Small note: I do not own any of the original caracters of Ranma½ by Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own any of the lyrics of the songs - original owners and writers will be presented in the "Music and Lyrics" chapter.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any coments or questions.
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Chapter One:
I was just one of those days. She felt it, right down to her toes. Just one of those days when everything was bound to go wrong. Already it had been a horrible day, and she hadn't even had breakfast yet. Perhaps she should just go back to bed, and pretend the day had yet to begin. Star over, and get it right.
Akane sighed and rose from her chair by the desk, as a loud thud was heard from downstairs, followed by a loud splash.
It just figures.
The splash could have ment nothing other than Ranma falling into the pond, for the second time this morning. The first time, it had been the neighbours cat, coming by, that had made him fly high. This time, it surley had to be his fatherdropping by,giving his son the morning workout. It was almost time for school, but now they would be late, since Ranma once again had to take a bath. Well, nothing to do about it.
She walked out of her room, heading for the stairs, knocking on Nabikis room as she walked passed it. As no one answered, she headed down the stairs, figuring her sister already had gone to breakfast.
As she came down the stairs, she saw a small envelope lying on the floor by the door. Being curios by nature, she bent down to pick it up, when she saw that her name was written on the front. Opening the letter, she found a small note:
'I have the solution to you problem.
Want to know? Meet me in the
Girls lockerroom after school'
What? As she red the three lines again, her brows raised in surprise. She scanned the card for a signature, butcouldnt find turned it over, hopingto find a hint of who wrote it.
Nothing there either. What was this? Who had sent it? Was it a trick? The questions seemed to build in her head, but she had no time to ponder over them, since Ranma just had turned around the corner. Not knowing why, she hid the letter in her pocket. For some reason she didn't want him to find it, cause for some reason, she felt that the letter was reffering to him, Ranma, being the problem.
She quickly decided she had to look at the card again later, to see if she had missed something. But for some reason she felt she hadn't.
They soon left for school, having some of the more regular problems on the way - Ranma being splashed with water by the old lady, Kuno stopping them to proclaime his undying love for Akane, and the pigtailed Goddess; Daisuke and Hiroshi dragging Ranma off to get some tips for god-knows-what - but they managed to get to school on time, as usual. The hours passed, slow but surely. Akane fellt as though the day would never end. She had read the letter again as she had been to the ladies, but it had failed to still her curiosity. So, she had decided to go and meet this mystery person after school. She could not deny that the letter had stirr a lot of questions. Questions she wanted answered.
Not a second to soon, the bell rang, anouncing that the day was at an end. She started to pack her schoolbooks, feeling a bit nervous. As she was ready to leave, she saw Ranma waiting for her at the door.
Oops. She had forgotten to tell him she wasn't going home. What should she say? The truth? Should she lie? No, no lies. There was no reason to lie to him. She never did like to lie to anyone. The truth was always best, no matter what.
She walked up to him, smiling as she came closer. It was now or never.
"Ready to go, or what?" He flashed her with one of those rare smiles of his, walking out of the classroom as she came up to him.
"Actually no..." She stopped, making him turn around to face her. "I have to meet someone in the girls lockerroom before we can go home."
He raised an eyebrow, as she handed him the letter, and it didn't exactly lower itself as he read it.
He handed her the note as he was done. "You know this could be a trick, right?"
"Yes, of course." She didn't know what to say. She felt his eyes upon her, and heard him change his stance. "I just wanted to find out what it was about, and who wrote it." She looked up at him. "I'll be carefull, I promise."
"Kay." he tossed his backpack onto his back, hessitating."I can come along if you want me to. I mean, I don't need to come in there with you, just stand outside if something where to happen."
Oh god, how adorable he could be sometimes. He was trying to hide it so well, but deep inside he wanted nothing more than to protect her, and she saw it.
She smiled. "That would be nice."
As they arrived at the door to the girls changingroom they stopped.
"Well here goes nothing. Wish me luck" She smiled jokingly, grabbing the door, and walking in.
Ranma leaned back at the wall, making himself comfortable. This shouldn't take to long. But what kind of problem had the letter reffered to? Were Akane in trouble? He hoped not. Or if she was, he hoped she would tell him.
He was quite proud over their relationship toward eachother. Sure, it was not a distinctiv one, but atleast they had some sort of understanding, and a silent agreement, on not mentioning it. Atleast that's how he saw it.
He Sighed. He was a bit worried about what would happen in the future. They both where graduating later this year, and he didn't know what he wanted to do with his life.
He wanted to find a cure for his curse, that was for sure. There was always the Jusenkyo, but he had absolutley no money to travel , he could always swim over the ocean again - the exercise was great - but for some reason, he didnt feel like it.
He could always get a part time job, but as what? As of right now, he didnt even know if he wanted to keep on studying. He had alwasy wanted to keep on training, and even start a couple of classes in the name of "Saotomes School of anything-goes Martial Arts".
Perhaps a summer job? Just to get enough money for a roundtripto Jysenkyo.
He snapped his fingers, "Hey! Thats It!". He would ask Dr. Tofu if he could work some extra for him, just to get enough money. And since the doc was a martial artist, he might even get a few tips and new techniques at the same time. He would be able to get enough money to travel, and if he was lucky, there would even be some left for him to...
No. No thoughts of that yet. It would have to wait for the future.
Ranma looked at the door ahead of him. Akane had been gone some time now. What in the world could they be talking about?
As his curiosity got he better of him, he slowly made his way over to the door, putting his ear against it. He might be able to hear what they where talking about.
To his annoyance, and surprice, he couldnt hear anything, not even a whisper of voices.
What exactly was going on in there? Ranma had never been known for his patience, nor for his lack of curiosity, and now it was getting the better of him. He wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to know it now.
He drew a deep sigh, and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.
And waited...
And waited...
This was odd. 'Hadn't Akane heard his knock?' he wondered as he knocked again.
Still no answer.
He put his hand on the doorhandle and hessitated. Would he dare enter the girls lockerroom, and face Akanes wrath if he was spotted? She could get so angry if she got the wrong idea. Not that she would belive him trying to peep on girls, but for not trusting her beeing able to handle this - whatever it was - on her own. But that was not why he wanted to check on her, was it?
No! It wasn't. Well, not entirely. Truth to be told, he was a bit worried. Not that she wouldnt be albe to handle this on her own, but that he couldnt keep an eye on her, just in case.
So, he would go in. Yes! He would go in and just check on her. He had nothing to be afraid of. He was Ranma Saotome, tha heir of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts. He wouldn't let something as trivial as a girls lockerroom stop him.
He pushed the door handle down, and pulled.
Nothing!
There was absolutley no sound of anyliving beeingin the room as he entered. 'This was odd' Ranma though as he made his way a bit further in to check so that Akane wasn't hiding somewhere behind a locker.
Nope, nothing there either. But wait! In the far end of the room, there was a small window open. He walked up to it, having a look outside, but didnt see anyone outside.
This was strange. Akane wouldn't just have left like that, without telling him. But where was she? And why?
Turning around, Ranma made his way out of the changingroom, and out of the school. Perhaps he would find her in the yard? He made a turn around the corner of the main building, walking toward where he knew the girls lockerroom would be. He could see the open window from here, but there was no sign of Akane. A nagging feeling started to build up in his stomache.
'Damn!' Stoping in his tracks, Ranma quickly made a decision, and turned around. If she wasn't at school, she might have gone home. And if she wasn't at home, he would look at the Nekohanten, or at Ucchans. Perhaps, just perhaps, had she gone over to them. 'Yes. Akane had gone home, or to one of the other places they used to visit' he tried to convince himself.
Ranma started to run, and jump along the roofs, heading home as quick as he could, but all the while, the nagging feeling in his stomache was just growing.
New chapter up soon. Im already working on it.
Please feel free to contact me.