Never Forever
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by Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr. (fmerced@pworld.net.ph)
A Fanfic inspired by the anime Ranma 1/2 created and copyrighted by Rumiko
Takahashi
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| Ten years ago |
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| Carnival grounds |
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Everyone was having the most wonderful time. Soun was happy to see the
smiling and joyous faces on his three daughters. Little Akane was very noisy
and excited all at the same time, while being carried on his shoulder. His
wife and Kasumi, the eldest of his daughters, were trailing behind and
enjoying themselves as well. Nabiki, on the other hand, was with a friend
and were overlooking the performances of some circus clowns.
"Isn't this fun?" Misaki handed over the cotton candy he had just paid for
to Nabiki.
"Sure is!" Nabiki eyes grew big in delight at the sight of the bluish ball
of sweet given to her.
"I'm glad your father allowed me to come along." Misaki turned his head to
look at Nabiki's father, who was receiving some hair pulling from the
youngest of the Tendo sisters. Kasumi waved at the two to hurry up and for
them to follow.
"We would sure miss you, Misaki-san." Nabiki took a bite from her cotton
candy. "Kasumi would."
Misaki grabbed Nabiki's hand and led her towards where the rest of her
family was going. Nabiki didn't even notice that they were dodging people in
their rush, since her attention was caught up in the delicacy she was
eating. "I would miss you, Nabiki."
"Why me? I thought you like my sister?" Nabiki looked for a trashcan to
deposit the remnants of the candy she had just finished.
"Hai. I'll miss her too. But..." Misaki saw the mess Nabiki had made to
herself, "Did you like it?"
Nabiki gave a joyous nod and her friend could only laugh in response.
"What's wrong?"
Misaki grinned while cleaning up Nabiki's face that was smothered in blue.
"Nothing."
"Is everything alright?"
"Oh, Mrs. Tendo. Nabiki just had too much candy to eat." Misaki was red in
embarrassment as if he felt he was just caught doing something wrong.
Kasumi laughed at her younger sister upon seeing the blue patch on the tip
of Nabiki's nose. "Look, Mother. Nabiki nose has turned blue."
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| Chapter 1 |
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| Tendo dojo |
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Soun Tendo was having the greatest difficulty understanding the latest
predicament to befall his family, particularly involving one of his
daughters. He walked back and forth across the dojo, one hand behind his
sore back, the other holding up his chin.
Nabiki was quiet and was kneeling down on the floor. Her eyes were making
quick glances at the young man kneeling adjacent to her, while trying to
avoiding looking at his visibly worried father.
Misaki also threw glances at her old friend and would often catch Nabiki
retracting her look away from him.
Genma Saotome was in between the two and only had his arms crossed and eyes
closed as if he was in deep thinking.
"I hope you like these." Kasumi laid out a tray of biscuits and a glass of
juice in front of Misaki.
"Thanks." Misaki turned his head. "Would you like some, Nabiki?"
Nabiki closed her eyes and was silent for a moment when everyone else in the
room was expecting a verbal reply.
"Are you...all right?"
Nabiki stood up and glared at Misaki. "For the last time, Misaki. I'm not
your wife." Misaki, too, stood up and tried to approach Nabiki.
"But..."
Genma and Soun quickly intervened as Nabiki was showing signs of irritation.
"Sit down, the two of you!" Soun had never raised his voice to anyone of his
daughters like that, but the tense situation had called for his strong and
affirmative action into the matter.
Everybody settled back again and the dojo was again filled with silence.
"Funny that your wife didn't say anything about this, Tendo."
Soun immediately dropped to his knees in front of Nabiki and poured out his
frustration. "How could she do this? I'm suppose to be the father!" Soun's
crying drowned out the rest of his bickering.
"Um, Daddy. I assure you, I'm not his wife." Nabiki shot a glance at her
long time friend and saw the flush pale reaction on Misaki's face.
"Then, how do you explain this?" Soun brought out a long piece of folded
parchment that listed numerous things, among which was a hand written note
by his wife, refuting Nabiki's claim.
Nabiki knew the importance of the list and remembers how her mother wrote on
it certain things her best friend had to fulfill before she would be
affianced to Misaki. "But that was a long time ago. And we were just kids.
Kids!"
"What happened to you Nabiki?" Misaki was casting a woeful stare directly to
Nabiki.
"Misaki, I...I..." Nabiki fluttered the words due to her uneasiness.
Soun stood up and crumpled the piece of paper. "No, matter. If your mother
wanted you two to be a couple...I won't get in the way." Soun's mood
suddenly changed.
"What?!" Nabiki gasped in dumbfounded response.
"Right!" Genma walked over to his best friend and patted Soun on the back.
"If your wife wanted Misaki and Nabiki to be married, then we shouldn't
interfere." Of course the two then danced around in joyous relief, much to
the dismay of Nabiki.
"Daddy!"
"So, Misaki...When will you two get married?" Soun was profusely shaking
Misaki's hand.
"Daddy!"
"Um, I...I can't." Misaki's words silenced the ranting of Soun.
"What?" Soun almost fell forward in shock. "What do you mean, Misaki?"
Nabiki heart raced after hearing the indecision on Misaki's part. "What do
you mean you can't?" Everyone turned his or her attention to Nabiki. "Hey, I
didn't mean it that way!"
Kasumi held on Nabiki's shoulder. "Don't be like Akane, Nabiki." Nabiki
frowned and her faced turned a bit gloomy after hearing her sister speaking
so frankly on behalf of her own true feelings.
"Everybody is a comedian! Ha, ha, ha!" Nabiki quickly stormed out of the
dojo.
"Did I say something wrong?"
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| Somewhere in Nerima |
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"Too perfect." Ranma stared at Akane after she made that sudden outburst out
of nowhere, quickly interrupting their romantic walk back home.
"What?"
Akane leaned her head on Ranma's shoulder and tightened her embraced around
her fiancé's arm. "Its too perfect...this date, I mean." Akane looked up
and further saw the confused look on Ranma.
"Ok." Ranma looked up ahead, but his mind was filling with ideas brought
about his fiancée's observation about this date that they were about to
conclude. "I wonder if Ucchan's available later." Ranma winced as his arm
was being crushed all of a sudden.
Akane grinned as she realized what Ranma was trying to do. "Very funny,
Ranma."
"Um, can you loosen up now?" Ranma was relieved as he again felt sensation
on his arm.
"Carry me." Akane stopped and quickly raised her two arms towards her
fiancée. Ranma only blinked in reply.
"Huh? Really?" Ranma was about to reach out and carry Akane across the
threshold. But, a huge mallet hits his head when he was leaning down.
"Oww!"
"In your dreams, Ranma!" Akane ran ahead and laughing a bit.
Ranma ran after her. "Hey, wait up!"
"Last one at the dojo will cook dinner!" Akane ran faster.
"What?! Hey, no fair!" Ranma closed in the gap. A minute later they where
abreast of each other. They only exchanged smiles and hurried back home.
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| Nabiki's room |
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Nabiki was lying down on her bed and was browsing over some old photographs.
"Oh, Mom." One particular picture caught her attention. On the picture were
Misaki and she, almost ten years ago. There was an archway, which held up a
sign that said 'Tunnel of Love'. "Stupid! How could I be so stupid?"
"So, Mother engaged you to Misaki that day?" Kasumi was sitting on Nabiki's
bed and was also looking at the same set of photographs.
Nabiki sat up and sighed. "Nope, I engaged myself that day." Kasumi only
blinked in reply.
"How come?"
"How shall I put it?" Nabiki crawled out of bed and paced around her room. K
asumi only followed her with a blank stare. Nabiki stopped and kneeled in
front of Kasumi. "I...guess I liked him. Ten years ago."
"True. You were very sad when he left for high school." Kasumi placed a hand
on Nabiki's shoulder. "But, he's your husband now." Nabiki frowned even
though Kasumi intended the pun as a mere jest.
"I'm sorry Nabiki. If you want, I'll take him." Kasumi genuinely smiled at
her sister.
Nabiki blinked a few times after hearing that from her sister. "You do like
him, don't you?"
Kasumi quietly stood up and was about to leave. "Yes, I did once. But, he
always fancied you more than me, Nabiki. I hope you don't make the same
mistake I made." Nabiki was more surprised than relieved at her sister's
parting revelation.
"Mistake? Kasumi..." Nabiki thoughts preoccupied her.
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| Ten years ago |
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| Carnival grounds |
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Nabiki's eyes look high up and read the sign posted on the archway. "Tunnel
of Love? What are we doing here?" Nabiki looked at her companion with a
sincere innocent look.
"Nabiki, will you...marry me?"
Nabiki's reaction was a bit more relaxed than what the situation would
normally had called for. Nabiki just continued eating the chocolate ice
cream she was holding.
"I know your mother and my mother made arrangements, but I think it's a
little unfair for you to get involved in such things." Nabiki only quietly
stared at Misaki. "You don't have any clue what I'm saying, do you?" A nod
came back as a reply.
Misaki lead Nabiki into a small boat that was shaped like a duck, which was
actually a swan, and waited until they got inside the tunnel before talking
again.
"Misaki, are you really going to somewhere far?"
"Hai. I'm sorry to have been born far too earlier than you Nabiki, or we
could go to the same school at the same time."
"But why not study here in Nerima? Kasumi's going to Furinkan High next
year."
"I...don't know. My father found out about the principal at that school and
decided it wouldn't be a good idea to just let me study here."
"I'm going to study real hard."
"I'm sure you'll do great. Don't you always say that you're the best pupil
in your class?"
"Yes, that is true."
"You sure are proud of being humble."
"Yes, that is true too."
Laughter filled the same boat wading along the path of the tunnel.
"Tell me something, Misaki-san."
"What?"
"Will you come back?"
"Of course I will, I still have to fulfill your mother's wishes."
"Oh."
"Hey, if you like I'll get you anything you want when I get back. Name it,
you'll have it."
"Really? Ok."
"Make a list, and I'll pick it up tomorrow before I leave for Osaka."
After reaching the end of the short trip, the two hopped off the swan and
rejoined the rest of the Tendos.
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| Tendo dojo |
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"Tadaima!" Ranma sat down on the porch and tried to relax after that short
distance run he had with his fiancée. Akane joined him and the two were
leaning against each other, trying to catch their breaths.
"Oh, there you are." Kasumi walked out of the porch but only stared blankly
at the poi pond in the garden.
"I win." Ranma said in between deep breaths.
"No, you don't...you cheated." Akane remarked.
"I did not." Ranma noticed that Kasumi was still looking straight out
towards the garden. "Hey, Akane."
"What?" Ranma pointed up to her fiancée's sister standing silently besides
them.
"Kasumi, is something wrong?" Akane stood up and walked towards her sister's
side.
"Oh, nothing. I just remembered something, that's all."
Akane and Ranma observed for a bit more, and their concern grew when Kasumi
still stood perfectly serene and was enjoying the view of the Tendo garden.
"Something's wrong, I just know it." Ranma whispered to Akane.
"Yeah, but what?"
Soun Tendo surprised the two from behind. "So there you are. Where have you
two been?"
"Ranma and I went on a date, Daddy."
"That's wonderful. So, have you two decided when to get married?" Soun was
having a hard time controlling his urge to tell the great news.
"Uh, I..." Ranma was again tongue-tied whenever asked the question.
"Well, no matter. You two can get married after Nabiki's wedding."
The two almost fell over in shock. "What?!"
Oblivious to them, Kasumi's head bowed and her eyes closed before a tear
fell down on her cheek.
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| End of Chapter 1 |
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C & C is appreciated
Thanks to
David Tatum
Soren Smith
Philip Masters
James Palmer - Superhentai
Scott Jamison - SKJAM
Metthyew@aol.com
Ronny Hedin
and
Rumiko Takahashi