Nihao!  I've already written up to Chapters 3 & 4, but I haven't sent 
them yet.  Anyway, I added some more information.  Ignore all the spamming 
and continue on if you just want to read the fan-fic.
	The characters "Mana" and "Yuta" are the sole creation of the 
brilliant manga artist Rumiko Takahashi.  All other characters are created by 
me, Luna Hinomura (my alias/pseudonym).  Any constructive C&C is welcome.  No 
destructive, please.  I would particularly appreciate any information on how 
to draw readers in, and how to make scenes more descriptive.  Oh, BTW, I kept 
the surnames in the traditional Japanese format, so the surname is spoken 
before the first name.
	Here's some more spam: in the anime, Yuta is played by the same 
Japanese voice actor who plays Ryoga Hibiki, and Mana is played by the same 
Japanese voice actress who plays Nabiki Tendo.  Interesting, ne?
     For those of you who have neither heard, read, nor seen Mermaid Saga, it 
is based on a legend that whomever eats mermaid flesh will become immortal.  
However, 99.9% of the time, it either kills the person or turns them into a 
"lost soul," also known as "one of the poisoned."  Only very rarely does a 
person come along who eats the flesh and becomes immortal.  Mana and Yuta are 
two of these such humans, and they travel together.  It is also assumed by me 
that they might possibly be... in love...  ^_^
	This fan-fic (and many others of mine) is(/are) posted on my website 
at http://homepages.go.com/homepages/l/u/n/lunahinomura/mermaid00.html if you 
would like to go see it.
	Anything in between <these brackets> is a thought.  Anything in 
between *these stars* is an accented word.  Anything in between ***these 
three stars*** is a place where I myself am asking you a question that 
pertains to the story, but is not part of the story.  Three stars like this * 
       *        * means a break in the story.


Ningyo no Yakusoku 
(Mermaid's Promise) 
~ Chapter 2: Aftermath ~

	Mana could hear the siren.  It reverberated around her brain, 
creating a dull, throbbing pain in her right temple.  She blinked, trying to 
clear her mind, but it didn't help.  The world was a big blur.  She could 
hear voices speaking, but could not comprehend them.  They seemed to be only 
speaking gibberish.  Gradually, her vision cleared, and she could barely make 
out shapes moving about.  One of the blurry shapes knelt near her, and she 
heard a female voice.  It was asking her something. . .
	Mana moved slightly, trying to get up, but the blurry shapes were 
holding her down.  She concentrated instead upon the sounds she was hearing, 
and realized the woman was asking her if she was all right.
	"I'm . . . ok," she forced out.  "Where's Yuta?"
	"Yuta?  Is that your companion's name?  The man who was with you?"
	Mana nodded.  "Where's Yuta?" she asked again, but with more urgency. 
 The blurry shapes were starting to clear, and she could see sorrow in the 
elderly woman's eyes.
	"He's gone," the woman said, looking down.  "He fell off the cliff.  
I was driving by, and I saw it happen.  I'm sorry."
	Mana managed to sit up, and started when her fingers came in contact 
with a cold object lying underneath her.  She picked it up.  It was an oblong 
piece of metal, bent and distorted.
	"That's a bullet," the woman told her, "You're very lucky that it 
only grazed you.  You're practically not even bleeding."
	Mana reached up and touched her temple.  It had been bandaged with 
gauze.  She looked around.  There were police cars and ambulances everywhere. 
 Yuta. . .  He probably died.  She'd have to wait around for him to see when 
he'd come back to life.  She looked around.  A young policeman was walking 
towards her.
	"Are you sure you're all right?" the woman asked worriedly.
	"Yes, I'm fine," Mana said, perhaps a little too harshly.  The 
woman's eyes widened in surprise, but she regained her composure.
	"All right, then, honey.  If you say so."
	The policeman ushered the woman aside, telling her to go home, but 
Mana wasn't paying attention.  Examining the bullet that had hit her, she 
decided to keep it as a momento.  She must have been killed by it, there was 
no other way the bullet could have come out looking like that.  There was 
nothing else she could do now, she'd depended on Yuta for most of her 
immortal life.  The policeman knelt down next to her.
	"Can you describe the man who assaulted you?" he asked her.
	She shook her head.  "I'm sorry.  I can't.  I didn't get a good look 
at his face."
	"What's you name, and how old are you?"
	Uh-oh.  Those were the exact questions she and Yuta always tried to 
avoid.  "I'm-- Uh, 14."  She said.  What about her name?  She didn't want to 
be given an identity.  It would attract attention to her never changing age.  
<What should I do?>  No, wait, if she left the town before nosy busybodies 
noticed, she would be safe.  "My name is Mana," she said, deciding that there 
would be enough time to locate Yuta and leave before anything happened.
	"What's your surname?"  the policeman asked.  She didn't reply.  "all 
right, I think you should go to the hospital, you might have a concussion."
	"No, I'm fine, I said so.  I'll get a room at the inn," she answered 
quickly.
	"You're too young."
	Damn.  Another good reason for traveling with Yuta.  Where was she 
going to go?  What was she going to do now, sleep on the streets?
	"Don't worry, you can stay with me," the woman said.  She smiled and 
held out a hand to help Mana up.
	"Mana is a very interesting name.  My name is Yuri ***I need a good 
surname for this character***.  I think I shall like to get to know you 
better.  I own that store over there, and I live behind it."  She pointed to 
the exact same shop Mana had wished to see.  "Would you mind that, or would 
you like to come with me?"
	"It's ok," Mana said, getting up.  Poor Yuta.  It looked like he'd 
have to come searching for her again.

*        *        *

	He awoke a strange poking sensation.  Something was jabbing at him.  
He could also barely make out a sound, but he couldn't understand any of it.  
Then, he opened his eyes.  It was a little boy.  The boy had a stick in his 
hand, and was saying "Hey!" each time he poked.
	"Uuuh?" he was able to force out.
	"Hey, mister, are you a'ight?" the boy asked.  He looked to be about 
7, ***Ok, I'm having problems with this boy's age.  Yuta was 20 when he 
became immortal, and the boys' mother is supposed to be about Yuta's age.  
Should I lower the boy's age to 5, maybe?*** pretty young.
	"Y-yeah," he stuttered.  "Where am I?"
	"I was taking my dog on a walk and I saw you lying on the rocks.  
It's dangerous to swim around here, mister, and how come you went swimmin' 
with jeans and a T-shirt?  Are you nuts?"
	"I. . .  don't know."
	"Don't know what, mister?  Are you lost?  Maybe there was a shipwreck 
and you got washed ashore!  Yeah!  That'd be cool!  Can I bring you home with 
me?!  My mom wouldn't mind.  I bet she'd think it's neat, too."
	"Do you have a dad?" he asked.
	"Nah.  My name's Ikeda.  Hisakawa Ikeda.  You have a really deep 
voice, mister.  I want a deep voice like that when I grow up.  It'd be so 
awesome!  I should bring you in to school for show-and-tell."
	"Aren't you a bit old for show-and-tell?" he asked, still groggy.
	"People always say I look older than I really am.  Guess my age!" 
Ikeda said.
	"I. . . don't know," he said again, sighing confusedly.
	"Well, what's your name, mister?"
	He blinked.  A name?  Did he have a name?  He couldn't remember ever 
having a name.  The only name he could remember was. . .
	"Mana," he said.  He knew there was something about that name, but he 
didn't know what or why.
	Ikeda laughed.  "That can't be your name!  That's a girl's name."  He 
stopped.  "Wait. . .  Do you have amnesia?  Maybe you hit your head on the 
rocks.  That's bad.  I'll bet Mana's your mom's name or something, that's why 
you remember it.  Or maybe your girlfriend's!"
	His forehead furrowed.  Mana?  Girlfriend?  Impossible.  The name 
held more meaning for him than the word "girlfriend" ever could.  There was 
something inside his heart connected to the name, he felt it.  But there was 
a wall in front of him, a wall that spanned for miles in every direction.  
The wall was keeping him just shy of finding out what "Mana" meant for him.
	"Can I give you a name, then?  My mom's about the same age as you.  
She had me when she was really young, and I never had a father.  You don't 
have to be my father, I'll just call you Uncle Masami."
	"Why Masami?"
	"I like that name.  We had a dog named Masami, but he died.  This is 
his puppy."  Ikeda gestured to the dog he was walking.  It didn't seem to be 
full-grown, and was sniffing around for interesting scents.  "Her name's 
Kyoko.  I named it after my grandmother.  My mom had Masami as a pet even 
before she had me.  That's how old Masami was."
	"So you're going to call me Hisakawa Masami?" he asked.
	"Sure, why not?  At least until you get your memory back.  We should 
probably give you a different surname, that might be better.  Do you want to 
go to the police and try to get yourself identified?  Maybe they'll know who 
you are," Ikeda suggested.
	A sense of panic entered his mind.  Police?  Identification?  For 
some reason unknown to him, he recoiled at those very words.  Something deep 
within him said he should avoid both.
	"No thanks, Ikeda.  Let's just see where you live, alight?"
	" 'kay," Ikeda said, and started walking.

~ End of Chapter 2 ~