From the Journal of Ryouga Hibiki
Day seventeen, Month two, Year Six
Six years. Is that really how long it's been? Six years since I learned the truth, the truth of my talent, my destiny to wander between the stars? The truth about my family, what they are and what they will become? I suppose it has been that long. Some nights it doesn't feel that way. Sometimes it seemed as if it all happened an instant ago, at others, an eternity. It is sometimes hard to swallow, especially when I consider that I have my worst enemy to thank for my realization.
Six years ago... That was when I lost that final, humiliating battle with Ranma Saotome over the most ridiculous of prizes, Akane Tendo. What a foolish notion, to think one could win another human being as a prize, but then, those were my more reckless days. Shortly after the battle, I heard, he finally won her heart and they were married. I feel pangs of misery over that now and then, but it can't be helped, I suppose. As I say, he may have got the girl, but I got the universe. Besides, he's not the only one who found love...
How do I begin to explain? Even to myself it's a hard concept. Ever since I was young, I knew I was cursed. A curse unlike the shape-changing one I have now. I was cursed to wander the Earth forever without direction. Or so I thought. I had been granted, like everyone else in my family, a gift of overwhelming proportions.
Thanks to this gift, I now know twenty-seven different dialects, some human, some alien. I have been to hundreds of worlds, some hostile, some not. I have played a part, whether crucial or miniscule, in three universal wars and two planetary ones. I've piloted starships, jets, planes, and even a few giant robots. I've fought ghosts, demons, vampires, terrorists and lunatics. And through it all I've grown, become stronger, wiser and more capable than ever. I've overcome a few problems with shyness and have better control over my cursed form than I used to.
But I still have a problem. I'm still directionless. For all I've done, for all the good that I have accomplished, I still never know where I'm going. And through it all, with all the friends I've made, and that one who is so much more, I still miss Akane so much...
Tresh Enterprises presents
In association with Rumiko Takahasi Incorporated
The Ryouga Chronicles, Tales of the Eternally Lost Boy
A story by Ryan Norman and Mahtoma Tresh
Prologue: Tripping Down the Lines
Journal Continued:
The battle was fierce, fiercer than most considering it was a personal one. Ranma and I were exchanging the fiercest blows we had ever launched at each other as we jumped along from rooftop to rooftop.
I was pissed, even more pissed than I usually was at my hated opponent. Ranma had almost told sweet Akane about my cursed form for the hundredth time, the revelation of which would completely ruin the pathetic shreds that I called my life. So I lashed out at him violently like I usually did.
I couldn't help it; it was second nature to me. I had been on the road for three grueling weeks and all that I was hoping for was some peaceful rest and relaxation and maybe some of Akane's delicious home cooking. But, just like always, I blew my top.
Ranma was even more relaxed than usual, dodging my assault and pounding back at me with some of the most powerful punches I had ever felt. He had greatly improved his skills in the time while I had been away, while my own skills only seemed to have weakened.
He had me nearly beaten to the ground when it happened. The most humiliating thing that can happen to an agile martial artists... I tripped over a telephone wire as we were jumping along, and fell to the ground hard.
He laughed at my slumped form. A laugh that tore at me like a knife, each tone and pitch sharper than the one before. I tried to raise myself up again, but found that my ankle, which had endured such tremendous battles in the past, had finally given out on me. The pain was incredible, but the humiliation of losing to the perverted Saotome was far worse.
"You've lost, Ryouga. Face it," Ranma said. His voice was dead serious. Something must have happened to him recently, because he wasn't his usual wise-cracking self. Other than the laughter a few moments earlier, he had been completly emotionless during our battle. It was as if he had finally grown tired of the pointless combat with what to him was a pitiful opponent. I couldn't blame him. If I were in his shoes I would have acted the same way.
I tried to stand again, but my ankle was far too messed up for me to stand. I stared up at him, ready to spit some words of venom at him... But I couldn't. I was angry, angrier than ever before, but he was right. I had lost. And it was my fault. "Yes..." I whispered, unbelieving of my own voice and words, "I've lost."
"This is the last time, Ryouga. Our last fight," Ranma explained, "After today, I never want to see you here again. Leave this place," and then he walked off.
It would be another hour before I could stand on my feet again, and gentle, sweet Akane kneeled by my side the entire time, urging me on, telling me I would be okay. But I knew the truth, nothing would ever be okay for me again. I would never be able to proudly stand up to Ranma or Akane ever again.
"It's just a twisted ankle, Ryouga," Akane said sweetly, "You'll be up again in no time."
"It's not the ankle, Akane," I replied, massaging the swollen joint.
"Then what is it," she asked, "I can call for Doctor Tofu."
"No, a Doctor can't help my problem. Nothing can," I answered bitterly. With a silent scream of pain, I stood up, favoring my uninjured foot, "I am sorry, Akane, but I may never return to Nerrima. There is too much pain here," and I walked off, in what I was certain was the opposite direction of Ranma.
"Ryouga, don't go," Akane called after me.
"I don't have a choice, Akane," and before she could say another word a turned a corner and vanished...
Day seventeen, Month two, Year Six
Six years. Is that really how long it's been? Six years since I learned the truth, the truth of my talent, my destiny to wander between the stars? The truth about my family, what they are and what they will become? I suppose it has been that long. Some nights it doesn't feel that way. Sometimes it seemed as if it all happened an instant ago, at others, an eternity. It is sometimes hard to swallow, especially when I consider that I have my worst enemy to thank for my realization.
Six years ago... That was when I lost that final, humiliating battle with Ranma Saotome over the most ridiculous of prizes, Akane Tendo. What a foolish notion, to think one could win another human being as a prize, but then, those were my more reckless days. Shortly after the battle, I heard, he finally won her heart and they were married. I feel pangs of misery over that now and then, but it can't be helped, I suppose. As I say, he may have got the girl, but I got the universe. Besides, he's not the only one who found love...
How do I begin to explain? Even to myself it's a hard concept. Ever since I was young, I knew I was cursed. A curse unlike the shape-changing one I have now. I was cursed to wander the Earth forever without direction. Or so I thought. I had been granted, like everyone else in my family, a gift of overwhelming proportions.
Thanks to this gift, I now know twenty-seven different dialects, some human, some alien. I have been to hundreds of worlds, some hostile, some not. I have played a part, whether crucial or miniscule, in three universal wars and two planetary ones. I've piloted starships, jets, planes, and even a few giant robots. I've fought ghosts, demons, vampires, terrorists and lunatics. And through it all I've grown, become stronger, wiser and more capable than ever. I've overcome a few problems with shyness and have better control over my cursed form than I used to.
But I still have a problem. I'm still directionless. For all I've done, for all the good that I have accomplished, I still never know where I'm going. And through it all, with all the friends I've made, and that one who is so much more, I still miss Akane so much...
Tresh Enterprises presents
In association with Rumiko Takahasi Incorporated
The Ryouga Chronicles, Tales of the Eternally Lost Boy
A story by Ryan Norman and Mahtoma Tresh
Prologue: Tripping Down the Lines
Journal Continued:
The battle was fierce, fiercer than most considering it was a personal one. Ranma and I were exchanging the fiercest blows we had ever launched at each other as we jumped along from rooftop to rooftop.
I was pissed, even more pissed than I usually was at my hated opponent. Ranma had almost told sweet Akane about my cursed form for the hundredth time, the revelation of which would completely ruin the pathetic shreds that I called my life. So I lashed out at him violently like I usually did.
I couldn't help it; it was second nature to me. I had been on the road for three grueling weeks and all that I was hoping for was some peaceful rest and relaxation and maybe some of Akane's delicious home cooking. But, just like always, I blew my top.
Ranma was even more relaxed than usual, dodging my assault and pounding back at me with some of the most powerful punches I had ever felt. He had greatly improved his skills in the time while I had been away, while my own skills only seemed to have weakened.
He had me nearly beaten to the ground when it happened. The most humiliating thing that can happen to an agile martial artists... I tripped over a telephone wire as we were jumping along, and fell to the ground hard.
He laughed at my slumped form. A laugh that tore at me like a knife, each tone and pitch sharper than the one before. I tried to raise myself up again, but found that my ankle, which had endured such tremendous battles in the past, had finally given out on me. The pain was incredible, but the humiliation of losing to the perverted Saotome was far worse.
"You've lost, Ryouga. Face it," Ranma said. His voice was dead serious. Something must have happened to him recently, because he wasn't his usual wise-cracking self. Other than the laughter a few moments earlier, he had been completly emotionless during our battle. It was as if he had finally grown tired of the pointless combat with what to him was a pitiful opponent. I couldn't blame him. If I were in his shoes I would have acted the same way.
I tried to stand again, but my ankle was far too messed up for me to stand. I stared up at him, ready to spit some words of venom at him... But I couldn't. I was angry, angrier than ever before, but he was right. I had lost. And it was my fault. "Yes..." I whispered, unbelieving of my own voice and words, "I've lost."
"This is the last time, Ryouga. Our last fight," Ranma explained, "After today, I never want to see you here again. Leave this place," and then he walked off.
It would be another hour before I could stand on my feet again, and gentle, sweet Akane kneeled by my side the entire time, urging me on, telling me I would be okay. But I knew the truth, nothing would ever be okay for me again. I would never be able to proudly stand up to Ranma or Akane ever again.
"It's just a twisted ankle, Ryouga," Akane said sweetly, "You'll be up again in no time."
"It's not the ankle, Akane," I replied, massaging the swollen joint.
"Then what is it," she asked, "I can call for Doctor Tofu."
"No, a Doctor can't help my problem. Nothing can," I answered bitterly. With a silent scream of pain, I stood up, favoring my uninjured foot, "I am sorry, Akane, but I may never return to Nerrima. There is too much pain here," and I walked off, in what I was certain was the opposite direction of Ranma.
"Ryouga, don't go," Akane called after me.
"I don't have a choice, Akane," and before she could say another word a turned a corner and vanished...