Sure... I have wishes... I've had dreams... I have hopes... But what's
the point? What's the point of dreaming if you know it will never be more than
that? Why bother to hope for the hopeless? Why wish if all you get in return is
disappointment? Why? I did once... But no more... Sometimes, sometimes it just
becomes too much of a burden to wish, to dream, to hope... It's not that I don't
want to... It's just that...
I
just
can't...

==============
==============
Key to my Heart
Chp 1: "The precious locket I give to you..."
By Ling Mao

Notes in the end

= Thought
[ ] = Panda signs
" " = Spoken
= Sound
==============
==============

Wild birds sang their sweetest song for the bright sun, which crept
from the cracks of her window. She stretched her arms and yawned. A new day.
She walked over to the window and threw the curtains open, allowing herself
to bask in the sun's glory. She stood with her eyes closed for a bit, leaning
slightly out the window. Ahh... Spring... She forced herself from the window
and went to get changed.

At the table, the Saotomes battled over their food. Akane took her
place next to Ranma and picked at her food. She gazed over the people who sat
at the table. Kasumi sat peacefully at the end of the table, gently smiling and
chatting with Father and Nabiki, who seemed rather relaxed today. Ranma, although
fighting with his father, occasionally let out a hidden smile. Perhaps he enjoyed
being there, with his "family". Akane sat, somewhat quiet, observing the people
around her, but not joining any of the activities. She stood up and cleaned off her
dishes.

"I'm going to do some shopping today." Akane said to anyone who was listen.
She turned to Ranma.

"Do you want to go with me, Ranma?" The 2 fathers looked at each other and
nodded. Each father went to the corresponding child. The took gave a look of glory
as the both chimed, "Akane, Ranma, we will give consent for you to go out together."

Ranma bolted up and shouted, "What! Who said I was going anywhere with that
tomboy?" He spit the bitter words along with bits food that had once occupied his
mouth. Akane glared at him.

"Well FINE! Stupid JERK. Who said I wanted to go with you ANYWAY! I'll just
go... alone..." She spun around and ran out the door.

"Akane... Wa-" Ranma began to say before he was pounded my his father.

"What do you think your doing Ranma? Akane is your fiancée, and it is your
responsibility to..." Genma grabbed his son, "to take care of her!" Ranma went
flying out of the roof.

------------------

Akane pounded down the street. Stupid Jerk! ARGH! Why does he always have
to be so mean anyway? Not like I WANTED to go with him. I was just trying to be
nice... She began to slow down and looked at the ground. Jerk... I was trying
to be nice...

"Young lady..." a woman croaked. Akane looked up in confusion to find an
old woman beckoning her. Akane walked toward the woman and her small stand of
goodies.

"You looked troubled." Akane laughed a bit.

"Me? Troubled? Of course not... why do you ask?"

"Oh... It just looked like you needed help."

"No... Thank you though..." Akane smiled to the poor woman.

"Well then, do you think you could help a poor woman out and buy
something... please?" Akane eyed the woman. Well... she does look a little
ratty... And she seems kind... Akane sighed as she gave into the old woman's
wishes.

--------------

Where is the stupid girl Ranma thought to himself as he hopped from one
rooftop to another. He stopped every once in awhile to see if he could spot Akane.
Stupid Pop. It's not like I wanted to be engaged to a violent manic He stopped
again, this time seeing Akane walking and starring at something she was wearing. He
hopped from the roof not too far in front of Akane.

"Oi, Akane!"

"Huh... What do you want JERK!"

"Pop sent me after you that's all. It's not like I wanted to go after
you..."

"Yeah, whatever..." Akane walked past the still Ranma. Ranma turned and
jogged a bit to catch up to Akane.

"Hey, what's that you're wearing?" Ranma said pointing to the locket she
was holding.

"This... It's nothing." She said before speeding up. Nothing I'd tell you
about.

***Flash back to the old woman***

"You see this," the old woman held out a rather plain looking heart locket,
"This is a charm that is suppose to give you a wish." Akane gazed at the dull piece
rather interested.

"Really?"

"Yes... All you have to do is put it around your neck." Akane's mind began
to wander as she thought of all the wishes she could want. The woman continued,
"But it is said that there is a curse on these piece..." Akane didn't seem to hear
the end, she was still mesmerized by the idea of getting a wish.

"How much do you want for it?" Akane eagerly asked.

"You still want this piece, after what I've told you?"

"Of course I do. How much do you want for it?" The woman pondered a bit.

"For you, 100 yen."

"Oh thank you!"

"But be warned, I do not know everything about this piece, but depending on
how it is used, it may not bring what you wish for. The charm will only give you
your purest desire." The woman handed the locket to Akane, who smiled.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..."

***End Flash back***

Akane still stared at the charm she held. What should I wish for... Maybe
I should wish for the dojo to be a prosperous. Or maybe that Dad would find
someone... or maybe... Maybe a way to cure Ranma... She looked over to Ranma who
was walking next to her. Ranma noticed that her eyes were on him.

"What are you looking at?" Akane looked startled for a minute then turned
to look in front of her.

"Nothing good." Ranma glared at her.

"Whatever... Not like I care what a uncute tomboy thinks." Akane's ki
blazed as she swung her fist at Ranma, who easily dodged to the right.

"Shut up!" Ranma looked at Akane and pulled on his eyelid. Beeeh Da

"Your too slow for me Akane. 'specially with those stumpy legs of yours."
Ha Ha Ha

"Shut up jerk!" Akane screamed as she continued to send swings at Ranma.

"Thighs to thick. Can't even kick. You might be macho, but that doesn't
mean that you'd ever be fast enough to out wit me and land a punch." He stuck out
his tongue again. "Wanna fight?" He took a defensive position. Akane's head looked
to the ground. She took a deep breath before looking up and at Ranma again.

"That's too bad, Ranma... That you feel that way." Her voice was calm and
she seemed alright until she turned and started to walk away.

"..." Ranma looked bewildered at the unusually calm Akane. He watched as
she staggered away. For some reason she was clutching her head. And she wobbled as
she walked. Her pace had started to slow down. Her wobbling increased, until
finally she collapsed.

"Akane?!?" Ranma dashed to her side. "Oi, Oi..." He lightly tapped on her
face. She staid, unflinching, to Ranma's touch. Ranma scooped Akane up and began
running towards Dr. Tofo's office.

-------------------

Dr. Tofu was cleaning up the office when Ranma nearly knocked the door out.
Tofu looked shocked for a moment, but quickly masked his expression into one of
clamminess. He glanced at the startled boy as he helped laying Akane down on a bed.

"What happened?"

"I don't know... She just collapsed." Dr. Tofu began his inspection of
Akane. He didn't notice any odd marks or any signs of poisoning. He searched again,
but this time noticing something different. He looked at the item and as his hand
reached for the item, he felt a jolt go through his body.

"Ranma... Do you know... where this came from?" Ranma followed Tofu's
finger to the locket Akane had been wearing.

"I dunno... Why?" Dr. Tofu moved his hand towards the locket, again feeling
the same jolt as before. His mask began to crack as a worried expression began to
take over.

"Then it must be it..."

"Must be what?" Dr. Tofu raised his head allowing his eyes to meet with
Ranma's.

"The cursed Locket of Desire..."


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I dunno why I bother to even say this, but this is the draft... I don't really have anyone that I can have read it over... And anyways, I feel that if they know me, their judgment will be bias. Anyways... I thought of this last night & I had to put it down before I forgot... I have a tendency to do that... I'd appreciate if any sort of review/comments/etc stuff. Thanks a bunch for reading this ^_^