A Note Before You Read
If you're unfamiliar with Ryuko's cirumstance, in short she is Ryuichi's daughter, orphaned when she was 6 months old, who was then adopted by Yuki and Shuichi. You can read more about her in some of my other fics, or better yet, see her in my doujin series, Gravity. The URL can be located in my profile.
The Wizard of 'Coz
"I hate spring cleaning," whined Shuichi, going through his vast selection of old mangas, "how am I expected to chuck away any of my precious comics?"
Yuki was going through boxes of old odd things in his wardrobe, annoyed by Shuichi's non-stop complaining. "Someone your age shouldn't even be reading manga written for junior high students – or elementary students."
Shuichi proudly held up a few of his graphic novels. "These are classic pieces of literature! The amazing tales of treachery, heartache, friendship and heroism are a must for any fan of great story telling!" He was now holding them at Yuki's itchy nose. Shuichi's nose dripped with mucus.
His partner wasn't exactly convinced. He narrowed his already narrowed eyes at the sniveling pink haired man. "And the author felt he had to convey his tales with giant talking robots?"
Shuichi blinked, not quite getting the point. Yuki blew out a sigh and casually punched him into the wall. "Idiot; anyone would think you had straw for brains."
Dizzily pushing himself out of the wall, Shuichi began to loudly cry. "You're so heartless! Waaaaaaaaaah!" Just then he noticed another pile of his graphic novels on the floor and forgot about his woes. "Oh, Yuki, can I keep these at least?" He held up a few like a naive, wondering child.
Yuki tilted his glasses to have a closer look. They were yaoi manga, and rather hardcore at that. "Ok, whatever."
"Yay!" cheered Shuichi.
Meanwhile, their daughter, Ryuko, was going through her mountains of collected junk. Her spending sprees really paid off in spring cleaning. As she packed things into cardboard boxes to give to Good Will, her uncle, Tatsuha, decided to go through some of her personal belongings.
"Get the hell out of my panty draw!" she exclaimed, throwing a lamp at her perverted uncle.
Tatsuha ducked, missing it. "Oh, come on, I don't have anything to go through!"
Ryuko grit her teeth in an attempt to keep her composure, "Well, you would if you were in your REAL home in Kyoto, now wouldn't you?"
He shrugged, humming to himself, going through more of her personal belongings. "Hey, where do you keep your Ryuichi mementos?"
"Yeah, like I'd tell you."
Tatsuha became defensive, gasping. "What...are you accusing me of wanting me of wanting those precious items of which my honey Ryuichi had touched with his DNA? DNA that is now in you and wasted thanks your idiotic Bad Luck obsession and bad fashion sense!"
Ryuko's emerald eyes became bloodshot in anger.
"I am SO offended," continued Tatsuha, "I merely wanted to give them to the needy."
Ryuko softened, "Oh, that's actually really sweet of you Uncle Tatsuha."
Tatsuha's eyes watered, giving her a hug. "And because I'm sooo needy, I suggest giving them to me right away!"
The sixteen-year-old girl's veins popped out of her head. She promptly pushed him out the window and sighed, brushing away some stray locks of chestnut brown hair. "What a cowardly freak he is."
The front doorbell rang. Ryuko merrily skipped to see who it was. She opened the door to find her Aunt Mika and her husband, Tohma Seguchi, standing there expectantly with a bruised and bloodied Tatsuha standing behind them, waving dumbly.
"The truck is at the front of the building," said Mika, "are you three ready yet?"
"I am," she replied, "in my room are my boxes, I'll go check on Daddy and Papa."
Mika showed the Good Will workers to Ryuko's room while Ryuko went to get her parents.
Tohma looked over Ryuko's boxes. She had a lot of junk to get rid of; he wondered where she stored it all. He noticed one box had Kumagorou sitting on it. "Ah, it's about time she gave it up."
Within seconds, the movers who had accompanied the truck made their way into the building and set to work removing the prepared boxes. As always, snidely observed Ryuko, nibbling the side of her lip, Seguchi was in complete control, instructing the movers as if he were their foreman.
As they removed the boxes, Yuki prepared tea for them to drink. Shuichi engaged in general conversation with Mika; their conversations were usually limited to such mediocre subjects as the weather and non-interesting aspects of their chosen careers. Ryuko stayed close to her papa, eying Seguchi's movements every once in a while. He appeared too concerned with the movers to catch on to her scouting. Once the movers had cleared all the boxes, Ryuko blew a soft sigh. After a quick tea hopefully she'd be rid of that creepy so-called uncle of her's.
At a time like that a girl could only rely on one thing.
Ducking into her room, scattered with odd bits and pieces, and piles of clothes from her last-minute bid to choose what to give to the needy, she blindly swept the carpet with her hands, expecting her favourite pink plush to statically cling to her fingers as usual. But no...the bunny did not come to her grasp. The girl blinked, surveying the area.
She checked under her bed – inside her cupboards – her panty draw (that she could have sworn were missing a few panties...) – her moneybox – but, but, but...but...
"KUMAGOROU!!!!!!!!"
Frantically, she exited her room, jumping up and down in a frenzy. "Kuma....he...nowhere...Kuma...where....Gorou...who...what....when...pink...." Yuki covered a hand over the hysterical child's mouth; her eyes intensely blazed her terror, body trembling.
Annoyed at how used he'd grown to the outbursts of crazy people, he knew how to deal with her. Yuki stared intently into her eyes, the amber glint fixing a lock on her's. As her tremors lessened, he stroked her hair peacefully. "Ryu-chan, when I remove my hand, you will tell us in a calm manner what has happened, Ok?"
Subdued as a comfy kitten, she calmly nodded.
He removed his hand.
"KUMAGOROU'S MISSING! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Ryuko Sakuma pulled at her thick hair, panicking in a manner fit for the likes of Sakano-san.
Tohma Seguchi sipped his tea, "Oh, so you weren't giving your toy to charity?"
All eyes fell on him. Tatsuha scratches his forehead, emphatically glad not to be him. Ryuko slammed a fist to the table in front of Seguchi. He continued sipping his tea, seemingly impassive to her distressed rage. "You...gave...them...MY KUMA?!"
His deep green eyes slowly darted to meet her's. "Ryuko, while it was a mistake on my part, perhaps you should consider this a blessing. It's unhealthy for a young woman to be attached to a plush toy. Consider this...a new beginning."
Ryuko wasn't stirred by his small speech. Instead of heeding his words she scrambling out of the apartment's door, and with the entire spastic might she could muster, raced like lightning down the building's stairs and onto the streets. The truck was halfway down the road. Thankfully for her she was a speedy runner – well, when it was important.
"I'm coming, Kumagorou!" She declared, bounding down the road, weaving through traffic. As her pace neared her close to the truck, which happened to be picking up speed, she latched her arms to the bumper bar, winding her body to the stand at the back. As the truck's speed increased, her adrenaline urged her to get to safety. Clinging to one side of the large metal rear, with her free hand she plucked a handy bobby pin from her hair. Twisting it to shape with her teeth, the resourceful teenager played with the truck's lock. It really came in handy to have a daddy who continually misplaced the front door keys!
A click. Victory! People in their cars watched in bewilderment as the teenager gleefully rolled up the back of the truck and disappear into the shadows of the interior.
Wasting no time, Ryuko fell to her knees and madly commenced ripping open random boxes. Like a madwoman possessed, she shredded and tore boxes and inferior plushies till she arrived at the last box. It was marked with her name.
"Hmm...maybe I should have tried this one first," she laughed to herself, the spell of insanity broken. Carefully opening it, tears bucketed down her burnt cheeks. She lifted out her bunny, kissing his equally pink cheeks. "Come on, let's get home – and deal with that mean SOB, Seguchi."
Ryuko stood to her feet, making her away across the truck's interior. She laid a hand to the rim of the metal hold, peering out the busy road. Unsure of how she was going to handle the maneuver, the girl cocked her head in thought. Kumagorou then told her it would be best to wait for the truck to stop at a traffic light and then leave. That bunny sure was a smart thinker! She nodded, convinced.
As she went to walk back into the truck's hold, there was a sudden halting of the truck. Taken aback by the abruptness, Ryuko slipped; head bashing into the side. Aching, and dizzy, she fell to the floor.
Moments later, or what felt like moments later, she awoke. Rubbing her eyes, she sleepily stared outside.
No way...
Ryuko's eyes widened. The atmosphere had filled with wind; inside it grew dark and cold. The truck shook, and seesawed up and down. It was as if the truck had been wrapped up in a great swirling cloud. Ryuko gripped Kumagorou with one arm and clung to a heavy box with the other, edging away from the opened back.
Random objects passed the truck. Other trucks and cars flew by; as did bakeries; kitchen sinks; cows; trees; parking meters...
"I want my daddy and papa," she wept into her bunny, terrified by the insanity of the scene.
"What daddy and papa?" Came an angelic, icy voice.
Ryuko opened one eye, gasping to see Tohma Seguchi in a catalac just outside the truck, "your father died a long time ago child." Overlooking the danger the tornado had caused, Ryuko grit her teeth, and fought the wind the give her so-called uncle a broken nose. As she neared the grinning man, he faded into the wind.
"What the..."
"Hehehehehe!" came an unnerving cackle.
Ryuko bobbed her head into the wind to see what was so damn funny, when her head collided with a stray motorcycle. "Ugh...down I go..." Cross-eyed, she fell back, out like a light...again.
Silence.
Warm light flowed down onto the sleeping teenager. She stirred; raising an arm, bring it to touch her face. She was still alive. Better yet, the truck wasn't moving. Had it touched down somewhere? She hoped America, that way she may get the chance to go to Disneyworld!
Her head slightly pained, she found her way to her feet. Yawning, she rested against the side of the truck. With a tired strain, she pushed the crumpled back cover away so she could get a better view.
As she pushed it to the side, a burst of sunshine blinded Ryuko. She shielded herself with Kumagorou. As her eyes adjusted, a clear view of the scenery was presented to her.
Colourful houses littered lush green-blue grass. There were pink fountains, and what looked like a town square. But everything was miniature...Oh, Tiny Town! But...no Mickey, no tourists, no security guards - it couldn't have been. Damn.
Cautious of her surroundings, Ryuko Sakuma quietly jumped out of the truck. It wasn't until she landed on solid ground that she realized her life had been lived in black and white. "Wow, so there's a difference between pink and green??"
This place was strange, strange and small...and colourful, but not quite shiny. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something wasn't quite right here.
"Kumagorou...I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore."