Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and all associated characters are the property of the Queen of Manga, Rumiko Takahashi.
The song 'Someday' is the property of Nickelback. It can be found on Nickelback's "The Long Road" album from Roadrunner Records.
Engaging Matters
By Will Rogers (Xtor49)
Chapter One: Someday
Key
Bold: emphasis
Italic: thoughts
Underline: Song lyrics
: Author's helpful information.
This story begins a few weeks after the failed wedding at the end of the series.
How the hell'd we wind up like this?
And why weren't we able
To see the signs that we missed
And try to turn the tables?
What is up with Akane lately? Her temper's been even worse since the wedding was wrecked... Ranma thought. He still had a large bump on his head from that morning, when she had hit him simply for walking on the fence. The pigtailed martial artist was in the training hall, finishing a new kata he had seen on television. He performed it as fast as he could, so as to make it more difficult.
Ranma went into the furo to wash off the sweat, relaxing in the hot water. He didn't notice the bundle of lavender Chinese clothes in the corner. Out from under the clothes jumped Shampoo in her cat form. "Gyaaaagh!!!" the boy exclaimed loudly at the sight of the feline, backing away as far as he could.
She landed in the water with a splash, reverting to girl form, "Nihao, Airen!"
"Shampoo, what're you doing here?!" he asked.
Attracted by the noise, Akane had entered the changing room outside the furo, and was listening at the door.
"Shampoo come see Airen! Shampoo have Nanniuchuan at Cat Café. Give Airen if marry Shampoo," she told him, "Airen better hurry; stupid duck boy might try to use water. Also want show Airen what get if marry Shampoo." The purple-haired Amazon pressed against him.
Spring of Drowned Man water! But I don't want to marry Shampoo! Maybe I can trick it away from that old ghoul... is what Ranma would have thought, if his brain wasn't so distracted by the naked foreign girl with him.
I wish you'd unclench your fists
The door opened, and there was Akane, fists clenched white. Her jaw was equally tight. A bright red aura surrounded her, which scared Ranma far more than her usual blue one. Even Shampoo was nervous at the sight.
"Fine! Go off and marry that bimbo! See if I care!" Akane slammed the door as she left, breaking it off of its hinges and splintering it in two.
Without thinking, Ranma pushed Shampoo off of him and ran after his fiancée, barely remembering to put on his clothes before continuing out of the changing room.
And unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
But don't think it's too late.
He found Akane in her room, her door wide open. She smashed his face in as she stepped out before he could speak, carrying a suitcase behind her, "I'm leaving!"
This announcement instantly got the attention of the rest of the household. "Oh, my! What happened this time?" Kasumi wondered in the kitchen.
Nabiki stuck her head out of her room, "Are you going for a walk or..." She saw the suitcase in her little sister's hand, "What are you doing?!"
"Like I said, I'm leaving. I can't put up with that pervert anymore!" Akane stomped past, still with her blazing red aura.
"So you're going on a training trip? When will you be back?" Soun questioned.
"It's not a training trip! And I don't plan on it!" Akane growled.
"Waaaaahhh! My little girl is running away from home!" Soun cried.
Genma, in panda form, picked up and shook his son in one hand, a sign in the other, "What did you do this time?!"
"I didn't do a thing!" Ranma defended, "Stupid gorilla tomboy's just overreacting as always!" Akane didn't hear him, as she was already out the door.
Nothing's wrong
Just as long as you know that
Someday I will
"Go and bring her back!" Soun and Panda-Genma demanded in unison, which was odd given that the bear was using a wooden sign.
"I already was!" Ranma shouted, pushing them out of the way.
Once he was gone, his words sunk into the two parents' heads. "He already was! Saotome, our families will be joined sooner than expected!"
"Yes! It means he cares for her!" Panda-Genma agreed.
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when
You're the only one who knows that
"Akane!" Ranma yelled after her, just seeing her go around the street corner. He ran after her, but she started running herself. "Stupid tomboy, wait up!"
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when
The youngest Tendo turned on him, the powerful red aura still there, "Ranma, you jerk!"
To his astonishment, Akane broke down crying. "Akane..." his voice betrayed his concern.
Well I'd hoped that since we're here anyway
We could end up saying
Things we've always needed to say
So we could end up staying
"I can't take it anymore, Ranma! All the fiancées, all the arguments, all of it! I'm through! Just go and marry that bimbo! Go become a man again!"
"I'm not about to marry Shampoo, even if she does have a cure!" Ranma declared.
"Why not?! That's what you were going to marry me!" Akane reminded.
"That's different! I- She- You're not an Amazon!" the pigtailed boy stated.
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Let's rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror
"I'll bet if she wasn't you'd marry her in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?! She's cuter than me, a better fighter, and she can cook! You've made those things clear enough over and over again!" Akane turned away to leave.
"Even if not for the whole subjug- subje- er, the way they treat males, I still wouldn't marry her!" Ranma proclaimed.
"Oh? Why not?!" Akane turned her head back to glare at him.
"Because I...uh...she turns into a c-c-c- one of those things!" Ranma explicated.
"Oh, yes, I forgot your little problem with cats. Like the one right behind you," she kept walking. A cruel smirk appeared on her lips, out of sight of the boy.
Ranma jumped into the air with an expression of horror on his face, turning around to look. There was not a feline in sight. She tricked me! "That's not funny!"
Nothing's wrong
Just as long as you know that
Someday I will
"Just leave me alone, Ranma! Nothing you can say will bring me back!" Akane announced.
"Then I'll go with you!" he blurted out.
She stopped, "Why?"
"Someone's got to keep an eye out for you! You're always getting kidnapped by some guy or another! Why they would want such an uncute tomboy, I don't know..." the aquatranssexual found himself indented in the concrete sidewalk as he finished his sentence.
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when
You're the only one who knows that
"Kuso..." Ranma cursed as he got up. Akane was nowhere in sight. Where could she have gone? He jumped up on the roof of a nearby building and looked around. He could see her crimson aura in the distance, even over the other rooftops. He ran across the tops of the houses to catch up. As he got closer, he could see that people on the streets were giving the glowing girl a wide berth, stepping out of her way with fear in their eyes.
"Akane, stop! Where are you gonna go?!" he hollered out to her.
"To the airport! Away from you!" the last word was said with an intense amount of emotion, "Just go away!"
"Can...Can't I at least walk you there?" Ranma requested, now alongside her.
"Fine," Akane allowed.
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when
You're the only one who knows that
The two of them walked in silence. Akane's aura faded after a couple of minutes. What the heck do I say? Ranma wondered. He remembered what she had said: "Nothing you can say will make me go back!", "Away from you!" That last part had hurt more than any blow she had ever dealt to him, much as he tried to deny it to himself.
How the hell'd we wind up like this?
And why weren't we able
To see the signs that we missed
And try to turn the tables?
They caught a train to the airport, Ranma barely having enough money in his pockets for the fare. "Your father's gonna miss you," he commented.
"Yeah, well, he's part of the problem," Akane muttered just loud enough for him to hear.
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Let's rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror
The pigtailed boy still hadn't thought of anything better to say. They walked into the crowded airport in their awkward silence, but to Ranma it was if it was just the two of them. Akane stopped to look up at the departures screen.
"Akane...I don't want you to go..." Ranma admitted.
"I have to, Ranma. You can't change my mind," she looked away from him.
He sighed, "You'll come back, though, right?"
Akane smiled lightly, "Someday."
Nothing's wrong
Just as long as you know that
Someday I will
"Goodbye, Ranma," she bid.
"Akane, please don't go. I'll even do the Crouch of the Wild Tiger, just please stay," Ranma offered.
"I told you before, nothing you can say-" she began.
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when
You're the only one who knows that
"But I l-l-love you," Ranma confessed.
Akane's eyes began to water, "Do you really mean it?"
"I could never marry Shampoo, Akane. That would mean I'd lose you..." he stared at his feet.
Her hand touched his cheek, making him look at her, "I...I love you, too, Ranma."
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know you're wondering when
You're the only one who knows that
"But I have to do this. I've been thinking about it since the wedding...I just need some time alone. I'm sorry," a tear rolled down Akane's cheek. She turned away, leaving before she started weeping like her father.
"Akane!" he called out, getting her to look back at him. "Someday...somehow, I'll make everything alright. I'll solve all the fiancée problems. I don't know how...but without you, things will never be alright. And...I miss you already."
With a smile, Akane dropped her suitcase, put her arms around his neck, and pulled Ranma in for a deep kiss. He froze in surprise, but quickly held her and kissed her in return. She let him go, "Until we meet again..."
I know you're wondering when
You're the only one who knows that
Ranma could only stand and watch as she walked off, I finally told her...while she's conscious, of my own free will...we finally kissed...Akane, please don't stay away too long...
I know you're wondering when
Author's Note: The lyrics are as sung by Chad Kroeger on the "The Long Road" album, typed out as I listened to it (repeatedly). This means that it may be different from what you would find on a website or whatever.
I've wanted to write a Ranma 1/2 songfic for some time, but I wanted to do a song that I really liked. Given that most of what I own is unsuited for the task, it was a while before I could decide on one. Obviously, I finally did.
This is only the first part, so don't get your knickers in a twist over the ending.