As Akane started to swing her mallet, Ranma held up his
hand and asked "What's going on?  Yesterday you were as calm
as your father and today you act like a maniac."

"Wha what do you mean, Ranma." asked Akane. "You are a jerk
and a
pervert and you just insulted me, why shouldn't I hit you?"

"I DID not insult you." All I said "Are you ready for your
cooking lesson? You know that I promised your mom that I
would
help you with that. She agreed to help me learn the fancy
stitching for that dress, I am making mom."

"Am I supposed to break my word to your mother or what; and
why would the fact that I learned how to cook before I left
on the big training trip, be an insult to you."

"With all of the problems your mom had with the five of you
children, I always thought it was incredible how she taught
all of you to both be a martial artist and a homekeeper."
Ranma lowered his head for a minute and muttered something.

"What was that," cried Akane "another insult?"

"I was praying for your youngest sister to recover from that
"accident" yesterday. I know you have confidence in her
ability to heal herself but I worry and I figure asking God
for some help, can't hurt!"

"Mom and my youngest sister!? Uhh Ranma, why don't you just
sit
there and rest for a few minutes. I need to talk to Nabiki
and Kasumi."

"OK, but when you finish I would like to get the lessons
started so we'll have time to spar a little tonight."

"Nabiki, Kasumi, I am worried about Ranma, he was talking
as if he had  spoken to mom and had exchanged promises with
her. Then
he commented about my youngest sister being in an accident."

"Akane have you been pounding Ranma into the rocks again or
did you try some of that magic soap on him. You know that
stuff causes hallucinations in Jhusenkyo cursed people.
asked Nabiki"

"Did you feed him anything at all or did Shampoo do
something
to him? inquired Kasumi"

"No I don't know what is going on. He just started talking
crazy.  He mentioned promising mom that he would teach me,
no, help teach me cooking if she would help him make a fancy
dress for his mom."

"Look Akane let me talk to him, maybe I can learn something
from him. In fact Kasumi why don't you help me.
 Akane you stay here in the kitchen and listen. 
Maybe you can pick up a
clue from the conversation that we might miss." 

"Ok" stated Akane, in a worried sort of voice.

"Ranma, what's new? asked a concerned looking Kasumi Akane
seems to think you are acting a little odd tonight.

"I don't know what's going on, Kasumi. I thought maybe it
was her acting classes when Akane started acting weird.
Suddenly it
was as if she hadn't seen your mom for a long time and when
I mentioned Hotaru she gave me the oddest look."

"Nabiki, Do you have any idea of why Akane is acting so
weird tonight?"

"Ranma, asked Nabiki when did you see my mom last?"

"Last night, we were going over the pictures on this roll of
film, Ranma then held up a developed but sealed roll of
film,
 and picking which ones she wanted to make extra copies
of. Right after that I started to go to the store but
Gosunkugi stopped me.

"Gosunkugi!" exclaimed three pretty girls.

"Yeah he had gotten some kind of demon summoning stuff from
Happosei and used it to call a couple of demons. He told the
demon
to eliminate the youngest girl at the Tendo Dojo and I was
female at the
time. Since Hotaru was in the hospital and your mom and
Usagi were visiting,
 I was the youngest one home. You know it is a pain to be
only fourteen in cursed form.
 One of the demons gave me a good fight, then the other one
sort of faded away."

In the background, a panda, a mustached man and a tomboy
listened in shock.

Nabiki looked at Ranma, skeptically, obviously not believing
a word he had said
when some water, about as much as a normal sized drinking
glass would hold hit Ranma in the face.
He immediately transformed into a beautiful rather buxom
girl.
Who looked to be about fourteen years old.

Nabiki stared and almost went into shock.

"Do you still have the roll of film, Ranma?, screeched an
incredibly excited and nervous Nabiki."

"Yeah, it's here in my pocket, why?" asked Ranma.

"Give it to me, no better yet take us to the one hour
developing center in the drugstore. I want to see those
photos before I decide what to do and who to believe, my
memories or your story. Now hurry as fast as possible."

"So Ranma grabbed both girls and ran out the door and
started
roof hopping to the store. About thirty minutes later 
(remember the roll was already developed) Nabiki and Kasumi
opened the envelope and looked at the pictures."

They then fainted!

Ranma looked at them and commented "I didn't think the
picture of me in the bathing suit was that bad. Oh well, I
guess I should carry them home."

Entering the Tendo's, Ranma was hit by Akane, while she
screamed something indistinct about perverts and her
sisters.

When he woke up, Nabiki and Kasumi were staring at him,
Akane and her father were wrestling on the floor. She was
screaming something about insanity and liars. He really
couldn't make any sense out of any of her ravings.

Her father was trying to control her, 
when his best friend suddenly made a strange move and put
Akane to sleep.

Then Nabiki looked at him, and said in a voice, totally
unlike her usual tones. One filled with wonder and hope.
"Ranma, come with us. I want to show you something, then I
think I can guess what happened but what to do about it,
that I don't know.

" Sure Nabiki, you know I trust your judgment." said Ranma
in a curious but totally accepting tone.

Nabiki and Kasumi both shuddered at that statement.

They left the Dojo and went to the cemetery, where Kasumi
showed Ranma her mother's grave.

"Wha? how? Is this some kind of fake, I just spoke to her
yesterday. How can she be here?
Why is this grave here? What's going on? queried Ranma in a
shocked voice.
"Nabiki does this have something to do with why Akane has
been so crazy today?"

Nabiki just looked at him and said " Ranma, I think this had
to do with Gos's attack yesterday. 
I can't be sure but you said the second demon just faded
away, you also commented on my youngest sister being in the
hospital. I think the demon changed history. My mom died
years ago of some kind of disease, the doctors never could
find out what caused it or even what it was. 
She just started loosing strength and energy then she died.
So there are only three Tendo sisters. The one that was the
youngest and 
the other one, who was in that group photo were never born,
so they were
eliminated from history."

" That's my theory anyway, it explains everything but the
reason you remember the other past and how you got the
photos here."

Ranma looked at them for a minute, then replied " Yeah that
would make sense, Happi wouldn't do that but Gos doesn't
take the time to be precise in his magic." That's why I can
defeat him so often and so easily. Shucks, even Kuno does
better than him, on the rare occasions he has access to
magic, that
is. All he probably wanted was for your sister Hotaru to not
keep him away from Usagi. He has a real crush on her. I
think I remember and still have the body and all I was
carrying because I defeated the one demon. If I hadn't, then
I would be the Ranma of this history."

" Lets go home. I have about a half of an idea of a way to
prevent the demon from killing your mom. I need to think
about it for a while."

"Oh my, Ranma, Nabiki and I will keep Akane and Father from
bothering you. I'll call your mom and ask her to keep your
father at her house for a couple of days." said Kasumi in a
very serious and determined tone of voice. 

"That should keep things quiet while you think and I'll try
to help, I remember something from one of your adventures
that might help but only vaguely and I want to try to
remember
 in more detail before I bring it up." thought the elder
Tendo daughter.

Nabiki and Kasumi were still in a mild state of shock from
the announcement and stopped on the way home to talk to
Doctor Tofu.

Doctor Tofu looked at the pictures from another world and
shook his head. I 
have a hard time believing this but it really isn't wilder
than some of Ranma's adventures. I have noticed over the
time I have known your family that you seem to have a hard
time adjusting to your mother's fate. This could explain
why. If she really didn't die but your memories were being
readjusted 
to cover the loss of her and your younger sisters.



Author's notes. This is a first draft, not a final version,
so it is rougher and probably has more loopholes in it than
I would prefer. I have several ideas for how to finish this.
Obviously Ranma is going to have to face the demon and
defeat it. I plan to use A Nanban brand time traveling
mirror. I haven't decided on who will go along. Kasumi and
Nabiki probably, Soun maybe, Genma doubtful but possible (
he is Soun's best friend ), The Amazons almost certainly
not, Ukyo very possibly, Happi not likely but possible (
remember he likes children and I doubt he would want girls
or women killed or uncreated ), Ryoga I doubt it.

If anyone feels strongly about who should go write me and
try to convince me. I'll try almost any combination, if you
can convince me it is a good one. 

Oh the names are a coincidence. The missing sisters are not
reborn princesses. In fact they were named after the
characters in the show, which Mrs. Tendo loved.


--
Rick Robinson
RICHARDROBINSON@prodigy.net


If violence is not solving your
problems you're just not using enough of it.

     Misato

"I guess I'm just an old-fashioned sentimentalist at heart.
I refuse
 to accept a no-win scenario.  I hate the thought of a
universe without
 justice.  If the maneuverings of dark powers can't be
exposed and
 defeated by the pure of heart, then there's no point in
anything.  I
 can't believe that."
                               -- Benjamin Hutchins
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