Hi, people.
Sorry for the bad formatting in Chapters 9 and 10. I hope
this would be better.
Okay, by now you probably know why I delayed WFY by so much.
I gotta admit, I wanted to release these last 3 chapters
at the same time. ^_^
Enjoy.
****
Disclaimer : Ranma 1/2 and all characters belong to Rumiko
Takahashi. This fanfic is written for enjoyment and
self-fulfillment purposes only.
Waiting For You
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Stiffanie Flores
Epilogue
Till Death Do Us Part
I need to talk with you again,
Why did you go away?
All our time together
just feels like yesterday.
I never thought I'd see
a single day without you.
The things we take for granted
we could sometimes lose.
And if I promise not to feel this pain
will I see you again?
'Cause time will pass me by
maybe I'll never learn to smile,
but I know I'll make it through
if you wait for me.
And all the tears I cried
no matter how I try,
they'll never bring you home to me
won't you wait for me in heaven?
Do you remember how it was
when we never seemed to care?
The days went by so quickly
'cause I thought you'd always be there.
And it's hard to let you go
though I know that I must try.
I feel like I've been cheated
cause we never said goodbye
And all the tears I cried
No matter how I try
They'll never bring you home to me
won't you wait for me in heaven?
'Cause i miss you so
and i need to know
will you wait for me?
- Will You Wait For Me?
- Kavana
****
[Final entry in Tendo Akane's diary. Date : two days before
her death]
It's been so long. Sometimes, I still can't believe that Ranma's
dead. It's as if I wake up every morning half-expecting that
this is all just a bad dream. But it's real.
I thought I could forget him. In a way, perhaps I have. I can
think about him now without crying, and other people can bring up
his name without being afraid I'd make a scene. It has been two
years, after all. I have to get on with my life.
Once I had thought that without Ranma, I had nothing to live
for. Overcome with grief at the news of Ranma's death, I'd tried
to kill myself. In a blink of an eye, my world had turned upside
down. My fiance - the person I love... he's dead. I didn't even
have the memory of his love to tide me over, because I didn't know
if he truly loved me.
But he did. My family and friends have assured me that he did,
and I believe them. I have to believe he did, or else I would go
insane. That's all I have now - painful, and yet so precious memories.
I remember him sitting beside my hospital bed, holding my hand, his
blue-gray eyes filled with concern as he watched over me. During
that time, his was the last face I saw before I drifted off into
unconsciousness, and when I woke up, he was still there, watching over me.
He left on a journey to find a man who knew a cure for the poison,
my family told me. He left to find a cure to save me, as I'd once
again managed to get myself into trouble, leaving it up to him to
come to my rescue. Nothing too surprising.
Except now, he never came back. He was gravely injured, Ryouga
told me, after fighting the bandits who were taking advantage
of two young girls.
That's my Ranma. Brave, honorable Ranma. He would never turn
his back on anyone in need, even when he was in a hurry to get
back to me. I would always remember him like that. He never
turned his back on me, either. If not for me, maybe Ryouga could
have gotten him treatment in a nearby village and he would
have been saved. But even as he lay dying, his only concern had
been for me. And in my dreams, I see him lying in a pool of
his own blood, as he called my name. He died for me.
Sometimes, the pain is unbearable. It's so hard to go on
without him, pretending to be happy when there is nothing left
of me but a hollow shell... And then, just when I think I can't
stand it any longer, my mind conjures an image of him, his
face contorted in pain, as he called my name... and that gives
me the reason I need to keep on. Because he died for me.
Because I love him, and this is really the least I can do for
him. Because I want him to know that I will always love him
for that. For loving me that much. For everything.
It's by far the hardest thing I've ever done, to go on
living, putting on a happy mask for my family's sake, even
as I felt empty inside. For how could I ever be happy again,
when the one person who's ever brought me happiness is gone
forever? How could any little joy I have now ever measure
up to the happiness and contentment that came with being
with Ranma, loving him?
Time does heal all wounds, as I'm sure it will mine. But
even as the hurt grows less and less with each passing
day, it digs a deeper hole within me, a void, which I know
could never be filled. He has burned himself into my soul,
and like carvings against stone, I cannot do anything to
undo them.
My friends, my family... they've all tried so hard to
help me fill that gaping hole in my life. I drowned
myself in schoolwork, my training, teaching classes
during the summer... But somehow, it isn't enough.
*Nothing* is enough.
Nabiki once told me that perhaps the only way to purge
Ranma from my heart completely is to fall in love again.
But I can't help thinking, can I ever love someone that
much again?
Shinnosuke... he's been a wonderful friend. I can't even
imagine the past two years of my life without him. God
knows he's tried so hard to help me, to make me forget...
And he just told me that he loves me. Can I tell you
just how much of a surprise this was? Shinnosuke loves
*me*. Not only that, he knows I'm still not over Ranma.
He told me he would wait for me, until I'm ready.
I have so much to live for - my family, my friends.
Shinnosuke. Here is a man who promised to wait for me
until I can accept him. He told me that he would always
love me, no matter what happens. I know he can make me
happy, take care of me. He's given me everything I
wanted, what more could I ask for?
I remember, I used to want those things from Ranma.
I wanted him to say he loved me, and that he would take
care of me forever. I wanted from Ranma a sense of
security and an assurance that he would always be mine.
But he died before he could do any of that. And now,
Shinnosuke promises me all of that, and much more.
I do love Shinnosuke. Not in the way I loved Ranma, but
still, I believe I do love him. I love him for all the
things he's done for me, for all the good things that
he is.
But I can't love him like that. I'm not sure I can
love anyone. Not right now. Maybe not ever. I don't know.
But I know I can't let things go on, can't continue to
deceive both of us that I'd be able to return his love.
I'm so sorry to have let things go this far, for not
realizing the truth until now. But when he was telling
me he'd wait for me, until I've forgotten Ranma, I
couldn't deny it anymore. I can't go on pretending anymore.
I can't let him do this for me. He deserves more than what
I can give him. He deserves to be happy. I want him to be
happy. And yet, how can he be happy, if I let him continue
to love me, letting him hope I'd love him someday, when I
don't even know if I can ever find it in myself to love
again? Until I'm sure I can love him, the way that he wants
me to, I have to let him go.
I will continue living, and maybe one day, I would be able
to open my heart to another. But until that day comes, I'll
continue to love Ranma. Even though he's gone, in my heart,
I know we'll always be together. I'll always remember him,
keep the memory of him safe in my heart, until we're
together again.
****
A soft wind rustled through the leaves in the forest.
Shinnosuke closed his eyes, and inhaled the clean air.
After two years in Tokyo, two years amidst modern
technology and modern people, he still came back.
After all, he reminded himself, he only stayed in Tokyo
because of her. Without her, he had no life there. *This*
was where he was needed, where he should be. *This* was home.
He stopped beside a tree, laying his hand against the rough
bark. It seemed so long ago, but he could remember it like
yesterday. The scene replayed itself in his mind. The
woman he loved threw caution aside, stripped off her shirt,
risked her life to rescue her beloved. The strong young
man, leaping from inside the Orochi's mouth, launching
himself at his fiancee, covering her body with hers,
shielding her from harm.
Moments later, he'd stood aside, watching the couple a
few meters away. From the distance, through the surrounding
mist, he couldn't see their faces, only the young man,
tall and proud, standing protectively beside the young
woman, looking ready to take on the world for her. And
she'd never looked happier, or more content, than she
did at that moment, at her place beside him.
At that moment, standing in this exact spot, he'd known
that nothing he could do would make her look at him the
way she looked at her fiancee. They were literally
meant for each other, in every sense of the word.
Even death couldn't
separate them.
Shinnosuke looked up at the sky, endless blue with
white wispy clouds. If he concentrated hard enough, he
could imagine the young man standing amidst the clouds,
his arm around his fiancee. Unlike in the forest,
however, he could see the smiles on their faces, the
love shining in their eyes.
The couple turned and walked away, their fingers
entwined. Shinnosuke watched them as their figures grew
smaller and smaller, until they disappeared completely
among the clouds.
"I wish you happy, Akane," he whispered to himself, as
he continued walking home, where grandfather was waiting.
And he knew that she was, wherever she may be.
****
Author's words:
Not much of an explanation, I know. ^_^
Let me tell you the reason why I started writing my
own Ranma fanfic: I was reading all these wonderful
stories about Ranma and Akane, about love overcoming all
hurdles, living happily ever after... even stories about
Ranma or Akane passing away, leaving behind the other to
grieve his/her loss, before moving on with their lives...
To the extent of my knowledge (and that isn't saying
much, as I haven't read as many fanfics as *some* people
have ^_^), there isn't a Ranma fanfic where Ranma and
Akane *both* die, and live (or die ^_^) happily ever
after. So I decided to write my own.
And they can't very well die together, right? Even in
Shakespearean stories, Romeo died before Juliet did.
Okay, I'm not saying my story measures up to Shakespeare,
but you get my point. ^_^
Shinnosuke was just a spice I threw in, for added
flavor. ^_^ Sure, he's a tragic figure in this story,
but I'd like to think he'll move on with his life and
later find someone else to love. After Ranma, I have
to admit he's my favorite male in Ranma 1/2.
Okay, here you have it. My first (and probably last)
Ranma series-length fanfic. Frankly, I have too little
time to myself, and that's a very BIG part of the
reason why the conclusion of WFY has been delayed so
much. I'd originally intended to revise some parts
which need editing (or a major overhaul), like
Ranma's death, the bandit's scene, etc., but I don't
think I will be. Not because of lack of interest,
but because of a lack of *time*, not to mention I'm
fresh out of new ideas. ^_^
Thanks for bearing with me. Thanks for letting me
share my story with you. And thanks to all the
terrific Ranma fanfic authors out there, without
whom I would never have conceived the idea of
writing my own Ranma fanfic.
And if you've read this far, thanks again.
I know, I talk too much. ^_^
Till next time,
Stiffanie
Email: stiffanie@mail.com