Disclaimers: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any of its characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sama, and sorta to Viz Video. I don't own the Ranma 1/2 character song, "November Rain" either, it belongs to... somebody else but me. I DO own Kuroken tho, so hands off! This story was not written for any purpose other than to amuse you (hopefully) and for my own enjoyment. No money was made, or ever will be made, from this fanfic.
Notes: This happens about 6 months (apx. since I don't know the time table of Ranma 1/2 events during that time) after Ranma and the others come back from fighting Saffron. And the play Ranma and Akane went to see? Your guess is as good as mine. And truthfully, I don't know if people leave puppies/kittens out in cardboard boxes to be adopted in Japan (not that they really do that here) but it worked for the story, so I used it. I apologize before hand if any of this is incorrect culturally to Japan or to the Ranma 1/2 storyline.
Now enjoy.
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November Rain
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction
By Jadet
Copyright 02'
"Oh, that play was so good!" Akane gushed beside me, clapping her hands together happily. Despite the chill of the evening (and man was it cold!), Akane almost seemed to glow with a bubbly warmth. I couldn't imagine why. The play we had just gotten out of that Nabiki (with prodding from our parents) so generously gave to us for a decent price, was nothing special, more boring than anything if you asked me. I almost fell asleep during the dumb thing, and to top it all off, now we had to walk the six blocks from the theater home in the rain. So why Akane was happy, I don't get.
I adjusted the umbrella more carefully over our heads and peered up at the black storm clouds above us. To me they resembled a couple of angry bulls running at each other Pop and me once saw on one of his training trips, roaring their frustration every time they clashed. The random trees we passed groaned under the stress of the wind, their branches flung out in the direction the wind was blowing and waving violently. Under my thick winter coat I could feel the chill seeping in, and almost subconsciously I pulled my neck further down into the warmth of my scarf.
I hate rain, especially cold rain like this, I think grumpily to myself, skirting a rapidly growing puddle. In weather like this, going out was just like inviting the rain, "please oh please, turn me into a girl!" Rain never used to bother me before, but now it really did, and my mood was becoming just as black as the clouds thundering above us. Looking over at the girl happily re-enacting all her favorite parts of the play beside me, my mood got even worse. What was she so happy about? Stupid tom....
She turned to look at me, her golden brown eyes shining, and I caught my breath. She looked so pretty right then, a happy smile touching her lips, her brown eyes shiny, and a faint tinge of pink from the cold highlighting her cheeks. Her short hair, which I personally think looks better than the long hair she used to sport, though I would never admit that out loud, was tugged by the wind, and unconsciously she reached up and tucked some of it behind her ear. I found myself wanting to reach out and loosen those blue-black strands again, just to feel the texture of her hair, and to watch her do that surprisingly feminine motion again. While that thought would have prompted me not so long ago to say something stupid to distract myself, or at least get embarrassed over,thoughts like those were getting more and more common these day. I was slowly getting used to them though. After Saffron, I'm _happy_ to get used to them. That jerk came way too close to taking her away from me... so close that I still wake up in cold sweat at least once a week, her name on my lips. Doesn't mean that I lov... like her or nothin' like that, don't get me wrong. It just meant that I... um... well...
"Ne, Ranma?" Akane asked. I pulled my thoughts gratefully away from that subject, mentally relieved that she had distracted me. I honestly don't know what the answer would have been had that conversation with myself continued. Instead I blinked and put on my "huh?" face.
"Wha? Sorry Akane, I was thinking about something else."
She scrunched up her face into a cute pout, but smoothed it out after a second. "I asked what _you_ thought of the play, Ranma. I said, 'wasn't it good?'"
I shrugged and pushed my hand not holding the umbrella deeper into my pocket. "It was okay."
Akane's lips tightened again, though this time it wasn't in a pout. Usually that warning made me backtrack a bit so to avoid that ol' "hammer of death" of hers, but my mind was still in turmoil. A little arguing might make me stop thinking of her, um, _that_ way, at least until I could really think that train of thought over. So I just shrugged again and tried to look nonchalant.
"Well," Akane started, her voice just a little more strained now. "You at least had fun tonight, didn't you?"
I rolled my eyes slightly. "I guess Akane. That play really was stupid, ya know."
She turned her head away from me then and stopped. I stopped too and flinched reflexably at her back. Uh oh, here it comes.
"What about the company Ranma? Did you at least enjoy that?" She whispered, and this time my confusion was real.
"Huh?"
"Me, Ranma! ME! Did you at least have fun being with me tonight?!
I rubbed the back of my head with my free hand, a half scowl, half confused frown on my face. What the heck was she trying to get at? "Jeez, I guess so Akane. When you're not hitting me or nothin', I guess you're fun to be with."
She whirled around to look at me, her eyes furious. I backed away a little bit, my hand going into its normal "don't hurt me" position.
"You... JERK!"
"Wha?" I blinked, then for no real reason except I was frustrated with myself, I started to get a little angry. "Jeez, what did you want me to say Akane? I SAID I had fun didn't I?!"
She shook her head violently. "No! You said 'I guess!' You didn't say you had fun!"
I opened my mouth to shoot something back, then closed it and glared. "Well I don't have fun when you act like this."
She jerked back like I had hit her, and I had just enough time to feel really guilty before her hand shot up and slapped me solidly across the cheek.
"Ranma no... baka!" She turned and fled into the storm, slowly merging with the darkness until I could no longer see her.
I raised my hand to touch my cheek, not noticing the rain now pouring down on my head, or the umbrella lying a few feet away in the gutter.
"A… Akane...."
//ALL OVER THE TOWN, THERE ARE TEARS
YOU ARE BLURRED BY
THE RAIN RUNNING DOWN MY CHEEKS//
I must have stood there for five minutes looking like a complete idiot, one hand to my cheek and the other half outstretched in the direction Akane had disappeared. I couldn't believe I had actually said that to her. She had been having a good time until I opened up my big trap, and now I had no idea if she was just going to go straight home, or stop somewhere along the way. I kept replying the scene over and over in my head, seeing where I could have maybe fixed it, but nothing came to mind. I really was a baka.
//BECAUSE THE PERSON OVER WHOM
I HELD THE UMBRELLA THAT ROLLED AWAY
IS NOT HERE//
The wetness finally woke me from my trance, and I looked down in surprise at my now female body. I hadn't even noticed the transformation, I thought absentmindedly to myself, stooping to pick up the umbrella. It was coated in a thin film of dirt and unrecognizable material from its roll in the street, and now sported a jagged rip near one of the ribs, but I didn't really care. The umbrella could be fixed, I'm not sure if this could. I probably stood another minute just staring at the umbrella, before I smiled sourly and closed it up. There wasn't a point now to keeping it open; I was soaked to the bone and female. And besides, Akane didn't have an umbrella, where ever she was. Sighing at my self punishment, I tucked the umbrella under my arm, and just started walking. To where, I wasn't sure, but walking just seemed like a good idea.
I probably looked a sight, as Kasumi would say. My red hair was plastered to my head, and my braid, almost as if it had a mind of its own, hung dejectedly down my back. My clothes were in no better condition, since they clung to my body like a second, very wet skin. And, I noted with dry humor, every time my feet touched the ground, a loud squishing noise greeted my ears. I looked the very image of a rejected lover, and knew it. Maybe I was one, I thought with a shrug. I kinda felt like one.
My feet carried me aimlessly, and I kept my eyes lowered at the puddles I sloshed through, mentally kicking myself. Baka, baka, baka! I still couldn't believe I had said that to her. If nothing else, Saffron should have taught me to be more open with her. That fear that still haunted me should have cleared up my mind, made sure I didn't stick my foot in my mouth. Instead, like a coward, I had retreated from what I knew was the right thing to do, and slipped back into my old routine. Make her mad so she doesn't look so appealing, and most importantly, so she doesn't guess the secret I was so desperate to hide, even from myself.
//I'M NOT BEING TRUE WITH MYSELF,
YES I KNOW BUT
I CAN'T SAY THOSE WORDS//
I start shivering violently, though whether it's from the cold or the guilt and despair hammering at my heart, I don't know. I know I should tell Akane that I lov... like her, but I just can't. Some part of me is afraid that if I say those words, like I did that day, then something will happen. I'll have to leave again, or she'll find someone better, or someone will try to use her to get to me, or... or she'll say she doesn't feel the same.
Pop always said I should treat my engagement like a battle, something that I'd have to observe, critique the weak points, and then strike at them. At the moment though, all I could think about was how she had looked just after I said those stupid, thoughtless words. Stricken and hurt were two good words to describe it. And me, being the complete idiot at anything to do with feelings, froze and let her get away. Instead of it being a battle, I felt like I had lost something bigger, and that scared me.
//TENDER RAIN,
EVEN RAIN THAT'S ABOUT TO FREEZE FROM COLD
IS WARMER THAN MY HEART.
NOVEMBER RAIN
UNTIL MY TEARS VANISH,
DON'T STOP//
I found myself suddenly looking up at our high school, the rain a little more harsh here than it had been a few blocks ago. I stopped my walk and just stood there, staring through the rain at the large clock that was held in the center of the main building, now gray and opaque looking from my vantage point. It amazed me to think that we only had one more year here. It seemed only yesterday that I had come to the Tendous on a day like this, angry at my father and the world for placing my wretched curse on me. I had been so determined to leave just as soon as I said, "thanks, but no thanks." Then I had seen her, this beautiful girl about my own age, staring suspiciously at me with dark brown eyes that slowly softened and offered friendship. Sure I had had friends before, Ucchan was one of my best, but Akane was somehow different. She didn't expect anything from me, just that I be honest. Even after she found out about my curse, and that whole embarrassing bathroom incident, she still left her offer for friendship open, even though she said otherwise. And in a way, I clung to that friendship like a drowning person would cling to a life line. I may not have admitted it to myself or anyone, but the thought of being engaged to someone I didn't know terrified me. Then she came along and turned everything around. She stood by me, she fought with me, she laughed with me, and... she protected me. Protected me from the loneliness that was right now welling up inside my chest because of my stupidity.
I blinked away a few drops of rain, or at least that's what I would prefer to call them, and turned back to the sidewalk, slowly moving my feet to an unheard rhythm, hands deep in my pockets. The rain lessened as I walked, but kept up the quiet hum of rain pattering the streets.
//THE RAIN SNAPPED ON THE ASPHALT
THE RAINY TOWN HAS
A TOUCH OF SADNESS, DOESN'T IT?//
When I looked up again, I found myself in the middle of the shopping district. All around me stores are closed with their doors tightly shut. Rain falls here in the same intensity that I am becoming familiar with, and I look around with half lidded eyes, not really curious but looking just the same. On the opposite side of the street, a couple is walking quickly under their own umbrella. The woman, from what I can tell, is pressed close to the man, while his arm is draped protectively over her shoulders. I feel a jolt of envy shoot through my veins, but quickly damper it. At the moment, I deserve what I'm getting.
I turn my head away slowly, and focus again on the sidewalk in front of me and start walking. A soft sound makes me turn back however, and look down a dark alley way I had just passed. When I couldn't see anyone, I shrug and turn to leave again. The sound comes more forcefully and I whip my head back around, this time my gaze suspicious. It is then I notice a soggy, half disintegrated cardboard box sitting underneath an awning. Cautiously I approach it, not knowing what to expect, and am stumped when I see what it is. It's a puppy, a mixed breed obviously, and now wiggling around happily because it had spotted me. I look around hesitantly, before I reach into the box and pull the squirming animal out. It whimpers and sticks its tongue out as far as it would go, trying to lick my face, its little body trembling with the force of its tail wagging. I just hold it slightly away from my body and look at it.
Its fur is short and soft, puppy fur no doubt, and at the moment as wet as I am. Except for one little white spot on its chest, it's completely black, and judging by the size of his feet, isn't going to be a very big dog. And though I notice it before, it didn't have a normal tail that I could tell. In its place was a stump, which still wagged, but gave the puppy's tail more the impression of a knob than a tail. One ear is cocked forward, while the other is bent in half, giving the puppy an impish look. Big brown eyes stare back at me, and again its little pink tongue extends toward my face, its mouth twisted into what had to be called a doggy grin.
//I'M HOLDING
A WET PUPPY THAT
I PICKED UP ON A HILL ROAD//
This little puppy had to be the most adorable thing I had ever seen, and I couldn't imagine why it was out here in the first place. Who would leave a poor puppy out in the rain like this? If I ever found its owner, that would be the first thing I asked after beating the tar out of the guy. Stooping, I turned the box up towards me, one arm securely around the puppy's midsection. The little sign I had missed before in the dark told me all the answers I needed to know, and though I frowned, I was relieved. I tossed back the "Free Puppies" box onto the ground, and lifted the puppy back up to eye level and grinned.
"Guess you're commin' home with me, little guy."
The puppy wiggled its little body more and this time I allowed it to lick me, grinning the whole time. Maybe Akane would like this ball of fur, seeing as Ryoga has given up being P-chan to be with Akari.
//TENDER RAIN,
BECAUSE I LACKED ENOUGH COURAGE
I HURT YOUR FEELINGS
NOVEMBER RAIN
WASH AWAY ALL THE SADNESS//
Feeling a little bit more cheered, I carefully tucked the puppy inside my shirt, allowing only the head to peek through the opening. Though I wasn't any dryer than the dog, I was warmer, and the puppy calmed right down, yawning widely enough to show me its little teeth before closing its eyes. I shook my head and leaned down to where I had put the umbrella, opening it up. I may not deserve the umbrella, but I wasn't about to let the little puppy catch a cold 'cause of it.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk again, one hand clutching the umbrella, the other carefully curled around my sleeping little package. I was really going to have to wash this red shirt when I got home. As cute as the puppy was, it still smelled like every other dog when wet.
//AH, I CAN'T BE TENDER
WITH THE RED THREAD
LOOSE AS IT IS, WHEN WE ARE WALKING//
This time I didn't dally as I walked, and within ten minutes I saw my first glimpse of the Tendou Dojo gates. My steps slowed a bit at that, but I resumed my pace after a moment, reminded by a wiggle that it wasn't just me out in the rain. The gate proved to be a bit of a problem, so I had to shift the umbrella to the hand holding the puppy stationary, before I could pull one of the gates open and walk through. I closed it behind me with a quick kick with my leg, and walked the rest of the way up the walkway to the house. With a quick flick, I removed most of the water off the much cleaner umbrella, and opened the door. Warmth greeted me as soon as I stepped inside, and gratefully I closed the door behind me, eagerly kicking off my shoes in the entry way.
"Taidaima!"
Kasumi exited from the kitchen at my call, a towel already in hand. With a gentle smile, she handed me the towel in exchange for the umbrella.
"Goodness Ranma, you're soaked to the bone," Kasumi said, in that soft admonishing voice of hers that made you want to sink into the floor and hide. Instead I just turned red and looked at the ground, mumbling a "sorry." She shook her head, and turned to put the umbrella away in the closet. "We were all very worried about you when you didn't come home after Akane."
I jerked my head up at that, relief prominent on my face. "So she came home?"
Kasumi nodded in a vague way, primly closing the closet door behind her when she was done. "Yes, she's in the dining room right now." She fixed me with a steely stare, and once again I felt the urge to hide in the floor. "You better go talk to her, she was very upset when she came home."
I nodded my head guiltily and walked past her, one of my arms still tucked securely around my package. Kasumi must have just noticed the bulge in my shirt, because she suddenly blinked.
"Ranma, what do you have in your shirt?"
I grinned, a soft blush staining my cheeks. "Um, just a gift Kasumi." Then I turned and left her in the entryway, dripping water the whole way. Unbeknownst to me, she blinked again and then smiled.
//TENDER RAIN
EVEN RAIN THAT'S ABOUT TO FREEZE FROM COLD
IS WARMER THAN MY HEART//
I found her just where Kasumi said she'd be. Standing outside the patio doors, I watched as she slowly sipped the tea in front of her, staring blankly at the wall ahead. She had traded in her wet clothes for her yellow pajamas, and had a towel loosely wrapped around her neck to show she had been drying her hair. She didn't look mad, thankfully, and even better she didn't look hurt. She looked more... thoughtful than anything else. I decided this time was as good as any, and shyly cleared my throat as I stepped into the room. Her head whipped around, and unusually large brown eyes landed on my soaking form. Even with the towel around my neck like she had, I had already started forming a puddle underneath me. Neither of us acknowledged this though; I was too busy squirming under her piercing gaze, and she wouldn't stop staring at my face as if she was busy deciding something. Whatever it was, she sighed after a moment and looked down at the puddle under my feet.
"You're dripping."
I looked down and flushed a beet red. "Sorry."
Akane sighed, and started to stand up. Abruptly she stopped and stared at my chest. I blinked, then looked down also and wanted to smack myself for totally forgetting about the puppy. It must have decided to wake up now that it was warm, and its squirming little body was trying to push its way out of my shirt. I grinned in embarrassment at the incredulous look on Akane's face as I pulled out the puppy. The great Saotome, master magician of pulling puppies from her shirt!
"Ranma, what is _that_?"
I blinked. Wasn't it obvious? I really wanted to ask that too, but I was already in the figurative dog house, no point in pissing her off even more.
"It's, uh, a puppy," I said, shifting through my mind for the appropriate words that would transform 'mad and pissed' Akane into 'happy and grateful' Akane. I couldn't think of any, so I played it by ear. "I found it when I was... walking. The little guy had been left in a box in the rain." Her eyes never left the continuously twitching little body, so I allowed a satisfied smile to come to my lips. "It was obviously being given away, and since I didn't want the fuzz ball to drown, I, um, thought you might want to take care of it since... uh... P-chan hasn't been around in awhile."
There, I said it. Now it was up to her whether or not she would forgive me. As the seconds ticked by, and she still stared at the little puppy in my hands who had calmed down enough just to sit still and look around, my nervousness increased. What if she didn't forgive me? What if she broke off the engagement? What if she....
"You think you can make up for what you said by giving me a puppy, Ranma?" Akane whispered, now turning her beautiful brown eyes up at me. My smile did a nose dive, and a panicked look adorned my face.
"Uh... yeah?" I asked hopefully. The puppy chose that moment to spot Akane, and I was treated to the difference between Akane and me. The puppy had been happy to see me, maybe even grateful if it had any idea of its probable fate had I left it there in its cardboard box. It probably even liked me a little, if its numerous licks said anything. But the fact was, once it saw Akane, it wanted out of my arms and into hers. Its entire body tingled with happiness, and I knew even without looking into its eyes, it had fallen in love with Akane. One look, and maybe one sniff also in this case, and the puppy had, well, puppy love. I didn't harbor any bad feelings toward it for that, even though I was the one who rescued it. There was just something about Akane that drew everyone to her, and then made them fall hopelessly in love with her. Hey, if it could happen to me, Ranma Saotome, it could definitely happen to a dog.
With a smile, I stepped forward and gently put the puppy into her hands. "Here, I think he wants you." Then I stepped back to watch the show.
For a moment, she looked shocked at this little black ball of fur who was trying to climb all over her to give her doggy kisses, and whining because it couldn't do it fast enough. Then her eyes softened into a warm golden brown, and she buried her head in its fur, hugging it to her chest. The puppy now had unlimited access to her face, and began showering her with little kisses. Laughter slowly bubbled out of Akane's mouth, and I found myself grinning madly in response. Something about her laugh lightened my mood and made me want to laugh with her, or at the very least give her more things to bring out that soft look and happy laugh. Following that train of thought, I shook my head. Oh yeah, there was definitely something about Akane.
//NOVEMBER RAIN
UNTIL MY TEARS VANISH,
DON'T STOP//
"Baka." Whether she was talking to the dog or to me, I don't know. She finally looked back up at me, and just from the warmth in her eyes and her smile, I knew I was forgiven. So I smiled back, hoping beyond hope she could see what I couldn't say just yet in my eyes and my smile. I think she did, because her smile widened, and all of the sudden I read the exact thing in her eyes. Joy filled me to the brim, and I though I could've kicked myself for being so girly, I felt tears threatening the backs of my eyes. This girl body was a bad influence.
Akane shook her head slightly, but continued smiling. "I'll go get you some hot water okay?" She looked at the puppy now happily lying in her arms, and widened her smile. "Could you hold..." She checked quickly, and then nodded in confirmation. "Him while I go get you your water?"
I shrugged. "Yeah. What are you going to name him?" I asked as I accepted the little black ball of fur. Akane cocked her head to the side, and I suddenly had a bad feeling. "You aren't going to call him D-chan or something like that, are you?"
Akane laughed, but shook her head. I still continued to eye her suspiciously.
"No. I think I'll call him.... Kuroken," she smiled. "Kuro-chan for short." She bent over to kiss the newly christened Kuro-chan on the head, then looked up at me. For an overwhelming second, I thought she was going to kiss me, and I was torn between feeling panic since I was a girl, and excitement. But then she leaned up and kissed my cheek, her lips lingering there and burning my skin, before pulling back. "I'll go get your water now."
My cheek was still burning when she left the room, and all I could do was stare after her in awe. The puppy in my arms wiggled and I brought my attention back down to him almost regretfully, a silly smile still on my face.
"Kuroken huh? At least that's better than D-chan," I mutter to the puppy and grin as he leans up to kiss my chin. I situate myself at the table, and place Kuro-chan on my lap to wait for the hot water. He whines for a second, looking longingly at the door Akane went through, before heaving a mighty sigh and settling down on my lap. Absentmindedly, I run my hands softly through his fur, my mind still too busy on my scorching cheek and my rapidly beating heart.
Boy, what a pair we were. Neither one of us could tell the other our feelings. Instead we relied on signals and hidden messages that we both couldn't read very well to communicate our feelings. I shook my head at the silliness of our actions, and turned to look outside at the koi pond. With the puppy slowly becoming a dead weight on my lap, the soft patter of rain against the roof tile, and comforting sounds of Akane boiling the water coming from the kitchen, I let myself smile. Maybe I really was a baka, but if I was, then so was she, and that made my grin widen.
After all, I thought, brushing the remaining wetness away from my eyes, two bakas are better than one.
//RAIN....//
~OWARI~
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Well, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. This idea came from the Ranma 1/2 character song, "November Rain" that I *just* found the lyrics to. I had always loved this song ever since I bought the CD it was on, but I never knew what the lyrics were saying. So when I found the lyrics, it suddenly hit me: "this was Ranma! He was the one narrating the song!" Then, just like that, the idea formed and walla! Instant (well not really, since it *has* taken me all day to write this) Ranma fanfic! This is actually the first Ranma fic I've ever finished too. I start a lot of them, but then I compare my writing to other Ranma fanfic writers (i.e. Krista Perry, Shannon M. Richmeyer, Vince Seifert, Mark MacKinnon, ect.) and I get discouraged. But this time, I couldn't resist trying out this idea. I'm sorry if the lyrics to the song are a little... stiff, but I took the original Japanese translation and only twisted a few things around so it made sense. Otherwise I wanted the lyrics to be just as they were, to give some background story to the song. I hope it turned out well, and I really hope that I portrayed Akane, and especially Ranma, correctly. I haven't actually read the last manga installments of Ranma, just heard about them, so if I wrote something incorrect, forgive me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and don't feel shy about emailing me at pbailey@foxinternet.net to tell me what you thought of this story. Any comments (except, of course, for things like "you suck" or "this sucked" since that doesn't tell me what I sucked AT) are welcome!! Thanks and jya ne!!
~Jadet ^.~
Note: The puppy's name, Kuroken, actually translates out to "Black dog." Kuro is the Japanese word for black, and adding a -ken to the end, includes the word dog (or so my dictionary says). I know it's not that original (meaning the hidden joke behind Ranma's comment that at least that's better than D-chan, or Dog cute), but I couldn't honestly think of a name! So yeah, Kuroken is "Black dog" and Kuro-chan is something like "Blackie." Sorry if it's corny, but Akane has spoken! ^_~
Japanese words:
Ne: sorta like "huh?"
(Someone's name) no Baka: ______, you idiot!
Baka: obviously, idiot
Taidaima: I'm home!
-chan: added to the end of a name or object to make the name affectionate.
Notes: This happens about 6 months (apx. since I don't know the time table of Ranma 1/2 events during that time) after Ranma and the others come back from fighting Saffron. And the play Ranma and Akane went to see? Your guess is as good as mine. And truthfully, I don't know if people leave puppies/kittens out in cardboard boxes to be adopted in Japan (not that they really do that here) but it worked for the story, so I used it. I apologize before hand if any of this is incorrect culturally to Japan or to the Ranma 1/2 storyline.
Now enjoy.
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November Rain
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction
By Jadet
Copyright 02'
"Oh, that play was so good!" Akane gushed beside me, clapping her hands together happily. Despite the chill of the evening (and man was it cold!), Akane almost seemed to glow with a bubbly warmth. I couldn't imagine why. The play we had just gotten out of that Nabiki (with prodding from our parents) so generously gave to us for a decent price, was nothing special, more boring than anything if you asked me. I almost fell asleep during the dumb thing, and to top it all off, now we had to walk the six blocks from the theater home in the rain. So why Akane was happy, I don't get.
I adjusted the umbrella more carefully over our heads and peered up at the black storm clouds above us. To me they resembled a couple of angry bulls running at each other Pop and me once saw on one of his training trips, roaring their frustration every time they clashed. The random trees we passed groaned under the stress of the wind, their branches flung out in the direction the wind was blowing and waving violently. Under my thick winter coat I could feel the chill seeping in, and almost subconsciously I pulled my neck further down into the warmth of my scarf.
I hate rain, especially cold rain like this, I think grumpily to myself, skirting a rapidly growing puddle. In weather like this, going out was just like inviting the rain, "please oh please, turn me into a girl!" Rain never used to bother me before, but now it really did, and my mood was becoming just as black as the clouds thundering above us. Looking over at the girl happily re-enacting all her favorite parts of the play beside me, my mood got even worse. What was she so happy about? Stupid tom....
She turned to look at me, her golden brown eyes shining, and I caught my breath. She looked so pretty right then, a happy smile touching her lips, her brown eyes shiny, and a faint tinge of pink from the cold highlighting her cheeks. Her short hair, which I personally think looks better than the long hair she used to sport, though I would never admit that out loud, was tugged by the wind, and unconsciously she reached up and tucked some of it behind her ear. I found myself wanting to reach out and loosen those blue-black strands again, just to feel the texture of her hair, and to watch her do that surprisingly feminine motion again. While that thought would have prompted me not so long ago to say something stupid to distract myself, or at least get embarrassed over,thoughts like those were getting more and more common these day. I was slowly getting used to them though. After Saffron, I'm _happy_ to get used to them. That jerk came way too close to taking her away from me... so close that I still wake up in cold sweat at least once a week, her name on my lips. Doesn't mean that I lov... like her or nothin' like that, don't get me wrong. It just meant that I... um... well...
"Ne, Ranma?" Akane asked. I pulled my thoughts gratefully away from that subject, mentally relieved that she had distracted me. I honestly don't know what the answer would have been had that conversation with myself continued. Instead I blinked and put on my "huh?" face.
"Wha? Sorry Akane, I was thinking about something else."
She scrunched up her face into a cute pout, but smoothed it out after a second. "I asked what _you_ thought of the play, Ranma. I said, 'wasn't it good?'"
I shrugged and pushed my hand not holding the umbrella deeper into my pocket. "It was okay."
Akane's lips tightened again, though this time it wasn't in a pout. Usually that warning made me backtrack a bit so to avoid that ol' "hammer of death" of hers, but my mind was still in turmoil. A little arguing might make me stop thinking of her, um, _that_ way, at least until I could really think that train of thought over. So I just shrugged again and tried to look nonchalant.
"Well," Akane started, her voice just a little more strained now. "You at least had fun tonight, didn't you?"
I rolled my eyes slightly. "I guess Akane. That play really was stupid, ya know."
She turned her head away from me then and stopped. I stopped too and flinched reflexably at her back. Uh oh, here it comes.
"What about the company Ranma? Did you at least enjoy that?" She whispered, and this time my confusion was real.
"Huh?"
"Me, Ranma! ME! Did you at least have fun being with me tonight?!
I rubbed the back of my head with my free hand, a half scowl, half confused frown on my face. What the heck was she trying to get at? "Jeez, I guess so Akane. When you're not hitting me or nothin', I guess you're fun to be with."
She whirled around to look at me, her eyes furious. I backed away a little bit, my hand going into its normal "don't hurt me" position.
"You... JERK!"
"Wha?" I blinked, then for no real reason except I was frustrated with myself, I started to get a little angry. "Jeez, what did you want me to say Akane? I SAID I had fun didn't I?!"
She shook her head violently. "No! You said 'I guess!' You didn't say you had fun!"
I opened my mouth to shoot something back, then closed it and glared. "Well I don't have fun when you act like this."
She jerked back like I had hit her, and I had just enough time to feel really guilty before her hand shot up and slapped me solidly across the cheek.
"Ranma no... baka!" She turned and fled into the storm, slowly merging with the darkness until I could no longer see her.
I raised my hand to touch my cheek, not noticing the rain now pouring down on my head, or the umbrella lying a few feet away in the gutter.
"A… Akane...."
//ALL OVER THE TOWN, THERE ARE TEARS
YOU ARE BLURRED BY
THE RAIN RUNNING DOWN MY CHEEKS//
I must have stood there for five minutes looking like a complete idiot, one hand to my cheek and the other half outstretched in the direction Akane had disappeared. I couldn't believe I had actually said that to her. She had been having a good time until I opened up my big trap, and now I had no idea if she was just going to go straight home, or stop somewhere along the way. I kept replying the scene over and over in my head, seeing where I could have maybe fixed it, but nothing came to mind. I really was a baka.
//BECAUSE THE PERSON OVER WHOM
I HELD THE UMBRELLA THAT ROLLED AWAY
IS NOT HERE//
The wetness finally woke me from my trance, and I looked down in surprise at my now female body. I hadn't even noticed the transformation, I thought absentmindedly to myself, stooping to pick up the umbrella. It was coated in a thin film of dirt and unrecognizable material from its roll in the street, and now sported a jagged rip near one of the ribs, but I didn't really care. The umbrella could be fixed, I'm not sure if this could. I probably stood another minute just staring at the umbrella, before I smiled sourly and closed it up. There wasn't a point now to keeping it open; I was soaked to the bone and female. And besides, Akane didn't have an umbrella, where ever she was. Sighing at my self punishment, I tucked the umbrella under my arm, and just started walking. To where, I wasn't sure, but walking just seemed like a good idea.
I probably looked a sight, as Kasumi would say. My red hair was plastered to my head, and my braid, almost as if it had a mind of its own, hung dejectedly down my back. My clothes were in no better condition, since they clung to my body like a second, very wet skin. And, I noted with dry humor, every time my feet touched the ground, a loud squishing noise greeted my ears. I looked the very image of a rejected lover, and knew it. Maybe I was one, I thought with a shrug. I kinda felt like one.
My feet carried me aimlessly, and I kept my eyes lowered at the puddles I sloshed through, mentally kicking myself. Baka, baka, baka! I still couldn't believe I had said that to her. If nothing else, Saffron should have taught me to be more open with her. That fear that still haunted me should have cleared up my mind, made sure I didn't stick my foot in my mouth. Instead, like a coward, I had retreated from what I knew was the right thing to do, and slipped back into my old routine. Make her mad so she doesn't look so appealing, and most importantly, so she doesn't guess the secret I was so desperate to hide, even from myself.
//I'M NOT BEING TRUE WITH MYSELF,
YES I KNOW BUT
I CAN'T SAY THOSE WORDS//
I start shivering violently, though whether it's from the cold or the guilt and despair hammering at my heart, I don't know. I know I should tell Akane that I lov... like her, but I just can't. Some part of me is afraid that if I say those words, like I did that day, then something will happen. I'll have to leave again, or she'll find someone better, or someone will try to use her to get to me, or... or she'll say she doesn't feel the same.
Pop always said I should treat my engagement like a battle, something that I'd have to observe, critique the weak points, and then strike at them. At the moment though, all I could think about was how she had looked just after I said those stupid, thoughtless words. Stricken and hurt were two good words to describe it. And me, being the complete idiot at anything to do with feelings, froze and let her get away. Instead of it being a battle, I felt like I had lost something bigger, and that scared me.
//TENDER RAIN,
EVEN RAIN THAT'S ABOUT TO FREEZE FROM COLD
IS WARMER THAN MY HEART.
NOVEMBER RAIN
UNTIL MY TEARS VANISH,
DON'T STOP//
I found myself suddenly looking up at our high school, the rain a little more harsh here than it had been a few blocks ago. I stopped my walk and just stood there, staring through the rain at the large clock that was held in the center of the main building, now gray and opaque looking from my vantage point. It amazed me to think that we only had one more year here. It seemed only yesterday that I had come to the Tendous on a day like this, angry at my father and the world for placing my wretched curse on me. I had been so determined to leave just as soon as I said, "thanks, but no thanks." Then I had seen her, this beautiful girl about my own age, staring suspiciously at me with dark brown eyes that slowly softened and offered friendship. Sure I had had friends before, Ucchan was one of my best, but Akane was somehow different. She didn't expect anything from me, just that I be honest. Even after she found out about my curse, and that whole embarrassing bathroom incident, she still left her offer for friendship open, even though she said otherwise. And in a way, I clung to that friendship like a drowning person would cling to a life line. I may not have admitted it to myself or anyone, but the thought of being engaged to someone I didn't know terrified me. Then she came along and turned everything around. She stood by me, she fought with me, she laughed with me, and... she protected me. Protected me from the loneliness that was right now welling up inside my chest because of my stupidity.
I blinked away a few drops of rain, or at least that's what I would prefer to call them, and turned back to the sidewalk, slowly moving my feet to an unheard rhythm, hands deep in my pockets. The rain lessened as I walked, but kept up the quiet hum of rain pattering the streets.
//THE RAIN SNAPPED ON THE ASPHALT
THE RAINY TOWN HAS
A TOUCH OF SADNESS, DOESN'T IT?//
When I looked up again, I found myself in the middle of the shopping district. All around me stores are closed with their doors tightly shut. Rain falls here in the same intensity that I am becoming familiar with, and I look around with half lidded eyes, not really curious but looking just the same. On the opposite side of the street, a couple is walking quickly under their own umbrella. The woman, from what I can tell, is pressed close to the man, while his arm is draped protectively over her shoulders. I feel a jolt of envy shoot through my veins, but quickly damper it. At the moment, I deserve what I'm getting.
I turn my head away slowly, and focus again on the sidewalk in front of me and start walking. A soft sound makes me turn back however, and look down a dark alley way I had just passed. When I couldn't see anyone, I shrug and turn to leave again. The sound comes more forcefully and I whip my head back around, this time my gaze suspicious. It is then I notice a soggy, half disintegrated cardboard box sitting underneath an awning. Cautiously I approach it, not knowing what to expect, and am stumped when I see what it is. It's a puppy, a mixed breed obviously, and now wiggling around happily because it had spotted me. I look around hesitantly, before I reach into the box and pull the squirming animal out. It whimpers and sticks its tongue out as far as it would go, trying to lick my face, its little body trembling with the force of its tail wagging. I just hold it slightly away from my body and look at it.
Its fur is short and soft, puppy fur no doubt, and at the moment as wet as I am. Except for one little white spot on its chest, it's completely black, and judging by the size of his feet, isn't going to be a very big dog. And though I notice it before, it didn't have a normal tail that I could tell. In its place was a stump, which still wagged, but gave the puppy's tail more the impression of a knob than a tail. One ear is cocked forward, while the other is bent in half, giving the puppy an impish look. Big brown eyes stare back at me, and again its little pink tongue extends toward my face, its mouth twisted into what had to be called a doggy grin.
//I'M HOLDING
A WET PUPPY THAT
I PICKED UP ON A HILL ROAD//
This little puppy had to be the most adorable thing I had ever seen, and I couldn't imagine why it was out here in the first place. Who would leave a poor puppy out in the rain like this? If I ever found its owner, that would be the first thing I asked after beating the tar out of the guy. Stooping, I turned the box up towards me, one arm securely around the puppy's midsection. The little sign I had missed before in the dark told me all the answers I needed to know, and though I frowned, I was relieved. I tossed back the "Free Puppies" box onto the ground, and lifted the puppy back up to eye level and grinned.
"Guess you're commin' home with me, little guy."
The puppy wiggled its little body more and this time I allowed it to lick me, grinning the whole time. Maybe Akane would like this ball of fur, seeing as Ryoga has given up being P-chan to be with Akari.
//TENDER RAIN,
BECAUSE I LACKED ENOUGH COURAGE
I HURT YOUR FEELINGS
NOVEMBER RAIN
WASH AWAY ALL THE SADNESS//
Feeling a little bit more cheered, I carefully tucked the puppy inside my shirt, allowing only the head to peek through the opening. Though I wasn't any dryer than the dog, I was warmer, and the puppy calmed right down, yawning widely enough to show me its little teeth before closing its eyes. I shook my head and leaned down to where I had put the umbrella, opening it up. I may not deserve the umbrella, but I wasn't about to let the little puppy catch a cold 'cause of it.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk again, one hand clutching the umbrella, the other carefully curled around my sleeping little package. I was really going to have to wash this red shirt when I got home. As cute as the puppy was, it still smelled like every other dog when wet.
//AH, I CAN'T BE TENDER
WITH THE RED THREAD
LOOSE AS IT IS, WHEN WE ARE WALKING//
This time I didn't dally as I walked, and within ten minutes I saw my first glimpse of the Tendou Dojo gates. My steps slowed a bit at that, but I resumed my pace after a moment, reminded by a wiggle that it wasn't just me out in the rain. The gate proved to be a bit of a problem, so I had to shift the umbrella to the hand holding the puppy stationary, before I could pull one of the gates open and walk through. I closed it behind me with a quick kick with my leg, and walked the rest of the way up the walkway to the house. With a quick flick, I removed most of the water off the much cleaner umbrella, and opened the door. Warmth greeted me as soon as I stepped inside, and gratefully I closed the door behind me, eagerly kicking off my shoes in the entry way.
"Taidaima!"
Kasumi exited from the kitchen at my call, a towel already in hand. With a gentle smile, she handed me the towel in exchange for the umbrella.
"Goodness Ranma, you're soaked to the bone," Kasumi said, in that soft admonishing voice of hers that made you want to sink into the floor and hide. Instead I just turned red and looked at the ground, mumbling a "sorry." She shook her head, and turned to put the umbrella away in the closet. "We were all very worried about you when you didn't come home after Akane."
I jerked my head up at that, relief prominent on my face. "So she came home?"
Kasumi nodded in a vague way, primly closing the closet door behind her when she was done. "Yes, she's in the dining room right now." She fixed me with a steely stare, and once again I felt the urge to hide in the floor. "You better go talk to her, she was very upset when she came home."
I nodded my head guiltily and walked past her, one of my arms still tucked securely around my package. Kasumi must have just noticed the bulge in my shirt, because she suddenly blinked.
"Ranma, what do you have in your shirt?"
I grinned, a soft blush staining my cheeks. "Um, just a gift Kasumi." Then I turned and left her in the entryway, dripping water the whole way. Unbeknownst to me, she blinked again and then smiled.
//TENDER RAIN
EVEN RAIN THAT'S ABOUT TO FREEZE FROM COLD
IS WARMER THAN MY HEART//
I found her just where Kasumi said she'd be. Standing outside the patio doors, I watched as she slowly sipped the tea in front of her, staring blankly at the wall ahead. She had traded in her wet clothes for her yellow pajamas, and had a towel loosely wrapped around her neck to show she had been drying her hair. She didn't look mad, thankfully, and even better she didn't look hurt. She looked more... thoughtful than anything else. I decided this time was as good as any, and shyly cleared my throat as I stepped into the room. Her head whipped around, and unusually large brown eyes landed on my soaking form. Even with the towel around my neck like she had, I had already started forming a puddle underneath me. Neither of us acknowledged this though; I was too busy squirming under her piercing gaze, and she wouldn't stop staring at my face as if she was busy deciding something. Whatever it was, she sighed after a moment and looked down at the puddle under my feet.
"You're dripping."
I looked down and flushed a beet red. "Sorry."
Akane sighed, and started to stand up. Abruptly she stopped and stared at my chest. I blinked, then looked down also and wanted to smack myself for totally forgetting about the puppy. It must have decided to wake up now that it was warm, and its squirming little body was trying to push its way out of my shirt. I grinned in embarrassment at the incredulous look on Akane's face as I pulled out the puppy. The great Saotome, master magician of pulling puppies from her shirt!
"Ranma, what is _that_?"
I blinked. Wasn't it obvious? I really wanted to ask that too, but I was already in the figurative dog house, no point in pissing her off even more.
"It's, uh, a puppy," I said, shifting through my mind for the appropriate words that would transform 'mad and pissed' Akane into 'happy and grateful' Akane. I couldn't think of any, so I played it by ear. "I found it when I was... walking. The little guy had been left in a box in the rain." Her eyes never left the continuously twitching little body, so I allowed a satisfied smile to come to my lips. "It was obviously being given away, and since I didn't want the fuzz ball to drown, I, um, thought you might want to take care of it since... uh... P-chan hasn't been around in awhile."
There, I said it. Now it was up to her whether or not she would forgive me. As the seconds ticked by, and she still stared at the little puppy in my hands who had calmed down enough just to sit still and look around, my nervousness increased. What if she didn't forgive me? What if she broke off the engagement? What if she....
"You think you can make up for what you said by giving me a puppy, Ranma?" Akane whispered, now turning her beautiful brown eyes up at me. My smile did a nose dive, and a panicked look adorned my face.
"Uh... yeah?" I asked hopefully. The puppy chose that moment to spot Akane, and I was treated to the difference between Akane and me. The puppy had been happy to see me, maybe even grateful if it had any idea of its probable fate had I left it there in its cardboard box. It probably even liked me a little, if its numerous licks said anything. But the fact was, once it saw Akane, it wanted out of my arms and into hers. Its entire body tingled with happiness, and I knew even without looking into its eyes, it had fallen in love with Akane. One look, and maybe one sniff also in this case, and the puppy had, well, puppy love. I didn't harbor any bad feelings toward it for that, even though I was the one who rescued it. There was just something about Akane that drew everyone to her, and then made them fall hopelessly in love with her. Hey, if it could happen to me, Ranma Saotome, it could definitely happen to a dog.
With a smile, I stepped forward and gently put the puppy into her hands. "Here, I think he wants you." Then I stepped back to watch the show.
For a moment, she looked shocked at this little black ball of fur who was trying to climb all over her to give her doggy kisses, and whining because it couldn't do it fast enough. Then her eyes softened into a warm golden brown, and she buried her head in its fur, hugging it to her chest. The puppy now had unlimited access to her face, and began showering her with little kisses. Laughter slowly bubbled out of Akane's mouth, and I found myself grinning madly in response. Something about her laugh lightened my mood and made me want to laugh with her, or at the very least give her more things to bring out that soft look and happy laugh. Following that train of thought, I shook my head. Oh yeah, there was definitely something about Akane.
//NOVEMBER RAIN
UNTIL MY TEARS VANISH,
DON'T STOP//
"Baka." Whether she was talking to the dog or to me, I don't know. She finally looked back up at me, and just from the warmth in her eyes and her smile, I knew I was forgiven. So I smiled back, hoping beyond hope she could see what I couldn't say just yet in my eyes and my smile. I think she did, because her smile widened, and all of the sudden I read the exact thing in her eyes. Joy filled me to the brim, and I though I could've kicked myself for being so girly, I felt tears threatening the backs of my eyes. This girl body was a bad influence.
Akane shook her head slightly, but continued smiling. "I'll go get you some hot water okay?" She looked at the puppy now happily lying in her arms, and widened her smile. "Could you hold..." She checked quickly, and then nodded in confirmation. "Him while I go get you your water?"
I shrugged. "Yeah. What are you going to name him?" I asked as I accepted the little black ball of fur. Akane cocked her head to the side, and I suddenly had a bad feeling. "You aren't going to call him D-chan or something like that, are you?"
Akane laughed, but shook her head. I still continued to eye her suspiciously.
"No. I think I'll call him.... Kuroken," she smiled. "Kuro-chan for short." She bent over to kiss the newly christened Kuro-chan on the head, then looked up at me. For an overwhelming second, I thought she was going to kiss me, and I was torn between feeling panic since I was a girl, and excitement. But then she leaned up and kissed my cheek, her lips lingering there and burning my skin, before pulling back. "I'll go get your water now."
My cheek was still burning when she left the room, and all I could do was stare after her in awe. The puppy in my arms wiggled and I brought my attention back down to him almost regretfully, a silly smile still on my face.
"Kuroken huh? At least that's better than D-chan," I mutter to the puppy and grin as he leans up to kiss my chin. I situate myself at the table, and place Kuro-chan on my lap to wait for the hot water. He whines for a second, looking longingly at the door Akane went through, before heaving a mighty sigh and settling down on my lap. Absentmindedly, I run my hands softly through his fur, my mind still too busy on my scorching cheek and my rapidly beating heart.
Boy, what a pair we were. Neither one of us could tell the other our feelings. Instead we relied on signals and hidden messages that we both couldn't read very well to communicate our feelings. I shook my head at the silliness of our actions, and turned to look outside at the koi pond. With the puppy slowly becoming a dead weight on my lap, the soft patter of rain against the roof tile, and comforting sounds of Akane boiling the water coming from the kitchen, I let myself smile. Maybe I really was a baka, but if I was, then so was she, and that made my grin widen.
After all, I thought, brushing the remaining wetness away from my eyes, two bakas are better than one.
//RAIN....//
~OWARI~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. This idea came from the Ranma 1/2 character song, "November Rain" that I *just* found the lyrics to. I had always loved this song ever since I bought the CD it was on, but I never knew what the lyrics were saying. So when I found the lyrics, it suddenly hit me: "this was Ranma! He was the one narrating the song!" Then, just like that, the idea formed and walla! Instant (well not really, since it *has* taken me all day to write this) Ranma fanfic! This is actually the first Ranma fic I've ever finished too. I start a lot of them, but then I compare my writing to other Ranma fanfic writers (i.e. Krista Perry, Shannon M. Richmeyer, Vince Seifert, Mark MacKinnon, ect.) and I get discouraged. But this time, I couldn't resist trying out this idea. I'm sorry if the lyrics to the song are a little... stiff, but I took the original Japanese translation and only twisted a few things around so it made sense. Otherwise I wanted the lyrics to be just as they were, to give some background story to the song. I hope it turned out well, and I really hope that I portrayed Akane, and especially Ranma, correctly. I haven't actually read the last manga installments of Ranma, just heard about them, so if I wrote something incorrect, forgive me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and don't feel shy about emailing me at pbailey@foxinternet.net to tell me what you thought of this story. Any comments (except, of course, for things like "you suck" or "this sucked" since that doesn't tell me what I sucked AT) are welcome!! Thanks and jya ne!!
~Jadet ^.~
Note: The puppy's name, Kuroken, actually translates out to "Black dog." Kuro is the Japanese word for black, and adding a -ken to the end, includes the word dog (or so my dictionary says). I know it's not that original (meaning the hidden joke behind Ranma's comment that at least that's better than D-chan, or Dog cute), but I couldn't honestly think of a name! So yeah, Kuroken is "Black dog" and Kuro-chan is something like "Blackie." Sorry if it's corny, but Akane has spoken! ^_~
Japanese words:
Ne: sorta like "huh?"
(Someone's name) no Baka: ______, you idiot!
Baka: obviously, idiot
Taidaima: I'm home!
-chan: added to the end of a name or object to make the name affectionate.