Amethyst

Chapter 3: Conversations From the Next Chapter

by Celeste Byrd

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Massive power surge completely wasted my computer a few days ago, taking
with it everything related to Studio AESIR; web pages, images, menu
scripts, FANFICS.  No backup save for some fics on a disk months ago,
and the web server itself.  Not exactly the most up-to-date when it
comes to works in progress, huh?

I'm in no mood to start "A Little Motherly Love" chapter 9 over again,
so I'm going to continue Amethyst for a while.  I'm kind of glad I
hadn't touched it during the time I wrote ALML, or I wouldn't be in the
mood to write ANYTHING.

Normally I don't write teasers because I tend to renovate parts halfway
through writing them, but I've got the next chapter pretty much planned
out (then again, I've never really followed many of my plans to this
date).  This was also requested by a few people, so this ten-minute
wonder is for them.  Cheers!

Disclaimer:  Characters are not mine.

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     "I may not as long-lived as you, but I understand the feeling of
lost time...  I understand it too well."


           [I believe...]


     "You know, Tenchi...  If you told me two hours ago that there are
these aliens that look just like us and travel around in ships powered
by space trees, and that we'll end up in one where we'd meet a cute
little girl who'll want us to get a headband from her sleeping sister,
only that she'll wake up when I almost have it, and then we'll get
chased by these giant floating logs, and then we'll free Ryoko again and
escape, and then she'll crash the alien ship which will almost kill all
of us, I'd think you were smoking something extremely illegal."


           [If time passes, everything turns into beauty...]


     "Yeah, I think she's the demon.  Don't think she's as dangerous as
the legends claim, though."

     "Not... dangerous?  She blew up the school, destroyed some of the
forest, almost ended your existence...  How can she not be dangerous?"

     "She was just posing.  Ryoga and Shampoo did that all the time, so
I know what I'm talking about.  Then again, she went into complete
rampage mode when I insulted her, so maybe it isn't all that."

     "Posing?"

     "You know, the long-winded speech, the exaggerated emotions, the
overly-dramatic pose, the special pyrotechnical effects, et cetera.
Ryoko almost pulled a perfect textbook example."

     "Why would she do that?"

     "Maybe she was just playing her role.  She IS the demon from an
ancient legend, after all."

     "What about all the damage she's caused?"

     "I've seen worse, and on a daily basis.  It was heaven to the
construction industry, believe me."


           [If the rain stops, tears clean the scars of memory away...]


     "I once knew someone who had the exact same face you used when we
first met.  He always had it on because there was nothing in life that
was going his way, and he thought that everything would be alright if he
never showed weakness.  A lot like you, I'll bet."

     "What was he like?"

     "He never had many friends.  He moved around a lot, and his father
discouraged him from meeting people because it was supposedly a weakness
to rely on others.  For ten years he was on the road, learning only what
his father would teach him.  With no friends and caring family, he never
learned to open up to people when he needed to."

     "Why was he travelling so much?"

     "He was training to become the best martial artist in the world.
Problem was, his father was the worst possible person to learn martial
arts from.  He believed stealing and cheating people were important
techniques to pass onto his son, and that's what he tried to do first.
When he was successful, he had his son steal food for him under the
guise of training.  When the son wisened up, the father decided to sell
him to restaurant owners, shop keepers, and even slave traders for money
or food, then steal him back in the middle of the night.  Even though
the father kept the illusion that it was tough work raising a son, he
ate all the food and spent the money on sake.  Not once was the son
actually cared for.  But..."

     "But?"

     "He learned how to deal with it.  I guess you could call it an act
of God, but he finally discovered how he could move on.  He now has a
new life somewhere, a family he can trust, and most importantly, a
friend he can confide in."


           [Everything starts wearing fresh colours...]


     "I have this nasty feeling that Ryoko's complete attitude makeover
is going to be permanent, and I'm not sure if it's going to be for the
better."

     "Oh boy."

     "I can't believe Nobuyuki-san is letting Ryoko stay here.  I don't
think you'll be able to survive her advances if he's giving her the
go-ahead just like that."

     "That's not that I'm worried about.  Dad has these weird ideas on
how a man should act, and I'm worried that he'll try and get her to do
something I'll regret later."

     "Well, just be glad that she one-of-a-kind.  If there were MORE of
her..."

     "I don't even want to think about that."


           [Every sound begins playing a heartfelt melody...]


     "Two years before becoming fully-fledged adults, and those two
still blush over these things."

     "Come on, Urd.  It isn't as if they deal with this every single
waking day.  Even Shampoo showed more modesty than this."


           [Jealousy embellishes a page of the epic...]


     "You know, Ranma, I really don't think this a good idea."

     "Neither do I.  But we don't have much of a choice, do we?  We
either do this favour for Sasami or we stay locked up for God knows how
long."

     "Personally, I think that 'locked up' option is much more merciful
than what we're going to do."

     "What, taking a headband off a sleeping girl's head?  The only
thing we'd have to worry about is if she woke up while we're doin' it."

     "THAT'S what I'm worried about."

     "Oh, come on!  This is almost like being back in the Nerima ward!
Hidden dangers in the simpliest of things.  Do something remotely out of
turn, and you gotta face the fury of a crazed martial artist.  Never had
a girl try and kill you before?"

     "What, other than Ryoko, you mean?"

     "Whoops, completely forgot about her.  Do ya know where she's been
taken?"


           [Desire is embraced in a dream...]


     "What the heck is she DOING?"

     "Sleepin', what else?  'Course, with the way she's holding that
pillow, I REALLY don't want to know what she's dreamin'."


           [But my mind is still in chaos, and...]


     "Darling?"

     "What is it?"

     "Can you promise to stay with me, no matter what?"

     "Of course."

     "Forever, Ranma?"

     "Yes, I promise."


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                      Lyrics from "Say Anything"
               [written by YOSHIKI, performed by X-JAPAN]