Full story summary: A seven-year-old Ryouga Hibiki gets separated from his parents after wandering off during a festival. Eventually stumbling upon an elementary school, he meets Akane Tendou, who gives him a doll. "If you ever get lost again, she'll keep you company. Her name is Ukyou." As time progresses, so does their friendship. (Rated PG-13 for now, but it may go up as the story continues.)Warning(s): [Somewhat] alternate universe, some out-of-character moments.
Authors' note: This fanfic is a first for both Mia and Kirie. Feedback will always be appreciated, but constructive criticism will always be loved and welcomed with arms wide open. Also, a note about Ryouga's parents: If they do happen to exist in the anime/manga, then neither Mia nor Kirie have ever seen them. In this fanfiction, the authors give them their own appearances.
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and characters therein were created and are copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. Mia and Kirie simply wanted to play with them.
Legend: Italicized phrases denote thoughts. "Quoted" phrases denote dialogue.
The Lantern-Floating Festival is something that Mom, Dad, and I always look forward to. Even though it's during the summer season, it's well worth enduring the heat and humidity to witness candlelit paper lanterns floating down bodies of water. Mom told me that we float these candlelit paper lanterns because it lights the way for our ancestors' spirits as they're going away.
Aside from watching the lantern-floating, you could eat all of the candy apples, takoyaki, or grilled chicken you would ever want; scoop up goldfish, catch yo-yos, and even shoot at a staircase of prizes for prizes.
I especially love playing the shooting game. Basically, it's where you would shoot at prizes on staircase-like shelves with a rifle and cork bullets. If the prize you shoot at hits the floor, you get to keep it.
Whenever I play, though, my aim would never quite cut it; sometimes, I could make the lower level prizes move a couple of millimeters, but at other times, my bullets would be off entirely. All of the times I've played this game so far, none of what I shoot at would fall to the floor. I came very close once, though, during last year's Lantern-Floating Festival visit.
I was aiming for a toy spinosaurus on the top shelf, but my bullet had hit the front end of a row of stuffed animals instead, and it made the entire row seem to quake for a second. A stuffed rabbit to one end fell to its side, but then the smelly, bald, and beady-eyed booth keeper took my attention away from my scanning of my work. Somehow, my cork bullet had ricocheted into the booth keeper's throat. Boy, the guy sure was plenty angry with me after someone gave him the Heimlich maneuver. He even warned me to stay away from then on.
Mere verbal warnings, however, are not paid much attention to by this now-seven-year-old boy. They don't stop me from getting what I want, and what I want is to win a prize from the shooting booth.
The booth keeper for the shooting game this year is the same one from last year. He snickers as I come up to him. "I thought I told ya to stay away, little man?" Baldy archs an eyebrow then.
I carefully scan the staircase of prizes, and my eyes rest upon a toy Tyrannosaurus rex on the top shelf. "I wanna play," I say sternly, expression hard in determination. I am feeling lucky tonight.
The man keeps his eyebrow arched. "All right. That'll be one hundred and twenty yen for one round, then." He holds his hand out, awaiting payment.
I look to Mom and Dad, who were both standing behind me.
"I'll take care of it," says Dad, taking out his coin pouch from the inside of his right kimono sleeve. He picks out four coins and hands them to the booth keeper's waiting hand.
Mom pats me on the head. "I believe in you, honey." She then leans down and gives me a peck on the cheek. "Good luck."
"Yeah," says beady-eyes as he takes three cork bullets out from a nearby bucket and places them beside the resting rifle in front of me. He then lowers his head so that he would be face-to-face with me. Expression hardening, he whispers, "And you better make sure that your bullets don't get to me again, ya hear me? Or else..."
At that moment, the booth keeper's beady eyes seemed to twinkle with evil and mischief, but it must have just been my imagination. In response, I blink, then shrug, taking up the toy weapon before me and readying it with a cork bullet.
Placing my right elbow on the table and aiming my loaded play rifle, I close my left eye and stick my tongue out in concentration. I'm gonna get it this time. My hold of the gun minutely trembles from the anticipation. I WILL get it this time!
I pull the trigger then, and even as I hear the thud of the bullet hitting something, I stay in the same position. The T. rex I aimed for had landed, but not onto the floor; rather, on its side on the surface it was standing upon.
"Better luck next shot," the booth keeper smirks.
I load the second cork bullet into the toy rifle and take aim. Come on, Ryouga, you'll get it. Just concentrate. Sticking my tongue out once more in concentration, I fire, and the T. rex moves, but still not onto the floor.
Dad gives a whistle then. "Getting close. You can do it, son."
I reload the rifle with my remaining ammunition, take aim, and bare my fangs. I know I can, I know I can, I know I can, I silently say to myself, repeating it as though it is some sort of sacred mantra.
Somewhat shakily, I pull the trigger. As soon as the cork is sent flying into the air and towards my target, time seems to slow down. I straighten as I keep my eyes on the bullet. Will it hit what I was aiming for? Will I finally, after three yearly tries at this game, win a prize? Or will the bullet miss? And if it does miss, will it somehow end up in the smelly booth keeper's throat like last year? The tension is sitting with me, and I hold my breath.
The booth keeper carefully watches the cork bullet fly as well, being smart enough to keep his mouth closed this time.
Watching as the bullet hits the T. rex's leg, I gasp as the prize is pushed back from the impact and falls to the floor.
"Great job, honey!" Mom exclaims as she wraps her arms around me.
"Your third time playing this game, and you finally win yourself something. I'm proud of you, son! You never gave up." Dad ruffles my hair and smiles at me fondly.
I couldn't believe it. I finally won a prize?! "I did it," I say softly, almost in tears. Then, as though it just fully registers in my mind, I exclaim, "I did it!"
"Good for you, little man." The booth keeper hands me my new toy T. rex. "Come again next year. And remember, no more jumping cork bullets, eh?" He gives me a wink.
Happily accepting my prize, my lips quirk into a proud smirk. Finally! "Sure."
Ah, the accomplishment one feels when tackling a challenge. I could get used to this.
"Time to go, son," says Dad.
"Yes, we can't miss the festival's main attraction, can we?" Mom looks to me, softly pinching my left cheek.
"No," I respond, handing my T. rex to Mom to hold on for me. "Watching the lanterns float is the best part of the festival!"
At those words, Mom and Dad chuckle to one another as they start walking towards the river.
I walk alongside them, looking at all of the people playing at game booths or buying from the food stalls. Something catches my eye, though, as I look at the mask booth. I scramble over to stare at the anime masks in awe.
My classmates like anime. I don't really see what they see in it, though, aside from the fighting and taking journeys into unknown lands. How could they prefer that stuff over live-action movies and shows, anyway?
Deciding then that I would like one for myself just for the fun of it, I reach over to tug at Dad's pant leg, but my hand meets with air instead.
"Dad? Mom?" I turn to look behind me, but they weren't there. Where could they have gone? They were right beside me when we were walking. Could they have intentionally ignored me? Or maybe they saw me, and they thought to come back later to pick me up? But that can't be right! We were on our way to watch the floating of lanterns, the best part of the festival! They wouldn't leave me behind so I could miss it.
But what if they didn't see me run over to the mask booth?
With that thought in mind, fear and panic start to fill me, but I was determined to find my way back to them.
I start walking, all the while thinking to myself about where they could be right now. Remembering how in past Lantern-Floating Festivals we would buy candy apples before watching the main event, I decide to seek out the Fruit Candy booth. But where could it be, I wonder?
Walking over to the first food booth I come across, I see a man with a messy apron grilling cuttlefish. The man looks down at me and smiles. "Would you like to try one? Two hundred and fifty yen per piece."
"Uhh..." I shake my head. "No, thanks. Do you know where the Fruit Candy booth is?"
"I think," he points toward his right, "it's somewhere in that direction."
"All right, thanks."
My feet start to move of their own accord, and I find myself at a game booth straight across from the stall I was just at.
Hmm, I think, This isn't the Fruit Candy booth. Shrugging to myself, I decide that, nonetheless, I should ask for directions. "Excuse me, ma'am?"
The lady working the yo-yo-catching booth blinks and looks down at me. "Yes? If you want to play, the price is right there on the sign." She points to the sign hanging off of the front edge of the table.
I ask her where the Fruit Candy booth is, but she says she doesn't know.
So I look high, look low, and accidentally look up the kimono of a teenage girl (who slaps me none-too-gently as a result), trying to find the booth I'm looking for.
After what seems like many long moments of searching, I eventually make it to my destination, but all I find there is an old, bald, spectacled man in an apron, selling his candied fruits; no Mom or Dad.
I cough to get the old man's attention, and when he looks down at me, I say, "Excuse me, mister, have you seen my mom and dad?"
"Eh? What's that, boy?" He cups a hand around his ear. "Speak up. This old man's hearing ain't what it used to be."
I take a deep breath and yell, "Have you seen my mom and dad?!"
"Mom and Dad? Sorry, sonny, but my parents died many years back." He places both of his hands on the table for leverage. His eyes tear up, and he starts to silently sob, doing his best to control his hiccups.
"I remember it like it was yesterday. Mom and Dad went to some business meeting or another..."
Slightly frustrated, I take another deep breath and yell, "NO! Not your Mom and Dad; my Mom and Dad! I'm trying to find them!"
The old man hiccups and looks at me, eyes wide. "Ohh, sorry, sonny," he sniffs, "Guess I misunderstood you there." He wipes his tears off with his apron, then brings the apron down to his nose, blowing long and hard.
When he finishes blowing his nose, he finally asks me what I have been expecting him to ask me. "Tell me, boy, what do they look like?"
I furrow my eyebrows in concentration, trying to recall what Mom and Dad looked like before we inadvertently separated. "Umm, well..." Remembering to keep my voice loud enough for him to hear, I go on to say, "Mom has short hair and wears a yellow and black bandanna on her head. She has black eyes, and I think..." My eyes look heavenward as I mentally berate my memory to try and remember. "I think she was wearing a pink kimono.
"Dad, umm," I look back down, my eyes falling on the variety of fruit candies. "Dad has hair just like mine; eyes just like mine; a face just like mine; he carries around a red umbrella; and..." Scratching nervously at my head, I look up at the old man. "I think he was wearing a brown kimono."
The man keeps eye contact with me as his brows furrow, trying to rack his brains to make a recollection. "Hmm... I don't think they stopped by here." His expression softened, sympathy in his wise dark brown eyes. "Sorry, sonny. I hope you find them."
"Yeah," I sigh. "Thanks, anyway, mister."
My feet once again start to walk of their own accord. Head bowing down, not looking at where I'm going, I begin to wonder if I would ever find my way back to my parents. I sigh once again, closing my eyes, with my hands limp at my sides. If only I didn't go off on my own, I would still be with them.
I stay like this for a very long moment, and when I next open my eyes, I realize that I'm in the forest that was surrounding the festival. Looking around, I notice that I am no longer anywhere near the festival. Neither could I hear nor see crowds of people or a variety of booths; all that is around me are trees and wildlife.
I look up at the sky and take note that it's going to be dark soon. I shouldn't stay in one place if I want to stay alive, so I start walking towards a random direction, letting my feet guide my way.
My whole night in the forest was spent walking. The one time I was scared for my life during that same night was when I saw a pair of glowing red eyes hiding behind some bushes.
I walked up to the bushes the eyes were trying to stay hidden behind and simply stared back. Suddenly, they seemed to get closer, and I began to hyperventilate. When the owner of those glowing red eyes jumped out at me, I screamed like a little girl and fell flat on my back, covering my face with my arms and tightly shutting my eyes.
When I felt no pain from the deep scratches or bites I imagined I was going to get, I slowly opened my eyes and lowered my arms so that I could take a peek at what it was that came out at me.
Seeing a black cat with pointed ears and a swaying tail staring at me cutely and purring made me see red for a moment. "Don't scare me like that!" I yelled, causing it to jump off of the perch it had made on my stomach.
It hissed at me, bared its sharp teeth at me, and then ran up a tree. Through the leaves it hid behind, I could see its eyes glaring at me. I glared right back.
I got up and dusted myself off with my hands. Hmph, stupid cat.
And after that, I walked off, still not knowing where I would end up next.
Night turns into day, and time passes as I continue my search. It's probably almost lunchtime now, judging from how the shadows are starting to stay right underneath their owners, and I begin to hear the sounds of civilization. The sounds of car horns beeping; people shouting, talking, walking; and bells ringing are like wonderful melodies to my ears.
I walk towards the noises, and I find myself on a nearly deserted highway that is on the outskirts of an unfamiliar city. Geez, where did I end up this time?
Sauntering along the side of the highway, I eventually come across a building that has children painted on the outer cement-gate walls, with a sign near the entrance that has weird-looking characters written on it. I can't make out what it says.
Maybe I can find someone here that will help me find Mom and Dad, I think to myself. Walking across the yard, I make my way up the front steps of the building and open one of the big double doors. I stick my head inside, but the hall I see before me is empty.
Stepping into the building, I quietly close the door behind me, afraid of breaking the peaceful silence that seems to reign this place.
I walk down the straight hall. The first door I see is to my left, and on it is a sign that says "main office". The two blinded windows on either side of the door are shut, so I move on.
The next door I come across is one that says "kindergarten". Curious, I open the door, and inside I see a bunch of little kids seated at desks, paying attention to the teacher that is giving them some kind of Japanese lesson. Some kids look at me, but the teacher seems oblivious to my presence.
Deciding against interrupting the lesson, I stay out in the hall and quietly close the door.
I continue to wander the halls, making lefts or rights whenever there would be a crossroad, passing by some number of doors before opening another.
Behind this next door I open, everyone stops what they were in the middle of doing to look at me. Uncomfortable with the amount of attention the students and teacher are giving me, I softly apologize and quickly but quietly close the door. The teacher, however, comes over to open the door once again, and she steps outside before I can even take three steps towards some other direction.
"Excuse me, young man," she says, folding her arms across her chest.
I freeze midstep and turn to face her. "Yes, ma'am?"
"What are you doing outside of class? And how come you aren't in uniform?" She tilts her head to one side, waiting for me to respond.
"I, uhh..." Scratching at the back of my head nervously, my eyes veer downwards to my feet. I don't even know what school I'm in, so how am I supposed to know what the uniforms look like? "I don't know?"
She looks at me quizzically. "What's your name?"
"Uh, Ryouga Hibiki, ma'am," I answer, bringing my gaze back up to meet hers.
"Well, Mr. Hibiki," she says, unfolding her arms and placing a hand on her hip, "Come with me." She walks off, and I somewhat slowly begin to follow her. Where can she be taking me, I wonder?
My curiosity takes the best of me, however, because as I am following her, I can't help but check one of the classrooms that read "second grade" on the door. For all I know, this could be my class back in my hometown. I have been lost for so long, I can't tell what is what anymore, especially since I haven't had any food in a while. My brain is already beginning to melt without anything to give it energy.
Slowly sliding the door open a crack, I stick my left eye in the space to get a peek inside. Hmmm... I dunno any of these kids. I sigh. "Looks like I still haven't found my way home..."
Just as I am about to close the door again, a girl that is sitting right next to the door turns around and notices me. She has really short, dark blue hair and dark brown eyes and is clutching something in her left arm, but I can't see it from where I am standing. She stares at me with a strange look in her eyes, her mouth open, as if she is ready to scream if she needs to.
Panicking, I close the door quickly and run down the hall in the opposite direction of which the teacher was heading, unsure of where my unknowing feet will take me next. Good thing the lady didn't notice.
Twenty minutes, more walking, and a sandbox later, I hear a loud bell ring from inside the school. I am sitting on one of the swings in the playground when I see a lot of kids leave the building with their backpacks and bento boxes tucked under their arms.
That reminds me, I still haven't had anything to eat ever since the festival. My stomach begins to growl, and it continues to growl for what seems like forever. It feels like my insides are eating themselves.
Uugghh... I need to find some food before I die! I jump off the swing, but right when my feet hit the ground, I experience a nauseating feeling come up from deep in my throat. My head starts to spin and my vision goes black. Ohh, head rush... Before I can stop myself, I run into someone accidentally and fall to my knees, closing my eyes tightly until the nausea passes.
When my vision finally clears up, I stand and turn around to help my poor victim up. To my surprise, it is the girl from the classroom I had peeked into earlier. She is staring at the bento box that has fallen open at her side, half of her food on the ground.
"I'm so sorry!" I begin to kneel down so that I can fix the mess I had made, but her large brown eyes turn to me and stop me dead in my tracks. I don't know what to say. She sits up and slowly closes the box. "I'm sorry," I mumble again. "I couldn't see where I was going and--"
"My mom helped me make my lunch today. Well, actually, she did most of the work, but she let me put it in the box, and she said that it looked really pretty and that she was very proud of what I did." The little girl breathes in to catch her breath and smiles, surprising me even more.
She's not mad?
"I'm not a good cook, but... she said that she was proud of me!" She stands up and hands the box to me. "She told me to share it with someone so that they could taste my food. That's why I didn't eat it at lunch today. Wanna try it?" Her arms extend towards me.
"Umm... Sure. Thanks." I hesitantly take it from her and walk back to the swings to sit down. "My name is Ryouga Hibiki. I'm kinda lost... What city are we in right now?"
"Nerima." She follows suit and sits down in the swing beside me, the thing she keeps holding still safely in her arms. "My name is Akane Tendou. Nice to meet you!" She smiles again. "How did you get lost, anyway?"
"Well, uhh... I was with my family at the Lantern-Floating Festival. You heard of that, right?" I ask in between bites of her food.
"Of course! That was last night, wasn't it?! You've been lost for that long?" She lifts one eyebrow.
"Yeah... Uhhh, I have a really bad sense of direction. After I lost my parents, I sort of... well, stayed lost. I ended up here." I wipe off the piece of rice that stuck to my cheek. Akane giggles. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing." Her smile spreads across her face once again. Looking down to check her little blue watch, she says, "Oh, no! I have to get home soon before Father starts to panic. He kills himself with worry sometimes. Especially when it comes to his daughters." She laughs. "Will you be okay until tomorrow, Ryouga?"
"What do you mean? Of course! I survived this long, didn't I?" I give her back her box. "Thanks for the food, by the way. I'll hafta pay you back sometime."
"Don't worry about it." Akane jumps off the swing and says, "Well, here, keep this with you." She tries to hand me a doll, but I refuse.
So this is what she's been clutching this whole time. A stupid doll. It's small, made of cotton and fluff, and is in the shape of a girl. It has long brown hair and brown eyes and is holding a big spatula in her hands.
"Uhh... I'm a guy. I don't need a doll." I look at her as if it wasn't obvious.
"Just keep it, okay? If you ever get lost again, she'll keep you company. Her name is Ukyou. My friend, Ranma, named her that. I'm not sure why, but he says that he thinks he knew someone like her in a different life. He's stupid." Akane shakes her head and rolls her eyes, throwing the doll at me.
"I'll see you tomorrow if you don't get lost again, okay?" She starts to run towards the street, leaving me with no time to give Ukyou back to her. She smiles and waves before disappearing around a corner.
"Great." I look at the doll she gave me. Its eyes seem to look at me with a tinge of sadness. "Looks like it's just you and me for now, Ukyou." I make it nod its head.
Getting up, I make my way over to the sandbox I had played in earlier. I sit down Indian-style in the middle and hug Ukyou close to my chest, thinking about my parents and wanting to go home.
After a moment of silence, I hold Ukyou out, scrutinizing her and saying, "I don't wanna get lost again, so we're gonna have to stay here for the night." I make her nod in response. Already I am beginning to take comfort in her "company."
I stretch my arms above my head for a second, then lay down in the sandbox with Ukyou by my head. "Good night, Ukyou." I stifle a yawn. "Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite." With that, I close my eyes and fall asleep.