Epiphany Chapter 4

By Tripolar Disorder 
and Dragon Dagger.

Previous Chapter can be found a www.fanfiction.net
and at Tripolar's webspace at Geocities.
www.geocities.com/thegoddessamanda/epiphany.htm

This is a Ranma Alternate Universe timeline.

Here is what has happened so far.
Chapter one: Genma and Soun are dead.  Nodoka goes to the Tendo
Dojo to find word about her son.  She is told that Ranma is
stil alive but afraid to she her because of the contract.  Nodoka
doesn't care about the contract and she learns about Ranma's
curse.  She doesn't care and wants to love him anyway.

Chapter 2:  Nodoka accepts Ranma and they have some Mother Son
bonding.  Shampoo tries to attack Nodoka not realizing Nodoka's
poweress with a sword.  Nodoka makes an idle comment about Ranko
and causes a strange moment with Ranma trying to help as a girl.
Nodoka learns of the neko ken when she witnesses one of Ranma's
Nightmares.

Chapter 3:  Ranma has an encounter with the curse magic, in his
dream.   Ranma-chan takes a bath when Ukyo shows up.  But Ranma
does not change back into a man.  Cologne is blamed, the cafe
trashed before Cologne determines and proves that Ranma has 
control of the curse.

Now for the continuing story....

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

Ranma was sitting on the bed.  His surprise and shock had
prevented him from passing out, though Nodoka and Shampoo had not
been so lucky.

At the moment Cologne was looking over the two when she thought
of the bucket of cold water that Shampoo had brought up with her.
She was about to splash it on the two, when Ranma reminded her
of Shampoo's cat curse.

Nodoka was the first to regain conscienceness, and she stood up,
turning back to Ranma.  "So now my son can control his curse
directly."

Cologne nodded. "I cannot tell you how but that seems to be the
case.  My tribe has lived near the springs for as long as we have
kept records, and never have we seen this before."

Cologne motioned to Ranma.  "I realize how stressful this can all
be on you.  I would like to check a few details about how you
overcame the curse, but (glancing at Nodoka), it can wait."  She
inwardly hoped that Ranma's mother could control his temper, so
she decided to leave the boy alone for a few days.  She had never
witnessed Ranma with such a focused rage.  And to have it
directed at her, the thought still made her heart flutter.  If
Nodoka had not been there, Ranma may not have stopped.

Meanwhile Ranma had closed his eyes and changed back into a girl.
She looked at her hands again, and while doing so caused the
change again.  He was enjoying it, and kept changing back and
forth, almost as if it was a new toy, and he was a little kid at
christmas.

Shampoo however, was pouting in the corner.  She was both happy
and jealous of Ranma, for obvious reasons.  She was also trying
to stay away from Nodoka, because of the almost constant glaring,
and the water pail, because she did not want to do laundry on
her favorite pants twice in one day.

Nodoka cleared her throat.  Ranma changed into girl form and
focused her attention on her mother.  Cologne and Shampoo did as
well.

"If you will excuse us Matriarch, Ranma-chan and I have some
business to take care of, Unless you need anything else from us?"

Cologne shook her head and showed them out.  Just before they
left Cologne pointed out to Ranma that she should refrain from
changing at will in public view, as to avoid incident.

After they were gone she got Shampoo started on the repairs.

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

Nodoka gestured for Ranma to follow her.  She had turned at a
corner while Ranma had continued straight.

"Where we going mom?" asked Ranma-chan.  "The Tendo Dojo is this
way."

Nodoka replied.  "We are going to our home Ranma.  I need to pick
up a couple things."

Ranma-chan quickly made her way back to Nodoka's side and they
continued on down the street.  

As they were walking Nodoka had time to think.  She had fallen
behind Ranma and was watching her child.

Nodoka began to notice a change in Ranma's stride.  The girl
began to slow down coming to a stop a few feet ahead.  She just
seemed to be staring off into space.  

Nodoka came up behind and asked her what was wrong.  She was
surprised at the answer.

"Nothing really mom.  Just looking around.  I think I remember a
little about this place."  And look Ranma-chan did.  It was
interesting to just let the memories from her very young life
float to the surface as she looked around.  

There was a playground nearby and as Ranma-chan spotted it she
remembered a painful memory.  "I wasn't very strong when I was
little was I?"  She murmured to herself as she let the memory of
getting beaten up by a bully on the playground play through her
mind.

"No you weren't dear.  But then when I think about that, I can
see why your father would want to take you out training.  Those
bullies are still around here somewhere."

"I wonder what they would think now?"  Ranko smirked as a
slightly devilish light came to her eyes.  

Nodoka saw the light and started chuckling.  "I don't think that
they would tease you for too long."

Ranko shrugged and smiling again letting the warm sun and the
peaceful street scenes bring her mood back up.  It wasn't long
before they were in front of their house.  They had taken a
slight detour on the way there to see a couple of other sights
that Ranma vaguely remembered and then moved quickly on to the
Saotome house.

Seeing that there was no one there waiting Nodoka got a little
worried but hid it well as she noticed a large box in the yard.
The cases and smaller boxes around it indicated that someone had
been there and would probably be returning soon.  Turning to
Ranko, Nodoka smiled.  "Will you help me get this back to my
studio, I have some guests and though they should be here I have
a feeling that they will be arriving soon."

"Sure mom, What's up?"  Eyeing all of the boxes she guaged the
weight and stacking it ingeniously managed to get all but a
couple of the lighter boxes into position where she was able to
carry them in one trip.

Taking up the couple of boxes left Nodoka smiled.  "Nothing big.
Just that while you were away, I started doing things with
photography to take my mind off of... things."  If Ranma caught
the catch in her mother's voice she gave no indication of it and
continued to the back while she listened.

"I got a lucky break at an ammature show and I have been doing
modeling contracts and other photography shootings for several
magazines.  In all I have been doing quite well."  Ranma-chan had
stopped in the doorway of the dojo out back of the house as she
slowly took in all of the equipment in the place, then saw the
computer.

"Wow, I'd say you are doing really really good to be using all of
this!"  she exclaimed.  Looking around and taking it all in she
turned and looked at Nodoka who had reached the door.  "Hey, can
I go look around the house?  I mean I'll be here if you need me,
but I want to see everything.'

"Sure dear, you go right ahead, I will need your help when the
others come but you can do what ever you like until then."
Smiling indulgently she hid her start of surprise as Ranma-chan
focused and changed back into a man and ran out the door.

"Thanks mom!"  Racing to the house he went in and looked around
eagerly.  It was a new homecoming for the young man as he ran
through all of the rooms from top to bottom and then looked
around a little slower to catch all of the nuances.

"You sure missed this place."  The soft feminine voice whispered
in his mind.

Ranma whipped around trying to find the source of the voice when
it giggled.  "In here silly, remember?"

"Oh yeah.  You ain't kidden when you said I missed this place."

He scanned the room, making note of everything in it.  There was
a stuffed dog on a shelf, and next to it was a boxed puzzle.

On the wall was a picture.  There was a small bit of dust on it
as was on just about everything.  He wiped it off so he could see
it.

It was a picture of himself.  A very young, Chibi-Ranma.  He
could hear giggling in his head, and he asked what was so funny.

"You were so cute back then, but why are you in a pantsuit that
looks like a male version of a sailor Fuku?"

His ruminations were disturbed when he heard Nodoka call out from
the back yard.  "Ranma! Could you come down and give me a hand
with all of this?"

When the head popped out of the bedroom window it was a redheaded
female smiling down at Nodoka and the new people in the yard.
"Ranma had to run and get something.  Anything I can help with
mom?"

Nodoka was, to say the least, a little surprise in the change in
her son but smiled anyway and nodded.  "Yes dear, come down and
you can help me with this photo shoot.  That should teach that
brother of yours to miss this."

Ranko dissappeared and the women on the yard all started
whispering to each other until she reappeared moments later in
the yard.  Smiling at Nodoka playfully she bowed to the women and
greeted them.

<Rascal, I can just tell that he is going to love every moment of
this.>  The Saotome matron chuckled to herself as the women
looked to Nodoka for an explaination.

"This is my daughter Ranko."  She said gesturing to the girl that
was now looking at her to see how she was taking all of this.  

"I thought that you had a son Saotome-san."  One of the women
spoke up.

Nodoka chuckled as Ranko giggled.  "As did I, but this little one
got attached to my boy on his training trip with his father at a
young age.  When they accepted her she was made part of the
family.  I am not about to seperate them now that they are so
close to each other.  Besides how can I not love someone so
adorable?"

<Thanks mom.>  Ranko smiled and nodded in agreement with the
story even as she accepted the tacit reassurance that Nodoka
still loved him either way.  She was trying so hard and Ranko
could appreciate the sentiment.

As the women got themselves ready for the shoot, Ranko helped her
mother set up the set for the day's shoot.  When she wasn't
working on following her mother's directions she was watching the
women get ready.  Particularly when they were applying the makup.

One of the women noticed her staring.  Laughing gently she asked
her if she ever had any makeup.  Blushing Ranko gave the negative
reply and was promptly dragged into a hastally vacated seat.
Despite her protests she looked over at her mother and saw that
she too was watching the whole situation.

"But, you guys shouldn't go to the trouble for me."  She
protested again as her hair was brushed out and pulled back again
into a slightly different style.

"Nonsence."  One of the women smiled gently down at her.  "Every
young woman should know at least how to apply makeup, even if
they don't wear it all that often."  The woman that was directing
the concerted effort laid a reassuring hand on Ranko's shoulder
and knowing that if they went too far, Nodoka would put a hault
to the activities.

Ranko sighed and tried to relax as she was primped and styled.
She recieved a varitable earbeating on the benefits of a 
moisturizing shampoo.  That was followed by an explaination of
choosing and applying blush color.  Not that Ranko wasn't turning
shades of red all by herself.

When they were done, even the small ammounts of makeup that were
applied seemed to make a world of difference to Ranko's reflected
image.

As she stared at the mirror, the image she saw was herself.
There was no doubt about that, but she looked a little older and
her startling eyes and other features were enhanced to a degree.
She knew with a small amount of vanity that she was making 
several of the models jealous.  One of them referred to "natural
cuteness"  and that she was a boy magnet, which caused Ranko to
blush further.

The moment was shattered as Nodoka called for the girls'
attention and as they all moved away from the mirrors, Nodoka
couldn't help but note the small change in her son's step and
confidence.  Smiling they moved quickly with the shoot.

As the women worked with Nodoka, Ranko moved quietly in the
background following her mothers softly worded instructions.
When they were done, it was getting late in the night and Ranko
could only stand in further awe of her mother's skill with the
camera and the way she used the lights and backgrounds to bring
out the individual and group beauty of the women she worked with.

As the women went home with eager words of thanks to Ranko and to
Nodoka, Ranko sighed in relief and looked at Nodoka.  "Um, Mom?"

Nodoka was setting the rolls of film up for developement when she
heard Ranko's tenative query.  "Yes dear?"

"How do you take this stuff off.  If nothing else I would like to
spend some time as a guy too you know."  The notes of relief and
exasperation with the foriegn substances on her son's face made
Nodoka chuckle even as she moved out of the darkroom area.

They spent the night together talking and generally catching up
for lost time by talking about everything that happened at home
while Ranma and Genma had been out of the training journey.
Ranma made one last request for the night and Nodoka nodded in
agreement.

Over at the Tendo household Nabiki picked up the phone as it
rang.  "Hello?"  Everyone there was wondering who would be 
calling so late and were relieved to hear the news after Nabiki
hung up the phone.

"That was Auntie Saotome.  She and Ranma are staying over at her
house for the night.  Something about wanting to have a long talk
with Ranma and get some things straightened out as they catch up
on the last ten plus years.  Oh and Cologne said that she was
missing a packet of Instant spring, so that is how come Ranma
didn't change."

"Well at least they called.  I was starting to get worried about
them with how long they had been gone."  Kasumi nodded as she
came out of the kitchen from finishing the dishes and the clean
up from the dinner they had made that night.

The next morning Ranma and Nodoka locked up and headed back over
to the Tendo house for the day.

As they walked Ranma had to ask.  "Mom, where do you hide that
sword that you had when Shampoo attacked you?"

Nodoka smiled and without turning, she replied.  "I will have to
teach you my families sword technique.  It is passed down from
mother to daughter, for the last twelve generations.  And since
yesterday I gained a daughter, I now have someone to pass it to."

The last statement was spoken while a mock-frown on her face.

Ranma focused for a moment and shifted into Ranko, and grabbed
Nodoka from behind in a hug, laughing.  "That's right mom, you
have a daughter now.  A two for one deal.

Nodoka twisted around in Ranko's arms so she could return the
embrace.

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

There, another chapter in the growing Saga.

This is actually the third revision of Chapter 4, the first was
too happy happy, and the second turned out even darker than
previous chapters.  I was writing while tired and what I got
ended up being a scene in which Ranma loses his mind and retreats
into a shell, leaving a very scared young girl (age 4?)
trapped in a 16 year old body.  I woke the next morning and spent
nearly an hour pondering how to write myself out of that hole,
before giving up.

Dragon Dagger took those and came up with something that I am
very happy with, and will post without making any major changes.

Chapter 5 is also well underway, thanks to her, so stay tuned.

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