okay, this is my very first fanfic. well, it's the first one that i've actually written down, at least. i'm not sure about the "dark" tag anymore. (yes, Andrew Huang, i've been to your website.)
acknowledgements follow the story.
(El Hazard and all its characters are property of... ah, you already know.)
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El-Hazard: Another Night, Another Dream
Red mists swirled about and threatened to engulf Shayla-Shayla as she wandered through the haunted dreamscape of her subconcious. Tepid air swarmed over her body, invading her lungs. She coughed, gasped, inhaled more of the foul breeze. It smelled as though some animal had died and had been rotting for some time.
Worried eyes scanned the dark horizon as if searching for someone. "Makoto!" she cried into the darkness. Only her echo answered.
<He's not here,> her voice of self-doubt spoke. <And even if he was, why would he want to be with you?>
Shayla shook her head as if trying to dislodge a troublesome thought from her mind. "That's not true."
<Lie to yourself if you must.> If the voice had a face, it would have smirked.
The fog seemed to grow thicker before Shayla's eyes. Cold, apathetic fingers traced her spine, causing her to quake uncontrollably.
A figure stepped out of the mists.
"Makoto!" Shayla was suddenly overjoyed, despite the dark atmosphere. "You're here!"
Makoto's face brightened visibly. When she saw him, Shayla thought she would burst from happiness.
It was a happiness that was never meant to last.
"Ifurita..." Makoto breathed.
The smile dropped from Shayla's face. She turned and felt her blood freeze up in her veins when she saw the demoness.
"But... Makoto... You... You love?" she stammered, unable to complete the thought.
Makot unceremoniously shoved Shayla out of the way as he ran with open arms toward his one true love. "Ifurita!"
He melted into the arms of his one true love. They embraced, becoming one, completly oblivious to the slack-jawed figure staring at them, so close she could hear every kiss and sweet nothing spoken.
"N... No..."
<Quit denying it.>
"But... It can't be!" Hot tears of pain and frustration began to well up in Shayla's eyes, and she swatted angrily at them with the back of her hand. She wasn't used to such emotions. Rage and anger were her usual states of mind. "Why can't he care for me?"
<Face it. You mean nothing to him.>
"It's not true!" Shayla screamed at the voice as Makoto and Ifurita continued their passionate embrace. "It can't be true..." she whispered.
Makoto turned and spotted Shayla, staring as if he'd just noticed her standing there. He eyed her critically.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned.
Shayla almost wilted beneath the gazes of the two lovers.
She mustered the courage her frame contained and said, "I think the question is, what are you doing here with her?" She glanced at Ifurita with malice in her eyes.
"How can you say that?"
"Look at her!" Shayla exploded. "You're in love with... with that... that bitch!"
Makoto looked hurt. He pointed an accusing finger at Shayla. "Ifurita... Get rid of her."
Ifurita raised the Power Key Staff and aimed for Shayla's heart. In one fluid motion, Shayla reached for her Lamp of Fire.
It wasn't there.
Panic shot through Shayla's innards as sharply as any bolt from Ifurita's staff.
"It is pointless to resist," Ifurita said.
<She's right you know.>
"Call her off," Shayla pleaded. "Please Makoto."
The air around the staff began to crackle and spark.
"C'mon! This isn't like you!"
Makoto remained stoic, a statue. His face had hardened, becoming a reflection of his frozen heart.
Ifurita's eyes narrowed. "Quit groveling."
"Makoto..." Shayla whispered. It was a last-ditch effort.
A glowing bolt of energy burst from the Power Key Staff. Shayla dogded, but not quickly enough. The blast caught her right shoulder, spinning her around and nearly taking her arm off.
From the ground, Shayla looked up at her two tormentors.
"Why?" she whimpered.
<Do you have to ask?>
For some reason, the voice sounded a lot like Afura.
"Ifurita," Makoto said coldly. "Finish her."
Ifurtita stepped forward, slamming her foot down on Shayla's chest. Makoto placed his hand on her shoulder, looking down on Shayla in repulsion.
"I can't believe you'd do this..." she murmured.
He spit in her face.
"Noooo!" Shayla screamed as Ifurita pointed the staff between her eyes...
***
Shayla shot up in bed, awakened by her own screams. Cold sweat had plastered her nightgown to her back and made the chill of the room seem even colder.
When her racing hearbeat had subsided, Shayla lay down once again.
"Makoto..." she whispered to the darkness as a single tear stained her pillow...
end...
well? c&c? anything?
thanx to:
Jill: without her help this probably would have been relegated to the "fanfics i'll probably never finish" pile.
Edweina: when i said, "be as brutal as you like" i think she took that to mean, "tear this apart, i'm begging you." on the other hand, it is a better 'fic as a result.
SuprCat: for putting up with me after all this time. (hey, WW, is 'Cat-chan back on the FFML? if not, she didn't mean what she said, she's sorry, and she'd really like to come back. </impassoined plea>)
and to all the people who cared enough to read this far. now my life has been fulfilled. i can die happy. well, less sad anyway.
elsetime,
nem0
Mr. O'Neil: Let's pledge to make Daria's dream a reality.
Daria: You mean the one where people walking down the stree burst into flames?
Visit the all-new DreamLand!
<=http://www.angelfire.com/mt/dland/index.html=>
my mind is like a jukebox and boredom keeps popping quarters... -- edweina@juno.com
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