No major revisions to the story; just a few, small important changes that I
thought were worth reposting this story...

HARD TO SAY GOODBYE 

~By K-chan~
k-chan@rocketmail.com

*Ranma 1/2 characters are copywrited to the ingenius of Rumiko Takahashi
and co.. I own nothing on these characters or their "unusual" situations.*
~Be warned, this will be a sadfic but as for a bitter ending...? You'll
just have to find out... ^_~ 
~I'm taking this from the manga, so no Sasuke in this one.~
~E-mail for last four chapters.~
~And could someone please help me with a cultural thing, what are the
typical/traditional foods eaten for breakfast and lunch in Japan, or if
possible... in the Ranma universe?~
~Some help regarding grammar and tenses would be of great help.~ 

Chapter 5: Bitter Sorrow

      The darkness gave him sanctuary; the wilderness let him breathe. He
did not have to worry about upholding social standards wrapped in the icy
bitter wind of the wild; his clothes dirtied with mud and grass. There were
no strange looks from strangers to suffer as he screamed to the night sky,
howling like a wild animal steeped in unrelenting pain. It flowed from him
like blood from a wound, agonising but with the slight relief of knowing
that he could still feel pain, was still alive... Yet, ideas of seppeku he
still contemplated or simply finding a cliff and throwing himself from it.
Yes, that would be quicker... but more dishonourable. He frowned in
disapproval, his face unseen in the night, unlit by lack of city.
       Could he even call himself a Kuno? He felt no honour; just shame,
grief, guilt, sadness and self-loathing crashing around in him, like a
struggling fishing boat in a terrible, fierce storm and the harsh waves,
driven by the wind, would not subside, would not relent!
       An anguished scream ripped across the empty land, no-one answering
the cry. Loneliness was what Tatewaki wanted right now, and what he hated
wanting.      

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
      
       "Nabiki?" Kasumi sat down beside her sister, in the living room.
"Nabiki, wake up."
       Rubbing her eyes open, Nabiki sat back up and stifled a yawn. "Did I
fall asleep?"
       "I think it's time you went to bed, sister," Kasumi said gently.
"It's past midnight and I know you were up late the last few nights, as
well." She received a surprised stare from Nabiki, who quickly hid her
emotions again.
        "You do? How?"
        "I'm your big sister so I know these things."
        Nabiki smiled a little; "the nineties' version of Big Brother,
hmm?" She stood up, stretching her arms while trying to keep her balance,
feeling the need to just flop back down but she couldn't. That would be a
weakness. So what that she missed a few hours of sleep? She couldn't just
lie around while Kuno was out there, possible in mortal danger. If he... if
he... it would be her fault and she would have failed him and herself.
Failure: she couldn't let that happen... 
       She noticed that the living room contained just her and Kasumi. The
house suddenly seemed so quiet, too. 
       "You didn't wait up for me, did you?" asked Nabiki. "You can go to
bed now, I'm up."
       "Shouldn't you, too? 
       "I can't, OK? I have work to do."
       "At this time of night?" Kasumi queried, a sympathetic smile drawn
across her face. "You've been working all day. I know you're worried about
your friend but, Nabiki..."
       "What?" she replied calmly, secretly pondering on the thought of her
being "worried" for Kuno. Wouldn't that mean she cared... for him? A
friend? No, it wasn't that. She just couldn't fail, that was all. Just
couldn't fail...
       The nineteen-year-old took in a breath. "Sister... I'm worried about
you, your health is worsening," Kasumi said in that firm but gentle voice
Nabiki hadn't heard for a long time. It was still too soon to hear it. "You
haven't been eating or sleeping enough and whatever you've been doing, you
need to take a break from it before..."
      "I'm fine," Nabiki answered defensively. She needed to find Kuno, to
make sure that he...
      Kasumi gazed up at her stern-faced sister and stood up to face her.
She wouldn't let anything happen to someone she loved, again. Not like last
time, she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. "No, you're not fine
and..." Kasumi struggled against her dislike of confrontation; her sister
mattered more, "...I won't let you work yourself to the bone."
       A startled Nabiki looked up at her: "But-"
       "You'll be no good to your friend, little sister. Please don't argue
with me," Kasumi stated, a slightly desperate tone in her words which made
Nabiki feel two feet tall. "For your own good, get some sleep. You've been
on edge since the funeral."
      Feeling the ice crack in her, unwilling to hurt Kasumi anymore for
the sake of her own pride, Nabiki felt the unassuming gaze bore down on
her. Nabiki smiled weakly and gave in. It was so nice to know someone
cared... but no-know else would ever get to know of this. "Let's go to bed,
we've got a long day tomorrow."
       Kasumi smiled happily with satisfaction, both pleasing and saddening
Nabiki. 
      She felt lucky to have a sister like Kasumi; if only Kuno had someone
as caring and kind as her...   

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

       Waking up to the light of morning, streaming in through her thin
curtains, Nabiki yawned and put her dressing gown on sleepily. She looked
outside her window to the views of houses and streets and deceptive
sunshine brightening the city. Straining her eyes, she wondered if she
could spot Tokyo University from here. She hoped to go there next year, no,
she _was_ going there and nothing could stop her. A determined grin found
its way onto her face. Those professors and tutors wouldn't know what hit
them. 
       Now, what would she do today? Glancing at her alarm clock, Nabiki
realised it was nearly the afternoon. She had slept in! But why...? Oh
yeah, that's right, she was up late last night because of... oh no.
       Suddenly, the sun seemed not to be as bright and Tokyo University,
forgotten. The day seemed less inviting and all because of... how dare he?!
Running away like that - no place to go, just out of hospital. Idiot! How
dare he ruin this beautiful day! She scowled to herself while dressing up
in a hurry. Storming into the bathroom, she quickly splashed her face with
water and dabbed it erratically with a towel. She didn't have any time to
lose in searching for that jerk. 
       Catching her angry face in the mirror, with tangled, messy hair,
Nabiki put on a cool, calm expression and straightened out her hair. Near
perfect; it would do. Striding down the stairs, she stopped when she heard
Kasumi talking, no other voice present. Must be the telephone...
       "Oh I'm afraid, I won't be able to come to the coffee morning
tomorrow," Kasumi replied to an unheard voice. Nabiki listened with
curiosity. "Nabiki's friend, Kuno, seems to have gone missing... Oh, you
heard about that? ....At the funeral, didn't you hear? Quite sad.... Yes,
just like Nabiki after our mother's death, I hadn't thought about the
connection.... I'll phone you when I can.... Good day to you, too. Bye!"
Nabiki heard a click but wasn't concentrating on that as she was
remembering a memory long forgotten...
       ...It had been the one year anniversary and, unable to deal with
family and friends discussing fond recollections of her mother, a young
Nabiki had run out of the house, going nowhere in particular, just away
from the place with too many bad memories...
       The present-day Nabiki sat on the downtrodden stairs, thinking
deeply, ignoring the hard discomfort of the rough, stubbed wood. It was
stupid to hate Kuno for doing the same thing she'd done. She found it
disturbing how many things in her past seemed to connect with what was
happening to Kuno: conflicting emotions in a family tragedy; a struggle to
find a personality to cope with the pain and the start of a new life, only
wishing for yesterday. It was hard to say goodbye to the past, wanting to
deny what had happened and not wanting to feel dark emotions that threaten
to overwhelm. 
       Nabiki had never totally dealt with her mother's death and had
wrapped her feelings away, leaving them for another day. Kuno had seemed to
spend much time forcing his feelings down a metaphorical well, only to fail
from time to time. His moodiness gave much away to her. Now, it looked as
if Kuno's emotions were finally overwhelming him. Unlike herself.
       Suddenly standing sharply, ignoring the heavy sensation which tried
to overwhelm her chest, Nabiki strode to the front door and quickly put on
her shoes and coat. "Kasumi, I'm just going to follow a few leads! I'll be
back later!" she shouted through to the other room.
        "Wait, Nabiki, have something to eat..." Kasumi trailed off as she
walked through to the hall and saw only a door shutting. A sad, resigned
feeling floated through Kasumi like mist. "I thought I'd got through to
her... I really had." 

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

      The harsh, hard sun forced him awake, greeting his sleepy, sore eyes
with blinding light and a cool wind. Lifting his back up from the grass, he
felt the wet grow like weeds, clenching coldly to the back of his shirt,
shivers silently weaving up his spine to the base of his neck. His fingers
felt numb, as if the fingers were wrapped in stiff cotton wool. Pain shot
like rods through his legs as he carefully stood up, stretching away the
cramp. Tatewaki rubbed his eyes and surveyed the view of a peaceful rural
valley  from the hill where he had lain. Sensation slowly returned to his
fingers and he touched his cheek, jolting the finger back when he realised
how ice-cold his face was. This was not the way to stay healthy nor happy.
      ...Which was exactly why he had spent the night out, in mid-winter,
on top of a hill. He was not killing himself dishonourably, he was letting
Nature do the job for him. As far from Tokyo - and Nerima - as possible. 
      But he knew he had to return there, to find out the reason why he
felt so compelled to do so. It was not redemption, that he was sure of, he
was past redemption but he had to return, just to see what it was that
could save such a wretched being as he, if anything could. Just go there...
one last time... one last journey...
       A sad, subtle smile touched his lips. Tatewaki's short-run facade
was his downfall; being someone he was not. If he only could have grieved
earlier, if he had not struggled so much to hold back all those dark
feelings, perhaps it would not have hurt as much as it did now. A tight
ball of pain and guilt wrapped round his chest, choking gasps of grief and
sadness from his throat. Why did he have to be so unhappy, why couldn't
everything go back to the way it was?! WHY??! What great wrong had he
inflicted upon others to deserve this?! 
      The subtle smile was slayed, swept away by melancholy mood. Tears
rolled down his pale cheeks as he slumped silently to the ground, kneeling
on the dewy wet grass. Sobbing quietly to himself, Tatewaki spoke out to
the gentle, sweeping wind: "Let this end soon, let this tangled web of me
disintegrate." He gazed up at the blazing sun, not caring to brush his hair
out of his face. "Let me find peace."

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

       The day shone with a bright optimism; the brittle, cold weather
stole this brightness away from Tokyo. Eventually the sun became tired and
was slowly falling from the sky, leaving a fiery orange sunset to say
goodbye for it. Night had not yet captured the fresh evening....
       Lost souls wandered the streets: one of them was at the door of her
home, another walked dazed, with no home to go to.

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

        Swiftly opening the unlocked of her home, Nabiki took in one last
deep breath of the cool, fresh air and stepped inside where the sweet
smells of Kasumi's cooking cuddled the house. The noise of the television
blaring seeped through to the hall and familiar voices rattled out their
familiar tunes. After the quiet of the park and the country paths only she
seemed to know of, Nabiki was glad to be back in the comforting company of
people she knew she could trust and forget what she'd been thinking of all
afternoon. She would miss it when she went to university....
      Where'd that come from? Wasn't she looking forward to leaving this
mess and making something out of her life, having freedom to do what she
wanted and to be around relatively normal people? Yes, she was sure of that
much, she was.    
      The mask of calm and cool fixed on Nabiki as Ranma slid down the
stair banister with a casual ease. She walked towards where he stood, his
face showing slight regret.
       "Hey, Nabiki." His voice betrayed this guilt. 
       "Hi, Ranma. No luck with Kuno, I see. Oh well, school tomorrow,"
Nabiki answered without showing any of the disappointment she really felt.
        "School?"
        "Yep, Furinkan's re-opening its gates tomorrow. It _has_ been
closed for two weeks, y'know." She patted his shoulder in mock sympathy.
"Thinking of your lovely teacher Hinako cheers you right up, doesn't it?"
        "It sure does," he mumbled quietly and wandered through to the
living room, leaving Nabiki standing with a slight grin on her face;
teasing Ranma made her feel better. There wasn't much else to brighten her
mood. She had to admit, she was really worried about Kuno; the way he was
so distant at the funeral, so cold and polite. It must have finally got to
him, whatever it was... 
       All she could do today was just walk around, half-looking for him,
half-thinking to herself about why she should care, anyway. Few conclusions
were reached, apart from discovering how liberating a walk in the country,
or in strange parts of the city, could be. No need for any masks, no need
to worry about Ranma or any of his "friends" causing trouble.... she was
just a stranger in a crowd, being no-one but herself - whoever that was.  
      'Tmp, tmp, tmp.'
      Kasumi stepped into the hallway and smiled at Nabiki, warmly. "Glad
to see you're back, little sister, you were gone for so long. Are you
coming for something to eat? I'm just about to serve dinner."
      "Yeah, I'm starving, Kasumi," Nabiki lied, she hadn't felt as hungry
these days but she didn't want to worry Kasumi, who beamed a smile at her
words. 
      "I'm glad, I really am."
       Nabiki wished she could be so easily cheered up. The little white
lie worked and her sister was happy. Caring about her sisters so much felt
slightly strange; this somewhat gentle compassion was slowly raking through
her conscience and what was she to do about it? Let it continue, or halt
the emotion before it ruined her long-held dream of quick, ruthlessly
gained success?
       "Nabiki, are you coming?" Kasumi asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Nabiki never used to be so introspective, she'd left that to those like
Ryoga but circumstances had changed...
       "Sure, just catching my breath. Give me some time to get off my
shoes and coat," Nabiki answered without expecting permission. She smiled
her best fake smile up at her sister.
       "I'll make sure you get a large portion to fill you up." Kasumi
spontaneously hugged her gently and Nabiki tentatively received it, quite
uncomfortable with this openness. "I'm so relieved that you've recovered, I
was worried I was going to lose you to it."  
       Lose her...? Lose her to what? "Let's get started on dinner before
it gets cold," suggested Nabiki. Kasumi broke the hug and walked into the
kitchen. Nabiki stood there, confused, until she heard a call for tea and
re-applied her calm, casual mask before starting to walk through. 
       'Brrinng. Briinngggg.'
       "Hello, Tendo residence," Nabiki picked up the phone and answered it
with a calm voice..
       "Is Nabiki Tendo there?" an anxious male voice asked. 
       "Speaking. Hello Jiki, you have some news for me, don't you?" Nabiki
questioned, though it was more of an order than a question.
       "I finally got some info on Kuno."
       "Go on," Nabiki said, writing the details on her notepad.
       "He was seen leaving Kamei National Park late this morning heading
in Tokyo's direction," Jiki stated confidently.
       "And the reason that you didn't contact me sooner, was...." she
spoke calmly, though anger was threatening to show itself in her crisp
tone.
       "Uh..." Jiki nervously replied, afraid of retribution for his
mistake, "...you were out all afternoon. I've rung six times, already."
        "And my mobile phone is just for show, ne?"
        "Oh. Oh, dear. Sorry, I... I... forgot," he shamefully answered.
        Nabiki took in a deep breath and counted to ten, it always worked.
"Don't worry about it, Jiki..."
        "What?" He was surprised by her reaction and felt relieved..
        "...School's tomorrow, we can discuss it more detail before class."
        "Yeah..." He soon lost his sense of relief. 
       "'Bye, Jiki. See you half-hour early at the gates." She then hung up
on him, no doubt leaving him to wonder how to get a sick note for school
tomorrow. But she had no time for such petty, empty revenge anymore, Jiki
was forgetful but naively truthful, innocent and even useful, it seemed so
cruel to torture him with vengeful blackmail.
       Did she just think that? Even though it was true, it felt strange to
feel merciful and less than vengeful... Damn Kuno, this was all his fault!

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

       A couple of hours later...      
       With scuffed shoes, a grass-stained shirt and grubby trousers,
Tatewaki trudged through streets slightly familiar but still strange. They
rose above him like Titans, looking down on the mere mortals below. Though,
unlike the last time he had wandered through the streets bare-footed, he
now wore a jacket and shoes to protect him from the spiky cold and he stood
out less. But his vacant eyes betrayed the fallacy of his proud, confident
stance. Trying only to keep up appearances, already having done his family
shame by being so emotional, no matter how much he'd needed the release,
wrong had been done by it. This false front was the least he could do.
Standing silently for a moment, he stared up at the hidden night, stolen by
the city's glare.
        "Oh mother, please forgive this! All one can do is ask; if you
cannot give that much... no explanation is needed... but... please... 
redemption is too late, all that is asked of is forgiveness," Tatewaki
pleaded to the sky, unaware of the strange gazes that fell upon him, his
voice dry and hoarse, burning with the lack of food and drink. "What can be
done to gain that?...I know I am no worthy warrior but what is here that
can regain me some sense of peace, that can stop my soul from bleeding? Why
am I here?"
       Meandering through the streets with no answer given, he felt the
weight of the day fall down on him. His feet, which felt like iron rods of
coursing pain as they trod the hard pavement, unable to be sustained by his
wheezy, shallow breathing much longer. Sleep beckoned him even though the
answer to his being here had not yet been found. Maybe, he would just sit
down for a little while... That nice alleyway would do... Just a little
rest... Had to find the answer...
       Slumping down against the rough, brick wall, his head in his hands,
his body scrunched up tight in response to the bitter cold which chapped
his lips and bit his fingers, Tatewaki felt his eyes fight the losing
battle to stay open and his body, to keep awake. He huddled near a warm
fire, burning away in a large, metal bucket, slowly drifting off. "Sleep
will... heal me... will... heal..." 
       "Don't count on it," someone declared, suddenly, angrily. 
       Tatewaki's eyes shot open as he felt a cold object being pressed
against his throat. What? He looked up at the man before him, covered in
rags, his face with signs of bruising and deep cuts. It was that man that
he had... he had... fought just before the car accident... Oh gods, he
finally recognised this part of town... "What do you want, I have already
been punished for my past."
       Tatewaki cautiously stood up, the knife still pressed to his throat,
still only half-awake and saw that the man's eyes were filled with anger.
       "You are part of my past," the man spat out. "I could have died
thanks to you!! When I woke up, I was in pain so much that I couldn't
think, I could barely walk... I only just made it to a hospital in time..."
       "You stole something very precious to me," Tatewaki replied, his
voice wavering with breaking emotion. "It was a matter of honour." But
honour he had no more...
       "I needed it to keep my fire going! It was such a cold night, I was
afraid of dying in the cold..." the man's free hand pointed at his scarred
face. "It still hurts, y'know. Hurts _bad_! How am I supposed to get off
the streets looking like this?! It's all right for you, pretty face."
       "Do you want this attack to be a part of your past?" He carefully
reached towards a long stick that poked up out of the fire.
       The knife pushed against the skin, threatening to break it.
       "Stop going on about the useless past! The only way to get rid of a
past which has scarred you is to destroy it!! Don't you know that??!" 
       "....I ....I do now. Thank you." Tatewaki's fist gripped the end of
the stick in the fire.   
       "Huh?" The man dropped his guard in confusion.
       "I am sorry for this." He slowly pulled the long stick out of the
fire, making sure it didn't catch his sleeve.
       "Sorry?"
       'Fwwwssshhh...!'  
       "Aaaarghh!" The man jumped back as Tatewaki waved the burning piece
of wood in front of him.
       "...I have a past to destroy!!" He threw the wood deeper into the
alleyway, away from both of them. Bolting before the man could recover,
Tatewaki didn't see as the long torch plunged into a pile of scrap paper
needed for the bucket fire, alighting it immediately. He didn't see the man
scrambling to safety as the fire took over the alley in matter of minutes.
He was too far away to hear the fire-engine screaming through the streets.
He finally had a way of finding peace and he was going to grasp it...

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
       
       "Mysterious fire in the Nerima area nearly costs lives. We have the
report," a news reporter told the camera. "It was believed that a madman w-
"
       "Yeah, whatever," Nabiki said as she switched off the television.
"I'm off to bed, Kasumi."
       "Yes, I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow morning," Kasumi replied as
she continued to stitch up a tear in one of Ranma's shirts.
       "Oh, I'll be leaving early tomorrow, I've got business to attend
to."
       "All right, I'll see you for dinner, then. Good night, Nabiki."
       Nabiki strode towards the stairs. "'Night to you, too."
      ...As she groggily climbed into bed, Nabiki thought of the long day
ahead of her, tomorrow, at school. Last time she was there, she had few
worries but now... there were so many, too many. Also, she knew that people
would be asking her many questions; the trouble was whether she would
answer them truthfully or not. Considering all that had happened, could she
use Kuno's horrific tragedy to make money for herself? Just what kind of
person would do that? Disturbingly, she knew that person was her. 
       She soon fell asleep, the stress of a long walk and life forcing her
eye-lids to shut and sleep to claim her...   

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

       After switching off the light, the shopkeeper went to lock the front
door, today had been a long day and he'd stayed open late in the hope of
more business. Not that it had done any good. Oh well, there was always
tomorrow, hopefully. Was it just his D.I.Y. shop that was failing or were
there others...?
       'Clatter!'
       'Bang!'
       Huh?  What made that noise outside the shop? The shopkeeper stepped
out of the front door and looked around. Nothing was there. He shrugged it
off, it was probably just his imagination, false alarms were a part of his
life. 
       'Click.'
       There, the door was closed, time to go home and sleep before another
early start in the morning. 

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

       The cold captures my breath in a foggy haze as I walk across the
ice, hearing it crack beneath my feet. I keep on walking, waiting for the
never-ending sheets of ice to end and the colourless sky to brighten into
blue but that never happens and so I keep on going. A long fence composed
of brittle frost appears in my line of vision and on the other side of it
leans a shadow of a woman. My feet quicken towards it, drawn to its warmth
that breathes across my numbing, shivering skin. 
       All I am wearing is a long, black dress, so tight I can barely speak
a word, and my feet are bare and painful on the frozen water; I need the
warmth I feel from the fence, from the shadow, if I am to stay alive. The
grey shadow near the fence gathers shape and definition as I tread nearer
to it, unable to resist the balming sensation which immerses me and thaws
my skin with its gentle heat. Warm... so warm... but soon the heat starts
to intensify, leaving me faint as my throat dries up under the glare of a
still bleached and neutral sky. 
       Soon, I can see more of the woman, too clear and defined to be
shadow anymore. She doesn't move from the frozen fence and I gaze upon her,
unable to go any further into the zealous heat. I recognise her beautiful,
calm face and my heart scrunches up into a tight ball at her all too real
sight.
       "Mom...? But you're... you... left us," I hear my voice sob, unable
to stop its emotional intensity as I become detached from it. "It can't
be!"
       The woman who has the appearance of my late mother starts to speak:
"My dear daughter, what has happened to you?"
       "Come back to me, please, I miss you!" My voice has taken on so much
unnecessary passion, I feel sick with shame but there is nothing I can do.
       "You are not the same little girl I knew, why did you change so
much?" The woman has my mother's voice, too. 
       "Y-you broke your promise, you said you'd be there for us!! I hate
you for that, I hate you!" My voice begins to quieten. "I-I missed you...
and yet you never came back... why?" My hands clench into fists, tears run
freely down my cheeks and I can taste their salty, sour taste. "You lied!!
Your lie cost me myself! Do you think I could possibly go on as I was...
the girl you brought up in deceit and lies! My whole life up 'till your
death was a lie!!"
       "No... no, that's not true," the woman protests passionately. "I
loved you and your sisters with all my heart!"
       "I loved you too and all you left me with was horrible pain!" I try
to regain control my body as it begins to lose control and shudders
violently but I feel so distant from this other me, the one with control.
"...Horrible, horrible pain that I couldn't deal with as I was as you had
left me!" The tears increase uncontrollably. "So, I... I... changed and the
pain was gone! And... now it's back, thanks to you!"
       "I'm here now."
       "No, you're not here, you're in a grave I never went to visit, in a
graveyard I haven't seen since the funeral! You're no longer part of me!"
       "If that's so, then why are you crying?"
       That was a question I had been wondering about, too. "I... I...
don't know..." replied a quiet voice claiming to be mine. 
       The woman, the frosty fence and the bathing heat fade away, leaving
the passionless sky and the never-ending ice behind with me. I collapse
down onto my knees for some reason and cry out, "Come back!! I miss you,
come back! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, so... please!!" I almost
feel touched by the grief in my detached voice and so I don't object as my
body judders with passionate sobs and cries, the cold and the ice fading
away........

.......Nabiki woke up and stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, finally in
control of her body. Her skin was clammy with sweat and her cheeks felt
moist with tears; had she really been crying in her sleep? How come she
could so easily cry in her dreams but not in reality? Why did she feel near
nothing when she thought of her mother, only a slight sadness came, barely
flickering?
       She got up and moved across her dark room and peeked through her
curtains just to see a still dark winter landscape, not yet tinged by
sunrise. What was the time? Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw that it
was nearly five a.m., five a.m.! But she felt so awake because of that
dream... what was she supposed to do now?

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

       Tatewaki walked down a street, clutching the stolen objects from the
shop, ignoring the hunger growling in his stomach and the stinging throat
lacking liquid because what he had to do was more important than anything
else. He did not like to steal, it was dishonourable but he was sure that
the man, the shopkeeper would understand if he knew. He would understand
that the past must be destroyed, he would comprehend the need for peace.
Oh, he was sure of it...  
      There were few hours of darkness left until the morning sun would
rise; time was very precious if he was to accomplish his task before anyone
woke up.The tools were in his grasp and soon he would arrive at his
destination, at his past.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
End of chapter 5...
Non-flammable C&C appreciated! Really! :)