Ah, this time was a learning and growing experience.  The first part of
this started out switching perspectives between the two people about 5 or
6 times as I tried to describe everything that was happening.  A writing
friend said do it from one perspective!  So I took the leap and found that
it was better. :)  So the new tool is to layout what each person is
doing/thinking/feeling/etc, layout the scene, then rewrite it from one
perspective, adding and subtracting what he or she would actually see or
comprehend.

Ari (Chapter 2)
By Charles K. Hurst

He waited patiently by the wall, waiting for her to pass by.  Extending
his field outwards, he felt the whisper of her presence at the edge, and
that of her friend.  Invoking the discipline of internal silence, he moved
deeper into the shadows.

She finally arrived, walking along slowly, a pensive look on her face.
Her friend was gone, apparently turning off somewhere along the way.  That
was good, he didn't know if he would have had enough courage to say what
he had to say if there had been someone else there besides her.

She didn't notice him at all, and once she had moved past him he
deliberately kicked the sidewalk to get her attention.  She started, then
slowly turned around.  She looked a little scared, and then angry.  She
raised her hand and it began to glow brightly with energy as she began to
edge backwards.

"Hisada-san . . ."  He called her name as he stepped forward.  She took
another step backwards, and began to turn away.  "Wait!" He spread his
arms wide, showing he meant no harm.  She hesitated, uncertainty written
across her face.  "I need to talk to you, Hisada Jenny."  It dawned upon
him that he was still in the shadows and that she couldn't tell who he
was.  He took a step forward and blinked a little as the moonlight fell
across his face.

She blushed then, a little, as she realized who he was.  "Ozawa-san!  I
couldn't tell it was you.  What do you want?"  But the worry didn't leave
her eyes, and she looked unhappy to see him.

"Please, I just need to talk to you, nothing else."  He looked across the
street to avoid staring directly at her.  He wondered again if this was a
good idea, but he had committed himself.  Again, he tried to look directly
at her, but his heart and body betrayed him and he glanced away again.
He choked back the urge to laugh hysterically or kick something.

The tension only got worse as he waited, torn between need and desire.
"I, um, I . . ."  He just couldn't say it straight out.  "I've noticed you
in class," he managed, finally.  "You're very popular."

She blushed even harder than she had before.  Why was she blushing?  His
heart skipped a beat.  Maybe she liked him.  Cold cynicism crushed that
hope mercilessly.  All he was doing was embarrassing her by saying
something so personal in a public place.  Maybe he could ask her to go
somewhere more private.  Now he blushed a little.  Baad idea.

E'ani's impatience finally erupted.  *Say what you came to say, you fool,
but quit taking so long.  You are wasting my time!* Ari startled in
surprise at the sudden, loud voice in his mind.

*Shut Up!* he screamed back mentally, but the interruption served its
purpose. He began again.  "Hisada-san, I wanted to say that . . . that I
like you."  There, he had said it, for all its brief agony.  Now he had to
know, and so he looked directly into her face.

At first, she seemed a little surprised and shocked.  Her eyes widened a
little in disbelief and she started to say something, but stopped.  She
looked away for a minute.  When she looked back, he could see a spark of
anger in her eyes and her voice was harsh.  "What about Mieko?"  Then her
blush deepened, and she looked slightly embarrassed, but he hardly noticed
as he turned away in sudden confusion.  What sort of question was that?

"I . . . she . . . um."  He was stammering now, desperately trying to find
an answer.  What did she mean?  Worse than that, what did she know?  A
confused tide of emotion rolled over him and he found himself swimming in
quicksand, struggling to find purchase or bearing.

She was clenching her fists, and her shoulders hunched forward.  That
wasn't a good sign.  His younger sister always did that when she was
really, truly angry.  Unconsciously seeking escape, he edged backwards
towards the wall.

She spoke again, still angry, but with a slight tremble in her voice.
"How can you like me if you are always with her!  I've seen both of you
together, holding hands, kissing.  Why?"

He staggered backwards.  Kissing?  What was she talking about . . .  A
cold sensation of dread filled his stomach.  She had seen him and Mieko
when . . . when Mieko had been hungry.  It must have been behind the
temple today, he had thought he felt something or someone, but it had
been too faint and he hadn't been in much condition to concentrate.  He
needed time to think.  Desperately, grasping at straws, he replied with
the first question that entered his head.

"How would you know that?  Have you been following us around?"  His back
bumped into the wall.  It had all started out so well, gaining E'ani's
strength and freeing Mieko-chan.  But the moment had vanished two weeks
ago, and now everything turned to ashes as he touched it.  Bitterness
gnawed at his stomach, and he felt the cold iciness of despair begin to
creep up his limbs.

He glanced back at Jenny, but she was no longer looking at him.  She had
paled at his accusation.  Her face was ever so beautiful.  He had always
liked the way she blushed, a soft rosy color brushed across her soft white
skin.

She began to speak, softly, quickly, the embarrassment and despair she was
feeling evident in her voice.  "I just wanted to know what had happened.
Why all of a sudden you could walk and why one of my friends was spending
all her time with you and no longer talking to me or any of her other
friends.  I didn't mean to see anything . . . like that."  Did she really
see them behind the temple?  He wouldn't have thought she would describe
it as kissing if she had.

He felt scared, and he could feel the blood draining from his face with
fatigue as he hunched back against the wall.  She closed her eyes briefly,
and he could feel her trying to probe out towards someone.  Reaching out
himself to see who she was trying to reach, he ran into a barrier.
Startled, he tried again, applying more force, trying to ram through it.
It remained, unmoved.

He looked back at her to see how she would react.  Did she think he was
creating it?  He could see her begin to panic as she tried to get around
the barrier.  She opened her eyes, startled.  He watched the color of her
eyes swirl around with her emotions.  Something seemed to snap inside her,
finally, and she began to talk, quietly at first, but gradually rising in
tone as she grew more and more agitated.

"I can feel you in my mind.  Whenever I am near you, I . . . I don't know
how to describe it!  You're inside my head.  I didn't ask for it, I don't
want it there!"  She paused for a second, calming down a little.  "It's
not that it feels bad, I mean, your mind feels sort of comfortable and . .
. and nice.  I just wish it wasn't there all the time, nonstop."  She
frowned briefly, then looked back, her eyes trying to convince him of her
sincerity.  "I get a headache sometimes, I'm so afraid to think or feel
anything too strong for fear you'll hear it somehow."

All her frustration continued to pour out, now that she had started.
"What happened between you and Mieko?  I heard there was a fight and you
beat Mendou up badly.  And then I saw the two of you, and she was . . .
was . . ."

Ari flinched.  She had seen it clearly!  She just hadn't been able to say
it outright.  "And now I can't hear you at all, and I don't know why!  Why
is there a barrier?  I can't call my friends!  Please, just stop it, leave
me alone!"  She began to cry.

Her words were arrows of pain, pinning him to the wall.  When she finally
stopped, he slumped to the ground, drawing his knees up against his chest
and hiding his face against them.  Reaching inside he let go, losing the
barriers that had separated them.  He too had feared that she would feel
his emotions and hear his thoughts.

He hated pain, in himself and others.  He couldn't stand it.  He felt a
terrible need to be alone.  He began to whisper aloud, just loud enough to
draw strength and conviction for himself.  "Please go away for a few
minutes, E'ani.  Leave me alone.  I won't say your name, I won't betray
you.  Just leave me alone for a few minutes.  Please."  Grudgingly, he
felt the shadow leaving, pulling away.  As the power left, he could feel
the dead weight of his body returning.  Prices to pay, he knew that so
well now.  Always prices to pay.  Looking up at her tear-stained face, he
realized she was waiting for his response.

***************

She huddled in darkness, silent.  She felt cold, but the heat and need
inside pulsed with a life of its own.  *Soon,* the little voice whispered.
Her Need always demanded, never asked.  After the first few moments of
terror as He defeated the enemy, the pain of hunger, the blood . . .  She
retreated inside the safe place again.  Let the other take over.  Her life
was unbearable - if she could kill herself she would.  *NEVER!* shrilled
the ancient voice, *I will not be destroyed again!*

The girl screamed briefly as pain lashed her.  *Never think that, human,
never! I will live and have my vengeance.* It changed tone, pleading with
her in that soft, sweet voice, begging.  *Please, why won't you
understand?  If you would only understand and accept, I wouldn't have to
hurt you.* She could feel its aggravation.  *Animals are so weak compared
to my mighty D'nars.  But he killed them all.  I can still remember their
death screams as his machines came for them.* The anger returned, its
raging tones lashing at her soul.  *NEVER AGAIN!  I will destroy him!  I
will leave nothing but his core, and that I will torture for as long as I
live.*

Mieko flinched, and once again withdrew deep inside herself to the safe
place she had made in her memories of childhood..  Like a marionette with
its strings cut, her body collapsed on the bed.  The shadow raving on,
unaware.

Mieko had tried, tried so hard to stay in control, but the need always
returned, always took control, always made her do things she didn't want
to.  Mendou had awoken the need, but the Need had been too frightened of
him, and so she had been left to deal with his petty cruelties and
physical abuse by herself.  It wouldn't let her leave, not till Ari had
stepped in and driven Mendou away.

She shuddered and whimpered as she felt it begin, the slow burning of
deep, unsatisfied hunger.  Not again, not so soon!  She needed to sleep,
but it never understood things like that.  Yesterday had been the worst
ever, sneaking out in the middle of the night to lie naked in the compost
heap to satisfy one of Her cravings.  Nausea lanced through her, and she
curled up in agony.  She couldn't fight anymore.  Please, help me, someone
please help me! she cried out silently in her mind.  No one responded.  No
one ever did.  Mechanically, she rose to her feet.  She had to find him.
Silent tears began to trickle down her cheeks as Need took control and
began to call him to Herself as the body stumbled out of the room and
towards the front door.

End Chapter 2

Please let me know if you liked it!  Please let me know if you hated it
(and why)!  Domo Ariigato!

Charles K. Hurst - ImageNation Corp. Wage Slave/Employee - RPI graduate-MechE
Chocolate and Anime Forever!  1 year, 1 month a fan and counting.
MI = eps. 96  MB = eps. 72 - 0/4 episodes each to utter boredom or Fushigi!