What the Koi saw 7
Today I tried to talk to Red-Black One. At first it seemed he heard me, because his head turned in my direction, but then I saw him talking to Kasumi's sister. I think she said her name is Nabiki. I couldn't make out what either of them was saying, not like with Provider or with Big-Eyes-White-Fur. Maybe if I try again tomorrow?
-Time Passes
Tonight, when Kasumi brought the good food, I asked her why only a few people could hear me. She thought about it for a few minutes, and her answer was interesting. She said most of her people don't have the will to listen to other species. It left me a little confused, but later that Moon-Rise, I figured it out. I just needed to talk louder. With that in mind, I decided to try again the next Sun-Rise.
-Time Passes
Again Red-Black One ended up in my water, so I thought this would be a good time. I swam right up beside him, and in my loudest voice, I told him hello. A moment later, Kasumi came out and answered me with a pleasant hello. I explained to her that I was trying to talk to Red-Black One, and she made the happy noises. Then Red-Black One glanced at me with a funny look on his face and said something to Kasumi. Kasumi answered that while it was true that most fish didn't talk, but I was different, and that I could. Red-Black One just got out of the water and went inside. Kasumi turned to me and said that Ranma didn't believe me. When I asked her who Ranma was, she told me that I had just been talking at him. Then it clicked. Red-Black One was Ranma. I thought about it for a few minutes, and turned back to ask her for some more names, but she was already gone.
-Time Passses
Nabiki was sitting by the water today when Kasumi came out to feed me. Nabiki said something that I could almost make out to Kasumi, and Kasumi responded that yes, she could feed the few fish they had left. That was when I noticed that, aside from Elder, myself, and a few of the youngest, there were no other fish left in the water. This made me very sad, and I said as much. Kasumi was about to say something, but a new voice wanted to know who was talking. For a second, I was confused before I noticed that Nabiki's lips were moving. I told nabiki to look in the water, and she did. Before she could say or do anything, Kasumi made her promise not to tell anyone, for any reason. At first, Nabiki had this odd look on her face, kind of like she was a Koi. Then that look went away, and a new look came in that reminds me a little of a Big-Tooth. She tried to say something about how they could make millions of Yen off of a talking fish, but Kasumi gave her an answer that I think I will remember for a long time. She told Nabiki that you while you can make money off of friends, you don't buy or sell family. She stood there, kind of like one of the rocks around the water, then ran inside the High-Place.
-Time Passes
Tonight, after the good food came, Kasumi took Elder away. He has been looking a little sick lately. I hope he gets better soon. I hope she brings him back soon.
-Time Passes
Tonight, the one called Ukyo stopped by, but without her metal fin. She didn't stay long, only standing on the thin narrow rocks that look like the High-Place. Then she jumped down out of sight.
-Time Passes
Kasumi brought the good food again, and some sad news. Elder died last night. That makes me Elder. When I told Kasumi this, she looked in the water, then went inside the High-Place. When she came back out a few minutes later, she had Nabiki with her. They both looked in the water for a while, then Nabiki said something I couldn't quite catch. After that, she went back into the High-Place, and Kasumi started making the happy noises. When I wondered aloud about what I was going to tell the young ones, Kasumi stopped making her happy noises and ran inside.
-Time Passes
It has been many days, and we haven't seen Kasumi. The young ones are starting to think that the happy sounds are just a memory, if they even remember them at all. Usually, Ranma comes out to feed us, but he just throws it all in one place, not spreading it out at all. When Ranma doesn't, Nabiki comes out. But that has only been a few times in many days. I wonder why Kasumi doesn't come anymore? Does she not like us anymore?
-Time Passes
I finally couldn't take it any more, and asked Nabiki when she came out. Nabiki said that Kasumi had been in her room ever since the last time they came out together, and refused to come out except to make food and do a little cleaning. When I asked her why, Nabiki said that didn't want to see us right now because she was very sad. When I asked her why, she looked at me for a second, but it wasn't her voice that answered me, it was Kasumi. I was so happy to hear her that I nearly jumped out of the water like a young one. But when I heard her answer, I knew why she was so sad. She said that when her mother had died, she had asked herself the same question, and it brought back so many bad memories. I told her I was sorry. Then I remembered the long-ago dream. I told her about seeing Not-Provider being pulled onto a Not-Land, and she looked a little sad. But when I told her who I saw pulling Not-Provider onto the Not-Land, I heard two gasps. Then I remembered that Nabiki was still there. Oops.
-Time Passes
Today, one of our young ones was taken by a Fisher-Bird. I tried to nibble on it's leg, but it just took off with the young one. Now there are only three of us left here.
-Time Passes
As usual, Ranm visited our pond this afternoon. Feeling a little playful, I nibbled on his finger. This was a mistake. As soon as I clamped down on him, he flung his arm out of the water, sending me flying through the Not-Water, to land on a very hard place by the High-Place. I just lay there stunned for a few moments, then it started getting really hard to breath. I started flopping around, trying to get back to the water, but all I seemed to be doing was flipping in one place. Soon, I found myself unable to breath or move. I was really scared, but noone seemed to notice. Then I heard someone making happy noises. At first, I thought it was Kasumi, since it was like the happy sounds she usually made. Then everything started to get dark, and the last thing I heard was a voice I had least heard in a dream telling me to relax, and that everything would be okay. Then everything went black.
AN Anyone that thinks Ranma would not do this, just remember his seemingly ingrained response to P-chan doing exactly the same thing. Then imagine what would happen to sopmeone without anything like the same toughness.
Red-Black-One Ranma
Loud-One Akane
Quiet-One Nabiki
Provider Kasumi
Sad-One Soun
Big-Furry Panda-Genma
Not-Big-Furry Human-Genma
Big-Tooth Shampoo PRECURSE
Dark-Eyes-with-Horns Gosenkugi
Small-Furry cat or Cat-form Shampoo
Big-Eyes-White-Fur Cologne
Scary-Noise-One Kodachi
Metal-Fin Ukyo
Dirty-Yellow Ryoga
High-Place house
Small-Tasty-Green and Tasty-Green bushes and trees
Fisher-Bird heron or crane