Lighting the Way: Chapter One

Written by: Liz Donovan

Hiroshi and Daisuke walked along the street, heading for a friends apartment where they’d been invited to a party. Daisuke seemed extremely bored as though it were all Hiroshi’s fault they weren’t at the party already.

"Geez! It’s almost dark!" Daisuke moaned, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Aw, shut up. We’re almost there." Hiroshi assured him. Daisuke turned to glance at the setting sun.

"Whose bright idea was this anyway?" he muttered. Hiroshi turned and glared at him.

"Hey! Mitaka is you’re friend more than mine! You invited me, after he invited you!" Hiroshi argued. Daisuke blew out, and some hair wafted up about his face.

"Right…" he muttered. "Next time, remind me not to invite you…"

Hiroshi stopped and glared at him. "Oh, well thanks. Maybe I shouldn’t have come at all. Maybe I shouldn’t go then."

Daisuke looked at him, glowering. "Maybe you shouldn’t." he stated.

"Fine then." Hiroshi said, and turned away and stormed off, in front of Daisuke, and turned a corner.

Daisuke blinked, and realized he shouldn’t have said that. The then heard a voice from around the corner that Hiroshi had gone behind.

"Where am I now?!" it called.

Daisuke sighed and jogged the corner to where Hiroshi had gone. He looked right, then left, then behind him and squinted against the setting sun. His jaw dropped at the words. "Shhh, its okay."

"Hiroshi?!" Daisuke cried out at the boy holding the girl before him. The boys head snapped up, but the girl didn’t look, clinging to the boy. Hiroshi sort of seemed to smile and shrugged. "Who the hell is she?" Daisuke added in dismay.

The Akari looked up and over at Daisuke, and wiped her eyes dry. "I’m Unryuu Akari." She softly said, the wind blowing her hair a bit and she shivered, once again as the sun was nearly vanished, and the temperature was quickly dropping. Hiroshi’s hold on her tightened unconsciously.

Daisuke blinked. "Uh…hey." He shook his head, and snapped out of his reprieve. "Do you know him?!" he cried in his disbelief.

Akari looked at him, almost disbelieving him herself. "Of course, he is my fiancee."

Hiroshi’s eyes widened. Daisuke face faulted to the pavement, and several passer-buyers blinked at her proclamation, when it was obvious this boy didn’t know the girl.

Daisuke recovered first and looked at Hiroshi, whose head had now grown to thrice its original size. "Hiroshi!" Daisuke called, and smirked. "Since when did you become the Saotome Ranma type?!" he inquired.

Hiroshi blinked and shook his head. "I…I…I…"

"’Hiroshi-san’?" Akari softly said, then looked up to her stuttering fiancee. She let out a shriek at seeing him and extended her fingers in 2nd, 4th position. "Hentai!"

"Hey! Wait, you were the one who grabbed m-" Hiroshi was silenced as Akari slapped him across the face. Daisuke winced, and a flock of crows took off from the telephone poles, cawing madly, soaring away for the winter.

No one said anything for a moment, as the sun slipped into submission, and the street lights began to flicker to life. Akari’s eyes watered, her hand still held out from the strike. Hiroshi stood perfectly still, a red hand print almost glowing on his cheek, stinging terribly, but somehow he found the strength to not wince.

"Unryuu-san, please, forgive me…I shouldn’t have-" Hiroshi trailed off as she turned from him, bowing her head, drawing her hands to her chest.

--Ryouga-sama…-- She thought to herself. --Forgive me…oh…-- she swallowed. "I’ve betrayed him. No matter the cause…" she turned, wordlessly and took off running down the street, crystal tears falling from her eyes.

Daisuke looked at Hiroshi. "Akari-san!" Hiroshi called, starting a step after her.

Daisuke restrained him with a hand on his arm. "Let her go, Hiroshi." Hiroshi glanced at Daisuke, then yanked his arm away and chased off after Akari, worried for her safety.

This was a ratty area, and especially not good at night. It was no place for a hurt, crying, defenseless girl to be blindly running though during the night.

"Akari-san! Wait!" Hiroshi called again, panting as his feet slammed into the pavement.

Daisuke watched Hiroshi peel off into the night after Akari. He sighed and shook his head.

To Be Continued…