Somewhere in Japan.

Maki-chan sat. She was perched on a wooden fence that circled a lake. It was 
a fairly good size body of water and nice; for being man-made. Which, 
Maki-chan reflected, made the word reservoir more appropriate.

It was late afternoon that found the small girl sulking. And, the heat of the 
day finding Maki-chan's mood catching, sulked too. In this case, misery 
didn't feel like company.

The sun glinted off the murky water, illuminating the koi fish swimming 
about. Maki-chan idly thought of how boring it'd be to be a fish. Then again, 
she corrected herself, if she were a fish she wouldn't know it were boring, 
because fish never seem bored. Her nose wiggled cutely as she thought.

"Ah," A man, who had been leaning on the fence next to her, but she had been 
ignoring him, said. "I know that look." And he grinned.

She sniffed and turned her nose up at him. "So?" She said, pouting. "In case 
you've forgotten, Jave, " she said his name hard, as if forcing it from her 
throat. "I'm still ignoring you."

"You can't ignore me forever," he countered. "You're nothing without me." 
Again the grin.

"That's no way to talk to a lady!" She yelled and then softly added, "Don't 
you think I know that? It's not like I have much choice."

"I don't see no lady," Jave drawled out.  He smirked as Maki-chan stuck her 
tongue out at him.  "You owe me, Maki-chan," He continued. "I listened when 
no one else would. What would you have done if I didn't? What then, girl? 
Don't you forget." With that he turned from her and strode off.

She made to follow, but paused and instead hopped to the ground. Maki-chan 
sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. How could she forget? 
Couldn't if she wanted too. She hated him, and not just him. She hated 
herself, what she was. But no, not hate alone. At times she felt something 
more for him. She needed him, saw him as a brother at times, but that might 
be her loneliness and grief. 

Maki-chan loathed herself, the unfairness. She was no ordinary child, she 
knew. The emotions raced through her. Each one slamming into her. Then all 
was gone and the world was cold, she was cold. The sky, the ground darkened 
in the light. The lake changed, becoming a dark liquid maw there to claim 
her. The fish sparkling teeth. And only one word flitted through her.

Damn...

~~~

Nerima.

He felt it. More than just pressure on his neck. He felt the pulse of blood 
flowing under the skin, the warmth of the life in those fingers and the 
strength of the muscles. A testament to living, capable flesh. Flesh that was 
crushing his wind pipe.  And it did not matter. No, Ranma found the weight 
crushing his mind more painful.

There was sight, sound. He could see his face in the mirror and passively, as 
if he were a spectator, noted the look of disbelief. He could hear his breath 
wheezing from his lungs, and the sound of voices speaking no words.  And then 
sight was gone.

-------

another short piece...   It hurts... my brain...  but that's all for now.


	     .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'