--------Going Down--------
An Original Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction
By Daj Essicam


Legal Disclaimer:
All charactors and distinctive likenesses are copyrighted by Rumiko 
Takahashi (long may she draw), Shogakukan, VIZ Inc, and all other pertinant 
copyright holders.  This is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to actual 
places are used in fictional settings.  This was written for fun without 
money being asked, but you can give it to me anyway, if you really want to.  
Also, this is story is very probably protected under U.S. parody laws, so it 
is legally mine.  Why anyone would want to claim it as their's is beyond me, 
but it could happen.  Charactors will be returned to their proper upright 
positions with
only mild bruising having occured.


Beware of Fanfic:  Since most of the Ranma 1/2 anime wouldn't cut it
on a Saturday morning line-up kiddie line-up, the fanfiction wouldn't 
either.  So I'm assuming that if you enjoy the series, you can handle 
anything less then lemon, right?  Right?  PG rating.  This doesn't
take place in a particular spot in the story line, but would probably occur 
closer to the end of the manga, where everyone gets along a little better 
then in the beginning. Partake of this fic and become amused.


--------Going Down--------

He studied the free color brochure that had been handed to him by a smiling 
uniformed guide.  The guides eagerly pressed brochures into the hands of 
others who approached the landmark, but few of them even glanced at it.
Ranma read: "The Tokyo Tower stands over three hundred meters high, taller 
then even the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, which it
was modeled after.  Built in 1958 and used to broadcast television and radio 
signals, the Tower has become a symbol of the city of Tokyo.  It is the 
world's largest free standing iron structure."
Tourists of all nationalities and ages filled the area when
the season was in, but it was the off season now, and the building seemed 
more or less deserted.  Ranma bought his ticket and debated about skipping 
the aquarium floor.  He heard it wasn't very exciting.  So up to the fourth 
floor he would go.
He boarded the elevator with an elderly couple leading a very young child.  
They stopped at the third floor.  A person waiting to
get on let the man and woman with the child get out before he embarked.  The 
young man stepped on the elevator, pressed a button,
and took notice of the only other rider.
"Hello, Ranma," he said.
"Ryoga," Ranma replied as greeting.
The doors closed and the elevator began to move up.
The mechanical hum that accompanied the movement suddenly
grew louder.  The interior lights glowed more brightly for a split second, 
then went out.  The elvator jerked hard and stopped moving.
They waited.  Then Ryoga spoke out of the darkness, "What
just happened?"

**

Kasumi had saved the kitchen for last on her list of morning chores.  
Almost the entire house had been seen to, and now the kitchen and the 
remains of breakfast called for her attention.  Hot water and soap into the 
sink, stack the dishes while the sink filled, and turn
on the radio to some light talk show.  Now she was ready.
Her hands were immersed in sudsy water now, scrubbing and rubbing away the 
old rice and dried miso soup.  The heat from the
water comforted her, holding her senses in an invisible embrace.
This was where she was in control and none would doubt her command.
The radio talked to itself, half heard by the dish washer.
"So I told him that if he didn't respect me, that I would
have to find another place to buy cat litter, and then---"
"You told him that, huh?"
"I sure did, and you know what he did then?"
"No, caller, what did he do?"
"Well, he just---"
The called was interrupted a stern female voice who commanded the air waves 
like Kasumi commanded the dirty dishes.
"We apologize for the interruption.  A large power outage has affected 15% 
of downtown Tokyo's business district, bringing phones, traffic lights, 
trains, and computer systems to a halt.  No cause has been determined, and 
it may take up to six hours to repair whatever damage has been incurred.  
This has been an emergency report.  Now we will return you to the normal 
program."
The DJ had a new caller on the line now, but Kasumi didn't hear. "Six 
hours?" she said.  "Oh my."


**

"Well, it looks like we'll be stuck here for a while, Ryoga.  There's no 
one answering on the emergency phone, so power is probably out in the entire 
building."
"So how long till someone finds us?"
"Who knows, could be just a few minuets, maybe a couple of hours. In the 
meantime, we should just sit tight."
That wasn't what Ryoga had in mind.  "Let me do this, Ranma."
Ryoga groped his way to the door and found the long vertical slit that 
divided it.  It would be simple for someone of his strength to just pry the 
door open.  Nothing to it.
Well, almost nothing.
"Grrr. . .dammit!  My fingers are too big; they can't get any purchase on 
the door.  Well, time for plan B."
"Eh?  Plan B?"
"BAKUSI TENK---!"
Ranma tackled the other boy just as Ryoga's finger sped
towards the metal door.
"Don't do that, stupid!  The entire elevator will fall apart!  What the 
hell are you thinking?"
Ryoga hadn't been thinking about the results of such a destructive 
maneuver.  "Oh," was all he could say.
"Just chill out, OK?"
"Fine."
"Good."
"I will."
"I'm glad."
"Shut up already!"
"Sheesh, Ryoga."
Silence and close air now filled the elevator car.


**


"So Ranma.  What are you doing here of all places?  Isn't the Tokyo Tower 
mostly a tourist attraction?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Ryoga."
"I asked first."
Ranma sat on the floor leaning against the wall of the elevator.  His left 
leg was bent and his arm draped across it.  He
took a long breath before answering.
"This morning Akane and Nabiki were talking about stuff they had done in 
elementary school, and the topic got around to field trips.  Of course, they 
had both been to the Tokyo Tower several
times, and thought that is was almost a joke that anyone went there anymore. 
  I said that I had never been, and they couldn't believe it.  Akane even 
laughed at me. Said that everyone over seven had been to
the Tokyo Tower at least once. She didn't care that I hadn't even spent that 
much time in Tokyo before now, and even in Nerima, it's not like I'm next 
door, or nothing.  So I had to go."
"Why?"
"Well, cause, you know.   Just cause."
Quiet again.  Then Ranma said, "So what about you?  What
brings you to the world's most destructible building?"
"Uh, it's not important."
"Hey, I told you why I'm here, didn't I?  Come on!"
"Fine."  Ryoga sounded like he was going to say more but didn't.
"WELL?"
"OK!  Well. . . .I've. . .uh, that is, 
I...I'veneverbeentoTokyoTowereither."
"What was that?"
"I've never been either."
"You haven't?!  You've been all over Japan, hell, all over
the WORLD, and you haven't been to Tokyo Tower?  Aha ha ha ha ha!"
"Shut up, Ranma!  Whadd'you know?"
"That's just funny!"
"It is not!"
"Aha ha ha ha!"
"SHUT UP, RANMA!"  This time the yell was accompanied by a punch in Ranma's 
general direction.  Ranma stopped laughing when he felt the impact of 
Ryoga's fist only a few centimeters from the side
of his face.  As much as he enjoyed sparring with Ryoga, fighting in
a tiny elevator car against an invisible opponent wasn't his idea of
a good fight.
"Uh, sorry, man.  I didn't really mean that."
"Whatever.  You have no idea what you're laughing at."
Ranma's tone became more serious.  "What do you mean?"
"You think I LIKE not knowing where I'll end up next?  The confusion, the. 
. ."
"The what?"
Very quiet now, "The fear."
"Fear?"  Ranma fought the incredulity out of his voice.
Ryoga never admitted weakness; the revelation disturbed Ranma's
view of the other martial artist.
"Yah.  In Japan it isn't that bad, but if I end up anywhere else, I have to 
deal with signs in Russian and French and Hindi, and
I don't know the language, and it makes me so mad!"
"Don't you know English or anything?  What about those
classes in Junior High?  Remember Mr. Takamoto?"
"I can say "Where am I?" in seven or so languages, but I
don't understand any of the answers I get.  So it doesn't do me much good.  
And all that I remember from those English classes are stupid stuff like 
'Where's the library?' 'Will you be my girlfriend?,' 'I am allergic to 
onions,' and 'Let's do lunch.'  Nothing that I can
actually use."
"Wow.  And I thought I did bad in that class."
"Do you remember anything?"
"If I thought about it real hard I could remember the
alphabet, and I can still count to ten.  Uh, stuff like "girl," "boy," 
"house," "pencil," and stuff like that."
"Ever have a use for it?"
"When Pop and I were in China, before Jusenkyo, we met a
couple of tourists from Europe who knew good English.  Pop didn't
know any Chinese, and neither did I, but they knew a bit.  I
actually remembered some English then, so I got them to give us directions 
to a restaurant.  They took some pictures of us, you know,
a couple of Japanese martial artists in the middle of China without a map or 
a clue.  What a great thing to show the neighbors."
Ryoga chuckled.
"What?"
"Heh, it's funny that you should be ticked about something
like that.  That kind of thing happens all the time to me.  You get used to 
it.  In fact, there's this one town somewhere here in Japan that holds a 
betting pool for when I'll show up next."
"Really?"
"Yep."
A few minuets passed before Ranma spoke up again.  "Hey, I don't suppose 
you saw Akane when you came in?"
"No.  Why, did you lose her again?"
Ranma ignored the loaded comment.  "No, we were just gonna
meet at one of the coffee shops, the one next to a bookstore, but it turned 
out all of the were next to bookstores.  I looked around for a while, but 
didn't find her.  I thought maybe I was late and that she had gone on ahead. 
  Maybe she was late, since you didn't see her either."


**

Akane sat in an ice cream parlor, sipping ice tea with Sayuri, a friend 
from school.  The weather had been getting cooler, but Akane had been hot 
with anger for well over an hour, so the cool tea helped her relax.
"So you and Ranma actually had a date today?" Sayuri asked.
"It's not a date!  We were just going to go to the Tokyo Tower since he's 
never been there."
"No way!  Never?"
Akane shook her head.  "Nope.  I didn't believe it either when he told me.  
I suppose it makes sense because he's been travelling around for most of his 
life, and all the martial arts training didn't leave a lot of time for 
tourism."
Sayuri grinned slyly.  "Are you defending him, Akane?  That's so cute!"
"I am NOT defending him."
Sayuri just drank her tea, and didn't believe a word.
The two girls sat and drank in silence for a few minuets.  A
TV sat on a high corner shelf on the other side of the restaurant and Akane 
watched an afternoon samurai drama with casual interest.  She
was just getting into the story when an emergency bulletin
interrupted the show.
"A major power outage has crippled downtown Tokyo, resulting
in several television stations going off the air.  No cause has been 
determined yet, and repairs may take up to six hours to complete.  Commuters 
are cautioned to stay away from the Tokyo Tower and surrounding 
neighborhoods since all traffic lights are out.  Updates will be broadcast 
as details arise."  The samurais returned to the screen, but Akane wasn't 
watching anymore.
"We were going to meet near the Tower," Akane said to her tea.  "At that 
coffee shop across from the bookstore."
"Which coffee shop?" Sayuri asked.
Akane spoke to Sayuri now.  "You know, the coffee shop."
"There's about seven.  And most of them are across from bookstores."
"Hmph.  That's no excuse for him not to show up."


**

The atmosphere inside the elevator was starting to grow stale.  A tiny leak 
of air drifted in through the crack between the doors, so Ranma knew they 
wouldn't sufficate anytime soon.  Even so, he was starting to feel a bit 
light headed, as if he was in a much higher altitude.  He figured almost two 
hours had passed.  Boredom was
hitting him hard.
"Ryoga?"
"Hhhmmm?"
"What do you think about when you're away lost in some God-forsaken 
wilderness?"
"Eh?"
"I said---"
"I heard you, Ranma.  Why do you ask?"
"Cause I wanna know."
"Don't wanna say."
"Aw, come on.  You can ask me a question next."
Ryoga sighed.  "Fine."
For a moment Ryoga gathered his thoughts into a clear
pattern, then he spoke.
"I usually think about Nerima."
"Really?  What about it?"
"Oh, the people, the buildings, the mall, that stupid statue
in that one park, you know.  Just stuff like that."
"Which statue do you mean?"
"The one of that guy on the horse.  He's shooting his gun backwards or 
something.  You know which one I mean."
"Um, I don't think that's in Nerima."
"Oh.  Well, anyway.  Stuff like that."
"Why Nerima?"
"Because of all the places that I end up, I keep coming back there.  Like 
I'm supposed to be there.  Even though I don't know many people, and live in 
a tent in a vacant lot, I feel like I belong in
the place.  There's enough weirdness there that my own little bit
won't matter too much.  I mean, between you and Akane, the kids at
your school, and that one girl who flies, I think I'm pretty normal."
"Girl who. . .flies?"
"Yah, you've seen her, haven't you?  She must go to that other high school, 
cause I've never seen her at Furinkan."
"St. Hebereke's?"
"No, the other one."
Ranma decided to play along with the Lost Boy.  Ryoga's logic followed a 
path even more convoluted then his walking did.  "Oh yah, that one. . .um. . 
.I forgot what it's called.  But yah, I think I
know which one you mean."
"It's my turn now."
"Wha?"
"You said I could ask you a question."
"Oh yah.  Go for it."
Ryoga thought.  This was an opportunity to see into the life
of his ally/rival, and he should use it to his advantage.  Hmm.
"What scares you, Saotome?"  That was a good question.  Besides, Ryoga had 
already admitted one of his fears.
Ranma didn't answer.
"What are you afraid of?"
"Um, don't know you?"
"Would I ask if I did?  So tell me."
"I'm not afraid of nothing."
"Don't lie, Ranma, of course you are.  Everyone's afraid of something."
"You can't tell anyone."
"Fine.  As a warrior, you have my word."
Murmured, "Ktz"
"What?
A little louder "C-Cats."
"CATS?!"
"Not so loud.  Even the word. . .ugh."
"But why cat---um, you know."
"Well, like everything else that's a mess in my life, it's Pop's fault.  
Some stupid training thing he decided to try when I
was a kid.  Nine or so I think.  Something like that.  Anyway, he
tied all this fish sausage to me and threw me in a pit with a bunch
of---you know."
"Really."  Ryoga wasn't sure whether to believe this stupid story or not.  
While throwing his only child to a pack of hungry animals for training 
wasn't something he'd put above Genma Saotome,
but it was pretty weird.
"Yep.  And again.  And a third and forth time.   Well, it finally screwed 
up, and well, I get kinda crazy whenever I'm around cats."
Ryoga smiled to himself in the thick darkness.  Had he at last found a 
weakness that he could exploit?
Ranma seemed to sense the other's thoughts.  "Of course, you know what 
happens after, don't you?"
"Hm?  After what?"
"Everyone's gotta cope with fear somehow.  Some people scream, some run 
away, and others fight back.  I freak out.  Really bad.  Ever hear of 
Neko-ken?"
Ryoga gulped.  "The, uh, Cat-Fist?"
"Yep."
"You know the Cat-Fist?"
Ranma nodded, but Ryoga didn't need to see the movement to
get his answer.
"That's a tough technique.  I saw it once in. . .somewhere.
It was. . .messy."
"Unfortunately, I can't turn it on and off like other techniques. It's 
triggered by too much fear, and my mind takes a vacation till I calm down.  
Hey, you remember that photo of Akane and me, well, sorta almost kinda 
kissing?  That was at---
"YOU KISSED AKANE!?"
"Shut up!  I never did!  You saw the photo, remember?"
"You won't be forgiven this time, Ranma!"
Ranma punched in the direction of Ryoga's voice and made contact with a 
head or arm or something.
"Urkg," was all Ryoga said.
"So you gonna let me finish my story?"
"Sure Ranma, go for it."
"Anyway, that was at the end of a Cat-fist episode.  I don't remember what 
happened, but someone took a photo and I saw that part."
"So you didn't know what you were doing?"
"Nope.  Even now I'm not real clear about what happened that day.  I was in 
the gymnasium and then I was in the pool."
"Whoa."
"Yah."
Ryoga waited, then whispered, "Cats."  He barely avioded Ranma's fist.


**

Ranma dozed lightly, fatigue amplified in the warm close air
of the elevator.  Images came and went over his awareness, teasing as he lay 
at the edge of sleep.  Trees, grass, sun, sky. . .all these passed before 
his mind's eye before being reabsorbed into the darkness.  People now, and 
snippets of conversation.  "Ranma no BAKA!"  "Ah, Pig-Tailed Girl!"  "You 
won't forget me, will you Ranma?  You won't forget mommy?"  A long-buried 
conversation began to surface as Ranma fell deeper into sleep.
"Hey Ranma!"
The sudden start back to reality jarred his mind like Akane's mallet.
"Wha?  Eh?"
"Hey Ranma, you awake?"
"I am now, you idiot.  Whaddya want?"
"I gotta know.  What's it like being a girl?"
Ranma was fully awake now.  "You wake me up to ask me that?  What the hell 
are you thinking?  I'd pound you except that I'd damage this nice elevator."
"So you gonna tell me or what?"
"Shut the hell up.  You don't know what you're talking about."
"I will if you tell me."
"Look, Ryoga.  This isn't something I like to talk about.
Just drop it, ok?"
"But I gotta know!"
"Why?  Why is this so damn important to you?"
"Just cause.  I'm curious."
"You know what they say about curiousity."
"Huh?" Ryoga was confused.
"Never mind.  Just drop it."
Ryoga couldn't see the harsh glare that Ranma directed at
him, but some extra sense told him.
"Well, actually, I just wanted to know if it's anything like, well, like 
the pig."
Ranma thought hard about how different a pig and a girl were, but how 
similar their situations were.  Finally he spoke.
"I guess it's a lot the same.  Well, not the same, but
nether's worse then the other, I suppose."
"Whaddya mean?  I'm a lot worse off then you; at least you
can still talk and move around and get water when you need it.  And people 
don't try to eat you, and you don't have to worry about being run over by 
some car.  And the world looks a lot different when you're that small, 
believe me.  Useful things weren't made with pigs in mind."
"Yah, well, I suppose you got a point.  But people treat you different when 
you're a girl."
"Same thing if you're a pig."
"It's different.  They don't expect anything from pigs, but they expect 
things from girls.  Folks expect them to be sweet and talk nice and stuff.  
But I don't do none of that.  Well, ok, sometimes I do, but I hate it.  All 
those parts, and parts that. . .aren't there.  Guys are always trying to 
take advantage of me or flirt with me, and I feel sick whenever they do.  
It's awful.  And I'm small!  Well, not small, but a lot smaller then when 
I'm a guy; even shorter then Akane.  I'm not used to that, and it's really 
hard.  And there's, well, other stuff."
"Like what?"
"Well, you know. . ."Ranma was getting embarrassed.  "Once a month, you 
know."
Ryoga knew enough.  He felt blood begin to gather in his nose from 
embarrassment.  "You mean, you're like, all girl?  Even THAT way?"
"Yep.  Even THAT way."
"So you could, um, get---"
"Don't even say it, Ryoga."
Ryoga honestly didn't know what to say.  He was still curious, but he was 
treading on dangerous ground now.  Ranma anticipated
Ryoga's next words.
"Think, um, little razors shoved up your ass and grinding around in your 
belly for a few days.  Only, sorta different.  But that's close enough.  I 
guess.  And cramps.  Like really bad food poisoning, only you can't puke it 
up.  You just gotta sit there and take it.  Just gotta take it like a. . 
.well, like a woman, I guess."
"When?"
"In China.  Only a week or so after Jusenkyo.  The monsoons were rushing 
through Asia, and Pop and I got stuck on the edge of a storm one day.  It 
rained off and on for a week, and it took a few
days more to get any hot water, since all the grass and wood was soaked.   
And a couple times since, but I try to avoid staying a girl for very long 
anyway.  But yah.  It's for real."
"Whoa."
"Yah.  Anything else you wanna know, pig-boy?"
"Nah.  You can go back to sleep now."

**

It was now evening over Tokyo, and the 6:00 news played on television sets 
and radios across the city.
"And in other news, the five and a half hour power outage
that shut down downtown Tokyo was finally repaired.  The outage stopped 
computer networks, phone lines, and elevators, even trapping two young men 
inside the Tokyo Tower elevator.  When asked later about their experience, 
they only said, "It's good to be out."

**



Authors B.S.
Long time fanfic writer, first time submitter.  This was just
a cute little bit of fluff that I picked at for a few months until it 
finally turned into something.  It was fun writing for my two favorite Ranma 
1/2 charactors, and sincerly hope to use them in a better story soon.  What? 
  Out of charactor you say?  Well, darkness and close spaces make for 
intresting conversation, ask any stage actor.  Just in case you're 
wondering, the title for this fic is the same as a song in the musical 
"Hair;" it's not a coincidence, but they don't have anything to do with each 
other.  Also, the allusion to the "girl who flies" is Lum.  After all, Ryoga 
would be the one to accidently fall into a separate timeline.  I appreciate 
any and all C&C.  It's varel@hotmail.com   Flames will be happily 
extinguished.  Be-dah!  >,o