Hello, FFML'ers! If you're reading this, the subject tag has caught your
attention. Well, recently I wrote a songfic based on CS, and sent it in to the
guys (well, one guy. Thanks Mike!) involved in writing that fine piece of
work. And, lo and behold, they thought it was good, and said it would be okay
for me to post it here. The rest, as they say, is history.
A basic understanding of Converging Series is required to understand this, and
it helps if you've seen Les Mis.
I dedicate this to my mom, who forced me to go see the play when I was
fifteen.
Oh, one last thing: like most songfics, this is heavily dependent on the
precise placement of words. If my mailer screws up for the umpteenth time and
this comes out garbled, I apologize.
Now, on with the show!
-One Day More-
A Converging Series songfic by Matthew Giglia.
Adapted from the 'Les Miserables' song of the same name.
[The scene opens upon the Tendo dojo, obscenely early in the morning. In the
pre-dawn gloom, we see Ranma, Akane, Miyabi, and Ukyo sitting at the table,
eating an early breakfast. Childra and Ishido are sitting on the porch, Ishido
with an arm draped over Childra. Reiraku is skulking unseen in the bushes,
thinking dark thoughts.]
UKYO (looking around suddenly): Hey, wait a second. Where's Ryo?
AKANE: Ryo?
UKYO (glaring): Yeah, Ryo. Remember, MY son? <shoots a look at Miyabi>
RANMA: I dunno. I haven't seen him in a while.
RYO (faintly): I'm up here, everybody.
[Ranma and Ukyo, curious, get up and head outside towards the voice. Miyabi
and Akane share a look, and follow. Outside, they turn and look up at the
roof. Ryo is lying against the peak, looking very much like Ranma in the dim
light. He is wearing the locket, and gazing off eastward, where there is a
faint glow around the rim of the horizon.]
RANMA: Hey Ryo, what're you doing?
RYO: I'm thinking. About... possibilities.
[Ryo pushes himself up into a sitting position. The first faint strings of
music begin. Slowly, softly, he begins to sing.]
RYO:
One day more!
Another day, another destiny.
This never-ending road to Calvary;
This man who slips across the times [Images of Ryo Muhoshin, with a
Will surely kill another time. maniacle look on his face,
killing Ryoga
One day more! after Ryoga after
Ryoga...]
[We cut to Childra and Ishido, who are standing next to the koi pond,
embracing tenderly.]
ISHIDO:
I did not live until today.
How can I live when we are parted?
RYO:
One day more.
CHILDRA:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away,
And yet with you, my world has started!
[Miyabi moves out onto the porch with the others to look at Ryo. She stands
next to her parents, and Ranma and Akane instinctively move closer to each
other and to her, almost into an protective embrace. Ukyo, slightly off to the
side, looks on.]
UKYO (sadly):
One more day all on my own.
CHI & ISH:
Will we ever meet again?
UKYO:
One more day with him not caring.
CHI & ISH:
I was born to be with you.
UKYO: [Brief scenes of Ryo,
her son, and the
What a life I might have known. world he came from, where Ukyo
and
Ranma are married
and she is happy.]
CHI & ISH:
And I swear I will be true!
UKYO: [Ukyo looks at Ranma,
Akane, and
But he never saw me there! Miyabi again. Her picture of
her and
Ranma together
shatters.]
[The music begins to speed up, growing in intensity. Miyabi gives her parents
one final hug each, then vaults up on the roof to stand besides Ryo. He
acknowledges her briefly, standing up and turning to face eastwards, where the
sky begins to lighten slightly. The locket starts to flicker blue. Below,
still skulking in the shadows, Reiraku moves to sullenly observe them.]
RYO:
One more day before the storm!
REIRAKU (looking at Miyabi):
Do I follow where she goes?
RYO:
At the barricades of freedom!
REIRAKU:
Shall I join my brothers there?
RYO:
When our ranks begin to form
REIRAKU:
Do I stay; and do I dare?
[Ryo turns to look directly into Reiraku's eyes, which startles him.]
RYO:
Will you take your place with me?
ALL BUT REIRAKU:
The time is now, the day is here!
RYO:
One day more!
[The music goes up another notch in intensity. Suddenly, we cut to a tropical
island. It is the one where Muhoshin and Kaeri spent time recovering. The view
rotates and we see them standing on the shoreline, gazing out across the
water. It is early morning, with the first hints of dawn lighting the sky.
Muhoshin is perched on a rock, fingering his locket. Kaeri stands on the
ground beside him. She is holding her bo staff, and idly snapping the blade in
and out of it.]
MUHOSHIN:
One more day to find Ryoga
We will nip him in the bud!
I will kill this little upstart,
He will wet himself with blood!
RYO (v.o):
One day more!
KAERI:
Watch 'em run amuck,
Catch 'em as they fall,
Never know your luck [Kaeri twirls her staff about,
preforming
When there's a free for all, blocks and parries. Almost
lazily, she
Here a little `dip' pokes at several rocks
around her, bakusai
There a little `touch' tenketsu'ing them into
oblivion. She smiles.]
Most of them are goners
So they won't miss much!
[The scene suddenly splits, so that we can see both the dojo and island.]
RYO & COMPANY: One day to a new beginning
MUHOSHIN & KAERI: Raise the flag of vengeance high!
RYO & COMPANY: Every man will be a king!
MUHOSHIN & KAERI: Every man will be a king!
RYO & COMPANY: There's a new world for the winning!
MUHOSHIN & KAERI: There's a new world to be won!
FULL COMPANY: Do you hear the people sing?
[There is a thump on the roof behind Ryo and Miyabi. Turning, they see Reiraku
standing there, a slightly resigned look on his face.]
REIRAKU:
My place is here, I fight with you!
RYO:
One day more!
[The music begins to build towards a climax. The sky grows ever lighter. Ryo
and Muhoshin's respective lockets begin to glow a brighter blue.]
ISHIDO: UKYO:
I did not live until today. One more day all on my
own!
CHILDRA: MUHOSHIN:
How can I live when we are parted? I have joined these people's heros
I have followed
where they go
[ Brief scenes of Muhoshin posing as I have learned their little secrets
Ryo 'Gosunkugi'] I have known the things
they know
RYO:
One day more!
ISHIDO: UKYO:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away What a life I might have known!
KAERI: MUHOSHIN:
Watch 'em run amok One more day to find Ryoga
Catch 'em as they fall We will nip him in the bud
Never know your luck We'll be ready for my
vengeance
When there's a free-for-all!
CHI & ISH:
And yet with you my world has started!
[Ishido gives Childra a last, passionate kiss, and then leaps up on the roof
with Miyabi and Ryo. Kaeri climbs up on the rock to stand beside Muhoshin.]
RYO:
Tomorrow we'll be far away,
Tomorrow is the judgement day!
FULL COMPANY:
Tomorrow we'll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more!
[The music reaches a final crescendo. Suddenly, dawn breaks across the eastern
horizon. The light reaches out and, simultaneously in two different worlds,
strikes the lockets. There are two flashes of cerulean fire, and Ryo, Miyabi,
Ishido, Reiraku, Muhoshin, and Kaeri are gone. They leave behind only a
deserted island, and four people who have much to consider about the future.]
[The End.]
-Mercutio
"A plague 'a both your houses!"