Caught in the Mist

A Ranma ½ Fanfiction

Chapter 10

Wrapping Things Up

Part One

"You ready Kiri?" Ryoga asked, helping her up off the bed. The two were going to go back to Ryoga's house. Kiri was pretty muched healed, having bandages on her body. Ryoga also had bandages. Kiri nodded and the two walked home.

"Hey! Ryoga, Kiri!" Kiri and Ryoga stopped, turning around before heading inside Ryoga's house.

"Ranma?" Ryoga said in surprise.

"Yeah, you guys need to come quick. It's something with those stone things of yours." Ranma said.

Ryoga pulled out his stone, the star one, anger rose as he stared at it. It reminded him of Youksei's control. He gripped it and followed Ranma while Kiri pulled out her flower one. They followed Ranma to the dojo.

'When ever I think about you

I start to call upon a mysterious power

As I mumble, it's a spell to protect you'

"Here they are pop." Ranma said, sitting next to his father.

"What's going on?" Ryoga asked.

"Ryoga, tell me, you never wanted that stone to fall in the wrong hands, right?" Ranma's father asked. Ryoga nodded.

"Of course." Ryoga said, looking towards Kiri.

"Then we need to join the stones, we figured out that they do have some magic in it. Cologne here has agreed to help join them, saying that she knows some of the magic." Kiri and Ryoga stared confused but nodded anyways.

"Give me the stones." Cologne said, holding out her hand. Ryoga and Kiri dug into their pockets and handed them the stones. Cologne then walked over to the center of the dojo. There was a little plate on it seemed to be on books and the plate had water in it.

"Here we go." Cologne took a match and lit the two candles next to plate. She placed the stone in it, the flower one on top and the star one on the bottom. She put her two index fingers together and hummed some strange words. She stopped speaking and stayed quiet for a few seconds. Next minute, it seemed water sprouted from the plate. Everyone gasped and stepped back but Cologne just stayed put and watched it rise. Around the water seemed to be blue and purple sparks. The water quickly died down and Cologne went over to the plate and picked it up, she walked over to Ryoga and Kiri.

'Even now, I'm still dreaming

There's something love can only do

Only thinking of you'

"Here, take this, no one can ever use it for evil again, only you two can use it." Ryoga took the object out of her hand and stared at it with Kiri. It now looked like a star, except with many many more points, it was crystal clear. It shimmered in the light.

"It's so beautiful." Kiri said in awe.

"If you take with you and hold it every night and put your feelings in it, your dream will come true." Cologne said, winking to the two of them. Ryoga and Kiri quickly lowered their heads and blushed.

"T-thanks." They said and left the dojo, now with their new object.

"Do you just want to call for a pizza today?" Ryoga asked, reaching over for the phone. Kiri nodded once more, Ryoga didn't say anything but looked and Kiri strangely. She had been very quiet ever since they got home. Not saying a word, her eyes just filled with coldness and sadness. Ryoga called a pizza place and waited on the couch with Kiri, both watching Full Metal Alchemist. The pizza guy arrived; both Ryoga and Kiri were now munching on pizza. It was the first show for Full Metal Alchemist, the guy was trying to get the stone and showed his metal arm and limb. "See? This is how I really am!" (I'm not sure if those are the exact lines..but oh well! XD) a saddened look fell upon Kiri's face. Ryoga stared, never had he seen her look so sad. He said nothing and continued to watch the T.V; he saw glances from Kiri but acted to see nothing. The show ended and Kiri sighed, she walked slowly up the stairs, saying nothing to Ryoga. Now Ryoga was worried he rushed up the stairs and grabbed Kiri by the arm, turning her around to make her face him.

"Ryoga-chan? What is it?" Kiri asked, startled.

'I start to whisper your name

Hoping you might hear it

Our future still flickers'

"Tell me what's wrong Kiri, you've been looking sad this whole time, you're making me worried." Ryoga said and did it show, his eyes gleamed in worry, like a bright shooting star in a dark night sky.

"Ryoga-chan." Kiri said softly, she didn't mean to make him worry, but he was right, she had been sad this whole time.

"It's just about what happened before, with Youksei and all. I-I almost." She couldn't say it, the words just couldn't come out. She had almost killed Ryoga, the one person that really took care of her and looked after her. She had given him some serious injuries, she would never forgive herself for doing this, and she never understood how Ryoga was still letting her stay in his house.

"Kiri, that's all in the past now, don't worry about it." Ryoga said, smiling slightly.

"But Ryoga-chan, what if I do it again? I figured out that I couldn't control myself! I might do it again! I could seriously hurt you next time! And the others!" Kiri was very close to tears.

"Kiri, I believe that you can overcome it somehow, it might just take time, that's all." Ryoga said, trying to sound comforting.

"I can't trust myself on that, I can't, I never have trusted myself." Kiri said, lowering her head in sadness.

'You're just like my sun

Tell me you'll always be here

Never leave me, always stay

"Kiri, I trust you with my whole life." Ryoga said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. Her hands felt so cold, like she had no life in her.

"You do, Ryoga-chan?" Kiri asked, blushing as Ryoga's warm hands touched her cold ones. Ryoga nodded, Kiri stared into his warm brown eyes, and they were surely full of worry. She never knew how beautiful they were and how much he cared about her.

"Thank you Ryoga-chan, no one has ever cared this much for me." She said quietly.

"I care Kiri, and I will continue to care." Ryoga said, as he started to blush, noticing that he was still holding her hand.

"I need sleep Ryoga-chan, got school tomorrow." Kiri said, pulling her hand slowly away from Ryoga's grasp.

"What? Oh, yeah, go to sleep, I'll see you in the morning." Ryoga said, shaking his head and going to his parent's room to sleep.

"Good night." Kiri said. "And sayonara." She said softly, this, she planned was going to be the last time she ever saw Ryoga-chan; she had caused him too much pain and suffering.

'I wish we could go back to day we first met

Watching the sunset in the sky

Say the right things, instead of the wrong'

Kiri opened her eyes, her wolf abilities letting her see in the dark. She slipped out of bed and put all her stuff together. Prowling in the darkness, she tiptoed over to Ryoga. He was sleeping so peacefully. Kiri leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. She knew this would be the first and last kiss she would ever give to Ryoga, forcing herself to break away and as tears feel down her face, she sneaked downstairs and out of the house.

"What, did it rain or something?" Ryoga asked, sitting up, feeling something wet on his face, he lifted his hand and touched his cheek, the wet spot. He knew that it didn't rain, there wasn't a leak or anything, he then licked his finger, and it was salty. Tears? From who? Him? Or…Kiri? He then touched his lips, they felt softer then before. Did Kiri kiss him? Just the thought of that made him blush. He quickly snapped back to reality and went out to search for Kiri for the third time. And as if a miracle, Ryoga didn't get lost, he knew exactly where he was going. He first tried all the stores, she wasn't there. He then went to Akane's house, seeing if she might have gone their after school. She wasn't there.

"Something wrong Ryoga?" Akane asked, seeing the worried look on Ryoga's face.

"What? No, just visiting, but I need to go now, see you later Akane." Ryoga waved good bye as he continued his search for Kiri. He wanted now more then anything to find her. He knew that she could have left, feeling like she would attack him again if she turned into shi ookami. Ryoga sighed. 'Kiri, why did you have to go? It's not your fault.' He felt like crying right now, he never wanted her to leave and he had no idea where she went, she could have gone back to her aunt but that didn't seem the kind of life Kiri would want, even if she was mad at herself. He went to the park, wasn't there. Where in hell could she be? He sat on a bench and buried his head into his hands, this was the worst, he knew that she couldn't be kidnapped by Yokusei, they already got rid of him. Ryoga continued his search, looking practically everywhere but not finding Kiri.

'I'd put all the right things in a note

I'll write sincerely yours and write my name

P.S I love you forever and today'

"Damn it!" Ryoga punched a tree, making a very big dent in it. Where did she go? Did she already go far away? What if Ryoga never finds her? What if he never sees her again? These terrifying thoughts filled Ryoga's mind, he wanted to see her again, more then anything, even if it was only for a few seconds, those could mean so much more to him. Ryoga then saw something red on the ground, he looked closer and gasped. It was blood; he quickly followed it, thinking that it could be Kiri. He started to run. 'Please let it be her, and if it is, please let her be ok and not to injuried.' He ran and ran, until he came to the shoreline of the ocean. The sapphire waves brushing against the sand as the pearl white foams form at the top. He then saw what he had been searching for all day. He ran as fast as he could, almost slipping on the slimy deck.

"Kiri!" He saw Kiri turn around, tears streaming down her face.

"R-Ryoga-chan?" Kiri looked in shock, she thought she would never see him again, guess she was wrong.

"You know how worried I've been? Looking all over the city for you!" Ryoga said, trying hard not to sound mad, but more concerned.

"Ryoga-chan, you shouldn't be here, no one should be near me." Kiri said, turning away and staring at the clear blue water.

"What are you talking about Kiri?" Ryoga asked, sitting next to her.

'Wish I could take all your pain away

Becoming your sun through all the rain

Telling you that I'd always be there'

"I mean, I can turn into a horrible monster at anytime, I can hurt whoever is near me. I'm too dangerous to be around." Kiri said, her eyes covered by her bangs.

"I want to be around you, dangerous or not." Ryoga said, with a serious look on his face.

"R-Ryoga-chan?" Kiri widened her eyes at him, he wanted to be around her, even if she was an shi ookami? Did he really care that much?

"I don't care if you can turn into a monster, I know that deep down inside, you're the kind sweet Kiri that I and everybody else know." Ryoga said, slightly smiling towards her. Kiri just gaped at him, he was smiling! He didn't seem at all scared or nervous around her, even if he knew that she could turn into shi ookami! Kiri was in shock, she never met anyone that knew about her curse and would still be her friend!

"T-thank you Ryoga-chan." Kiri said, who was now smiling a little too.

"For what?" Ryoga asked, confused.

"It's just that, I never knew anyone that cared about me this much. Anyone who knew about my curse would just be scared of me. That's why I never had any friends." Flashes of amber gleamed in Kiri's blue eyes as she stared into the sunset, the color splashing into the water.