Broken Dreams

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and its characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video.

A young woman stands alone near a grave. Her shadow cloaks her face from the setting sun, but emphasizes the words on the stone.

The young woman stares at the grave, a tear sliding down her cheek. Her eyes are red, her expression tired, like a rebellious slave who is about to surrender. Instead, she speaks.

"I tried," her face hardens. It becomes a mask, all emotion wiped clean, save from the eyes. "I tried to be all that you wanted me to be." It is from the eyes that the first cracks appear.

"A good student, a good child." Another tear slides down her face. "A good daughter." Another crack in the mask.

Her head lowers, then snaps back up. The mask is gone now, letting the emotions boil to the surface.

"Why did you leave me?"

The graveyard echoes from the shout.

"How can I do this?" She slumps, and finally gives in. "How can I keep trying. there's nothing left."

Her body shakes from the tears as she remembers.

*I can see though the illusion. *

She didn't believe him then. Thought that he was some wacko. She still didn't know why she ended up trusting him. something in his eyes?

*I can see it in your eyes. Your soul is echoing emptiness. *

*You can't hide the pain from me. You want release? *

*Freedom from the cage they put you in? *

*Follow me. *

She followed him. She met Gosunkugi there.

He looked at both of them, and spoke.

*I brought both of you here because I know what you both want. *

His eyes burned into her. almost as though they were cutting straight to her soul.

*You, Mishka, want the freedoms you never tasted. The life that was denied to you because of your duties. *

He turned away, but even then, she could still feel that gaze upon her.

*You, Gosunkugi, want a true friend, a soul mate in the purest sense of the word. *

*You both want revenge upon those who forced you into your current roles. *

And she did, in a way. How many times did she lie waiting for sleep, cursing her parents for dying. for her brothers and sisters being too young to help her?

*And I want to help you. *

It was then that he showed them the weapons.

*By punishing those who oppressed you. *

*By helping you to help yourself. *

He held out the weapons.

*You want that, don't you? *

Both of them hesitated. Then, slowly, almost without actually realizing it, their hands reached for the weapons. She didn't even realize she was holding the tool of death until she felt its weight in her hand, the coldness of the metal.

She cries until the last glimmers of the sun vanished, until she had no more tears left to cry with. Then she stands and looks at the tombstone one last time.

"I can't do this anymore. I need freedom."

She turns from the stone cross.

"People have killed for freedom before."

She walks off into the night.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007