[As usual, flames, adulation, criticism and praise to msimmons@bcgroup.net.
All characters herein are property of Takahashi Rumiko, but don't bother
taking legal action against me. I don't have anything you'd want anyway.
This and other writings can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/2506.]
[For Erin. I love you.]
A Thirteen Moons production...
Music and lyrics by Bush...
Everything else by Mike Simmons...
[There is a faint sound of strings, as the camera fades in to show Ranma's
profile. He is lying on his futon fast asleep. The moon's harsh light is
muted by the shoji to a soft, pearlescent glow that falls gently across his
sleeping face. As we look down from the ceiling, the camera turns in a
slow spiral, and the quiet, slightly distorted sound of a chugging guitar
line comes in.]
must be your skin that I'm sinking in...
[He is dreaming of Akane. Through a faint haze, we see the two walking
down an evening street in the rain, Ranma holding an umbrella over them
both. Akane reaches out to take his hand, and he jumps in shock, but his
expression quickly falls into one of peace and contentment.]
must be for real, cause now I can feel...
[They reach the doors of the Tendo dojo, and turn to face each other. As
they embrace, Ranma brushes her hair away from her ear, soaking in its
texture between his fingertips. Akane gazes at him, and slowly pulls him
down into a kiss. A faint flicker of disbelief crosses Ranma's face, as
though he can't believe this is happening.]
and I didn't mind, it's not my kind
it's not my time to wonder why...
[This doubt quickly vanishes, however, and he brushes his lips gently
against Akane's. The camera pulls back as the two continue the kiss, hard
to see in the haze of sleep and the drizzle of rain. Ranma remains clear,
but Akane shimmers, ripples, suddenly fades like a whisper and disappears.
Ranma searches urgently for her, trying vainly to pierce the rain with his
anxious gaze.]
everything's gone white, and everything's grey
now you're here, now you're away...
[The rain, the street and the dojo melt away, leaving Ranma in the midst of
curling white mist, flickering grey, spiralling and hiding everything from
his sight. Akane appears faintly through the mist and he runs toward her,
only to see her vanish before he can get there. She appears again off in
another direction, but flickers out just before he can touch her. This
continues, Akane appearing and disappearing, Ranma trying to catch her but
never quite succeeding.]
I don't want this, remember that
I'll never forget where you're at...
[Ranma leaps for Akane again, but just as his fingers brush her sleeve, she
melts away into the curling mist. He drops to the ground in exhaustion,
and the mist whirls and spirals into the ceiling of his room as he comes
awake with a start. A tear of frustration makes its way down his face,
and he pounds the floor once sharply with a fist.]
don't let the days go by...
[As the chorus plays, we see shots of Ranma and Akane quarreling as usual,
at school, in the dojo, in the street. Ranma calls her names, Akane
swiftly mallets him and storms off, leaving both of them angry and alone.
But over it all, there lies the faint image of Ranma and Akane's faces
watching each other, slowly aging as time passes quickly by.]
glycerine...
glycerine...
[The circular chord progression hits E sharp and goes back into F as we see
Ranma lying on the roof of the Tendo dojo, watching the stars. There is a
red mark on his cheek shaped like a familiar hand.]
I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time
are you at one, or do you lie...
[Indecision wars across his features, and he swings down from the roof into
the window of his room. He listens at the door for a moment, then walks to
the small cupboard and withdraws a framed picture. It is of Akane on the
day that they all went berry picking for Kasumi. She is lying back in a
pile of vines and leaves, laughing in the sunlight.]
we live in a wheel, where everyone steals
but when we rise it's like strawberry fields...
[Ranma runs a finger down the side of the frame, lost in thought. Suddenly
there is the sound of his father coming up the stairs. He quickly wraps
the picture in a piece of cloth and stuffs it back in the cupboard before
leaping out the window again.]
if I treated you bad, you bruise my face
couldn't love you more, you've got a beautiful taste...
[The camera switches to a shot of Ranma laughing at Akane and saying
something. She looks hurt, but her sad expression quickly is replaced by
anger. She winds up and slaps Ranma in the head, tears glimmering in her
eyes. He holds a hand to the side of his head as she storms off, a
surprised look on his face.]
don't let the days go by...
could have been easier on you
I couldn't change, though I wanted to...
[Another hazy dream sequence of an elderly Ranma and Akane, arguing still.
Akane turns to storm off, but her legs are too weak and she collapses.
Before Ranma can move to help her, she grips her cane and hoists herself
up, shuffling away. Ranma remains frozen to the spot, his head bowed in
regret.]
should have been easier by three
our old friend fear and you and me...
[Shaking himself out of his stillness, Ranma follows Akane into the bedroom,
where she has fallen asleep on the bed. Age lies heavy on her, but her
wrinkled face still holds the memory of youthful anger and bitterness. He
smiles ruefully, and moves to kiss her on the cheek, but stops as he sees
Akane's hand. Like a wizened claw, her hand clutches her cane, ready to
strike. He sighs, and rather than risk offending her leaves the room,
slowly shutting the door behind him.]
glycerine...
glycerine...
don't let the days go by
glycerine...
[Ranma comes back to himself as the chorus plays and heaves a sigh of
relief as he realizes he isn't old. The camera switches to a shot of him
sneaking quietly across the roof that evening, and hanging down by his
feet to peer into Akane's window. Fading away, the guitar line is silenced,
only the mournful sound of strings remaining. The same moon that lit his
room sends silver beams down over her sleeping form, unmuted by the glass.
This harsh silver light illuminates Akane, and casts the upside-down shadow
of Ranma over her.]
bad moon white again
bad moon white again
as she falls around me...
[The guitar line begins again from F. A close in shot of Akane's face
appears as her eyes flicker, and open, widening as she sees Ranma hanging
there in the window. The moon is behind him and throws him into darkness,
but not so much that she can't see the sorrow in his eyes, or the regret.]
I needed you more, when you wanted us less...
[She throws back the covers and pads to the window, sliding it open.
Swinging inside and shutting it behind him, Ranma perches on her desk as
Akane folds her arms and waits. He begins speaking in short, halting
sentences, obviously trying to apologize.]
I could not kiss, just regress...
[Akane frowns and turns away, but Ranma reaches out and grabs onto her arm,
trying to stop her. The pull of her turn unbalances him and he falls off
the desk. Akane tries to keep frowning, but the sight of Ranma sprawled on
the floor sends her into muffled laughter. Ranma scowls, but her
chuckling is infectious, and soon they are both rolling on the floor,
trying to muffle their laughter so as not to wake up anybody else.]
it might just be clear, simple and plain...
well that's just fine, that's just one of my names...
[Finally the laughter dies, and they both lie sprawled on the floor
exhausted. The camera looks down on them from the ceiling in a slowly
spinning shot. Ranma rises to his feet, pulling Akane with him. He bows
his head in shame, but she raises it again with a hand under his chin.
She looks at him with a steady gaze, as if trying to see if he is telling
the truth. Eventually she nods, and both of them smile.]
don't let the days go by
could have been easier on you, you, you...
[As Akane pulls him down into a deep kiss, the camera pulls back and up.
Over the image of the two embracing is the faint image of an elderly Ranma
and Akane, side by side with approving smiles. The old Ranma reaches out
and takes Akane's hand, supporting her so that she doesn't need her cane.
She smiles at him, and everything fades away as the final chorus plays.]
glycerine...
glycerine...
glycerine...
glycerine...