On A Starry Night
The seasons were changing; signs of this were evident all across the land. The air was warming, the trees were budding and green shoots were poking out of the dead, brown overgrowth. What was once dormant and forgotten was coming alive with the vibrancy of newness. A newness that swept across the sky with a loving caress and stirred the long, banked embers of the celestial bodies. A newness that could glimpse into the depths of mans soul in an effort to assert itself, driven by a relentless spirit and energy that surged to the very end. A newness whose beauty and fragility would never be forgotten by those who witnessed the sight; put simply this was the dance of life.
In the midst of all this newness sat Ranma; enthroned on the roof of the Tendo household. He was clearly dressed for bed, as could be seen by the yellow boxers and white muscle shirt, however sleep eluded him this evening. Just as all of nature was being lovingly coaxed to life by the faint stirrings of spring, so was he. The long banked embers in his heart were being stoaked, and soon a fire was raging in their place. This fire did not possess any of the uncertainties or denials of the past's meager flames. No, this fire burned with the light of a realized truth and the confirmation of a monumental challenge. This truth would be next to impossible to realize unless some changes were made, and fast.
Ranma rose early the next morning despite his late night. He has been working on a method of attack and had decided that his best approach would be a physical one. This challenge was going to have to begin in conflict. With this thought in mind, Ranma detoured through the kitchen to grab a glass and a pitcher of ice water. He then positioned himself by the front gates of the Tendo home and waited. He glanced at his watch and smiled as he realized that the first of many conflicts was due to begin in exactly five minutes.
Akane was out for her normal morning jog. Everyday she followed the same routine. She would rise at the same time, leave for her jog at the same time, and return at the same time. This monotony seemed to help her father stay a little more rooted in reality. At one point in time he had a sound mind, however since her mother's death he was sure he would also loose one of his daughters. This routine was Akane's small way of reassuring him that life's events would never change. However, this would soon no longer be the case. Something had been nagging at Akane's mind lately. Something thought that disturbed her very much. Over the past few days she had tried several different methods of calming herself, but none of them had worked. She needed to find a way to calm her overstressed spirit so she could quietly contemplate her life. Then, as the grim thought entered her mind, she remembered everything she had done the past few months and shut her mind off from every other thought. A change was coming over her also, a change that was long over due. Akane knew what she felt burning within her. She also knew it was growing everyday, but she did not know how to stop it or make it more simple. So she chose the only other path offered, the newness of freedom. With the decision firmly made, Akane turned down the street headed not for the Tendo home, but for the park and change.
Ranma sat waiting for the recipient of his silent challenge. He never suspected the change that was occurring in his life at the moment. As he waited he started to get disappointed that Akane did not come home, then he started to worry, and finally he panicked. He supposed he would have to start searching for her, but before he did he would eat his breakfast. He always did better on a full stomach.
1 Chapter One
Akane had been planning on leaving Nerima for eight months now; there was just no way she could live with the fiancée situation any longer. As far as she was concerned, she was helping Ranma to make a decision. With one less fiancée in the picture he should have no problems. The only thing that bothered Akane was her growing love for the jerk. She knew she had liked him for a while, but only confessed to love him after her near death experience in China. That moment in time had been the real eye opener. For a while after they had returned from the trip, Akane tried to compete for Ranma's affections, but he just would not make a decision. So now she was going to live by the old adage, "if you truly love something, let it go. If it returns to you then it is yours to keep/" However, doing this was harder than Akane imagined. She tried avoiding Ranma, but he would always seek her out. Then every time she would see one of the other girls around him her heart would break all over again. Finally, after a couple months of this, Akane had decided that enough was enough and went in search of a job. She claimed that the money she was earning would help cover her education, and this was true. She was going to educate herself on the art of living without Ranma.
The only other living thing that knew any part of Akane's plane was P-chan. She had told him every detail and had gone over every list with him. Telling P-chan everything did not bother Akane one little bit because she knew he would never say a word. He was a pig after all and pigs just do not talk.
After eight months of hard work, Akane decided that her bank account was now big enough to accomplish what she planned to do. Quietly she slipped out of the house and headed for the bank. She was going to have to close her account and open a new one; if she did not do this then Nabiki would be able to track her down very quickly. That would just not do. On the way to the bank Akane stopped in an alley. She glanced in all direction to make sure she was not being followed, and then dug in her purse for a few needed pieces of identification. She would be opening a new account under her new identity. After she was finished there, she would head for the park and drop her purse off with all of the other supplies she had been hiding for the past few weeks. She was going to leave early in the morning and did not want to have to carry anything. The less she had on her, the less chance of her making noise.
The sky was just beginning to lighten from the first rays of the sun. The world around the Tendo household was very still and quiet. Even the birds were still resting in their nests. Then there was something visible on the roof. Very quietly this person dropped to the ground below and entered the kitchen through the window. A small piece of folded paper was placed by the sink, hopefully the recipient would notice it. The person quickly exited the kitchen and leaped over the wall. No time for the gate, it would make some noise anyway. Without further flourish or thought, Akane was on her way to the park and a new life.
Akane quickly arrived at the park and gathered up her backpack and purse, then headed for the out-skirts of the city. She wanted to be out of the city before breakfast had begun at home, and judging from the position of the sun she had somewhere between fifteen minutes and half an hour. She would need to hurry to fit those time constraints.
As she walked, she rummaged through her purse to make sure she had the items she would need. First she took a thin, plain gold band from the bag and placed it on her ring finger. She was going to travel as a married woman. Then she took a set of marriage papers and a new identification card out of the bag. These she placed in her billfold after she had put her old identification in the bag. Finally she produced from the bag a checkbook and debit card. Her new identity was complete. With a confidence she had not felt for quite a while, Akane sprinted the last half mile to the train station. She would not allow herself to consider the ramifications of her course of action until she was safely on the train. If she did she would have backed out of the whole thing, and she would have wasted her time.
Ranma was sitting at the breakfast table waiting, just as he had been doing all morning. No one else had even noticed that Akane was missing, or if they had no one said anything. The table was completely silent this morning, as if something were amiss. The quietness was about to get on Ranma's last nerve when Nabikki finally broke the silence. "What's wrong Ranma, not feeling well?"
"Gee, what would make you ask something like that?" Ranma shot back. Her question was only adding to his annoyance. Where is Akane anyways?
Ranma did not get the answer he expected. For that matter he received no answer at all. Nabikki just pointedly stared at the table in front Ranma with what could only be termed a "duh" look. Ranma gazed down at his spot just in time to see his father steal the last bit of food out of his breakfast bowl. The old man had even drank his tea. He had been so worried about Akane that he had forgotten to eat his breakfast. This was going to be another one of those days.
Just then Ranma's stomach decided to let its presence be known and growled quite loudly. At that Kasumi smiled her most understanding smile and said, "I set some food aside for Akane, she said she might run a little longer than usual. If she is not back soon then you can have her food."
"Um, thanks Kasumi I guess I was busy thinking about things. Do you know when Akane will be back?"
"No. She did not say. Oh, she did tell me that she left something for you on her desk. Why don't you go and get it. Maybe that will help you to worry less."
Ranma tried his hardest to deny his worry to Kasumi, but who could argue with that smiling face. Instead he mumbled his thanks, grabbed Akane's breakfast, and headed up the stairs.
Akane sat silently gazing out the window of the train. She wasn't' really looking at anything, she was just going over past events in her mind. Hopefully one day, if things did not happen the way she wanted them to, she would be able to forget. For now though, everything was too fresh and new. Oh Ranma, why did things have to come to this? Why was there no other way for us to be completely free? A single tear marked a trail down Akane's face. She was going to wipe it away, but them decided that Ranma deserved this one tear in public. After this all of her crying would be done in private, she would show no weakness.
The seasons were changing; signs of this were evident all across the land. The air was warming, the trees were budding and green shoots were poking out of the dead, brown overgrowth. What was once dormant and forgotten was coming alive with the vibrancy of newness. A newness that swept across the sky with a loving caress and stirred the long, banked embers of the celestial bodies. A newness that could glimpse into the depths of mans soul in an effort to assert itself, driven by a relentless spirit and energy that surged to the very end. A newness whose beauty and fragility would never be forgotten by those who witnessed the sight; put simply this was the dance of life.
In the midst of all this newness sat Ranma; enthroned on the roof of the Tendo household. He was clearly dressed for bed, as could be seen by the yellow boxers and white muscle shirt, however sleep eluded him this evening. Just as all of nature was being lovingly coaxed to life by the faint stirrings of spring, so was he. The long banked embers in his heart were being stoaked, and soon a fire was raging in their place. This fire did not possess any of the uncertainties or denials of the past's meager flames. No, this fire burned with the light of a realized truth and the confirmation of a monumental challenge. This truth would be next to impossible to realize unless some changes were made, and fast.
Ranma rose early the next morning despite his late night. He has been working on a method of attack and had decided that his best approach would be a physical one. This challenge was going to have to begin in conflict. With this thought in mind, Ranma detoured through the kitchen to grab a glass and a pitcher of ice water. He then positioned himself by the front gates of the Tendo home and waited. He glanced at his watch and smiled as he realized that the first of many conflicts was due to begin in exactly five minutes.
Akane was out for her normal morning jog. Everyday she followed the same routine. She would rise at the same time, leave for her jog at the same time, and return at the same time. This monotony seemed to help her father stay a little more rooted in reality. At one point in time he had a sound mind, however since her mother's death he was sure he would also loose one of his daughters. This routine was Akane's small way of reassuring him that life's events would never change. However, this would soon no longer be the case. Something had been nagging at Akane's mind lately. Something thought that disturbed her very much. Over the past few days she had tried several different methods of calming herself, but none of them had worked. She needed to find a way to calm her overstressed spirit so she could quietly contemplate her life. Then, as the grim thought entered her mind, she remembered everything she had done the past few months and shut her mind off from every other thought. A change was coming over her also, a change that was long over due. Akane knew what she felt burning within her. She also knew it was growing everyday, but she did not know how to stop it or make it more simple. So she chose the only other path offered, the newness of freedom. With the decision firmly made, Akane turned down the street headed not for the Tendo home, but for the park and change.
Ranma sat waiting for the recipient of his silent challenge. He never suspected the change that was occurring in his life at the moment. As he waited he started to get disappointed that Akane did not come home, then he started to worry, and finally he panicked. He supposed he would have to start searching for her, but before he did he would eat his breakfast. He always did better on a full stomach.
1 Chapter One
Akane had been planning on leaving Nerima for eight months now; there was just no way she could live with the fiancée situation any longer. As far as she was concerned, she was helping Ranma to make a decision. With one less fiancée in the picture he should have no problems. The only thing that bothered Akane was her growing love for the jerk. She knew she had liked him for a while, but only confessed to love him after her near death experience in China. That moment in time had been the real eye opener. For a while after they had returned from the trip, Akane tried to compete for Ranma's affections, but he just would not make a decision. So now she was going to live by the old adage, "if you truly love something, let it go. If it returns to you then it is yours to keep/" However, doing this was harder than Akane imagined. She tried avoiding Ranma, but he would always seek her out. Then every time she would see one of the other girls around him her heart would break all over again. Finally, after a couple months of this, Akane had decided that enough was enough and went in search of a job. She claimed that the money she was earning would help cover her education, and this was true. She was going to educate herself on the art of living without Ranma.
The only other living thing that knew any part of Akane's plane was P-chan. She had told him every detail and had gone over every list with him. Telling P-chan everything did not bother Akane one little bit because she knew he would never say a word. He was a pig after all and pigs just do not talk.
After eight months of hard work, Akane decided that her bank account was now big enough to accomplish what she planned to do. Quietly she slipped out of the house and headed for the bank. She was going to have to close her account and open a new one; if she did not do this then Nabiki would be able to track her down very quickly. That would just not do. On the way to the bank Akane stopped in an alley. She glanced in all direction to make sure she was not being followed, and then dug in her purse for a few needed pieces of identification. She would be opening a new account under her new identity. After she was finished there, she would head for the park and drop her purse off with all of the other supplies she had been hiding for the past few weeks. She was going to leave early in the morning and did not want to have to carry anything. The less she had on her, the less chance of her making noise.
The sky was just beginning to lighten from the first rays of the sun. The world around the Tendo household was very still and quiet. Even the birds were still resting in their nests. Then there was something visible on the roof. Very quietly this person dropped to the ground below and entered the kitchen through the window. A small piece of folded paper was placed by the sink, hopefully the recipient would notice it. The person quickly exited the kitchen and leaped over the wall. No time for the gate, it would make some noise anyway. Without further flourish or thought, Akane was on her way to the park and a new life.
Akane quickly arrived at the park and gathered up her backpack and purse, then headed for the out-skirts of the city. She wanted to be out of the city before breakfast had begun at home, and judging from the position of the sun she had somewhere between fifteen minutes and half an hour. She would need to hurry to fit those time constraints.
As she walked, she rummaged through her purse to make sure she had the items she would need. First she took a thin, plain gold band from the bag and placed it on her ring finger. She was going to travel as a married woman. Then she took a set of marriage papers and a new identification card out of the bag. These she placed in her billfold after she had put her old identification in the bag. Finally she produced from the bag a checkbook and debit card. Her new identity was complete. With a confidence she had not felt for quite a while, Akane sprinted the last half mile to the train station. She would not allow herself to consider the ramifications of her course of action until she was safely on the train. If she did she would have backed out of the whole thing, and she would have wasted her time.
Ranma was sitting at the breakfast table waiting, just as he had been doing all morning. No one else had even noticed that Akane was missing, or if they had no one said anything. The table was completely silent this morning, as if something were amiss. The quietness was about to get on Ranma's last nerve when Nabikki finally broke the silence. "What's wrong Ranma, not feeling well?"
"Gee, what would make you ask something like that?" Ranma shot back. Her question was only adding to his annoyance. Where is Akane anyways?
Ranma did not get the answer he expected. For that matter he received no answer at all. Nabikki just pointedly stared at the table in front Ranma with what could only be termed a "duh" look. Ranma gazed down at his spot just in time to see his father steal the last bit of food out of his breakfast bowl. The old man had even drank his tea. He had been so worried about Akane that he had forgotten to eat his breakfast. This was going to be another one of those days.
Just then Ranma's stomach decided to let its presence be known and growled quite loudly. At that Kasumi smiled her most understanding smile and said, "I set some food aside for Akane, she said she might run a little longer than usual. If she is not back soon then you can have her food."
"Um, thanks Kasumi I guess I was busy thinking about things. Do you know when Akane will be back?"
"No. She did not say. Oh, she did tell me that she left something for you on her desk. Why don't you go and get it. Maybe that will help you to worry less."
Ranma tried his hardest to deny his worry to Kasumi, but who could argue with that smiling face. Instead he mumbled his thanks, grabbed Akane's breakfast, and headed up the stairs.
Akane sat silently gazing out the window of the train. She wasn't' really looking at anything, she was just going over past events in her mind. Hopefully one day, if things did not happen the way she wanted them to, she would be able to forget. For now though, everything was too fresh and new. Oh Ranma, why did things have to come to this? Why was there no other way for us to be completely free? A single tear marked a trail down Akane's face. She was going to wipe it away, but them decided that Ranma deserved this one tear in public. After this all of her crying would be done in private, she would show no weakness.