* Author's Notes:

This is just a rough draft. And my little experiment with writing a self
insertion fic ^_^ 


What it is, to be like you.
By Kahlil Noriega

Standard Disclaimer: 
All Rights belong to the creators of Ranma 1/2


Chapter Two - Reflections...


The setting sun, brilliant in the slowly reddening sky...

It would be dark soon she thought...

She didn't care...

She sat on small hill, watching the green grass sway before her as the wind
passed by. Her chin rested comfortably on her knees as the winds lightly
tossed back her golden hair and sadness held her blue-gray eyes. 

She tucked away a few of the stray strands behind her ear as she leaned her
cheek on her knees and drew her legs even tighter to her body. Closing her
eyes, she tried to hold back the tears...

A few escaped, carried off by the wind...

"I'm not supposed to be here..." she whispered to herself as clouds drifted
slowly above her and the wind lightly shook the leaves hanging from the
trees. Its long thick branches sheltered her like an outstretched wing as
soft fragrant pink petals floated gently around her. 

Memories of happy times came unbidden as soft voices in her mind called out
to her. "Cheer up, OK?" she heard her youngest sister call out to her in a
friendly greeting and a smile as she turned around and faded away. "Happy
birthday, son..." she heard her mother cry, as she saw in her minds eye her
mother holding out a lighted birthday cake in her hands. Her father, she
saw, stood behind her mother with an arm encircling her. Both of them were
smiling as they too faded in the mists of memory. "Hey! Go easy on the
chick's man! Leave some for me!" she spun around to see her best friend
call out, a grin planted on his face as he smiled, before he too faded in
the mists of memory...  

Tilting her head up. She saw the sun setting in the horizon as the sky
blazed with color, orange on red mixed in with purple and bright yellow. It
would be dark soon she thought as she began cry...

"Hey-" a soft voice called nearby.

Ranka turned her head around, surprised, as her eyes fixed on the source of
the call. 

Ukyou stood a few meters away, with her battle spatula strapped neatly
behind her. She wore her typical blue bandoleer and tight black fitting
pants as a piece of white cloth tied back her long brown hair. She had a
concerned look on her face as she watched Ranka looking at her. Ranka
turned her eyes away; avoiding Ukyou's concerned eyes as she turned her own
to stare at the ground before her. She didn't notice, nor care that Ukyou
walked up and stood beside her as she leaned down to ask...

"Mind if I join you?" 

Ranka didn't reply; she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to stare
at the setting sun. Ukyou sat silently beside her; sometimes turning
worried eyes at Ranka as she sat unmoving and if a bit nervous...

"Would you like to talk about it?" Ukyou offered as she turned around to
face her friend.

Ranka just bowed her head, turning her eyes to the side avoiding her eyes.
Contemplating if she should tell her and clearly afraid of what she might
say...

"I'm... sorry...I didn't mean to pry..." Ukyou said sadly, turning her eyes
away to look at the sun before her. She lazily plucked a piece of grass,
twiddling it in between her fingers as she thought about what to say or do.

"I didn't see you after class this morning, I thought you'd left early..."
Ukyou said cheerfully, trying to cheer her up, it didn't seem to work. It
only depressed her more. 

Ranka thought about this morning's class, all the joy she'd felt when she
first arrived melted like snow in the summer. Boys, she shivered at the
thought of what it was like being surrounded by them. Rabid, like a pack of
wolves...    

And she shivered voluntarily...

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes. I...I have a place..." Ranka said softly, still staring at the
ground. 

"Ok. So, I'll see you tomorrow in class right?!"

Ranka just nods her head in reply. 

"It will be all right, don't worry so much..." Ukyou assured her as she
gently patted her shoulder as she got up.

"It will be alright."

Ranka just gave her a reassuring smile as she watched Ukyou turn around and
leave, before turning her eyes towards the horizon. She sat there quietly
on the hill, thinking over what Ukyou said; "It will be all right..." she
heard her say.

And somehow, she doubted it would be...

***

The city wasn't like what she'd always pictured it would be in her dreams.
It was deathly quiet and it unnerved her all the more. So many times she'd
seen this city in her favorite shows that she'd treated it like an old
friend, yet now it felt like a total stranger. Where every tree, bush or
window seemed alien and looked at her accusingly like it was all her fault.

Her rubbed her arms, trying to shake off their stares, as she felt all the
more alone in this world...

Walking those empty streets seemed to take forever as the sun nearly passed
the horizon. The sky was a bright orange, tinged with red and purple,
hi-lighting her hair as she crossed the city's quiet streets.

Walking seemed to help yet the quietness of the place dulled even that
slight relief... 

***

Her room wasn't like she'd always pictured it would be, a guy's or even a
girl's room in the anime never came close.  It was small, but it was hers,
with only a single small window on the far wall opposite the door.
Perpendicular to this small hallway was another door that led to her room's
small bathroom. 

Ranka stood within it, staring at her face enclosed in a small mirror
hanging on the wall. One corner of it was cracked as she stared at the face
within that foot high mirror, tentatively touching her face and hair as she
set aside a few of the stray strands behind her ear. Sadness and fear
looked out from her eyes as dropped her gaze wanting as much to avoid the
mirrors bitter truth.

The sounds of a large hammer falling on metal echoed within the small
bathroom as construction of a building nearby continued. 

She turned around and reluctantly walked back to what was her room.
Scanning her few belongings as she stood in the middle. A small hospital
bed was fixed in the corner, parallel to the window with a small wooden
desk sitting at the foot of the bed. Beside her bed was another small table
but she fixed her eyes on the small desk underneath the window. There,
gleaming in the dying light was a long metallic rod. A flute she thought as
she crossed the distance between them.

Picking it up, she caressed its smooth metallic surface longingly as
memories played in her mind. Laughter intermixed with images of happy times
played in her mind as she walked over to her bed and sat down. Lifting her
legs up and on the bed, with one leg stretched and the other bent and drawn
close to her chest; she began to play as tears unwillingly ran down her
cheeks as soft music filled the room...

Memories rushed and died as she played...

And for a moment, it was the only thing that could be heard...

In her heart, in the city and in her room...

And then music died... 

The metal flute fell on the floor in a metallic clatter. And all that could
be heard within that room was the soft muffled cry of a girl weeping.
Huddled in a small corner of the bed, with knees drawn up to her chest as
she wept...

~ To be continued...


Explanations

Sorry if there wasn't much action or answers.  I'm still experimenting with
how to go about this self-insert thing.  Beside if it's short, I could put
out chapters much faster ^_^

Oh yeah, about Ranka's room, if it would help with the imagery, her room's
just like Rei Ayanami's. And the field she sat in a while ago was the same
field where Kuno first proposed to Ranma.

Anyway, I hope you like the story. And if there's anything you wish to say
to me about this fic or any other work I've done, please tell me. Even a
short reply would be nice. In fact, I implore you to do so. Please send all
C&C, MST or even flames to the address below or to the FFML if you feel
bold enough to do so.

E-mail: Becknkal@addax.bc.ca

And if you're curious as to what other stories I've done. Please don't
hesitate in visiting my sister's Web Page at:

The anything goes Ranma 1/2 fanfic page
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/9371

Anyway, that's that for my rant. ^_^

Sincerely
~ Kahlil Noriega ~

Author of the fic "Ranma 1/2 A Chinese Ghost Story"
" Frost fills the sky over Ten Mile Lake,  
  Silken threads anxious of youth....  
  Looking at the moon and feeling lonely...  
  Envious of lovers, not of immortality.
  Envious of love, not of immortality. " 
      - Excerpt from the movie " A Chinese Ghost Story "