seventeen Okonomiaki all decorated with with Kanji "Welcome Mama
Saotome" were sitting on every available horizontal space,
including the floor.

Then there was the flowers.  Ukyo had stopped by a florist along
the way.  Several large vases stood in the entryway, since they
could not be taken in any further.  A multitude of colors spilled
out from them.

Nabiki was standing there with a calculator trying to determine
the worth of the whole mess.

And Ukyo was calmly sipping tea next to Nodoka and Kasumi.

"It is nice to meet you Mrs. Saotome."  Ukyo was talking in her
'cute as a button' voice.

"The pleasure is mine.  I am glad someone at least has the 
decency to say hello before attacking."

Ukyo sweatdropped.  She had thought Shampoo to be joking about
that.  <Well...> she thought to herself <...at least I made a
better impression.>

Ranma-chan had decided to go take a bath and had left the room.

Ukyo and Nodoka were dicussing the events that led to her being
engaged to Ranma, the stealing of the Yati cart and her sworn
revenge.

Ukyo was about to ask where Genma was hiding when everyone's
thoughts were interrupted by a scream.  Ranma-chan's scream.

Akane and Kasumi were the first to action.  Ukyo and Nodoka
folloed in close behind.   Ukyo noticed that the Saotome
Matriach's sword was already out, so she got her battle spatula
to the ready.

What the group found in the furo was a screaming redhead.  Naked
but all alone.  She was curled up, her knees up at her chest.
Her head just above the water.

As Akane had burst through the door she was in battle stance.
She and Ukyo did a sweep of the room and found no signs of any
intruders.

As everyone was trying to figure out why she was screaming, There
was a familer "Oh my" from Kasumi before she put her hand in the
water.

"What is it Kasumi?"

Kasumi stood up.  Her face turned pale, and she pointed toward
Ranma-chan.  "She is still a girl, but, the water is HOT!!"

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

Cologne was busy in the kitchen at the Nekohanten.  She was 
adding several rather strange looking herbs to what looked to be
pasta sauce.

She stopped a moment.  She felt the aura of Ranma, as if he was
just outside the kitchen and was, less then happy.  She hopped
out to find the dining area empty, but the aura was getting 
stronger.  It was coming from near the front door.  

Cologne became pale.  She had never witnessed such a focused rage
from Ranma before, and the worst part is that it was directed at
her.

She suddenly felt it spike, and she dove under a table.

A circular section of the front exterior wall exploded inward.
Flying debris caused a dust cloud that cut visibility to nothing.

When the dust settled she saw Ranma-chan standing in the middle
of a ten foor diameter hole in the wall.

Cologne hopped up on her stick.  Trying to hide her fear of the
emmense aura surrounding the girl, She calmly asked.

"Hello Son-in-Law.  What can I do for you?"

No sooner than the words came out of her mouth, then she was hit,
and slammed into the wall.  The image of Ranma-chan vanished from
the hole in the doorway.

Cologne was amazed, that she could move with such speed to fool
her own eyes.  Ranma's aura was so large at the moment that it
was almost impossible to determine where the girl was.

As she tried to move away from the wall, she felt the air near
her ripple, and was forcfully slammed against the wall again.

<Son in law is just playing with me.  The boy could easily beat
me or kill me at this point, but he isn't.  Thank goodness for
his ethics.> 

Nodoka looked about the room, and saw Cologne leaning against the
wall.  She pointed toward the Amazon.  "Ranma is not very happy
with you.  I myself have no interest in your well being, so I
suggest you put forth the remody to whatever you have done to my
son."

Cologne paused a moment, her mind in deep thought.  She could not
come up with an answer and so she spoke.  "I am sorry to sound
naive, but what are you talking about?"

That was when she finally noticed Ranma-chan.  Just a few feet
away with with teeth clenched and settled into a launch stance.

"What do you think I am talking about?  Unlock my curse or I will
, I will, ARGH you don't wanna know!!!"

"Indeed, please produce the cure.  It has been a hard week on us
already with Genma's death and all."  Nodoka had stepped up
behind Ranma-chan and put her hands on the shaking girl's
shoulders.

Cologne was already thinking.  She mentally listed all the ways
that one would use to lock a person into cursed form.  But each
time, it was denied, for she neither had the method, nor a cure.

Finally Cologne bowed head.  "Ranma I swear on the name of my
tribe that I have done nothing to you.  Please believe me.  If
you have been locked into your cursed form Son-....., Ranma, then
let me see if I can figure what has done it?"

Ranma stopped moving.  She looked at Cologne.  "Sorry to jump at
you like that, but you're the only person I know that can do it."

Ranma turned toward her mother.  "She is telling the truth.  She
has never lied to me before.  I will trust her."

Cologne picked up her staff.  She looked around the cafe.  The
hole in the wall, several broken and shattered tables were 
composing a pile of debris that was all created by Ranma in the
span of just a few seconds.

<Ranma-chan was having a mental breakdown.  Her actions were
more violent and less planned.>  Then she remembered what Nodoka
had said.  <Ranma's idiot father was dead.  So now he will no
longer stand in the way.  But the stress of his death, and Ranma
somehow getting locked into cursed form was too much.>

She hopped over to the pair and looked Ranma-chan over.  "You 
used a great deal of energy there Ranma.  It would be best if you
get some sleep."  And with that, Cologne tapped a spot on Ranma-
chan's forehead and the girl collasped to the floor, asleep.

Nodoka swept the redhead into her arms, glaring at Cologne.
"What did you just do to her?"

"I promise that I did not lock Ranma in her form this time.  I
have done so on a previous occasion to make him marry my great-
grandaughter, but this is not my doing.  I put her to sleep
so that we could have an easier time detemining what happened."

Cologne instructed her to carry Ranma-chan upstairs where she was
placed on Shampoo's bed.  A western style mattress and box-spring
with a simple spread.

Cologne left the room and returned several minutes later with
several boxes.  As she opened each box they appeared to hold
jewelery, but with the way the old woman handled them they were
much more than pretty gems.

Cologne dangled several of them over Ranma-chan, swinging them
back and forth in small arcs.  Each time Nodoka noticed a look
of disappointment, followed by the gems being tossed back into
a box and another taking it's place.

Meanwhile Shampoo had returned and curious as to why her arien
was sleeping on her bed.  She was shushed and so stood in the
corner and watched.

After a minute Cologne looked up, and held a clear blue sphere
at Shampoo.  "Take this child and hold it so that we can both see
it."

Shampoo did as she was instructed.  In her hands the sphere
instantly clouded over until it was a smoky black in color. 

Nodoka was amazed at the transformation.  "What is that?"  she
asked.

Cologne tok back the Sphere and it changed back to it's original
clear blue color.

"This gems detects the presence of water sprite magic.  When in
contact with anyone effected by magic of a water based origin it
changes like you just saw.  Shampoo also has a Jusenkyo curse.
But look here."

Cologne placed it in Ranma-chan's hand and it did nothing.
"As I thought. Ranma is longer cursed."  She took the gem and
put it back in it's box.

"HI YAAA!!  Is no longer cursed, then why is arien still girl-
type Ranma?"  Shampoo was giving Cologne a quizzical Dog-head
tilt.

"I would like the answer myself child.  In the meantime, go fetch
a kettle of hot water and a pail of cold.  And do not touch my
pot on the stove!"  Cologne shoo'd Shampoo out.  She then turned
toward Nodoka.

"I would like to explain what happened to Ranma, because I am
certin I already know.  But first, did you see anything strange
happen to Ranma lately?"  

Nodoka's eyes bounced ack and forth, she appeared to be involved
in mental calculations.  Finally she said.... "Define Strange.  I
have seen my son change into a girl, colored waves cross her 
sleeping form, and...."

She was interrupted by Cologne, "What do you mean by colored
waves?"

Nodoka sighed.  "Earlier this morning just before Ranma-chan woke
up, a large blue colored ball of light surrounded her, and then
it got bigger until it was about ten feet wide.  Then these red
streaks began flowing across it, and then the colors merged into
a violet hue, and then faded.  She woke up soon after."

Cologne pondered this for several moment before searching through
her gems and until she finally pulled out a silvery disc.  She
placed it on Ranma-chan's head, then her heart, and the upward
face changed to a picture of a set of hands raised upwards.

"I did not believe it to be possible, but there it is."

Nodoka looked at it, and with a confused look, turned toward
Cologne.  "What is?"  

Cologne picked up her staff and tapped Ranma-chan on the forehead
again.  The redhead's eyes snapped open.  She sat up slowly.
Turning toward Cologne.  "Well, did you figure it out old Ghoul?"

At this time Shampoo had returned with the water.  Ranma-chan
took the hot water kettle and poured a little on her head.
Nothing happened.  She turned toward Cologne.  "I guess that is
no."

Cologne knocked Ranma-chan on top of her head.  "You never let me
say what I was about to.  Ranma, I want you to think very hard
about being male.  go ahead and do it." 

Ranma-chan closed her eyes and in her mind she saw herself as a
man.  Then she felt a familar change, and opened her eyes. 

He was male again.  Ranma-kun looked at his hands.  He was too
shocked to say anything.

Cologne was also shocked but she decided now was a good time to
say something.  "I still don't believe it, but there it is, right
in front of my very eyes."

The collected mass turned toward her, and seemingly in unison
said "What?"

Cologne flatly.  "Ranma has taken control of his curse."

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

End of Chapter 3

I was planning a couple of other things for this chapter but
when I was writing the nightmare/dream, this idea came to me.

It fits in the overall effect I am trying to achieve and I see
several new good plot twists to write off of this.  

So Now Ranma can control his curse.  What effects will this have
on the Nerima Wrecking crew?

Wait and see, because for the most part I don't know what is
going to happen either.  

BWA HA HA HA HA HA 

"Your the diet coke of evil, just one calorie, not evil enough."
Dr Evil,  Character of Mike Myers from the Austin Powers movies.


	     .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'