Author's Note (A/N): This is a continuation of the manga. The prologue chapters refer to incidents at the end of the manga; in these chapters, the events occur exactly as they do in the manga with the inclusion of stream of conscious thoughts that set the tone and provide insight into the upcoming plot. This story is rated M for traumatic situations, violence, and language; however, any future chapter with (tasteful) lime/lemon content will be appropriately noted for your convenience/scrolling.
Disclaimer: The original work below is based on the characters and works of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. I do not own the rights to any of this content, and am not benefiting financially from its publishing.
Silver Linings Dojo
Prologue- Shores surrounding Mt. Phoenix
"Over and over again…"
Yes, thought a weak voice, this must be death... the call to reincarnate… I'm glad it's his voice at least.
"I kept trying to tell you how I really felt, but it always came out wrong."
Wrong? Nothing feels wrong anymore.
"I just ended up bothering you and making you angry."
Baka, you always saved me.
"Wake up, Akane. There's something I need to tell you. I've waited too long to say it, but it can't wait another moment."
I feel like his voice is getting farther away. Is this death?
"Akane? Can't you hear me? Please, Akane. I need you… to hear me now… I wanted to tell you…"
It's so faint now, barely a whisper. I think I'm in his arms… not a bad way to die.
"I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU!"
~~~k~m~~~
I hold her like every precious thing in the world was in my arms and turning to sand.
I don't know exactly what happened next. Suddenly I feel a great pulling sensation; I think the earth is going to swallow my misery by collapsing under my feet. My life flashes before my eyes, but distorted. I feel pulled in multiple directions and for the first time in my life I know what it means to be terrified.
No more Tomboy.
No more mallets and jealousy.
No more beautiful smiles.
No more…
"AKANEEE!"
"ran…Ran…ma?"
I feel my eyes open despite the tears, and then she grasps onto me.
Prologue- The flooded ruins of Jusenkyo
"Geez, can you believe this?" I whisper to myself. Looking around at the once familiar training grounds turned into a deluge of cursed water.
Akane said she heard everything I said... I wasn't even aware I was speaking. She was dead: I know how to check a pulse; but then again… she is alive.
"After coming so far, I'd forgotten all about restoring my body to normal."
Restoring my body to normal? It sounds hollow even saying it.
"All I cared about was getting the cold cursed water for Akane… I'm not sure when, but I guess somewhere along the line, I just stopped caring about it."
What am I talking about? I've always wanted to be cured…
'Does it matter if you're cured?'
I can feel her coming closer… she probably thinks I'm upset.
"Ranma…" Akane's sympathetic voice fills my head and I look to the sky unwilling to meet her gaze.
"I suppose in the end… I understand that my girl side was always a part of me anyway."
'Sounds like wisdom, except it's coming from you…'
Who are you?
'…'
"Maybe it was never a curse to be cured to begin with."
Prologue- Return to Nerima, the Tendo Dojo
There she was. A blue flower draping laurels down her blue hair, she was in an exquisite wedding gown. I feel my body visibly shiver at how stunning she looks.
"Ranma, You love me. Don't you?"
'YES!'
Shut up! She doesn't love a freak like me!
'How would a macho jerk like you know?'
"Umm.. I do? What made you think that all of a sudden?" I nervously try to buy some time.
"But… when you were crying over me at Jusenkyo… I could've sworn I heard you.. Y'know, say you loved me."
'I knew she heard you…'
I.. I…
'Why are you so afraid?'
"I'm sure I didn't say it out loud! I didn't! NO WAY!"
'That wasn't a denial.. weren't you going to deny it?'
SHUT UP!
Akane's face lights up with fury. "What's the difference?!" She screams, "I'm just as sure I heard you in some way!"
'I knew it.'
Then why hasn't she said she loves me back?
'She's here to marry you, idiot!'
"What?! You wanna fight about it? You'll ruin that pretty dress of yours like that."
'It's too beautiful to ruin..'
"HMPH! Fine, be that way. Obviously I made a mistake when I pushed myself to go through with the wedding."
I knew it.. she doesn't want this.. she doesn't want.. me.
'…'
She doesn't want me.
'…'
What's going on? Who am I talking to?
'…'
Why is this happening to me?
'…'
What is your name?
'You know my name..'
I feel like I'm talking to something in my head?! What the hell is wrong with me?
'Maybe you are going insane?'
Ranma realized that Akane just said something to him, but was unable to hear her through the blood pumping in his ears. He felt like heavy weights were pushing on him. Distantly his mind registered a growing sensation of warmth in his temples.
'Did she say something about a cask of Nannichuan?'
Who cares? Wait!
'Maybe the curse is all that's keeping her from loving you?'
Worth a shot? 'Worth a shot?'
Ranma raced away from Akane, he must have said something to once again to infuriate her as she screamed at his retreating back. Nothing mattered more than fixing the curse, the one thing keeping Akane from him.
As Ranma entered the Tendo dojo he was overwhelmed by the scene of chaos. Shampoo and Ukyo were tossing bombs at anybody in a dress. Kodachi wearing a wedding dress was searching for the priest while her twisted brother fought Akane over the right to marry her. Desperately seeking the cure, a detached part of him started reciting names of those that were causing this mayhem. He ignored it, up until he saw his father running away with the cask and Happosai subsequently chugging the precious Nannichuan water.
For the first time in his life, Ranma wasn't angry. He wasn't even shocked: after all, every attempt at a cure so far either exacerbated his issues with Akane or failed utterly. All he could feel was an immense darkness covering his mind and he slumped to the charred dojo floor, his tuxedo still smoking slightly. However, a familiar voice continued to recite a list of names.
'Xian Pu… Kuonji Ukyo…The Kuno siblings… Saotome Genma...' What about the rest of them… the ones that tried to take the Nannichuan?
'They acted out of selfishness, but they were not here to stop the wedding.'
What am I supposed to do now?
'We're going to train. Then, we get revenge.'The guests and priest were being funneled out of the dojo, the wedding obviously ruined. Akane just laid the Kuno siblings out for a long nap. The cursed men huddled around the empty cask of Nannichuan, either crying or just staring into space. The rest of the family began to clean and pick up the debris from the dojo's near destruction. Ranma just felt empty inside, felt like he was apart from himself. He could feel himself shaking.
'Xian Pu… Kuonji Ukyo…The Kuno siblings… Saotome Genma..."
Revenge?
'Xian Pu… Kuonji Ukyo…The Kuno siblings… Saotome Genma..."
I like the sound of that.
'Thought ya might.'
So…
What did you have in mind?
Akane felt a shiver of ice run through her despite the heat of the late spring sun. She looked towards Ranma, huddled in a corner, tuxedo still smoking, and to her surprise he didn't seem angry, or even disappointed, but he was visibly trembling. His eyes closed, he was chanting.. a prayer? Ranma was never particularly spiritual. She walked over to him, but had to wrap her hands around her sides as she felt goose bumps on her arms from the strange cold. She felt her anger diminish to an uncomfortable confusion. With a passing look towards him she walked out of the dojo into the warmth of the Sun.
A/N: Reviews and such always welcome.
