This is the story of a cursed martial artist who saves his forced uncute fiancée from the claws of a god; by killing him, for almost killing her, the love of his life.
When he realizes that he has lost her, no matter what he did, he almost confessed it all, at that exact moment, life went back to her…
When they come back to Japan, uncured; an improvised wedding is organized, well, she is bribed into agreeing and he was "persuaded" by a dozing blow on his neck. The pig-tailed boy, after waking up in a tuxedo, rushes to the girl's room. He gets stricken by her beauty, but also with the news that the cure is under the same roof… while denying his feelings towards her.
Well, as you know this martial artist is a trouble magnet, so, his other 3 fiancées showed up: a crazed Chinese Amazon, a cross dressing okonomiyaki chef, a deluded poisoning gymnast; with his rivals for Akane's affection *not that he'd admit he wants it…*: a poetry-vomiting bokken-swinging jerk, a forever lost pig boy; a couple of more people who want the cure for the Jusenkyo curses: a blind Amazon goose and a coward sign-writing panda; add a perverted old freak, a money-thirsty sister-in-law, a flood-like weeping father-in-law and violà!… the perfect recipe for a disastrous wedding.
Well, after it, his 'almost' father-in-law declared it was only "overtime".
So, this story is about what happens during & after the overtime. This story is about what happens… BEYOND
Beyond
A Ranma ½ continuative alter
verse fan fiction by nm3
Disclaimers: This is a fan fiction based on the characters made & owned by the ingenious Rumiko Takahashi, which I, without her permission (like millions of fans out there) borrowed for the sole propose of creating this humble non-profit fic. Gomen! Takahashi-sama!
One last thing, this story has lots of SPOILERS ½!! and it may be better that you know the end of the series ( Volume 38 ) =).
*…* are thoughts
Things spoken in mandarin
~~ stuff ~~ ( he he!)
That's it! ^_^
Without more ado…
On with the story!
Chapter
3:
"Interrupted"
*And that
was the exact moment where Akane's life changed for ever…*
*Including
the amazons', Xian Pu's and mine…*
Cologne
was now sitting on her bead, with an expression of shock printed on her face.
* How can a mere normal, untrained girl like Akane possess such a great gift?… I would understand if Ranma had it…. But Akane?*
Sweat
beads started to form around Cologne's head.
*She
isn't even able to cook something half descent!*
The sweat drops disappeared while a sober expression covered the ancient's face.
*Something
we will work on…*
*But how…
how!?!*
*The Phoenix Wings are one of the biggest signs of immense potential in existence. They seem to appear on a single person in all humanity, almost every 300 to 500 human years. *
*For
thousands of years, the Gods have awarded the Joketsusoku tribe by providing
them leaders of such power, to help them with the difficult task of fighting
against great threats. That is one of the many reasons the amazons begin their
training as soon as possible… the early detection of the new leader of the
tribe and the early knowledge of a new threat… We've known that only long,
hard, disciplined training is able to bring out the Phoenix Wings for eyesight
to notice… but Akane has definitely NOT had a hard, long, disciplined training…
not even a proper one. Then… how can she handle the Phoenix Wings?*
An
interrupting knock was performed on Cologne's door.
"
Grandmother, Are you alright?"
Concern
crept out of Shampoo's question.
" I'm
fine, Xian Pu."
"Would
you like something to eat? I have some fresh special Ramen ready for us. I
thought you would like something to eat after long long trip back."
" Thank
you. I will be right down."
* I will
do some research on my scrolls later…*
The merry
music that came from the television was accompanied by the laughter emitted by
alcohol influenced Genma and Soun. The chorus made by both noises was annoying
enough to divert Ranma's attention from his manga.
" Can
you keep it down!?!"
The
answer to Ranma's request was a wave of renewed and louder laughter.
"
Arg…hmpf.." Ranma murmured something about alcohol dependent stupid old people
while getting up from his stomach-on-floor position.
He was
walking down the hall to his room when he heard Akane's millionth war
declaration to some pile of concrete bricks.
*Man!
It's almost nine thirty… She's been training in the dojo for hours*
"Shit!!" a pain filled curse came from the dojo.
*Better
see what happened!*
Ranma
rushed to the dojo, trying to appear relaxed and casual when entering it.
Inside, she discovered Akane holding her left hand with her right one. Pain was
escaping through her features. Then he saw two big piles of debris beside both
of her feet.
Slipping
from his 'casual' act, Ranma rushed to Akane's side.
" Akane,
what happened?"
"Nothing,
I just been practicing"
Ranma saw
that both of her hands were red and sore.
Then he
looked down to where the debris ad sort of calculated the amount of boards of
wood and bricks she used.
" I
thought you were using bricks…"
" I was
starting to run out of them, so I grabbed left over wood from the last repairs"
" That's a hell of a lot of bricks and wood…
Were you trying to break both piles with one hand each?"
" Yes"
Slowly,
Akane started to flex her left hand, opening and closing in a fist, testing out
the damage. The pain drained a little color out of her cheeks.
" Akane,
you dummy, you've always practiced with your right hand, and then out of the
blue, you expect that in one night you can be able to break lots of bricks and wood, and be able to focus your chi equally on both hands, one
being untrained…"
" Why do you care? Huh? Remember… I'm just
'worried 'bout my weight'!" Akane tried to imitate Ranma sarcastically with a
very dumb sounding voice.
*She is
mad 'bout that little joke?*
" Huh
hm?" Akane formed a couple of tight fists at her sides, glaring at Ranma.
Again, pain attacked Akane's nerves because of the involuntary angry reaction.
Letting go of her anger and ignoring Ranma, Akane went back to nursing her left
hand with her right one.
Ranma
looked down at Akane's hands and then at her pain narrowed eyes.
Ranma
took a step closer to Akane, and reached for Akane's left hand. Poking it a
little with his thumb, he tried to examine it.
" Baka!
It hurts!" Akane whined a little at Ranma's examination, taking back her hand,
but Ranma held it tight.
Akane
relaxed a little when she saw that Ranma stopped poking her sore hand, instead
he almost caressed it with his right index finger.
Looking
up, Ranma let a little of his concern show through his gaze.
" Akane…
Why are you doing it?… you know, training so hard, and everything?" Ranma asked
almost as a whisper.
Their
eyes locked. Akane loved those very few times when Ranma's deep blue eyes wore
that concerned gaze. Ranma just loved the shockwave that produced gazing into
Akane's big brown shiny eyes.
Ranma's
involuntary caress made Akane's whole body tingle. She snapped out of it and
remembered that she has to be mad at him, for the weight joke, the walkout in
school, the wedding fiasco… but most of all, because of his denial…
" Ahh… That's none of your business!!"
With that
said, Akane snatched her hand back, sheltered it on her right one, turned on
her heel, and almost ran out of the dojo.
" Akane,
Wait! Dammit!" Ranma was just able to speak to Akane's retreating back.
*Akane…
_you_ are _my_ business* a thought crossed Ranma's head, looking down at
the dojo floor.
*You should just forget about him, girl!* thought the exiting Akane while starring at the hall's floor.
*You know
you will never be able to do that…* a voice echoed in Akane's mind.
*Where
the hell did _that_ came from!* both young minds chorused while both of their
gazes lifted up simultaneously.
The sipping
up sound caused by eating Ramen was the only heard in at one of the tables at
the Nekohanten.
"
Grandmother…?"
Cologne
swallowed. "Yes, Xian Pu?"
"
Hhmm… What is your new plan to get Airen?"
" You
will see "
"Please,
grandmother, tell me, I really want to know"
Excitement
flooded Shampoo's eyes.
"
Don't be impatient, child"
" But,
how Can I get plan to work if I don't even know it!"
" You
know it by heart, child" a chuckling Cologne acknowledged.
" So
you have no plan!"
A
little anger dawned on Shampoo's gaze.
" I
do, child, but the only one that is going to perform it, is me"
" So,
tell me"
" No
need to"
" Hmpf… O K"
Shampoo
crossed her arms.
" Then
tell me a little 'bout trip"
" I
may tell you later…"
" That
sounds like another secret you hiding from Xian Pu, great grandmother… What's
with all the mystery?"
"
Don't worry child… I'm just too tired for long talks now…"
Cologne
continued eating.
Shampoo
just stared at her grandmother.
"
Oyasuminasai " Akane said 'Good Night', before closing her door.
Dressed
in her pale yellow pajamas, Akane
lay on her bed, and turned off the light. She tossed and turned for a while,
and discovered that all those thoughts weren't going to let her go to sleep.
Another
figure also tossed and turned helplessly on his futon.
* Why
do I still _try_ to sleep here? I should just give up and move my futon up to
the roof…*
Ranma
sighed deeply.
* I
can't go on like this. I have to do somethin'… What will I do when the rainy
season starts?* a dreadful frown formed on his face.
Ranma
got up, and did exactly what he had done every single night since they came
back from Jusendo, he grabbed his pj's, his sheets and pillow, and started his
quiet way up the roof, over Akane's room.
" Arg…
hmmpf… Stupid old hentai!"
Ranma
was climbing up the roof. He just discovered Happosai trying to sneak into
Akane's room while she was sleeping, Ranma sent him quickly on a quiet trip to
dreamy land with a quick and angered blow to the head.
Ranma
lifted his gaze to the roof.
Two
simultaneous gasps could be heard on top of the roof of the Tendo residence.
"
Ranma?"
"
A..Akane?"
" What
are you doing here?" the question chorused on their ears.
Akane
giggled.
Ranma
reacted with a smile at Akane's giggling form. She was hugging her knees,
sitting exactly on top of her room.
Ranma
finished climbing up, walked towards Akane, and sat on his pillow beside her
and wrapped himself on his sheet.
" I
just couldn't sleep" Ranma replied to the question first.
" Me
neither. Say… What's with the pillow and the sheets?.."
" He
he… I often come up here… to think and sort things out… This just makes being
here even more comfortable."
" Ha
haa! _You_ come here to think? To sort things out?… Is Ranma Saotome really
capable of doing _that_, you know, thinking?"
"
Hey!! You…"
Ranma
was actually able to stop the wave of insults that started to pile up in his
mind, when he saw Akane giggling at her joke.
"
Sorry! Gomen! I just wasn't able to stop myself! You just left the opportunity
open…" the giggling Akane apologized lightly.
*
She's so kawaii, so cute when she smiles* the thought made Ranma blush.
"
Don't worry…Heh heh! I do that all the time with you!" he _tried_ to joke.
" Rrranmaaa!"
" Calm
down! I was joking!"
A
little awkward silence was ended by the whistling sound of the chilly wind.
Akane
shivered involuntarily.
" What
a piece of my sheet?"
Akane
turned her sight to Ranma's, she saw him moving to one of the edges of his
pillow, with an arm extended, offering her half of his sheet.
He
shifted his position and lifted his gaze and saw her staring at him. He blushed
and turned away his gaze.
" That
is if you are cold…"
Ranma
lowered his arm, supporting it on the other edge of his pillow. But still
offering shelter.
As if
to persuade her more, the chilly wind blew again.
With
his gaze away, Ranma felt Akane sitting next to him on his pillow. She grabbed
the sheet and put it around her shoulders. Since Ranma's left hand was still
grabbing the sheet's edge, Akane's action transported Ranma's hand from the
edge of the pillow to her left shoulder.
Ranma
turned around quickly and gazed at Akane. Akane felt Ranma's arm around her,
and turned around. Their eyes locked and both started to blush.
The
nasty wind blew hard, sending a horde of leaves towards them, attacking their
blushing forms.
Reflexively,
Ranma hugged Akane closer and sheltered both from the leaves and the wind.
The
wind passed, and Ranma was still holding Akane.
They stole a glimpse at each other, and realized
the position they were into. Both reacted. Akane moved out of her edge of the
pillow, pulling the rest of the sheet, leaving Ranma without his part. Ranma
snatched down his arm.
"
Here" Akane gave Ranma back his half, while she settled back down beside him.
Shoulder
to shoulder and blushing furiously, they sat there, and tried to relax a
little.
" So…
why weren't able to sleep?" Ranma tried to make conversation.
" I
don't know… I just haven't been able to sleep well, since… eeh… we came…back…"
" And
you?"
" Sort
of the same thing… Have you been coming up to the roof ever since?"
" I
always used to climb up the roof when I was little to play, all the time, but
one day, I fell, but I was lucky enough for my mother to catch me. She was so
scared, I remember perfectly the look of concern she had in her eyes, just that
persuaded me to almost never do it again, until I was big enough to take the
fall…" Akane finished with a couple of tears running down her cheeks while
looking up the sky. " Then, I have never been able to resist the temptation of
climbing up here when the stars are like this."
Ranma's
soul was in pain as tears rolled down her face.
Akane
sniffed a little, and wiped away the moisture with her hand.
Finally she giggled a little.
"
Ranma, do you like to stare at the stars?" Akane asked with a smile.
*I like to stare at you* Ranma had just deblushed, but with that thought he blushed all over again. * Where did that came from!?!* he mentally yelled while starring away.
Akane
giggled. " Awh! Come on! It isn't like 'unmanly' or something like that!"
That
brought Ranma back.
" Heh! I
know… Yes, I like to look at the stars… but it is kind of boring…" an unheard whisper escaped Ranma's lips
"Alone…"
*Ah!! How
more UNromantic can this jerk be!!* Akane's mind wondered. * Hey! So what if
this baka is completely unromantic,
what do I care!* she continued, missing Ranma's whisper.
Akane
continued her long list of unsaid insults to Ranma in her mind, waiting for the
moment to say them, her anger boiling… she _almost_ missed Ranma's whispered
words.
" But it
is sort of nice to stare at them with… company"
Akane
turned around immediately and Ranma turned to see her expression. They ended up
looking into each other's eyes, their faces inches apart.
Ranma
looked into her eyes. * Will she let me…*.
Akane
looked into Ranma's eyes * will he…*.
Ranma
started to lean in and stopped, their noses almost touching.
Akane saw
Ranma's move and her eyes got a little wide that made Ranma stop. *Dammit… why
did I do that!*
Akane slowly closed her eyes. Now, it was Ranma's eye's turn to get wide.
*She
will… so… Does this mean she does care for me, I don't think she would let
someone kiss her if she doesn't want him to, Akane is not like that…*
*Oh my
God!! I want to kiss her!!* he finally accepted that fact.
* I
really want to kiss her… ok! Here's my chance!* With that final thought Ranma
leaned down to kiss his fiancé…
And ended
up kissing his pillow.
" I
suppose one of the many reasons of calling off the wedding and denying
everything, was just the disgusting idea of kissing me, huh, Ranma?" and with
that Akane fled to the edge of the roof and flipped down to her room.
" Akane!
No! It's not like that…!"
The
shutting sound of Akane's window echoed in Ranma's mind… and in the rest of
Nerima district.
" Shut
up!!"
Shoes,
books and all sorts of things were thrown from all directions at Ranma.
Akane was
crying into her pillow, hugging it so hard, that if it were something alive it
would be already dead.
* That
baka! That jerk!! Why does he always do that! He says nice things and does nice
things, and when he has to back up what he says… he.. he chickens out… he
denies it… that.. that… Bakabakashiii!!!!*
* Why!!?
Why did I think he'd actually kiss me!?! Stupid!*
END
Author's notes:
Thanks
for reading!! This is my first fanfic ever! So I really hope you like it!
This
last two chapters are sort of drafts… In case of stupid grammar/spelling
mistakes, ok? ^_^
If there are Spanish readers out there, that
would like the story in Spanish ( I'm a Spanish native speaker, after all),
email me or something, let me know. The story is a little behind in Spanish,
but if I get enough requests for the parts in Spanish, I'll update it and post
both! ^_^
I need pre-readers & reviewers! =) PPLEEAASSEEE!! or any comments & criticism, please write to nm3@hotmail.com!
Again,
thanks for reading and reviewing!
… Ahh! By the way!! I'll be writing about the status of the chapters and stuff
on the review lists of this fanfic, so check them out from time to time if you
want to know how the new chapters are coming! =b
Thanks _a lot_ to everyone, for their encouraging and constructive
reviews!! Honto ni arigatou!! ^_^
See
ya! Ja ne!
^_^ Nm3 ^_^
"
The world is like a mirror: If you face it smiling, it will smile right back at
you"
=) [^] (=