Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and its characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. This story is for the free use and enjoyment of those who read it.

 

 

Nerima Lights

By Michael Fetter

 

 

      I won't try ta fool any of ya. My life is never peaceful or silent or nuthin. Sure, I get inta trouble with rivals like Ryouga and Kuno and them, and my fiancees don't seem to got much more to do than make things difficult, but then it would all seem kinda boring without the excitement.

      Take for instance, two days ago Ryouga found his way back to Nerima. Just guess who he saw first.

      "RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!!"

      I, of course, hopped right over his stupid umbrella; pig boy was just getting too damned predictable. He'd be clobberin' me left and right if I weren't so much better'n'im.

      "How's it goin, pork chop?" I start. If I don't taunt him he won't give me a decent enough fight. Akane takes it all wrong though.

      "Stop picking on poor Ryouga!" She yells at me and follows through with that damn mallet.

      While barreling through the air towards one of the surroundin buildings I do note that she ain't hittin me as hard as she used ta. "Kawaiikuneee." I put out for good measure.

      Ryouga goes even more ballistic and follows me right through the wall I'd recently met and crushed. The kind of relationship I'd give my right arm for concernin a certain psychopathi-

      "Now you die!"

      -oops, forgot about him.

      Anyway, back to the story. Ryouga hit me, and that really sucked by the way, and I earn myself a little more air time thanks to my inattention. Fuzzily, I get to thinkin that I landed on somethin weird. It's fizzin at me or somethin.

      "Ouch." My head was already startin to throb, but I looked around for some animal or something I might've landed on. Stupid Ryouga, he should watch what he's doin or he might hurt some innocent. Some colored tubes spill out across the floor. "What the hell?"

      Without getting lost, kuddos to him, Ryouga makes it to where I landed and sniffs the air. "What is that?"

      My hand comes up with the fizzin thing. "Uh . ."

      Ryouga blinks and looks at the burning string connected to one of the tubes I got in my hand.

      "Shit!" See, I do swear on occasion. "Time ta go!"

      Feelin a bit generous today, I supply Ryouga with a nudge in the right direction away from the fireworks. He sails out the hole in the wall just to Akane's right as she's tryin to get in. I put on a bit more speed and catch her around the waist.

      "Ranma!" she screams in my ear, hitting me with her fists though I'm so good I hardly feel it anymore. "What do you think you're doing, PERVERT!"

      The landing is a little wobbily. It was the exploding fireworks! That stupid tomboy can't really hurt Ranma Saotome! Not unless I let her, but I don't do that . . I just don't like seein her angry all the time so . . forget it.

      She gasps and grabs me 'round the neck when she sees the building go up in smoke. It is kinda cool with all the cracklin sparkles and red and green lights.

      "Geez, Akane, did ya hafta hit me so hard?" She's not listening to me.

      "Oh, what did I do?" Maybe it's the heat of the blast, but Akane's got these tears in her eyes.

      Ryouga is over a little ways watchin the fireworks too. He seems sorta lost just sittin there.

      Sighing deeply, Akane dropped my arm and starts to head off for home, her head down so that I can't see her face. Was she cryin?

      "Yo, Akane." I skipped jumping on the fence since I am a little worried. Maybe she had something in her eye, okay?! "What's wrong? You hurt somewhere?"

      The light caught her eyes and made them shimmer when she turned around to face me. Her lip was trembling and a lot of strength seemed to leave her. The bit of vulnerability is gone a second later when she clenches her fists and starts stomping on the ground and hittin herself. "Baka. Baka! BAKA! BAKAA!!!"

      No, she's not yellin at me. I know what yer thinkin and I was just as surprised.

      "Now we won't have any fireworks for New Years all because I had to hit a baka! Ranma, this is all your fault!"

      Now she's yellin at me. The moment of rational thought she musta been havin has lapsed. Sigh.

      "Aw, it's just some stupid light show, Akane."

      That was the wrong thing to say apparently cause Akane got this real angry look, the kind she gets when I insult her cooking, or call her names, or show'er up, or . . so it's the look she always gives me.

      "It's not just some stupid light show, Ranma!" She screams in my face. "It's getting families together and sitting outside beneath a blanket and sipping cocoa with mom!"

      I blink.

      Her eyes took another moment of clarity, but she doesn't get embarrassed about what she said. Akane just clenched her jaw and hurried back home.

      "Uhm . ."

      Ryouga was still sitting there on the ground with a neutral face. He was watchin Akane walk off, obviously upset, and probably feeling kind of bad himself. He was probably thinkin the same as me before Akane tried to explain. We've both seen fireworks, but they never seemed so important to us. Ryouga catches my eye and we end up staring back at the burning building.

      "So now what?" He asks.

      My eyes squint whenever I get to seriously thinkin about somethin. Ryouga must have noticed and waited silently. I was the one with the brains between us.

      "I don't know."

      The pavement was really starting to look bad with all these facial impressions in it.

 

      It was through a child's eyes Akane would see her mother, through dream or memory. Each time, Akane saw a tall woman, beautiful, long bluish hair like her own would float on a breeze and catch the sun to make her mother seem like some other worldly being. Simple house dress and a smile on her lips, mother went about her day saving Akane from painful scraps and lull her to sleep.

      Over time, the image of Akane's comforter became a much younger girl barely able to reach the stove knobs. But no matter how much Kasumi tried to take mom's place, Akane never saw her at night.

      There were very few memories Akane had of her mother. Most scattered and difficult to see, but the of the few clear, Akane couldn't think of one that had filled her with more awe and togetherness than the ones during New Years.

      The fireworks were so amazing when she was young. She never wanted them to end. Akane and her sisters would lie back on a futon, their mother was there with them, holding them together with her arms and pointing out all the crackling lights that she liked best. Father would be right at the foot of the futon, sometimes looking up to the sky and sometimes not. He couldn't help but watch them sometimes and smile.

      When she returned home, Akane dropped her bag and went straight to the koi pond and sat down. She imagined the sun sparkling off the water were the bright fireworks and she was with her mother and sisters, huddled up in the thick blue blanket with the frilly ends that tickled your skin.

      The longer she thought, the clearer the image became. Akane could remember the light scent of peaches, her mother's perfume, a warm cup in her hands, milk and chocolate, and there were the lights flashing in her eyes. So bright an after image would stay with her if she closed her eyes.

      Akane remembered her family, feel each of them within arms length because they were all bundled up so closely and . . .

      "Akane? . . Akane?"

      Brushing away the moisture in her eyes, Akane took a deep breath and smiled up at her sister. "What's up Kasumi?"

      Kasumi gave her one of those simple smiles that were meant to pass a message that she knew what Akane had been thinking. "I was calling you to dinner, but you seemed a little distracted. Is there something you want to talk about?"

      A shake of her head. "It's nothing, Kasumi. I'm fine."

      Kasumi cocked her head and waited a moment. When nothing came, she nodded and started to head for the house. "By the way, have you seen Ranma? He's usually one of the first at the dinner table."

      "No." Akane shook her head, standing up to brush herself off. "He'll be there soon, I'm sure. Ranma never misses a chance to eat your cooking." There was probably only the slightest bit of jealousy and anger in Akane's voice, but Kasumi chose to ignore it.

      A breeze passed through the trees and pulled away a few leaves. The floated, spinning as the went, bobbing lightly in the air until they came to rest in the pond.

      Akane sighed as she looked back down to see the koi instinctively swimming away from the new objects in their world. It was probably thanks to Ranma and his father that the koi were so much more skittish about something landing in the pond. He could be such an insensitive jerk most of the time. Why their fathers thought she and Ranma would marry was beyond her. There were some times when Ranma wasn't letting his mouth run that he looked almost handsome and nice. He should make a resolution to talk less. It ought to keep him from getting her mad so often.

      Still, as much as she complained, Akane was not blind that Ranma, despite all the stupid, perverted things he does, was growing on her. This last half year, she had probably talked to Ranma more than any other person in her life. Sure, most of it was arguing, but he was always there. They spent so much time together that they really could be considered a couple.

      All of this just went to further the feelings of a gap that had grown between Akane and her sisters. Her father barely talked to her now except about the engagement. If not for Ranma, Akane feared, the family may have stopped talking completely.

      Inside, the TV had been left on to the news, probably after Nabiki got her fill of the stocks. "A parade will still be held, running through the center of downtown Nerima, but without the fireworks, people will have to go to a neighboring ward for the light show. In other areas the Tokyo pol . . ."

 

      That was it.

      I tapped the power button on the set and sighed. Though I'd seen it go up, I had still hoped that maybe there was another stash or maybe a different ward could send some over.

      When Ryouga and I couldn't come up with an idea we went to someone we hoped could help. Since Nabiki cost too much for either of us, Ryouga an me ended up at the Nekohaten.

      Cologne'd been watchin the news with us, a little gleeful smile on her face as she heard the bad news. I knew she was cookin somethin up, but if it helped with the fireworks thing then . . then I didn't mind to much.

      "Well, son-in-law." She cackled, sitting on top her gnarly, old walking stick. "It looks like we have a lot" she emphasized that part. "of work to do before tomorrow night."

      Here's where I sign my soul over to the devil. "Heh, Bring it on, old ghoul. I can take whatever ya throw at me."

      "Me too!" Ryouga stood up and smacked a fist into his palm. "I want to help also, you old prune."

      She bonked us both on the head, really only hurting me, and then cackled a bit more. I think Ryouga was getting second thoughts because he suddenly started getting lost just trying to sit down.

 

      "Where is that baka!" Akane growled, and not for the first time. She had been planning on a pleasant weekend with friends, hanging out downtown until the parade. It was afternoon now, Ranma hadn't returned last night at all and she just knew he was out with one of his other fiancees!

      "You'll where a whole in the carpet if you keep pacing like that."

      Akane looked up from her grumbling to see Nabiki heading down the stairs with another coy grin on her face. She knew something and she was looking to sell, Akane could see that. She growled, not too successfully hiding her boiling, irrational rage. "Where is he?!"

      "Oh, out there with another one of you martial artist types." Nabiki said lazily, flopping down onto the couch to watch her sister burn up. "I could tell you where . . if you're interested."

      Putting a hand in her pocket, Akane rooted around for some money. "How much?" She had an inch for another game of 'Mallet Ranma'. It was like Bash the Gopher, but with the satisfying give you can only get from flesh beneath a heavy piece of wood.

      "Five hundred yen." Nabiki smiled. Family got the discount of course. Akane handed it over quickly and Nabiki took her time counting, much to her sister's annoyance. "He's at the Nekohaten."

      Akane's face became livid as a vision of the Chinese bimbo hanging all over her Ranma came to mind. "I'll be back."

      "Go get'em terminator." Nabiki laughed and headed off for her room to make a few calls.

 

      The restaurant doors opened and out popped to girls, bouncing off the sidewalk on their butts. Good thing the blind boy broke their fall.

      Cologne looked down at the youths and smiled, her aged face crumpling into a number of wrinkles. Ukyou, not used to the sight, turned away before she started feeling sick.

      "Now scamper off and play nice." Cologne suggested before slamming the door closed and setting the lock.

      "I don't care who she is!" Ukyou growled and returned to her feet, pulling the battle spatula from her holster. "No one keeps me from my Ranchan!"

      Shampoo frowned. She was angry, but not as stupid as the okonomiyaki chef to take her great grandmother on alone. Though, that didn't stop her last night when Ranma came to them. Cologne ended up hitting a pressure point on her neck twenty times before simply drugging Shampoo to keep her asleep until about an hour ago.

      Mousse was grumbling something that was hard to hear considering he was face down in the pavement. Before he could show his affections for Shampoo today, she knocked him on the head with one of her bombori and stood up.

      "Shampoo no think is good take great grandmother on. Spatula Girl get beat too too quick." She commented in broken Japanese that would be cute unless you knew her for 'too too' long.

      Despite her anger, Ukyou knew it was true. The only one to challenge Cologne and come away with a victory so far had been Ranma-honey. What the hell was he doing in their with Ryouga that she and Shampoo weren't allowed to see him? Something echii with Ranma's girl half was quickly flattened with a mental spatula before she could turn green with revulsion.

      "Where is he?!"

      Both girls found an irate Akane walking down the street, her feet stomping cracks into the sidewalk.

      "Great grandmother keep Airen in Nekohaten." Shampoo answered. Maybe a diversion would help them out. "Shampoo and Spatula Girl no can enter. Maybe Violent, Pervert, Kitch- eh, Maybe Akane enter."

      Ukyou looked at the Amazon sharply. Thinking it over, a smile passed between them. "Yeah, sugar. That old woman sure packs a punch, but maybe your strong enough to-"

      "Just you watch!" Akane shouted already in front of the door.

      The other two realized, belatedly, that Akane hadn't been paying much attention to them at all. However the girl had arrived to a decision to play bait, erh, diversion it didn't bother them in the least.

      Akane pounded on the door and yelled for Ranma to come out at once. Behind her, Shampoo and Ukyou were already running around to the side alley.

      The door opened and Cologne poked her head out. "Yes?"

      "I want Ranma!"

      Cologne nodded. "That's nice, but we all have dreams, young lady."

      The door slammed shut.

      Akane blinked and tried to rerun the conversation in her head.

      From above, two girl squawked in surprise and ended up on their fannies on the sidewalk again. Good thing Shampoo had decided to leave Mousse there.

      "Nice try, great granddaughter." Cologne laughed at them.

      Akane was about to shout again when the ground rumbled and an explosion picked up part of the roof. She ran around the corner to the back lot where the noise had come from, followed by Ukyou and Shampoo. Cologne landed beside them, watching a small shack leaking smoke.

      The door opened and out stumbled one burnt and coughing Ranma-kun. Good, because upon discovery of Shampoo, Ukyou, and Mousse outside she'd gotten to wondering who was left and what they might be doing and . . Akane shook that horrid thought away. Only perverts thought about those kinds of things.

      "Geez, P-chan." Ranma was between coughing up a lung and laughing his head off. He hadn't even picked himself off the ground yet as he rolled about holding his sides. "I always knew you were a pig, but that-!"

      "Shut up, Ranma!" Ryouga stumbled out a minute later, also coughing little black clouds of smoke. "Unless you want me to shut up for you?!"

      "You could tr-Akane?" Ranma sat up and stared at the group watching them. "How'd you and Ukyou find us?"

      "Ranma." Akane tried to forget for the moment that he'd probably been fighting with Ryouga and was staying with Shampoo. "What is going on here?"

      "Uh, nothin?" Ranma tried, earning a scowl from all three fiancees. He looked to Ryouga. "Right?"

      "Yes." Ryouga nodded quickly. "Nothing going on here."

      Another section of the roof collapsed. Ranma and Ryouga grew some sweat drops.

      "Oh, good. You're all here." Nabiki smirked as she stepped out of the alleyway. There was a large stack of papers in her hand. "Then you can take these flyers and put them up around town."

      Akane looked blankly at the papers. "Come see the New Years light show at midnight in the park. Provided by Ranma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki. Sponsored by the Nekohaten, the best in ramen."

      "Mercenary Girl know what going on here?" Shampoo half asked, half demanded.

      Smirking, Nabiki shrugged her shoulders. "Nope, but they paid me and whatever it is" she eyed the singed Ranma. "It ought to be good for profits."

      "Thank you for preparing these on such short notice, child." Cologne spoke after looking over the flyers. She hadn't really expected any less from the Tendou girl considering Nabiki's reputation and the large sum of money Cologne had paid.

      "I look forward to doing business with you again, old woman." Nabiki returned with a calculated smile.

      Cologne stiffened, then relaxed as she realized Nabiki was only demanding her proper respect.

      The rest just looked at the flyers, stupefied.

      "So." Akane was trying to work this over in her mind. "Cologne is teaching you two how to make fireworks?"

      "As long as pig boy here don't blow my head off." Ranma stated, brushing off his shirt.

      "Don't call me that!" Ryouga raged.

      Having enough, Cologne 'sent' the two boys back into the shack to continue their work. "Son-in-law is a fast learner."

      The girls nodded. Sighing in defeat, and leaving before they were asked to play with gun powder, the three decided to start putting up the flyers.

 

      Tell you the truth, I'm surprised we made it at all.

      Ryouga as always yapping about somethin and blamin me for it. The guy seemed like a lost cause. I had five done by the time he'd finished his second.

      Cologne kept right on us, pushing us to work harder and concentrate. Only so much of this and mix with that and blah blah blah. I think she liked watching herself talk. Or maybe she was excited about tonight, whatever.

      So we got there after school the one day and then Ryouga an me started workin through the night, interrupted only a few times by Shampoo and a duck, then all up to a few hours before midnight so we could rest up. That comes to . . I hate math . . ten hours at least, huh?

      When we get there, a crowd had been forming. It reached across the tree line and around the lake. I didn't know there were so many people in Nerima. The three of them must have done a good job of the flyers. If only we could have gotten Cologne to pay us too.

      Ryouga and me found the Tendous, my mom and pops sitting over by the lake. Ukyou and Shampoo had a couple of food stands open with customers forming two long lines. And Nabiki, she was happier than I'd ever seen her, was over by the trees with a growing group of people tossing even more money in her face. I don't know what she could have conned people into betting on and I don't want to know. So long as it didn't involve me, Nabiki could declare herself empress of Wazzoo.

      Cologne was pleased with herself as she probably should be. All that work and trainin had really paid off. She stayed with us in case there was trouble, but left it mainly up to us.

      The moment we broke the tree line, the crowd went up in applause. I didn't say nuthin bout Ryouga blushin like he'd spoken to Akane cause I knew I was just as bad. We walked up to the lake, near the Tendous, an agreed upon position, and took a couple of deep breathes. I swear I heard the crowd take those breaths with us.

      "Ready?" I asked.

      Ryouga nodded.

      We raised our hands and the light show began. Blue, green, red, yellow, and more leapt from our palms and into the air. Ryouga couldn't get passed anger and depression, but I got everything else. It was cool tapping into this much energy and without feeling it drain at my body like usual.

      The crowd gasped, oohing and aweing. Ryouga tossed up a bunch of solid balls of energy, but, being the best, I sent out a bunch of Saotome specials. The ki blasts burst after a few seconds and sparkled like a blooming flower in the sky. Faces were lit up in the flashes and they all continued to cheer. That felt really great.

 

      Akane sat mesmerized by the display of power Ranma and Ryouga were putting out. She had been afraid that Ranma was too stupid to be playing with explosives. She also hadn't found the body part bet Nabiki had going was particularly funny.

      Another blue ball of ki jumped out of Ranma's hands and into the sky. She followed it up with her eyes, smiling as the energy burst open; it even crackled like fireworks did.

      Nabiki whistled in appreciation. "Got to hand it to Ranma. He does surprise you sometimes."

      Akane nodded. "Sure does."

      They watched in silence as the martial artist duo sent out a few more ki blasts.

      "Akane! Nabiki!" They found Kasumi waving her hand where she sat on a large blue blanket with frilly ends. Mr and Mrs Saotome and their father were sipping at something hot Kasumi had brought along in a large thermos. "Do you want some cocoa?"

      "Come on sis." Akane grabbed a surprised Nabiki by the arm. "Before it gets too cold."

      Nabiki considered it for a moment and smiled.

      Kasumi passed them two cups then had them huddle in together beneath the blanket. Sipping warm milk and chocolate, Akane smiled and laughed along with her sisters, calling out encouragement for the two boys and then watching the skies.

      Soun looked away from his daughters with a smile, whisking away a tear from his eye.

      "What is it, Soun?" Nodoka asked, having caught the tear in the light.

      Shaking his head, Soun looked back to his girls then to Nodoka. "For a moment I thought I had seen Kimiko with them like she used to be."

      Smiling and patting Soun on the arm. "She is there, Soun. She has always been there."

 

      It was half an hour when Ryouga and I started getting ready for the big finale. Cologne stepped back a few feet. Even if we didn't mess up, the area a few feet around us would be getting a bit toasty.

      "Thanks for helpin me out, Ryouga."

      He had a grip on my hands as we stood facing each other in a wide stance. "I'm doing this for Akane, not you."

      Boy, this guy was a real hard case. He couldn't relax if a-

      "But, you're welcome. I kinda enjoyed it."

      I smirked, he smirked back.

      Someone in the crowd must have started calling out the time. Soon everyone was joining in the count to the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. I wouldn't care if things changed or not. I had friends and family. I was happy and there was someone special to me that I . .

      "10!"

      My eyes started scanning the crowd again. So many people, together, no one fightin.

      "9!"

      Was this what the New Years was about? Startin over with people?

      "8!"

      People had there arms around their friends, smiling and sharing drinks.

      "7!"

      Is that what I was getting too?

      "6!"

      I couldn't imagine another time when Ryouga an me would be actin like such good friends.

      "5!"

      And out there somewhere was Shampoo, Ukyou, and Akane. They'd also come together and brought all these people with them.

      "4!"

      Akane looked so beautiful squeezed between her two sisters, each of them smiling and staring up into the sky.

      "3!"

      A new year.

      "2!"

      A time to change.

      "1!"

      "A time to start over.

      "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

      The ki that mixed between us gathered into an energy column that shot straight up into the sky for almost five seconds. It rotated through all the colors previous, swirling and mixing until it was a single bright light over Nerima. The explosion was like a deep thundering, showering sparkles that would dissipate before coming to close to the ground. For a few minutes the park was lit up like it was the afternoon. Everyone out here started swayin back an forth singing.

      Ryouga clapped me on the back and stared back up to the sky. I couldn't help but laugh; my spirits were so high they were probably floatin with the energy up there.

      A pressure wrapped itself around my chest, with short blue hair and a strong grip. Akane smiled up at me, her eyes shimmering with the light floating down around us. "Thank you, Ranma."

      "Happy New Years, Akane." I smiled back, hoping it was too dark to see the blush on my face.

      Moving her arms around my neck, Akane picked herself up and pressed her lips to mine. I'd put up light shows every night if I could get more kisses like that. The crowd fell away with the noise. Only Akane and the light behind her stood before me. I felt warm, thrilled and relaxed all at once holding her in my arms. Time truly did stop for us, but the kiss seemed to last forever.

      "Happy New Years, Ranma." Akane slowly released her hold until she was back on her feet. We still held each other, our eyes locked and sharing a message we still had trouble saying aloud. Nothing could ruin this moment for me.

      "Ranma."

      Ryouga? Oh yeah. I almost forgot he was there.

      "Later, Akane." I pecked her on the cheek and started racing for the trees, Ryouga hot on my heels, screaming for my blood.

It'd feel weird if everything changed after all.

 

 

End Nerima Lights

*     *     *

 

Happy New Years everyone!

Thanks for your support during 2000. I hope to see all my old friends, and make some new ones in our new millennium.

 

Send C&C to [email protected]

Or visit my website at: www.geocities.com/jehtek/

 

Ja ne.