Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING! I already sold my soul for some cheescake, what more do you want?

Ok. Here goes. In this fanfic, I want to attempt to continue what Rumiko Takahashi attempted to create in the Ranma series: A cute little story about confused love and the sort. This fic takes place about a year after the Saffron incident. Nothing has changed yet. In fact, things probably would never change, but I've decided that a new face needs to emerge. Before anyone starts having their doubts (Mary Sue, or whatever her name is) the new character will be important, but he won't be the focus of the story, not by a long shot. Since I am an advocate of the Ranma & Akane pairing, I am going to show how I think that those two would end up together. No freaky cross - overs, or the like. Just a simple continuation of the Ranmaverse, in as much of Takahashi's cute portrayal as possible. The mood will stay light, but events won't be as ridiculous as possible. Well, here goes.

And things go on...

Chapter One: First Things First

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Ranma strolled down his favorite fence, hands behind his head, non-chalantly whistling to himself. It had been a good day. School had gone smoother than usual, with little of the bickering that he and Akane usually had. In fact, they had managed to have a pleasant little conversation during lunch, before Kuno popped up, looking to woo his favorite blue-haired angel. Ranma didn't even bother to fight him. The day was too nice. He tossed a little wave to Akane, and moved to talk to some of his other classmates. He felt a little bad about leaving Akane to deal with Kuno, but it was always worse when Ranma WAS around. He hoped Akane would understand. He really hated leaving her with that jerk.

The rest of the day went on without a hitch. Akane had invited him to a cafe, to which Ranma tried not to get excited about. It's just a friendly invitation. It's not like it's a date or anything.... The idea of a date with Akane embaressed him to no end. Nah. Akane would NEVER ask me out on a date. She hates me. Well, I guess she dosen't really hate me, but still..... Ranma agreed, as calmly as possible. Akane blushed slightly, and then took off with her friends, tossing a quick 'See ya!' over her shoulder. Ranma headed home to change into something comfortable. Man, these school clothes really stink. How can the guys stand wearing this every single day? This is the first time I've worn it, and I already hate it!

As he neared the home, his thoughts began to drift some more. What should I wear to the cafe? I mean, it... it kinda IS a date, right? Should I wear something nice, or.... Nah! What am I thinking? Akane would NEVER ask me out. Would she.....? Man, I am so confused. Why'd she ask me to the cafe anyhow? She's not normally that nice.... Maybe she's up to something? Hmm. I'll keep my guard up, just in case. But what am I gonna wear? Oh, man.....

He hopped down from the fence, and strolled casually into the Tendo household. Kasumi was busy sweeping the porch, Soun and Genma were absorbed into a game of go, Happosai was smoking his moxa, and Nabiki was relaxing on the floor of the living room, reading a book. It's so calm today, Ranma thought, it's almost scary. I keep expecting something to happen. Oh well. It's not that I don't like the peace, it's just so strange. Ranma greeted his father. "Hey, Pop."

Genma glanced up. "Oh, hello Ranma. Where's Akane?" Soun looked up at the mention of his youngest daughter's name.

"She went to the cafe with some of her friends. I was just gonna change and go meet them there."

Soun grinned widely. "Well, that's a sound idea! You go have fun, and make sure not to come home early!"

Ranma threw him a puzzled look, before heading up to his room to change. I guess I'll just throw on the usual threads. He tossed aside his bookbag and quickly changed into his usual red and black combo. Ah, much better. Now I can actually breathe. He fished around the cabinet for some money, counted out a good amount, and went back downstairs. Kasumi was there to see him off. "Now, make sure that Akane comes home alright, okay?"

"Sure Kasumi. Mr. Tendo, Pops, I'm off!" He waved as he left the dojo.

Soun waved back, content that Ranma and his daughter were finally getting along. He turned back to the go board, when he noticed that he was in a horrible strategic situation. He glanced up to Genma, who had a stone composure. Darn. He won again. I thought I had the upper hand....

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Ranma stared up at the cafe's sign. Well, I'm here. I guess I'll go in. Man, what is up with this? Akane asked me out? Aww, stop it! It's just a friendly get-together. He calmed his nerves, using a few quick breathing exercises, then pushed aside the double doors and walked inside. The cafe was pleasant enough. Decorated with some novelty posters and assorted junk, it held an relaxed aura. Good. It ain't that fancy. Maybe it won't be as bad as I thought it would be. It was a fairly small place, so it was easy to spot Akane sitting with two of her school friends. He weaved around some of the tables and made his way over to the trio. Akane spotted him as he came near, and waved him over, a smile on her face. Damn, she's so cute! He hid his grin, and sat down next to Akane as calmly as possible. "So I decided to come. What did you have in mind?" Akane and the girls giggled. Ranma suddenly became uncomfortable. I knew it! They're plotting something! "Hey, hey, what are you laughing at? I just got here. Jeez....."

Akane stopped laughing, but her smile stayed on. "Ranma, Ranma, you're so suspicious. I just thought you might want to hang out with us today, seeing as how nice you've been and all....." The girls resumed their giggling.

Oh, great. Now I know something is up. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you so happy-go-lucky? I hope you don't have anything up your sleeve."

Akane got a little miffed at this. "Why are you being so negative? I was hoping we could go see a movie, but if you're gonna be such a baby..."

"Now, wait a minute. You have never, EVER asked me to go somewhere with you before. And then today you get all cutsy-like and ask me on what could be considered a date?"

Akane was about to yell back at him, when she considered his words. He's right. I'm never nice to him. But that's only because he acts like a jerk all the time. Why should I be nice? But then..... why was I nice today? She looked away from him, and suddenly became very interested in the tabletop. "I just thought...... that maybe...... we could be friends...... if just for one day......"

Ranma saw her change in mood. Oh, man. If she cries...... I'll never hear the end of it. I can't mess this up! "Aww, man. Listen Akane," he began to speak as he scratched the back of his head, "I didn't mean it that way. It just seemed so weird that you would, ya know...... think of me and all...... I didn't know what to say. I guess...... what I want to say...... is, uhh, thank you, I guess."

That sealed it. Akane looked up at Ranma, a deep joy in her eyes. "Really?"

Ranma looked back at her. Aww, crap, she's got that googly-look in her eyes. And she's smiling. Aww, she's so cute! "Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, you did invite me, so I guess I should thank you for it, so...... thanks."

Akane was at a loss for words. Ranma almost choked at the sight. She was trembling slightly. Her fists were clenched tightly in her lap. Uh-Oh. What did I say this time? Is she crying? "Uh... Akane?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed a bit, trying to get her to relax. "Hey, relax, will ya?"

She heard his request, and visibly relaxed. Then, as soon as he retracted his hand, Akane scooted over quickly, and grabbed him around the torso. "Oh, thank you, Ranma, thank you for coming! We're gonna have a great time, I promise!"

Ranma raised in arms up in surprise. Wha...? Well, at least she's not crying. Phew, disaster avoided. O-Okay, Akane, y-you're welcome, b-but could you not s-squeeze so h-hard?" He felt his face flush in embaressment. Oh man. I hope she dosen't keep this up all day.

"Well, if you two lovebirds are finished, we'll just be going now." Ranma and Akane both looked to see that Akane's two school buddies had been watching the entire exchange. Akane then realized whom she was hugging, and quickly scooted over to the other side of the booth, her own face taking on a scarlet hue. Her two friends just smiled. "Now then, here's our part of the bill." One of them handed over a few bills. "Well, then, we'll be seein' ya." They got up to leave.

Akane spoke up quickly. "W-Wait! You're not just gonna leave me alone with him, are you!?"

Ranma turned to Akane. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Why do you have to give me the cold shoulder, you tomboy?"

Akane met his glare with her own. "Who are you calling a tomboy, you ungrateful little - "

"Have fun!" The squabblers looked up and saw that Akane's two friends were waving to them from the entrance of the cafe. Akane stood up and tried to call them back. "Hey, wait, you guys!" But they only turned away, and left, giggling about the 'lovebirds'

Akane sat back down, and sighed in defeat. Ranma was twiddling his thumbs absent-mindedly. Now what, now what, now what? Do I leave? Nah, that would be a mistake. Akane would kill me. I guess we gotta continue this date. Oh man, there are gonna be so many rumors about us being a couple.... He glanced over at Akane. Her head hung down, and she didn't speak. I guess I should say somethin' to her. "Hey, Akane?" She titled her head slightly, to get a view of Ranma fidgeting around nevously. "Do you...... maybe want to, ya know...... walk around with me a bit?" She perked up a bit. "I mean, I'm sure we could find something to do here. There are plenty of new places open, and I haven't gotten a chance to eat. Maybe we could even go check out the movies." Akane fully sat up at the last statement.

"Really, Ranma?"

Oh, man, do I do this? What if we have a bad time? She'll hate me! But I can't say no now. Aww, c'mon, it's just a simple little date, that's all. We're just friends. C'mon, Ranma, you can say it. C'mon.......

"Yeah, Akane. Let's have that date of yours"

Date? Did I just say date? Oh, crap...... Oh, well...... How bad could it be?

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As it turned out, it wasn't bad at all. After they left the cafe, Ranma and Akane went for a stroll down to the entertainment district. Akane had heard music in the distance, and wanted to see if any concerts were playing. They found out that a large music festival had arrived in town. Differents bands, playing different styles of music, had come from all over to share their skills. There was an assortment of local musicians, playing the latest pop tunes from some of the more popular bands. Some of the older folk had gathered, and were listening to the more traditional Japanese Sokyoko, which is played using the multi-string koto, and the Shakuhachi flute music. Although both Ranma and Akane appreciated their roots, they were more interested in the foreign music.

The first thing that caught their attention was a loud series of drumming, followed by whoops and cheers. They followed the sound over to it's source, and found a circle of Africans playing the drums. There were chanting as they played, and the beat was a quick, flowing tempo. Some of the spectators had actually begun to dance. There wasn't a set of movements that they followed. They just let their feet follow the beat. The tempo increased, and the dancers began spinning at a furious pace. Dust was starting to rise, as their feet flew across the ground. It was truly a sight to behold. After the song ended, Akane asked one of the musicians about the music. The group performing was a jembe ensemble, coupled with a few congas and steel pans. They were a group that wanted to stick to their African roots. Akane thanked the performer, and turned back to Ranma, when she saw that he had disappeared. Where did he go? I hope he's not stuffing his face... Her thoughts were interupted when more whooping came from the circle. Akane looked and saw, with great delight, that Ranma had joined the circle as the music began again. Clapping shortly followed, as the speed was turned up a notch. Ranma was engaged in small contest of dexterity, trying to see who could keep up with the accelerating beat. Many of the dancers fell behind, and left the circle breathless, until only Ranma and another man were left. The music changed to a three-count beat, and Ranma struggled to keep his feet in time. The other man, obviously a professional, flawlessly adjusted. His feet were a blur, shrouded in a small cloud of dust, as he appeared to float in mid-air. Ranma finally lost his footing, and stumbled away. He landed flat in front of Akane, as she doubled over in laughter. Ranma began to grumble, as the crowd cheered loudly. He almost burst out in anger, until Akane grabbed his arms and hoisted him up and dusted him off. His anger dissapated as he saw her smile. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

"You did a great job back there. You really got the crowd going."

"Huh?" He turned around, and saw that the crowd was begging him to dance again. He quickly grinned, but refused politely. He had worked up a sweat, and wanted to rest a bit. He said goodbye, and he made his way with Akane over to another area. He noticed that she was holding his hand, but said nothing. I wonder if she realizes what she's doing. Oh well.

The next place they stopped at was a gigantic stage. Rows and rows of people, sitting on lawn chairs, were silently watching an orchestra as they played a series of classical pieces. The couple sat down on the lawn, and quickly became mesmerized by the music. Akane recognized the current piece as Ode to Joy. Even Ranma thought that the tune was familiar. His head began to nod to the flowing sounds, and his eyes closed as he fell into a state of relaxation. Peaceful...... It's so peaceful...... I could stay here forever. I guess this date wasn't such a bad idea after all. I hope Akane is having a good time. He opened one eye, to see that Akane was swinging her head side to side, swaying with the music. She wore a smile of genuine content. One day, that smile is gonna kill me. Damn, she's so beautiful when she smiles like that. He closed his eye again, and lazily followed the piece to it's conclusion. The crowd went wild, and even Ranma felt compelled to clap.

"Hey, Akane. Let's go explore some more. I'm sure there's something more lively than this." And without waiting for her answer, he got up, helped her up by the hand, and led the way. Akane blushed a bit at his antics, but she kept her pleasant smile on. Oh, wow. This festival is doing wonders for his mood.

They wandered around for a bit, examining different booths that were set up. Each one had its own instrument on display, and had information about the instrument and its different uses. A few more bands were randomly scattered about, but nothing really caught their intrest, until they found a large tent on the far side of the festival. When they entered, they were breathless.

The sun had gone down the hours they were there, and that only helped to set the mood within the tent. To either side of them, food stands and more instrument booths curved around the tent. In the center, numerous tables had been set up. There were people eating, drinking, talking, yelling, dancing, and cheering. On the far side of the tent, a small stage was passively but warmly lit. A small ensemble was playing a very sad sounding tune. Ranma and Akane recognized a grand piano on the far right, along with a drum set in the middle, and a large bass on the left, all three of which were in the background. However, they did not know what the three men up front were playing. All three were metallic, and shone well in the light. Two of the men played identical ones, which were held straight forward from their mouthes. They flanked the final man, who played a strange-looking intstrument that was played from the mouth, but curved down to his hip. All three has bright golden colors, although the middle one held tints of silver.

Ranma didn't hide his ignorance, or his excitement. "Wow! What are those!? I've never seen those around here before! Here, let's go ask this guy, his booth has pictures." He dragged Akane over to the indicated booth. The man sitting inside was African-American, late in his years. He seemed to be under some sort of spell, the way his head was bobbing around. His eyes were soft, but focused. Something about the man made Ranma and Akane feel very relaxed.

"Hello, sir?" Akane was the first to speak up.

"Oh, yes, miss. How do you do?" He smiled warmly at the couple. "And what brings you here, to my humble little abode? I'm sure it isn't my good looks."

Akane giggled, while Ranma rolled his eyes, reciving an elbow to the ribs as payment for his manners. "Oh, my friend and I were just curious about the people playing up there."

"Ah, yes. Aren't they skilled? Especially the saxaphone. He's got talent I haven't heard in years."

"Uh.... Saxaphone?"

"Yes, the saxaphone player, he.... Oh, wait. Forgive me, but you're not familiar with these instruments, are you?" Two shakes of the head answered him. "Ah, well, that's quite alright. A lack of knowledge provides an opportunity to learn something new. Now then, what would you like to know?"

"Just what exactly are those? The three shiny ones, I mean."

"The ones on the left and right are called trumpets, which belong to the brass familiy, namely because they themselves are made of brass. The player puckers his lips, and blows into a mouthpiece. The vibrations of his lips travel through the trumpet, and are modified by the three valves in the middle. The brass is what gives a trumpet its metallic sound. If a player is skilled enough, he can change the pitch without using the valves, and instead using more air from his diaphram. Theoretically, if a person possesed enough power, there is no limit to the height his pitch can reach." And with that, one of the trumpets blasted a squeal that raised the hairs on Ranma's skin, and induced loud cheering from the audience.

"So, that middle one, the saxomaphone, is also brass?"

The man chuckled deeply. "No, no, its a saxaphone, and it isn't a brass instrument, although it is made of brass."

"Huh?" The two kids echoed in unison.

"The sax is unique. Although it is made of brass, the sound comes from the vibration of the wooden piece that is close to the mouth." He pointed to a hanging picture, which was a close-up of a tenor saxaphone. "That's why the saxaphone was place into the category of 'woodwind'. All instruments that use a reed, which is that wood piece, are called woodwinds."

"Oh, I see. So those," Ranma pointed to two of the men, "are trumpets, while that," he shifted his finger to the middle man, "is a sax."

"Yes, that is correct. The sax is a more recent invention, and is not considered a traditional jazz instrument, like the trumpet is."

Akane placed a finger on her lips thoughtfully. "Oh, so that's the style of music they're playing. Jazz."

Ranma snorted. "It don't sound like anything I've ever heard. I mean, they're not even all playing at the same time."

The man only chuckled louder. "Ha ha, you're absolutely right. The thing about jazz is that it's not supposed to be together. It's very improvisational. A true jazz artist does not let the notes on the page become his boundary. He can play anything and everything that fancies him. The key is to play something that makes your ear perk up, something different, but still right. That's the beauty of jazz. And the epitome of jazz is the solo. With the background still playing, a person steps up to the center, and makes up something, right there, right on the spot. It's truly amazing what comes out of an instrument when it is played by a skilled soloist."

Ranma and Akane turned to look at the band. They had just finished playing the last piece, and the crowd was going wild, when two men from the band took center stage. One was a new face, and he took his place on a stool, an acoustic guitar in hand. The other man was the sax man, who seemed to be the favorite of the crowd. His long, curly hair was damp and shiny from the sweat. His tan face betrayed signs of fatigue. But he stood up to the microphone with a brisk confidence. "Thank you, everyone, for being so cooperative this evening. I hoped we could put on a good show for you guys, and I think we've succeded. My name is Jason Vargas, and I am a guest of the band 'Blue Turmoil'". The crowd cheered as the band stood up and waved. "And now, before we depart, I'd like to play one last piece. It's called 'Permanent Vacation'. And with that, he placed the sax to his lips, and began to play.

It was one of the greatest sounds that either Ranma or Akane had ever heard. The confidence radiated from him as swayed from side to side, sending note after note echoing around the tent. His eyes were closed, but his body betrayed a passion so fiery, the crowd couldn't help but cheer. The guitarist was quickly pushed back to the background, as the vibrant man sent wave after wave of the pleasant music rolling around. He got louder, and louder, and swaying became erratic. Many of the patrons began jump, whoop and hollar. It was a display not seen very often. The strumming became even more vigorous, as the wild saxaphone shone brighly in the dim area. The booth man's eyes had glazed over at the display. Ranma and Akane were completely drawn to the center figure. Clapping quickly arose, as the pitch climbed with the fervor. The man's feet would not even stay in one spot, as he continued belting out his beautiful sound. It was as if the brass contraption had become a part of him. The crowd, sensing the end of the performance, cried for more, cried for an encore. Even the food vendors had been sucked into the heat of the moment. It was absolutely beautiful.

As the song came to a reluctant close, the avid listeners yelled the loudest they had all evening. Their voices were raspy, as they gave their affection to the musician. As the piece finally ended, the man took a deep breath, picked up the microphone, and said, "I thank you all this evening, this was a great time for me, I hope to be back here again soon." And with that, the tent exploded into cheers. Even Ranma and Akane added to the noise, yelling their approval. When Ranma tried to raise his hand in a sign of victory, he noticed that it was clamped tightly by Akane's hand. She saw the same thing at about the same moment, and then she shyly squeezed his hand, and shifted closer to him, resting her head on his arm. Ranma was a bit startled, but he relaxed, and placed his head on hers. Well, this turned out alright, I guess. Maybe... this whole engagement thing won't be so bad after all.

"C'mon, Akane, let's go home." She only nodded, as they turned around, and headed for home.

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A few hours later, after the conclusion of the festival, a lone man quietly walked the streets of Nerima. A large case dangled from his back. He was weary, and hungry. Hoping to find a hotel, or something, he kept walking, but his exhaustion took over, and he collapsed in front of a large pair of wooden doors. He spied a sign, moments before he fell into unconsiousness, that said 'Tendo Dojo'.

Notes: Well, what do you think? I am a huge advocate of jazz, and music in general, so I decided that music, in the form of the upcoming OC, will remain a large theme. And in case you haven't guessed, Jason Vargas is the OC, and the man who fainted in front of the dojo. If I spoiled it, well boo hoo, I was gonna reveal it first thing next chapter.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Trigun, Permanent Vacation is a song from the Trigun Original Soundtrack #1, titled 'The First Donuts'. It's a great song. If anybody is interested, look out for it. It should be number 5 on the CD. Look in up on Kazaa (Ooops, I hope I don't get in trouble for the K word.)