Authors note: Thank you everyone most Kindly for your reviews! I really got inspired.

OK people I HEARD you this is my first revision of chapter 1.

I'll probably revise it again in a week or so.

Why was it so bad… I had some comp trouble so I after getting things worked out, seeing how eager people were RUSHED finishing the chapter.

I apologize for the I'll admit deplorably bad grammar.

Chapter 1: Understanding the sacrifice

Ranma watched as they took her mothers body away .

All the things she'd wanted to tell her…

The elusive fantasy of someday having a happy reunion with her…

Snuffed out, obliterated, scattered, as impossible to recover as recover one and only one of her tears would be from the ponds that were forming.

Maybe she should leave the promise like that too… buried forgotten, lost in a sea of things like it

She shook her head free of that notion.

As tempting as it was… as almost IMPERATIVE as it seemed she could not forget this promise… it was one made to her mother… and more right before she died.

She would not… she COULD not, break it or ignore it for any considerable length of time.

:one of the rescue workers asked "Where do you live..."

she replied a bit brokenly.

"The Tendo dojo"

he nodded

"Come with me and I'll give you a ride."

Ranma's hear leapt at this offer… but realized she probably needed some time to brood before talking with her father and the Tendo's.

"Thanks but I Think I'll want some time to go over this myself."

He shook his head "All the more reason you should come with me… their could be another accident while your distracted by this incident."

Ranma had to grudgingly admit that this was true… she WAS paying more attention to her feelings of pain and anguish

"Allright" she grumbled as she got in the car…

she got out a short distance before the Dojo and thought of the likely reactions.

Everyone would be stunned to hear of Nodoka's death…

"'Cept Pops He'll probably be happy!" Ranma snarled suddenly

Proper young ladies do not use slang. She could hear her mothers voice saying.

Ranma hesitated at the door… worked up her courage and knocked.

After a few Seconds Kasumi opened the door.

"Ranma-kun come in… your quite wet." She said, kindly.

:Ranma came in and said:

"Get everyone here this is urgent…"

Kasumi said

"Oh my oh my oh my…" but gathered the family. It took a few minutes for them to gather…Akane did not seem happy to be distracted from her homework, or Genma and Soun from their game of shoji, or Nabiki from her money counting.

:Ranma gulped and said "everyone… listen very carefully… their was…. An accident… she's dead…. My mothers dead" :she said breaking down crying saying the last of it.

"Aunty Saotome" the 3 Tendo daughters chorused shocked… even the otherwise cynical Nabiki

Genma sighed sadly, "My dear wife…" He said making a fist… he'd longed to see her again, as a man, and not a panda… now… now… that could never be.

Akane Gave Ranma a hug… she was rarely that gentle with her fiancé, but at the moment felt a lot of pity for her "I know its terrible Ranma but im sure it will all work out." She said wanting to comfort her

Ranko sighed "with her dieing breath she freed me from the seppuku contract, I think we can assume that extends to you as well. However" her voice became grave at that moment, almost grim "there is one small issue"

She thought now was as good a time as any to get this out into the open.

"Pop's… Mom… mom… mom made me make a promise"

Genma started to feel a bit uncomfortable at that.

What…

A few minutes latter….

"YOU PROMISED WHAT?" Genma exploded

"What was I supposed to do, tell her no, explain about the curse?"

Genma tried thinking something up… but it was a miracle he could think up intelligble speak up.

"No Ranma not really" Genma said sadly.

Akane responded hotly.

"Isn't their anything we can do uncle Genma?"

Genma shook his head "not really.. and even if I wanted to stop this.. even in spite of it not being honorable in the least to try convincing my son to break the only promise he's ever sworn his mother."

:he whispered: "Ranma has always been a real stickler on honor, sometimes to the detriment of his common sense."

Akane Thought back to the Several cases of Ranma continuing in a challenge a STUPID ONE

Genma paused "If … if Ranma insist on pursuing this I will not disown him… uh her I guess. But Ranma… if you want to ignore it I don't think any of us will think less of you." Genma seriously hoped Ranma WOULD toss this aside, for both of their sakes…"

Nabiki decided to pitch in.

"Ranma have you thought of the full range of implications of this promise?"

Ranma nodded sadly.

Genma decided he had to push forward as much as it hurt both of them.

"You'll have to forsake the art, or at least reduce your involvement in it to nothing more then a hobby, you'll have to act like a girl, dress like a girl, talk like a girl, think like a girl" Genma gulped this was NOT easy to say" be a girl"

Ranma already going through a lot of shock paused at that.

"I know… and even though I'm still in tears over mom dieing… I'm" she said breaking down. "Mortally scared of the changes I'd have to make .

Genma shook his head… wisely holding back that Ranma was acting a good deal more girlish now, as he did not wish to be kabbobed by all 3 girls.

4 he corrected himself.

Akane , though not PRECISELY happy about this decided to comfort Ranma

"Look Ranma NO one will hold it against you if you decide to dismiss this promise, as something your mother would never hold you to if she understood your situation… " she was shocked at the tears of helplessness that continued to well up in Akane's eyes.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AKANE" Ranma Shouted at Akane as if she was a total and complete idiot. "I gave her my WORD this is the only promise I've ever personally given my mother. You think I can just go. "Oh if she'd known the whole situation, im sure she wouldn't hold me to it" You think I can just do that? AKANE NO BAKA!" Ranma had no mallet, but the force in her voice , which was usually callous or sarcastic when speaking with Akane, was filled with more then enough force to make up for the lack.

Akane was taken aback by the bluntness and the true and genuine anger in Ranma's reply… as much as she wanted to get angry she knew the others would only get angry at her… and Ranma was… probably, just venting.

Kasumi Interrupted , wanting to defuse the situation.

"Ranma if you Feel you have to follow through with this, it would probably be best to take it slowly step by step, rather then forcing yourself through it too fast. Maybe wait a week or two after the funeral then try to start socializing more and more in your female form? Maybe slowly changing your wardrobe from there,"

Ranma sighed, a little less unhappily, at least kasumi was always calm and helpful.

"thank you Kasumi I really appreciate your advice"

Genma nodded, still a little sad

"I'll accept this I'll understand if you want us to move out Soun-"

Soun shook his head.

"You've proven a good friend, Saotome-Kun… I'll let you and your… your daughter stay here."

Genma nodded sadly…

"Kasumi… could you call the school Tell them Ranma will need some time off for the funeral?"

Kasumi nodded. "Of course Uncle Saotome"

Genma sighed "That should give us more then a week. You should decide how you'll handle things, who to break the news to… and just WHAT were going to do about all your other Iinuzake's"

Ranma groaned "I wish you'd left them out of it.

Genma sighed: "they WILL be a problem. They may think you've gone insane… for all we know shampoo will go back to her kiss of death nonsense… i"

Akane nodded "I'll help you through this too Ranma.

Ranma sighed explaining this to Shampoo and Ukyo would NOT be a picnic, even Akane would likely have second thoughts at some point, once her initial feelings of sympathy for Ranma's situation wore off.

They nodded.

Genma "Tomorrow lets discuss the funeral… lets try not to talk too much about the promise until then, agreed"

Everyone including Ranma nodded.

Soun sighed sadly "Then lets get to bed, as I think we've all had a long day."

End Chapter 1

Anyone have any advice for me?

If you do let me know… because I'd like some advice in particular on which changes should happen when, as far as Ranma's "transition" is concerned.

Thank you.

How do you like this new and improved version of chapter 1 by the way?