"A Thousand Words"
[ROUGH DRAFT] v0.2
By Jivia dae Silna
A.k.a.
Mark Fritz
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, Takahashi Rumiko-dono does.
Author's Foward:
This will be dark. It seems dark fiction is all I can write. I do hope you enjoy the
journey as much as I do. Sit back, relax, and I shall try to convey what I mean
through my limited ability.
Epilogue
Final Session
This is an outline, an outline of experience. Everything must have parts.
Everything must be disassembled. And here are the parts of an experience. A world
that has been torn, darkened, and is painful because of this experience. A world with
one common thread tying it all together: the death of a Mighty Hero.
*-*-*
Tendo Akane stared at the fading inscription of the marker standing before
her. She read the words to herself like she always did: "Here lies the shell of a man
among men." He hadn't come back. Not this time. She angrily swiped her tears aside.
She would not lament what was lost; she would not bemoan her loveless existance.
She turned around quickly and took that first fateful step away. Running away
always dullened the pain. Akane kept her eyes focused on the ground before her as she
took another step away and bumped into her older sister. She muttered an apology as
she walked past Nabiki hastily, her pain momentarily forgotten. Akane stopped as she
felt her sister's light touch on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
It should have been raining. It should not be so unbearably cheery. It was
too damned sunny. It was hard to hide tears in the light. "You didn't do anything
Nabiki."
"I... "
They both stood there while the delighted squeals of children mocked their
solemnity. The birds sang and the sun shone with relentless cheer. "I... I know
that. But... but... what the hell do want me to say, Akane?"
"You don't have to say anything."
Nabiki sighed heavily and placed another bouquet of flowers on top of the
already large pile. "It's been three years."
Nabiki's simple statement nettled Akane, it somehow _annoyed_ her. Her
clenched fists quailed at her sides and she counted from ten to one to calm herself.
"Drop it."
"You need to move on."
"Shut. Up."
"Akane, it's been three-"
The snap of flesh hitting flesh sounded so very hollow. Nabiki gingerly
touched her cheek and winced. She turned and looked at the bowed head of her sobbing
sister. She had tried being cautious and had, this one time, tried directness.
Akane's sobs shook her thin frame. She kneaded her stinging palm as her
tears hit the ground. She could not, however, knead her stinging heart. The pain
rarely left her alone. She turned away from her sister and the source of the pain.
The hurt faded to a throb as she ran away.
Nabiki stood there, helpless as ever, and watched her sister run away from
her. The distance was always widening. Her leaden feet and soul didn't allow her
the comfort of closing the cleft. Always widening.
"Hello."
"Hello Kuonji-san."
Nabiki didn't bother facing Ukyou. She kept her eyes on the dying. A whisper
of a wind flowed by, rustling the scant leaves on the ground. The mundane sounds of
traffic and the useless chatter of pedestrians filled the air with buzzing, constant
sound. All so very _mundane_.
"So... how're things?"
"As good as they can be, Kuonji-san."
"Oh. Well... that's good," Ukyou offered lamely.
Both women fell silent as small talk had never been either woman's strong suit.
Ukyou walked slowly past Nabiki and stopped before the modest marker and pile of
flowers. After a near silent and half-hearted prayer, Ukyou placed her own bouquet
atop the other offers of consolation. She turned and walked away, stopping right
behind Nabiki.
"Goodbye Tendo-san."
"Goodbye."
*-*-*
This is the epilogue, yes. It is not, however, the end.
Jivia
[ROUGH DRAFT] v0.2
By Jivia dae Silna
A.k.a.
Mark Fritz
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, Takahashi Rumiko-dono does.
Author's Foward:
This will be dark. It seems dark fiction is all I can write. I do hope you enjoy the
journey as much as I do. Sit back, relax, and I shall try to convey what I mean
through my limited ability.
Epilogue
Final Session
This is an outline, an outline of experience. Everything must have parts.
Everything must be disassembled. And here are the parts of an experience. A world
that has been torn, darkened, and is painful because of this experience. A world with
one common thread tying it all together: the death of a Mighty Hero.
*-*-*
Tendo Akane stared at the fading inscription of the marker standing before
her. She read the words to herself like she always did: "Here lies the shell of a man
among men." He hadn't come back. Not this time. She angrily swiped her tears aside.
She would not lament what was lost; she would not bemoan her loveless existance.
She turned around quickly and took that first fateful step away. Running away
always dullened the pain. Akane kept her eyes focused on the ground before her as she
took another step away and bumped into her older sister. She muttered an apology as
she walked past Nabiki hastily, her pain momentarily forgotten. Akane stopped as she
felt her sister's light touch on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
It should have been raining. It should not be so unbearably cheery. It was
too damned sunny. It was hard to hide tears in the light. "You didn't do anything
Nabiki."
"I... "
They both stood there while the delighted squeals of children mocked their
solemnity. The birds sang and the sun shone with relentless cheer. "I... I know
that. But... but... what the hell do want me to say, Akane?"
"You don't have to say anything."
Nabiki sighed heavily and placed another bouquet of flowers on top of the
already large pile. "It's been three years."
Nabiki's simple statement nettled Akane, it somehow _annoyed_ her. Her
clenched fists quailed at her sides and she counted from ten to one to calm herself.
"Drop it."
"You need to move on."
"Shut. Up."
"Akane, it's been three-"
The snap of flesh hitting flesh sounded so very hollow. Nabiki gingerly
touched her cheek and winced. She turned and looked at the bowed head of her sobbing
sister. She had tried being cautious and had, this one time, tried directness.
Akane's sobs shook her thin frame. She kneaded her stinging palm as her
tears hit the ground. She could not, however, knead her stinging heart. The pain
rarely left her alone. She turned away from her sister and the source of the pain.
The hurt faded to a throb as she ran away.
Nabiki stood there, helpless as ever, and watched her sister run away from
her. The distance was always widening. Her leaden feet and soul didn't allow her
the comfort of closing the cleft. Always widening.
"Hello."
"Hello Kuonji-san."
Nabiki didn't bother facing Ukyou. She kept her eyes on the dying. A whisper
of a wind flowed by, rustling the scant leaves on the ground. The mundane sounds of
traffic and the useless chatter of pedestrians filled the air with buzzing, constant
sound. All so very _mundane_.
"So... how're things?"
"As good as they can be, Kuonji-san."
"Oh. Well... that's good," Ukyou offered lamely.
Both women fell silent as small talk had never been either woman's strong suit.
Ukyou walked slowly past Nabiki and stopped before the modest marker and pile of
flowers. After a near silent and half-hearted prayer, Ukyou placed her own bouquet
atop the other offers of consolation. She turned and walked away, stopping right
behind Nabiki.
"Goodbye Tendo-san."
"Goodbye."
*-*-*
This is the epilogue, yes. It is not, however, the end.
Jivia