Ranma 1/2

You know the story. Male, teen-age martial artist, cursed to change into a girl when splashed with water. Fertile ground for fanfiction, for a number of reasons, and I'm not immune. Below are my completed stories laid in Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma universe.

My Only Love

A short spamfic. An ending intended to come as a bit of a surprise, but not, as it happens, meant as the shockfic some interpreted it as. Released to RAAC Jan. 31, 1998.

What Dreams May Come

Quite a few serious stories have been written featuring an angst-ridden Ranma trying to deal with the hell that is his life. I've enjoyed many of those stories, but they generally struck a false note with me. Admittedly, Takahashi was writing a series focusing on the humorous aspects of Ranma's life; even so, Ranma did not seem like the type to take his situation quite so seriously. Instead of debating the subject, I wrote this story showing my view of Ranma and his take upon his life. Released to RAAC Jan. 31, 1998.

Elegy for a Golden Youth

My favorite of my stories so far, and the one that's gotten the most positive response. I was re-reading Dunsany's The King of Elfand's Daughter one day, and was struck anew by the image of Lirazel walking toward the meeting with her son, bringing the boundaries of Elfland with her. It occurred to me that Ranma's arrival in Nerima had a similar impact on the lives of the people there, carrying them into another world, and, even more, revealing that the world they had lived in was not the hum-drum place they had taken it for. What would happen then, when Ranma left? Although a death occurs in this story, it's not a darkfic, or even really a sadfic. The air I've striven for, and I think achieved, is one of nostalgic melancholy. If that sort of thing isn't to your taste, be warned. Released to RAAC Mar. 20, 1998.