Epiphany Chapter 6

By Tripolar Disorder
and Dragon Dagger

Previous Chapters 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
still 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
prowess 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.

Chapter 4:  Ranma and Nodoka go home.  We learn that Nodoka is a
photographer.  Ranma causes a little trouble by being a girl.
Nodoka solves the problem by introducing a female Ranma as her
daughter Ranko.

Chapter 5:    Ranma asks his mother not to tell anyone about his
ability to change at will. Ranma is having fun with curse at
school.  Nodoka creates an interesting family photo, that leads to
an attack by Kodachi in which Ranma breaks Kodachi's arm, and
Tatewaki sees the light.  Ranma's curse asks him for a favor in
his dream.

Now for the continuing story....

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

Ranma opened his eyes and sat up.  he looked around.  He was in
the dining room on a futon next to his mother who was also on a
futon, with a damp cloth on her forehead.

Akane was on the couch while Shampoo and Nabiki were sitting up
against a wall next to each other.  Nabiki's head had slid over
until it was lying on Shampoo's shoulder.

Kasumi came out of the kitchen and noticed Ranma was awake.  She
smiled and handed him a cup of tea.  He pointed over toward the
scene against the wall, and she snickered quietly along with
Ranma.

Akane and Nodoka both woke up, and they had a chance to observe
Nabiki's situation.  Akane made a comment about wishing she had
a camera, which was followed by Nodoka returning from her studio
with one.

Shampoo awoke from the flash of light and opened her eyes to
find everyone staring at her.  Ranma pointed to her left and she
turned her head until her chin came in contact with Nabiki's
hair.  Nodoka was holding her camera, and Shampoo realized what
the flash was.  A terribly evil idea crossed her mind.

She gently nudged Nabiki and her eyes opened as well.  She looked
around and realized where her head had been.  Speechless, she
stared at Shampoo with large eyes.

As Nabiki started to move away Shampoo turned and grabbed her in
a standard Amazon glomp.  Nabiki was stunned, her heart beating
out of her chest and her eyes as wide as small ice cream dishes.

Shampoo smiled at her.  "Shampoo no think mercenary girl cared?"
This was followed by a brief kiss right on the lips.  "Wo ay ni
Arien."  She said it in a breathy voice.

Nabiki struggled free and dashed upstairs fast enough that a gold
medal runner would be proud.

Everyone downstairs didn't know what to say.  They were all
witness to the most unusual site yet.  Ranma was the first to
speak.

"Ummm, Shampoo?  Did you just give the kiss of marriage to
Nabiki?"

Shampoo giggled.  "Hiya, course not Arien, but mercenary girl not
need to know that.  Will hope that gets her back for taking
picture of Shampoo after just splashed with hot water and no
time to put on clothes.  She pointed toward Nodoka's camera.  "Am
hoping that Ranma mother willing to give me picture she took."

Nodoka and Akane were laughing, while Ranma had this rejected
look on his face.  "Darn, I was hoping you were giving up on me."

Another collective chuckle before Shampoo had to leave.  She had
stayed to make sure that everyone was fine from the effects of
the events the previous night.

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

Akane was in her practice gi, walking out to the Dojo, when she
past the family room.  Inside she found Kasumi trying to comfort
Ranma-chan who was kneeling in front of the futon Nodoka had been
on earlier.  Their backs toward her.

Ranma had tears in her eyes, and was talking between sniffles.
"This reminds me ... of the day I came .... here.  We were all
sitting around your father ... and Akane .... she wanted .... she
wanted .... to be..."

Kasumi was hugging her.  "I remember Ranma.  I remember what she
said, and after we found out about your curse, we pushed you
away."

"Ryoga hates me, and Ukyo just wants to marry me.  I don't want
that.  If it wasn't for pops then...."

Akane stood in silence.  She didn't know what to say.  All this
time and she had no idea what a single statement had meant to
him.  She felt her heart breaking and the blood drain from her
face.  In her mind she visualized everything she knew about
Ranma.  She tried to make a list of people that she could call
his friends, but found she could not put anyone on it.

A single image fixed in her minds eye.  It was of him sitting
against a tree, in the corner of the school yard everyday at
lunch.  Alone.  Ukyo and Shampoo would show up only to try and
prove how well they could cook.
  Then she thought about her own
actions.  <I just ignore him too.>

Kasumi was still hugging Ranma-chan.  "Ranma, we are friends now.
I care about you and I know Akane does too.  We didn't know how
you felt.  You never told us."

Akane was having trouble standing.  She was trying her best to
keep her knees from buckling and falling out from under her.
Kasumi's words rang through her mind.  <I do care about Ranma,
don't I?  Yes, I do!>  She steeled her resolve, and walked around
to Ranma-chan's right.

She wiped her eyes with one hand and with a shaky voice, held out
the other.  "H-h-hi I'm A-Akane, wanna be... friends?"

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

Ranma-chan and Akane were standing in the dojo facing each other.
Each had a loose ready stance.  Then Akane attacked.

A series of blows each countered by Ranma, swiftly yet lightly.
Akane then had to go on the defensive as Ranma pressed her
advantage.  She could feel several taps on her arms and her right
side.  Ranma was pointing out her weaknesses without hurting her.
She was smiling and laughing just a little, and Akane soon found
herself laughing too.

In the end though Akane got a leg sweep in that dropped Ranma-
chan to the floor.

She held out her hand again and Ranma took it, and helped her up.

She motioned for Ranma to follow her and she sat down outside the
dojo, on the edge of the deck, letting her bare feet slide across
the grass.

Ranma joined her and they sat for a minute in silence.  Akane
finally broke it.  "You know, your pretty good.  I am glad we're
friends."

Ranma-chan lowered her head at hearing this.  Akane tapped her
a few times until Ranma looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry Ranma.  I didn't want a fianc�e and when we found out
you were a girl I thought you looked a little lonely.  I forgot
all about that after we saw each other in the bath.  I didn't
think about your feelings."

Ranma smiled.  "I have a confession to make Akane.  I really am
a pervert."  She was twiddling her index fingertips.  "I thought
you looked beautiful when you walked in on me.  Please don't hate
me."

Ranma looked over to see her companion blushing severely.  She
stared at Akane's face with fascination.  Akane turned toward her.
"Well, I thought you were very handsome too, although I was
jealous of this.."  She pointed towards Ranma's left breast.
"I thought you were calling me un-cute because you compared
yourself to me."

Ranma sighed.  "I am sorry about that.  It was the slap on my
face, and your actions that I call un-cute.  I am jealous of you
Akane, you are always so happy and your sisters love you.  I
didn't have anyone until recently.  It hurt my feelings that none
of you wanted me.  I felt alone again."

Akane grabbed Ranma-chan into a fierce embrace.  She held her for
only a few seconds before she began tickling her.  This was
replied by Ranma tickling Akane's soft midsection.  They tumbled
about the dojo laughing for a minute before they both rolled out
onto their backs gasping for air.

Ranma tried to talk between huffing.  "What was that for?"

Akane turn onto her side facing Ranma-chan.  "Well Ranma, we are
sisters now, and sisters have to be friends and friends can often
find themselves in tickle wars."

"Sisters?" was all the redhead could say.

Akane laughed.  "Yes silly, sisters.  Your mom adopted us so to
speak, so we are you big sisters now.   And because I am your
big sister I can tell you what do you.  It's only fair."

Ranma laughed, then fell quiet.  "Then I guess you don't want to
be my fianc�e anymore."

Akane stopped.  "Would you rather be a girl Ranma?  I want you to
be happy, we all want you to be happy.  Lately you have seemed
happy as a girl.  If that is what you want, then I will stand
beside you, as your friend.  It's just I am not comfortable being
engaged to a girl, but I still...."

Her sentence left hanging.  "Still what Akane?"  Asked Ranma.

"I still .... love you Ranma."  Akane's face was as red as ever.
She could not explain the way she was feeling.  She turned her
head away from Ranma.

She felt it being slowly turned back by a Ranma-chan's hand.  She
forced herself to look into Ranma's eyes, those deep pool of blue
that mirrored the person behind it.  Akane could see what she was
thinking.  <He loves me too.  I can't believe after all I do to
him and he still loves me.>

Ranma-chan stood up and invited Akane to do the same.  Akane
watched as Ranma rocked back and forth on her heels in front of
her with arms behind her back.  She seemed to be thinking deeply.

Ranma stopped then walked slowly over to Akane.  She looked up
into Akane's eyes, and a moment later smiled.  Akane smiled back,
unsure of what was going on.

Then Ranma wrapped her arms around her.  Akane returned it,
expecting Ranma-chan to need a shoulder to cry on.  But instead,
Ranma was still looking into her eyes and smiling.  "What is it
Ranma?"  Akane said.  She heard the tone of her voice, but it did
not seem to affect her in the least.

Ranma's smile looked a little mischievous now.  "Akane, I love
you.  I think you look great and.. "Ranma-chan leaned in
toward her neck and inhaled.  "... smell nice too."

Akane began blushing again.  "Thank you I guess."  She said.

Ranma tilted his head slightly to one side.  "Akane?  Can I ask
you sumthin'?"

Akane nodded.  Ranma seemed to be picking her brain for words.
<A welcome change from putting his foot in his mouth.  I wonder
why he has been acting so different?>  Akane was brought out of
her thoughts by Ranma-chan.  "What about girls don't you like?"

She thought about that question, and couldn't really come up with
a good answer.  "I like girls Ranma.  My friends are girls."

Ranma returned.  "Then why aren't you comfortable with being
engaged to a girl, who you love?"

"I just don't, I guess.  It seems wrong."  Akane thought she had
him, but the smile never wavered.

"If it is wrong, then why does this feel so good?"  Ranma hugged
Akane tighter.  Akane felt her own arms squeezing.  "You are
holding me, and I am holding you.  What about could be better
than this?  Are boys better at this then girls?"  Ranma asked.

Akane changed her thought process and examined her current
situation.  She could clearly feel Ranma-chan's breasts pressed
against her, and arms around her.  There was nothing about what
she felt that screamed out to her.  The warmth of another held
against her.  She was enjoying it.  <I do love Ranma, what if he
is a girl?  He is still a guy sometimes.>

Akane turned her head upward for a moment, as if hoping for a
sign from above.  She turned back to face Ranma's large blue
eyes.  She saw the longing in her heart.  Finally Akane sighed.

<Inside Ranma's mind he was nearly screaming.  "WHAT ARE YOU
DOING?"  This was replied by her voice.  "Calm down and trust me,
ok?">

Ranma looked at her.  Akane leaned forward, and their lips
touched for several moments, before parting.

"Your right Ranma, this isn't so bad.  But lets take this slowly.
I am not quite ready for sex with a girl yet."

Ranma was looking at her strangely confused.  "Umm Akane?  Whats
Sex?"

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

What did you think was going to happen here, you major Hentai.
Maybe when I get to be a better writer.

Have you figured out the favor yet?  Ranma may be less than happy
about agreeing to let the curse take over the body for a day, but
then again......

Wait until Chapter 7.
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