Equal Romance – Ranma ½
By M.A.L.V.
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is owned by Rumiko Takahashi. The characters used in this story are borrowed without permission and is not intended to be commercialized in any form.
Notes:
Bold Letters denote spoken words.
(Encased Letters denote character thoughts.)
Italicized Letters denote translated words.
FUJIYAMA ANCESTRAL HOTEL
The morning light pierced through the extravagant room straight to the lone occupant who was lying on the expensive king-sized bed. She did not really want to wake up since she still felt somewhat fatigued. (What is wrong with me? I've been here for two days and all I've done is eat and lie down on this stupid bed… I should get out and enjoy myself!!) She stood up slowly and walked towards the antique dresser. The reflection on the mirror shocked the short-haired girl. Her color was pale and her eyes were bloodshot, anybody will immediately conclude that she was sick if anyone could see her. (I don't feel really well anyway… maybe I am coming down with something…) She groaned to herself and sat down on the bed again.
Feeling hungry, she picked up the phone and called the front desk, "Hello? Is this the front desk?"
"Yes Ma'am. How can I help you?" the operator answered.
"I'm a bit hungry now. Can you bring some soup in my room and maybe a couple of medicines?"
"Medicine? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I think I maybe coming down with the flu or something like that, I don't feel too good…"
The voice on the other line was sympathetic, "I'm sorry to hear that Ma'am. I'll be sure to tell the manager of your condition, in the meanwhile I'll instruct the hotel nurse pay you a visit as well."
"Thank you."
She put the phone down and waited for room service to come. (Ranma…) She thought about her fiancé. They both deny that they have feelings for each other and yet they would immediately become possessive if anyone else comes claiming the other. She did not want to admit it but she knew for a fact that there was no other man that she considered to spend her life with, other than the pig-tailed boy. But everything gets complicated once everyone enters the scene. A couple of Ranma's other fiancés as well as some of her own suitors plus their parents and the occasional crazy challenger or prince or whatever, makes their betrothal a very difficult one. Although, she knew that she heard his voice when she was lying half-dead in China, a couple of months back. It was right after he defeated an immortal being so that he can save her and she heard his voice. He said it clearly. He said, "I wanted to tell you that I love you!!" When she asked him about it, he denied saying it, or at least saying it out loud.
She looked outside the window near where she was seating. The view of the pool revealed a lot of couples laying down sweetly together. She sighed and whispered to herself, "Ranma… Will I ever hear those words from you? Will I ever hear those words without you denying it?"
YOKOHAMA OUTSKIRTS
A pair of young men can be seen walking along the road that led to the city. The bulkier one can be seen carrying a travel pack with a red umbrella on top and the other one wore a long Chinese robe and very thick glasses. The traveled in silence, it was unusual for the two to be seen together much less travel the same way but since they found out that they were looking for the same person, they decided to work together, at least till they found him.
"Are you sure this is the right way, Mousse?" asked the fanged and bulky boy.
"Unlike you, Ryoga, I can tell where I am going…" the myopic one replied curtly.
"HA!! You're one to talk!! I'm not even sure if you can see the road 5 meters in front of you!!" Ryoga shouted to his companion.
"WHY YOU!! IF YOU'RE SO CONFIDENT, WHY DON'T I JUST LEAVE YOU BEHIND AND LET'S FIND OUT WHO'LL FIND SAOTOME FIRST!!"
"WHY DON'T YOU!? YOU'LL PROBABLY END UP GETTING LOST YOURSELF!!"
Mousse was about to shout back when a passing car ran through a puddle, soaking both of the arguing teenagers. As the muddy water hit their bodies, the transformation immediately took effect, with the fanged martial artist turning into a black piglet and the Chinese young man into a glass-wearing duck.
They stopped their bickering and each one picked his own personal belongings and dragged it into the bushes nearby. Out of the traveling pack, the piglet withdrew a kettle and a portable heater.
A few minutes later, the pig and duck can no longer be seen, only two young men who kept arguing which way they should go. They would have continued quarreling but they took notice of the blackening sky. "Just great… this is just what we need!!" Mousse stated.
"C'mon! Let's look for some cover…" the other answered in hurry.
They ran hastily while looking for anything that can defend them from the seeming inevitable rain drops. A few meters of running found them a entrance tunnel to the underground railway. "Let's wait in here…" Ryoga uttered as he entered quickly. Mousse followed and they sat down looking outside, waiting for the rain to come.
NERIMA, BUS TERMINAL
"It's so good to be back!!" said a young lady to herself. She would have been almost ordinary had it not there been a giant spatula strapped to her back. (Now what should I do first? Oh yeah! I must go visit Ranma-honey!!) She leapt to the terminal rooftop and started running towards the local dojo.
YAMATO COUNTRY HOSPITAL
A pig-tailed young man can be seen struggling in his bed while sleeping. He sat up suddenly and shouted, "AKANE!!" He gasped for breath and looked around, he was confused as to where he was. (Where the heck am I? The last thing I remember is Akane hitting me then walking off alone…). His thoughts only confused him all the more, but he knew that the answers will come if he finds Akane. He was about to leave the bed when the door opened and an old nurse entered.
"I heard a shout… Are you alright?" the nurse asked him.
"Uh- yeah… I think…"
"Good… good… you shouldn't try to stand… you've suffered a concussion and multiple lacerations though they aren't as bad as the concussion itself."
The martial artist looked dumbfounded and stared at the nurse with a pleading look. The nurse smiled at him and patted his head, "It means you've hit your head a little too hard and suffered some cuts and bruises too."
"Ohhh… That's ok… I've had worse…" he answered.
The nurse gently pushed him to lie back down the bed. She had the aura like Kasumi's which immediately negates any arguments. "I know you're very eager to go out but still you should stay here at least for another day just to make sure."
"Okay… but if it's not too much to ask… How'd I get here anyway?"
"One of the subway engineers found you lying unconscious on the rail tunnel. The railway management brought you here. They said you were lucky that the train schedules were halted, otherwise you might have been run over by a train." the nurse answered him. She paused for a moment then asked, "Why were you down there anyway?"
He sighed before answering the query, "I was looking for my fiancée. She went to Yokohama by herself and I went to follow her. I walked down the tunnel since I figured that it'd be easier than walking on the road. I think I was halfway when I got attacked." He didn't want to mention who attacked him since it could get Akane into trouble.
"Oh my! How terrible… Did you know who attacked you?"
"No… I didn't get to see them because it was really dark down there…"
The nurse looked sympathetic and then smiled again. "Don't worry. You're safe here and I'm sure you will find her once you get well again, so you should rest and make sure that you regain your strength… Oh.. and by the way, we have you listed as an anonymous since you didn't carry any identification, care to tell me your name?"
"I'm Ranma Saotome." he smiled for the first time.
"It's nice to meet you Ranma. I'm nurse Akemi. If there's anything you need, just press that button by your bed. It will alert the nurse station and I'll be right over, okay?"
He nodded his head and watched as the nurse exited the room. (Akemi… I wonder if I could get Akane to name one of our kids, Akemi… Huh? Kids!? What the heck am I thinking!!)
TENDO RESIDENCE
Ukyo Kuonji has trained herself to confront those who abandoned her 11 years ago but when she finally caught up with them, life took an unexpected twist. She fell in love with boy who she wanted vengeance from. And now, everything has been forgotten and all she can think about is how she can pry Ranma Saotome away from the other fiancées that is claiming him. Unfortunately, it seems Ranma himself, isn't willing to let himself be pried away, especially from Akane Tendo. She cringed at memory of the near matrimony of the two, just a few weeks ago. IF she hadn't come along with the others, they might have already been. (If things continue as they are, Akane's gonna wrap have Ranma all to herself… I can't let that happen…)
She entered the Tendo residence quietly and shouted for attention, "Hey! Anybody home?"
"Hello Ukyo. Come on in." Kasumi greeted her. As the okonomiyaki chef was about to enter another guest appeared, dropping from the sky itself it seems. "Nihao!!"
"Ohhh.. Hello Shampoo." Kasumi greeted again with her perpetual smile.
The air was automatically filled with tension between the chef and the newly arrived Amazon. "What are you doing here?" asked Ukyo while posing as if to attack.
"What you do here!!" came the answer with a defensive stance.
"Why don't you to both come in and have some tea?" Kasumi replied to both with a pristine aura.
FUJIYAMA ANCESTRAL HOTEL
The hotel nurse was packing up the last of her equipment, shaking her head as she put the stethoscope inside her bag. "I can't find anything wrong with you physically, Ms. Tendo. All the tests that I've conducted reveal that you should be perfectly healthy."
"I don't understand it either. I just felt weaker when I woke up here." Akane answered with a sad smile.
"I think we should take you to the local hospital just to make sure…" Akito, the hotel manager, said as he watched the nurse stood up.
"Ohh… Don't worry about me, Akito-san. I didn't bring too much money so I don't want to waste what I brought on paying for the hospital. I'm sure I'll be okay in a few days."
"I'm sorry Ms. Tendo but I must insist that you let us bring you to the hospital for your own good. Don't worry about the finances. The hotel will pay it for you." the manager stated with a grandfatherly smile.
"But…"
"No buts Akane… How can you enjoy your vacation here if you're sick all the time?"
Akane looked down but smiled silently. The nurse exited the room and the manager started towards the door, "I'll be back in a few minutes and I'll send a maid to help you pack some things that you may need to bring, okay?"
She nodded in agreement and then started to think about what to bring. A few moments later a knock on the door can be heard. "Come in…" she answered just loud enough to be heard.
The maid entered and bowed as a greeting. "I'm here to help you pack anything that you may need to bring, Ms. Tendo."
"Thank you for your assistance." Akane said with a grin. She reached down at her travel bag and pulled a few change of clothes. "I think this will be enough since I don't intend to stay in the hospital for long but I didn't bring a smaller bag to put this in…"
The maid smiled and then walked towards the closet. She opened its large doors and then pulled a medium-sized paper bag. "Will this do?" she asked.
Akane nodded with a smile as the maid handed her the paper bag. She put her clothes in it and then pulled another set of clothes from her travel pack. "I think I need to change clothes too before going to the hospital."
The maid helped her to stand and then proceeded to exit the room. "If you need any help, just holler… I'll be right outside."
"Ohh… I'm sure I can manage to change by myself…" Akane answered with an embarrassed smirk. "But before you go, do you know if the hospital is far away from here?"
The maid shook her head and then smiled a reply, "I think Akito-sama will be bring you to the Yamato Country Hospital, since his wife is a nurse there. Its just two blocks away."
"Thank you."
The maid went out and as the short-haired girl hastily changed her clothes she couldn't help but think the last time she was sent to the hospital or at least a clinic. She fractured her ankle and was confined for a few days. When she was released, he was waiting outside the clinic with a banner. She was really touched by his concern for her that day. (If you were here Ranma… will you still be concerned with me as before?)
