I want to thank all everyone who has reviewed by story so far! I like to
know that you are enjoying my story, and some of the feedback has been very
helpful. So please review and let me know what you think. If you want to
say something, but you don't want everyone to read it please feel free to e-
mail me, I won't mind.
I know the chapters have been short so far, but they will get longer in the near future, I promise. (
And now, since I don't think I have done it before, I don't own Ranma or anything pertaining to Ranma, I am just writing this for my amusement.
STARRY NIGHT
CHAPTER FOUR
Akane forcefully wrenched herself out of her dream. Ripping her mind from the creeping tendrils of the dream as they tried to pull her back in. She could not, she would not return to that place if she could help it. The last wisps of the dream faded away as Akane opened her eyes and gazed at the strange ceiling. A light coat of sweat covered her body, and her breathing was harsh and jagged. She could only remember bits and pieces of her dream, and they all scared her to death. She couldn't even remember what the creature had looked like. She just remembered screaming louder than she ever had before. Silently she got up and went to the sink to rinse off her face. The sun would not be up for another hour yet, but there was no way she could go back to sleep now. That thing in her dream was just too real and scary.
Dressed in her gi, Akane moved the table and chair in her room to make a big clear space. Then she started moving through her katas, starting with the easiest. She concentrated on her movements, willing herself to flow through them with grace and ease. As she started to move into her harder katas, the ones that required more skill, she started to think less and less about her dream. Finally, all of her mind was concentrating on her kata. The dream was pushed into the back of her mind. She would think about it later, when it still wasn't quite so fresh.
Maybe then she would be able to determine if there was any meaning behind her dream, or if it was just some senseless imagination of her mind.
Akane spared a glance at the clock by the bed as she finished her last kata. She had been going through her forms for an hour now, and breakfast would be ready soon. She clasped her hands together and slowly brought them above her head. Extending them ever upward while slightly arching her back, stretching first to one side and then the other. Then she headed towards the shower and prepared for the soaking of her lifetime. This was going to be the last good cleansing that her body would receive for quite a long time, and she intended to make the most of it. The hot water hitting her skin felt exquisitely intoxicating as it helped to ease the tension out of her tired muscles. The aroma of the shampoo that she massaged into her hair was very tantalizing to the senses. The feel of the water softly poking her body as she sat in the tub, plugged the drain, and layback was very relaxing. The way the hot water caressed her skin with it's gentle movements as the tub filled was strangely comforting.
Soon, Akane was completely adrift in her mind. In a total and complete, relaxed state that few people could accomplish. While here she thought of nothing, only concentrated on the rhythm of her heart compared to that of her breathing. The way the two were totally different and yet completely reliant on each other. Their paths were continually intertwining in all that they did, just as she was with Ranma. No matter how many times they had tried to push each other away, they were always drawn back to each other. Not too much unlike two halves of a magnet. Two separate halves always striving to form one whole. Yeah right, as if Ranma would ever consider her to be his life partner. Wasn't he always saying that she was nothing but a violent, uncute tomboy? But still how could she ever be complete without him by her side?
Just as that thought entered Akane's mind, she could feel a strange sensation surround her body. There was no feeling of danger to associate with this sensation. No, no danger at all, just a feeling of familiarity, as if this thing causing the sensation had been around her for all of her life. She could feel this sensation run through her being. Giving a sudden boost of energy where none could be found and startling her out of her reverie. Then just as suddenly as the sensation had begun, it ended. Leaving her wondering what had just happened; just as her dream had. This would be another thing for to think about on the long journey ahead of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deep in the heart of Mainland China there lays an undisturbed valley. This valley was a sanctuary for all of the wildlife that could find it's way there, because man had not touched its soil in centuries. On this day, however, the sanctity of the valley was about to change in a sudden and abrupt way. This was no mere valley, but a prison that contained a creature of horrific proportions. He was trapped within a brilliant crystal in the center of the valley and had been there for hundreds of years. His prison had proved impenetrable by the various forms of escape he had tried over the centuries, but still he waited. If he had learned one thing over the long, lonely years trapped in the cursed crystal it was patience. Today, the gods were smiling on him. Today, his years of waiting would come to an end. For today, the grounds of the valley started to shift back and forth beneath the beautiful prison, shaking the ground softly at first then violently. The earthquake was not a major one, just a little tremor, yet it brought about a most horrific circumstance. A tiny crack in the base of the crystal.
The sun was unbearably hot. The rays beat down in an unforgiving stream of light making the docks an awful place to be. Normally people would be happy to be next to the ocean on such a hot day, to have a cool breeze blowing off the water over their skin, but this was not such an occasion. This was a day filled with sadness, a day filled with regret. This was the day that Akane would take her feet off of the soil that she treasured the most, Japan's and Ranma's. Yet even as she vainly tried to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun off the water, she had to wonder if she was truly choosing the correct path. She had only been gone one day and already she was desperately home sick. She wanted to hear Kasumi's humming, she longed for Nabiki's frugality, she missed her father's steady presence, but most of all she longed for Ranma. Her whole body ached to be close to him. She was being ridiculous though. She had only been gone for one day and that was hardly enough time to miss anything, and yet the need was there. How was she ever going to survive months away from home if she was already feeling this bad the first day? Hopefully things would get easier the longer she was away, and the more she learned to rely on her own resources. Right now she could not spare the time to think of such things, she had a mission to accomplish.
As she reached the end of the dock, she turned and started to walk back to the shore surveying the ships as she walked by. She would need to find a freighter that was leaving that night. She had found several that were slated to leave sometime during the day, but she had no use for those ships. She could not sneak aboard a ship to stowaway in broad daylight. No, she would need to find one that was leaving after dark, or first thing in the morning. Then she would sneak aboard the vessel sometime after midnight and find a decent place to hide for the duration of her journey to China. She had thought about buying a ticket on the next passenger ship that was sailing for Mainland China, but that would not do either. She wanted her trail to stop cold. She wanted to be hard to find. She wanted a chance to accomplish the task that she set out for herself before anyone could show up and attempt to help her. She wanted to prove her worth not only to herself, but to the rest of her family and friends as well. She would not fail.
Finally, a ship caught her eye. The captain was on the gangplank telling some of his crew to be back by sunrise because they were leaving with the tide. One-by-one all of the sailors started to leave the ship, some in groups, some all alone, and through the whole process Akane stood and watched. She ignored the catcalls, the whistles, and the occasional crude remark made by the passing sailors. The task at hand was much more important than any reply she ever could have made, and finally her diligence paid off. Almost the entire crew had left the ship for a night on the town, and if any of them bothered to return that night they would probably be trashed. She had found her ship. Now she just had to wait until midnight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma was in a daze as he entered the bathroom and started to fill the furo. All of the things that had happened to him that day were fairly normal, except for one, and that one had occurred once or twice before. Still the circumstances had never gone this far, and the finality of the words were almost too much for him to bear. They kept echoing through his mind as he willed the hot water to relax more than just his weary muscles, and every time he relived the moment he read Akane's note his spirit hurt even more. "Goodbye, Ranma." Funny how those two little words could make his entire life seem so insignificant, so empty, so desolate. Why would she leave him, how could she not know that she was the one? Hadn't he shown her when he stayed with her through every trial they had experienced over the last year? Didn't she understand that was the reason he always fought to keep her by his side? No, how could she understand when he had allowed Shampoo and Ukyou to keep believing that they had a chance with him. He was such a fool to think that he would never have to hurt any of them, he should have told them right away, but he was such a coward. Monsters did not bother him, demons could not scare him, but the tears of a mere female could bring him to his knees. Well, things were going to have to change and fast. The other two girls were just going to have to understand that the only woman in the world for him was Akane, and if he could not find her and make her his in this lifetime, he would just wait till the next.
The night sky was dark without the moon's illumination, the stars offered some light, but not enough to matter as the stealthy black clad figure slipped past the security guards patrolling the harbor. Without the slightest sound this creature of the night slipped from shadow to shadow, pausing only for seconds before moving yet again, the final destination know only to its self. After several minutes of traveling from dock to dock, the figure stopped and found shelter in the shadows by a big freight ship. Watching for movement on the immediately visible part of the deck, watching for movement along the docks, waiting for the most opportune moment to make a move. Then, without warning, the figure jumped from the shadows and made a run for the mooring line farthest away from the gangplank, and ran up it, searching for a new shadow to conceal it's already darkened form. With just a whisper to mark it's passing, the figure once again moved from shadow to shadow in search of a better hiding place. Always concealing its self in shadow, never allowing anyone a glimpse of its true form, holding all of it's continually bubbling doubts and fears just below the surface.
Finally the stealthy figure reached a lower deck and took refuge on top of an air conditioner securely suspended from the ceiling. It should be safe here for now, or as safe as a person in hiding could ever get. At least none of the sailors could see it, and that was all that mattered for the moment. The destination must be reached, the goal must be accomplished, the future must be secured, maybe then happiness could be achieved.
I know the chapters have been short so far, but they will get longer in the near future, I promise. (
And now, since I don't think I have done it before, I don't own Ranma or anything pertaining to Ranma, I am just writing this for my amusement.
STARRY NIGHT
CHAPTER FOUR
Akane forcefully wrenched herself out of her dream. Ripping her mind from the creeping tendrils of the dream as they tried to pull her back in. She could not, she would not return to that place if she could help it. The last wisps of the dream faded away as Akane opened her eyes and gazed at the strange ceiling. A light coat of sweat covered her body, and her breathing was harsh and jagged. She could only remember bits and pieces of her dream, and they all scared her to death. She couldn't even remember what the creature had looked like. She just remembered screaming louder than she ever had before. Silently she got up and went to the sink to rinse off her face. The sun would not be up for another hour yet, but there was no way she could go back to sleep now. That thing in her dream was just too real and scary.
Dressed in her gi, Akane moved the table and chair in her room to make a big clear space. Then she started moving through her katas, starting with the easiest. She concentrated on her movements, willing herself to flow through them with grace and ease. As she started to move into her harder katas, the ones that required more skill, she started to think less and less about her dream. Finally, all of her mind was concentrating on her kata. The dream was pushed into the back of her mind. She would think about it later, when it still wasn't quite so fresh.
Maybe then she would be able to determine if there was any meaning behind her dream, or if it was just some senseless imagination of her mind.
Akane spared a glance at the clock by the bed as she finished her last kata. She had been going through her forms for an hour now, and breakfast would be ready soon. She clasped her hands together and slowly brought them above her head. Extending them ever upward while slightly arching her back, stretching first to one side and then the other. Then she headed towards the shower and prepared for the soaking of her lifetime. This was going to be the last good cleansing that her body would receive for quite a long time, and she intended to make the most of it. The hot water hitting her skin felt exquisitely intoxicating as it helped to ease the tension out of her tired muscles. The aroma of the shampoo that she massaged into her hair was very tantalizing to the senses. The feel of the water softly poking her body as she sat in the tub, plugged the drain, and layback was very relaxing. The way the hot water caressed her skin with it's gentle movements as the tub filled was strangely comforting.
Soon, Akane was completely adrift in her mind. In a total and complete, relaxed state that few people could accomplish. While here she thought of nothing, only concentrated on the rhythm of her heart compared to that of her breathing. The way the two were totally different and yet completely reliant on each other. Their paths were continually intertwining in all that they did, just as she was with Ranma. No matter how many times they had tried to push each other away, they were always drawn back to each other. Not too much unlike two halves of a magnet. Two separate halves always striving to form one whole. Yeah right, as if Ranma would ever consider her to be his life partner. Wasn't he always saying that she was nothing but a violent, uncute tomboy? But still how could she ever be complete without him by her side?
Just as that thought entered Akane's mind, she could feel a strange sensation surround her body. There was no feeling of danger to associate with this sensation. No, no danger at all, just a feeling of familiarity, as if this thing causing the sensation had been around her for all of her life. She could feel this sensation run through her being. Giving a sudden boost of energy where none could be found and startling her out of her reverie. Then just as suddenly as the sensation had begun, it ended. Leaving her wondering what had just happened; just as her dream had. This would be another thing for to think about on the long journey ahead of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deep in the heart of Mainland China there lays an undisturbed valley. This valley was a sanctuary for all of the wildlife that could find it's way there, because man had not touched its soil in centuries. On this day, however, the sanctity of the valley was about to change in a sudden and abrupt way. This was no mere valley, but a prison that contained a creature of horrific proportions. He was trapped within a brilliant crystal in the center of the valley and had been there for hundreds of years. His prison had proved impenetrable by the various forms of escape he had tried over the centuries, but still he waited. If he had learned one thing over the long, lonely years trapped in the cursed crystal it was patience. Today, the gods were smiling on him. Today, his years of waiting would come to an end. For today, the grounds of the valley started to shift back and forth beneath the beautiful prison, shaking the ground softly at first then violently. The earthquake was not a major one, just a little tremor, yet it brought about a most horrific circumstance. A tiny crack in the base of the crystal.
The sun was unbearably hot. The rays beat down in an unforgiving stream of light making the docks an awful place to be. Normally people would be happy to be next to the ocean on such a hot day, to have a cool breeze blowing off the water over their skin, but this was not such an occasion. This was a day filled with sadness, a day filled with regret. This was the day that Akane would take her feet off of the soil that she treasured the most, Japan's and Ranma's. Yet even as she vainly tried to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun off the water, she had to wonder if she was truly choosing the correct path. She had only been gone one day and already she was desperately home sick. She wanted to hear Kasumi's humming, she longed for Nabiki's frugality, she missed her father's steady presence, but most of all she longed for Ranma. Her whole body ached to be close to him. She was being ridiculous though. She had only been gone for one day and that was hardly enough time to miss anything, and yet the need was there. How was she ever going to survive months away from home if she was already feeling this bad the first day? Hopefully things would get easier the longer she was away, and the more she learned to rely on her own resources. Right now she could not spare the time to think of such things, she had a mission to accomplish.
As she reached the end of the dock, she turned and started to walk back to the shore surveying the ships as she walked by. She would need to find a freighter that was leaving that night. She had found several that were slated to leave sometime during the day, but she had no use for those ships. She could not sneak aboard a ship to stowaway in broad daylight. No, she would need to find one that was leaving after dark, or first thing in the morning. Then she would sneak aboard the vessel sometime after midnight and find a decent place to hide for the duration of her journey to China. She had thought about buying a ticket on the next passenger ship that was sailing for Mainland China, but that would not do either. She wanted her trail to stop cold. She wanted to be hard to find. She wanted a chance to accomplish the task that she set out for herself before anyone could show up and attempt to help her. She wanted to prove her worth not only to herself, but to the rest of her family and friends as well. She would not fail.
Finally, a ship caught her eye. The captain was on the gangplank telling some of his crew to be back by sunrise because they were leaving with the tide. One-by-one all of the sailors started to leave the ship, some in groups, some all alone, and through the whole process Akane stood and watched. She ignored the catcalls, the whistles, and the occasional crude remark made by the passing sailors. The task at hand was much more important than any reply she ever could have made, and finally her diligence paid off. Almost the entire crew had left the ship for a night on the town, and if any of them bothered to return that night they would probably be trashed. She had found her ship. Now she just had to wait until midnight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma was in a daze as he entered the bathroom and started to fill the furo. All of the things that had happened to him that day were fairly normal, except for one, and that one had occurred once or twice before. Still the circumstances had never gone this far, and the finality of the words were almost too much for him to bear. They kept echoing through his mind as he willed the hot water to relax more than just his weary muscles, and every time he relived the moment he read Akane's note his spirit hurt even more. "Goodbye, Ranma." Funny how those two little words could make his entire life seem so insignificant, so empty, so desolate. Why would she leave him, how could she not know that she was the one? Hadn't he shown her when he stayed with her through every trial they had experienced over the last year? Didn't she understand that was the reason he always fought to keep her by his side? No, how could she understand when he had allowed Shampoo and Ukyou to keep believing that they had a chance with him. He was such a fool to think that he would never have to hurt any of them, he should have told them right away, but he was such a coward. Monsters did not bother him, demons could not scare him, but the tears of a mere female could bring him to his knees. Well, things were going to have to change and fast. The other two girls were just going to have to understand that the only woman in the world for him was Akane, and if he could not find her and make her his in this lifetime, he would just wait till the next.
The night sky was dark without the moon's illumination, the stars offered some light, but not enough to matter as the stealthy black clad figure slipped past the security guards patrolling the harbor. Without the slightest sound this creature of the night slipped from shadow to shadow, pausing only for seconds before moving yet again, the final destination know only to its self. After several minutes of traveling from dock to dock, the figure stopped and found shelter in the shadows by a big freight ship. Watching for movement on the immediately visible part of the deck, watching for movement along the docks, waiting for the most opportune moment to make a move. Then, without warning, the figure jumped from the shadows and made a run for the mooring line farthest away from the gangplank, and ran up it, searching for a new shadow to conceal it's already darkened form. With just a whisper to mark it's passing, the figure once again moved from shadow to shadow in search of a better hiding place. Always concealing its self in shadow, never allowing anyone a glimpse of its true form, holding all of it's continually bubbling doubts and fears just below the surface.
Finally the stealthy figure reached a lower deck and took refuge on top of an air conditioner securely suspended from the ceiling. It should be safe here for now, or as safe as a person in hiding could ever get. At least none of the sailors could see it, and that was all that mattered for the moment. The destination must be reached, the goal must be accomplished, the future must be secured, maybe then happiness could be achieved.