A Contemplative Night
The oak trees swayed quietly in the soft, fall breeze. The night sky is full of billions of bright stars, painting a brilliant picture in the cosmos. A young man is lying on a roof as the panorama of the night sky around him took his breath away. Ranma Saotome loves to go out at night and watch the stars. It makes him feel at peace. Most of the time his life is like the pandemonium at a baseball game. The only way he can go on in life is to have some peace and quiet once in a while.
Ranma Saotome is a sixteen-year-old martial artist. He is Nerima's Japan's best and he has never lost a battle. Ranma is the son of Genma and Nodoka Saotome, two respected martial artists. Ranma is about 5'6 with long black hair tied in a pigtail and sparkling sapphire blues eyes that are like the sea. His eyes display every emotion that he feels at every moment. Perhaps this is why so many girls chase after him. Or maybe it is because of his philanthropy that has the ability to turn many of his antagonists into his best friends. Whatever the case, the girls adore him, and three of them are lucky enough to have become his fiancées.
Ranma gave a little sigh and turned over on his stomach. His thoughts wandered over to the special assignment his teacher had given him that day in school. Nerima's misanthropic apothecary, Kentaro Ajiro, had died the day before and Ranma was supposed to write a heartfelt eulogy for his funeral. "How in the world am I supposed to do that?" Ranma thought. "Ajiro-san was a horrid disrespectful apostate who cared about no one but himself. No wonder why no one liked him. It's bad enough that he likes to poison people sometimes, but then he turns from Shinto to Christianity.
"How am I supposed to write a eulogy and a heartfelt one at that? I never liked the baka, and I'm not any good at words. I don't know any famous epigrams except for 'Every dog has his day' and that's not exactly appropriate.
"What am I going to do? I could tell Hinako-sensei that I'm busy and can't do it. On second thought, no can do. I'm failing her class and I really need this extra credit. Oh, dilemma, dilemma. Maybe I should ask Akane what to write. Yeah I think I will." Ranma's thoughts were interrupted as his fiancée, Akane, called from the ladder.
"Ranma, are you up there?"
"Yeah."
"Well, hurry up and get down here. We have to finish studying about the London Holocaust for the quiz tomorrow.
"Oh no, I forgot."
"What else is new?"
"Touché." They both laughed. "Alright, I'm coming down. Hey Akane?"
"Hmmm?"
"You know that eulogy I have to write?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I'm not good at writing and giving speeches and I was wondering if you'd help me on it."
Akane smiled as her head peered through the roof. "Sure. We wouldn't want you to ruin poor Ajiro-san's funeral, would we? He said he always wanted the best there was." Akane and Ranma laughed again. Akane started down the ladder.
"Akane?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks." Ranma could almost see her smile.
"You're welcome, Ranma. Now let's go study. I don't want to fail this quiz and Lord knows, you can't fail either."
"Akane no Baka." Akane laughed and Ranma followed her down the ladder to go study.