Click. Whirr. Click. Whirr. He almost tripped then. The sun's rays slanted in through the leaves above them, lighting the forest floor in a strange, dappled pattern of dimly green and brown eyes and fingers and hands, except for a well-lit patch at the base of an old tree tilting off to one side. He was watching her as she lay there, sleeping, head resting on the gnarled, moss-covered roots. Her long, dark hair was spread out over the grass, and she was positioned so that the shade extended just past her eyes and onto her nose. It looked as though the shadows had extended a slender, comforting hand over her face. Her lips were half-parted and her breast rose and fell rhythmically. Click. Whirr. He did not notice exactly when it happened, but he was crouching over her and his fingers were there, hovering just over her cheek. She whispered something and he jerked his hand back. It sounded like a name. He looked around, noticing the neat and orderly campsite she had set up. Her tent was in the southern corner of the square of relatively clear ground, the opening facing the firepit which was several feet away. There was a small stainless steel pot hanging over it. What was she doing here? "Ryoga?" He was quite red in the face when he turned back to her. She noticed that and said, "Are you sick? You look kind of funny. Did you get sunburned?" She had just sat up - her hair was a little messy, there were twigs and blades of grass in it. The light yellow gi she wore was rumpled and creased, and stained green in places with crushed moss. Her eyes looked a little red and her smile was small, and tired. "So what brings you to Ryugenzawa?" It was so easy to admit it to her now. "Ah, heh, heh. Lost again. You know me." He scratched the back of his head. She still looked beautiful. "You look great, Akane," he said, smiling proudly when he got it out without stuttering. "Thanks," she sighed. "I'm not used to all this travelling I've been doing lately. I know I don't look so good." "Huh? No, I mean, I think you really look good. Honest." They looked at each other for a time. "Here," she walked over to the firepit and took the cover off the pot, "want some stew? It took a while, but I can finally cook kind of okay now. It's getting a little cold but it's something." Her face slipped into a terribly empty look, but she shook it off. "Anh? Sure, I guess. Thank you." He sat opposite her, removed a small wooden bowl and a spoon from his backpack, and started to eat. It was very thick, with chunks of meat and potatoes and carrots that crumbled in his mouth. "It's really good." He devoured it with an increasingly rapid pace, and when she eyed him curiously as he took a second helping, he said sheepishly, "I ran out of food last night. I haven't eaten all day. Ah, heh. I was about to bring down a giant squirrel to eat it when I smelled your cooking." Akane's lips curled slightly with something approximating the old warmth that used to be in them, and she nodded slowly. He finished the stew and was looking at his feet as he kicked idly at the ground. "Ryoga?" she asked carefully. "The sun will be setting soon. There's a trail that leads up the hills, where the trees thin enough for you to see the sunset - it's a nice view. Would you like to walk with me?" He surprised himself when he did not hesitate in grasping her offered hand. "I would like that very much, Akane." Still, he tried not to look at her, and he hoped that he was not shaking too much. --- The NFT Zu presents Firefly Dreams by Rain Man Did I write that the third story was going to be the last one? I did, didn't I? Ah well. Something of the mood struck me again. Here's a side story of "The Setting Moon." [This was posted sometime back on FFML as "Choices", "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" and "The Play's the Thing". - Ed] This was written partly because Switch was telling me about this shojo type RPG with minor ecchi elements he was playing (Season of the Sakura, I think) the same night that I saw the third 3X3 Eyes OAV, which was right after I had gotten to the part where Cloud disappears in Final Fantasy VII. Darn, FF 7 sure has a nice story. It'd make a great OAV series. Pardon me. On with the show. --- "Let's talk," the girl spoke softly into the phone, tugging self- consciously at the white ribbon on her wrist. "Yes," she said, "I am sure about this. But no dresses, okay?" She sighed. "No, this is not a date. Where? I'm at the park." She turned around when she heard the voice answering beside her as well as through the phone. "Good, so am I. Hold on a minute." A short while later, the phone booth right next to hers split and fell over, revealing a slender figure with long, brown hair. The face had very white, delicate skin, soft, rounded features, a nicely shaped nose, not too long or too high, beautifully long and thick eyelashes, and thin eyebrows. Those wide eyes were colored a brown so dark they were almost black and the lips were soft-looking and full, and they were tilted up at the corners of the mouth in amusement. "Sorry. Had to change out of the dress." The jeans were tight on those long legs, and the white long- sleeved shirt was unbuttoned, the thin undershirt beneath it not concealing an incongruously broad and unmistakably masculine chest. "Hmph. Shoulda known you'd be here." The girl stooped a little to glance up at the other's face at a different angle, before standing straight again. "Darn. Even without makeup, you could be prettier than me," she sighed. He tried to keep his voice from dancing up into the high, lilting tones it was used to, and as he stepped closer to her, he made sure not to sway his hips. "I could never be prettier than you, Ukyo-s... Ukyo. What did you want to talk about?" "Hmm. Nothing." "Huh? But-" "Well," she said slowly. "I've been thinking about, ah. Well, about going back." She sat down on the bench beside the phone booth heavily. "And I don't want to go alone, Tsubasa." Ukyo opened the small navy blue purse she carried, enough for him to see two train tickets peeking out. He looked at her. She was dressed in a light blue, sleeveless sundress and white sneakers. "I like the haircut," he said. "It really suits you." It was a short, page-boy style that showed off her long, graceful neck. She was wearing just a little hint of green eyeshadow and her lips were a shade somewhere between pink and a lush sort of red. He dipped his eyes, and turned to look at the fountain not so far away. It was a circular pool, with a simple granite obelisk rising from the center, water cascading slowly down its sides, which were edged in onyx and gold. "You were so proud when your design for that got chosen in the contest, weren't you?" he pointed. "Hey, that's right, I still haven't treated you to a celebratory dinner. How about tonight?" "... That was last year, Tsubasa." He rushed on, still facing away, "That means I really owe you. Come on, your choice of restaurant. Please." She smiled. "Won't your room-mate object?" Tsubasa's eyes were clouded over when he turned back to her. "He left." "Oh!" She stood and reached out to touch him, just stopping short. "I'm sorry. You were so happy, what-" "Nothing. No, it wasn't nothing, he," the boy, no, the man, Ukyo thought, said, "decided that he wasn't. Wasn't like me after all. He went back to this girl in Kyoto, even transferred universities to get away from me." He laughed tunelessly. "It's nothing, you know. I'm fine. But you know, I think he was always jealous of you. No, I'm sorry," he shook his head, "I shouldn't have said that." His eyes were murky, glistening. "So, please. Let me treat you to that dinner I owe you. Or do you think I won't behave?" "I know you will, now. That's why I want you to come with me." He drew in a deep breath, closed his eyes, opened them and looked at her again. "You're wrong, you know, about my being better-looking. You fill out that dress much more nicely than I could, even with my padded 'enhancements.' You have a very nice figure, Ukyo. Do you still train?" "Yes. Well, sometimes. I spend a lot of time in the studio, especially when my projects are due. And there are always projects due." He sat and patted the space beside him. "And you still cook?" She thought about it for a time, finally sitting again. Just close enough so that their shoulders touched. She was looking at the fountain. "Not as much as I used to. You know that. Not enough time." "Do you stay in touch with them?" "Yes." He bit his lip. "How is Ranma?" "Oh. Fine, I guess. I haven't stayed that much in touch." Ukyo folded her hands in her lap, looking at them. He was looking at her for a time. "Okay. Maybe I have, and I suppose I don't have to guess." "So?" he prodded her a little more. "... They, well they..." --- "Oh!" The young woman's expression brightened, cheeks lifting just so as she heard a familiar pattern of knocking. She set aside the small cleaver on the counter, next to a plate of finely chopped vegetables. "I'm coming," she said as she wiped her hands on the coarse white cloth of her apron. On her way to the door, she spared a moment to glance into the mirror, wondering if she should stop to fix her hair. Nervously, she tugged once at her pigtail. There was the knocking again, softly twice, then a single hard impact, and softly again. She hurried over, opening the door. "Hi!" she said brightly. The other was tall, with long hair that hung down past her shoulders. Some of the strands were caught haphazardly by the straps of her backpack, and her eyelids had a tendency to droop this evening. "Hello, Ranma," she murmured a little tiredly, trudging inside and letting her backpack slide down her arm and onto the floor with a graceless sort of thud. She sighed. Despite this, Ranma thought she was still quite pretty. Kasumi was wearing a long-sleeved lavender blouse of stiff, pressed cotton, and white jeans that, while loose, had folds that draped themselves in a way that molded closely to her slender legs. "Aw. Tired, Kasumi?" The shorter girl slid her hair back, playing with a few of the shorter strands that were not caught by her ponytail. "Come on. Sit down." She guided Kasumi to the couch with a few light, easy touches on her shoulders. Kasumi sighed again. "I hate that man. He kept us in there forever!" She leaned forward to rise, but Ranma's hands had a firm grip on her shoulders, and she let those gentle hands push her deeper into the soft cushions. She lifted her eyes and said, quietly, "What about dinner?" "I'm, ah, cooking," Ranma said shyly. "Oh! I should be-" "Resting," the redhead insisted. "You've been practicing all day, and I've met your conductor. Please, let me take care of it. Lean back, relax." Kasumi did not protest when Ranma grasped her ankles, and shifted her legs over onto the couch so that she could lie down. A faint upward curve came to her lips. "Thank you," she said simply. Ranma blushed slightly, and retreated to the kitchen. --- "Music?" Ukyo nodded. "The flute. But they still manage to squeeze in time to train together. I guess she's probably good enough to beat me in a fight, now." "Does that bother you?" he blurted out. She looked at him, an odd light in her eyes. "No." And she meant it. "Good." They watched the water flow for a time, and the sun was starting to set, making the edges of the obelisk look as if they were on fire. Tsubasa pulled out a small carton in the breast pocket of his shirt, and drew out a slender cigarette. He offered her one. "They smell disgusting," she said. "Not these. Oh, well. I suppose it's a developed taste." He lit it, and started puffing. She smiled. "Cloves?" "Yeah." "Tsubasa, you're holding it like a, well, like a girl." He sniffed. "You don't have to watch me smoke, you know." "I guess not. You look pretty in this light." "Of course I do." He curved his lips a certain way and blew out a wonderfully large smoke ring. Ukyo laughed a little. "The Kunos finally moved out of Nerima, you know? The Principal wanted to move to Hawaii permanently, and he forced his kids to come with him. That was last year." "That's nice." She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. "Don't get any ideas." "I won't." He dropped the cigarette, crushing it underfoot. "When did you say the train leaves?" --- Click. Whirr. --- Looking at her still, he leaned back atop the large boulder he was seated upon, thinking quietly of other times, other places. The volcanic rock had an odd shape with a flat top wider than the jagged bottom, which was sunk firmly into the hard, packed ground. The sound of cicadas played through the air, and soon the stars would be visible. Idly, he wondered if the cicadas here were gigantic as well. "It's starting to get dark," she said, breaking the long silence that had lasted while they had watched the sunset and for more than a few long moments later. She glanced at her hand once, bringing it close and brushing the palm slowly against her cheek. He noticed that and wondered again why she was here. "I wonder how, what's his name? Shi... Shinnosuke? I wonder how he's doing," he said. "It's been a long while, Ryoga," she whispered, still staring at her hand. "Years," he nodded. "I wonder if he ever really recovered from those injuries," he ventured. Akane smiled at that. "You aren't all that good at being subtle." He was suddenly glad that the light was so dim. Perhaps she would not see the red in his cheeks. He hoped, anyway. "W-well," he stammered, absently poking deep holes into his rocky perch with one finger. "Uh-" She placed a hand over his mouth. "Shh. It's okay. No, Ryoga. I didn't come here to visit Shinnosuke." She pulled away, realizing which hand she had used to quiet him. "Then, why?" "Your lips are so soft," Akane murmured. "Did you say something?" "Anh," she spoke a little more loudly, "I don't know. I felt like it, I suppose." A shaft of moonlight struck her as she stood, and Ryoga said, "You're blushing." She coughed twice into her hand. The burning sensation in her cheeks went down a little. "I'm not blushing." "Oh." He kicked at a pebble in front of him, sending it careening into the forest. "Sorry. I guess it was a trick of the light." "I guess so." There was a breeze coming in then and it carried the faint sounds of waves lapping on the lakeshore. Leaves blew about them in a sudden rush of air as two gigantic wings beat, lifting a dark, distant outline into the night sky. Majestic, it rose very high, swooping down moments later. They heard a piercing shriek once, twice before it was silenced - there was the sound of something dying, of trees being crushed, and then they remembered that they were in Ryugenzawa. The mist had crept in and it was not very easy to see. "What was that?" Akane shifted her weight from foot to foot as she answered, "I-it was just some animal hunting. Are there owls here?" "I don't know. Akane, what's wrong?" "... I don't know." The fog did odd things to the light, scattering and focussing it in ways one would not expect. Her eyes shone like limpid waters in that strange light and her skin at times seemed to glow from within. She had caught one corner of her lower lip between her teeth, and she was trembling, shaking as if she would weep. It was a haunting, stirring sort of beauty, and Ryoga wondered if she was not a witch or spirit after all, like he had thought when he had first seen her a few hours ago, lying upon the thick, winding roots of an ancient tree. It would not have surprised him if his hand would have passed through her body should he have tried to touch her then. He had experienced stranger things. He fumbled for the black bag at his side... He did not know when it had happened, but she was suddenly standing so very close before him. Mountains on the horizon faded completely into the mist and again there was the sound of something huge taking flight. She smelled like grass and lilacs. It seemed that he had fallen into a languorous daze, and time meant nothing. He did not know if he had moved first or if she had, but he found himself with his lips lightly pressing against her forehead. She shifted and her bangs tickled his nose. Ryoga stumbled back afterwards. It must have been me to do that, not her, he thought. He was standing - Akane had not bent down. "It must have been me," he mumbled weakly. She brought her fingers up, brushing that spot she had felt him kiss. "Why did you do that?" she said. A certain insight came to her. He was just about to run, so she grabbed his hand tightly in both of hers. "J-just, ah - just. Checking if you were real, th-that's all. I was starting to think that this was a dream or hallucination." He was laughing almost wildly, clinging very tightly to her hand. He looked as though he was about to sob. "S-sorry." "I'm not a dream," she said. "See?" She was looking down at their linked hands, wondering if he was going to try to run anyway - he certainly had enough strength to break free if he wanted to. "Silly. And do you try to kiss every ghost you see?" "W-well... You looked so miserable and sad and pretty, uh -" She was smiling, and he was barely breathing. "That was sweet of you, Ryoga-kun." For the briefest, most intensely charged of moments, he felt as if he were flying himself... "You're such a good, kind friend. Thank you for being here. I was getting lonely." Then there was that word again and he could only sigh, mood deflating rapidly. "Friend," he said very softly. "You're... welcome, I guess." --- "I'll just be glad when this is over." Ranma said, "Too bad the others can't be here tomorrow for your performance. Your sisters would be proud." She sniffed dismissively. She let the tension leave her shoulders as she enjoyed his fingers working the on her neck. "Oh, but it's really not that much." She was nestled into the couch, lounging like an oversized cat. The hardened, callused surfaces of his hands were warm and familiar and welcome against her skin and Kasumi wondered if it would be inappropriate to purr. "It's just a university performance." "Oh, is that all?" "Oh! Hey!" She squirmed, trying to twist away. "That tickles! Ah! Please, stop that!" Trying to suppress a laugh, he caught her from behind as she was desperately drawing in a breath and she snorted, giggling. "Oh! Help! I surrender," she gasped, trying to give him a dirty look when he finally stopped and failing. "Then no more of this 'not much' business." Her loose collar had slipped back somewhat and he touched his lips to the bony spot at the base of her neck in apology. "You put a lot of effort into getting that spot, and even if it's just the university orchestra, I'm very proud of you." He slackened his arms, changing the martial arts hold into a hug. She was still breathing hard against him, heart beating quickly, but not because of the tickling. "Anh. Thanks. Thank you, Ranma. That means a lot." She let herself smile a little. "And thank you for dinner. "All the same... I do wish Akane... I wish my sisters could be here," she whispered. --- "Tsubasa," she said slowly, touching the white ribbon at her wrist. "The tickets were open-ended. We didn't have to go on tonight's, I mean, I feel bad making you suddenly drop everything, your job and stuff." He waved it off. "It's nothing. The owner of the shop and I have an understanding. He doesn't mind... too much." "Yes but - what the? Hey, is that Kuno?" "Noo... Can't be. The Blue Thunder stooping so low as to take a train? And where's the gi and hakama? Tatewaki never wears jeans." He shook his head. "Still, that guy does have a bokken across his back, and he sure carries himself like Kuno." The subject of their conversation stiffened his shoulders and turned to face them. He was several rows away from them. Ukyo hesitantly raised a hand in greeting. She pitched her voice low, "It's him! I guess he's back from Hawaii!" "Um. Is that a good thing?" Tsubasa whispered back. Neither knew quite how to react when Kuno blushed, as though terribly embarrassed, as he slowly, very slowly, raised a hand in acknowledgement. "He sure seems more calm now..." she murmured. --- "Ryoga," she paused. They were walking back to the camp, Ryoga trudging just a few steps behind her, eyes focused intently on the backs of her heels so that he wouldn't lose her. "What?" "What is it you do these days? Do you go to college anywhere?" "Nah," he shook his head. "Could never get to classes on time. Um, I'm a freelance -" Her hands grabbed his as she exclaimed, "Look!" The night mists had cleared just enough for them to see large, ghostly lights dancing up and down the mountainside. There was awe in her voice when she said, "What could that be? They're beautiful!" Slowly, he pulled his hands loose. Click. Whirr. "Fireflies. They're kind of why I came here. Giant fireflies, very pretty this season." Akane gave him the oddest look. "You're a photographer." He shrugged. "There are some good things about a wandering lifestyle. Once, I got a spread into National Geographic." Her eyes turned suspicious. "I thought you were here because you were lost." "Well. Well, I was lost. I still get lost. But I can always get to where I want to - it just takes me much longer. And there's always something interesting to see on the way. Akane," she flinched when he brought his eyes up and stared directly into her eyes, "why are you here?" She turned away, looked at her hand. "It was. I've been," she sighed. "I've been going to the places where... where he and I have been." She bit off the last syllables savagely and turned her eyes back to the fireflies in the distance. Silently, Ryoga walked to her side. Her eyes seemed huge, and they shimmered with something painful and sharp, and despite himself, he would always remember this, and just how far the few steps to her seemed. The moon disappeared behind the clouds, and the only light came from those far, smoky shapes. Click. Whirr. --- That's the stuff.