Well, it's been about a year since I posted this. Polished it up a
little as well. Anyway, I'd just like to wish a happy birthday to anyone
who's birthday falls on march 9th(like me; that's kinda the reason why I
wanted to post it out today...).


Ranma's Birthday

Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz.

 Ranma sighed as he looked up at the light-blue sky, watching the clouds
drift idly past him. He shifted his body slightly as he made himself
comfortable on the soft, green grass. Today had been the worst day in
recent memory, even worse than the time he thought he had lost his
strength forever. Today was his birthday, and no one remembered.

 No one had remembered his birthday. No matter how much he tried to
convince himself that it wasn't personal, he still felt hurt. He had
even tried subtly hinting it to them, circling the date in bright red on
their calendars, writing the word <Ranma> on the date...But no one had
even asked him why his name was on the calendar.

  He didn't expect too much for his birthday, certainly not a present.
Living with Genma for ten years had taught him that...but a break from
the usual activities wasn't too much to ask was it? Even the most
simplest of sentences, "Happy Birthday" would have cheered him up
immensely.

 Apparently it had been. Firstly, he had been kicked awake by Genma, who
immediately began to spar with him. Then, on the way to school, he had
been punted by Akane all the way to school when Shampoo showed up and
glomped onto him, bubbling with joy as usual. He wished he could have
some of that joy now, but instead he was getting a lesson in feeling
depressed.

 Throughout the whole day, he kept wishing someone would remember, but
no one did. Not even Ukyou, one of his oldest friends... It hurt him,
more than anything he had ever felt.

 By the end of school, when Akane had tried to scold him for flirting
with Shampoo, he had simply ignored her...Why couldn't she see that he
was simply in no mood to fight with her today. Let her think what ever
she wanted.

 But apparently, she had been so infuriated by him ignoring her that she
had kicked him off into the sky. He had landed at his present location
and had decided that instead of rushing home, he had stayed here to
think.

 It wasn't fair. Whenever Akane's birthday came, the family treated her
like a princess, nothing was too good for her. But when it came to his,
nobody remembered. Not even his baka Oyaji.

 He wiped away the moisture on his cheeks. Men didn't cry, he would not
cry. No matter how much he wished he could.

 "Ranma?" a voice sounded from behind him, surprising him and causing
him to turn around and look at the owner of the voice.  He turned back
when he saw who it was.

 "What is it?" he said depressively as he stared straight up into the
sky. Apparently he wasn't safe, not even here.

 "Here," she said, gingerly holding a beautifully wrapped-up parcel with
two hands and offering it to him. "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday."

 He sat up, cocking his head to one side, as he looked at the girl in
front of him with a new light. Glancing at the girl and then to the
gift, and finally back to the girl again, he reached out and accepted
the present. And he smiled, the first geniuine smile he had in a long
time.

 "Thanks," he said. Perhaps life wasn't so bad after all, he couldn't
think of anyone else he would have wanted to remember his birthday.