Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ranma 1/2. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Although they are obviously not here in the realms they normally exist in, I do not own the characters of Kodomo no Omocha, Kare Kano, or Marmalade Boy either. Incidentally, this disclaimer applies throughout the document. (I'm too lazy to add it to every chapter!)
Disclaimer PART 2: A kindly reviewer pointed out that a man named Oppenheimer was a major player working on the nukes that devastated Japan. YIKES! I am so history illiterate that I was COMPLETELY UNAWARE of this. Since this story is, when it comes down to it, a songfic basedon and hugely inspired by a song called "Oppenheimer," I'm going to plead artistic license on this one and keep the street name the same. I hope you can forgive me. =) But of course, if this completely disturbs you, you can always change the name of the street in your head OR not read the story all together. (Personally, I hope you do the first thing!) =)
They meet
"So Kasumi," Nodoka Saotome, began as the eldest Tendo poured her a cup of tea. "Akane moves into her new apartment today, doesn't she?"
Kasumi Tendo nodded. "That's right. She's very excited to be out of the dorms and on her own. I have her new address right here. She'll be living on Oppenheimer Road." Kasumi giggled. "What a strange, Western name!"
"Oppenheimer?" Nodoka looked startled. "No…that would be impossible. But how many streets in Japan could be named Oppenheimer?"
***
"I want to thank you again, Akane. It really means a lot to me," said Miki Koishikawa, a bubbly girl with dark hair.
Akane Tendo laughed. "How many times have I told you to stop thanking me, Miki? Your timing is perfect. I've been wanting to move out of that dormitory. It will be nice to have a place all my own for a change."
"Still…I'm glad that you were able to take over my lease for me. It's the only way Yuu would let me move in with him." For the millionth time that afternoon, her eyes got starry.
Akane punched her friend's arm lightly. "Well, I know you'll have fun in your little love nest. Now, will you stop daydreaming and help carry some of this stuff?"
***
Several hours and many boxes later, Akane and Miki sat on the couch in the tiny living room drinking sodas. "Phew!" Akane exhaled. "It's finally over. Remind me not to move ever again." She surveyed her new surroundings. "And I think we did really well! This place is too cute, Miki."
"Yeah, I lucked out. It's small, but the rent really is pretty affordable. I think you'll like it here, Akane."
"I think I will, too." She took a sip of her soda. "So…tell me about your neighbors."
"Well, they're all really nice. A new guy just moved in upstairs. I've been so busy lately I haven't had the chance to meet him."
"When did he move in?"
"Oh, not too long ago. They haven't even changed the name on his mailbox yet. You'll probably get along really well with him. He's supposed to be a martial artist, I think."
***
Ranma Saotome strolled home from the dojo where he worked. It was kind of strange having a place all his own. After leaving the Tendo dojo, the place he had called home for so long now, he had taken to wandering all over the country, trading lodging for manual labor. For some reason, when he walked into this town several months ago, he felt like settling down for a while. The decision was cinched when one of the dojo instructors decided to move back home offered to let Ranma take over his lease. Tired of encroaching on his teacher's hospitality, Ranma readily agreed. Although it was not a lot, the money he made as an assistant instructor at one of the local dojos was just enough to cover the rent. He had a job, a home all his own (at least for a little while), and he was learning more and more about the Art. His life was complete. Wasn't it? He sighed. Why did it feel as if something was missing?
As he reached the street corner, he glanced up at the sign that marked the street's name out of habit. It was named after a foreigner who settled in the city a long time ago. Ranma smiled to himself. Good old Oppenheimer. Just a few more steps and I'll be home.
***
The first morning in her new apartment, Akane woke up with a huge grin. Ah, this is the life. No bathroom lines, no cranky roommates. She frowned. No already made coffee. Oh well, them's the breaks. I'll grab something on my way to class.
She yawned and stretched sleepily. One glance at her alarm clock determined that she still had some time before she ABSOLUTELY had to get up. She pulled the covers back over her head and buried her face into her pillow. Just five minutes more.
Fifteen minutes later Akane was officially running late. After doing all her bathroom duties and getting dressed in the most expedient manner possible, she grabbed her school things off her small desk and hurried out the door. She was in such a rush that she was not paying complete attention as she flung herself out her door. She didn't notice the body speeding toward her until it was too late.
Collision was inevitable.
***
As he did every morning, Ranma set out on a brisk jog to greet the day. On this particular morning he slowed his pace a little, taking the time to admire the morning rituals of the world around him. In the mood for a change, he turned down a side street, eagerly exploring the new twists and turns. Jogging by a small shop jolted him out of his reverie. He backed up, pausing to study the clock in the shop's window more closely. Was it that late already? Crap. I promised Akito I'd help him run through today's lessons before we opened. Mentally cursing himself, Ranma sped up and raced for home.
As he came pounding down Oppenheimer, he ran through points of the day's lesson in his head, hoping that appearing to be overly prepared would dissuade his fellow instructor's irritation. He already knew the route from the street up to his apartment so well that he was barely paying half attention to his surroundings. He was so distracted that he didn't notice the body flying out of his neighbor's doorway until it was too late.
Collision was inevitable.
***
It was like something out of a slapstick comedy. Two bodies crashed into each other then went flying backwards. For a moment, both bodies lay on the ground, completely still.
Ranma sat up slowly, shaking off the dizziness. When he saw a figure lying not too far from him, he jumped to his feet and called out, "Hey! Are you all right?" as he rushed to his crash partner's side.
The first thing Akane saw when she opened her eyes was a hundreds of tiny stars. Ooh, not a good thing. She snapped her eyes back shut. Well, I don't think anything is broken. She heard a male voice call out, "Hey! Are you all right?" Did that voice sound familiar? She opened her eyes again. Good, no stars this time. Gingerly, she sat up. She began to tell the voice's owner that she was fine when she realized she was looking up into a familiar face and all thoughts of speech fled her mind. She closed her eyes again, hoping that the face was a dazed illusion; a result of a couple of bolts being knocked loose in her head. The choked "Akane?" she heard in her fiancé's voice told her that she didn't knock any bolts loose during her fall. The only thing that may have been broken was her heart…and that already happened many months before.
***
"Saotome, hey Saotome, are you in there?" Akito Hayama waved a hand in before the unseeing eyes of his fellow instructor.
"Huh? What? Oh, sorry Hayama. What's up? Did you want me to handle the next section?"
"Actually, class has been over for about five minutes now. You've been staring at the wall the whole time. What's your problem, man?"
Ranma blinked, then scratched his head. "Hey. Sorry about that." He frowned. "Do you know how sometimes you feel unstoppable, like everything in your life is going just the right way? You skipping along, happy as a bird, when WHAM! You slam into a tree and all of a sudden, your whole life is out of whack."
A wild look had appeared in Ranma's eyes during his tirade. It was that mad gleam that caused Akito to slowly begin backing away from the other man. "You know," Ranma continued, pausing when he noticed his companion was unsuccessfully trying to make a subtle exit. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"
"Well…you see," Akito called from the doorway, "I've got this thing I've got to do. Later!"
"Hmph," the other man grumbled. "Some friend you are." Outside he heard a faint voice call out, "Who said I'm your friend?" Inside Ranma chuckled and began a heavy workout, hoping to get his mind off his new neighbor if only for a little while.
***
"Akane? Are you okay?" Miki turned to her friend, her brow creased with concern. "You've been so zoned out today."
Akane offered Miki a crooked smile. "Yeah, everything is fine…I guess." When Miki continued to study her, Akane let out a small laugh. "Okay, so everything is not fine. It's just…" she sighed heavily. "Remember that neighbor you said you didn't have a chance to meet? The martial artist upstairs?" At Miki's nod she continued, "Well I think I met him today."
"And?"
"And he's Ranma."
Miki's eyes widened. "Ranma? As in the fiancé you told me about?"
"Yup."
"Ranma, as in the guy you haven't heard from in months?"
"Yup." Akane growled. "Ranma, as in the guy I never wanted to see AGAIN."
"Hold on a second. Is this the Ranma you've talked about just about every day since we met?"
"Talked about? More like complained about."
"Is he the hunky guy whose picture you keep by your bed?"
"That's because I use it as a dartboard!"
Miki snorted. "Is this the Ranma I hear you ask your sister about every time you call home?"
"That's just because I want to make sure the dumb jerk hasn't gone and engaged himself to ten more girls."
"Is this the Ranma whose name you have doodled in the margins of all your notes?"
"Shut up, Miki," Akane growled.
"The Ranma you write letters to, but never mail?"
"Miki," Akane said warningly.
"The Ranma whose name you sigh whenever you have that daydreamy look in your eyes?"
"ARGH!" Akane squawked, burying her head in her hands. A muffled sentence emerged from her hunched form.
"I'm sorry…I didn't cast that last part."
Akane looked up, an odd mixture of temper and sadness in her eyes. "It's him. He's here somehow."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know. I don't know whether I want to beat the daylights out of him for disappearing like that, or kiss him to death because I've missed him so very much."
***
Akane felt drained. She shuffled home at a snail's pace, hoping that with each slow step, she could expunge the overwhelming sense of uneager anticipation that filled her. Upon seeing the figure standing in the shadows of her apartment, she straightened her shoulders with a dim resolution and plodded up the walkway of the small complex.
"Akane!" the figure called out, waving enthusiastically. Wait a second, that didn't sound like Ranma. As she got closer, Akane realized that it wasn't Ranma, standing on her doorstep but a classmate, one Hideaki Asaba.
She felt a surprised nudge of disappointment. Maybe Ranma didn't live upstairs after all. Maybe he got a job delivering stuff. Maybe he was visiting someone, a guy he met on this seemingly extended training trip, a girl… Akane could feel the muscles in her shoulders begin to tense. That Casanova, who does he think he is? When she felt her body temperature begin to rise, she took a moment to compose herself.
Calm down, Akane. You're jumping to conclusions. Focus on the moment, this moment. She schooled her features into what she hoped was a warm smile. "Hideaki. What are you doing here?"
"Well," the tall light haired boy replied with a cocksure grin. "I remembered that you were moving into a new place and decided to have you invite me over for tea."
Akane raised her eyebrows. "Inviting yourself over for tea? Typical," she sniffed, then laughed merrily, relief at the fact that she wouldn't have to deal with her fiancé tonight flushing out all worries. "Since you came all the way over here, you might as well come in." She turned to put her key in the door when a familiar presence stopped her. The presence was all too familiar to her, but altered somehow, flaring instead with a rage she just barely recognized. Dread pervaded her entire being and, despite herself, she could feel her own temper treading shallowly below. She turned toward the presence, keys clutched tightly in her hand. Although she didn't say his name, it echoed like a howl throughout her.
Ranma.
***
In all his life, Ranma could have sworn that he never felt as unsure of himself as he did that day. All day long, he played out different scenes in which he faced Akane in his head. At one point, he was tempted to just pack up and leave, to pretend that he never crashed into her. He almost ran back to the Oppenheimer apartment, threw his few belongings into his backpack, and took off. The only thing keeping him from executing this rushed plan was the one-year lease he had taken over not too long ago. Hell, who was he kidding? He could probably find someone to take over the lease in a heartbeat. The only thing keeping him from leaving again was the tomboy who lived downstairs.
He recalled their last fight, the fight that had sent him storming out of the house in anger, the fight that had prompted an unscheduled training trip. The cruel training he imposed upon himself had succeeded in quailing his anger, forced him to look at the problem from another perspective. He hadn't meant to be gone so long. Plan of action formulated, he began the trip home, only getting slightly sidetracked along the way. When he finally arrived at the Tendo dojo, he found the house was virtually empty save a letter his mother had left for him. The family, it seemed, had decided to take one last vacation together before Akane went away to college. According to the letter, after the trip, they would settle Akane at school, then drop off Nabiki and therefore would be back in the next month or so.
Ranma had quickly skimmed over the letter, his eyes lingering over what he deemed to be the important details. He took off almost immediately after reading it, tossing the letter onto the kitchen counter, hoping that he could catch them at the hot springs they were visiting. When he arrived, he found that he had just missed them. The adrenaline that had fueled him during his quickly paced journey sputtered out and died. His heart ached when he realized that, in his fit of stubborn temper, he never found out where Akane had her heart set on attending school. His hopes sank further when several attempts to recall the name of the school that Nabiki attended failed.
His usual confidence drained from him, he decided against returning to Nerima. Even if he did find out where Akane was, there was no way he could face her, not anymore. After the things he said, after the things he did, not even the surefire plan he had cooked up on his trip could repair their damaged relationship.
During the course of the day, Ranma had decided that, as cheesy as it sounded, fate had in fact reunited him with his long lost fiancée. If anything, they could sit down and have a nice, rational conversation about what had happened between them. Although a nice, rational conversation may not be what Akane had in mind, there was no harm in trying, was there?
Ranma strode to the apartment, body stiff with concentrated determination. He had long since learned to think things through before speaking. Therefore, on what seemed like a long walk home, he mapped out his conversation with Akane in his head, trying to anticipate all her possible actions and reactions, choreographing the dialogue as if it where an extended fight scene in a martial arts film. He could do this. Things were looking up.
He was feeling a shade near prepared when he noticed two figures on Akane's doorstep. Ranma instantly recognized one of the forms as his fiancé and glowered when he acknowledge the other as a male. Further inspection revealed that the male was tall and blonde.
A thread of doubt began to weave its way into his optimism. What if Akane didn't live downstairs? He hadn't yet had a chance to meet all of his neighbors, but he did know that a girl lived below him. Her name was vague in his memory, but he did remember seeing a tall, blonde male leaving the apartment on several occasions. Come to think of it, didn't he hear that she would be moving out soon? Wait a second; wasn't she supposed to be moving in with her FIANCÉ?
Pumping with anger, jealousy, and possessiveness, Ranma charged up the apartment's narrow walkway. Battle aura just slightly reined in, he forced himself to speak, his voice low and threatening.
"Akane."
Author's stuff: Well, what do you think? I hope it flows well. =) I couldn't decide whether I wanted this to be the Prologue or the first chapter. But, I guess that's beside the point.
Obviously, there's more coming and, if you're familiar with the Old 97's, then you probably know what it is. Let me know what you think!
