Chapter twenty four.
Ukyo looked at herself in the mirror, frowning. She sported dark circles under her eyes and her skin was paler than ever. Even her eyes had lost their brightness… Now they were all red and puffy from her fit of crying in the shower.
Had she lost some weight these past few days?
"I look like shit." She said out loud and flinched at the roughness of her voice.
Yuriko had provided her a pair of faded jeans and a long-sleeved shirt which had fit a bit too loosely. Thinking about it, she couldn't remember when had been the last time she ate something. She had been too consumed by worry to eat, or sleep, for that matter. No wonder she looked like a zombie.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, leaving the steam float out the bathroom, and walked out to the cool air of the hallway. She was about to walk towards the stairs when something made her turn around. She walked down the opposite direction and turned to her right when the hallway reached a corner. There was a flight of stairs at the end of the hall, and she knew she had to go up there. Something was pulling her towards there and she knew what it was.
The feeling in her stomach intensified with every step she climbed.
She reached the second floor and walked straight forward, ignoring all the doors by her sides. She knew he was at the end of the corridor.
Ukyo was aware that she should wait, that she should be patient and let his father and Alexios take care of him, but the need, the desperate need to see him was too strong to keep ignoring it… and she knew he needed her, too; even if he was too lost in the dark to be aware of such fact.
With another deep breath, she turned the knob and opened the door slowly, to be met by complete darkness. She noted that the light in the corridor didn't trespass the doorframe as it should have done. Ukyo realized then that the darkness was compelled by him, as she proved when she slowly entered the room and tried to turn the lights on. The switch had gone up uselessly.
The door snapped closed behind her and she gasped, trying to control her anxiety. No matter how much she tried to adjust her sight, she could not see a thing. The only sound she could hear was the frantic beating of her own heart, and a faint, ragged breathing.
She tried to calm herself down. If he could see her, which he probably could, he couldn't see her losing it; she needed to stay calm.
"Ryoga…?" She whispered, blinking away the treacherous tears.
She heard the brush of skin and the scrap of furniture on the floor… She remembered the dungeon and realized he reacted to her voice.
"Sweetheart?" She tried again, louder, to the direction of the noise. There was a low growl of warning, and she took a step back, resting her back on the door. The thought of him hurting her was utterly ridiculous, but she realized she might have to consider that possibility now. Even if they had taken him from the dungeon, he was now being held in an unfamiliar place and he was surely hurt and scared and pained…
"He's acting on pure instinct," Alexios had said. She realized she had to prove him she was no menace at all. She took a step forward and received another growl in response.
Okay, then… We'll go easy. No brusque movements…
Ignoring her shaking legs, she crouched slowly, leaning on her palms, and then knelt on the floor, keeping her head down, and waited. Another growl followed her actions, yet softer this time.
"Ryoga, baby…" She tried softly, knowing that it was the way he liked to call her. "Come back to me, I need you…"
There was a startled breath and a doubtful exclamation.
"I love you," she continued with a trembling voice, "I've missed you… Please, Ryoga, come back to me…"
She heard a pained howl that broke her heart and she choked on her tears.
"It's okay now, baby, I'm here to take you home…"
"Home?" She heard a hoarse voice ask, a mix of Ryoga's voice and something painfully dark. It sounded like someone had ripped his throat open and had played with his chords. She tried to ignore the fact that it was a very probable possibility.
"Yes, baby, I'm here to take you home with me."
"You… really?"
"Yes, I'll take you home," she nodded eagerly, relieved that he seemed to be relaxing, and started to crawl to the sound of his voice. "Let me…"
"No!"
She stopped her approach when he started growling again.
"Ryoga, sweetheart… It's me, Ukyo."
"Not real… You're not real…"
"What do you mean I'm not real?" She snapped, "I've come all the way down here, of course I'm real!" She tried to approach him again and a cold shadow pushed her backwards, slamming her to what seemed to be a bed.
"Not real!"
Ukyo breathed in and tried to calm herself, a bit stunned that he had rejected her so violently.
"Ryoga, it's really me, Ukyo…" She leaned forward and another shadow knocked her over again and she landed on her ass painfully. In spite of herself, her temper flared up.
"Stop that, you jackass!"
There was a second of stunned silence due to her outburst, and she feared she had made things worse, but then the lightbulb flickered on a couple of times and the darkness faded a bit. She could now make out the outlines of the furniture and a pair of curios green orbs which were staring at her from the other side of the room. Ukyo blinked a couple of times; he seemed to have reacted positively to the nickname. She rolled her eyes.
After all the things we shared, he recognizes me for that stupid nickname… the jackass.
"Ukyo?" He said again, with a trace of hope in his terrifying voice.
"Yes, baby, it's me…"
He moved slowly, carefully, his eyes never leaving hers. She stood completely still, her heart bouncing painfully in her chest. She rested her back on the bed and waited patiently, opening her arms for him. Ryoga crawled between her legs tentatively, never leaving his guard down; then he neared his nose to the nook of her neck and inhaled deeply.
"Ukyo…" he stated relieved and slumped against her, shaking furiously.
She closed her arms around his body and gasped at how cold he was. His skin was frozen and slick with what could only be blood; the metallic scent invaded her nostrils, making her cringe in pain. She brushed her hands all across his arms, shoulders and back; she lost count of the numerous bumps and lashes he sported all over his torso. Her heart broke a bit more with each stroke.
"Oh, honey, what have they done to you…?" She started the healing process without hesitation, knowing it would take a long while for him to come back to health.
"Hurts…" He mumbled, already falling asleep in her arms. "Don't leave me…"
"I won't baby, I won't leave you…"
Darkness started to fade away as he fell profoundly under her spell, and the light went on. The moment it did, she wished it wouldn't have, ever. The scream bubbled up her throat before she was even aware of it and couldn't stop it.
All she could see was red. There was no trace of his pearly skin anywhere; every part of his body was covered in crimson. Some wounds were already healing under her power, but the deeper, bigger ones were still bleeding and the bruises she could see under the layer of dried up blood and dirt refused to fade away. His nose was broken, his eyes were blackened and his lips were parted; his right shoulder was dislocated and his left leg was broken in three different places, and she could see the bone sticking out; his ribcage was practically destroyed, she was amazed he could still breathe. There were millions of tiny lashes all over his skin, aside from the bigger, differently shaped cuts and lumps.
Not in a million years she'd be prepared for this.
Lucien broke into the room followed by Alexios. Both men stopped in their tracks when they saw them.
"Ukyo," the angel said, "are you alright?"
She nodded absentmindedly, too stunned to react properly.
"We heard you scream and thought he had hurt you." Lucien explained, kneeling beside his son. "I thought I'd told you to wait."
"I hadn't seen him before… I didn't realize…" She whispered, darting her eyes from the still form between her arms. She just couldn't see him like that. She needed to heal him faster.
"He's come to you… I never thought he would recognize you."
"I…" She was interrupted by the sound of a bone snapping back into place and she shivered. "I had to help him…"
"His healing will take a while."
"I know… I'm doing it as fast as I can…" She choked, and only then she realized she was crying.
"It is okay, Ukyo, I will help you."
She nodded, feeling the tiredness provoked by the healing process starting to take a hold of her body.
Already? But I've just started!
"You go with my wife now; we can take care of him now that he's asleep."
"I promised him I wouldn't leave." She protested.
"Go get cleaned up and come back, then. You don't want him to see you covered in his blood if he wakes up, don't you?" The older demon reasoned.
"I don't want to leave him," she protested again, trying to double her efforts.
"You'll be here again in no time. Now go."
She sobbed again, watching as Lucien took his son in his arms carefully and rested him on the bed. Alexios sat down on the other side and placed his hands above the boy's body, energy sweeping from him.
His ankle snapped into place and she couldn't take it anymore.
She ran out of the room and closed the door behind her, resting her back on it; trying to catch her breath between the uncontrollable sobs that had taken hold of her. She didn't notice Yuriko's presence until the woman had cradled her in her arms, cooing softly.
"Come on girl, let's get you cleaned up."
"I'm sorry…" She sobbed, "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, I should've known… I didn't know…"
"It's okay, Ukyo; we have him here now, he'll be alright." The lady cooed while she walked her down the stairs towards the bathroom again.
"I can't stand to see him like that…" She whispered once her clothes were off. Yuriko had politely turned around to give her some privacy, since she refused to leave Ukyo alone. "I can't even start to imagine all that he's been through these past weeks, and all because of me…"
"Stop blaming yourself, sweetheart. If there is anyone to blame is those bastards up there." She tilted her chin to the ceiling. "They always love to play the 'sacrifice' card, only to hide their mischievous acts with a clear conscience… if they have any."
"I just want this to be over…" The younger woman replied, washing her hands and face. The water pooling in the sink started turning crimson and she had to close her eyes.
"My boy will get over this; you just have to be strong for him and be by his side. He needs you more than he could ever need any of us. Trust me."
"I know…"
The women remained silent until Ukyo got out of the bathroom dressed in fresh clothes, and they walked to the bedroom again.
She was nervous; she didn't know what she expected to find inside, but it surely couldn't be worse than what she had already seen. The image of her love in such state would forever haunt her dreams.
The pretty chef opened the door slowly and stepped inside the room silently. She let out a sigh of relief once she noticed him resting under the covers. The sheets and bedcover had been changed for a new set and he was completely clean and bandaged. She looked around and noticed the ruckus the bedroom was in, he'd probably put both men in a rush. The room was barely lit by a night lamp, but she could still see he was looking better than before, even though there was still a lot to heal. They had somehow chained him to the bed, and that made her stomach clench in apprehension.
"We bathed him," Lucien explained tiredly and she thanked him in her mind; "I couldn't stand to see all that blood on him anymore."
She noticed Alexios resting on the chair next to the window, looking completely exhausted. She dedicated him a knowing smile. The angel had done the heavier part of the healing and she could not be more grateful to him… even though she had wanted to be the one to do it.
"It's amazing…" Lucien stated.
"What?" His wife demanded.
"You have no idea the trouble he's given us. We had to restrain him the moment she left the room. He's one tough little guy."
Ukyo was surprised; he seemed to be resting so calmly now…
"She calms his dark side down… It wouldn't be the first time it happens…" Yuriko said smugly, earning a blush from her husband.
"Obviously." He agreed.
"Then I guess it'll be okay if I stay with him. Alexios looks like he needs to rest, and I'm ready to heal him again. Besides, he's all but chained to the bed."
"Do not tire yourself much; the healing process is slower here… Is part of the punishment." The angel advised.
"You heard the girl… Come on, let's leave them alone." The lady commanded, urging the males outside. Ukyo sent her a grateful look and closed the door.
She stood beside the bed and hesitated for a moment before taking her shoes off and getting under the covers. She moved carefully to the boy's side and put her arms around him. Ryoga turned slightly towards her and rested his head under her chin, sighing. This simple action made her heart swell with hope. He still recognized her…
Ukyo didn't know for how long she had been sleeping, she even didn't remember falling asleep; but she woke up abruptly when the body next to hers started tossing around, moaning.
"Shh…" She said, stroking his hair. "Shh, baby, I'm here…"
He whimpered, his face contorted in a grimace. His arms tightened around her, holding her closer to him. He'd broken the chains, she realized with not a small amount of dread.
"Shh, baby…" She cooed, starting to sweep the healing energy through his body. "I know you're hurting, but it'll be alright soon…"
His eyes opened and she was slightly disappointed to see they were still completely green.
"Hurts…" He moaned.
"I know, baby, I know."
He hid his head under her chin again, restraining a grunt. He shook slightly, making the night lamp flicker.
"Better?" She asked after a moment, caressing his back. She felt him nod once. His wounds were almost healed but she could feel there was still a lot of pain inside him, and she hated not being able to ease it.
She kissed the top of his head, stroking his hair. "Go back to sleep sweetie… You're home now."
Ukyo thought her name was being called in her sleep…
She opened her eyes and caught the most amazing pair of emeralds looking straight up at her with incredulity and hope. Her eyes watered and her throat closed with emotion. She had wanted so desperately to see those eyes every time she woke up in that bed for the past four days!
"Ryoga…?" She ventured, unable to stop the trembling of her chin.
"Am I dreaming…?" He whispered gruffly, but in his own voice again.
"No, baby, I'm here…"
He tightened his arms around her body in a desperate manner, hiding his face in the nook of her neck. His whole body shook with sobs, the warm teardrops falling over her collarbone and chest, and she couldn't do anything but cry with him.
Ukyo stroked his hair, kissed the top of his head, drew circles on his back, and cooed love and comfort words to his ear. She knew it wouldn't do much now but at least she'd show him she was there for him. She was there to save him.
"I love you! I love you so much!" He whispered fervently as much as his battered voice let him, lifting his head and kissing her all over her face.
"I love you too, Ryoga; with all my heart." She said before locking her lips with his. He kissed her with such ferocity and hunger she thought she would faint. He parted as abruptly as he started the kiss, breathing heavily and staring intently at her. She placed a pillow against the headboard and pushed him backwards to a half-sitting position, tucking him in. He refused to let her go, so she snuggled up beside him.
"What's going on? You're not… you're not supposed to know who I am."
"I remembered you."
Ryoga frowned, "How?"
"I felt like a part of me was missing…" She said nonchalantly with a one-shouldered shrug. "Then, I just remembered."
"Oh, I know the feeling…" He kissed the top of her head. "I thought I'd never see you again, never hold you and kiss you again…" His voice broke and he hugged her tighter.
"I'll never let that happen, sweetheart." She sat up and knelt beside him, facing him, to peck him on the lips. He still looked terrible, but thankfully he was healing at a normal pace now. He gave her a small smile and took a deep breath, frowning in pain. "Take it easy, honey. You're not completely healed yet."
He snorted, "You shouldn't even bother… How much time do we have before I have to… to go back? How come they let you see me?" He lifted a hand and caressed her cheek with so much tenderness she felt a tug in her heart.
"Well, when I remembered you, I got a little crazy, so Alexios and my… mother showed up and told me what you had done -we're going to talk about that later-, then another archangel popped up and somehow they let me come and get you."
"Come and get me? Where are we?" He looked around, taking in the foreign bedroom.
"Uh, we're in your parent's house."
"We're in Nagoya?" He asked, confused.
"Um, no… In your other parent's house."
He blinked a couple of times, then his eyes widened in surprise and horror.
"We're… we're still in Hell?"
"Yes, but it's okay, your father-"
"You are in Hell? What the fuck are you doing here, Ukyo?!" He snapped, grabbing her shoulders and staring sternly at her, the movement making him wince in pain.
"Hey, it's okay! We're safe here."
"You're not safe," he made a move to get out of the bed but she stopped him, pushing him back on the pillow. He made a pained grimace.
"Listen, your father helped me rescue you and bring you here. Now we have to wait until you recover so we can go back home. There's nothing to worry about, okay?" Aside from the fact that she had no clue what the archangels would do to them, but she wasn't telling him that yet.
"We can go back home? But that's impossible; I'm supposed to be in Hell forever." He furrowed his brow.
"That's changed. They have decided to give us another chance if I was able to save you, and they promised they wouldn't try to kill us anymore…"
"But…?"
"But I don't know what's going to happen to us now… and truthfully? I don't care. I just wanted to get you out of that place."
"You're insane, do you know that?" He said, shaking his head. "You could've had a happy life."
"Obviously I couldn't, otherwise I wouldn't have remembered you."
"You should've left me-"
"No. Don't even think I would've let you spend another minute down there. Just so you know, you and my happiness are the exact same thing, so your plan was really stupid."
He cracked a smile in spite of himself.
"You mean exactly the same for me, so don't blame me for trying to keep you safe. Now we're back where we started."
"No, we're not." She smiled and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him in for a breathtaking kiss.
"So, what now? And don't think that I'm not completely pissed off for what you've done." He said when he got his breath back… after a while.
"Now we wait for you to heal and then… I don't know, go back home and hope those bastards forget about us."
"Yeah, I don't see that happening anytime soon."
"Me neither," she sighed, "but a girl can hope. Now, let me finish my job."
She placed her hands on his bare chest, starting to transfer her energy to his body, her fingertips feeling the softness of his skin and the hardness of his muscles, and a well-known feeling brewed in her stomach. The idea of losing him again made her feel terrified; she couldn't even start to imagine all that he'd been through in that damned place and-
"Stop, please." He asked softly, taking her hands in his.
"I'm passing you my emotions again, aren't I?" She realized with embarrassment.
"Yes, and they're a bit dark right now. I hate to know you're feeling like this…"
"I'm sorry," she said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "You should rest…"
"I feel like I've been sleeping for ten years already…"
"More like four days." She leaned down on her side and rested her head on her hand. "Maybe I should call Alexios and let him finish for me… even though he's already done a lot."
"He's here?"
"Yeah… along with Ranma and Akane…"
Ryoga frowned, "Why?"
"Alexios was commanded to, but Ranma and Akane wanted to come; don't ask me why because I have no idea."
"They're probably insane, just like you."
"Hey! I'm not the one who voluntarily condemned his soul for eternity in sacrifice, so shut up."
"I had a very good reason to do what I did."
"Well, so did I."
He pressed his lips together in a tight line, but said nothing. He snaked his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him, holding her to his chest so tightly she was almost on top of him.
"I don't know what's going to happen now, Ukyo, but I swear I won't let them take you away from me again. When I think about all that you had to go through because I've failed you…"
"What?" She lifted her head and looked sternly at him. "You have never failed me, Hibiki. If anything, you're the only one who gave a damn about me all this time, so stop thinking like that."
"But I promised you I'd protect you and they… they k-killed y-you!" He sat up, his eyes filling with tears again. "They speared a sword through you heart! I had to watch you die over and over again!"
Watch me…?
Alexios had warned her that the damage he'd received would not be just physical, but psychological as well. His dark side might have protected him from the physical pain; but when he'd been locked inside his own mind, at total mercy of his punishers, who knew what kinds of things they had made him see?
"Ryoga," she started softly, cupping his face with her hands and brushing the tears away, but they refused to stop; "you need to stop blaming yourself. The only culprits in this are those bastards. You've done nothing but protect me all along, even when you had no idea of what was happening; and now I'm alive because of you, so please, please stop beating yourself over something that's not your fault."
"But I wasn't there in time, I wasn't-"
"You're here now, with me; and whatever is going to happen, we'll face it together, okay?"
He swallowed hard then, giving her a curt nod.
"Always together?" He asked hopefully.
"Always together." She promised, looking straight into his eyes, and she saw the desperation and hopelessness hidden in his irises, and her heart cried out for him because she knew then that there were wounds in his soul that wouldn't heal in a long, long time… if ever.
I can't believe I haven't updated this story in eight months! I'm sorry! Now I'm back on track and already working on the next chapter. =D