Well, here goes Part 2 of the next phase of the series! This is based heavily on events and situations from the previous stories, which are available on my Web Site. As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated. "Miyabi" and "Masao" appear courtesy of Kunoichi, whose "Ranma nibun no ichi" series inspired this "Paralell Universe". All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission. Coutuva. Mysteries of the Mind - Part 2 Awakening ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ranma's words hit her like a slap in the face from a wet hand. She could only look back at her, blinking as the reality sank in. "You don't... remember me? You talked to me just before you passed out..." Elysse protested, weakly. "Gomen.. I don't know you." Ranma repeated, her face showing slight irritation. Suddenly, her face changed from mild irritation to wide-eyed panic as she realized something far worse. "I can't even remember who *I* am!" she blurted, staring back at Elysse. "What the hell is going on here?" she demanded angrily, trying to sound in control despite her obvious confusion. Elysse, realizing what had happened, softened her face and touched Ranma's shoulder gently. "It's okay, Ranma..." she began, soothingly. "My name is Elysse Rialto, a very good friend of yours from a while back. You were in an accident today, and got banged up pretty good. I found you wandering beside the highway and brought you here, to my apartment." she explained patiently, all the while looking Ranma straight in the eye. Ranma looked back at her anxiously, searching her eyes but saying nothing. "I treated your wounds and gave you the dress you're wearing, too... your other clothes were ruined." Elysse continued, calmly. Ranma's eyes softened slightly, and then she looked down briefly at her clothes. At the same time, she reached up and touched her head wound, wincing in pain as she discovered it was real. "That much seems to be true..." Ranma agreed, looking back at Elysse again. "So, where the heck am I? This doesn't look like Japan..." "You're right... It's Canada. You were visiting when the accident happened. I was on my way to meet you, which is how I ended up finding you. You were walking along the highway, in shock from the collision... I saw you, got out of my car and talked to you for a minute, and then you passed out. You recognized me then..." Ranma's face contorted with confusion. "I... don't remember any of that." she sighed, returning her gaze to the ceiling. "I can't even remember that name you keep calling me." she continued, bitterly. "None of this makes any sense at all..." "Let's try it this way... what do you remember?" Elysse encouraged, wanting to see if she had any clue about her real life. Ranma looked skyward, reaching up and skritching her head as she tried to recall something significant. After a few moments, she sighed resignedly and looked back at Elysse sadly. "All I can remember is that I'm from Japan... and something about Martial Arts... and horses." she continued, her face contorting as she tried to figure out the significance of those animals to her situation. "And one more thing... I hate water. Everything else... is all a blank." she admitted, eyes downcast. Elysse nodded and quietly rose from her place beside the futon and walked to a small cabinet. Setting down the bowl she still carried, she picked up a letter opener and abruptly threw it straight at Ranma. Without batting an eyelash, Ranma caught it, then glared at Elysse. "Whatja do that for?" she exclaimed angrily, wincing again from the pain in her head. "See? That's why you remember Martial Arts... you're an expert. As far as the 'horses' and the 'water' parts, let's just say we have those in common, which is probably what made you think of them." Elysse explained, grinning wryly. "I'll explain it all to you later." "Huh... I thought the horses thing came from that name..." Ranma replied, a bit disgusted. "And I'm a Martial Artist, huh? That seems weird... I don't think I look like one." she continued, raising her arms and looking them over. "Kuso, I'm a mess..." she commented, upon seeing all the cuts and bruises on them. "Hai. Like I said... you were in a crash... You're lucky to be alive, actually. Speaking of that, how do you feel now?" "Sore, tired and confused... My head, neck and back are the worst.. everything else seems okay, for the most part." "Well, how about I give you some pain killers and let you rest... Then, we can have some lunch and try to sort all this out." Elysse offered, cheerfully. "Hai... I guess that's a good idea. All this thinking is giving me a headache." she groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. Elysse had to smile at that comment.. "Okay, Ranma.. here's a couple of Tylenol 3... I had some left from my dental work. These will make you sleepy, so go ahead and take a snooze. It'll give me a chance to clean this dump up a bit." she smiled, kneeling again beside the futon and handing her the two pills. "Arigato. Ano, Elysse...?" Ranma began, taking the pills and looking up at the young woman. "Hai, Ranma-chan?" "Thanks... for helping me. I hate to think of where I'd be if you hadn't found me." "Daijobu... I told you; We're old friends. It's not a big deal." she replied, waving off Ranma's remarks. "Well, all the same, it's obvious you helped me... and I appreciate it. I don't understand everything yet, but... I'm glad you're around. I have the feeling I'm going to need your help." "Anything for you, Ranma-chan." Elysse replied, smiling. Ranma smiled meekly, Elysse's remark making her feel strangely warm. Sighing, she rolled painfully on to her side and nestled into the futon as best she could. "Have a good rest, Ranma." Elysse stated, rising from beside her and heading into the kitchen. "I'll wake you for lunch." All Ranma could muster was a long moan in response. In the kitchen, Elysse was beside herself with delight. She was now convinced Ranma knew nothing about her past, which meant that she didn't remember her family, friends, or anything to tie her to that life. As far as Elysse was concerned, that meant Ranma was a 'free agent' again, and she wanted to pick up the contract. She had been desperately in love with him ever since he freed her from her own curse almost a year ago, and had been saving her money up to try to get back to Japan to see him. This wasn't quite the way she pictured them meeting up, but she decided she would gladly take what she could get. The only problem she faced was that Ranma was in female form at the moment, and from the sound of things, was probably unaware of her/his curse. Elysse worried that suddenly changing gender might trigger Ranma's memory, and she didn't want to chance that happening. She knew she'd have to broach the subject before long, or Ranma's next bath could spell disaster. The phone rang insistently in the bedroom of the Clinic, and grudgingly Kasumi rolled over to answer it. Clearing her throat, she picked the receiver up, wondering who would be calling so late at night. "Moshi, Moshi?" she greeted cheerily, sounding as if she had been awake all the while. Her face immediately darkened as she heard the sound of familiar crying on the other end, punctuated by the occasional powerful sob. "Akane? Imouto-chan? What is it, dear?" she asked quickly, tossing the covers off herself and Tofu-Sensei. "Oneechan... R..Ra.. Ranma's been in... an accident in Canada." Akane sobbed, her crying interfering with her breathing. "And.. and... they can't find him!!" she wailed, dissolving once again into hysterical bawling. Kasumi's response was trademark. "Oh, My..." Within ten minutes, both Kasumi and Tofu were at the Saotome home, trying to calm the hysterical Akane so that she wouldn't wake the kids. A few minutes later, Nabiki strolled in, looking like a couple of miles of bad road. "This better be good, Kasumi... I don't get up at this hour for anything less than a foreclosure." she droned, homing in on the fresh tea that Kasumi had already prepared. "Ranma has been in an accident in Canada, Nabiki. There was a bus crash, and the authorities say they found his property, but they can't find him anywhere." Kasumi informed her haggard-looking sister. "I take it he's okay? He must be to have run off." Nabiki deadpanned, not even raising her head from her cup. "Nobody knows." Kasumi replied, looking at Nabiki expectantly. "How's Akane taking it? I imagine she lost it, right?" "I'm afraid so... Tofu-Sensei has her mildly sedated in her room." Kasumi mentioned, still regarding Nabiki expectantly. "Hrmph. Good old Akane... predictable as always." she stated, glancing up at her older sister. As soon as she made eye contact however, she gulped audibly, knowing she was in trouble. Kasumi was the only member of the entire family who could exact almost anything from her, and for free, simply by giving her the right look. Something about her older sister's deep brown eyes could utterly destroy her tough-gal exterior, and she was totally helpless against them. Sighing, Nabiki set her teacup down and demurely folded her hands in her lap. "What would you like me to do, Oneechan?" Kasumi smiled gently, lowering her eyes for a moment, then raising them to briefly meet those of her younger sister. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone were to find Ranma and then bring him home to Akane? She would be so happy, and so relieved to know he was at least alive." she mentioned wistfully, more to the room at large than Nabiki in particular. Grinning wryly, Nabiki reached into the folds of her kimono and produced a cell-phone, flipped it open and dialed a stored number. "Hiya... it's me. Yes, I know what time it is. Warm up the hardware, I've got an 'urgent' for you." she instructed, glancing back at Kasumi, who sipped her tea and again smiled gently. As Ranma slept soundly on the futon, Elysse puttered about the apartment, cleaning and dusting it back into shape. Having been away for a few days, and then returning with the wounded Ranma had taken a toll on the small unit, and Elysse couldn't stand it any longer. Wiping her damp brow, she glanced quickly at her snoozing guest, and promptly peeled off her skirt, blouse and hose. She usually did her housework in only her underwear, finding it far more comfortable, especially after two years of not needing clothes. As she continued in her task, her mind was occupied with rosy thoughts of her and Ranma riding off together into the sunset, and she didn't notice how close she was to a pile of books on the table she was dusting. Catching the pile with her elbow, it fell to the floor with a resounding splat, jolting the slumbering Ranma. Elysse muttered a curse under her breath and bent over to pick up the books, presenting a perfect view of her rear and more to Ranma, who, wakened by the noise, had turned her head to see what had happened. Ranma stared breathlessly at the wonderful sight before her, taking in every last detail. She could feel her cheeks flush hotly, and the beginnings of a familiar tingle deep inside her as she confirmed that Elysse was a true brunette. Elysse finished restacking the books and hoisted them back up to the table, still muttering angrily to herself. Ranma watched intently as her leg muscles flexed and her shapely cheeks alternately tightened and relaxed, sighing inwardly with appreciation. Noticing Elysse's torso flexing, she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to still be asleep, even though the vision of her host's perfect rear and inviting sex continued to replay in her mind. Elysse glanced down at Ranma, hoping that she hadn't woken up. She was just about to resume her task when she noticed the pronounced flush on Ranma's cheeks. "Hentai." she huffed, and walked out of the room. Ranma couldn't help but giggle. In her bedroom, Elysse at first couldn't decide whether to be mad or happy that Ranma found her... 'stimulating'. The fact that it was a *girl* laying in the next room with a flush on her cheeks was a bit unnerving to her, but at the same time, she knew that 'girl' was actually a guy... a very virile, handsome guy. And a guy that obviously liked what he saw. Elysse found herself getting 'stimulated' as she thought more about it, and decided that she'd move a little closer to the edge. Stepping to her closet, she pulled out a short housecoat, one that she didn't wear often as it kept coming open. Smiling wickedly to herself, she threw it on, tied it up, and headed happily back to the livingroom. Ranma lay on her back, a silly expression decorating her face as she thought about Elysse. She couldn't remember the girl for the life of her, but judging by how familiar she was acting, and how she said that 'Ranma' name, she obviously was a good friend. And she knew things... things Ranma herself couldn't remember, but that made sense. And on top of all that, she was *cute*. Just at that moment, Elysse stepped into the room and headed toward the futon. Ranma heard her coming, but this time, turned toward her. "Gomen nasai, Elysse-chan. I didn't mean to..." she began, only to be cut off by Elysse's raised hand. "Ya... I should apologize. I was wandering around half-naked, and I dropped the books. It's not your fault you got a face full of my butt." Elysse admitted, displaying a distinct lack of modesty. Ranma's cheeks flushed again slightly, which she tried to hide by rubbing her eyes. Elysse, noticing it anyway, couldn't help but smirk. "It's okay... it didn't bother me." Ranma finally stammered, still rubbing. "That's not what it looks like from here." Elysse remarked, winking. "Anyway, are you hungry yet? I can make us something." she asked, deftly changing the subject. "Ano... starving, actually." Ranma replied, still recovering from their previous conversation. "Do you think you can get up? If you can, I'll set the table." Elysse asked, offering a hand to Ranma. "I dunno.. I guess I should try, ne?" she replied, taking Elysse's warm hand. Ranma felt something akin to an electric shock as their hands closed together, and she felt her heart jump. Elysse had a similar experience, in fact almost letting go of Ranma's hand in surprise. The two of them froze in place, and simply stared at each other for a few eternal seconds. Finally, Ranma snapped out of it and regarded Elysse levelly. "Are you just going to stand there holding my hand, or are you going to help me up?" she asked, dryly. "Ano... Gomen ne. Ready?" Elysse asked, shaking her head as she braced herself to pull Ranma to a sitting position. "Hai. Here goes...!" Ranma groaned painfully, but managed to pull herself up. Her back was stiff and sore, as was her neck, but she found she was able to move fairly well even so. Her head started to ache from the motion, but it settled quickly. "Okay... Step one done." Ranma announced, looking up at Elysse expectantly. "Let's try step two." she continued, swinging her legs slowly off the side. "So far, so good... That didn't hurt." "Good. Think you can do this?" "I won't know till I try. Let's do it." With a determined effort, Ranma rose to her feet and stood unassisted, smiling happily. "All right!" she exclaimed, relieved that she wasn't in as bad of shape as she feared. "Let's eat! she urged, smiling brightly at Elysse and walking carefully toward the table. Soun sat in his usual place at the low table, wailing his eyes out, and Genma-panda paced the floor, carrying a sign reading 'Why did he have to go to Canada??'. Nodoka sat quietly at the other end of the table, head lowered, her carefully wrapped package laying across her knees. She made no movement except for the occasional sniffle. Kasumi, Nabiki, Ukyou and Shampoo all sat on the walking deck, each lost in their own thoughts. "I still can't believe something like this could happen to Ranchan... he always seemed so indestructible." Ukyou suddenly said, snapping the others out of their respective daydreams. "What, Spatula-girl? You make it sound like he's dead." Shampoo responded, choosing her words carefully. "Him - He's not that easy to beat." "I know... that's why this is so hard. Akane must be going nuts." Ukyou postulated, shaking her head sadly. "She is." droned Nabiki, turning to regard the other two. "She went off the deep end when the Conference organizers and Canadian Police conference-called her. She's upstairs right now, sleeping it off with Prince Valium." "Poor girl. I actually feel sorry for her. Losing the father of your children is not a good thing." Shampoo sighed, resting her head in her hands. "Neither is losing your husband." Ukyou added, quietly. Kasumi, who up till now had only listened contemplatively to the discussion, turned and looked down the line, her eyes stopping momentarily on those of each woman. For some inexplicable reason, they all immediately fell silent. "Akane was always afraid to fall in love..." Kasumi began softly, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "Deep inside, she always felt that if she was to let herself love, whoever it was that she loved would inevitably leave her... just like her mother did." she sighed, pausing for a heavy second. "She fell in love with Ranma a few days after she met him, but she resisted what her heart and soul were telling her with everything she was. For her, it was easier to fight the endless battles than to live in anticipation of the pain." she continued, drawing a slow, wavering breath. "Finally, after all the years of trying to drive him away, Akane realized that Ranma was not going to leave her. He had proven himself... passed the ultimate test. And so Akane let herself love him... openly, completely and unconditionally. In him, she had found what she always truly wanted... a love she could believe in." she concluded, a single tear tracing a glistening trail down her cheek. After a moment, she raised her eyes to the blanket of stars above her, and smiled her famous "Everything's Wonderful" smile. "Ranma will be home... he's just going to be a bit late." she stated, then quietly rose and headed up the stairs to Akane's room. The other three women looked at each other sheepishly, each noting the other's moist eyes. Even Nabiki was speechless, something that didn't happen often. Shampoo of all people was the first to break the heavy silence. "It's amazing how she can tell you you're being insensitive, cruel and stupid without actually saying it, ne?" she observed thoughtfully, blinking her own tears back. "No, Shampoo, it's a talent." Nabiki conceded flatly, and quickly rose and walked to the bathroom, hoping no one noticed the tears starting to spill from her eyes. ====================================================================== END - Mysteries of the Mind - Part 2 A Ranma1/2 FanFic by V. Coutu Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished! coutuva@vecdev.com