Snapshots Volume One [Note about the Snapshots Series: This series of one-shots are written to capture the thoughts and feelings of a character at a certain moment during the anime or manga itself. It may be a happy moment, a sad moment, a moment of blind fury, or utter panic, but whatever it is, it is a moment that will forever stick out in my mind, and so I feel compelled to write about it. It is up to the reader to figure out who is thinking and what point in time it happens, although most are self-evident. Comments and criticisms welcome, as always. On with the show.] ===== ONE ===== Everything seems so right with the world right now. Everyone I care about is around me, working, playing, happily going about their business, it doesn't really matter that much. How long has it been since we started? It seems so distant to me now, I can hardly remember a time when we weren't like this. What was it like, then? How much different was it from now? How did they go on with their lives, untouched as they were by my own? How would my own life be, without knowing them, without sharing these moments with them? I wonder, do they ever stop to think about that? About this idyllic life we lead now, and how much different it could be? About this dream of mine? My dream? Well, it's simple, really. It's not much different from the way things are. "I wish for myself, and Darling, and Shutaro, and Shinobu, and Megane and the others, to be happily together, forever." ===== TWO ===== No! How could this happen! Damn it all! How could I lose him, just like that? It seemed like we would be together forever, but now... now... All I have to show for it is this bloody rag. Damn you. I will make you pay for taking him from me. I will make you suffer, suffer for killing him, for separating me from him, now, of all times, when we were just starting to... to... But it won't bring him back to me. Revenge isn't going to bring him back. Will I be sated, once I kill to avenge him? Will that be enough? No, it will never be enough. Never. NEVER! DAMN YOU KAGATO! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY! "YOU WILL PAY!!!" ===== THREE ===== Oh, look, how amusing. He's doing it again. Really, now, who needs a television when you have someone like this to watch? Come to think of it, such a depraved mind could be put to productive use. If only the young man would see it my way. But no, he clings to that twisted sense of morals he has. It's 'immoral' for me to be viewing his beloved's bounty, but for him, it's fine, even if he does it clandestinely. Without her prior consent, no doubt. He doesn't even have the decency to ask me to join him. Of course he says it's an accident most of the time. When pigs fly. Ah, just as well. Watching him act out his fantasies on articles of clothing is actually more entertaining that just mere voyeurism. Ah. I believe it's time to knock him down a few notches again. He needs it, every so often, just to remind him that the path of true love never did run smoothly. Perhaps when he gains sufficient wisdom he will appreciate what I and the others do for him, but as of now, he probably views us as nothing more than nuisances. Just as well, I suppose... Ah, yes. It is time. "Young Godai, is it really that pleasurable to embrace your swim trunks in that manner?" ===== FOUR ===== That stupid jerk what does he mean do I always have to be angry of course I don't have to be it's just that he's so damn stupid that I can't help but be mad at him besides what's so great about him anyway so he's good at martial arts big deal just because he can beat me at it doesn't mean he can just go prancing around insulting me like some big immature child who can't see things my way damn it stand still so I can hit you already --- "Well, that's too bad, because you're really cute when you smile." --- and besides he... what? I... He.. I mean... He... What I mean to say is.... That is I... He doesn't really mean... Does he? "Gotcha." TimeRunner, December 9, 1997 Snapshots Volume Two [Note about the Snapshots Series: This series of one-shots is written to capture the thoughts and feelings of a character at a certain moment during the anime or manga itself. It may be a happy moment, a sad moment, a moment of blind fury, or utter panic, but whatever it is, it is a moment that will forever stick out in my mind, and so I feel compelled to write about it. It is up to the reader to figure out who is thinking and what point in time it happens, although most are self-evident. Comments and criticisms welcome, as always. On with the show.] ===== ONE ===== "This must be how me and my mother were when I was little." Mother. It's been so long, and yet... It never gets less painful, hearing that word. How it conjures images of that blessed blond-haired bundle of joy, in my arms again... How he cried, how he laughed... How he was mine. All mine. Until they took him away from me. All because I wasn't a noble. For so long I've wondered, how he is, or was... But it's too late now. Why must things like wealth and social status be so important to us, so much more important, it seems, than the joy of being a... a mother. I've avoided the pain for so long, hiding in a child's form, but I guess I've been fooling myself all these years... As I look down at Taro, sleeping in my arms, I realize that I can't deny it forever. Mother. "Yes, Tenchi, this is exactly how you and your mother were." ===== TWO ===== Damn, why do they always pick on me? So I'm no good at sports! Give me a break! A genius like me can't be good at everything, you know! Especially something as trivial as... sports. Hah. I'll show them. When I grow up, I'll show you brawn isn't everything. It takes brains to get something done, and I'm the most qualified person here to do it. Sigh. Home. I hope my bratty sister isn't around. She's always sticking her nose in things she shouldn't. She's always ratting on me, she never sees my side of any matter, and even worse, she's always with that damn... that damn... Never mind. I'll worry about that later. Right now, I'll just have that ice cream I've been saving. It took a lot of 'bargaining' with those suckers in class to get me the money for it, but at least I know I earned it. Every yen, earned through superior brain power. Hey! It's not here! Where'd it go? Who's that? There's someone at the porch, I... IT'S MY WORTHLESS SISTER AND THAT DAMN... THAT DAMN... "Damn you Mizuhara!!!" ===== THREE ===== I lost him. I lost him to a dream. All the strength in this body did nothing to save him. He chased his dream, and I lost him to it. I had him, I had a grip on his hand, but he still fell. I guess it was only a matter of time. All his life he's dreamt that dream, and compared to it I was just second, I suppose. But he looked... so peaceful as he fell. Damn him! Damn him for being so selfish! He knew that his striving was over, and so he left peacefully! Leaving me to strive alone! So damn selfish! And yet I still think about him. Even after his death, I think of him. Maybe even more. Because I can still reach the dream, and he can't. But still I lost him to it. And, as I stand here, staring down at where he fell, I vow, I will reach that dream, the one he failed to reach himself. I lost him to a dream. I lost him to Zalem. ===== FOUR ===== I will never forget... "Give it up and tell her you love her!" How can I tell her I love her now? Now that I have to? If I did, how would she know I meant it? I will never forget... "It's nearly sunset..." I can't say it. Now now. You'll never know if I did mean it, and it would mean nothing. I will never forget... "Do you really want to forget me? Is that what you want?" How can you say that now? Are you really willing to throw away all the times we've had just for our selfish pride? Can you say how I feel? Must I spell it out? Must you force it out of me this way? Can't you wait until I tell you, of my own free will? Are the memories of the world worth this? Fine. Say whatever you want to say, activate the memory-erasing device and wipe the memories of you from all the others who love you, but I swear... I swear it on my life... I will never forget... I will never forget... I will never forget... I will never forget...! I will never forget...! "I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!..." "...you, Lum." TimeRunner, December 11, 1997