========
STRANDS
========

This original fanfic (with elements of other anime series) is a bit
gloomy.. and I'm in the tentative stages of planning other chapters. 
Hikage (main character) has MANY personal problems.. I wish to highlight
his inner struggles and make him mature for the better or for the worse as
the chapters progress.. 

This is my first fanfic, so please send your C&C to suh1@uiuc.edu.  I
think it's a bit ambitious for my first attempt.. but this idea has been
boiling inside my head for a LONG time..  I would really appreciate any
tips/help in improving my writing style. 

Certain characters and references in this fanfiction are copyrighted by
their respective creators.  I might use these characters in a way that
might conflict with the creators' original intentions.  (for this
prologue:  Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2) 

Myung
suh1@uiuc.edu

12/31/97
=====================================================================

[opening sequence]

theme for opening sequence - "With Love" (P2 Soundtrack)

	A black screen.. Fade into Hikage.  His thin body accentuates his
above average height; he has an angular face.  He wears nondescript
clothes - a dark green long sleeved shirt with faded blue jeans. Hikage
walks slowly with a drooping head in inky darkness, facing the viewer.  He
stops walking, his sad face staring straight ahead..  (POV: camera swirls
around to face hikage's front view)  Another Hikage stands there, his
raven black hair contrasting with his very white skin.  He wears the same
clothes.. except that they are all black.  His eyes are also entirely
black.  He sneers at the other Hikage. 
	The two Hikages walk side by side in the middle of the screen,
while many places quickly fade in and out in the background.  The first
Hikage walks with his hands in the pockets, his eyes down toward the
invisible ground, while the second Hikage walks confidently with his lips
curled up at the edges.  Other characters (some are human, some are not)
associated with the background scenaries fade in and out at the sides of
the two Hikages.  They are in various poses facing the viewer - they
sometimes wear strange clothing, and some of them hold items (some
identifiable, some not).  The two Hikages stop walking and look up to a
point high above their heads. (POV: camera swirls to their backside to
follow their view)  They see a bright point of light where many strings of
light converge in the darkness.. 
	The point of light and the strings of light morph to become a
pupil covering the entire screen.  Zoom out a little.. we see the entire
eye.  It is Hikage's brooding left eye, but it is different somehow..  The
pupil is about half covered by his eyelid.  The pupil is very dark. 
Several action scenes involving the other characters are quickly reflected
on his eye. 
	Zoom out of the eye, and only one Hikage is remaining in the
screen.  We can't tell if it is the first or the second Hikage.  On his
face is a small smile. He starts walking..  (POV: slide over to his back)
He walks toward a circle of light in the darkness.  Fade out

=======
Prologue
=======

	It was dark.  Everything was dark.  Confusion flew around and
screeched at him, disorienting him.  He was floating in a sea of darkness. 
No light, no form, no consciousness.  Just the darkness and his hidden
observer of the semi-consciousness.  Now it was pleasant.  Not knowing
anything, floating in this sea of darkness.  He escaped the thing that was
frightening him..  Escaped to this calm, pleasant sea of darkness.  Now he
would know peace.  Peace and quiet.  That was all. 
	Then everything changed.  Slowly but surely, the darkness grew
lighter and lighter until it was no longer black.  It was now a blazing
sea of powdery yellow.  Sand.  Dust.  He stood in the desert without
feeling the sand, the sun and the wind.  Then he started walking.  He
didn't know where he was walking, but it didn't matter.  The destination
was chosen for him.  He came to a well.  A strange well.. that well.  The
yellowish rocks of the well crumbling and disappearing into the glaring
yellow sands.. 
	He looked down the well and only saw the inky darkness.  He looked
and looked and looked.  Then he saw a ripple of light at the bottom of the
well.  Then he felt a presence beside him.  He turned and looked.  A young
man was standing before him.  A strange young man..  that man.  The man
was himself.. but different somehow.  He was thin, with pale white skin,
contrasting with his raven black hair.  The man's eyes were black opals,
staring through him.  He didn't feel anything. 
	The desert and the strange man became blurry.  They were swallowed
by the darkness.  It was nothing now.  Nothing before, nothing now, but
nothing after?  It didn't matter.  He was now back in the sea of darkness. 
It made him comfortable - he had no worries now.  It made him forget,
forget, forget.. about what??  He was absorbed in nothing and knew
nothing. 
	The sea of darkness changed.. for the second.. or.. no, for the
first time?  A ripple spread through it, as if the disturbing stone of the
consciousness was thrown into it.  It was blurry.  No, it was steam. 
Steam was rising around him. 
	He was in a shower room with steam all around him.  There was a
mirror in front of him.  He saw himself, his former self that is, and saw
that his skin was peeling away from his face.  It disturbed him.  It
wasn't supposed to be like this.  This endless, unknowing dream of
darkness.  Why was it being interrupted by these.. 'things'??  He peeled
away the skin of his face.  He noticed that he was now different but the
same.  A strange young man was staring back at him in the mirror. The man
was himself.. but different somehow.  A pale white skin, contrasting with
raven black hair.  The man's eyes were black opals, staring through him. 
His unflinching glare was.. unpleasant...  Yes.. it was bad, bad, bad,
bad, bad, bad, bad.  It disturbed him. 
	The steam and the strange man became blurry.  It was his sea of
darkness again.  Yes, now he was happy, happy to get away from.. from.. 
what??  It didn't matter.  He was in the sea of darkness, and it made him
happy.  It made him comfortable - he had no worries now.  It made him
forget, forget, forget.. about what??  He was absorbed in nothing and knew
nothing. 
	The sea of darkness changed.. for the third.. or.. no..  it was
the first time it changed since he arrived.  The tranquility of the
darkness was shattered like.. like..  what.. what was it that he was
remembering?  No.  It was nothing..  just go along with the change.. 
Follow it.  He followed it.  The inky black pools frothed and became
lighter and lighter. 
	He was in the desert again.  Wait..  Again?  No..  was I here
before??  No..  This is the first time he was here.  He tried to convince
himself it was his first time, but he could not shake off the thick coat
of doubt.  He was walking in the dusty yellow sand.  He didn't feel the
sand, the sun or the wind.  He stopped.  In front of him was a beautiful
woman in a white kimono.  Standing beside her was a lithe teenage girl
wearing a t-shirt and short pants.  Somehow, he knew they were his mother
and his sister.  Dead.  They were dead.  They were very pale.  They were
dead and couldn't say anything.  They stared at him.  It made him
uncomfortable.  It was bad.  A strange young man appeared next to him.. 
He had a vague sense of.. recognizing this man.  Yes.. The man was
himself.. but different somehow.  His black opal eyes..  Yes..  Something
about those eyes.  Yes..  He saw this man somewhere before..  Somewhere..
before this.  Then the young man startled him by speaking to him.  No..
No..  This isn't happening.  No one can speak...  here...  where? 
	The young man spoke.  "You're dead.. and you committed the
ultimate crime." 
	A rising sensation of panic began to spread through him.  This is
not happening..  What crime?  What crime?  I didn't commit a crime.. of
any sort.  Did I?  No.  No!  You lie!  You lie! 
	The young man simply replied.  "You had a wasted life." 
	Nononononononononononononononononono notagain notagain notagain
notagain thisisnothing thisisnothing thisisnothing yourenothing
yourenothing yourenothing
	His mother and his sister spoke in unison.  "Guilty."  This
simple, one word shattered him like the ice pick striking the early spring
ice.  He could think nothing, say nothing, just stand there. stand there. 
he was just a shattered glass.  he was breaking apart all the comfort
draining draining like the precious water in the cracked pitcher..
drained. no more it existed. nothing. hide hide hide..  But.  But.  Yes. 
That is true.  Can't run.  No places to hide.  He accepted the truth. No
places to hide.  All he could do now was acknowledge them and the truth. 
the pain pain pain. 
	"Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty... 
Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty... 
Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty...  Guilty... " 
	The desert, his family and the strange young man blurred.  They
disappeared into the darkness.  He was back in his sea of darkness again.. 
He savored the feeling of comfort again..  Yes. Yes. forget forget the
feeling of pain of pain of ...  what??  no matter.  It didn't matter
anymore.  Yes.. He was free. Free! Peace and quiet.  Peace and quiet, once
more!?  He was in the sea of darkness, and it made him happy.  It made him
comfortable - he had no worries now.  It made him forget, forget, forget..
about what?? Wait..  It was different now..  A tendril of.. worry now
reached to him..  tickling him..  probing him.  No.. No..  The blackness
warped and something entered the sea of darkness.  No.. No..  It was fear! 
	The inky blackness pulsated, and it became lighter and lighter. 
He was now in a meadow.. with flowers.. No..  He knew this place for once. 
He knew this place!  No!  I don't like this place!  No! Run!  There! 
There!  The rock is chasing me!  The rock!  The huge rock was coming for
him.  Run, all he could do was run.  Yes, stay ahead of the rock.  Don't
look back. Run!  He looked back and saw the flowers.. the flowers crushed
by the rock..  no.. no.. no..  the pain.. the FEAR..  the FEAR!!  NNOOO!! 

	His eyes snapped open, fully expecting the boulder to be on top of
him.  A brief sensation of panic washed over him and withdrew, leaving
behind only weariness and confusion.  He felt his face with his hand.. and
slowly rubbed his slick fingers covered with his oily sweat. 
	* calm down calm down.  only a nightmare.. only THE nightmare..
like the last time?! Huh?!?!  w-wait a minute..*
	He groaned and slid out of the blanket, his bare upper body
exposed to the cool air of the early morning. 
	* where am I? *
	He looked around the room.  It was bathed in a pale blue grey
light, since the sun was still below the horizon.  He now noticed that he
did not recognize the room. 
	* there is the window.  there is the door...  where am I?? *
	He became aware of the huge hump of black and white lying right
next to him.  Its body facing the ceiling was going up and down with
each.. breath of air?!  He was now absolutely puzzled. 
	* what is this? * He impulsively poked the black and white thing
and froze at the touch.  * that felt like fur! * Quite suddenly, the hump
turned over with a grunt and muttered several unconscious gruffs in its
contented sleep. 
	* p-p-panda?!?! f-f-..* His mouth dried up, and the cry of
surprise was caught in his throat.  Immediately, he scrambled toward the
door, keeping a cautious eye on the sleeping panda.  In his surprise, he
did not even see he was half naked. 
	He let out a sigh after escaping the room and sat on the cool
floor. * where the hell am I?  why was I sleeping next to a panda?! * He
tried to remember how and why he came to this.. place, but his mind was a
blank.  * n-need to wash my face..  m-maybe I am just hallucinating.. 
have to wakeup..  wakeup.. need to take shower.. m-maybe my memory will
come back.. *
	He got up and softly crept in the corridor, trying to find a
bathroom in a house he had never seen.  He carefully opened several doors,
only to find bedrooms occupied by other sleeping residents of the house. 
* why don't I remember?? who are these people? * He fought his frustration
and opened another door.  It was a bathroom. 
	He quickly entered and walked over to the sink.  He took a glance
in the mirror.. and did not recognize his face.  This face was handsome
and had its black hair tied in a ponytail..  * this isn't happening.. 
this.. is not my face??  wait.. * He stared at himself with a face etched
in horror.  * I..  I can't remember what I look like! .. n-no.. it's
nothing.. i'm hallucinating that's right i'm hallucinating i'll remember
after.. after what?! * His thoughts becoming hysterical, he turned on the
faucet and splashed his face with the freezing water. 
	He felt changes to his body.  He felt his bare chest.. developing
breasts?!  His hair changed its color to a vibrant red.  His height
decreased..  A startled gasp tore out of his.. no, HER mouth as she
feverishly looked at the mirror.  She was no longer the boy she previously
saw.  She was now a beautiful red haired, blue eyed girl. 
	Her face drained of blood as shock overtook her.  A very loud,
feminine scream pierced the morning calm of the sleeping household. 

===========
Prologue End
===========

To be continued with chapter one of STRANDS:  The Shadow

Myung
suh1@uiuc.edu