Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE A CONTINUATION OF THE LAST CHAPTER, WHERE THE SCREEN FLICKERS TO LIFE AND THE RING OF TRUTH SHOWS AKANE AND RANMA SOMETHING THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE MONTHS BEFORE...
===
...THE SCREEN ON THE WALL BRIGHTENED AND GLOWED...
===
"Good luck, Akane," her buoyant teammate said, patting Akane on the back. They were in the school soccer field, about to commence the intramurals. Akane nodded. She looked to the bleachers, where Mr. Saotome, Nabiki, and her father sat. She waved to them.
Mr. Saotome waved back, shading his eyes with another hand. Nabiki stood up, collecting bets for the intramural games. Akane shifted her eyes to her father. He grinned and gave her a two-thumbs up.
'It's been more than ten years since my father told me he'd wanted a son,' Akane thought as she went to the end of the field to where the track- and-field warm-ups were taking place. 'But I'll show him that I'm just as good as a son. I've been training for weeks. I'm going to beat all the boys here in this running meet!"
She flexed her legs in her red running shorts and loose yellow t- shirt, surveying her competitors in an unconcerned manner. There were some guys from her class, and some girls, too. Everyone's face was set in a resolute expression, as if they were prepping themselves to win. Akane felt her own face set in determination. There was no way.
She would be the victor of this race. It was a one-shot race, and the winner would be declared champion of the track-and-field team. What other way to make her father proud? She'd been running around Nerima far too much over the past two months to lose.
A shrill whistle sounded in the distance, and all of them looked up. An announcer sat at the far end of the podium, set in the center of the field. He sat before a large desk, with a microphone set in the center. The crowd in the bleachers quieted down, and those standing took their seats.
"The track-and-field meet is about to begin!" the announcer said through the microphone. "The runners will have to complete four laps around the school field! The winner will be awarded a gold medal! Participants, to your places!"
Akane exhaled and then stepped up to her place. She crouched down low. Before her, she could see the dirt grounds of Furinkan High School. Each second gained and maintained counted. Wouldn't it be wonderful to win by a solid minute or two?
The gun fired.
Akane bolted up from her position. In a few seconds, she was one of the few who had pulled away from the group. Akane kept her focus forward, concentrating only on where she was going and maintaining her lead. When they passed by the bleachers, Akane spared a look, and was rewarded with the cheers of her family. Her heart soared. This was her day.
She increased her speed.
By the time the third lap had come around, most of the participants had fallen behind, panting. Akane had to admit that the field was really huge. She seemed to be rounding a square kilometer. From the corner of her eye, Akane realized that another rival was keeping up with her pace steadily.
The two of them were the leaders of the pack. Her neck snapped to her right to see whom it was. Her jaw dropped open.
"Ranma!" she said before she could stop herself. He'd never mentioned joining the race, yet there he was, running steadily beside her, not breaking a sweat. She, on the other hand, was sweating loads. He glanced her way, grinning.
"Hey, Akane," he said. "I didn't know you were joining this competition. Nabiki is placing all her money no my victory over this race."
Akane could only stare at him in horror. No. No way. She'd waited for this day since she was five, to make her father see that she was just as good as a son. And now, everything could be ruined.
"So," Ranma continued. "See 'ya!" He picked up the pace, shooting a good few feet in front of her.
Akane gritted her teeth and increased her own speed. The two were no longer sprinting, or jogging. They were running at the same speed a person should run for his life. She leveled with him. Ranma looked at her in surprise, and then smirked.
"Was that a challenge?" he asked. They were about to begin the fourth and final lap.
Akane gritted her teeth. This was more than a stupid race. This was her redemption to make up for being a daughter instead of a son. She wanted to open her mouth to speak, but she didn't want to disrupt her steady breathing rhythm. Instead, she increased her pace just a little, so that she was ahead of Ranma.
'Please don't...' Akane thought desperately as she listened to Ranma's nimble footsteps behind her own. Her feet now barely touched on the ground before moving on to the next step. 'Ranma, idiot, don't-!"
He pulled up beside her, and threw a grin at her direction. He saw the fierce determination written all over her face, and smiled and her spirit. He had pulled up beside her... And overtook her completely. He was now in front of her, leaning his body forward to gain more velocity.
No. Akane leaned forward as well, and pumped her legs. Her legs were now aching with exertion. The side of her stomach burned, and sweat threatened to enter her eyes. But she was ahead of Ranma. There was no other concern.
They continued on this way for a while longer, Akane slightly forward. Everything was passing by in a blur. Dimly, she could hear the announcer's voice coming with an awed tone. But Akane didn't concern herself with anything except her lead, and the red blur at her side.
Then... there it was, the finish line, looming in the distance. The bright neon red taping was the only completely concrete object in her line of vision. The crowd's cheers roared in her ears and were replaced with a high, tinny sound. It was only a few meters away...
And the pesky red blur shot up with amazing speed. Ranma had managed to overtake her by a few feet, just two meters from the finish line.
'Oh, god,' Akane thought. 'Ranma...STOP!'
With a final attempt, Akane's last step was no longer a run. It was a desperate lunge to take hold of the finish line. She could see it so clearly... just before her eyes, just before her hands...
Her sweat-drenched arms reached out... and fell on air.
Ranma had won the race. He'd torn the rope. Akane's fall back into reality felt like a plane-crash. She had seen her destination with the most extreme clarity, only to have it roaring down before her eyes. The crowd's cheers were deafening. Akane realized that she had fallen on her knees.
Did she...? There was no way, right...?
She looked up with dazed eyes, and saw vividly, Ranma smiling triumphantly, his arms raised in the air towards the bleachers. The announcer's voice went from a faint whine in her head to a full-blast scream:
"And the winner is Ranma Saotome of class 2-F!!"
At that, the crowd's cheers seemed to double. Akane could only shake her head. She'd been so certain. She'd have beaten all the boys in the team... Her father would have been so proud...
There was just no...way...
Ranma grinned to himself. There was nothing like the feeling of winning a match. Of course, Akane had done a pretty good job herself. She'd managed to make him break into a sweat.
She was on the grounds on her knees, a few feet away from him. Her hair was in complete disarray around her pale face. He pumped his fists towards the bleachers, then looked at first runner up.
His pleased smirk met her dazed eyes. She stared up at him...
And her face crumpled. Her eyes filled with tears and they spilled over the corners. They rolled down her cheeks, big unhappy tears. Ranma could only stare in horror. Akane roughly planted her hands flat on the ground and hauled herself up. Her knees were bloody from the dive.
She started to stagger backwards, and Ranma instinctively drew near to support her. Her head snapped up with a look so filled with loathing, with contempt, and infinite sadness that Ranma stopped in his tracks.
"A-Akane..." Ranma faltered.
She turned on her heel to leave.
===
The screen dimmed again, and Akane could only stare. Yes, she had remembered very clearly that fateful day which caused her to ignore Ranma and Nabiki for more than a month.
===
OKAY, END OF MOVIE!!! PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOURSELF, AND THANK YOU FOR READING MY FANFIC!! PLEASE INFORM ME IF EVERYTHING IS GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSING... DON'T FORGET TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF IT!
EMAIL ME: tsinoyeyesyahoo.com
THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE A CONTINUATION OF THE LAST CHAPTER, WHERE THE SCREEN FLICKERS TO LIFE AND THE RING OF TRUTH SHOWS AKANE AND RANMA SOMETHING THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE MONTHS BEFORE...
===
...THE SCREEN ON THE WALL BRIGHTENED AND GLOWED...
===
"Good luck, Akane," her buoyant teammate said, patting Akane on the back. They were in the school soccer field, about to commence the intramurals. Akane nodded. She looked to the bleachers, where Mr. Saotome, Nabiki, and her father sat. She waved to them.
Mr. Saotome waved back, shading his eyes with another hand. Nabiki stood up, collecting bets for the intramural games. Akane shifted her eyes to her father. He grinned and gave her a two-thumbs up.
'It's been more than ten years since my father told me he'd wanted a son,' Akane thought as she went to the end of the field to where the track- and-field warm-ups were taking place. 'But I'll show him that I'm just as good as a son. I've been training for weeks. I'm going to beat all the boys here in this running meet!"
She flexed her legs in her red running shorts and loose yellow t- shirt, surveying her competitors in an unconcerned manner. There were some guys from her class, and some girls, too. Everyone's face was set in a resolute expression, as if they were prepping themselves to win. Akane felt her own face set in determination. There was no way.
She would be the victor of this race. It was a one-shot race, and the winner would be declared champion of the track-and-field team. What other way to make her father proud? She'd been running around Nerima far too much over the past two months to lose.
A shrill whistle sounded in the distance, and all of them looked up. An announcer sat at the far end of the podium, set in the center of the field. He sat before a large desk, with a microphone set in the center. The crowd in the bleachers quieted down, and those standing took their seats.
"The track-and-field meet is about to begin!" the announcer said through the microphone. "The runners will have to complete four laps around the school field! The winner will be awarded a gold medal! Participants, to your places!"
Akane exhaled and then stepped up to her place. She crouched down low. Before her, she could see the dirt grounds of Furinkan High School. Each second gained and maintained counted. Wouldn't it be wonderful to win by a solid minute or two?
The gun fired.
Akane bolted up from her position. In a few seconds, she was one of the few who had pulled away from the group. Akane kept her focus forward, concentrating only on where she was going and maintaining her lead. When they passed by the bleachers, Akane spared a look, and was rewarded with the cheers of her family. Her heart soared. This was her day.
She increased her speed.
By the time the third lap had come around, most of the participants had fallen behind, panting. Akane had to admit that the field was really huge. She seemed to be rounding a square kilometer. From the corner of her eye, Akane realized that another rival was keeping up with her pace steadily.
The two of them were the leaders of the pack. Her neck snapped to her right to see whom it was. Her jaw dropped open.
"Ranma!" she said before she could stop herself. He'd never mentioned joining the race, yet there he was, running steadily beside her, not breaking a sweat. She, on the other hand, was sweating loads. He glanced her way, grinning.
"Hey, Akane," he said. "I didn't know you were joining this competition. Nabiki is placing all her money no my victory over this race."
Akane could only stare at him in horror. No. No way. She'd waited for this day since she was five, to make her father see that she was just as good as a son. And now, everything could be ruined.
"So," Ranma continued. "See 'ya!" He picked up the pace, shooting a good few feet in front of her.
Akane gritted her teeth and increased her own speed. The two were no longer sprinting, or jogging. They were running at the same speed a person should run for his life. She leveled with him. Ranma looked at her in surprise, and then smirked.
"Was that a challenge?" he asked. They were about to begin the fourth and final lap.
Akane gritted her teeth. This was more than a stupid race. This was her redemption to make up for being a daughter instead of a son. She wanted to open her mouth to speak, but she didn't want to disrupt her steady breathing rhythm. Instead, she increased her pace just a little, so that she was ahead of Ranma.
'Please don't...' Akane thought desperately as she listened to Ranma's nimble footsteps behind her own. Her feet now barely touched on the ground before moving on to the next step. 'Ranma, idiot, don't-!"
He pulled up beside her, and threw a grin at her direction. He saw the fierce determination written all over her face, and smiled and her spirit. He had pulled up beside her... And overtook her completely. He was now in front of her, leaning his body forward to gain more velocity.
No. Akane leaned forward as well, and pumped her legs. Her legs were now aching with exertion. The side of her stomach burned, and sweat threatened to enter her eyes. But she was ahead of Ranma. There was no other concern.
They continued on this way for a while longer, Akane slightly forward. Everything was passing by in a blur. Dimly, she could hear the announcer's voice coming with an awed tone. But Akane didn't concern herself with anything except her lead, and the red blur at her side.
Then... there it was, the finish line, looming in the distance. The bright neon red taping was the only completely concrete object in her line of vision. The crowd's cheers roared in her ears and were replaced with a high, tinny sound. It was only a few meters away...
And the pesky red blur shot up with amazing speed. Ranma had managed to overtake her by a few feet, just two meters from the finish line.
'Oh, god,' Akane thought. 'Ranma...STOP!'
With a final attempt, Akane's last step was no longer a run. It was a desperate lunge to take hold of the finish line. She could see it so clearly... just before her eyes, just before her hands...
Her sweat-drenched arms reached out... and fell on air.
Ranma had won the race. He'd torn the rope. Akane's fall back into reality felt like a plane-crash. She had seen her destination with the most extreme clarity, only to have it roaring down before her eyes. The crowd's cheers were deafening. Akane realized that she had fallen on her knees.
Did she...? There was no way, right...?
She looked up with dazed eyes, and saw vividly, Ranma smiling triumphantly, his arms raised in the air towards the bleachers. The announcer's voice went from a faint whine in her head to a full-blast scream:
"And the winner is Ranma Saotome of class 2-F!!"
At that, the crowd's cheers seemed to double. Akane could only shake her head. She'd been so certain. She'd have beaten all the boys in the team... Her father would have been so proud...
There was just no...way...
Ranma grinned to himself. There was nothing like the feeling of winning a match. Of course, Akane had done a pretty good job herself. She'd managed to make him break into a sweat.
She was on the grounds on her knees, a few feet away from him. Her hair was in complete disarray around her pale face. He pumped his fists towards the bleachers, then looked at first runner up.
His pleased smirk met her dazed eyes. She stared up at him...
And her face crumpled. Her eyes filled with tears and they spilled over the corners. They rolled down her cheeks, big unhappy tears. Ranma could only stare in horror. Akane roughly planted her hands flat on the ground and hauled herself up. Her knees were bloody from the dive.
She started to stagger backwards, and Ranma instinctively drew near to support her. Her head snapped up with a look so filled with loathing, with contempt, and infinite sadness that Ranma stopped in his tracks.
"A-Akane..." Ranma faltered.
She turned on her heel to leave.
===
The screen dimmed again, and Akane could only stare. Yes, she had remembered very clearly that fateful day which caused her to ignore Ranma and Nabiki for more than a month.
===
OKAY, END OF MOVIE!!! PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOURSELF, AND THANK YOU FOR READING MY FANFIC!! PLEASE INFORM ME IF EVERYTHING IS GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSING... DON'T FORGET TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF IT!
EMAIL ME: tsinoyeyesyahoo.com