With respect to the creator Rumiko Takahashi. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes it's all too much to bear by jason.ashton@vuw.ac.nz (Jason Ashton) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Early morning: Arrrrghhhh! Wake up! Tomboy! Pervert! Thud! Breakfast: Not your cooking! Hentai! Kawaikune! RANMA NO BAKA! CRASH! (groan) En Route to school: Shampoo: Nihao! Ramen for husband. You just ate! You nearly poisoned us! Hentai! Uncute! Pervert! Violent Tomboy! RANMA NO BAKA! WHACK! THUD! (very small groan) In class: Chemistry Akane, not cooking. Like you know the difference. At least I don't blow things up. You don't get it right either. Violent Kawaikune! Stupid Hentai! Uncute Tomboy! Pervert! Macho chick, legs like bricks, f.. SPLINTER! BANG! IEEEEE! Lunch time: Boy 1: You really are lucky Ranma. Ranma: Why? Boy 2: Being engaged to such a beautiful girl like Akane. Ranma: Beautiful??? Kawaikune you mean. Boy !: How can you say that? Ranma: Look at her... Short hair, no fashion sense, always playing at kempo, stumbling about, uncute, can't cook to save her life (or anyone elses), highly violent, a real tomboy, unfeminine, short temper, voice like a broken record... We see Ranma pause as he notices that Akane has heard every word he said. He tenses, waiting for the inevitable blow but she turns and walks away. There is a long moment where you can see that he nearly gets up, nearly approaches her but it passes and he returns to his conversation. Five minutes later there is a squeal from the school speaker and a hiss of interference. There are general sounds of someone getting beaten up before Akane's voice can clearly be heard. Akane: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! THERE IS _NO_ WAY I'M GOING TO MARRY AN INSENSITIVE, FOUL MOUTHED, HENTAI, NASTY, STUPID, UNGENTLEMANLY, CRETINOUS, PERVERT, MALE CHAUVINIST PIG WHO COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT ME. I HATE HIM, HATE HIM. NEVER, ABSOLUTELY NEVER. OUR ENGAGEMENT IS OFF!!!!!!!! Crackle! Sqwark! Crash! There is absolute silence as every head in the school (and a number outside) turns to face Ranma. His face is bright red. In a stunned gaze he looks about slowly before moving towards the school building. He starts out at a slow jog but soon builds up to a full sprint. At the school doors he passes unconscious forms of teachers. Just inside he finds Kodachi lying limply from where she has been thrown through a wall. In the corridor he sees the remains of Kunou, a foot like dent in his head and a splintered bokken. The offices are a post haulicaust picture, missing doors, smashed desks, paper everywhere, destroyed filing cabnets, and cowering staff in a corner. Ranma reaches the room where the loudspeaker is and pauses before entering, his face still in shock and his thoughts going in circles. With extreme trepidition he opens the door and peaks round the corner. If the scene in the offices is a mess then this room is a catastrophe. Having nothing pound him Ranma steps in. The floor is awash with wires, diodes, resistors and transistors. There is no desk, no filing cabnet, no chairs, not anymore. In one corner there is a waste-paper basket full to the brim with wet soggy tissue paper. There is also no trace of Akane. A first thought enters the loop in Ranma's brain. Ranma: (but................,) Ten minutes later, nothing has changed. The school is silent, the administration section is a waste and Ranma is motionless in the destroyed room. A second thought hesitantly nudges it's way after the first in the loop. Ranma: (but................ I...................,) Another fifteen minutes pass. The automatic bell signaling the end of lunch tries to ring and manages to fall to the ground with a clang. The schools is slowly beginning to rouse itself and students file slowly into the building. The teachers are less quick to recover. In the murky depths of Ranma's brain a third word tries desperately to enter the loop, fighting against intertia, against the self imposed blindness. Ranma: (but............. I.................. lo######## CRASH!!! A bicycle enters through the outside wall. A black rose drifts in on the breeze from the window. A footstep is heard from the offices. Shampoo: Ranma be Shampoo's husband now! Ukyou: Go away Shampoo! Ranma is my fiancee! Kodachi: Die, die, die! He's mine! Hahahahahahahahahaha! The three immediately attack each other. Wrecking what little isn't already wrecked. Ranma slowly turns and walks out of the room, his exit unnoticed by the three girls. His only three thoughts have fled to the far reaches of his brain, shocked from their path by the intrusion. He walks off, not paying any attention to where he is going, only that he must go. In Auckland, New Zealand, Ranma walks down a street still bemused, his thoughts trying to rally themselves against the overwhelming shock that has engulfed his brain. On the other side of the street Ryouga strides purposely in the other direction, in one hand a map of Japan and in the other a compass. We now see a scene of a door. Shut. It's a pretty ordinary door, made of wood, with a door knob. The kind of door one would find to any sort of room, a lounge, a bathroom, a hall, a bedroom. At the corners there are faint crack lines, as if there had been an earthquake, or as if the door had been slammed shut with exceptional force. There are faint water marks splattered about the place and the gap between the door and the floor is damp. Just outside the door, on the floor, is a tray of food and a kettle of tea, now long cold. We hear a murmer and what might be a sob from within, but we might be mistaken. We now see Ranma walking around and around a tall circular building, very old and leaning unsteadily to one side. He is thin and raggard. His clothes have been reduced to little more than rags and he is sporting cuts and abrasions all over. He has clearly not been looking after himself. He stops suddenly, his face one of puzzelment before walking quickly off to the east. Just as he disappears we catch a glimpse of a little black piglet scampering down a side alley. We finally rest on a dining room, around breakfast. The mood is highly subdued. Nabiki is quietly looking at the business section of the paper. Genma and Soun are rather desolutely playing Go, honestly. Even Kasumi looks a little wan as she finishes cooking and lays it out to be eaten. They all look up as she picks up a tray and starts upstairs. A minute passes before she returns, the tray in her hands nearly as full as the new one was. They sit and begin to eat. Tears course down Souns cheeks but his hysterical sobs have run out long since. Genma packs as much food as ever into his mouth but at a much slower rate, he even pauses on occasion and looks over to the pile of bamboo as if missing his usual water soaked breakfast. Nabiki sighs at the quietness, patting her thin wallet which contains several unsold pictures of two girls full of energy and life. Kasumi just sits in silence and eats her meal. The day continues as quietly as it has started. Nabiki leaving for school, Genma and Soun training students and playing go. Kasumi cleaning up. Around mid-morning Kasumi stopps outside that door we saw a while ago. The tray is untouched. She knocks on the door and hears no reply. Kasumi: Akane? Please answer. (we hear sounds of someone shifting about behind the door) Please come out. Akane? She leaves. Packs a basket and heads out the door. The neighbourhood looks much improved from before. Lawns are mowed. Windows whole. Fences fixed. But it is too quiet. Neighbours are talking to each other across fences, children are playing in back yards and the odd car passes but it all seems unnatural. Kasumi walks quickly and soon reaches the clinic. She enters quietly, not noticing the horde of people that scramble to leave now that she has arrived. She pauses in the waiting room as the inner door opens and an elderly gentleman leaves. Close behind is the young Dr Tofu. Kasumi: Dr Tofu... Dr Tofu: K... K... Kasumi. How nice to see you again (he shakes the sleeve of a coat on a coatstand). P... Please come in. The elderly gentleman takes one look at the doctor and Kasumi and flees. Kasumi however is not as amused as she usually is at the doctors antics. She enters quietly and sits in one of the chairs within. Kasumi: Doctor! Please, I need your help. Dr Tofu: Ka.. Kasumi (he shakes his head and tries to concentrate) What's wrong? Kasumi: It's Akane. She's been hiding in her room for weeks now. She won't talk. She won't come out. She hardly eats. (The tension has obviously been getting to her, we see tears in her eyes) I've tried everything, and nothing I say or do gets through to her. I don't know what to do. Nobody does. Dr Tofu: Oh Kasumi... (the sight of her near to tears wakes him up and he hugs her gently) There there, it'll be alright. Do you know why she's like this? Do you know what happened? Kasumi: She... She broke off her engagement to Ranma at school one morning. She came straight home and closed her door. I haven't seen her since. Dr Tofu: What about Ranma? Kasumi: No one's seen him since. No one knows where he is. Dr Tofy: .... Let me come back with you, I'll see what I can do. Kasumi: Thank you, oh thank you. They leave together, Dr Tofu still comforting Kasumi, his eyes a little misty round the edges but his face stern with concentration. Kasumi is clinging to him as if to a life saver, his presence easing the tension within her. When they arrive at the dojo Dr Tofu leaves her and goes silently upstairs. He erases all traces of his presence and waits outside Akane's door. A while later the door opens slightly and a pair of eyes peer uncertainly out into the hall. Seeing no one there the thin figure dashes to the bathroom. Dr Tofu silently enters the bedroom and waits for her to return. Inside the room is a mess. There are torn bits of clothing scattered about the place, furnature overturned, school work shredded, the burnt remains of a dairy, a damaged futon, training weights lying listlessly on the floor and a sharp blade stuck in the center of the room. The windows were closed, the curtains drawn and the air musty. The room gave off the feeling of dispair and the blade gave him an eerie unpleasant feeling. There was a movement of air and she was back. Bathroom to bedroom in a flash, the tray in her hands and the door shut firmly behind her. Dr Tofu shivered at the sight of her. Her hair was as much a mess as her room was. Her skin pale and wan. Her eyes had a redish tinge to them as if she had not been sleeping, at all and she was dressed in what had once been a school uniform. She placed the tray down and shuffled over to the futon. He moved slightly and she noticed him. With a cry she grabbed the large dagger and backed into a corner. Dr Tofu: Akane?..... Please..... (she shakes a little, fatigue clinging to her) It's just me Akane, Ono Tofu. Please sit down.. She wavers a little before dropping the blade and collapsing to the ground. The doctor is at her side in an instant. He carries her to the futon and carefully begins his examination of her while she cries softly in his arms. Seeing that there is nothing wrong with her but exhaustion and malnutrition he lets her cry herself out before speaking. Dr Tofu: There there little one. Let is out Akane. Tell me all about it. Akane: (between sobs, and incoherent murmers) Tofu-san..... He doesn't love me..... He never did.... What have I done........ He hasn't tried to see me.... I don't matter to him.... Dr Tofu: Akane.... Ranma hasn't been seen since that morning. No one knows where he is. (she quietens down a bit at that) He goes on to comfort her with other words, slowly drawing her out of the shell she has buried herself in. He talks of her sisters, her father, of the fine weather, of tasty food. While touching a number of pressure points he continues to talk of the latest current events, of the injuries he's healed, of the people he's seen. He talks until she slowly nods asleep. He then carefully places in her bed and leaves the room, taking the dagger with him. Downstairs he meets the rest of the family. Kasumi: Tofu? Is... is she alright? Dr Tofu: Not really, but I should be able to help. Soun: My Daughter! (Fresh tears spout from his eyes) Nabiki: How much will it.... What's wrong with her? Dr Tofu: She's had a nervous breakdown. Months of extreme never ending emotional strain have taken their toll and she just snapped. What we're looking at is the after effects. I could proceed faster if I could talk to Ranma. Are you sure you don't know where he is? Genma: We don't know. People saw him wandering away that morning and we've traced him to the sea shore but no further. Nabiki: There was a sail boat that reported being holed by a red haired girl swimming at speed somewhere south. Kasumi: What can we do for Akane? Dr Tofu: Nothing just now. She's sleeping. I'll come back when she wakes. The next day. Dr Tofu is there when Akane wakes and he comforts her as best he can. Using all his skills he slowly gets her to eat and clean herself up a little. He also slowly builds her up mentally, bringing her back from the fragile mental state he found her. For several days he treats her until she is strong enough to emerge from her refuge. Slowly but surely Akane begins to regain her shattered soul, and a week or so later she is nearly herself. A highly subdued, very quiet self but herself never-the-less. Her family treads around her as if on eggshells. A shabby figure stumbles up the street. Dressed in raggs, a patched backpack on his shoulders and splitting boots on his feet. He looks neither to the left nor to the right, nor where he's going. People get out of the way for many reasons, pity, revulsion, distaste, common sense. At an intersection cars screech to a halt, horns honking wildly as the figure moves unhesitatingly across the road. There is a flash of light and the scream of metal crumpling from the car that doesn't slow down. He pauses long enough to grab a bowl of okinomiyaki from an outside table before continueing up the road. Ignoring the cries of outrage from behind him. Just as he finishes the bowl there is the sound of an angery voice behind him that causes him to turn and take up a defensive stance. A young girl with an enormous spatula confronts him. Ukyou: You shouldn't steal you know. Now pay up or come and work it off. Ranma: Sorry...... Here...... (he hands back the bowl and turns to leave) Ukyou: Ranchan?????? Ranchan is that you! (The figure turns back to look at her, his eyes glazed and his face old) Ranma: Ucchan..... Hello....... Goodbye..... Must... Go.... Ukyou: Ranchan, it is you. Oh gods.... You're a mess, I've got to get you inside. She grabs his arm to pull him back to her place but he swings around and hits her with surprising care in a couple of places. Her body goes numb and she drops her spatula and his arm. Paralyzed she watches in surprise as he shuffles away muttering to himself. Later he is walking slowly along when a bicycle flies overhead and bounces beside him. The beautiful girl riding it glances at him and nearly falls off. She skidds to a halt and flings herself at him. Shampoo: Husband! Not well. Where husband been! Ranma: Shampoo........ Hello....... gack! She embraces him rather tightly, squeezing the air from his lungs. He falters under her assault, then in a dazed manner removes her arms from around him and pushes her gently to one side. Ranma: Must...... Go...... Shampoo is about to embrace him when her great grandmother appears in front of him and moves to poke him in the stomach. Cologne: Son-in-law is not well. We help, come with us. Ranma avoids the blow with unnatural speed and before the ghoul can move again he grabs her by the staff and slams her into the road. There are several unpleasant crunching and poping sounds as a frieght truck runs over her. Ranma continues blithly on his way while Shampoo tries to help the battered crone. Further on, it is getting dark when he finally enters the street of the Tendo dojo. We see him shuffling along as before, not one bit faster, not one bit slower. Suddenly there appears before him a wreath of black roses and laughter echoes about the street. His foot casually kicks the bunch of flowers aside. Kodachi: Ranma. You have returned to me. HAhahahahaha. You are mine. Ranma: Kodachi....... Go.... Away...... He reaches into the shadows and grabs the black clothed girl. She starts to embrace him but he punts her into the air before she can. He kicks her so hard that we see her figure disappearing up into the outer reaches of the atmosphere. He then continues on as before. At the gate to the Tendo dojo he pauses. His shoulders slump slightly and his knees begin to buckle but he forces himself upright and opens the gate. Completely silently he slowly makes his way across the back yard to the back door. In obvious effort he slides the door open and looks in. The whole Tendo family, Genma and Dr Tofu are seated at dinner. They all turn to look as the outside door opens and as one they gasp at the figure outside. Two pairs of eyes latch onto each other and widen at what they see. Emotions flash them, too fast to recognise, too numerous to count. Ranma: Hi...... A.. (and collapses on the ground) Genma: My son! Dr Tofu and Genma rush to his side. Akane staggers to her feet and almost flees upstairs. Kasumi follows her, concern all over her face. Ranma is quickly carried up to the guest room. Nabiki goes over to the dropped backpack and has a look inside. We see numerous items of survival and camping. We also see manufacturing tags from New Zealand, Tonga, China, Italy, England, France, Denmark and Russia. Soun remains at the table, totally uncertain what to do. Genma: My son. Speak to me. Dr Tofu, will be he all right? Dr Tofu: He'll be fine. He's got a slight fever, he's malnourashed and exhausted but he'll be fine. Ranma: Home..... Go..... Home..... Got... to... Speak..... to..... Her... He tries to stand but his will has given out to his body and he collapses back. Dr Tofu straightens his limbs and sends the boy into a deep sleep. The two men then retreat and leave him to rest. Dr Tofu turns to Akane's room and enters quietly. Kasumi and Akane look up at him, Akane's eyes full of tears. Dr Tofu: He'll be alright. He's just walked himself to collapse. Nabiki: I'll say he has (she enters with Ranma's backpack), I bet even Ryouga hasn't walked as far. (She shows them all the contents) Kasumi: Is there anything I can do for him? Dr Tofu: No. He's asleep right now. When he wakes he'll be very hungry. I doubt he'll be able to move a muscle, he'll be so stiff. What is it Akane? Akane: Why...... I mean..... Dr Tofu: I think he'll have to tell us himself. The next morning is quiet with tension. Neither Akane or Ranma come down for breakfast. Kasumi takes a tray up for her sister while Dr Tofu takes one up for Ranma. He enters just as Ranma wakes. Dr Tofu: Ranma. Don't try to get up, I've brought you breakfast. Ranma: Tofu-san?? (he still seems a little out of it) I'm back?.... Dr Tofu: Yes, you're back. Now eat. Do you know why you left? Ranma: I..... Had to think. Had to go for a walk....... Needed a little..... time to think. Dr Tofu: Finish your meal Ranma. After Ranma finishes there is a knock at the door and Kasumi enters, dragging a reluctant Akane behind her. Ranma and Akane stare into each others eyes before looking down, their faces alight with shame and embarressment. They glance up at the same time and catch each others eyes once more. A long moment of silence occurs before Ranma speaks very softly. Ranma: hi..... Akane: hi..... Ranma: I.... ah..... Akane: I'm...... er...... Ranma: I cou.... wou.... um..... Akane: I shou..... cou..... ah..... This goes on for a while before Kasumi interrupts. She pulls Akane to her feet and ushers her gently out of the room. Dr Tofu lays a comforting hand on Ranma's shoulder, as he looks at the floor, tongue tied and red with embarressment. Dr Tofu: Don't worry. You'll be able to tell her in time. Ranma: But I...... I just couldn't...... Dr Tofu: It's alright. Akane felt the same way, she understands. Now come on, you really need to wash up. He helps Ranma to his feet, his various techniques easing the stiffness in Ranma's body and allowing him so walk to the bathroom. After helping Ranma to wash Dr Tofu leaves the exhausted boy to soak away the strain from his muscles, Ranma's eyes closed and near asleep. A while later Akane exits her room by herself. She sees that Ranma's door is closed and hesitates, her hand raised to knock. She does not. Turning away she makes her way to the bathroom. Without really noticing anything she enters and begins to remove her clothes. Just as she removes the last garment Ranma stirrs in the tub and they both freeze, their eyes just open and caught by the others gaze. Akane grabs her clothes and retreats to the closed door. Ranma: A.... Akane.... Akane: Ranma...... They stare silently for a moment before Ranma visibly gathers his courage. Ranma: Akane..... I..... I don't want..... (Akane drops her gaze, her cheeks beginning to redden) Akane, I don't want to _not_ be your fiancee. I...... Akane: Ranma..... I don't want (now his head drops) to _not_ be yours. They are silent again but there is a sence of relief from both. She dresses quickly and leaves to her bedroom. Once by themselves they both sigh. The air between them filling with peace and promise.  END -- Cut Here -- cut here