Artwork by: Ilana harmichi@yahoo.com
Medium: Pen and ink, watercolor
[Excerpt taken from Part Four/Chapter Two]
Akane watched him go. What
was with him, anyway? Expecting her to tag along with him wherever
he went... What a conceited jerk!
She walked to the edge of
the fountain and gazed into the rippling water. The spray of droplets was
cool and soothing on her face. Her mother used to
come here often, so for Akane, the garden and its
fountain was a special place.
What was she going to do?
Having to marry Ranma was almost as bad as having to marry Tatewaki
Kuno or Hikaru Gosunkugi. Why did her father have
to make such a stupid promise, and why had Mom
let him?
She felt like dropping to
her knees and crying. Her life was coming apart around her. All her hopes
and dreams were being crushed by this ridiculous promise.
Nabiki threatened to tear apart the family
over it.
She needed someone to turn
to for support, or at least a shoulder to cry on. Kasumi usually filled
that role, as did Doctor Tofu, but now Kasumi was
just as impossible as Dad, and going to Tofu would
only hurt her more. Nabiki was never close to begin
with, and now she was hostile to everyone. She had
no one. No one at all.
She looked down into the
waters of the pool in search of answers and found instead the reflection
of
a tree that should not have been so close behind her.
"What--?" she cried, spinning
around.
Image copyright (C)2000 by Ilana. Used with permission.