All Things Considered
~*~
Okay, first off, I do not own Sailor Moon or Ranma ½. Sad, but true, I know. On with the story!
~*~
"Ice."
It was a presence that had always been there, encouraging me to go on. Cool intellect that never failed. Gone.
"Fire."
It had been a fiery passion that was never dampened. Always pushing me to be better. Gone.
"Earth."
It had been a helping hand, never talking down, just helping me to my feet. Gone.
"Love."
Life was nothing without it. It had been a shining beacon, lighting the way. Optimistic, and now gone.
"Time."
It was never-ending. That's what I had thought anyways. It had been a rope, anchoring me to sanity all these years. My lifeline. Now gone.
"Sky."
It was a blanket, a shield against harsh words and the true meaning of the pitfalls Destiny cast in my face. Now the blanket had been ripped away, and the shield was gone.
"Ocean."
A soft voice, growing and falling, never the same. Complex in soul, but always a simple smile, ready to take me in its arms and hold me tight. Gone.
"Death, and then Rebirth."
The ultimate joy, like a candle in a dark room. It had been the herald first of death, and then had lead the way out of the darkness into life once again. Also gone.
I sighed deeply, and then closed my eyes. Like I did every night, I focused my soul into one point. Then I set about moving all the uncontrolled emotion into the center of that tiny point. It spiraled down, and then settled. Once all my emotions were back under control, I felt once again at ease. I sighed again, for no reason really. Well, maybe I was mourning over things that had been, but I couldn't be sure.
"Aiiiiya! There you are! Is that technique that great-grandmother taught you working? The Breath of the North Wind, or whatever?"
I smiled when I heard Xian Pu's bubbly voice, so much like mine. I leaped up and spun around.
"Yup, you can bet it's working! It had better be, anyways, 'cause I sure need it!"
My thin, silvery blonde hair brushed my shoulders. Great-grandmother always said that if my hair were black like other Amazons', Xian Pu and I would be twins. Of course, because of my hair color, I couldn't let any other Amazons see me, because of our silly belief that there was a hero with silvery blonde hair way back in their history.
It was said that this woman, Lo Xian, was the best warrior. Every male in the village clamored for her hand in marriage. Then when a demon came from Shinigami's realm, she slew it, but was never seen again.
Great-grandmother said that it would not be good for me to be treated like a queen, because I am just a 'normal' girl that has the looks of that great warrior.
Of course, knowing my history, Lo Xian very well could have been me.
I shook my head clear of those thoughts and ran over to greet my sister. She hugged me, and then dragged me into the bushes. I hissed something mean at her in Japanese.
She looked reprovingly at me. "I don't think what you said was nice, even if I couldn't understand it."
I stuck my tongue out at her. "It was supposed to be mean!" I said heatedly.
She glared at me. "Do you want to be seen by the others?"
I glared back at her. "I'd rather be seen that live in hiding this whole time!"
"I don't believe you!"
"Good!" I hissed.
She stared at me, and then giggled. "You're so silly!"
I smiled; glad that I could make her laugh. "…"
She covered her mouth with both hands to smother her giggles. Her face began to turn red. Then the sound of pounding feet reached my ears. Xian Pu, for all her acclaimed fighting skills, didn't seem to hear. I looked around frantically. If Xian Pu didn't stop laughing, they'd find me! No, no, no! That would NOT be good. Xian Pu was starting to make strangling sounds. I didn't even to anything funny!
The feet slowed, and then stopped right outside our bush. I held my breath, hoping that they would leave. Ha! Riiiiight. Like anything *ever* happens the way I want it.
The next thing I knew, the branches were being shoved aside, and a triumphant face looked in.
"Xian Pu, I have found…who?"
His eyes narrowed, and he pulled both of us out onto the grass. Xian Pu wasn't laughing anymore. She jumped to her feet in a ready position. I could barely keep myself from doing the same. Maybe if they didn't know that I could fight, they would believe that I wasn't the reincarnation of Lo Xian. Maybe.
One of the boys, Moose, looked over at Xian Pu in her ready position. He frowned again. He does that a lot, I guess.
"Xian Pu, I want to fight no longer. Who is this girl?"
She stepped in front of me protectively. "Her name is~"
"I want her to speak for herself."
Xian Pu practically bristled, but stepped aside. I suddenly felt extremely out of place with my wide blue eyes, gold hair, and now tanned skin. When I spoke, my Chinese came out cracked.
"I am Usagi." I whispered.
He raised one eyebrow, and I belatedly remembered that the braver you are, the better you are. I spoke again, this time more confident. I was revealed, and now I was going to make the best of it.
"My name is Usagi." I said with confidence that I didn't feel.
Moose looked me over appraisingly. "You don't look like a fighter." He said suddenly. Another boy came up. One of the lecherous ones, from Xian Pu's look.
"I'll bet that she's good for other things!" he said leering at me. I snapped. Acting totally by instinct, I slammed my fist into his face, sending him sprawling across the field. Everyone stared at me. I sweat- dropped.
"Uh…lucky shot?"
Moose and three others captured my arms, finally taking notice of Xian Pu's incredulous look. "I didn't know you could do that, girl…." she whispered.
Moose snorted. "Sure Xian Pu. Talent like that can't be ignored."
I spoke up. "But she didn't know! I was keeping it a secret!" I protested.
He glared at me. "You are coming with us."
I gulped. Today was not going my way.
~*~
Okay, first off, I do not own Sailor Moon or Ranma ½. Sad, but true, I know. On with the story!
~*~
"Ice."
It was a presence that had always been there, encouraging me to go on. Cool intellect that never failed. Gone.
"Fire."
It had been a fiery passion that was never dampened. Always pushing me to be better. Gone.
"Earth."
It had been a helping hand, never talking down, just helping me to my feet. Gone.
"Love."
Life was nothing without it. It had been a shining beacon, lighting the way. Optimistic, and now gone.
"Time."
It was never-ending. That's what I had thought anyways. It had been a rope, anchoring me to sanity all these years. My lifeline. Now gone.
"Sky."
It was a blanket, a shield against harsh words and the true meaning of the pitfalls Destiny cast in my face. Now the blanket had been ripped away, and the shield was gone.
"Ocean."
A soft voice, growing and falling, never the same. Complex in soul, but always a simple smile, ready to take me in its arms and hold me tight. Gone.
"Death, and then Rebirth."
The ultimate joy, like a candle in a dark room. It had been the herald first of death, and then had lead the way out of the darkness into life once again. Also gone.
I sighed deeply, and then closed my eyes. Like I did every night, I focused my soul into one point. Then I set about moving all the uncontrolled emotion into the center of that tiny point. It spiraled down, and then settled. Once all my emotions were back under control, I felt once again at ease. I sighed again, for no reason really. Well, maybe I was mourning over things that had been, but I couldn't be sure.
"Aiiiiya! There you are! Is that technique that great-grandmother taught you working? The Breath of the North Wind, or whatever?"
I smiled when I heard Xian Pu's bubbly voice, so much like mine. I leaped up and spun around.
"Yup, you can bet it's working! It had better be, anyways, 'cause I sure need it!"
My thin, silvery blonde hair brushed my shoulders. Great-grandmother always said that if my hair were black like other Amazons', Xian Pu and I would be twins. Of course, because of my hair color, I couldn't let any other Amazons see me, because of our silly belief that there was a hero with silvery blonde hair way back in their history.
It was said that this woman, Lo Xian, was the best warrior. Every male in the village clamored for her hand in marriage. Then when a demon came from Shinigami's realm, she slew it, but was never seen again.
Great-grandmother said that it would not be good for me to be treated like a queen, because I am just a 'normal' girl that has the looks of that great warrior.
Of course, knowing my history, Lo Xian very well could have been me.
I shook my head clear of those thoughts and ran over to greet my sister. She hugged me, and then dragged me into the bushes. I hissed something mean at her in Japanese.
She looked reprovingly at me. "I don't think what you said was nice, even if I couldn't understand it."
I stuck my tongue out at her. "It was supposed to be mean!" I said heatedly.
She glared at me. "Do you want to be seen by the others?"
I glared back at her. "I'd rather be seen that live in hiding this whole time!"
"I don't believe you!"
"Good!" I hissed.
She stared at me, and then giggled. "You're so silly!"
I smiled; glad that I could make her laugh. "…"
She covered her mouth with both hands to smother her giggles. Her face began to turn red. Then the sound of pounding feet reached my ears. Xian Pu, for all her acclaimed fighting skills, didn't seem to hear. I looked around frantically. If Xian Pu didn't stop laughing, they'd find me! No, no, no! That would NOT be good. Xian Pu was starting to make strangling sounds. I didn't even to anything funny!
The feet slowed, and then stopped right outside our bush. I held my breath, hoping that they would leave. Ha! Riiiiight. Like anything *ever* happens the way I want it.
The next thing I knew, the branches were being shoved aside, and a triumphant face looked in.
"Xian Pu, I have found…who?"
His eyes narrowed, and he pulled both of us out onto the grass. Xian Pu wasn't laughing anymore. She jumped to her feet in a ready position. I could barely keep myself from doing the same. Maybe if they didn't know that I could fight, they would believe that I wasn't the reincarnation of Lo Xian. Maybe.
One of the boys, Moose, looked over at Xian Pu in her ready position. He frowned again. He does that a lot, I guess.
"Xian Pu, I want to fight no longer. Who is this girl?"
She stepped in front of me protectively. "Her name is~"
"I want her to speak for herself."
Xian Pu practically bristled, but stepped aside. I suddenly felt extremely out of place with my wide blue eyes, gold hair, and now tanned skin. When I spoke, my Chinese came out cracked.
"I am Usagi." I whispered.
He raised one eyebrow, and I belatedly remembered that the braver you are, the better you are. I spoke again, this time more confident. I was revealed, and now I was going to make the best of it.
"My name is Usagi." I said with confidence that I didn't feel.
Moose looked me over appraisingly. "You don't look like a fighter." He said suddenly. Another boy came up. One of the lecherous ones, from Xian Pu's look.
"I'll bet that she's good for other things!" he said leering at me. I snapped. Acting totally by instinct, I slammed my fist into his face, sending him sprawling across the field. Everyone stared at me. I sweat- dropped.
"Uh…lucky shot?"
Moose and three others captured my arms, finally taking notice of Xian Pu's incredulous look. "I didn't know you could do that, girl…." she whispered.
Moose snorted. "Sure Xian Pu. Talent like that can't be ignored."
I spoke up. "But she didn't know! I was keeping it a secret!" I protested.
He glared at me. "You are coming with us."
I gulped. Today was not going my way.