[Ranma][FanFic] A Stained Glass Mind - Part 12 of 12

[Anand Rao]

Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi

Tribe of One is owned by TSR.
----------------------------------

"Ranma-kun?" Nabiki whispered as the black glow surrounding Ranma/Shade
grew stronger.

"Back away from him, Nabiki-chan, that isn't Ranma." Nodoka said
fearfully as she retreated away from her son.

Ranma/Shade stood up straight, confident, and walked up to Khu Lon.

Khu Lon stared at Ranma in contempt, "I have cheated death for 300
years, boy. I have nothing to fear from this... dark abomination!"

She was lying, and Shade knew it. He knew it, because, EVERYONE feared
him.

Suddenly, his hand shot out, and Khu Lon flew back and crashed -through-
a wall and ended up in the backyard.

The others just stared in shock as Ranma/Shade quickly followed Khu
Lon's path and disappeared into the backyard as well.

"Come on! We have to stop him! He'll KILL her!" Ukyou shouted, running
out into the backyard.

The others quickly followed Ukyou to the backyard, but stopped just
outside the house. The two combatants had continued their fight. Khu
Lon had opted for dodging Ranma/Shade's attacks. The two of them were
moving in a blur, jumping around all over the backyard. Khu Lon, having
the wisdom of age and experience, knew that a hand-to-hand fight against
this aspect of Ranma would be fatal. Instead, she decided to wait him
out until her psi-strength returned to full power. *Soon boy, very
soon...*

*****************************************
* *
* Raoh the Conqueror presents *
* *
* A Story of Ranma 1/2 *
* *
* A Stained Glass Mind Part 12 *
* *
*****************************************

If the Shade was anyone else, he might have felt a bit irritated. So
far, he had not been able to even *hit* the old woman, much less kill
her. He stared at her impassively; it was only a matter of time.

Khu Lon jumped away from Ranma/Shade's latest kick and suddenly, started
glowing blue again.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!" Ukyou screamed.

"What is she doing? What did she do to him?" Akane asked worriedly.

"It's some kind of psi-attack. I think she's hurting the tribe." Ukyou
replied.

"She's killing them..." Nodoka said softly.

"What IS this 'Tribe' everyone keeps talking about?" Nabiki demanded.

Before Ukyou could answer, Ranma/Shade growled and lunged for Khu Lon
who had started her attack. Khu Lon stared at Ranma in disbelief as he
ran towards her, seemingly shrugging off her attack. *This... beast
ignores pain!* she realized, as Ranma/Shade's fist came crashing towards
her. Khu Lon quickly jumped out of the way and stopped her psi-attack.
Ranma/Shade pressed his advantage, yet was still unable to hit Khu Lon.

With each strike, Khu Lon lengthened the distance between herself and
Ranma. After a few moments, she once again began her psi-attack, this
time concentrating on the other aspects of Ranma's mind, hoping to cause
an imbalance in the Tribe. This was a mistake. The Shade growled again
in rage as the rest of the tribe screamed in pain, unable to hide from
the Psi-master's vicious attack. Those who knew of Ranma's tribe
believed that Shade existed solely as Ranma's survival instinct. That
was true, as far as they believed, but the Shade was more than that. It
was a darkness; a darkness that took pleasure in killing, pleasure in
destroying, and of course, pleasure in revenge.

Seeing that her attack had no affect on her *current* opponent, Khu Lon
raised her arms towards Ranma, and the familiar glow of Ki filled her
hands. Shade smiled in anticipation. This technique had worked against
him once, it would not a second time. Shade started his jump right as
Khu Lon fired off her ki-blast. Khu Lon was amazed yet again as Shade
cleared the ki-blast with inches to spare.

Unfortunately for Khu Lon, initiating a psi-attack and a ki-attack at
the same time left her rather immobile. Her feet were planted firmly on
the ground as Shade reached her. Therefore, she was unable to move out
of the way as Shade grabbed her by the face, launched back up into the
air, and came back down, slamming her head onto the ground. Dazed and
in pain, Khu Lon felt a pang of helplessness as Shade's hand drifted
down her face to her neck. Shade grinned ferally as he picked Khu Lon
up by the neck and began to squeeze.

Khu Lon immediately put her hands on top of Ranma's, hoping to break his
grip. She was finding it difficult to breathe, but she had stopped the
closing vice-like grip on her neck. The two fighters continued to glow,
but it was obvious that Khu Lon's aura was slowly starting to fade.

"Please, Shade! Don't do this!" Ukyou finally pleaded from behind.

Shade continued to stare at Khu Lon, waiting to see the light of life
drop out of her eyes.

"Shade! Ranma doesn't want THIS! REMEMBER THE LAST TIME!!!!" Ukyou
screamed.

*** Flashback ***

A young Ukyou and Ranma are playing on field, surrounded by goats
grazing on the grass. One of the goats playfully rams his horns into
Ranma, trying to cause the small boy to fall. Ukyou laughs as a
slightly bewildered Ranma stumbles and almost falls. Suddenly, a dull,
black glow surrounds Ranma and the small boy grabs the goat by horns and
slow twists it neck, the poor animal bleating in pain....

*** End Flashback ***

Shade continued to ignore Ukyou, increasing the pressure on Khu Lon's
neck. Suddenly, the a newly repaired wall exploded apart and Ryoga
charged in.

"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE! How... How DARE you assult helpless old
women!" Ryoga shouted, aghast at what he was witnessing.

He ran towards Ranma, screaming and pulling his fist back, completely
ignoring the screams of those around him to stay away from Ranma.

"Get outta here you Jack Ass!" Ukyou yelled in frustration.

Shade didn't look at Ryoga. As soon as the lost boy was in striking
distance, Shade back-handed him across the face with his free hand.
Ryoga flew back and landed in a bucket of dirty water that Nodoka had
used for cleaning earlier that day. Ryoga's transformation occurred and
he meowed angrily at Ranma. Shade turned his face toward Ryoga and gave
the small black cat a blank look. Within moments, the glow around
Ranma's body faded and his grip on Khu Lon loosened. Although Shade
felt that the Tribe was still in danger, Neko was primary under these
circumstances.

Khu Lon fell to the ground unconscious as Ranma/Neko got down on all
fours and meowed playfully and loudly at Ryoga.

"What... What is he DOING?" Nabiki asked aloud in disbelief.

Ukyou sighed with relief and exhaustion. "That's Neko," she said
flatly.

"Neko?" Akane repeated.

"Just WHAT is going ON here?" Nabiki demanded.

"Mu Tsu? Do you have a place to stay?" Nodoka asked.

"Uh? Yes, I have an apartment nearby..." he replied

"Good. Xian Pu, you better take your great grandmother there. I do NOT
want here when Ranma wakes up."

Xian Pu glanced at Ranma/Neko, who was happily chasing Ryoga-Neko around
the backyard, then looked back at Nodoka. "OK Mother-in-Law. Xian Pu
go now. Mu Tsu! Come!"

"Hey! Didn't that OTHER guy just turn into a cat?" Akane suddenly asked.

"One problem at a time, Akane-chan. Ukyou-chan, will you explain things
to Nabiki and Akane while I go collect my son?" Nodoka asked.

"Sure, Nodoka-san." Ukyou replied then turned towards Akane and Nabiki.

"You guys had better sit down for this..." Ukyou said as she led the two
girls back into the house.

"Oh Ranma..." Nodoka said with a sad smile as she watched the two 'cats'
at play.

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

"So Ranma-kun has Multiple Personality Disorder?" Nabiki asked.

"I... guess that's what you call it here. Back in the village, our
Sensei called it a Tribe of One."

"That's strange, Ranma didn't *look* crazy... well, at least until
today..." Akane commented

"Ranchan is NOT crazy!" Ukyou said defensively.

"That's probably true Akane, he just has an advanced case of MPD...and
he's hidden it very well. That means that has at least some semblance
of control, right?"

"I think the only personalities he can't control are Neko, Shade, and
Master..."

"Fine... So if he doesn't turn into a cat or a homicidal maniac, we're
OK!" Akane said.

Ukyou was about to reply to that comment when Nodoka and Ranma walked
back into the house. Ranma looked *very* nervous, almost paranoid. His
eyes darted from place to place, never staying on one object for more
than a few seconds. Nodoka was hold onto his hand tightly, as if giving
him strength.

"Ranchan!" Ukyou yelled in relief then ran to Ranma, who in turn,
immediately hid behind Nodoka's back, cowering in fear.

Ukyou stopped, still a few feet away, and looked at Ranma in puzzled
shock, then turned towards Nodoka.

"What... what's wrong?" she finally asked.

Nodoka gently, but firmly brought Ranma back in front of her.

"Girls, I'd like to you meet Watcher." she said quietly.

"Watcher? But...she NEVER comes out!"

"Softly, Ukyou-chan, speak softly." Nodoka said.

Ranma/Watcher was visibly shaking now.

"A-all t-the o-others a-a-are s-sleeping... I-I'm the o-only one
awake..." Ranma/Watcher said timidly.

"Is that why you came out?" Ukyou asked gently.

"I-I'm scared... Guardian... Guardian is... dead."

Ukyou gasped and Nodoka hugged Ranma tightly.

"I'm so sorry... Ranma-chan, I'm so sorry..." Nodoka said, weeping.

Ranma's demeanor change, he stood up taller and he returned Nodoka's
hug.

"Okasan... it's not your fault..." he said, his face taking on a more
haunted look.

"Ranchan? Is that you?" Ukyou asked.

"Hai, Ucchan, it's me." he replied.

"Ranchan!" Ukyou cried, running to him and enfolding him in an embrace.

"Uh... We'd better be going home now..." Akane said.

"Oh, OK. Akane-chan, Nabiki-chan. Thank you for coming, and please
forgive us for what happened today." Nodoka said.

"Oh, it was nothing... We really didn't get involved anyway." Nabiki
said as she and Akane headed for the front door.

"Bye Ranma-kun, Will, uh, we be seeing you at school tomorrow?" Nabiki
asked.

Ranma's eyes had started to glaze over but he jerked his head at
Nabiki's question.

"I... think it would be better if I stayed home for a while..." he
replied.

Ranma was disappointed to see relief flood Nabiki and Akane's faces.

"Well, then... I hope you feel better. Bye!"

Ranma sighed and looked down at Ukyou, "They think I'm some sort of a
freak now, don't they?"

"Ranma-chan! Don't start judging them yet. They've had a lot to adjust
to since you came to Nerima... Give them time." Nodoka chided.

"I know, Okasan, I know..." Ranma said sadly.

"Don't worry about it Ranchan, everything is going to be Okay, I
promise..." Ukyou said.

Ukyou hugged Ranma again, praying that circumstances wouldn't make a
liar out of her.

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

The next morning, Genma quietly crept up into Ranma's room. When he
arrived home the previous evening, Nodoka had told him what had
occurred. Genma didn't understand, or really care, that one of the
tribe was dead. He did, however, want to test his son's skills. The
old woman had been left alive and might return. It was Genma's duty to
make sure that Ranma was ready for such an encounter.

He took out a bucket of water that he was hiding behind his back and
whispered, "Learn to be ready at all times, boy." He dumped the water
over Ranma's head and jumped back to watch his reaction. Ranma-chan
jumped out of bed, turned towards Genma, who was a bit surprised to see
a black glow surround her body. She hit him once in the gut, twice in
the face, and then threw him out of the room.

The black glow around her body faded grew stronger and she grinned. She
ran out of the room and tackled Genma, who was in the process of picking
himself off the floor. Ranma-chan reached back and was about to deliver
the final blow, when the glow around her body suddenly left. She
blinked a few times, her eyes losing focus. She slowly brought her hand
down and then looked at her father.

Genma, who had no idea how close he come to death, sat there with a big
grin on his face. "That's the way my boy! You have to be quick and
ready to fight at all times!'

Ranma-chan's face paled and she got up off of Genma and ran to the
bathroom. As Genma's face contorted into a confused look, Nodoka came
running up the stairs.

"Dearest? Is everything Okay?" She asked as she reached her husband.

"Everything is fine." Genma replied as he stood up. "I don't understand
that boy though... His attack was quick and flawless, but he-"

"What happened, Genma? Did you try to spar with him? I told YOU to
leave him be for a while!" Nodoka snapped.

"He is a martial artist! I can not just 'leave him be'! He has to keep
practicing, especially after a big fight!" Genma replied.

Nodoka shook her head and said, "I'll deal with you later... Where's my
son?"

"He ran off into the bathroom."

Nodoka walked to the bathroom and opened the door to find Ranma-chan
sitting on the floor with her legs curled up to her chest and arms
hugging her knees.

"Ranma-chan? Are you Okay?" Nodoka asked quietly.

"I... I almost killed Otosan." She replied in a broken voice, burying
her head in her arms.

Nodoka kneeled down next to her son and asked, "What happened?"

"I don't really know... I was sleeping, and then all of a sudden I was
female, and was sitting there in front of Otosan ready to hit him. I
think he may have splashed me with cold water... and Shade came out."

"You controlled it though... right Ranma-chan? Everything is OK, your
father wasn't hurt." Nodoka said soothingly.

"But you DON'T UNDERSTAND! Shade should NOT have come out like that!
Otosan isn't a danger too me! On top of that, Watcher should have
sensed his presence! None of the Tribe is acting like they should! I-
I think I'm losing control! They- they haven't talked to me since
Guardian died! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

"Calm down, Ranma-chan... It's OK... We'll get through this together."
Nodoka said as she hugged her son, rocking him back and forth.

"Is everything OK?" Ukyou asked from the bathroom door.

With Nodoka's permission, Ukyou had temporarily moved into the Saotome
home. Nodoka was greatful for the girl since she knew something of the
tribe, and more importantly, she loved Ranma. Nodoka was scared. She
really didn't know how to help Ranma or the Tribe, so she decided to do
what a mother does best; simply be there and love her son.

Ranma-chan's demeanor changed again and she drew away from Nodoka, a
sullen pout on her face.

"Ranchan?" Ukyou asked.

"No, your *Ranchan* is not here! EVERYBODY cares about Ranma! But
nobody cares about me! I'm scared too! I'm hurt too! Guardian is
dead! And no one CARES!"

"That's not true Play, we do care!" Ukyou said, immediately realizing
who she was talking to.

"I...I never got a chance..." Ranma/Play said.

"Chance for what, Play-chan?" Nodoka asked.

"I never told her that I loved her. No expected just ONE of us to die!
It shouldn't be like this! We were supposed to be together! All the
time! We were supposed to die together! Now she's gone and I never
thanked her! Or-"

"She knew Play-chan, she knew..." Nodoka said.

Ukyou looked at Nodoka and her eyes said everything; this was going to
get a lot worse before it got better.

"Ukyou-chan, can you look after Play for a few minutes? I have to have
a talk with my husband." Nodoka said, her voice hardening.

"Sure. Come on Play, let's get you back to your room. We can talk
there, OK?"

"Hai." Ranma/Play said quietly, letting Ukyou hold her up and lead her
to the bedroom.

Nodoka walked back downstairs to find Genma sitting at the table,
reading the morning paper. She walked up to him and tore the paper out
of his hand. Before he had a chance to object, she said, "You listen to
me, HUSBAND. You are to STAY AWAY from my son until he is properly
healed. Do you understand?"

"What's the big deal? So one of the tribe died... isn't that good?"
Genma asked.

Nodoka slapped Genma hard across the face.

"You will leave him alone until I give you permission to train with him.
Have I made myself clear?" Nodoka asked quietly.

Genma gulped, then mutely nodded.

"Good." Nodoka replied, walking into the kitchen.

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

Over the next two weeks Ranma, (and the tribe), became more and more
withdrawn. Ranma would spend all his time in his room, except for the
occasions when Neko took control then prowled around the house. The
strange thing was, that there weren't any cats around at all; Neko was
coming out on his own! It was becoming increasingly apparent that the
Tribe was losing control. Ukyou skipped school and spent as much as she
could with Ranma. She hoped and prayed that his condition would
improve, but mostly, she was thankful that the Shade had not lost
control yet.

One day, Nabiki and Akane finally decided to pay a visit to the Saotome
home.

"Are you sure this was a good idea Nabiki?" Akane asked as they stood in
front of the house.

"Well, the teacher *did* ask you to give Ranma his homework, right?
Besides, aren't you worried about him? At least a little?" Nabiki
asked.

"Of COURSE I'm worried about him! But this..." Akane replied.

"I know Akane... this is all a bit strange. But if Ranma-kun was
feeling better he would probably have returned to school."

"I guess you're right... Come on..."

Nodoka was pleasantly surprised to see Nabiki and Akane and after a bit
of small talk, led them up to Ranma's room. They gasped in dismay at
what they saw. Ranma was sitting at his desk, staring out of his newly
repaired window. His eyes still had a haunted look to them, his face
was very pale, and he looked to have lost a lot of weight.

"Ranma-chan? Nabiki and Akane have come to visit you. Wasn't that nice
of them?"

Ranma turned at his mother's voice and stared blankly at the two girls
for a moment. Then, a sad grin broke out on his face, and he said,
"Guess schools been pretty busy, eh? Too busy, at least, for you to
visit a freak like me."

Nabiki and Akane both blushed guiltily.

"Ranma! That was a terrible thing to say!"

"Sorry okasan, Ranma isn't here right now."

"You- you're one of the others?" Nabiki asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. No need to be shy, girls. We've talked before."

Akane blinked, "Really? When?"

"Who did you think it was answering all those questions in class?
Nabiki, who do you think it was teasing you all the time?"

"That was YOU? That wasn't Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked.

"Yeah, Ranma isn't *quite* that smart, if you take my meaning... My
name is Bitter."

"Uh...Well, nice to meet you Bitter-kun." Nabiki said politely.

Ranma/Bitter laughed and said, "Oh Nabiki, you are truly a gem, you know
that?"

Nabiki silently blushed and Ranma/Bitter continued, "I... would have
liked to get to know you better Nabiki, but, well, I guess it doesn't
matter anymore..."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter anymore?" Akane blurted out.

"Do you girls know what happened that day?" Ranma/Bitter asked.

There was no need to explain what 'that day' meant, Akane and Nabiki
would probably remember 'that day' for the rest of their lives.

"You, I mean Ranma, got into a fight with that old woman and one of the
others came around and defeated her..." Akane summarized.

"Yes, Shade defeated her, but that wasn't all that occurred..." Bitter
replied.

"A member of the tribe died." Nodoka said quietly.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the group. The girls didn't know
how to respond to the death of what they considered, 'just a
personality'.

"I'm sorry." Nabiki said lamely after a few moments.

Bitter silently laughed and shook his head, saying, "None of you
understand what this means. Everyone keeps treating this like the death
of a loved one, like we should be holding a funeral or something. But
it is much worse than that. It is much worse than even *Ranma*
realizes."

"What do mean? How is it worse?" Nodoka asked.

"How can I explain this...OK, have any of you heard of the term
'synergy'?"

"Yes, that means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
Nabiki answered promptly.

"Guess those Business Management journals are paying off, eh Nabiki?"

Nabiki laughed and said, "Looks like it. Although I never thought I'd
be applying those principles to MPD."

Ranma/Bitter laughed out loud and said, "Thank you Nabiki, I've truly
missed your wit."

"Anyway," Ranma/Bitter continued, "The tribe was a good example synergy.
We were each seperate and distinct parts, with many strengths and even
more weaknesses. Yet, by working together as a team, we could live a
relatively normal life. A good life, actually. Now, one member of that
team is gone. One of the most important members, to tell the truth.
The Guardian guided us, she managed us, she held us together. Now she's
gone and the tribe is out of control."

"How out of control?" Nodoka asked worriedly.

"It's only a matter of time before you will have to have us committed.
Either that, or you can kill us." Ranma/Bitter said bluntly.

Horrified at the thought of either 'solution', Nodoka pleaded, "It can't
be THAT bad, how about Master? Can't he help?"

Ranma/Bitter snorted, "Master won't help. And it IS that bad. We're
losing control, you've noticed it, haven't you? Neko comes out without
any cats around. The Watcher isn't doing her job, and worst of all
Shade came out without any warning, without any danger to the tribe.
That MUST not be allowed to happen again. The tribe is weak right now.
We used to talk to each other all the time... not any more. Ranma is
spending most of his energy trying to control Play and Shade. But
something is going give. Soon."

Ranma/Bitter's eyes looked distant for a minute and then he turned
towards Nabiki.

"Ranma wants to get out. He and I are the only ones really talking to
each other anymore... Anyway, Nabiki, if I don't get a chance to see
you again, I just want to say... it was nice knowing you."

"It was nice knowing you too, Bitter-kun." Nabiki whispered.

Ranma shook his head and then smiled at Nabiki, "He's back inside now
Nabiki."

"How are you feeling, Ranma?" Akane asked.

"I'm OK, I guess... Just tired... I haven't slept in days...I never
realized how much work Guardian did. How she managed to control Shade
and Play, I'll never know!"

"Well, anyway, Sensei asked me to bring you some of the homework that
you have missed." Akane said.

"Great," Ranma sighed, "More bad news..."

"I'm sorry..." Akane replied.

"I was joking Akane. Heh. Maybe this keep Bitter busy."

"Ranma, are things really as bad as Bitter says they are?"

"I don't know Akane. Bitter is the smart one, not me. I just feel so
incomplete. A part of me is gone. I feel blind. Bitter was right
about one thing. This can't go on... not for long."

Ranma turned towards Nodoka, his eyes pleading.

"Maybe... maybe you should kill me. I'm so tired. I can't keep Shade
out forever. I don't want to wake up one day to find that I've killed
any of you. I just... love all of you too much."

Ranma was in tears by the time he finished.

Nodoka knelt my Ranma and fiercely embraced him.

"There will be no more talk of 'killing', OK? You are my son, I could
no more kill you than kill myself. Don't you understand Ranma-chan?
YOU are my life. We WILL find a way to get through this." Nodoka said
firmly.

The words were like a litany to her, she *would* find a way to save her
son, no matter what the cost.

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

The next morning, Nodoka entered Ranma's room with a plate of food. She
had hoped that Ranma was at least getting *some* sleep, but felt that
keeping him well-fed was just as important.

"Ranma-chan? Are you awake? I brought you some breakfast..." She said,
entering the room.

Ranma was lying in his futon, a blanket covering his body up to his
neck. His eyes were open and he was staring vacantly at the ceiling.
His was pale, and he was sweating.

"Ranma-chan?" Nodoka inquired, staring down at her son.

Ranma did not respond, and Nodoka worriedly knelt down beside him.

"Ranma-chan?" she said again, worry creeping into her voice.

Ranma still did not respond and Nodoka hesitantly reached out and gently
touched his face. His skin was cold and wet, and worst of all, he did
not react to her touch at all. He didn't move, or even blink. She
shook his shoulders a bit more vigorously, crying out his name.

"Ranma! Please! Wake up! Don't you DARE die on me now!" she pleaded.

She removed the blanket that was covering him and bent her ear down to
his chest. *His heart is still beating!* she thought with some relief.
She let out the breath that she had been holding and ran downstairs.
She quickly picked up a phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Dr. Tofu? This is Nodoka Saotome.... yes, That's right. I
have an emergency here. I- I think my son is dying... Please... please
hurry."

Nodoka hung up the phone and almost burst out in tears. *No! Not
yet... I HAVE to be strong.* She ran back upstairs to sit by her son.

Dr. Tofu arrived at the Saotome house, Akane and Nabiki with him. The
two girls were returning several books that Kasumi had borrowed and were
in his office when Nodoka had called. Nodoka gratefully embraced both
girls when they entered Ranma's room. Dr. Tofu started examining Ranma
while Nodoka told him what little she knew about the tribe and Ranma's
fight with Khu Lon.

"Well, if I didn't know about the tribe, I would say that Ranma has
something akin to a coma. However, in his case, it is more likely that
none of the personalities present in his brain want to surface and take
control. At least, that would be my best guess. All I could do is
either set up an IV unit here or take him to a hospital. The rest is up
to him."

Suddenly Ukyou ran into the room, a little out of breath.

"There is someone here... who might be able to help Ranchan." she said
excitedly, then noticed Ranma's condition.

"My God, is he..."

"No, Ukyou-chan, he is not dead." Nodoka said, "Now, who is this person
who may be able to help my son?"

A woman with long brown hair entered Ranma's room behind Ukyou.

"I'm sorry to intrude. My name is Ryoko... Saotome."

"Ryoko-san?" Nodoka said in wonderment, "Ranma told me about you. What
are you doing here?"

"Well, it's just a coincidence, actually. I was in Japan looking for a
run-away." Ryoko said, looking pointedly at Ukyou, who blushed.

"I felt the Guardian's psionic scream. Heh. I think _every_ psi-active
being in Japan felt it! At any rate, I followed it here. Sorry I
didn't get here sooner, I'm traveling on foot."

"Well, I'm just glad you're here!" Nodoka said gratefully.

"Ukyou told me what had happened. I take it things got worse?" Ryoko
asked.

Nodoka explained how she had found Ranma that morning and what Ranma had
been feeling during the past few days. Ryoko knelt down next to Ranma,
put her hand on his forehead, closed her eyes. A blue glow slowly grew
from her body and after a few minutes, it diminished and then, vanished
completely.

"Dr. Tofu was correct in his assessment. None of the tribe wants to
take control of the body. They are all... hiding." Ryoko said.

"Now there are few options open to us concerning Ranma's well being.
You, being his mother, should decide." Ryoko stated gently after a few
more minutes.

Nodoka nodded her understanding and asked Ryoko to continue.

"First, you can have him placed in a hospital as Dr. Tofu suggested.
Then, when one of the tribe takes control, you can have him placed in an
institution."

"I don't think I like the idea of leaving Ranma in one of those
places..." Nodoka said.

Ryoko smiled and said, "I'm glad. He deserves better than that. But
you do realize, in his current condition, he CAN NOT stay here. He is a
danger to himself and those around him."

"Yes... I understand..." Nodoka said, her eyes starting to tear.

"Well, we can also take him back to my village. I will make sure that
he is protected and well taken care of for the rest of his life. We
also have... means in which to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone." Ryoko
replied.

Nodoka contemplated loosing her son yet again. "Can...can I go with
him?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course. I would not keep him away from his mother. However, Genma
is not welcome in our village. He could not live there. The women
there would never accept him, and I, knowing his nature, could not
accept him either." Ryoko replied.

"I...see." Nodoka said quietly. *To choose between my husband and my
son?*

Ryoko sensed the inner conflict that Nodoka was experience and said,
"There is... a third option. But it will be difficult for me.... and
dangerous as well."

"What do you mean, Ryoko-san?" Nodoka asked.

"There was something I was going to attempt when Ranma was first brought
to me, but the risk was too great. I can go inside his mind, and...
with your help, try to merge all the tribe together into one being.
There is no telling what the new person would be like, or even a way to
tell what characteristics would be dominant..."

"So Ranma-kun would no longer be a tribe of one?" Nabiki asked.

"Actually, he really isn't a 'Tribe of One' now. He is just a young man
with a broken mind. We would try to heal that mind."

"How is this dangerous, sensei? And how can *we* help?" Akane asked.

"It's dangerous because we would be entering Ranma's mind and
confronting ALL of the tribe, one at a time. I need your help because
not all the members of the tribe will respond to me. You are the ones
closest to Ranma. Maybe some of them will respond to you. But be
warned, we can end up brain dead if something goes wrong."

"You want US to go into Ranma-kun's MIND?" Nabiki asked.

"Yes. It is the only way to save him. I am willing to risk it. Even if
the rest of you will not." Ryoko suddenly smiled at Nodoka and wiped
away a few tears from her eyes.

"I...don't have any children. I raised him like he was my own and I
won't let him end like this!" Ryoko said.

"I understand, Ryoko-san. Thank you." Nodoka said, feeling a little
confidence for the first time in weeks.

"Hey, don't count ME out! I want to help Ranchan too!" Ukyou said.

Akane and Nabiki looked at each other and nodded their silent agreement.

"We- we want to help as well. I still have some... business
opportunities to discuss with Ranma-kun." Nabiki said.

"Very well. Let's get started then, OK?" Ryoko said.

The women sat in a circle around Ranma's bed. The were each holding
hands, except for Ryoko who placed one hand back on Ranma's forehead. A
blue glow surrounded Ryoko once again, and slowly, it surrounded the
other women as well. The blue glow grew brighter and brighter, then
burst into a lightning-like flash.

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

When the effects of the flash dissipated, the women noticed that they
were no longer sitting in Ranma's room. In fact, they were no longer
sitting. They were standing in what seemed to be a den, or private
library. It was a small room, with books lining all for walls.
Sunlight drifted in from a single window, and there was an empty
fireplace embedded in one of the walls.

"Where are we?" Akane asked.

"Is this Ranma's mind?" Nodoka asked looking around.

"I didn't expect it to filled with so many...books." Ukyou commented.

"This is a PART of Ranma's mind..." Ryoko reminded the others.

"I think I can guess which part..." Nodoka commented.

Suddenly, a large desk and chair appeared by the window. A man who
looked to be in his mid-twenties sat at the desk. He looked like a
slightly older version of Ranma. The only difference was that he had no
pig-tail and he wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He looked up from a
book he was reading and saw Ryoko and the others.

"Ryoko-sensei? Okasan? Wha- What are you doing HERE?" he asked.

"Hello Bitter." Ryoko replied.

"So this is what your part of the mind looks like, eh?" Nabiki asked.

"Well, not really. This surrounding and my appearance have more to do
with the five of you. This mind is explaining its nature to you in
terms that you can understand. This room IS the best representation of
my personality."

"It's a nice place. Very... homey." Akane commented.

"What ARE all of you doing here?" Bitter asked again.

"We came to help the tribe resolve the problem it's facing..." Ryoko
replied.

"How?"

"By merging the tribe into ONE mind."

"You mean you want to convince all of us to become one? Heh. Have you
given this a lot of thought? I mean, you're going to have deal with
Play, Neko, and the SHADE!"

"We know it's dangerous, but it's the only way." Nodoka explained.

"I don't know about this... I like who I am..." Bitter said.

"You'll still be here Bitter, you'll just be a part of a greater whole."

Bitter glanced at Nabiki then looked back at Ryoko.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" he asked.

"Yes. Unless you want to be committed or killed." Ryoko replied.

Bitter sighed then walked up to Nabiki. He gently touched her the side
of her face and said, "I don't know how much of me is going to be in
this new Ranma, but I just wanted to say, well... I love you
Nabiki-chan. Thank you. It's been fun."

Bitter stepped back away from a startled Nabiki and he slowly
disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Akane asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he's joining with-" Ryoko started to reply when
the room disappeared.

The scene shifted and the women were now standing a wide open field,
with very short grass. There no trees, bushes, or shrubs anywhere; just
that short grass, as far as the eye could see. Then a young woman
appeared in the center of the field. She looked exactly like
Ranma-chan, but had wide, frightened eyes. She was trembling and every
once in a while her face would move from side to side, up and down, as
if she was looking out for something, or someone.

*Watcher...* Nodoka thought to herself as she slowly walked up to the
paranoid girl.

"Watcher... Are you OK?" she asked tentatively.

The Watcher just nodded and then stared at the rest of the women.

"It's OK...We won't hurt you. Do you know why we're here?" Nodoka
asked, getting closer to the girl.

"N-no..." she whispered softly.

Nodoka reached out and gently enfolded the trembling girl in an embrace.

"We want to unite the tribe, Watcher... I know it will be hard for you,
but you can finally rest. Can you be strong? Can you do it?" Nodoka
asked.

"Unite the tribe? R-rest?" Watcher asked.

"Yes. Can you handle that? I think you know what you need to do.
Bitter is waiting for you." Nodoka replied.

"O-Ok..." Watcher replied, looking up at Nodoka.

"Okasan?"

"Yes? What is it dear?"

"I... I love you." Watcher replied, then disappeared.

"Well, that was easy." Ukyou said brightly.

"Yeah, I hope they're ALL like this." Akane said.

The scene shifted again and the women were no longer standing in a
field. Now, they were standing a huge bedroom. The bed was at least a
king-size, and was covered with a red silken sheet. Two fluffy pillows
rest at the head of the mattress.

"I think this one is going to be harder than the other two." Ryoko
predicted.

Looking at the bed, all the women came to the same conclusion, "Play."
they said in unison.

"You called?" a feminine voice asked.

The women turned towards the bed to see a woman standing in front of it.
She was in her mid-twenties, like Bitter. She looked like an older
version of Ranma-chan. Her hair was not, however, in a pig tail. It
was long and flowed freely. Her hair had dull orange high-lights
streaks. She was wearing black fish-net stockings, a _very_ tiny black
leather mini-skirt, and a tight black halter top. The women just gaped
at for a moment.

Akane was the first to recover. "Have you no shame at all?" she
demanded.

"Why should I feel ashamed of what I am?" Play asked.

"What about feminine-" Akane was about to ask but was interrupted by
Ryoko.

"We really don't have time for this. Look, Play, the reason we're
here-"

"I KNOW why you're here! Everyone knows now, with Bitter and Watcher
gone. I don't like it. I LIKE who I am! I like my individuality! I
don't WANT to merge with anyone else!"

"Play, it's the only way to save the tribe!" Ukyou said.

"Easy for you to say! You get 'Ranchan' out of this, while the rest of
us just disappear! No one cares about me! Everyone tells what I
shouldn't do; everyone wants me to be different from what I am!"

"Play, you are not going to disappear. You will be a part of the new
personality. No one knows how things are going to turn out. Ranma
might -not- be the core in this merger! We've never done anything like
this before, but it's the only way." Ryoko explained.

Play dropped her eyes and started pouting, "But... I've never even had
my first kiss yet! Besides all the OTHER things I want to experience!
You just can't kill a girl without giving her a chance for a first kiss,
can you?"

"Oh for the love of..." Nabiki groaned.

"We are NOT killing you!" Ukyou said angrily.

"I wish you brought Kuno or Xian Pu with you... THEY wouldn't mind
giving me a kiss." Play said plaintively.

Ukyou sighed in resignation and said, "Fine. I'LL give you your 'first
kiss', OK?"

Play looked up at Ukyou, a large smile on her face, "You mean it Ukyou?
Will you really do it?"

Ukyou winced and thought, *The things I do for my Ranchan.* She walked
up to Play and said, "Yes, I'll do it."

"Yatta!" Play cried out in joy.

As Ukyou got closer to her, Play puckered her lips, closed her eyes,
then thrust out her mouth. They whole action made her look like a blind
fish, and Ukyou had to try hard to keep from laughing. Ukyou slowly put
her hands on Play's shoulders and then gently kissed the girl on the
lips.

After she pulled back, Play looked a bit disappointed.

"That was it?" she asked.

"Well, what did you expect? A little tongue?" Ukyou demanded.

"Ok... I guess it wasn't such a big deal after all..." Play replied as
she slowly disappeared.

"Why that ungrateful, little..." Ukyou fumed as the scene shifted
again.

This time, the women found themselves standing by the shores of a lake.
The sun was shining brightly against a pure blue sky. There were a few
trees on the edge of the shore and the water was crystal clear. As the
women quietly looked out at the lake, a small boy appeared in the water,
splashing around and screaming gleefully.

"Okasan! Oneechan! Did you guys come to play with me?" he called out.

Nodoka smiled at the young boy, who must have been about twelve years
old. She wondered what Ranma had been like as he grew up.

"Come out of the water, Lyric. We need to talk." Ryoko called out.

"Oh, that's all grown ups EVER want to do! Talk, and talk, and talk!
Don't you people like to have fun anymore?" Lyric asked.

"There is a time and a place for fun, Lyric." Ryoko replied.

"Well NOW's the time! And can you think of a better place?" Lyric
challenged waving his arms all around him.

"Lyric... this is important." Nodoka said.

"Oh, all right!" He groaned as he stepped out of the water.

"Lyric, we want you to merge with the rest of the tribe." Ryoko said.

"OK. When?" Lyric asked. In spite of his child-like nature, Lyric
trusted Nodoka and Ryoko implicitly.

"Well, how about now?" Ryoko asked.

"Right NOW? But I was having fun! Just five more minutes!
Pleeeeeease?" he begged.

Ryoko was about to reply, but Nodoka laughed and said, "OK, Lyric. Five
more minutes. But not more than that!"

"Thanks Okasan!" Lyric yelled as he ran back to the lake.

"Nodoka-san, I'm not sure if we have time for this." Ryoko pointed out.

Nodoka smiled and said, "I never got to see my son as a child. This is
important; for the both of us."

After a few minutes of swimming around in the lake, Lyric disappeared
and scene shifted. This time, the women seemed to be at the top of a
mountain. There was patches of snow on the ground and bits of
half-frozen shrubbery all over the place. They saw a cave a few meters
away and had decided to enter it when they heard a loud, feline growl.

They all turned around to see a blue jaguar climb up the mountainside
towards them.

"I thought he was supposed to be a kitten!" Ukyou exclaimed.

"So this was the... thing that was playing with that small black cat?"
Akane asked.

"Yes, this is Neko." Ryoko replied.

Neko walked up to Ryoko and growled again. She laughingly bent down to
pet the cat and he started licking her face.

"So how do we convince a CAT to merge with the tribe?" Nabiki asked.

Ryoko stood up and sighed, "I have no idea..."

Neko walked up to Akane and started to nuzzle her leg, almost pushing
her over in the process. Akane nervously bent down and slowly touched
the large cat. Neko responded by jumping on Akane, pushing her over,
and licking her face.

"Hey Akane, he likes you!" Nabiki said laughingly.

"Great. The CAT likes me." Akane mumbled as she pushed Neko away and
stood up.

"So what do we do now?" Ukyou asked.

Neko started walking up the cave. As he was about to enter it, he
turned around and growled at the women.

"I guess... we follow him." Ryoko replied.

Akane and Nabiki exchanged dubious looks, then followed after the
others. When they got to the cave entrance, Neko walked inside a few
feet then growled at them again.

"Ok, Ok, we're coming..." Ukyou said.

The cave was lit up, but there was no light source that the women could
see. Neko eventually led them to a room in the cave, then sat on the
floor patiently.

"What is this, his den?" Akane asked.

"No, it's mine." a voice replied.

An old man appeared in the middle of the room. He had long grey hair,
but he stood up straight, and had a very muscular build. His skin was
dark and had a weathered look to it. A bright white glow seemed to
emanate from his body.

"You've done well ladies." he said with a smile.

"Master?" Ryoko said, her voice filled with awe.

"Hello Ryoko, I'm glad we finally get a chance to meet." Master replied.

Nodoka stared at Master with growing fascination.

"YOU are a part of my son?" she asked.

Master smiled and said, "I represent the best that is in Ranma; his full
potential, so to speak. Every human being has this potential. Once in
a great while, in a time of need or sheer inspiration, they can attain
it for a brief time. Then there are others, like martial arts masters,
mystics, and yogis, who can attain the level indefinitely. THAT is what
I am."

"I see. Then, you know why we are here?" Ryoko asked.

"Of course. And I agree; this is the only way to save the tribe.
However, you ARE going to need my help."

"We would be glad to have it, but what do you mean?" Ryoko asked.

"You haven't faced Shade yet." Master replied.

"Yeah... I haven't figured out what to do about him yet." Ryoko
admitted.

"That's what I thought. You'd better let me handle him."

"Hey that's great! There's no WAY the Shade can refuse you!" Ukyou
exclaimed.

"Heh... Don't be too sure. 'Out there', I may seem to be more powerful,
but in this mind, Shade and I are polar opposites. If I represent the
best in Ranma, Shade represents the worst. And believe me, darkness is
just as powerful as light."

Master knelt down next to Neko and gently pet the cat. "It's time. Go
now." he commanded.

Neko whined, licked Master's hand, then disappeared.

"He's taken care of, at least." Akane said.

Suddenly, one of the walls of the cave disappeared and a man walked in
through the opening. He looked exactly like Ranma, except his eyes were
pitch black, with no pupils. He a pair of fangs and large black claws
growing out of is fingers.

"Hello Shade. We were just talking about you." Master said calmly.

Shade just looked at Master impassively, completely ignoring the women
as a threat.

"You ladies might as well go. There are still a couple of others
waiting for you. Shade and I have much... to discuss." Master said.

"But, how will we know if you win?" Ryoko asked.

Master's smile fell and he said, "If I lose, believe me, you'll know."

Ryoko took one last look at Shade and shuddered just before the scene
started shifting again.

"You know," Master said, when the women left, "we could have a long,
drawn out battle over this, but personally, I don't have the patience
for it."

"AGREED" Shade responded.

The white light surrounding Master began grow brighter and brighter,
just as a black glow grew from Shade. As the two opposing forces grew
to their strongest, Master said, "See you on the other side, old
friend."

"INDEED." Shade replied, as the two of them exploded with a burst of
power.

Meanwhile, the women were no longer in a visible scene. They just
seemed to be floating in darkness.

"Where ARE we?" Akane asked.

"Looks like we hit some empty space..." Nabiki commented.

"I doubt it..." Ryoko replied.

"Wait a minute, all of you... Do you hear that?" Nodoka asked.

"Here what?" Ukyou asked.

"That! That... beat." Nodoka replied.

"Yeah... it sounds like a drum..." Akane said.

"Or a... HEART!" Ryoko realized.

A small child appeared admist them. He looked to be about five or six
years of age. He was curled up in a fetal position, sucking his thumb,
seemingly asleep.

"The inner child." Ryoko murmured.

"Yes." a new voice said as Ranma appeared next to the child.

"Ranma!" Nodoka cried out as she floated over to her son and embraced
him.

"Okasan, Ryoko-sensei... It's good to see you. Thank you. All of you,
thank you for doing this." Ranma said.

"What's happening Ranchan?" Ukyou asked as she floated over to him.

"The others have merged with the Inner Child. I need to wait for Shade
and Master, then we can finish this." Ranma said.

"What's going to happen Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Akane, I have NO idea... I don't mind telling ya, I'm a bit...
concerned."

Then, Master appeared in front of them as well, with Shade draped over
his left shoulder.

"Well, that went well." the old man said dryly.

"Are you OK, Master?" Ryoko asked with some concern.

"I'm fine," Master sighed, "And Shade is back where he belongs; in the
depths of Ranma's subconscious."

"Well, I guess we're ready to complete this then." Ryoko stated.

"Yes." Master responded simply as he and Shade both disappeared,
apparently merging with the Inner Child.

"Looks like I'm the last to go." Ranma observed.

"See you when you wake up, Ranma-chan." Nodoka said, kissing him.

"One last thing. Akane, I... I just wanted to say that I appreciate
your friendship and no matter what I turn out to be after this, I'll
STILL be your friend, OK?"

"OK Ranma, I'll take that as a promise." Akane said, her eyes starting
to tear.

"Ucchan... this is going to be strange." Ranma said, hugging the girl
close to him.

"I'm a little scared," he admitted to her softly so no one else could
hear.

"I know, Ranchan. It'll be OK." she whispered back.

"Here goes nothin'!" Ranma said, after letting go of Ukyou. Slowly, he
too, disappeared.

"Now. It's time for us to leave as well." Ryoko said as the Inner Child
started to pulse with a white light.

The women grasped hands and closed their eyes, and then they vanished as
well.

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

One by one, the women opened there eyes and found themselves back in
Ranma's room.

"Ouch... My leg fell asleep." Nabiki complained as she stood up and
started banging her foot against the floor.

"Ranchan?" Ukyou called out as Ranma slowly blinked a few times, then
sat up.

"Ranma-chan, are you OK?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma just looked around at the different people in room, blinking in
confusion.

"Wow... what a rush." he finally said.

"Are you OK, Ranma?" Ryoko asked.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine... this is just a little wierd." he replied.

"Weird in what way?" Nodoka asked.

"Well, I know things that I didn't know before... and I... feel things
that I didn't feel before."

Ranma quickly glanced at Nabiki, then Akane, then started to blush.

"So all the tribe's feelings and knowledge are now yours?" Ryoko asked.

"Uh... I don't think so. I mean, I still can't speak Chinese, like
Bitter could. But I got this feeling that school is something I should
pay more attention too... THAT is certainly a new thought."

"What did you get from the Master?" Ryoko asked, almost eagerly.

Ranma smiled and said, "Nothing much... at least not yet. I now know
that I can start LEARNING ki attacks, but I don't remember any of the
one's that Master knew..."

"Hmmm... what did you get from Play?" Nabiki asked curiously.

Ranma just blushed again, this time, it was a lot more apparent.

"Never mind." he finally replied.

********* Epilogue *********

Ranma walked to school, thinking about some the challenges ahead of him.
His parents had felt, that since he was now 'normal', an engagement to
one of the Tendo daughters would not be such a bad idea. Genma was so
excited about Nodoka's consent that he had rushed right over to the
Tendos' to share the 'happy' news.

Ukyou had not left with Ryoko back to the village, and instead, opted to
stay in Nerima. She was planning on starting some kind of restaurant
soon. On top of this, Ranma still had some unresolved issues with Kuno,
Ryoga, and the Amazons. Then, of course, there was STILL the curse to
deal with.

*And I'm all alone now, too.* he thought with a sigh. The new knowledge
and feelings were nice, if somewhat overwhelming at times, but he missed
the tribe. They were his closest friends, his family, for as long as he
could remember. Now, they were gone. Ranma sighed again as he entered
the front gates of the high school.

"Saotome! You will FREE the Pig Tailed Girl!" Kuno bellowed in front of
him.

"Ranma-kun! Make it good OK? I have a lot riding on the fight!" Nabiki
yelled out from her classroom window.

"RANMA! If you think I'm going to marry you, you're out of your mind,
pervert!" Akane yelled out angrily as she stood by the main building.

"RANMA! Prepare to DIE!" Ryoga yelled out as he crashed through the
school wall.

"Ayia! Arien! Great-GrandMother OK now, you take Xian Pu to date now,
yes?" Xian asked as she ran through the gate, towards Ranma.

"Xian Pu!!!!!" wailed Mu Tsu, not far behind.

"Ranchan! You just HAVE to try some the Okanomiyaki I made!" Ukyou
gushed as she followed behind Mu Tsu.

Ranma silently laughed as he thought, *No, on second thought, maybe I'm
NOT alone.*

He waited impatiently to see which one of his new friends would reach
him first.

******************
The End Part 12

Series Fin.
*****************************************************

Author's notes:

I didn't want to make Ranma a god-like figure, so some abilities were
lost in the merger. Call it wasted energy from a inefficient process,
if you like =)

OK, this was A LOT longer than I had planned. I guess I could have
broke it up into 2 parts, but I just wanted to keep writing.

Well, I have lots and lots of people to thank, (and I'm probably going
to forget a bunch of you, sorry)

Phillip Masters: Thank you for your continued support and for hosting
this fic for me.

Sir Olin: For having the uncanny ability to e-mail me at the *exact*
time that I need some encouragement.

Ethan Tsai: (author of Love and War) A truly excellent fic! Wait till
you guys see what he has planned! My FFIRC buddy, thanks for being my
sounding board for some of the ideas I had for part 12. Your influence
is in here...

Colliding SYmophonies: For having some faith in me and especially for
putting in the all the hard work required to set up FFIRC. They set up
a real time, well organized medium to bring together authors, readers,
and lurkers; and most importantly, an opportunity to make new friends
who have the same passion for fanfiction that I do. Thank you.

Finally, Soren Smith, Jon Farber, Rick Robinson, P-R-P-Chan, Sao from
channel #Ranma! (don't know you're real name!), Key, Jang Choe
(co-author of Sine Ranma, A very funny fic!), and espically James Palmer
for continuing to offer me encouragement and motivation through out this
project. YOU GUYS are the reason I was able to keep up this writing
schedule.

Thank you all, and I hope you enjoyed the story.

Nameste,

Anand.