Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Ranma – or anything else for that matter.

That was her

Prologue: A simple wish

It was a warm spring day, birds were chirping and it seemed to be the most beautiful day Akane had ever seen. She inhaled the smell of the flowers in her mother's garden that she so lovingly taken care of. It had meant everything to her since she could not remember her mother, no matter how hard she tried. Akane blushed when she remembered she had forgotten "the photo."

"I can't believe it, I'm so stupid!" Akane scolded herself.

She ran up the stairs, leaving her bags behind, and into her empty room. The room was bare and had a bad vibe about it; it felt like someone had just died in it. Akane touched the window sill hesitantly before turning around to face the ground.

"I'm so sorry mom … I just can't stay any longer." Akane whispered softly. "I blame myself for being so unlovable, forgive me."

Akane looked down at herself and at how much she had changed in the past few years. She was seventeen and leaving home, if it were her old self she would never have even dreamt of leaving, but she wasn't. Her hair was now shoulder length long and she only wore dark colors. Some would say she had a punk look about her with her dark blue hair and baby blue highlights. Her choice of clothes was a simple black spaghetti strap shirt and a red plaid miniskirt accentuated by a chain around her waist. Akane sighed and began playing with her ring necklace, it was a nervous habit she had to one day kick. She looked at the ground with blind interest and then at her feet, torn tennis shoes with the socks rolled up and showing. This wasn't her, but she had changed for a reason. She had changed in hopes that her family would finally accept her.

"Akane," Came the soft scolding voice of her older sister. "You forgot this … I thought you loved this picture." Her older sister said in a leveled voice Akane always hated her for.

She could never know how she really felt unless she told her personally.

"Sorry, Nabiki." Akane whispered and went for the picture only to have it swiped away from her hands.

There was a long silence between the two sisters as they stared at each other intently, Akane half glaring.

Akane backed up to the window sill and bowed her head. "If you want it you can have it …"

Nabiki stared at her sister curiously and then tossed the picture at her.

"Nah." Nabiki sighed and began to leave. "I have some myself already."

With that said Nabiki left Akane and her mother's picture in the empty room, alone. Akane clenched and unclenched her fist as she tried to control her anger. In frustration she made a hole in the wall.

"See mom … I've never fit in." She whispered and touched the window sill hesitantly again. "No matter how much I wish, they still blame me for your death, even after all this time … They truly hate me."

End of Prologue: A simple wish