--- TT ---
'This Sky This Dream' by Krimzonrayne no Akai Kou Hana.
Chapter Three: Aquamarine; to dreaming of, and making new friends.
Standard disclaimer applies to all pre existing characters, the poem is mine though. Megumi Hayashibara and other voice actors/actresses mentioned are people in their own right and I do not, in any way, own any of them. They name are used here without consent but for non-monetary purposes.
Read the end of last chapter for a summary of what happened previously.
Knowledge on meaning of gems and birthstone are from various sources as well as my own experience with such items. They're to be interpreted loosely and are NOT facts.
--- TT ---
A small crack grew softly, steadfast in its contention,
Like the bile rising in the back of your throat, it crept.
A face behind the mask of our own making: the truth that lies,
Hidden beneath the underneath were thus,
An emotion; indescribable by neither words nor pictures nor sound,
A present that defies and defines us, the truth about wisdom,
The very one thing that remains unchanged by the sky above us,
The suffering that would never go away when one lives.
The eternal struggle that can not simply be ignored,
At least not by all and at least not for forever.
And for this that I lament not for my cleaning bill,
But for the red; sweet, sweet, red tomato sauce spilt.
For I heed this one truth my friend, a simple fact of life,
All the money in the world would not have made your pie tastier.
Like a person hiding behind a mask,
Hoping that all troubles would fade away.
Soon he would realize, that once the dark red spot is gone,
How his pie could've tasted so much better.
"Tomato sauce's blues" by Krimzonrayne, akai no kou hana
--- TT ---
Her world was filled with titillating aquamarines.
The bright sparkles that shifted sublimely from one form to another as the wind tore across its surface. Their wondrous ripples never did ceased to amaze her no matter how many times she saw it and you can rest assured that she'd seen it far too many times to count.
It was water again.
Always had been, always is and probably always will be. A presence that's ever present…ever so haunting in her life. It always began with water too you know, turning into a girl every time she got splashed, at Jusenkyo… heck even at that stupid hand print on the suicide vow.
Ink is ink but making such digression now seemed rather silly especially when none of it had actually happened in the first place.
Especially when it didn't matter a darn thing anymore, especially when she no longer had a water-triggered curse or seppuku pledge… or a mother for that matter…
But enough about that now, a girl don't brood on important things right? They just cook, clean and look pretty; a porcelain doll to be put on a dais and observed from afar.
Right?
…
Right?
…
Nothing. No answer- just the same unwavering darkness.
But wait… there's light! There! A flash of light, the soft sunbeam reflecting off pearly white teeth, a hint of a smile
A face of calm serenity, unchanged by the sky above her. An upside down smile that's far different from a mere frown that only SHE could possess.
"Ranma-chan… How are you feeling?" The angel-like girl asked.
"I am well, Kasumi-oneesama," the red head replied, beaming happily. She actually wasn't, she had a bad headache and her whole body was sore but… Kasumi was there. What more could she want?
Kasumi blinked in trepidation. Ranma-chan was always nice to her but 'honored elder sister'? Since when was she that polite? The longhaired girl mentally shook her head. The blow must've been more painful than it looked. Which brings her to her current point.
"Ranma-chan, you can Akane have been fighting each other constantly as of late. This is starting to get out of hand," the eldest Tendo sister said reproachfully. The resulting sorrowful look on the younger girl face almost broke her resolve but this had to be said. She remained stern and continued on grimly, "Now, I'm not saying it was entirely your fault but I think you should apologize to Akane-chan."
Kasumi was the kind of person who believes the best things of everyone and an optimist but still… the result was rather… unexpected.
"You are absolutely correct, honored sister. I shall do as you instructed… no, I shall do as it is appropriate." Ranma got up slowly, drawing her feet under her and raised gracefully in one fluid motion. She glided to the door, shuffling her feet softly and deftly; moving without making a sound.
Delicately, the girl slid the rice paper door across, startling the shorthaired Tendo who was waiting anxiously on the other side.
"Akane-san!" The redhead cried in surprise, dropping to her knee as she remembered what she had been meaning to do. "I sincerely apologize for all my wrong doing in these past few months. There's no excuse for the way I've been agonizing you and I'm genuinely sorry. I cannot ask for your forgiveness but please let me make it up to you."
Akane's reaction was a lot more pronounced than Kasumi's. Her eyes widened visibly as she seemed to go into shock. The facial expression was extremely exaggerated, almost to the point of being comical.
"Eh… that's okay Ranma. I'm... I guess... I'm sorry for hitting you as well," the young Tendo stuttered in response. "Em… about that, are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"Oh please don't apologize, I deserved it," Ranma said softly, waving off the other girl's apologetic words. "To answer your question; yes I'm fine, so don't fret yourself on my account. In fact my head felt like it had been cleared, a rather refreshing feeling actually."
The polite words and the disarming smile did little to ease Akane's feeling of apprehension. Something was seemed…wrong about the girl, the way she handle herself, her polite and sophisticated choice of words… heck, the fact that Ranma was apologizing to her was, in itself, was alarming enough.
"Are you absolutely sure Ranma? I mean you're acting rather… different." Akane broached the subject uneasily. Before the redhead could answer her, Genma and Soun spotted the pair as they walked into the hall. A brief flash of relief passed over Ranma's father's eyes while Soun started crying and sprinted over to the two girls. The red head looked down at her attire or the lack of, before looking back up at the incoming middle aged Tendo patriarch.
"Ranma my boy, you're ALIVE!"
"Eep!" Ranma squeaked out rather girlishly before running back into the room, shutting the door behind her in an attempt to obtain some kind of modesty.
Soun, having missed his intended target, fell flat onto the wooden floor. He got up and gave his daughter and his old friend a questioning look. The shaking of their heads indicated that they were as clueless as he was. In the momentary silence that ensued they could hear a slightest hint of a whisper coming from room Ranma had disappeared into a second ago.
"Uncle! Father! How could you?" The embarrassed sounding voice said with a hint of exasperation. "Honestly, I didn't even have my undergarments on!"
The silence was deafening.
The three of them looked back and forth between one another uneasily until Akane's impetuosity got the better of her. She strode up to the door and practically slammed it open. She looked inside and froze.
Genma and Soun spared the entranced girl a glance before shrugging their shoulders and followed suit. They were similarly frozen when they saw look inside.
Ranma, in the process of putting one of Kasumi's peasant blouses regarded Akane's intrusion with mild curiosity (after all it was normal for two girls to see each other undressed) then began blushed madly at the two men's lack of common courtesy.
"FATHER! UNCLE!" the red headed girl yelled in surprise, turning around to hide her prominent assets that couldn't be covered with her dainty hands. "Seriously! Can't a girl at least have her feminine modesty?"
'A girl?,' Akane echoed the word in her mind: flabbergasted. 'What heck is she talking about?'
"What are you talking about Ranma? Stop acting like a girl!" the girl stated bluntly, looking pleadingly at Kasumi for help. The older girl was similarly clueless.
"But Akane-chan, how else am I supposed to act? After all," the red head began, speaking slowly, confusion evidenced in her voice. "I AM a girl."
--- TT ---
A day begins with a smile. In truth it started with the dawn but if one thinks long and hard on the topic one would find that, although a day started with the dawn, it truly begins with a smile.
Because can you seriously say, in all honestly, that you're truly enjoying a morning when eyes are bleary and you're head dulled with awakening stupor?
For truth, the only way you can begin a morning is with a smile. Like the one adorning a certain redheaded girl's face as she went about picking flowers out in the Tendo's backyard. Her smile was beautiful, a complete contrast to the looks on everyone's faces the night before when she announced the fact that she was a girl to them.
She continued to pick up the flowers absentmindedly. Her mind was occupied with thoughts and reflections of yesterday's event, up to the point where she didn't detect someone's presence until she was almost right behind her.
"Good morning, honored elder sister Kasumi," Ranma greeted the Tendo girl, smiling joyously. The girl beamed back at her but her smile seemed a shade darker than its usual dazzlingly brightness.
'She's upset about something.' The redhead concluded thoughtfully, exercising the proper sensitivity and empathy every girl must practice. She noticed the clothing filled basket by the older girl's side.
"Are you here to hang out the washing, Kasumi-oneesama?" she asked even though it was obvious, after all a mere girl mustn't assume anything. No, she should always ask for confirmation. After all, such is the proper behavior for a young lady of her status.
Kasumi gave her a cursory nod, unsure of what Ranma was getting at.
"Please allow me to help you," The girl begged, depositing the fair blossoms she had collected in a vase that must've appeared out of thin air. Kasumi didn't seem to notice so the young girl didn't give it another thought.
Once again, Kasumi simply gave a nod as her consent. She didn't seem quite as cheerful as she always was and it tugged at the girl's newfound heart and sense of sympathy.
'But what can I do?' Ranma sighed. She hated being new to this girl business. Suddenly her train of thought came to a startling halt as she realized what her hands were holding. It was a pair of underwear.
Male underwear.
"Oh my…" she muttered a little loudly, blushing deep red as she allowed the boxer to fall from her nerveless fingers and into the basket.
"What is it, Ranma-chan?" Kasumi asked sounding slightly alarmed. From the way the girl behaved last night, the 'oh my' from this new Ranma could've meant anything from 'Oh my, I've stepped on a flower' or 'Oh my, strange men are trying to kill me'.
"I've just… I've just… touch men's… you know," Ranma stuttered out, averting her eyes when words failed her.
The longhaired girl's eyes drifted downward. "Boxers?" she asked, lifting her eyebrow incredulously at the girl.
"Unmentionables…" the younger girl interjected weakly, sounding even more embarrassed than before.
"Oh for love of…" someone drawled from behind her. Ranma turned around to see Akane rolling her eyes.
"What is wrong about hanging washed boxers out to dry? Kasumi does it all the time," the young Tendo said exasperatedly. "You were just wearing one the day before!"
Ranma's face turned almost the same shade of red as her hair at the other girl's exclamation. "Please, Akane," The girl said meekly, staring at the ground between them. "I'm embarrassed enough as it is, you didn't have to announce it to the whole neighborhood."
Akane stared at the girl as if she was mad then a realization dawned on her.
"But then… which mean… but if you're not wearing a boxer then…" The shorthaired girl muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Her eyes widened fearfully as her train of thought reached it destination. She rushed forward and flipped the skirt of Ranma's dress up, flashing a hint of white cotton panties.
Akane was aghast.
Ranma 'I'm a Man.' Saotome was wearing a pair of panties.
For a second she was lost in her own world, assaulted by immeasurable sense of denial. It was like the end of the world snuck up on you and going 'Boo!' But as soon as the momentary insecurity passed over her, she had once again come back to wielding an emotion most people associates with her character.
She was livid.
"GET OUT OF THOSE RIGHT NOW!" Akane yelled angrily at the red head.
The submissive girl blanched at the sheer amount of vehemence and fury being directed at her. She quickly scampered out of the undergarment before stepping over said object to get away from the enraged girl.
"But Akane-chan," Ranma whined, sounding every bit the little girl she was. "It's indecent to not wear any undergarment with this dress. A strong breeze would've…"
"Wear this then!" Akane yelled, cutting into the girl's sentence. She threw the plain white Karate gi she was going to change into later to the girl.
"But, Akane…" Ranma protested weakly as she caught the martial artist's garb. "I don't…"
"Come on, Ranma," the other girl yelled again and started pulling the redhead in the direction of the dojo. Only moments later, Ranma was finding herself miraculously dressed in the gi, facing off against Akane in the dojo.
"Akane-chan," the redhead tried to say but was cut off by an aggressive punch launched by the said girl. She ducked under the attack and tried again but her opponent didn't give her a break and she was forced to continuously dodge, too occupied to say anything.
The flurry of blows continued for almost fifteen minutes before the young Tendo had spent her energy and was too exhausted to throw another punch. She glared balefully at the shorter girl as she stood there heaving.
"What's wrong with you? Swing at me!" she yelled even though it was plain that she couldn't fight anymore. Ranma glanced at the stubborn girl's arms; they were slumped down beside her body, ineffective to provide any form of defense.
The girl mentally grimaced. What should she do? Akane is far too proud to take losing lightly.
She let her guard fell away and just stood there staring timidly at the wooden floorboards between them.
"Swing at me damn it!"
"…no…." Ranma paused. It was hard forcing the words she was about to say out. That is, even if she has accepted what she had become, it still hurt to speak it out loud. "I don't want to fight anyone anymore. I hate fighting. Fighting is for BOYS; I want to do GIRLS things, like flower arranging, tea ceremony and cooking."
"But Ranma, that's not who you are…"
"You're just saying that because you're jealous. You're afraid I'm going to be a better girl than you are, aren't you?" the redhead said accusingly.
Akane flinched. She had an unreadable look on her face when she turned away. Starring at some distance blade of grass she uttered quietly.
"Is that really what you think?"
Ranma mentally gasped. She hadn't meant to say that. That wasn't what she intended to say. She shouldn't have said that. It wasn't supposed to happen.
It was out of character for her.
She came out of her reverie and found that the saddened Akane has already left. "Wait Akane-chan!" Ranma called out, hoping that the girl hadn't gotten far and could still hear her. She ran to the dojo's door and opened it to get outside only to be promptly stopped by a certain middle aged martial artist.
"Father!" the girl blurted out in surprise. "You surprised me."
That was an understatement; especially when she was dodging a punch when she was saying it. Ranma almost slinked back, moving with the grace of a Tango dancer to avoid the next few incoming blows. The way she weaved herself through the punches and kicks seemed almost magical and fantasy-like in nature.
It was like watching a beautifully choreographed dance routine being done by true professionals.
The dodging continued for almost a minute before Genma finally had his daughter backed into a corner. For a split second it seemed like they've reached a stalemate. Suddenly Ranma gave a half-hearted sigh and exploded into action. She took a minute to quite literally pound the stuffing out of her father, apologizing with every strike, trying in vain to remain ladylike while doing something a woman shouldn't do.
Finally satisfied with her result; Ranma gave an indignant huff and left, leaving the crumpled and roughened up form of Genma on the dojo's floor. Just as soon as she stepped through the door she was splashed with a bucket full of warm water.
She gave a shriek loud enough to break glass then stood still.
"…and CUT!" A loud voice rang out.
--- TT ---
The dramatic lighting switched off, leaving the set in darkness for half a second before the overhead lights came to life, illuminating the replica of Tendo's residence that they were filming in. The girl relaxed and leaned against the one of the many props decorating the set.
"That was amazing, Megumi-chan!" The director practically gushed as he ran over to her, his megaphone still held in his right hand. "Four! Four whole scenes without a hitch and all in one go."
Ranma blushed cutely at being subjected such the high praise; it was something she'd never experienced before. "Please don't say such a thing, I was horrible. I missed TWO lines and was completely out of character. That was far from praiseworthy," she said humbly, pointing out and picked at her mistakes far harsher than movies critics would a terrible film.
"Nonsense! Those impromptu lines fit into the flow of the story far better than the original and as far as being out of character goes, you played the part perfectly," the man said, beaming proudly. "You are being far too modest, Megumi-chan."
"Wow that was great R… Megumi!" a familiar voice called out from behind them, one that the young actress recognized almost immediately.
"Minami-chan!" She turned around and found herself face to face with her friend and co-worker. She beamed happily; glad to see the other actress again, even if it had only been a few hours since they last seen each other.
Before they had a chance to greet each other properly, a chorus of commendations from their fellow cast interrupted the pair.
"That was incredible, Megumi-san. You were struggling to get through first scene yesterday, now you've just breezed through it," Ukyou's look alike congratulated her, gushing like a schoolgirl who was meeting her idol would.
"Yes, it was indeed incredible, you were even better than before," the actress who played Kasumi commented before adding thoughtfully "A remarkable, if some what interesting improvement."
Ranma's mind whirled from the attention she was receiving. It was a bit much but to be perfectly honest, she didn't mind it all that much. She couldn't complain anyway; it was better than the kind of attention she was used to receiving before.
The kind that came with chained maces, flying battle umbrellas and razor bladed hula hoops.
Suddenly, the red haired actress felt rather faint. It seemed that those memories triggered something within her, something she had been ignoring all day.
She gave an inaudible whimper, her face paled considerably; a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the other three actresses.
"What's wrong Megumi-san?" Ukyou… or rather, an actress who played her fictional best friend asked in an overtly worried tone. She reminded Ranma of a lovesick girl whose crush had just been killed.
"I guess I shouldn't skip breakfast after all," the redhead lied, pausing as she remembered she didn't know the other girl's name. She composed herself and replied jokingly, her voice filled with Ranma-chan's usual bravadoes. "It was nothing a martial artist like me can't handle, Ucchan!"
It seemed to have worked and everyone wasn't as alarmed as before. Correction, almost everyone; Minami was looking at her questioningly but she pretended to not have noticed it.
The woman who looked like Kasumi chuckled rather dryly at the display. She seemed amused but not at the same level as the other girl was. Kind of like an adult who laughs when children make a mockery out of themselves by doing something silly.
She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a puff in a very un-Kasumi like manner. "Say, why don't we all go out for lunch? I mean, the food they serve here is nice and all but curry-rice bowls do get kind of old after a while. Besides, I want to hear about that rumor of you being in the hospital yesterday."
"That sounds wonderful," the fan girl version of Ukyou gushed, again, much to Ranma's annoyance. She knew she shouldn't have felt that way. After all, a girl is always nice and friendly to other girls is she not?
"Sure, why not? Let's go change out of our costumes." Minami chimed in her response.
Ranma suddenly became aware of the fact that she was the only one in the entire cast the redhead knew the name of.
Just as they were about to leave for the dressing room Minami felt someone tugging on the tail of her blouse. She turned around and found that it was Ranma.
"Em… Minami-chan, I don't have another set of clothing with me. What should I do?" she asked meekly.
The actress who played Nabiki felt like smacking her own forehead. Of course she didn't, she had spent the night at Minami's place after all. When they'd finished watching the airing of their show this morning, they'd spent almost an hour going through the pictorial of when they were working together. It was a long time ago; she was playing Haibara Aya, an age reduced girl and Megumi was playing Edogawa Conan. It was a good series, the detective Conan. It ran for years and was basically what built her career.
"How about the clothes you gave me for the shoot? The one I came in this morning, the Chinese T and black slacks, couldn't I wear those?" Ranma suggested, noticing that her friend was trying to think of something.
"No, those are very distinctive. You seemed to have forgotten how famous you are, Megumi. If you go out in that, we'll have to stop and sign autographs every couple of minutes," The oldest of the four pointed out, watching the young redhead carefully. "How come you don't have another set of clothing with you?"
"That's my fault, Kikuko," Minami interjected on her friend's behalf, coming to her rescue. "You see, when I'd heard about Megumi's accident I was so worried that I'd invited her to stay at my place as soon as she was released."
"Last night, we were so caught up in catching up with each other that we'd forgotten about grabbing some clothes from Megumi's apartment for today."
"Hey! Why don't we drop by there today and grab some clothes for her?" Ukyou's look alike suggested. For some reason, she seemed surprisingly happy at the prospect of visiting Megumi's apartment.
Kikuko, the actress who played Kasumi, rolled her eyes at that. "But it's on the other side of town isn't it?"
Ranma nodded uncertainly, having no idea where her apartment was. She hadn't bent there before as far as she could remember.
"Well, I can't imagine us going through the traffic just to grab a change of clothing," The longhaired girl said, placing a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "How about we go shopping after lunch? I mean, a new outfit or two couldn't hurt right?"
Ranma supposed that a girl should be happy about going shopping but… "That sounds really nice, but what about this afternoon? Do we have enough time?" The pig tailed girl said.
Kikuko didn't answer her. She turned to the director who was discussing the next scene with Yamaguchi Kappei, the actor who played the male Ranma.
"OI!!! FURUHASHI-SENSEI!!!"
Ranma flinched, at the volume and the fact that the yell came from a person who looked exactly like Kasumi; someone the red haired girl had always pictured as the epitome of womanhood, the very meaning of the word ladylike.
The surprise thought tugged at something within her once again, she promptly ignored it.
"Furuhashi-sensei!" The loud woman called out again.
"Yes, what is it?" The director, Furuhashi… something… said irritably as he walked over to the four of them, hoping that the tall girl would stop shouting.
"When do we have to be back by for the afternoon takes? We're thinking about going out for lunch and maybe doing some shopping as well," Kikuko answered with her question.
"Well, let me see…" The man began, flipping through the stack of papers he was carrying. "Hmm… here we are: episode 31; Am I pretty? Ranma's declaration of womanhood!..."
"Ranma and his father are training outside of the Tendo house. Meanwhile,
Kasumi and Akane are cooking dinner. When Akane brings her Japanese omlettes to the dining room table, Ranma and his father come fighting in. Ranma destroys Akane's cooking. Then Ranma and his father go to the garden. Akane runs out with a frying pan and takes a swipe at Ranma. Ranma dodges back to avoid the pan, but he hits his head on a rock and passes out in the pond…"
"Hm, got all that done yesterday…" Furuhashi commented absentmindedly to himself, before flipping the page over and continued reading the episode synopsis out loud.
"When Ranma-chan wakes up, Kasumi tells Ranma to forgive Akane. Then Ranma-chan very politely, with girl's words, says that it's all right. Then she says that she feels like her head has been cleared. Kasumi calls everyone and says that Ranma is acting weird. When Akane, Genma, Soun, and Happosai arrive,
Ranma-chan screams because she's only half dressed. Akane tells Ranma to stop acting like a girl. Then, Ranma-chan says that she's a girl."
Ranma blinked; something about what the man said seemed… off? Like some part of it were wrong. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and continued listening.
"The next day, Ranma-chan is picking flowers… Done. Fight with Akane… Tick." The director read on, skipping some part as he felt Kikuko's glare boring into him. He resisted the urge to sigh, wondering about how much the real 'Kasumi' differs from the much-loved Manga perfection.
"Ah, here we are; after lunch, Akane asks Ranma if he wants to go shopping with her. Ranma says yes. Then Ranma cries when he was trying to find clothes to wear. He says that with this body, he can't wear any nice dresses. Akane tries to cheer Ranma up by saying that she doesn't look good in a dress herself. But Ranma says that Akane is very cute."
"When Ranma and Akane go to the women's clothes section, Ranma runs around saying, 'this is so cute, that is so cute.' All of the other shoppers look at Ranma and Akane with strange looks. After Akane pulls Ranma away, Ranma tells Akane that he has to go to the bathroom. Akane tells him to go to the men's side. But Ranma comes out crying that he's too embarrassed and he can't do it. Then Akane pours cold water on Ranma, and Ranma-chan goes to the women's side…"
"Akane then buys a 35,600 yen dress for Ranma-chan…"
"I think we know where Megumi must play now, what time does she need to be here by?" Kikuko interrupted the man.
"Hm… we'll starting shooting around 1 o'clock so it'll probably be 2:30 before we get to her part."
"Discounting lunch and time to get there and back, that would leave us about an hour and a half at most to spend shopping," Kikuko mused rather sardonically. "Not much is it?"
"Well standing around here talking about it doesn't help. So how about we get going Kikuko?" Minami groused; that girl is such a spoilsport. And from the way she's looking at Ranma, it's obvious she'd noticed something's up. She turned to pigtailed friend.
"Come on, Megumi," the shorthaired actress said to Ranma, beckoning her to follow. "You can use my gym gear again until we've bought some better clothes."
The red headed girl nodded and followed Minami into the changing room.
'Again?' Inoue Kikuko echoed the word to herself. 'Interesting… This definitely bears looking into'
--- TT ---
Despite the fact that her two successful roles gave her a dubious image in the Television world, Takayama Minami was an honest and easygoing girl at heart. Maybe it was the shape of her face or the slight narrowness of her eyes or her distinctive shark-like smile that got her the part of Haibara Ai, the astute adult turned girl in Detective Conan or Tendo Nabiki, the manipulative young racketeer in Ranma ½. Whatever it was; it was definitely not her character or her personality
She was far too sincere and not nearly as devious enough to fit both these roles precisely.
Of course, just because she's sincere doesn't mean she couldn't be intuitive at the same time. Her keen sense of perception alerted her to Ranma's change in behavior almost right away.
The way she was apologizing for every little thing, the way she speaks, the same modest and polite term she uses; none of these went over her head. She saw it all and it worried her.
It worried her because not only wasn't Ranma acting like her character should, she wasn't acting like Megumi used to either.
She was acting like a stereotypical Japanese girl; submissive, docile and obedient, just like she was in the episode they were filming.
And it was with this thought plaguing her mind that the short haired actress watched her young friend as the party of Ranma 1/2's cast went on their luncheon and mid-day outing.
Currently, the subject of her worriment was eating dessert and discussing current fashion with the attentive Tsuru Hiromi, the actress who played Ukyou and the surprisingly talkative Kikuko. On the surface, Minami could only see her friend Megumi enjoying herself, making friends for the first time but if she looked carefully enough…
"Yes, I do believe that ribbon would look wonderful on you, Hiromi-chan," the redhead concurred softly as she cut up her fruit salad into a meager portion. She used the fork and knife to lift the morsel to her mouth and proceeded to consume it delicately, eating with a well-disguised strain that only Minami noticed.
"What about this one, Megumi-chan?" Hiromi suggested, pointing at a blue blouse and matching mid-length skirt in the catalogue they were looking at. "The color would go really well with your eyes."
"True but it would make her looks rather bland, don't you think? After all Megumi is a trendy girl. She wouldn't want something traditional and plain like that, would she?" Kikuko asked deceptively. She was watching said actress with narrowed eyes and a piecing look.
The statement stirred a debate within Ranma's mind. A girl like her should dress appropriately but what is appropriate? The plain blouse and skirt would make her more ladylike but what Kas… Kikuko-san was inching toward were clothing like those she saw Akane wear.
"Oh I'm not sure. All these look so cute, it's a hard decision," Ranma answered politely, deflecting the question without realizing the true significance of it.
'Did she notice what I'm trying to do?' The older girl thought. Her eyes narrowed even further.
"How about we go try them on when we're shopping? You will get a better idea of how it suits you then," Minami proposed. "After all, we did make sure we have enough time for that."
"Oh I'm sorry everyone," Ranma said when she realized she was the only one who hasn't finished her dessert yet. She dexterously handled her spoon and finished it in no time. The fact that she managed to do so without spilling or dining discourteously spoke highly of her ability.
'She apologized again, that was the fourth time since we'd started eating,' Kikuko mentally noted. 'Whoever this Megumi is, she isn't the old Hayashibara that's for sure. And the way she used the spoon… sure we all had martial art training for our roles but THAT... That was something else.'
They exchanged a moment of polite banter as to who got the privilege of paying for the meal. Kikuko, who was the oldest of the group, remained adamant that she should pay due to her age as well as her being the one who suggested the outing. She paid for the meal and the four of them started shopping in earnest.
But earnest was hardly the mood as far as the atmosphere of the trip goes. With Hiromi's sunny disposition and Megumi's enthusiastic approach to anything feminine, which was all around them in abundance, their little shopping excursion was being done in high spirits.
Or so it would seem.
"Come on you guys!" the carefree girl who played Ukyou called out to them. She was in the process of going into a jewelry shop. "These gems are simply gorgeous."
Minami sighed and followed Ranma who practically ran into the shop, the image of the redhead's serious expression when she was considering lingerie still troubled her mind.
--- TT ---
Megumi was… content.
She really was; for the first time she could remember, she was making friends. She was also shopping; something a girl her age should be doing rather the out brawling about with stupid rivals like she used to when she thought she was a boy.
When she thought she was Saotome Ranma.
Of course, that was all just a silly dream, a silly dream of a silly girl.
Befitting really.
Her heart throbbed at that… but no matter, she was content.
Content enough to ignore it.
"Megumi-chan!" Ukyou… no Hiromi, Megumi reminded herself, Hiromi called out to her.
"Coming!" the black haired actress chimed back, started walking toward her new found friend as she did so. As a lady, walking properly was harder than she thought it would be. She had to be more mindful of how she moved, especially in this skirt she was wearing.
Yes, a skirt, one that they've bought with a blouse at the start of their shopping trip. It was a semi-conservative yet elegant skirt that came down to her knee. It has a split on the side; showing enough skin to be tasteful but not so much so that one would consider it vulgar.
Proper attire for a young woman such as herself.
"How about this one? I bet you'd look really stunning in it," The cheerful girl said, pointing out a ruby red spaghetti straps gown. It was extremely sexy and somewhat revealing.
'And it was missing the back,' she almost blurted out. Realizing how it was meant to be worn.
'But that would mean…" Megumi thought, feeling a wave of repulsion emanating from somewhere within her being. She quenched it once again, postponing what could only be an eventual confrontation.
"Excuse me Miss," the saleswoman intruded her train of thought. "May I suggest some undergarments to go with the dress? Something from these varieties perhaps?" She continued, gesturing at the selection of lingerie displayed on the rack beside her.
It should be note that Megumi had made up her mind to be a proper woman, and thus, had prepared to wear the appropriate attires. But she hadn't expected that such attires would involve something so… lacy…. so… accentuating…
So… feminine…
Megumi gulped as the remnants of Ranma screamed soundlessly at her from within. Epileptic shocks, horrifies shriek or joyful cry.
She really couldn't decide.
"Come on you guys!" Hiromi called out to them. She was in the process of going into a jewelry shop. "These gems are simply gorgeous."
'She's like a butterfly,' Megumi noted, moving toward the jewel store at a brisk pace. She found herself moving away from the red dress with no regrets.
--- TT ---
The store was masterfully decorated and laid out. The way the candle lighting reflected off the many glistening gems present gave the place a certain mystical ambiance that was a world away from the other shop they're visited earlier.
To Megumi it was like stepping into the preverbal rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland.
The easily impressed Hiromi was, of course, absolutely in awe at the place but even the normally indifferent Kikuko was startled out of her current investigative mood and was similarly entranced as well. The party dissolved concurrently, without prior discussion.
They all simply felt as if it was the right thing to do.
Megumi moved to the right, lost in the thought and was moving instinctually. The brightly shimmering gems of hardened dewdrops and crystallized lightning mesmerized her like a snake charming a mouse.
Her wandering eyes came to rest upon a beautiful teardrop shaped gem. It was bright blue but just a shade darker than the Sapphire that was next to it. It was the exact same shade as her eyes.
"Ah the Fondest Wish. An excellent choice if I do say so myself." The proprietor commented from behind her. "A wonderful piece: composed of 19 carat of pure Aquamarine.
The pigtailed girl's heart skipped a beat; she didn't even hear him approach.
"Interesting stone, aquamarines are. In ancient times, it was said to aid seafarers. To dream of an aquamarine signifies the making of new friends. To wear aquamarine earrings brings love and affection. It is the universal symbol of youth, hope and health. The aquamarine is mainly found in Brazil, Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia and Ukraine. But this one…"
A hand passed by her side, brushing slightly against her elbow as it reached into the display cabinet. She was surprised to see that it wasn't locked.
"…this one came from Africa, in Sahara desert I believe it was found."
"At first it was believed to sapphire or even tainted diamond but over time and frequent polishing, it turned a shade darker. It wasn't until the invention of spectrometer that we verified its actual color matrix to be aquamarine."
"As I recall there's a story with this one too, a colleague of mine whose artistic inclination was notoriously creative made up a short fable from its history. Let me see if I can remember it…"
"Ah yes, the Fondest Wish, a tale of stone that unto which we see, a colored light which reflects ourselves the most; the very core that's humanity."
"It began as an Opal, full of hope and innocent desires. Through the blade of the jeweler it went, where its mundane shell was carved away leaving a clearest of gems. The Saraha's diamond, it was believed to be… and it was."
"So full of life that it was in fact a diamond. But as a diamond it was unhappy. Although a precious stone, its existence lacks all the things that it desire. Friendship, compassion, being wanted, being loved."
"Lacking these things, it was left hallowed, unfulfilled…"
"So it changes. Once again it grew a shell, not in protection but in self-imprisonment. The magnificent diamond masked itself of all its brilliance and changed to a mere blue. All this in a vain hope that, amongst the norm, amongst the average, it'll make a friend."
"In the end it sacrifices its true beauty for the sake of allusion of happiness… a mere shadow of its wondrously destined path."
Megumi blinked, realizing that she had been standing there for a short while after the aged owner has finished his tale. She glanced up at him, being a minutely built girl, and looked into his eyes. They were old but held the wisdoms of age in them; a twinkle of empathic grace that shone through no matter what.
The young actress gulped. Her heart thumped, almost painfully this time. The tides of emotion came again.
And this time, it broke.
"Excuse me guys, I really need to use the restroom," she mumbled to her friends who were scattered throughout the store and couldn't actually hear her. But the fact they could not hear said nothing of their power of observation.
Minami watched as her best friend ran off, vivified and even more worried than before. While Kikuko merely inclined her head to the side, she was curious but just that, curious; nothing less but definitely nothing more.
The ever-vacant Hiromi simply nodded absently, taking Megumi's departure for the lavatory as your run-of-the-mill answer to nature's call.
The short haired actress who played Nabiki gave a piecing glance at the proprietor, wondering what the heck he did to make Ranma ran off like that. What she didn't know was that it wasn't Ranma who ran off but Megumi, the girl.
The wizened old man smiled at her, it seemed as if he had missed her scolding look completely.
But of course, nothing was ever as it seemed.
"Ah, Miss. You seemed a bit lost. Perchance I could show you a few of our Amethyst? We do have a few varieties in our collection after all," he said rather cheerfully, unmindful of the girl's escalating ire. "Interesting stones, these amethysts are. The Greeks believed that it would prevent intoxication when worn. The amethyst has also symbolized peace, protection and tranquility. It is mainly found in Brazil, Uruguay and Zambia."
"Or perhaps the emeralds? They were thought to bring clarity to befuddled mind and cure ailments such as poor eyesight…"
Minami left the store with a huff, intending to catch up with her friend and finding out what was wrong with her.
She didn't need to hear some stupid lecture on gemstones and their meanings.
She was sure of it.
--- TT ---
Ranma ran.
Unfettered by Megumi's misguided dogma, the false even if somewhat poignant inclination to be, as the silly girly personae so eloquently put it, ladylike, Ranma ran. It wasn't easy, breaking the wall. The girl's psyche, for all her passivity and apparent obedience, held a surprisingly strong will and that wall… that wall was something else again.
It was powerful, very much so. But what was more important was the fact that it was built on happiness, something that's indestructible.
Even to the likes of Saotome Ranma.
In truth, the only thing that enabled the martial artist to escape was the fact that it wasn't true happiness that held her captive. It was fake, a forgery, a mere shadow of the true emotion.
Ranma shook her head. She didn't want… no she shouldn't be thinking about that. Not now. Not when the damn girl could snap out of the shock of being told the truth any minute and return her to imprisonment.
The girl suddenly veered right, the sudden change in momentum caused her pigtail to swing about. She saw the color in the corner of her eyes and paused. Her hair's black? When did that happen?
How much did she change? How much did SHE change?
The young martial artist looked around, realizing that it would be nearly impossible to get a good look at herself on a random reflective object in this crowd. Then an idea occurred to her; why not go to the restroom? She was sure there'd be a mirror there.
As Ranma ran, she began to realize a few more things about herself, disconcerting things. First off, the tightness if somewhat supportive feeling around her chest was definitely a brassier, she had remembered wearing one in order to lure out Happosai.
Secondly, she was wearing makeup. Quite a bit of it from the looks she was receiving.
The pig tailed girl had to resist the urge to throw up at that. The thought of making herself look pretty for a man made her skin crawl. Suddenly, she was glad she was heading toward the lavatory.
In no time at all, the girl arrived at her destination. She was about to go in when she saw the sign, the universal stick figures; one with a skirt and one without.
Ranma froze, wishing she hadn't.
It was a fatal mistake. An instant of inattention, like a badly parried thrust in a sword fight that left one susceptible to attacks, an opening that would be taken advantaged of.
Ranma faltered, collapsing to her knees.
Suddenly everyone was looking at her. Two men rushed forward, intent on helping the poor girl. But just before they got there the girl waved them off.
Then she got up, a serene smile adorning her face once more, replacing the look of near panic she had before. She beamed at them, showing appreciation for their pre offered assistance. She said she was fine.
With that, Megumi turned around, excusing herself politely then walked into the ladies' room without a single moment of hesitation.
After all, a lady does not go to the men's room does she?
'No, of course not,' the young actress thought, placing one foot in front of another. She was walking like she had been earlier, with proper grace and air of a lady.
In the restroom, Megumi was pleasantly surprised. From the memory of the last time she'd been in a ladies' room, she had expected literally lines of people crowding, especially at this time.
She glided over to the line of basins and looked into the sizeable mirror above it. Gazing into the mirror, she was satisfied with what she saw there; the visage of a pretty girl and a perfect example of womanhood.
She smiled serenely but it lacked something, something she couldn't see.
There was a sound of a door swinging open. It distracted Megumi and caused her to turn to it. She immediately brightened upon seeing the face of the person who walked through the door. It was Takayama Minami, her friend.
"Oh hi Minami-chan." The ravened haired girl chirped to her friend. She was fixing her make up and didn't want to pause, she was sure the other girl would understand.
"Don't 'Oh hi' me Ranma, I've been trying to get you alone all day and now that I have I want some questions answered," Minami stormed. She had been worried sick about the girl and now she was in here fixing her make up? What the heck was going on?
Megumi didn't reply. It was obvious the girl wasn't done and she wasn't about to be drawn into some childish yelling contest.
"What is going on, Ranma? You've been acting really strange; almost like… like… you're a girl. Damn it." The shorthaired girl yelled, looking away. She hadn't meant to lose her composure like that but she was founding it too hard to not do so.
"Are you quite done yet, Minami-san?" The other actress said in a tone that implied it wasn't a question, snapping shut her compact as she did. She turned to her colleague and gave her a frosty stare. Seeing as the girl wasn't about to reply, she spun on her heel and began walking away.
"Wait, Ranma! You haven't even answered a single one of my questions," Minami said, grabbing Megumi's arm to halt her. "Come on please, let's talk," she pleaded in a slightly softer tone.
"There's nothing to discuss." The reply came quickly. "And please don't call me by that ridiculous name. I'm Hayashibara Megumi, an actress and I've moved on from such foolish fantasies."
"Something you should do so as well."
Minami drew in a sharp breath, blanching at the steely glint in the other girl's eyes.
Then she saw something.
Thinking back now, it was probably nothing more than a shimmer of light reflecting off the girl's eyes but… her eyes… that shade of blue, it was like a veneer of translucent ice; an arctic prison if you will. It was as if her friend, Ranma, was still there but at the same time she was not.
Then that momentary shimmer was gone, once more hidden by a mask of artificial veracity.
Damn her, why wouldn't she let me in? Why the hell did she have to be so darn proud? So darn independent?
Why wouldn't she let me help her?
Slap!
Megumi's face stung, a visible red handprint slowly emerged where she was slapped. She was shocked. It didn't hurt her so much as it surprised her. She turned back to look back at Minami in confusion.
"You're a hypocrite!" The shorthaired girl said, tears streaming down her face. "You said you've moved on but you haven't." She didn't major in psychology but it wasn't hard to guess, especially when it reflects so much of the episode they were filming.
"You said it was all just a silly dream yet you still believe in it. You still act like Genma's stereotypical girl and not as yourself."
"Where's my friend, Ranma? I don't want you acting like this… I want Megumi back but not at the cost of your happiness."
"Where is my friend? I want her back."
--- TT ---
A tear on her face; a sign of sorrow, one that I've caused… A pain that I've caused.
"Ranma, please return to the regular, mean Ranma. The nice, kind Ranma is not Ranma…"
Ranma had a strange look on her face, a look that, while at first glance seemed like sadness, it was actually guilt. After a moment of silence, the red headed girl said softly, "I understand you, but the other Ranma is gone forever."
"BAKA!!!" Akane suddenly yelled, lunging at the pig tailed girl in confound fury. She was lashing out because she couldn't think of anything else to do.
Ranma dodged the attack and ran outside. Akane was hot on her heel, pursuing out of desperation-induced anger. She continued to stay one step ahead of the enraged girl but not for long. A momentary slip on a well rehearsed spot and the girl was sent hurling toward a certain rock in the Tendo's pond.
Then the water surrounded her.
Then she counted. One, two, three… She called out silently in her mind. Four, five, six… A dramatic pause has to be well timed after all. Seven, eight, nine…
Ranma rose, her face contained a scowl worthy of one vexed Saotome. "What didja do that for, ya Uncute Tomboy!" she snarled at her fiancée.
Akane face contorted in anger, but just as she was about to yell back with her own insult, she suddenly realized something.
Ranma was back.
"Everyone! Come here quick, Ranma's back to normal!" the shorthaired Tendo called out, her eyes were shining with happiness. Suddenly the room was filled with familiar faces- Soun, Genma, Kasumi and Nabiki. They were all looking at her expectantly.
"What? Do I have something my face?" Ranma asked confusedly, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her blouse. Then she realized what she had on.
"Gack!" The pig tailed girl sputtered, looking at her attire in shock and disgust. "What the heck am I wearing?"
The Tendo patriarch eyes widen in understanding. He ran to Ranma and enveloped him in his trademark crying embrace, crying something about 'I knew you could snap out of it' as he did so.
Prying herself out of the tearful hug, the young martial artist was patted on the back by his father. The pat was a bit on the strong side and so Ranma retaliated, patting back in the same friendly fashion but harder. Of course, not to be out done by his son turned daughter; Genma smacked her right back.
Sending the poor girl flying toward the fateful rock once more!
"And… cut!!!" The director voice rang out. "That's a wrap, well done everyone! Let's pack up. Oh and I want to speak with everyone before leaving today."
Megumi got out of the pond, soaked to the bone and was shaking lightly but not from the cold. She felt like her very core has been thrown vicariously into the light; stripped bare and depicted in the numerous stories she'd bare witness to today.
"Em… excuse me, director?" she called out to him, picking at her saturated attire to indicate her need.
"Ah yes, of course Megumi-chan. Go ahead and take a bath, we can talk in the morning. After all, you've done remarkably well today."
"Thank you, sir," she mumbled, still sounding more polite than Ranma but somehow less courteous than before. She walked into the female changing room and stripped off her clothes before flinging them unceremoniously onto the floor. Megumi turned to the mirror and froze.
Her heart thumped again, painfully, like a flash of lighting, as if untold volts of electricity coursed through her veins.
Inside was the image of a red headed girl with a fierce glare that shouldn't be commonplace on a face of a docile young lady. Megumi tried to smile but her frown just twitched, refusing to budge.
"You hate me, don't you?"
The girl glared.
"Why? Why do you hate me so much?" Megumi asked pleadingly, trying to reason with the untamed free spirit that was… is… Saotome Ranma. "I'm only trying to survive, can you fault me for that? We both know you're too macho… too set in your old ways, you'd never adapt."
"What is so wrong about me taking over? I'm doing the things you cannot do, enduring the things you couldn't bear…"
Another wave of pain washed over her body, eliciting a few short but agonizing involuntary spasms.
Then, for a single moment in time, her eyes were vacant as infinity passed by her. Finally it finished.
"I… I cannot understand… but now… now I realize I could never understand… I guess that's enough…" Megumi looked up and into the mirror. "Is that arrogant of me? Or was it selfish?"
A minute passed.
"What do we do now?" Megumi asked softly, hugging her knees close. She was without clothes and naked in more ways than one.
Then a new voice; not better, not worse, just new… it spoke out. The tone was clear… rich, vibrant and filled with certainty but it wasn't any better than before. It was simply different.
"We find a compromise."
--- TT ---
A red sedan sped down a high way. The interior looked like it hadn't seen a polish in months and the back seats were pretty much a landfill with all the clutter.
"Well?" Minami finally spoke. She was sick of the overwrought atmosphere and silence.
"Well what?" Ranma almost snapped back. "Look, I'm not gonna apologize about today okay? If that what you want then forget it! Cause I think I'm entitled to some bitchin right bout now! "
"I'm feeling pretty shitty. What, with finding out my whole life was a comic book and all that… so yeah I feel awful…"
"But guess what? I'm not gonna mope about like a sick puppy cause that will never solve anything. So while I'm feeling pretty darn bad, I'm not gonna let it get to me! I'm gonna tackle this thing head-on. Cause Saotome Ranma never lost and now Hayashibara Megumi won't either!"
"So if you wanna hear me say sorry then you're gonna be disappointed, girl!" Ranma finished, fixing an intense glare onto her friend.
Minami tried, she really did, but under the stare she couldn't help it.
A giggle escaped from the other girl's lips.
"What! What are you laughing about? What's funny?" the pigtailed girl asked, feeling a little angry at her heartfelt words being so readily dismissed by the other girl.
"Geesh… That was some monologue, Ranma." the shorthaired actress commented wryly, she was trying to keep her eyes on the road and stifling another bout of laughter at the same time. "I was only asking what you want for dinner."
The martial artist / actress had the decency to blush, a rather bright red as the matter of fact.
"So what DO you want for dinner? We're eating out because I'll be damned if I'm going to cook tonight. I'm wayyyy too tired." Well, she actually wasn't but even a blind man can see that her friend was definitely in a better shape than before.
She wanted to celebrate; a toast to Ranma, for feeling awful but 'ain't no way gonna get worse and I'll be damned if I ain't gonna get better.'
The said girl was miles away, currently starring at something in the distance… something only she can see. She had a sad smile on her face when she turned to Minami, a fact which she was glad for.
"Let's have Okonomiyaki."
While it was a sad smile, it was still genuine. The mask was gone.
--- TT ---
Author's note:
Thank for reading the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it ask much as I did writing it.
First off, I want to thank Treatweaver-san, my trusted pre-reader and a good friend.
This chapter is, again, reflecting on my life at the moment but not only that it also showing something which I always thought people often forgets about…
We humans are not robot, while we can, in fact, smile and endure most things done to us… apart of ourselves will not simply accept that… When I realized I HAVE to go to med school I thought I can just be an obedient child and do it (simply because I can't go to other Uni without consent until I'm 18) But then I realize… a part of me will hate my parents for it… no matter what I think…
Then I realize; we human can't just shut our problem away, smile and take it. To be TRULY happy you must face the problem and not just run away.
Okay, enough of my rant now. Please review, it would make a very good 17th birthday present for me. Yeah, just had me birthday… REVIEW!!!
Happy New Year and Stay tune for the next chapter!!!
--- TT ---
Right... em... when I wrote this I've decided that "This Sky This Dream" isn't gonna be one of those fic where you have to reread each chapters like four times and do back ground research or get a psychology degree to understand it.
Yes, it has a lot of ironical stuff and sub plots and hidden meanings but I want to make it so readers can actually enjoy it without understanding every aspect of the fic. So i've decided to keep the plot summary of each chapter at the end. If you want to read it; proceed.
…
So you're here for the third chapter summary huh? I don't know what to tell you, you really should start catching on by now… lol just kidding, here:
This chapter finally answered some question set in the last one, it also contain hefty amount of clues…but no matter; we'll catch them all!!!
Anyway… Starts off with Ranma who hasn't coped with the fact that he is now a she yet going insane!!! Insane!!! Thus creating Megumi… a subtract personae who, really, is just a more human-like version of the one in "Am I pretty?" episode. She's Ranma stereotype of a girl...
Megumi was actually the one in control ever since when they were watching the morning show, this is shown as Ranma repression a certain feeling she has…
The thought of giggling seemed to want to linger in her mind, probably to annoy her. She would worry about it later.
Anyway, here you'll find a little foreshadow for the very last arc… Yes, I actually planned that far forward.
Onwards… Megumi continued to act as what she thought a proper lady should… the clues were the constant reminders of
After all, a girl like her should… or After all, such is the proper behavior of a lady
Now we introduce to more characters: Inoue Kikuko and Tsuru Hiromi. You'll find that Kikuko who plays Kasumi is actually kinda like Nabiki while Hiromi is actually a fan girl!!
Here; you'll find that the whole chapter actually follows the episode synopsis read out by the director.
Goes shopping… Ranma is being tortured… Megumi dressed cute and buy girly things… Minami and Kikuko began to notice.
The jeweler… again, last arc foreshadow… he's actually God… lol, kidding… or am I?
YES! This is wear you began to learn the meaning behind each chapters title!!! Sapphire: Power to see the future; Emerald: Believe to eyes ailment and befuddled minds, again Ranma finding out what's real and what's a figment of an author's imagination.
Anyway, being presented and confronted many times about the falsehood of her happiness and finally being slapped and called a Hypocrite by Minami, the real Ranma began to garner strength to fight back. In the end, they came to a compromise and Ranma is now back in control but won't do a stupid thing like committing suicide or anything like that…
Ranma choosing to eat Okonomiyaki is a sign of her finally accepting that, yes it hurts but she will not run away anymore…. This is conveyed by eating food that reminded her of her imaginary best friend, Ukyou.
C ya!! oh and REVIEW!!! p.s. is anyone actually reading this?