Here's the second chapter of The Sound of Silence. For those of you
who missed chapter one, in this story Ranma has been rendered mute
since he was fairly young. This has, needless to say, caused some
changes.
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Donald McElreath
The Sound of Silence
Chapter 2: Complications
Disclaimer: They're not mine. They're hers. So it's not my fault.
__________________________________
This had not been a good morning for Akane. It all started when she
was woken from a restless sleep by the sounds of a fight outside her
window. Looking down into the yard she had seen Ranma and his
father sparring, using the entire area within the walls as their
battlefield. She'd hurriedly dressed in her school uniform and ran
downstairs just in time to see Ranma knocked into the pond with
Genma deriding his now female son for being sloppy. Enraged,
Ranma had splashed him and launched a vicious attack that left a
bruised, unconscious panda laying next to the pond a few minutes
later.
The hurt look in Ranma's eyes, and guilt from her words last night,
kept Akane from speaking as the transformed boy went by on the way
to the bath.
Breakfast was both nerve-wracking and enlightening. Ranma sat
hunched over his breakfast, back in his boy form, doing his best to
ignore the world. Her father remained hidden behind his paper, as
usual. Nabiki greeted everyone with a half-awake "Good morning"
when she sat down, no different than usual. Kasumi had been the real
surprise.
By the time the panda regained consciousness and changed back into a
human, her older sister had already served everyone else breakfast.
But when Genma sat down she ignored him until he'd asked where his
food was. With her usual cheery smile, she'd apologized and handed
him a bowl of rice and another of miso soup. Both were only half full
and cold. It was obvious the elder Saotome had managed to get on
Kasumi's bad side. Akane hadn't even realized her sister had one.
When he'd tried to make up for the small portions by stealing from his
distracted son's bowls, Akane intercepted the lazy strike by breaking
his chopsticks in her fist. A second and third set met with the same
fate. Genma Saotome had not enjoyed breakfast. No, not at all.
Then Nabiki, saying there was business she had to take care of before
school, left early, leaving an uneasy Akane to show Ranma the way to
school by herself.
_____________________________
So here she was, heading for school with Ranma walking along the
fence above her, and she still hadn't managed to say a word to him.
She looked up at him. He was dressed just like he had been the day
before. Only now depression almost seemed to drip from him. Even
his pigtail hung limp.
<You've let this go on long enough, don't you think?> Akane's
conscience prodded her.
<But how can I talk to him? He must hate me now,> she responded.
<You'll never know if you don't say something. Besides, you know
that both of you could use a friend right now.>
Akane sighed as she realized she'd never win an argument with her
own conscience. She never did.
She stopped walking and waited while Ranma took several more steps
before turning back to see why she'd stopped. She could still see the
pain and depression in his eyes. Akane let her gaze drop to the ground
and let out a ragged sigh.
"Ranma. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said, the way I said it.
Everything. It's not you. I just *really* don't want a fiance right
now.
I'm not ready to get married. Not to you, or anyone. I'm sure you're
a
great guy and all, but I'm just not interested in that kind of
relationship
right now. I..." Akane realized she was starting to ramble and shut
her
mouth.
Suddenly Ranma was standing before her, his blue eyes locked with
her brown ones. His eyes were guarded as they seemed to search for
something.
<Time for the next step,> her conscience prodded.
Akane held out her hand. "Friends?"
Ranma looked down at the offered hand then back to her eyes. She
thought she saw hope shining in his blue orbs.
<He has such beautiful eyes.>
He reached out, took her hand and nodded. Friends.
As her smile blossomed, Akane couldn't remember being as happy in a
long time.
_____________________________
Ranma looked down at Akane from the fence top as they ran to school.
She wanted to be his friend. Why did she want to be his friend? Was
it out of pity? Did she feel sorry for him? He wasn't sure but he
didn't
think so. What if he was wrong? He'd just have to wait. <And beat
on the panda.>
He saw Akane's lips moving and jumped down beside her to hear what
she was saying. The words surprised him as they grew in volume with
each step.
"hateboyshateboyshateboys hate boys! Hate boys! I hate boys! I HATE
BOYS!"
Just then they came in sight of the school gates. Ranma saw a horde
of
boys, most of them wearing various athletic outfits, come charging
towards them. They were also shouting oaths of love to Akane.
<What the hell?!>
"Out of my way! I'm late!"
Ranma jumped up on the school wall, totally bewildered, as Akane
plowed into her attackers. They seemed to hardly slow her down.
<Wha? Okay. She's pretty good, but what's this all about?>
In the window of a second floor classroom, Nabiki and her cronies
watched the morning festivities.
"Your poor sister. Every single day..."
Nabiki nodded, then she noticed Ranma watching the fight.
"Oh! Ranma!"
He looked up.
"Ranma! Get in this school! Now!"
He pointed out at the fight.
"Don't worry about Akane! She does this every morning!"
<Every morning?!> Ranma thought as he looked back down. Sure
enough, Akane had finished off the last of her opponents and stood
breathing heavily in the middle of the yard. He jumped down to join
her.
"Honestly! Every morning!" Akane flipped her hair back over her
shoulder. "You'd think they would have learned by now."
Coming up to Akane, Ranma was about to try to find out what was
going on when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. His
hand snapped out, grabbing something from the air. A quick look told
him what he'd caught. A rose was the last thing he'd expected to
find.
"Villain!"
Still blinking in confusion, Ranma turned to see an older boy dressed
in Kendo garb and carrying a bokken step towards them.
"Who are you to prevent my gift of love from reaching the hand of the
beauteous Akane?!"
<Who is this idiot?> thought Ranma.
"Ah! But is it not the custom to give one's own name first?! Fine
then!
Mine I shall give!"
Ranma blinked, then gestured for the strange boy to continue.
"My name is Tatewaki Kuno. Junior. Group E. Captain of the Kendo
club. Undefeated new star of the high school fencing world. But my
peers call me the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!" The bokken
stabbed at the sky as lightning flashed in the background.
"Blue Thunder? Have you heard that?" asked a girl next to Nabiki.
"News to me," she answered. "Last I heard he was calling himself
Shooting Star."
Ranma blinked again before turning an embarrassed look to Akane. It
took her only a second to understand.
"His name's Ranma Saotome. He's staying at our dojo-"
"What?!" Kuno roared. "Under the same roof as Akane?!"
Ranma evaded Kuno's slash by hopping twenty feet back, landing in a
defensive stance. <What is with this guy? What's he gotta do with
Akane?>
"So, scoundrel. Hounding Akane, eh?" Kuno continued. "I, Tatewaki
Kuno, shall bring you to justice!"
"He's only staying with us, Kuno!" Akane cut in.
"Fall!"
Kuno's attack was swift and powerful, smashing through a small
section of the wall behind his target. His target, however, had
refused
to stay still and be struck. Ranma jumped into the air and was just
pushing his feet off a tree when his opponent realized he'd missed.
With a scream of rage, Kuno lashed out again, cutting down the tree.
Ranma again refused to stay still. He touched down some twenty feet
from the Kendoist.
<This guy is nuts!> Ranma thought as he watched the severed top of
the tree land between them. <He don't care what damage he does
outside the fight! Gotta end this before he hurts somebody!>
Akane had watched in mild amazement as Ranma effortlessly dodged
Kuno's attacks. Now she saw him rush forward, clearing the fallen tree
and getting inside the older boy's reach so fast he seemed to blur.
Then
he pointed a finger at Kuno's forehead before lashing out with a spin
kick that sent the taller boy flying into the wall.
"That didn't hurt, you know," The Blue Thunder muttered before
sliding to the ground unconscious.
Ranma watched his opponent for a second to make sure it wasn't a
trick, before relaxing his stance. <Man, what a idiot.>
Turning, he found Akane watching him with a look of surprise and
annoyance on her face. He noticed he'd somehow managed to hold on
to the rose. <What? Did she want this thing? Well, I guess she is
kinda cute.>
Without really thinking about the fact that he was giving a rose to a
cute girl in front of the whole school, Ranma held the flower out to
Akane.
Akane had been getting annoyed with Ranma for butting in on her
fight when, suddenly, he held a rose out to her. She couldn't
suppress
the smile that came to her face as she took the blossom. "Thanks."
Ranma's answering smile made her blush. Something changed at that
moment in how Akane perceived Ranma, it would just take a while for
her to realize it.
Ranma motioned towards the school with a questioning look.
"Right. We better get to class."
They made it through the doors just as the rain started to fall. Had
anyone still been paying attention, they would have noticed a panda
carrying a kettle come running up to the gate at that moment. He
stopped, taking in all the unconscious bodies, the smashed wall, and
the cut tree.
He held up a sign in his paw. [Could some one tell me what
happened?]
Since the only ones around to read the sign were out cold, he received
no answer. With a grunt he turned and walked off.
_____________________________
A short while later, Kuno, now wearing his school uniform, sat in the
class he shared with Nabiki. He was studying his forehead in a mirror
adorned with a large star he had borrowed from her. Bruises spelling
out 'idiot' were clear for all to see.
"Amazing. And you don't even remember being touched?" Nabiki
asked, not even bothering to hide her smirk.
"Hmph. That he would dare mar my magnificent visage is not to be
believed. The cur was lucky. It shall not happen again."
<Ranma wiped the floor with him and he thinks it was luck.>
Nabiki's smirk widened. <I can use this to keep little sister from
getting in over her head.>
_____________________________
Class 1F was being introduced to their new classmate.
"Would you care to introduce yourself?"
Ranma looked at the teacher for a second, then glanced at the class.
His hands started to clench and unclench as he grew frustrated.
"Uh, Sensei?" Akane called from her desk. "Ranma's mute."
The teacher considered that for a moment, ignoring the whispers that
sprang up. "That won't cause a problem will it, Saotome?"
Ranma shook his head.
"Very well, then. Class, this is Ranma Saotome. He has just returned
from a trip to China, so be sure to make him feel welcome. Since you
seem to know Akane Tendo fairly well, you may take the desk next to
her." The class laughed as the two blushed brightly, both of their
eyes
falling on the rose that sat on Akane's desk.
After Ranma took his seat, the teacher called everyone to order and
began the lesson.
_____________________________
"WHAT?!" Kuno shot out of his seat. "FIANCE?!"
"Uh-huh," Nabiki nodded. "My daddy and his daddy decided.
Akane's going to marry Ranma."
"RANMA SAOTOME-" An eraser bounced off his head.
"Kuno. Stand in the hall."
Kuno blinked at the teacher as he calmed for a moment. "Yes, Sensei."
Then his righteous (to him anyway) anger returned as he stormed from
the room.
Nabiki looked smug. <That should help keep little sister from getting
too far involved with Ranma before she's ready.>
_____________________________
Back in class 1F, Akane Tendo was having trouble focusing on the
teacher's lecture. The reason for this had something to do with the
rose
on her desk, or rather the boy who had given it to her. Having him
seated next to her wasn't helping matters much either.
<Why'd he give it to me?> Akane was unused to boys giving her
things like that without trying to proclaim their undying love, beat
her
up, or at least asking her for a date. But Ranma hadn't tried either
of
those. She sent him a note asking why he'd done it. His reply wasn't
anything like she'd expected.
'You looked like you needed it.'
<Well, that was a lot of help.> Then she remembered hearing some of
her friends talk about why people in real relationships gave each
other
flowers. But, that would mean he'd done it just to make her happy. To
see her smile. But wouldn't that mean...
She was looking at Ranma, wondering about him, when the door
slammed open.
"Never, Ranma Saotome!" Kuno, once more in his Kendo garb,
announced from the doorway.
Akane whipped around. "Kuno-sempai?"
Ranma was almost glad for the interruption. His own thoughts about
that rose and the curious looks he'd been getting from Akane had him
on edge.
<What's the idiot want now?>
"I shall *never* accept your engagement to Akane!"
The couple suddenly found themselves surrounded, Akane by the girls,
Ranma by the boys.
"What?!" "Engagement?!" "How dare you Saotome?!" "How could you
Akane?! You said you hated boys!"
"It's not true! Our parents decided! We never..." Akane looked at
Ranma and was surprised by what she saw. She had almost forgotten
about what happened the night before, he seemed so confident earlier
during his fight with Kuno. Now she was forcefully reminded as she
watched a pale Ranma's eyes dart around like a trapped animal. It was
obvious he wasn't ready for the Gossip Brigade.
"Leave him alone!" Akane shoved boys and girls out of the way as she
went to Ranma's side and took his hand. "Ranma. It's all right."
Ranma held onto her hand like a drowning man.
"Release her, you fiend!" Kuno shot forward, slashing down at
Ranma's head with his bokken.
With an immediate physical threat, Ranma's training kicked in. He
picked up Akane and leapt clear as the bokken slashed through his
desk. Landing by the windows, he set her down and turned to Kuno,
confident again.
<That idiot could have hurt Akane!>
As everyone stared, stunned by Kuno's sudden attack, he struck a
noble pose and pointed his bokken at Ranma. "You shall not escape
me, coward. I will free Akane from her unwanted engagement to you
so that she may show her love for me."
"I don't love you!" screamed Akane. "I just want you to leave me
alone!"
Ranma just stared. <Is he *really* that stupid? No one could be that
big an idiot.>
"Oh! How it pains me to hear your enslaver's words spoken by your
sweet lips. Fear not Akane Tendo, for the Blue Thunder shall free
you."
<He's that stupid. Okay, got to get this out of the building and away
from Akane.> Ranma gave a smug grin and waved Kuno on.
Akane gave him a strange look. <Is he really going to fight in the
classroom?> "You can't fight in class!"
Ranma gave her a reassuring grin that Akane found very hard not to
trust. After all, he'd handled Kuno easily enough earlier. She took
a
couple steps back, hoping he really did know what he was doing.
Ranma waved Kuno on again.
"Foul deceiver!"
Ranma waited until the last moment before lunging forward.
Grabbing Kuno by the collar, he jumped out the open window taking
Kuno along for the ride.
"RANMA!"
Akane couldn't believe it. She stood stunned with everyone else for
several moments before running to the windows. The rest of the class
was right behind her. Instead of a splattered Ranma and Kuno they
saw something rather... interesting.
"Hey! Where'd that girl come from?"
"Yeah, and what happened to Saotome? I don't see him anywhere."
Akane groaned.
_____________________________
Ranma tuned out Kuno's screams as he looked for a landing spot
below and noticed a problem. The height of their drop wasn't the
problem. He'd done this sort of thing before. The problem was that
the lawn sprinklers were turned on.
<Water. Why is it always water?> he thought in disgust as the change
took him before he reached the ground.
Landing lightly, Ranma dropped her panicked passenger. She looked
back up at her classroom to see everyone just now sticking their heads
out the windows look to down at them. Her gaze whipped over to
Kuno to find that he was obviously to out of it to have noticed the
change.
<No one saw?! No way! My luck ain't that good!>
"Fair maiden."
Ranma snapped out of her thoughts to see that Kuno had recovered and
was now facing her.
"Tell me, did you see where a boy with a pigtail went? He was here
but moments ago."
She shook her head.
"The coward! Running from a fight! No doubt he feared my prowess!
Bah! He is no man! He is no man!!"
Her anger spiking, Ranma slid off one of her slippers and kicked it up
into her hand.
Kuno was surprised when the footwear bounced off his forehead.
Turning to the red headed beauty he saw that she now stood as if ready
for battle. He also noted she wore only one shoe. <Ah! She must
have thrown the other to gain my attention. Taken with my
magnificence she now seeks to do battle for the honor of a date. My
very presence must have stolen the words from her throat.>
"Very well, fair maiden. Should you win I will allow you to date with
me!"
Ranma jumped over the slash and fired a side-kick into his chest,
blasting most of the air from his lungs. Crouching low on the
landing,
she threw an uppercut that had her fist starting level with Kuno's
knees. By the time it connected with his jaw she had her entire body
powering the blow. Boy and bokken separated as Kuno was lifted
cleanly from his feet and sent through the air.
<She is skilled! As skilled as Akane! No! More than Akane!> he
thought just before unconsciousness took him.
Ranma snorted as her opponent hit the ground. With her foot she
flipped the bokken into her hands. To make sure her point was made,
she broke it over her knee and threw the pieces at Kuno's feet then
ran
into the bushes.
_____________________________
"Did you see that?! She just took out Kuno!"
"She must be as good as Saotome!"
"Hey! Wasn't Saotome dressed just like that?"
"Maybe they're related or something."
Akane ran from the room trying to ignore what was being said behind
her. The rumormill would be having a field day with everything that
had happened today. By tomorrow there would be some outlandish
stories making the rounds. She'd worry about that later. Right now
she
just wanted to find some hot water.
_____________________________
Ranma sat up in a tree wringing out her pants. <How could that
*pervert* think I'd want to go out with him?! I don't care what I
look
like! I'm a guy!>
"Ranma! Get down here!"
She looked down to see Akane holding a kettle and their bags. Eager
to change back, she dropped down next to her and pulled on her pants.
But, as she tried to take the kettle, Akane pulled it out of reach.
"First you tell me why you jumped out the window like that!"
Ranma started gesturing with her hands then stopped, frustration
flashing across her face. She snatched her bag from Akane, dug a pad
and pen out, wrote a quick note and handed it to the other girl.
'I had to get Kuno away from everyone and everything. You saw how
much damage he did this morning.'
Akane remembered the wall and tree Kuno had destroyed in the fight
that morning. A crowded classroom could only have been worse.
"Okay. You've got a point, but..."
Ranma interrupted her by grabbing the pad from her hand and writing
another note.
'What the hell was all that this morning about, anyway? If I've got
to
pound this jerk everyday I want to know why.'
"Kuno made a speech at the beginning of the term. He told them that
if
they wanted a date with me they'd have to beat me. And you don't
have to pound him! That's *my* job!"
Ranma seemed to think about that for a second.
'If he attacks me, I am going to pound him. If he attacks you, he is
all
yours. Deal?'
"Alright. Deal."
Akane finally gave Ranma the kettle. A moment later a male Ranma
was walking away from the school.
"Ranma, where are you going?"
The pad was tossed over his shoulder.
'Home. I've had about as much school as I can take for one day.'
Not really wanting to face the Gossip Brigade right then, Akane
decided to join her fiance.
_____________________________
"You like him, don't you?" Nabiki asked from where she lay doing leg
lifts on Akane's bed that night.
Akane turned away from her homework. "What are you talking
about?"
Stopping her leg lifts, Nabiki sat up. "You stood up for a *boy*
against Kuno. A boy who happens to be an unwanted fiance."
She waited the split second it took Akane to open her mouth to voice
some sort of denial.
"And," she said with a smirk, pointing to the object on her sister's
desk, "you kept that rose he gave you this morning."
Blushing, Akane darted a glance at the flower and still couldn't
figure
out why she'd kept it or what she felt about it. "Alright. I like
him. A
little. But as a friend! You got that Nabiki?! A friend! He
doesn't
want to be engaged any more than I do! We're just friends!"
Nabiki's smirk widened. "Suure, Akane. You're *just* friends. The fact
that he's *really* cute, and just happens to be your *fiance* doesn't
mean a thing. *Right*. Gotcha."
"Nabiki!" Akane grabbed her notebook and threw it at her annoying
sister.
Nabiki dodged and ran to the door, laughing. "Sure you don't want me
to send Ranma-kun up here?" she asked as she opened the door. "Or
maybe I should call him your Ranma-chan?"
A hurled textbook slammed into the closing door.
_____________________________
"What?!" The shout rang through classroom 2E.
"Sure, I know her," said Nabiki as she looked up at Kuno. "The girl
with the pigtail and Chinese clothes."
"Nabiki Tendo... can this be true?!" Kuno went to his desk and
started
writing. <If she thinks she can defeat Tatewaki Kuno and simply walk
away she thinks wrongly!>
_____________________________
Nabiki found Ranma sitting on the porch looking out at the koi pond
after school. "Here."
Ranma took the folded note. It was addressed to The Fire Haired Water
Sprite.
"It's to your girl side," Nabiki remarked as Akane came out of the
house to read over Ranma's shoulder. "I don't think Kuno believes
you're the same person."
"'On Sunday, in the tenth hour'," Akane read aloud, "'meet me in the
second field of Furinkan high school!' Sounds like a duel, huh?"
"Little Kuno just hates to lose," Nabiki commented as she sat next to
Ranma.
"Vengeful, hmm?" Akane remarked casually, trying to hide her worry.
Ranma looked angry.
_____________________________
That Sunday at ten, Ranma stood, in girl form, on the field at the
school waiting for Kuno. He proved to be right on time.
"So you have come, my Fire Haired Water Sprite."
Ranma snorted and fell into her stance, waving him on.
"I have not come to spar with you." Ranma let herself relax slightly.
"I've come to give you..." He drew something from behind his back and
threw it. "...THIS!!"
Reacting instinctively, she shot up a hand to catch... a bouquet of
roses.
"I love you."
Not being fully recovered from her breakdown, Ranma did not react as
she otherwise would have. After a moment of shock, she saw red and
charged her arrogant would-be suitor.
_____________________________
Some time later Kuno awoke from his enforced nap to find his gift,
with each blossom beheaded, lying on his chest along with a note.
'If I want love I'll look for it with a woman. Not a pervert like you.
Never bother me again.'
His mind not able to accept the thought that any female would shun his
attentions for those of another of the same gender, Kuno made a
decision.
"Fear not, fiery-one," he declared standing into a dramatic pose.
"For I,
Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, shall free you
from your wrongful desire for members of the fair sex! Then you shall
be free to declare your love for me!"
_____________________________
"Welcome back, Saotome," Nabiki greeted Ranma as she came
through the Tendo gate. "How'd the fight go? You win?"
Ranma absently nodded as she walked up to Akane where she stood
next to Nabiki. Taking her hand from behind her back she handed the
Tendo girl a single beautiful rose before walking into the house.
Akane
could only stare at the flower, stunned and confused. Nabiki, after a
moment's shock, gave a knowing smile.
_____________________________
End of chapter 2.
Author's notes: The idea for this story came from a post on the ffml
asking what if Ranma had been injured by one of Genma's dangerous
training ideas and rendered mute. For some reason it stuck in my head
for several days until I had to write this or go nuts. Can't remember
who originally posted it, but thanks. This has proven more enjoyable
than I could have imagined. This is my first fanfic.
For those of you who are wondering, I'm mostly using the manga
continuity. C&C, as always, is welcome.
Thanks to all my prereaders:
Crys Norton
Eshin
Arthur Hansen
Jerry
Joshua 'Gargoyle' Trujillo
SabreBabe
The Man With The Machine Gun
Robin Etcheson
Burnett/Edwards residence