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H Y M N S O F T H E H E A R T
Which is also part 2 to "Best Ending to a Chaotic Mess"
By Adrian Wong
This fic is actually kinda a follow up to Best Ending to a Chaotic Mess,
which had taken a slightly . . . sappy turn. But it can be read on its own
as well. You see, I'm trying to train myself to write fast but good J
All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and some others. The song in this
fic is actually based on an actual hymn, even though I've changed the words
quite a bit.
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Inside the Ucchans', a beautiful music played with a guitar permeated the
air like a sweet scent, captivating all of the boss's friends into giving
all of their attention to one person that they usually tend to over look.
The player of the guitar began to sing in a beautiful, silvery voice.
"Father I have sinned, be it against my will.
Disgrace and wretched am I, yet still I long to hear:
I forgive you, I love you,
You're mine, take my hand
Go with me, hurt no more,
Beloved one."
Akane was the first to stand up and clap. "That's amazing, Konatsu! I
never knew that you can sing and play the guitar so well!"
The pretty boy beamed while Ukyou handed Akane an okonomiyaki. "I know,
eh. That's why I just have to call you all over to listen to this. It
would be a terrible waste to let this beautiful song go unheard."
"It's very good, beautiful one." Kodachi said while she stretched her arms
in a devilishly provocative fashion, causing her flawless curves to stretch
against her St. Heberke Uniform. Mousse adjusted his glasses and stare
longer than what's appropriate, but abruptly turned away as he realized
that Shampoo had caught him staring. Kodachi continued on, "But why the
Christian Theme? It . . . dulls the impact of such high art."
"Aiya . . . thus speaks the Anti-Christ." Shampoo chuckled with a hand
over her lips, then turned back to Konatsu. "Konatsu good musician.
Shampoo very impressed. Where good song from."
"You like it, Shampoo-sama?!" the boy asked, "That's a very big
compliment, cause I wrote the song and created the score myself! Now I
know that my choir is going to love this for sure."
"You're in a Catholic choir?" Ranma asked as he started to snicker, "I'm
sorry, but the idea of a guy singing with a bunch of little girls . . .
heheh - OUCH!!!"
"Ignore that jerk." Akane muttered as she removed her elbow from Ranma's
ribs.
"Yes, Ranma should watch big mouth or Shampoo give much needed discipline."
The Chinese girl said teasingly while the boy glared back at her.
"Hey! Don't get too cocky here, cat-girl! I only lost the last time
because I was being careless! I can beat you at a rematch any time of the
day!"
"And get engaged to Shampoo again by Amazon law?" The Chinese girl blinked
her pretty starlit eyes with mocked innocence as the boy deflated. After a
while, the boy grumbled:
"How come you're still in Japan anyway? Shouldn't you go back to China or
something?"
"Shampoo have to cancel flight for match at Tendo Dojo last week. Now have
to wait another month for next available flight to China."
"Great, just great!" Ranma grumbled, but was elbowed by Akane.
"Ranma, we should be nicer to her," she whispered, "after all, we don't
want her to suddenly change her mind about not taking our Dojo Sigh."
Ranma sighed as he silently vowed to himself that he'd find some way to
avenge himself. Meanwhile, Shampoo has turned her attention back towards
Konatsu again.
"Konatsu member of choir? How you have time? Shampoo thought Ukyou made
poor boy work 24 hrs a day despite zero salary."
"Hey!" Ukyou sounded insulted. "What do you take me for, your
great-grandmother?"
Mousse snickered, but was slapped over his head by Shampoo. "Hiba-chan do
no such thing! Idiot here gets regular pay on top of three meals and bed.
Turning back towards Konatsu, she said, "But Konatsu's song seemed sad . .
. what made you write song with sad words?"
"It's supposed to be a song about repentance, Shampoo-sama" The boy
replied with a slightly sad look on his face. "It has . . . a little to do
with what I'd been through. You see, my stepmother used to open this
Erotic Caf�, and she . . . er . . . she sort of made me help her in
impressing the customers. Sometimes, things tend to go very far . . ."
"Oh." Shampoo said as she fidgeted nervously with her fingers. "Shampoo
sorry for being insensitive."
"It's alright," Konatsu replied gently, "you've no way of knowing it. By
the way, that's why I join the choir in the first place," he smiled, "cause
the people there all seem so nice and accepting to someone like me."
The atmosphere of the restaurant suddenly became a lot heavier than before,
and a moment of uncomfortable settled over the place. Finally, Ukyou broke
the silence by slapping her kneecap and speaking up.
"Hey, Konastsu, your song is still unfinished, is it?"
"Yeah, I have to give it to the choir by tomorrow, but I'm feeling so
uninspired lately . . ." Konastsu said as he played the score of the song
again. Catching onto the music, Ukyou sang lightly:
"Father I have fought . . ."
Konatsu stopped and turned to her with a startled look, but Ukyou gestured
for him to continue on. He started over from the beginning as Ukyou
continued on in a forceful voice that defined her character:
"Father I have fought, for what I think I need,
Those who should be my friend, I've made them enemies."
Everybody in the room turned to her in surprise as Konatsu played on as he
sang.
"I forgive you, I love you,
You're mine, take my hand
Go with me, hurt no more,
Beloved one."
Ukyou turned to her room-full of best enemies/friends with a smile, and
most of them hesitantly smiled back. Ranma, however, had a touched looked
on his face as he reached out a hand to put over Ukyou's as he sang in a
rather competent singing voice.
"Father I have loved, if love is what it's called.
Too many games I've played, too many hearts I've broke."
At this point, everybody in the room was drawn into the atmosphere of the
song as they all sang together.
"I forgive you, I love you,
You're mine, take my hand
Go with me, hurt no more,
Beloved one."
Konatsu played on with his guitar, waiting for the next lyric make to show
up. He didn't have to wait long as Shampoo stood up and sang in a voice so
soft and beautiful that it washed over everyone's hearts like a stream of
spring water:
"Father I have tried . . ."
< Oh father I have chased ~ > Mousse added to the song with his own elegant
voice. Shampoo shot him a brief, amused look and continued.
"To win myself a prize,"
<A dream not meant to be ~ >
"The battle's lost and won"
<Lost within hate and love ~>
"My heart is still confused."
<My heart is so confused ~ !>
"I forgive you, I love you,
You're mine, take my hand
Go with me, hurt no more,
Beloved one."
The next singer was a bit of a surprise, but her husky, melancholic voice
still managed to pull at everyone's heartstrings as she sang her own part:
"Father I have wound, to keep myself on top,
A rose with venom thorns, a slave of fear and . . . rage."
Much to everybody's surprise, the almighty gymnast actually started
sobbing. Mousse involuntarily moved away from Shampoo's side and patted
her on her shoulder. Gently, the boy sang on as the rest of the kids joined
in:
"I forgive you, I love you,
You're mine, take my hand
Go with me, hurt no more,
Beloved one."
Looking around a hint nervously, Akane sighed in a "why not?" sort of way
and dip in her two cents:
"Father I have hurt, those who I should have loved,"
Turning to Ranma, she continued on as her eyes began to tear up with emotions:
"They gave me warmth and light, I gave them burning flames."
Ranma stared at her in shock. In all the time that he had known her,
Akane's pride had never allowed her to openly apologize for anything. The
only time they'd ever solve a problem was when he finally gave in and
pampered her feelings. Feeling something poking him from behind, he saw
Shampoo wearing a peeved look on her face as she held up a "Genma-panda"
sign in Kanji:
[[ Go to her, you big log of saotome-wood. ]]
Ranma blinked, to which Shampoo tilted her head and smiled in a "you're
hopeless" fashion as she flipped over the sigh:
[[ Stop staring at me, or the 'uncute tomboy' will get the wrong idea. GO!
]]
Turning towards Akane, Ranma laid a hand across her shoulder as the girl
leaned against him with a light blush on her face. Ukyou, Konatsu and
Shampoo shared a smile among themselves, while Kodachi allowed herself to
lean against Mousse's big, sheltering body. Together, they all sang:
"I forgive you, I love you,
You're mine, take my hand
Go with me, hurt no more,
Beloved one."
THE END
Sept 14, 1998.