f a n f i c t i o n
r a n m a . n i b u n n o i c h i : r e f l e c t i o n s
What if the copies of Ranma turned out to be a hint of something far more? Can Ranma survive the Mirror of Broken Souls?
Diverging continuation of the Two Ranmas story.
Reflections begins after Part 4 of Volume 35 of the manga, and explores the events which unfold starting when the Tendo Household gets stuck with two amorous copies of Ranma, one male and one female. As they wait for the seal of the cursed mirror to be repaired again, things quickly become far more strange than even the Tendo Household is prepared for. Ranma, confronted by the clones of his male and female halves, takes the first step on a troubled road of self discovery.
Author’s Note: I have been an avid fan of Ranma ½ manga, anime and fan fiction for years. I am also a writer and artist. In spite of these two things, I did not seriously consider creating any of my own fan fiction until now. Before addressing the story I chose to write, I want to comment on why I chose to write it. Over the past few years I have seen other fans take this cast and explore a wonderful assortment of possibilities. Many excellent ideas have been developed, and I felt I would have been walking in someone else’s shadow, or stepping on several people’s toes, to explore the ideas inspired by their additions to Ranma ½. Still, I had those ideas, and they eventually led me back to the original series where I discovered an excellent possibility I had not yet seen explored. In the original series, the conclusion of the “Two Ranmas” storyline was left entirely to the imagination of the readers. It was a perfect invitation for a fan fic, and offered me a foundation for many volumes of ongoing fan fics. Because Reflections was originally intended to integrate with the series, it began with some obvious limitations which some fan fic readers might find disappointing. On the surface, the situation screamed for a lovely lemon flavor. I have a healthy (avid) interest in sex and sexuality, so it was not a case where I could not or would not go there… it was just that going there would have tremendously upset the status quo. As the story took on a life of it's own, I decided to make a clean break into a divergence story, freeing myself of the need to return things to "normal". As a result, the story did pick up a lovely lemon filling. Sex is a natural part of life, and invests tremendous power and meaning to the life of a story when taken in context. Reflections provides such a context, while striving to preserve the integrity of the characters and situations through all that happens. I do hope my readers appreciate this, because Reflections is just a beginning. Comments and Criticism are eagerly invited. This is my first fan fic, after all. My only request is that my readers offer examples or explanations to ensure that their suggestions will enable me to improve the story.
Disclaimer: Ranma Nibunnoichi, and the associated cast and concepts are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and those publishers and distributors to whom she has given official rights. This work, in no way intends to infringe upon those rights. The ideas explored are those of the author, and should not be construed to express the opinions or intentions of the creator or associated agencies.
Stuck in the Middle With You
Vol. 1 : Parts 1-15
Ranma is confronted with the prospect of keeping his reflections around. His father's scheme to use the male clone to escape the seppuku pact forces him to surrender his identity. At the same time, Cologne discovers the reflections and reveals that the cursed mirror is actually the Mirror of Broken Souls, a potential cure for a Jusenkyo Curse. The only problem is, embracing this cure could be fatal for Ranma. Still, the promise of a future as both a normal boy and girl proves too much to resist. In giving up who he is, the cursed teen is forced to discover who he once was and who he will become.
01 : Three Ranmas!? : txt
02 : Stuck in the Middle With You! : txt
03 : Double Crossed Signals : txt
04 : The Shadow of Incest : txt
05 : The Furo Fiasco : txt
06 : The Learning Experience : txt
07 : Upping the Stakes : txt
08 : Secrets and Revelations : txt
09 : The Double Date of Doom : txt
10 : Close Calls : txt
11 : Stirring the Pot : txt
12 : The Mirror of Broken Souls : txt
13 : Cutting to the Chase : txt
14 : Shattering Blows : txt
15 : I Am He as You Are Me or He Is She and We Are All Together : txt
Variations on a Girl and Her Curse
Vol. 2 : Parts 16-30
Ranma confronts the legacy of a former life. Adopting a female personna, in the wake of giving his identity to the male clone, she is confronted with her past identity when Fa Shen awakens and takes possession of her body, while the copies begin their new lives as Ranma and Ranko by pairing up with Akane and Ryouga on dates.
16 : The Drowned Girl : txt
17 : The Girl You Dream Of : txt
18 : Coming to a Crossroads : txt
19 : A Mother’s Influence : txt
20 : Provoking the Girl : txt
21 : Shocks to the System : txt
22 : Variations on a Girl and Her Curse : txt
23 : Those Who Help and Those Who Help Themselves : txt
24 : Confronting the Girl : txt
25 : The Art of Dating, Step One: Conversation : txt
26 : The Art of Dating, Step Two: Anticipation : txt
27 : The Art of Dating, Step Three: Temptation : txt
28 : The Art of Dating, Step Four: Seduction : txt
29 : The Worst Case Scenario : txt
30 : Manly Obligations : txt
Entangled Unraveling the Mess
Vol. 3 : Parts 31-45
After assuming the identity of Ranko and freeing the true Ranma and Fa Shen from the depths of her mind (ironically awakening in the female and male bodies, respectively), the cursed teen is cured, just when she realizes she needs the curse to make sense of her own existence. Worse, the cure reveals that Ranma should have been born a girl! When Happosai uses the cure to turn Fa Shen back into a girl, Nodoka learns everything. A series of desperate and foolish actions follow, bringing a new level of chaos to the Tendo Household, and all who enter it. The only way to fix the damage is to return to Jusenkyo and seek help from Prince Herb of the Musk.
31 : Certain Sacrifices : txt
32 : A Shocking Proposition : txt
33 : Cures and Confrontations : txt
34 : A Pocket Full of Mischief : txt
35 : Cutting to the Quick : txt
36 : To See the Naked Truth : txt
37 : It’s More Than Just Sex? : txt
38 : What Sex Changes? : txt
39 : Poetic Justice : txt
40 : Turnabout Is Fair Play : txt
41 : With This Spring, I Thee Bed! : txt
42 : The Betrayals of Love and Lust : txt
43 : Echoes of Rejection : txt
44 : Entangled Unraveling the Mess : txt
45 : In Hot Water Again : txt
It's All in the Reflexes
Vol. 4 : Parts 46-60
While visiting the Amazon Village to confront the legacy of Fa Shen's resurrection, Ranma and Akane's relationship takes an unexpected turn thanks to some creative interpretation of Amazon Law. While exploring the potential of their triumverate, and striving to master their curses, Ranma, Ranko and Fa Shen's seperate identities are called into question once again. Ultimately, Ranko faces the consequences of returning to China, becoming an amazon and being forced into a marriage duel by Herb. In the process, Ranko faces the question: Is it necessary for part of her to die, in order for her to live?
46 : Little China Girl : txt
47 : A Tomboy Among Amazons : txt
48 : Pooling Resources : txt
49 : Tantrums and Rumors : txt
50 : There Are Consequences : txt
51 : How Am I Not Myself? : txt
52 : Breaking Down : txt
53 : Tearing and Splitting : txt
54 : Same Person, Different Personality : txt
55 : Target of Opportunity, Victim of Circumstance : txt
56 : The Marriage Duel: Dragons Approach : txt
57 : The Marriage Duel: The Prince's Plot : txt
58 : The Marriage Duel: The Fury of Fusion : txt
59 : The Marriage Duel: The Flight of the Phoenix : txt
60 : The Marriage Duel: The Fatal Turn : txt
Synopsis | Two Ranmas
What happened in the manga...
Two Ranmas
35 | 1
The Two Ranmas story arc begins with little preamble. On a weekend training trip, Genma and Onna-Ranma stumbled across the mysterious Mirror Mansion while seeking shelter from a violent storm. Genma was hardly in the door before he zoomed in on table bearing a basket full of fruit. Stems and peels were flying before the old man who let them in could complete a warning about the shrouded mirror. Before she knew what was going on, Ranma had slipped on a banana peel, crashed into the mirror and tore down its protective seal, scrambling desperately to stay on her feet. Somewhere between flailing to keep her balance and phrasing an acidic accusation to throw at Genma, Ranma's brain registered the old man's warning against tampering with the seal of the cursed mirror. The warning was little more than a narration of what was happening—and then her reflection stepped out of the mirror. Ranma tackled her reflection before the copy could escape from the mansion and held on to her long enough to get a more detailed explanation.
The mortified butler informed the cursed pair that a young lady who lived in the mansion many years ago had often stared into the mirror longing to meet her true love. She died never having left the house, and thus her spirit entered the mirror. Now, the mirror copied anyone who looked into the mirror, and the copies seemed compelled to fulfill the wish of the dead girl, setting out in search of "true love" and creating nothing but chaos. During the discussion, the reflection slipped away, somehow acquiring a daring outfit to go boy chasing in. The solution to the problem was to simply shove the reflection back into the mirror, unfortunately, it would take some time to repair the seal that would contain her within it. Seeing no other option, Ranma took the girl with her back to the dojo, but as soon as Ranma lost sight of the copy, the girl slipped off in search of something sexy to wear—in Akane's room. Naturally, Akane came in to find “Onna-Ranma” tearing through her clothes, criticizing the fit and style of everything, including underwear. Before Akane could brain the intruder, the real Onna-Ranma dropped the hammer on her and tied her up.
While Ranma explained the situation to Akane, the copy once again managed to escape. Onna-Ranma caught up to the girl, who was now dressed in a skimpy one-piece and lunging passionately at every boy in sight, and found the whole scene so pathetic and mortifying, she could not help but try to “teach her reflection a thing about getting guys”. Dressing in a similarly skimpy dress, Ranma demonstrated a number of equally pathetic techniques for picking up guys before Akane smacked her upside the head with a paper fan for her idiocity. The distraction provided the flighty reflection with another opportunity to slip away and get into more trouble. The reflection stumbled upon Ryouga, who was daydreaming about going on a date with Akari and receiving his first kiss. Instead, Ryouga is shattered to receive a kiss from the copy. When Ranma arrived in her wake and tried to shake Ryouga out of his shock, Ryouga belted him into the air and ran away in shame just as Akari finally arrived.
On their return to the dojo, Kasumi asked Ranma and the copy to take their baths, but when Ranma took the girl into the furo with him, she did not change. He reminded himself that he had been a girl when he looked into the mirror. He found it unsettling to look at the naked reflection of his girl side, as a boy. The reflection recovered from her own shock and slapped him for being a pervert, scolding him for not telling her that he was a guy, and then throwing herself at him, deciding that he was the perfect guy for her. Having set her heart on Ranma, the copy wasted no time trying to sink her hooks into him, slipping into a translucent nightgown, spritzing on some perfume, and storming up to the guest room to “sleep” with Ranma. Akane, not trusting either of them, and Nabiki, for the show, spent the night in Ranma's room too—watching the copy kicking Ranma out of bed in her sleep. Possessing no memory of being Ranma, but gradually displaying possession of his skills and traits : albeit as a girl "in love with the idea of being in love" it became a running joke how much “like” Ranma the copy was.
Two Sided, Triangle Relationship
35 | 2
The next morning, the copy—dressed in a very skimpy heart-shaped apron—set out to win Ranma's heart by making him breakfast, with a jaw dropping reaction from Soun. The ingenuous performance prompted the others to comment on how similar she was to Ranma, who objected vehemently. His objections wring heartbroken tears from the girl, who wails that she was just trying to make Ranma happy. Running off, still semi-nude she became even more upset when she concluded that Ranma loved “that fat girl" (referring to Akane). Without thinking, Ranma loudly began protesting and denying any sort of interest in Akane, prompting her to bash him for the implicit insult of his rebuke. The incident forced Ranma to conclude that he simply could not trust the girl to be out of his sight. While Ranma walked hand-in-hand with his copy to school, the copy declared that Akane and she were rivals.
At school the boys were all eager to get to know this all-female Ranma better, asking to go on dates with her. Confident that the girls fixation on him would prevent that from happening, dwelling on what a wonderful guy he was that she could not help but be attracted to him, only to see go off with the hoard of boys trying to lure her away. Ranma felt the sting of that rejection, despite the feeling that it was perverse to love a copy of his girl side, no matter how cute, sexy and stylish she might be. Having articulated his feelings with typical clumsiness, he was branded a narcissist by the others as he raced off to put a stop to whatever the copy was tempted to go along with, with that crowd of boys. In his search, he got splashed with water just in time for Ryouga, who was still infuriated over the kiss the copy gave him, to come up behind her. While Ryouga was teaching Ranma a lesson, her depressed copy was at home talking to Akane.
Baffled by the idea that Akane and Ranma loved each other, even though she was obviously much sexier, the copy wondered out loud if being fat like Akane would help her with Ranma. Ranma, staggering back home after being beaten on by Ryouga, was knocked into the koi pond with his copy—who had been launched out the door by Akane's fist. Conveniently, the old man from the mansion—the butler, by appearance—dropped by to give Ranma a magical compact—a flip top cosmetics' style mirror that captured anyone who gazed into it, transporting them to a small, spherical, crystal chamber “inside” the mirror. To release such a captive, it was only necessary to flip the mirror over and pat it on the back. Unfortunately, the girl sitting alertly with Akane and listening to these instructions was actually the copy—Ranma lay oblivious through the whole conversation, until the copy used the mirror to capture Onna-Ranma, at Akane's urging.
The fake Onna-Ranma held the mirror in front of the real Ranma's eyes and woke her up. In a blink, Onna-Ranma was sucked into the compact. The copy showed her hand when she grabbed some bedding and a kettle of hot water and attempts to join Ranma in the privacy of the inner chamber. Looking into the glass herself, the copy was sucked into the mirror, where she turned Ranma back into a boy, delighted to be alone with him at last. Akane had no intention of leaving the two of them trapped together, and followed the instructions to release them. When Akane sees the girl hugging Ranma, she jumps to the wrong conclusion. Akane took her suspicions out on Ranma, giving the copy a chance to steal the compact and get away. She fled, determined to use the compact to entrap Ranma again.
Take Away the Compact!!
35 | 3
The others tied Ranma up in a tree, to trap the copy when she came for Ranma, before going inside for dinner. Kasumi brought Ranma's dinner out to him but set it down out of his reach. When the copy arrived, she ate Ranma's dinner and then tried to get him to look into the mirror. When Ranma closed his eyes, the copy used the opportunity to try and kiss Ranma, which merely got her hammered by Akane. Genma and Soun rushed out try to take their shot at her, only to get whisked away when the copy performed a Hiryü Shöten Ha. The tornado dropped Soun and Genma on top of Ranma, knocking him onto the copy and putting her lights out. In a moment of sheer inspiration, Soun used the compact to trap Happosai just as the dreaded old master was arriving home from a panty raid . Kasumi thinks even quicker, handing the ancient pervert a bag of garbage right as he was being sucked into the trap.
When the copy was roused, she pretended to acceed that she had failed in her effort to steal away with Ranma and win his love. The instant the others lower their guard, however, she snatched the compact out of Soun's hands and made another unsuccessful attempt to capture Ranma, who blindfolded himself to ensure she would not trick him into the mirror, but managed to capture Akane instead. Ranma became instantly alarmed, realizing that Akane was trapped alone with Happosai, and his evident concern shattered the copy's heart. She fled from Ranma, until Ranma resorted to flirting with her just to get close enough to her to recover the compact. He started by giving her roses and insincere complements, but while he was putting the moves on her—all the while trying to assure himself that her body was just an extension of his curse, so touching her was no different from touching himself.
Under the guise of giving her a kiss, and as usual not being very quick or composed about it, he pilfered the compact. But as he jumped up and announced his triumph, he discovered that she had slipped him a fake. Once more, they fought, until the copy went to make a break for it and knocked herself out crashing head long into a statue. The compact went flying, only to cross paths with Kuno. The kendoist looked into it, of course, and became trapped inside with Akane and Happosai. Akane had managed to knock Happosai unconscious and make a rope out of stolen lingerie. She was trying to throw the rope out through what appeared to be the opening just when Kuno came crashing in. Spotting Akane, Kuno managed to catch the rim of the portal and physically block the opening, preventing Akane's release when Ranma came along and tried to set her free.
The Final Couple
35 | 4
When no one came out, Ranma tied some rope to a tree, a park bench, a statue, and himself, anchoring himself for a trip into the mirror to rescue Akane. Just when it seemed he would succeed, the rope's moorings all broke free and the tree, statue, bench, and Ranma all went flying into the compact. The copy was the next person to come along and find the compact. Impulsively, she trapped herself in order to stop Ranma and Akane from being together. Inside the mirror, Kuno was attacking Ranma for intruding on him and Akane. The copy crashes into Kuno and sprung instantly at Ranma, hugging him and announcing how glad she was that he was safe and that "that perverted girl" had not done anything to him. Akane responded by throwing a bench at the copy and calling the copy "the perverted girl" to which Ranma automatically retorted "I am not a pervert!". Akane, dumbfounded, demanded, "which side are you on?"
Back in the outside world, a man and his dog came along and decided to play fetch with the compact until it ended up in the lake, where a frog unfortunately looked into the mirror. Water flooded into the chamber and the copy used the opportunity to try and drown Akane, but Ranma and Akane thwart her. Kuno suddenly noticed Ranma, now Onna-Ranma, and the copy and hugs them both to himself, crowing about how there were now two Pigtailed Goddesses. Ranma and the copy clobbered Kuno together. In desperation to escape the flooding chamber, Happosai was throwing Happodaikarin, in water proof bags, at the entrance, just in time for Soun, the next to find and look into the compact, to get blasted. A charred Soun released everyone, dumping them into a charred and soaked pile. The copy witnessed as Ranma turned and worriedly asked Akane if she was okay. In a slump of defeat, the copy finally announced her surrender.
The copy confessed that she would return to the cursed mirror she came from. A few days later, when the curtain seal had been repaired, Ranma and Akane escorted the copy back to Mirror Mansion. As they entered, the copy went on about being lonely by herself in the mirror world, but being resigned to her fate. Before reentering the mirror, she turned to give Ranma a present—a box with the open compact tied to its lid. When Ranma opened the box, he found himself looking into the mirror, and was sucked into the trap. Taking advantage of this surprise, the copy raced for the cursed mirror determined to take Ranma with her so that the two of them could be together forever. Akane stopped her by throwing the fruit bowl at her, knocking the compact mirror free. When let Ranma out, he landed on on a banana, slipped and crashed into the mirror.
In his struggle to regain his balance, he ripped down the curtain that sealed the mirror and found himself looking into it again. A copy of Otoko-Ranma stepped out of the mirror, cheerfully announcing his intention to go looking for cute girls. Ironically, the first thing he saw was the female copy of Ranma. It was "love" at first sight, as the two copies, and their singleminded obsessions, met. Having no other option, Ranma and Akane are forced to bring the copies back home with them, and explain the situation to the others. In the final scene, the copies were staring into each others eyes and complimenting each other while the household remarked on what a "perfect" couple them made. What comes next is left to the imagination, as Soan bemoans the prospect of having the copies around for one more week.
Copyright Notice
I'll get it finished, I promise! I just need a little more... slee...