GHOSTS OF THE PAST: THE REUNIFICATION OF EBENEZER AND RANI SCROOGE

reunion

Scrooge suddenly awoke in his medical bed, startling Skye and the others, the visions all making sense now, the realization of his past life hitting him hard.

"Whoa! Dude, easy, take it easy!" Skye said. "You fainted and—"

"Where is she?" Scrooge asked, breathing hard. "Where...?"

"Who, Rani? She's still—" Krishna started to explain.

Memories flashed before Scrooge's eyes, as he eyed the girl still lying close to death, wearing the same Hindu wedding gown in his visions. The very same gown she wore that night on Christmas Day.

"RANI!!!"

Scrooge sprang out of his bed, and ran to her bedside. The sudden yell of alarm and desperation startled everyone, including Mei from her sleep.

"Rani! Rani, I'm here. I remember now. It's me, Papa." Scrooge said.

No answer. Everyone watched.

"Oh, no...what have I done? Oh my dear, I'm so sorry. I took too long to believe you. That something missing was you, the whole time. It was always you, my Universe, and because of the curse, I nearly lost you, lost myself. I promise you, and to the Universe you always told me would give good and bad karma, I will fix this." Scrooge sorrowfully stroked Rani's face, and was face to face with his long lost daughter.

"Too little, too late, son." Franklin Scrooge sneered from behind him and the group.

Mary punched him in the face, sending him to the ground.

"Say that again!" Mary threatened.

"Gladly," Franklin growled.

"SHUT UP!!!" Mei snarled, "You were trying to take Rani away from him! Take everything from him! There's NO WAY YOU WILL SUCCEED AGAIN."

"Stand down, Mary."

"Me?" Mary asked, befuddled.

"No. Not you, Mrs. Williams. I was talking to your niece, Mei. It appears her previous name was Mary." Scrooge explained.

Mei froze at her previous incarnation's name, and stared at Scrooge, startled. How did he know all of a sudden?? She wondered in thought.

"Yes, I remember you...flower girl Mary Sakamoto Barker." Scrooge said in explanation. "You called after me after I sent Rani and Alice away for safety, and I told you not to follow me, and your sister, Jillian, found you and both of you went to Fleet Street to hide from the curse."

"That's right, uhh...yeah!" Mei was still bewildered, and confused.

"I have this from here. My father doesn't frighten me anymore." Scrooge said heading to his father and knelt down at eye level.

Skye went beside Scrooge to protect him.

"It must be very sad, you know...all that anger and hatred over nothing. You're right, I have gone soft, because unlike you, I have made it my mission to just be the best I can be. Seeing my misdeeds shaped me, and the Cratchit family, my mother, my sister, Lottie and my beloved daughter Rani, all gave me what you failed to—love. I was missing that in my life, and Rani melted my heart and filled that void, and in turn, her walls were brought down." Scrooge said. "I will break this curse because I was unprepared last time. I know I will this time around. You can bet on that."

Mei hummed a little tune.

"Wait a minute. What was that tune you were humming a moment ago?" Scrooge asked.

Mei hummed it again.

"That's it! Father used a few drops of my blood to enact the curse when he stabbed me, and the curse was in the lullaby I used to sing to Rani when she was little!" Scrooge realized.