"Ryouga, how did you get this bell? You know it was the last thing I saw P-
chan wearing before he disappeared. He's been gone for.so long now."
"Two years, Akane. It's been two years."
"Yes. And it's.it's crushed! Oh.oh no Ryouga, don't tell me--"
Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with tears. Ryouga automatically put out his arms, and she wept silently for a moment into his shoulder. His own tears were building, but would break much later, at a much more private time. For now, Ryouga just put his hand to her back.
"Was it bad when you found him?" She asked, pulling away and sliding back to the floor. She sniffed a little.
Ryouga thought about how easy of an escape this was, Akane being fooled to think that P-chan was dead and that being all he wanted to tell her. He could fill her head with stories of finding the pig by the highway, or by a train track. He could tell her that her pet had passed instantly, without much pain, and she would smile again and have forgotten about the pig by next month.
No, Hibiki. That's not the way. She must know the truth.
"It's not what you think, Akane. P-chan lives."
Akane looked up suddenly, her mouth open in a silent gasp.
"He lives in me."
Her face was astonishing. It was blank a moment, then as she heard his words again her lips closed, her eyebrows went down and her eyes went to the side. Grasping the true meaning of what he had told her, Akane's eyes again flew open and her hand was raised to her mouth. Ryouga stood up.
"I will no longer shame your house with my cowardice. Farewell, my Akane. I wish you great happiness--".
He could say no more, and began to walk. On shaky knees, out of her room, down the hall, down the stairs, through the living room, and out the door into the street. He collapsed there, on his hands and knees, taking great breaths of air and letting the tears roll down his cheeks.
When he had let everything out and could outburst no more, Ryouga stood up unsteadily to look back at the Tendo Dojo. Through the window, he could see Akane sitting in the chair he had just left, staring frozenly at the sky. She would get over it soon enough, Ryouga reasoned. After all, it was only the loss of a pet.
Ryouga turned back and began his last journey out of Nerima, a city of old rivals and unrequited love. He had no idea where he was going, how he would get there, or where to stop when he found the right place, but he felt it was out there.
This time the journey would be about him. No distractions, no 24 hour guilt, no hatred and desire for revenge against all of his old foes. Ryouga's shoulders bore no more burden.
He discovered that he needed no cursed spring to make him a real man. All he needed was honesty.
************************THE END*************************
"Two years, Akane. It's been two years."
"Yes. And it's.it's crushed! Oh.oh no Ryouga, don't tell me--"
Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with tears. Ryouga automatically put out his arms, and she wept silently for a moment into his shoulder. His own tears were building, but would break much later, at a much more private time. For now, Ryouga just put his hand to her back.
"Was it bad when you found him?" She asked, pulling away and sliding back to the floor. She sniffed a little.
Ryouga thought about how easy of an escape this was, Akane being fooled to think that P-chan was dead and that being all he wanted to tell her. He could fill her head with stories of finding the pig by the highway, or by a train track. He could tell her that her pet had passed instantly, without much pain, and she would smile again and have forgotten about the pig by next month.
No, Hibiki. That's not the way. She must know the truth.
"It's not what you think, Akane. P-chan lives."
Akane looked up suddenly, her mouth open in a silent gasp.
"He lives in me."
Her face was astonishing. It was blank a moment, then as she heard his words again her lips closed, her eyebrows went down and her eyes went to the side. Grasping the true meaning of what he had told her, Akane's eyes again flew open and her hand was raised to her mouth. Ryouga stood up.
"I will no longer shame your house with my cowardice. Farewell, my Akane. I wish you great happiness--".
He could say no more, and began to walk. On shaky knees, out of her room, down the hall, down the stairs, through the living room, and out the door into the street. He collapsed there, on his hands and knees, taking great breaths of air and letting the tears roll down his cheeks.
When he had let everything out and could outburst no more, Ryouga stood up unsteadily to look back at the Tendo Dojo. Through the window, he could see Akane sitting in the chair he had just left, staring frozenly at the sky. She would get over it soon enough, Ryouga reasoned. After all, it was only the loss of a pet.
Ryouga turned back and began his last journey out of Nerima, a city of old rivals and unrequited love. He had no idea where he was going, how he would get there, or where to stop when he found the right place, but he felt it was out there.
This time the journey would be about him. No distractions, no 24 hour guilt, no hatred and desire for revenge against all of his old foes. Ryouga's shoulders bore no more burden.
He discovered that he needed no cursed spring to make him a real man. All he needed was honesty.
************************THE END*************************
