Dear FFMLers
I was going to send the revised draft of Fruition,
Ch. 1, but I only made some minor changes, nothing that
would substantially alter it. (If you're reading this,
Allyn, I'm sorry! I couldn't change it! ^_^) Anyway,
here is Ch. 2. and again, C & C will be greatly
appreciated! ^_^ You can send comments via the FFML or
respond to me privately at gnbean@u.washington.edu
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FRUITION by B.S.N.
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DISCLAIMER: The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the
property of Ms. Rumiko Takahashi, Shonen Sunday, Kitty,
Viz Video and all other associated parties. This
fanfiction does not intend to reap profit or benefit
of any kind; it was created for entertainment purposes
only.
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NOTE: This fanfiction does not follow the Ranma 1/2
manga/anime timeline. Rather, it has created an
alternate time. Moreover, although it uses the
characters of Ranma 1/2, not all of the characters will
be employed as I have not yet read all the manga and have
not watched all the anime.
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TEXT CONVENTIONS:
* * indicates thought
---- denotes change of scene/break in scene
<" "> shows Chinese dialect
_ _ notes emphasis
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CHAPTER 2: Two Complex Thoughts
Later that night, Ranma lay upon the tiles of
the dojo roof. He looked at his right hand--the hand
that had reached out and held Akane's hand. He spread
his hand wide and studied the calluses that marked his
palm. *Her hand is so small. . and soft. Who would've
thought it could've felt that way, considerin' how
she lifts weights and all. . .* It was odd that he
could still feel the pressure of her hand, though
hours had long since passed. The boy recalled the
slight breeze that had ruffled her blue-black hair,
the way the moon had lighted up her face. . .the way
her eyes shone. . .the way her mouth curved in a
smile. . . She looked. . . And again, Ranma felt his
heart throb strangely. It was an unfamiliar sensation,
one which he had never before experienced and he
wondered what had caused it. He closed his eyes and
murmured, "Maybe. . .I'm just still surprised. . .
by how nice Akane can be."
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Akane could not sleep. She had lain awake in
bed for many hours, tossing and turning. Her heart
and mind were confused by the tumult of thoughts and
emotions that had arisen since she held Ranma's hand.
*Why did he hold out his hand? Why was he
so. . ._nice_? Does he care? Does he. . .?*
She sat bolt upright in bed at the thought, blushing
furiously. *Ranma?! How ridiculous! No, he
couldn't. . .* She lay back in bed and sighed. *No,
he doesn't. . . I guess he was just trying to be nice.
But. . .if only I knew. . .what it really meant. . .
then I'd know how I feel.* She laid her left hand on
her breast. *Then I would know why my heart feels so
strange. . . why it aches in this funny way.* She
looked at her hand. *I can still feel the presure of
his hand on mine. His hand is so big. . .and
strong. . .* She placed her hand once more upon her
heart and again felt the odd stirring of emotion within.
*Maybe I should tell him about Hinako Sensei. . .and if I
knew how he feels about me. . .then I'll know. . .for
sure. . .what to do. And then. . maybe I'll know how I
feel about him. If I should tell him and ask him. . .
then I'll know. . .* And she closed her eyes and sighed.
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The morning had dawned fair and bright. Under
the sun's warm rays, the frost had melted, leaving
glittering droplets of water on the leaves of the trees
and on the grass. Ranma and Akane were hurrying to
school, satchels in hand. The girl ran besdie the boy,
who, with uncanny balance, was speeding along on the
railing of a fence. As Akane rushed along, she thought
about last night. *Should I tell him how close I am in
achieving my dream? But what would he do? What would
he say?*
Ranma was also thinking about last night. *I
wonder how she feels about. . .last night. She seemed
okay this morning. . but then, you never know with
Akane. . .*
Their destination was soon in sight but before
Ranma could leap from the fence to the gates of
Furinkan High, he heard a familiar voice shout, "Aiya!
Nihao, Ranma!" He halted mid-stride and turned to see
the front wheel of a bicycle spinning towarsd him and, in
the twinkling of an eye, Ranma was crushed beneath its
weight.
"Oh, Ranma! Shampoo too too glad to see you!"
The Amazon hoisted Ranma's prone form upright and gave
him a fierce hug. Though the scene was a familiar one,
Akane stood by, clutching the handle of her satchel with
white-knuckled fists. Shampoo paid no attention and
proceeded to lavish caresses on Ranma.
"What are you doing out so early, Shampoo? You're
not making a delivery, are you?" croaked Ranma when he
regained his senses.
"Oh, Shampoo on errand for Great-Grandmother!
But Shampoo want to see Ranma first! Ranma happy to see
Shampoo, right?"
Ranma struggled to free himself from the girl's
embrace. "Uh. . .Shampoo, I'm going to be late for
school. I really need to go."
"Ranma no go school--take Shampoo on date, yes?"
But before Ranma could answer, another figure rushed
towards him, a giant spatula held aloft. In a flash of
silver, Shampoo and Ranma were separated and the girl
stood before them.
"Ranma honey, are you okay? I saw you from the
classroom window and thought you were in trouble." The
blue-eyed girl shot a venomous look at the purple-haired
Amazon and said, "And it appears that I arrived just in
time."
"Uh, ohayou, Ukyou. . ." The girls glared at
each other menacingly, the very air charged with their
anger. Ranma waved his hands frantically in the air.
"Uh, listen, girls, why don't you just calm down, huh?
I'm kinda late and I think that. . ."
Yet before he could continue, he heard the swish
of a skirt and the sharp, hurried click of shoes upon the
pavement. He turned to see Akane running towards the
school. *Oh, man, now she's mad!*
"Yo, Akane! Wait up!" Ranma picked up his
schoolbag and said to the two girls, "Gotta go! I'm late
for school!" He bounded towards the gates, leaving
Shampoo and Ukyou behind.
As soon as the boy leapt away, the tension
between them dissolved. "Ranma!" Ukyou and Shampoo
cried out in unison, but he was already gone.
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Ranma had failed to overtake Akane, but both
were so tardy, the teacher had sent them outside into
the hall. Akane stared straight ahead at the wall in
front of her, the water in the buckets completely still
as she held her arms out rigidly beside her. Ranma, too,
deigned not a glance on Akane, and gazed steadfastly at
the wall in front of him. *That dumb Akane!* Ranma
fumed. *Why does she hafta get so mad, anyway? I
didn't do nothin' but of course she blames me! Why
don't she ever gimme a chance to explain myself?!*
He surreptitiously cast Akane a look. *Jeez, and to
think that I thought Akane was nice! Maybe I just
imagined the whoe thing last night. . .* He flushed
and felt uncomfortable. *Dumb, uncute, unsexy tomboy!
I don't even know why I bother!*
*That insensitive, womanizing pervert!* Akane
seethed. *Why does he just stand there and let them
fawn all over him, anyway? Honestly! How egotistical!
He didn't even notice me! Of course, I'm not as cute
as his other fiancees, so it's only natural that he'd
enjoy their company over mine!* She felt her heart beat
painfully. *Maybe he still doesn't care. . .and to
think that I thought he might! And I was even going to
tell him about my talk with Hinako Sensei! That jerk!
I don't know why I even bother!*
"Look, Akane, you don't need to be so jealous,
you know--" Ranma began.
"What! Me! Jealous?! You are so conceited!
As if I coul be jealous!"
"Then why are you so mad? Admit it, Akane, if
you weren't jealous then you wouldn't be overreacting."
Akane's eyes narrowed and her chest heaved up
and down in rage. She tightened her hold on the buckets
and swung them at Ranma. "You jerk! How dare you say
such a thing!" She flung the empty buckets down and
stomped down the corridor.
"Feh. That dumb tomboy," Ranma muttered as
she squeezed the excess water from her shirt and shook
back the wet strands of hair from her eyes. "Guess I'll
have to go get some hot water."
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Ranma was looking at Akane in bewilderment.
Ever since that morning's quarrel, Akane had been
pensive all day. Her unusual behavior alarmed Ranma
not a little and throughout the day, he had cast many a
glance at the girl. During lunch, one of his classmates
joked about how late Ranma and Akane had been that
morning and in response, Ranma had inadvertently blurted
out an insulting comment about Akane. He had looked
fearfully at the girl, waiting for her reaction, but she
did nothing. She had not heard Ranma's remark at all--
she was staring out the window, oblivious to the merry
chatter of her friends around her. In fact, in all of
their classes, Akane paid no attention to the lessons and
simply gazed out the window.
*Gee, I wonder what's wrong with her. Is she
still mad?* He glanced at her again. *Stupid Akane, why
is she actin' like this? I dunno why she's even mad in
the first place. I didn't do nothin'." Ranma looked at
her again, this time catching sight of her face.
Something in her expression troubled him.
*Is she still angry? Nah, it don't look like
it. . .then again. . .* Ranma bit his lip. *I guess she
is--but she looks sad at the same time. I wonder why?*
He glanced at her once more. *Ah, stupid tomboy. I
don't know why I even bother with her! She is so uncute!*
But he suddenly remembered the way she looked last night
in the moonlight--the warm, shy smile and the hestitant
look she gave him when she placed her hand in his. He
felt his heart beat queerly again. *Well, actually,
even though she's a tomboy. . .* The bell rang, shattering
his reverie.
Ranma glanced over at Akane's desk, but to his
surprise, she was already gone. *Oh, man! She's gone
and run off somewhere again! That dummy! Well, if
she think I'm gonna wait around for her. . .* He
sighed, then shrugged. *I guess I'd better wait for
her--no tellin' what could happen.*
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The boy was lounging on the branch of a tree,
his eyes sweeping carelessly over the crowd of students
walking beneath him. He sighed and looked at the clock
on the face of the school building. *Man, she's late!
I've been waitin' for fifteen minutes and. . .wait, there
she is!* He jumped down from the branch and stood in
front of the girl. "Yo, Akane!"
The girl looked up, startled, but then directed
her eyes to the ground once more. She did not stop to
greet him but walked on. Ranma fell in step besides her.
"hey, what's the matter? You're not still mad,
are you?"
"No, I'm not."
Ranma peered into her face. *Somethin's
definitely wrong with her.*
"Hey, look, Akane, don't be mad or nothin'. . ."
She did not reply and continued to fix her eyes
on the ground.
"Akane. . ." Still no response.
"Hey, Akane. . ." She remained silent still.
"Akane. . ." Ranma grabbed her arm. She finally
turned and looked at him.
"Look. . .I know you're still mad and all. . .
but. . .look. . .I. . .uh. . .um. . .I'm sorry for what I
did today."
"It doesn't matter, Ranma."
"Huh? Whaddaya mean?!"
"It doesn't matter."
"Whaddaya mean it don't matter?! I'm tryin' to
apologize here and all you're sayin' is that it don't
matter?!"
Akane said nothing and continued to walk down
the street. Ranma stared after her. He ran after her
and taking Akane by the shoulder, turned her to face him.
"Akane, why are you actin' like this? Why don't you say
somethin'?"
"Really, it's nothing, Ranma," Akane murmured
as she began to walk away.
Ranma stood agape. Suddenly, in frustration he
shouted, "Fine then! Be that way! I try to be nice and
apologize and. . .Aaargh! You are so uncute!" And he
stalked off, leaving Akane to walk home alone.
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Akane finally turned to watch the boy stomp down
the street. *Oh, Ranma. . .if only you knew. . .if only
I could tell you. . .* The girl sighed. *But I can't.
Not now. I made a promise to Hinako Sensei that I would
keep it a secret. . .so that I wouldn't disappoint anyone
if I failed.* She sighed again and resumed her journey
homeward. *But did I really make the right decision? I
felt so sure this afternoon. . .but now. . .somehow, I
feel that it's wrong. But why?*
Akane recalled the feelings of elation and triumph
that had followed after she informed Ms. Hinako of her
intention. Immediately after her quarrel with Ranma,
Akane told the teacher that she was going to apply to
college. She was now on her way to achieving her
life-long ambition. Yet somehow, her exhilaration and
certainty had worn off and now she was haunted by a vague
dread, a faint dissatisfaction and. . .a suble
sorrow--feelings that troubled her as soon as she
re-entered the classroom and saw Ranma.
*Did I really make the right decision?* This
question had troubled her mind the whole day; she
searched for an explanation that could quiet her
uncertainty but her efforts were to no avail. This
feeling continued to plague her and even grew in its
intensity after Ranma's apology--which, Akane knew, was an
extremely singular and infrequent event. This action always
took Akane by surprise and only added to the doubt and
confusion already in her mind.
*There's really no reason why i feel the way I do.
Ranma shouldn't affect my decision at all. . . Of course
I want to go to college! After all, it's my life-long
dream! It's what I've been wanting for so long and wanted
so much! And now I have the opportunity to go!*
Yet an indescribable melancholy and apprehension
weighed upon her which she could neither name nor explain.
She struggled to identify its origin, but all she could
think about was the night when Ranma held out his hand to
her. She tried to push it into the furthest corner of her
mind but it would not--could not--be ignored.
"But it's not like I've already been accepted! I
haven't even applied yet! After all, I'm only deciding to
try, nothing more," Akane argued aloud. She shook her head
in impatience. "Honestly! I'm just overreacting! There's
really nothing to be worried about!"
"But. . .but. . ._why_ do I feel like this
decision could make me. . .unhappy?" Akane whispered, her
certitude waning and doubt taking possession of her again.
"Why do I still feel that it's. . .wrong?"
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Ranma walked along the deserted street, his
face twisted into a scowl. *Stupid, stupid Akane!*
he fumed. *Why don't she say anythin'? I even go and
apologize and all she does is ignore me! I try and be
nice to her and. . .feh, who needs her? Why do I even
bother?!* He kicked at a pebble in the street and
buried his hands deeper into his pockets.
*I don't understand her at all. One mintue
she's angry and the next. . .nah, she's never really
nice to me. I can't remember any time that she's been
nice. I don't even know what ol' Doc Tofu was talkin'
about. . . 'Ranma, do try and get along with Akane.
She's really a very sweet girl. . .' Yeah, right! A
violent maniac tomboy like her?!*
Yet a series of images ran through his mind to
contradict this. Akane bringing him a hot keetle of
water after his first fight with Kunou. . .bringing him
tea and rice cakes when he had angered Happousai and
was thrown out. . .helping him out with his homework. . .
helping him master the Hiryou Shouten Ha technique. . .
saving him with a splash of cold water in his match
against Kodachi. . .watching out for him when he
believed he was a girl. . .risking her life to
retrieve the pressure point chart from Happousai. . .
Yes, Ranma was forced to admit that Akane could be. . .
sweet.
"But she's so uncute!" he called out in protest.
But again, he recalled the way she smiled last night. . .
the flush of her cheek when she grasped his hand. . .the
glow of her big brown eyes. . . *Okay, even though she's
a tomboy. . .she _can_ be cute. But why don't she evern
listen to my side of the story? Why does she always
hafta blame me? She don't ever gimme a chance to explain
myself.* The boy sighed. *She's always hammerin' me
with her mallet or kickin' me into orbit or somethin'. . .
and she's never as nice to me as she is to Ryouga or
Shinnosuke.*
He jumped easily over a chain-link fence and slid
down the concrete embankment of the canal. The light of
the setting sun had transformed the dingy waterway into a
glimmering band of coral, rose, saffron and vermillion.
But its splendor went unnoticed by the boy; he was blind to
its beauty and only stared moodily into its depths.
"No. . .she's never as nice to me as she is to
them. . ." Ranma muttered, "Never. . ."
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It was late that night when Ranma reached the
house. He was about to push open the heavy wooden door
of the outer wall when he saw a slender figure
approaching. *Akane. . .*
"Uh. . .konban wa, Ranma."
"Konban wa, Akane."
The girl shuffled uneasily and nervously twisted
her hands together. "Ranma, about this afternoon. . ."
"Forget it, Akane." And Ranma placed his hand upon
the door again.
"Wait, Ranma." She laid her hand upon his arm.
"I'm sorry about. . .being so rude to you today. It's just
that. . .well, you see, it's. . .'
She dropped her hand and looked down, grinding the
toe of her shoe against the pavement. "You see. . .Hinako
Sensei and I. . .that is, Hinako Sensei. . ." Suddenly,
Akane raised her head, the words tumbling out of her mouth,
"Hinako Sensei wanted to see me--said that I need to
improve my grades--that I did very badly on our last exam--
and that I should have tutorial sessions every day after
school now."
"That's why you were so mad?" Ranma asked, secret
relief flooding through him.
Akane nodded, eyes lowered. "Yes. . .that's why
I was so. . .you know. . .upset."
Ranma's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Really?"
he asked, the incredulity in his voice obvious. "You're
really not pulling my leg? You really need help with your
homework?"
Akane nodded again, her cheeks beginning to burn
with embarrassment.
"Wow. . .you need help with your school work?"
"Yes."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious."
"Man, I can't believe it--_you_, Tendou Akane,
need help in school?"
"Ranma! How many times do I have to tell you?!
Yes, I need help with my studies!"
"It just don't make sense. . ."
"Ranma!" And Akane raised her fist and pounded
it atop his skull.
"Jeez! That hurt, ya know!" Ranma yelled,
rubbing his hand across the bump on his head.
In response, Akane stuck her tongue out at him,
pulling down the lower lid of her eye with her finger
as she ran in through the gate. Ranma, though his head
still throbbed, could not help but grin as he followed
Akane inside. "Stupid tomboy," he mumbled, not unkindly.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, this is the second chapter. I'm
not quite sure about it, but that's what the FFML is
for right?--C & C! Once again, C & C will be welcomed
enthusiastically. (And I want to thank, once again,
those who took the time out to read the fic and
comment on it.) Please send it to the e-mail
address given above or through the FFML. Thanks!
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