Hey, y'all! Since it's been so long since I last posted anything on "Eve", I
thought a repost of the last part was in order to refresh your memories.
Plus, this chapter does have a lot of info about the plot so that it isn't
too confusing to for those new to it to read (hopefully). Chapter 7 will
follow shortly.
Confused? Think characters are OOC? Read previous parts before making snap
judgements.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~stroma/eve.html
If you still feel there's something wrong, contact me. I'd love to hear any
opinions. ^_^

EVE
@---{-----

Notes for the series....
~xxx~ = sound effects.
*xxx* = the memory spell voice and also for telepathic thoughts
((Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 created by the great and extremely funny Rumiko
Takahashi and owned by her, Viz., Kitty, Fuji TV and Shogakukan Inc. and
maybe other assorted companies. I hold absolutely no claim on any of the
Ranma 1/2 characters...))

CHAPTER 6:  DECISIONS, DECISIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Strike. A match is lit; a fate is decided.


*      *     *     *     *     *

      �What a sunny day it is,� the teenage girl commented as she smiled.
The oppressing heat relieved by a gentle, refreshing breeze that tickled the
back of her neck and ruffled slightly her long locks. With a white summer
dress, a simple hat tied with a bow and a basket full of groceries clutched
by her slim fingers, she looked like a pretty, happy girl living a simple
life.
      Staring up the hill to where her modest house and ranch lay, she
pulled her hat down to avoid the glare of the sun rising over it. The calm,
the peace that kissed her softly, made it worth getting up early to go
shopping. As she opened the creaking gate with the name �Unryu� printed on
it, grunts and squeaks greeted her. She stopped in her path and looked over
to the ranch where Katsunihiki spent his nights.
      �Hello, Ka--� Her greeting was cut off by the sumo pig�s continued
grunts and squeals, becoming more frantic by the second. The basket dropped
to the rough path as she ran over to his large pen. What was wrong?
      Her worry increased further as she noticed his disgruntled expression
as he ran around in circles.
      �Katsunihiki! What�s the matter?!� Over the side of the pen she
watched as the pig continued to run in circles, her heart beating faster and
faster with every circle. �Katsunihiki!�
      *Akari Unryu!*
      She gazed around the ranch and saw no-one. Where...?
      *Akari-san! Get your pig and you out of there!*
      �Where are you? Please come out.� Nervous, cold sweat moistened her
paling face as she urgently looked around. Was she blinded by the sunshine
to whoever was there?
      *Akari-san, you�re in danger! Please run back down the path, please!*
      Anxiously shifting her feet from side to side, Akari wished that Ryoga
was here -- brave, strong, kind Ryoga. But he wasn�t, he was in hospital.
The voice and Katsunihiki�s strange behaviour scared her and she didn�t know
what to do. If only she knew what to do...
      *Akari-san, get back!*
      ~Crrreaaaak! Clang!~
     She jumped away as the entrances to the all the pig pens flew open and
Katsunihiki and the other pigs stampeded away, throwing up dust into a
still, quiet Akari�s face. As she coughed and choked on the dirt, a cold
fear of impending disaster replaced her shock. This wasn�t right.
Something... something was going to happen. Oh no....
      Incapable of much thought past this, she stood, trembling, her eyes
blank and distant. She didn�t protest as a hand clasped her and dragged her
away from the ranch and the house.
      A minute later, an enormous boom from behind her wrenched her from
distant thought. She closed her eyes and took a few slow breaths, trying to
steady herself. What happened?!
      �I�m sorry, Akari Unryu. I�m really very sorry,� a smooth voice
announced sincerely. It was the voice she�d hear before! Akari opened her
eyes, not daring to look back to the house and saw to her side the one who�d
dragged her away. It was a slim, young woman a few inches taller and older
than herself, with shimmering dark red hair tied loosely back and startling
blue eyes. She wore a strange ragged red, short dress and stood barefoot.
Who was this? Akari didn�t recognise her at all.
      �My name�s Eve. Akane-san might have mentioned me on the phone.�
      �Akane? ...Oh, Akane!� Akari flushed in shame at forgetting her
friend�s name.
      The young woman called Eve smiled sympathetically.  �Don�t worry, I
know what it�s like to be so confused and bewildered. Why don�t we sit down
and discuss this further?� She motioned to a large rock beside the path that
led to the nearby village.
      Akari did just that -- rested her shaky, unsteady legs as she leaned
against the hard, uncomfortable rock. She accidentally glanced up to the
house and ranch and saw that a smouldering heap of rubble lay where the pig
pens had been and that the wall nearest to the pens had been blasted away,
exposing the rooms within the house to the outside air like a flesh wound --
too, too vulnerable to any further damage.
      �Oh, my house! M-my house!� She put her hands to her face and started
to cry, choking on the sobs. �The ranch! Oh m-my... what�s ha-happened?!
What�s... g-going on?! What have I done wrong??!�
      Eve sat down beside the stricken girl and looked at her guiltily. �You
�ve done nothing wrong; don�t you ever think that,� she softly spoke, her
voice playing through Akari�s head like a flute. It calmed the teenage girl
a little. �I�m afraid I have much explaining to do.�
      �What? You know why this is happening, do you?� Akari�s hopeful eyes
rested over Eve�s, whose own switched away to another view.
      �Please don�t be alarmed by what I�m going to say but....� Eve stopped
for a moment, taking in a breath of courage. �But when Ryoga and Ranma saved
me about a week ago, they incurred the wrath of one called Jaden, who is
after me.�
      �Why?�
      �I wish I knew.� A stray leaf fluttered in the breeze from a tree
nearby and Eve reached out to catch it, placing it on her hand. Bringing her
hand to her lips, she breathed silently and softly on the leaf. The air
slipped the leaf away from her and it continued  float and glide in the
subtle coughs of a breeze. Akari watched as Eve�s expression of calm
flickered momentarily to a darker, more vulnerable one. �I really do.�
      �Miss Eve?�
      �Oh, sorry about that.� Eve�s dark expression dissolved and a softer
one emerged with a slight smile. �As I was saying: Ryoga and Ranma are now
in trouble with Jaden. You will have heard that they were burned badly
because of a fireball. One supposed  to capture me. What you don�t know
is... is....�
      �What?� Akari found her fears deepening as she noticed the guilt
stirring in the red-haired woman�s face and saw her shoulders slump forward
slightly. Without looking at Akari, Eve took her hand.
      �Ryoga fell into a deep coma yesterday and he may never come out,� the
young woman told her hurriedly.
      Dizziness swirled in a shocked Akari as the blood slipped away from
her pretty face. Not a second time... no! She started to tremble slightly
and
raised her shaky hand to her wavering heart. �No! No, not my dear Ryoga! Not
my Ryoga! Not again!!�
      Wincing as tears trickled down the teenage girl�s face, Eve let go of
her hand and whispered: �It isn�t a normal coma. There�s a way to save him
with your help... but it will place your life in danger. I have to be blunt
about that. To tell you the truth, I know Ryoga will hate me for getting you
involved but at this point options to save him are few. I�ll keep looking,
though, if you decide against.�
      Concentrating on her heartbeat, Akari�s head slipped forward as she
thought more deply, doubt and panic crawling through her mind. Thump, thump,
thump, thump. Why was she even hesitating? Why? Th-thump, th-thump,
th-thump, th-thump. Why did her heart beat so loud and so fast? What was she
going to do?
      �I don�t know,� she heard herself saying. �I d-don�t know what to
say!�
      �That�s all right, I understand how you feel,� Eve replied
sympathetically. �Been there myself. The sun crashes down on your life and
all you�re left with is a moral dilemma. You�re forced to stay for the
confrontation and risk death or run for safety.�
      �What did you do?� Akari said, looking desperately for a solution to
this nightmare.
      �Oh no!� Eve suddenly stood up and frantically looked around.  Her
body tensed and her mouth stayed quiet. Although Akari did hear Eve's
shallow, short breaths and then instantly worried herself with an instinct
plucking at her senses like a harp with a forceful tune.
      �What�s the matter?�
      �Do you mind being carried?�
      �Do I what?�
      �Because we need to leave very quickly.� Abruptly, Akari found herself
in Eve�s arms and bolting down the path to the village. This was the fastest
she�d ever been and the gentle breeze shoved itself down her throat and the
scenery streaked past her in a haze. Instinctually she wrapped her arms
around the young woman, wishing Ryoga was here. Oh, how she wished for Ryoga
�s strong, gentle arms, his smile, his laugh. Oh, how she--
      ~Booooom! Whhhummm!~
      �Aaaaah! What was that?!� Akari screamed, holding to Eve tighter as
the shudders and moans in the ground decided to answer. So much noise, so
much speed, so much unanswered.
      �I�ll make sure you come to no harm, so don�t worry,� Akari heard Eve
speak though she couldn�t see the woman�s face. �Nothing will get at you.�
      The sound of thunder snapped and cracked in her sensitive ears.
Dodging, zipping from left to right, big boom, right, wham, left, left,
ahhhh!, straight up and then down, down, slow, wham, slow, slow, slow, so
much noise, another street, yet another street, so much noise, relentless
noise.... Sleep.... Oh, beautiful sleep....
      Akari-san. Can you hear me?
      Miss Eve, is that you? Am I dreaming?
      Yes, yes, you are.
      Oh, good.
      Akari-san, you have to make up your mind.
      I know, I just... I thought I would but I find myself hesitating.
      That�s natural, you�re only sixteen.
      But I love Ryoga-sama with all my heart. I do, don�t I?
      You have to decide that for yourself.
      Miss Eve, have you ever been in love?
      Akari-san, you really have to decide soon.
      When I see him, I know I--
      You can�t just yet. The danger�s more extreme than I thought.
      But--
      I�m sorry. Oh god, I�m so sorry.
      I forgive you.
      �I forgive you,� Akari mumbled. �I forgive you.�
      �So, we�re waking up, are we?� a more real, clearer voice penetrated
her thoughts. Warmth and light pressed against the teenager�s eyelids. As
she opened her eyes, she saw a blurry image of someone looking over her with
sharp sunlight peeking from behind their head. Rubbing her eyes and yawning,
the image became as clear as the voice.
      �Miss Eve, I had the oddest dream,� Akari commented.  She felt
something soft rest her back. She sat up and let her eyes adjust to the
afternoon rays. She looked to her side and saw that she was on the greenest
grass in a large, quiet woodland clearing with teenage trees lounging in the
serenity of their existence. Absent-mindedly, she slipped a hand through her
long hair, brushing her smooth but bouncy locks and noticed that her hat was
gone. �Where are we?�
       �As safe a place as any. A place I�ve use a few times.� Eve leaned
back against a tree a few feet, closing her eyes as the sun rays shine
brightly down on her but her body remained tense and alert. �There�s a few
more things you should know.�
      Akari decided just to sit on the grass, tired as the stress reigned
her in. A large tree stump was to her side and she leaned on it.
      Her eyes still closed, Eve tilted her head to the sky.  �For a start,
there�s no need to worry about Katsunihiki. He and the rest of the pig gang
are in a field with a lovely view. They�ll be safe there for the next few
days at least.�
      Akari smiled widely. �Oh, thank goodness for that.�
      �And now I�ll tell you more about Ryoga�s coma.�
      �Oh.� The smile disappeared.
      �At the moment, Ryoga is being shown through some of his worst
memories, specially selected for impact. This is designed to put the victim
through psychological hell and there�s a voice in this spell to help to try
and persuade the victim to commit suicide.�
      �Suicide,� Akari repeated, her throat drying. �My dear Ryoga wouldn�t
commit suicide. There�s nothing that wrong with his life except for his
sense of direction. Is that it? Is it his sense of direction that the voice
is using against him?�
      Eve�s eyes opened and stared at Akari�s innocent face. �Don�t take
this the wrong way but you don�t know Ryoga as well as you think.�
      �What do you mean?� Akari wasn�t sure that she really wanted an
answer. She turned her gaze away from Eve and down at the sprinkles of green
grass, breathing in the earthy aroma. �Ryoga is brave and strong and kind...
isn�t he? I know he�s a little over-emotional but not _that_ bad.�
      Eve�s intense stare abruptly died and she looked at Akari sadly. �I...
I...� she hesitantly replied, �don�t think you�re ready for.... Not after
all you�ve been through.�
      �Please, I have to know. I love Ryoga and he is very important to me.�
She took in her breath, trying to summon confidence for her dearest�s sake.
�If... if I decide to go through with whatever it is you want me to, I have
to know everything.� Akari looked up at Eve, still taken off-guard by the
brilliant blue in the strange woman�s eyes.  For a few seconds, she thought
she saw specks of red hidden by the glare of the blue but dismissed it as a
trick of the light. �Please, tell me. What did he confess to you?� A few
short but achingly long moments passed without a word.
      �Nothing, he said nothing, I just know,� Eve replied finally. �At one
point, for reasons of survival of all of us, I... dived into Ryoga�s mind
and took control for about a minute. I knew everything about him instantly,
like the memories were mine.�
      �Everything?�
      �Yes. Do you believe me and if you do, do you want to hear more?�
      �I do.� Even though the heat pressed against her skin, massaging her
tense body, and the sun cleared the calm blue sky of clouds, Akari felt as
if thunder and lightning were to crash down on her surroundings.
       �First of all,� Eve spoke with much reluctance in her weary voice,
�what do you know of Ryoga�s personality?�
       Akari instantly replied: �He�s brave, strong but gentle,
intelligent....�
       �Over-emotional to the point of depression, a hair-trigger
temper....�
       �B-but he�s always so nice, he�s rarely got upset with me.�
       �Yes, at you, a girl. A cute, affectionate girl who _likes_ him,� Eve
answered slightly impatiently. She smiled reassuringly when she saw the girl
�s fallen face.  �Sorry but it had to be said.�
       �That�s okay, I think I understand. � Akari smiled weakly. �Who does
he get mad at so much?�
       Eve drew a breath, knowing exactly what to say but trying to find a
way to say it subtly and failing. �Himself and Ranma. Ranma mostly. Those
two don�t get on most of the time.� She suddenly looked away from Akari,
tensing as she studied something in the sky and then the ground.
       �Why? Ranma seems so nice and helped Ryoga and I to sort out our
misunderstandings and make our dates.� Akari�s face was full of genuine
confusion.
       ~Rrrrrrr....~
       �No!�
       Eve shot across the clearing, grabbing Akari�s arm and dragging her
away. Out of the ground burst bolts of pure light, shattering the tree
stump.  The shards of wood showered the surrounding area. Akari could only
stumble along on Eve�s solid grip, shrieking as snipers of light and wood
honed in on her. Suddenly, she found herself being jerked to the side and to
the side again. Wind and twigs brushed through her hair. Her brain rattled
around in her skull with each jerk and pull. A hand went round her waist. A
whisper of �sorry� rang in her ear.
       �Wha? -- aahh!� A push sent Akari surging skyward, twirling in the
air. Her heartbeat skipped as the air pushed into her lungs as well as a
frenzy of adrenaline. Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no!  For less than a second she hung in
the air like a rag doll, helpless. She faced the young forest below for a
blink of an eye before it suddenly started to gain on her.
Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no! She tried to scream out-loud but nothing came out. Fast,
fast, the ground came so fast! This was it, this was it! So near her death,
but able to do so little! For a few seconds, she watched,  fascinated, as
Eve battled with the flying debris. The light rays burned through the trees
as if they weren�t there but Eve grabbed them like sticks, using them to
strike the wood shards into oblivion. Eve�s whole body glowed with a
blinding aura and as Akari fell towards it, the warm, charged energy in the
air bathed the hypnotised teenage girl in a surreal dream of brilliant light
and crackling electricity. One thought made it into her mind: Ry--
       ~Whump!~
       Warm hands cradled her body and Akari looked up to see Eve�s grinning
face. She gently placed a shocked, still Akari on her feet. Her sore, weary
feet that burned as if she was walking across hot coals.
       �Sorry about that.� Eve apologised, �but it was too dangerous on the
ground.�
       �I�m alive...?� Akari asked in wonderment, standing very close to the
older female, able to hear both their heartbeats thumping away.
       �Yes, I wouldn�t have it any other way. How are you doing?� Eve
asked, even though she knew.
       Akari stared up at the sky, admiring the bold blueness of it, like a
child�s painting. How far had she been up...? It felt so high but was it
really? And where did that white glow go to? She looked back down at the
soft but almost deadly earth and then up at Eve.
       �I don�t know. I thought after something like that I would be really
scared but....� Akari trailed off, a sudden, brief sparkle in her eyes, �I�m
not. In fact -- it�s amazing -- I feel exhilarated, like nothing can touch
me!� She skipped forward, enjoying the release of tension and the feeling of
life.
       Eve grinned wryly and stepped forward. �Don�t be too sure of that,
there are more traps set up and we have to keep on our toes.� With this, her
grin deepened.
       �Huh?� That shook Akari out of her small revelry.
       �Some honing devices have been sent in to put me off my guard but
they won�t.� Eve pointed down at the ground, where light seemed to struggle
from underneath her feet and between her toes, trying to get out like
schoolchildren on the last day of term. �It�s great to be in near perfect
health; that stay in hospital can do wonders for an immortal!�
       Sure that she�d misheard the �immortal� part, Akari smiled along with
her, slightly tense at the thought of more danger and also curious about how
someone who�s being chased by something so obviously deadly can still have a
sense of humour.
       A soft, smooth hand clasped around her arm like a vice grip of cotton
wool and Akari saw that the smile of the young woman had stilled into one of
complete seriousness.
       �We have to go on the move, again,� the even, silky voice spoke to
her and she knew the moment of freedom had passed.

*      *      *      *      *

       The sun shone high and bright in the sky but it was the only one
enjoying the day.
       *Here you go, again.*
       �Here I go.� The rough, unclean roof tiles made for an uncomfy seat
for Ryoga as he sat and watched the optimistic skyline go on with life and
colour but not him. He wasn�t part of this, it was only some sort of dream,
a test, he knew that much. A test about himself, about his fate, about his
past.  He sighed in resignation and waited for whatever was coming from the
vantage point of his house-high view.
       Familiar voices echoed down the street and through his head
endlessly. Akane and Ranma. They bickered and argued but as he stared down
at them, for what he knew to be the second time, he knew that all along he
should have listened more carefully to his heart. Trying to steal the heart
of someone who was already lost theirs had been a futile and painful task
for Ryoga, one he had only recently given up.
       �There they go, again. Fighting like they don�t care but they do.�
His voice was barely above a whisper but the words felt like they blasted
through his mind. Last time he�d been on this roof, watching the unlikely
couple, he�d been on the point of giving up Akane�s heart -- no, he had
given up her heart. The heart, such a fragile thing like a glass sculpture:
beautiful but easily cracked and rarely redeemable if shattered. His heart
was made of glass and ever since Phoenix Mountain, the only thing that had
kept his together was knowing that Akane was safe and alive, even if it did
mean he wouldn�t be the one for her.
       �Who�re you callin� a pervert?!�
       �You, baka!�
       The voices, as did the figures, faded away into the distance, melting
into the burning gaze of the sun upon the streets.
       Ryoga�s fists scrunched up into passionate anger, cracking as fury
met with biology. He just felt so angry, so frustrated, he wanted to scream
it out loud, scream at Ranma and Akane and let them know what it felt like
to be so unhappy.  But he didn�t, instead it bottled up inside of him as if
dark emotions were a fizzling soft drink, shaken and shaken till it
threatened to explode. How could they waste something so special, so
fulfilling and wondrous? Were they mocking his loneliness?! After all the
times he�d been nice to her, complimented her cooking, tried to make her
feel good about herself and she still chose someone who insulted her and she
insulted back?! He could make her so happy, do everything she wanted him to
do just to be near her and yet... yet... she had still fallen in love with
someone else!
       The years would go by, those two would probably get married and go
everywhere together, arguing lightly as the tension between them eased. He,
the lonely traveller, would occasionally see them together as he wandered to
nowhere and would be forced to see, time and time again, Akane with someone
else, not him but Ranma. Ranma, of all people. It wasn�t fair!
       �It isn�t fair!! It�s just not fair!� he screamed, almost oblivious
to the stares gathering up at him. �My whole life is nothing but a cruel
joke, a scam, an existence flawed from the start to the end, isn�t it?!�
No-one answered him; he didn�t expect them to. If there was no-one for him,
what was keeping him on this Earth?

*    *    *    *    *    *

       She had never expected this. Dodge, jump, land. In all of her life,
she never thought she�d feel  like this. Twist, curve, step back. So
unfeminine and so dangerous. Run, stop, run. It was tearing her dress and
muddying her nice shoes. Yank, skid, grab. But it was so fun and
unpredictable! Dodge, roll, get up. At first it was confusing and
frightening but now... Run, leap, breeze, land.  Now, she had the hang of
it, adrenaline ran through her like she ran through the forest, the path,
the road, wherever they were!! Left, left, right. It was so liberating and
yet so different from her calm life. Dive, down, ground, still ground.
�Huh?�
       Her heart beating in her throat, Akari looked over at Eve, who�d
stopped and closed her eyes. She breathed slowly, unlike Akari whose dry,
choked mouth envied the sticky hot sweat taking a road trip across her skin.
What was wrong? �Why aren�t we running?�
       Eve�s eyes opened and stared straight through her, as if she couldn�t
look away but couldn�t look in her eyes either. The eyes, the bright blue of
which barely masked the apologetic sadness fighting to stay hidden.
       �What... what is it, Miss Eve?� she asked, not really wanting to
hear.
       �Ryoga�s close to his choice, very close,� Eve replied reluctantly
and slowly. �It looks like it might not go our way.�
       �M-might?�
       �When it comes to life or death, people usually take the path least
expected of them.�
       Still tense, with her nerves fraying and frying in the heat, Akari
whispered breathily, �How long can we lie here?�
       �A few minutes more, at the most.�
       �Then, tell me more about my Ryoga,� Akari spoke with all the
seriousness and assertiveness she could muster. All this excitement and
adrenaline had kept her on a high that knew not of fear. Soon it would die
but for now....
       �Alright, but remember, Ryoga never meant to hurt you, never.�
       Breathing in and out as slowly as she could, Akari prepared herself
for anything.
       �He�s in love with Akane and still loves her now.�
       Or so she�d thought as her heart seemed to stop altogether, dropping
to her queasy stomach.
       Her eyes went as blank as her heart.
       Ryoga is in love with Akane. In love. With. Akane. Akane. Akane. Not
her but Akane.
       �Akane,� she stated numbly, her eyes blank. �I knew he had a soft
spot for her, the way he talked about her in his letters but I never knew
he, he... Especially after meeting me. I thought he liked me, perhaps even
loved me.� She smiled as sparkle returned to her still melancholy eyes. �But
I still love him, no matter how he feels. Akane is a nice person, I can see
why he l-likes her so much.� A tear trembled on the edge of her eye. �She�s
very nice.�
       Eve reached over and touched Akari�s shoulder gently, smiling softly.
�He does care for you a lot, you�re very dear to him. He�s just in turmoil
because his feelings for Akane are so strong. Don�t ever think you are
nothing to him, I know that�s nowhere near the truth.�
       �You know, for some reason, I believe you.� Akari smiled softly,
though her smile was touched by sadness.
       �...But there�s something else you should know.�
       �Does it get better or worse?� Akari asked tentatively, her trembling
heart once again beating.
       �Depends on your opinion.� Eve took a breath in before letting it and
continuing, �There�s no easy way to say this. He never meant to hurt you and
Akane but... you know that Akane had a pet called P-chan till it disappeared
a month or two back?�
       �I think I�ve heard her talking about it, why?� Akari asked
innocently.
       �Ryoga was P-chan. P-chan was Ryoga,� Eve slowly said, making her
point as clear as possible.
       Akari trembled but said nothing, her eyes threatening to bubble over
with tears but only threatening.  Suddenly, she shot up and forward,
shouting �NO!� Flamed daggers sprang out from hidden traps and headed
straight for her. A hand slammed her roughly to the ground, filling her face
with dirt. As she lifted her mucky face up, she twisted her head around to
see Eve with her hands in the air, blackened by the sooty, smouldering
objects held by them. Eve dropped the once daggers to the ground and stamped
her feet on them as if she was stubbing out cigarettes.
      �Don�t do that, Akari-san,� she said calmly and simply; �you could
have been killed, running off like the wind. How am I supposed to protect
you?� Her gaze turned onto the teenage girl, who was shivering as she
huddled up her legs to her chest but didn�t know why.
      �Then don�t,� Akari snapped uncharacteristically, pouting her usually
smiling lips. �I�ve just found out that one I love is a liar, a pervert and
has betrayed me!� The words �liar� and �pervert� stumbled out, leaving Eve
unconvinced of the genuinity of Akari�s angry feelings.
      �Oh, really? I know that you could never think of him being some sort
of depraved pervert.�
      �I won�t help him, I won�t,� she replied in a bitter but weakening
tone.
      �If you hadn�t jumped up I could have explained to you further.� Eve
kneeled opposite the confused girl.  �You should know a few things before
making any snap judgements, it isn�t like you.�
      �This day isn�t exactly like my usual day.�
       �I know that,� Eve replied, softening. �I�ve had a few myself.� She
tore a piece of clean material off one of her short sleeves and handed it to
Akari, who brushed her face with it, spitting out dirt from her mouth. �Much
better.� She looked at Akari�s now relatively clean face. �Mud�s good for
the skin, anyhow.�
       Akari smiled and some of the bitterness seemed to fade away from her
face and eyes. It was nice, if strange, to hear a bad joke like that at a
time like this.
      �As I was about to say before you did a runner,� Eve started to speak,
needing no encouragement to do so, �this P-chan thing...� Akari grimaced
with the mention of that name �...Is not as cut-and-dried as you think.
Ryoga sleeps with her, yes, but as a pet, nothing more. All he does is
sleep, as innocent as that. Except when Happosai�s about and then he tries
to defend her from him and then... but we won�t go into that, it isn�t
important. Also, being her pet wasn�t planned, Akane caught him in his
animal form and showed him only affection, which took him back, to say the
least. Ryoga wasn�t used to people showing him affection; having no friends
and hardly ever seeing his parents.�
       �Oh, uh-huh,� Akari mumbled, trying to absorb all this new
information about someone she thought she knew so well. A whole different
side to her Ryoga was being revealed: a lonely, unhappy, vulnerable one.
        �He was, is, a very lonely person most of the time and instantly
latched onto the idea of having someone care for him, cuddle him and smile
at him,� Eve continued, still tense underneath because of the risk of sudden
attack. �He didn�t completely realise that Akane cared for him as a close
friend, too, in his human form. But he needed the motherly affection she
gave him as her pet, craved it like an addiction. The same way he craved
revenge against Ranma but much more so....�
       �Ryoga wanted revenge against Ranma?� Akari interrupted. �Why?�
       �A rivalry in love and war, a clash of personalities and some
ill-timing.�
       �Oh,� Akari blankly said, still at a bit of a loss.
       �And he never deliberately looked at Akane when she was getting
undressed,� Eve added, getting the subject back on track. �Yes, I know he
shouldn�t have betrayed her trust like he did, for his own ends. It was
utterly wrong and dishonourable but in the end, he�s only human.� She paused
for a second. �Some of the time.�
      �Yet, still, he... he....� Akari frowned, lining her forehead as she
thought further. �Him? I never expected him to do that. It�s just not him,
not the Ryoga I knew.�
      �But he is the Ryoga you know. He�s all the things you said you loved
him for but more. With flaws, yes, but he is still a good person and at
least not a cut-out stereotype as interesting as drying paint.�
      �True,� Akari answered softly and quietly, thinking deeply as she
spoke. Her eyes looked right through Eve, and right past her. All this
excitement, all this shocking information, everything... and still she was
confused, unsure of what to do. Truths such as those Eve spoke, should make
her hate Ryoga, should make her decision so much easier but it didn�t, it
made it harder. On one hand she was so scared of death, of losing the chance
to make her sumo pigs the best in Japan and fulfilling the dying wishes of
her dear grandfather, of missing out on the chance to find a new and true
love and live happily but....
       She was scared of losing Ryoga while knowing that she had a chance to
save him, of winning his love, of never seeing him again, of him not helping
her on the farm, of not discovering all that he really was and could be, of
spending her life wishing only that he stood beside her and of not being
able to call herself a kind, good person ever again.
       Eve, meanwhile, was mulling over her own comments. People weren�t
stereotypes, they had motives, feelings -- however hidden -- and experiences
that shaped them. She knew this from personal experience and from when she
jumped into other people�s souls.  So, what was she missing about Jaden?
What made her evil? Did she kill Eve�s race just because? Was there any
depth to her at all? As much as she wanted to believe that Jaden had always
been the black-and-white evil enemy, Eve felt she was missing something
about Jaden, something important....
      *I really think that that�s none of your business, dear Neve.*
      Eve�s eyes sparked with shock and she gasped sharply, despite herself,
drawing Akari�s attention.
      *Jaden! Why are you calling me by the name of my dead twin sister?
Why?! Mocking me, again, huh?!*
      *Now, you know there�s no evidence that I killed her. But that�s not
important. Shouldn�t you be getting back to the Dojo? I can almost feel his
resolve breaking; that voice in his head�s really doin� a great job. I think
I�ll listen in when he finally chokes, hopelessness always held a special
place in my heart.*
      *I�d drive a stake through your heart but I�m not sure you have one!*
      *Ooh, cutting! I�d love to here more of your emotional ramblings but I
have things to do, people to ruin. See you sometime, oh pal of mine.*
      *Come back here, you bitch! I haven�t finished yet!*
       �I haven�t finished!� Eve cried out loud, finding herself looking
into the face of a bewildered Akari. �Aheh. Sorry about that, Akari-san.�
Her cheeks flushed at her outburst and for a few uncomfortable seconds she
looked away before turning back with a more serious look on her face. The
sparkle in her eyes died to a mere constant glow that always was.
�Akari-san,� she said quietly, �you need to tell me, now, what your decision
is. I have to go back to the Dojo, now, and I need to know if you�re coming
with me to help or to watch.�
      �Couldn�t I decide then? When we get back?� Akari pleaded, her eyes
full of unguarded desperation and anxiety.
      �No, because I have to know if I�ve to put my second plan into action,
a very risky plan at that. And if it doesn�t work, I need to come up with
another, I need time to do that.� Eve�s eyes were half-lidded, her dark
eyelashes weighed down with heavy emotion. �Once again, I�m sorry for all
this but only you can help with the first plan.�
      �Right,� Akari sighed. �My decision.� The possibilities, the many
consequences of both choices tumbled and tossed through her head. Only two
choices, no compromises. She looked up into the sunny blue sky, warmth
splashing across her back, and took in a few deep breaths. One decision to
make but why did it feel so hard? She thought of her sumo pigs, of herself,
of her once-house and of Ryoga and knew, finally which choice to make. Even
if the increasingly strong heat was a little distracting.... �I�ve made my
choice, Miss Eve, I�m going to--�
       �What the--?!�
       Akari�s senses stood to attention with Eve�s shout and she spun
around, seeing what was really providing all the extra heat on her back. And
it wasn�t the sun.
        �Miss Eve, w-what _is_ that?!�

End of chapter 6...
I'll still take C&C on this and any of the other chapters with great
enthusiasm. :)
~Kayu-chan

~~~
"One good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others."