Chapter 3: Wrath
Ryoga awoke from a troubled sleep and silently began breaking camp, preparing for the long trip back to the Tendo Dojo. He paused to watch the sun rise, as he did every morning. The beauty that had so often washed away the bulk of his depression for a few precious moments did nothing for the dull ache now residing in his heart. Trying desperately to blink away new tears, he just stood and thought, something he hadn't done since before he could remember. Now, he reflected on the events of the previous day and thought about what he now knew he must do. Sighing, he picked up his pack and started off toward the Tendo home.
By noon, he was in Cleveland.
------------
Akane had been running for hours, tears streaming down her face. Now she was huddled in the corner of a small cabin on a boat bound for Tokyo, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.
When the boat docked an indeterminant amount of time later, Akane forced herself to get up and proceeded to walk toward her home in a daze, muttering to herself, trying to rationalize what had happened and telling herself that Ranma would be there when she got home.
Upon arriving home, Akane simply walked up the stairs, not even looking at the ever-cheerful Kasumi, who peeked out from the kitchen, and headed to her room, locking the door behind her. Alone in her room, Akane collapsed onto her bed, tears flowing freely once again, soaking her pillow.
------------
Ryoga was walking down the street, wondering when people in France had started speaking Japanese when he noticed a sign that read "Tendo Dojo." Ryoga thought.
Luckily for Ryoga, Kasumi returned from her shopping and saw him before he went to try to find the front door somewhere in Yokohama. "Oh, hello, Ryoga," she said, smiling sweetly behind her armful of groceries, which Ryoga took, following her inside after exchanging greetings.
"Uh, Kasumi," Ryoga started, "is Akane home?"
A frown darkened Kasumi's face for a brief moment before she answered. "When she came home a few days ago, she locked herself in her room and has refused to come out. I've had to just leave her food by the door and hope she gets it. I'm worried about her." Kasumi's eyes took on a pleading look. "Would you be so kind as to go talk to her? She really needs a friend right now."
"Of course, Kasumi. I have some things that I need to talk to her about, myself," Ryoga said, getting up and moving toward the stairs.
"Like the fact that you're really P-chan?" Kasumi prodded, eliciting an "Urk" from the boy about to step into the closet.
"You know?" Ryoga asked, looking over his shoulder nervously.
"Ryoga," Kasumi chided, "only Akane is THAT blind."
"I guess you're right," Ryoga said. "I do have a lot of explaining to do." He then promptly went through the front door.
An hour later, Ryoga was wandering around Hiroshima, looking for Akane's room, silently cursing his bloodline for their sense of direction.
------------
Alone in a dark room, Akane wiped her eyes. She knew she couldn't stay here forever; she'd have to get on with her life. Her stomach took this thought as a cue to audibly remind her of another reason she had to rejoin the world.
Akane quietly exited her room and went downstairs, seeking the only real source of comfort left for her.
"K- Kasumi?" Akane said timidly, peeking into the kitchen and causing her older sister to jump in surprise.
"Oh, it's you, Akane," Kasumi said. "I've been meaning to ask you something," she continued.
"Wha- what is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked, dreading the inevitable question.
"When will Ranma be coming home? It's not like him to miss a meal," Kasumi asked, sounding only mildly concerned.
Searing pain shot through Akane's heart, and she had to choke back sobs in order to answer. "Kasumi," she croaked, "Ranma's dead. He died trying to protect me."
"Oh, my," Kasumi answered as Akane hugged her tight and sobbed against her elder sister's chest.
For the first time in anyone's memory, Kasumi Tendo allowed dinner to burn that night.
------------
Ryoga was lost. This was indeed a common occurrence. This time was different from the others, however. This time, he wasn't just lost in the sense that he didn't know where he was or how to get where he was going. This time, he was lost in that he didn't know what to do with his life. He'd vowed to protect Akane, but fate seemed to be firmly against that idea.
"Oh, hello, Ryoga," said a kind, soft, familiar voice.
Ryoga thought. "Hi, Kasumi. What are you doing in Australia?"
------------
"Akane?"
"What is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked, looking up from the mountain of makeup work on her desk.
"There's someone who would like to speak with you," the eldest of the Tendo sisters answered. "Should I let him in?"
"Of course," Akane said. "I need a break anyway."
"It's ok, Akane will speak with you now," Kasumi said, looking down the hall. "Oh my, that's the closet. Akane's over here," she added, allowing Akane to guess who her visitor was.
Ryoga stepped into Akane's room, looking rather uncomforatable.
"I'll leave you two alone," Kasumi said, nearly causing Ryoga's heart to stop. "I know you two have a lot to talk about."
Ryoga nearly paniced and bolted for the window, but he couldn't find one, not even the one in front of him.
"What is it you wanted to talk about, Ryoga?" Akane asked, giving him a questioning look.
"Well, Akane, it's about your pet P-chan..." Ryoga said hesistantly.
"Have you seen him?" Akane asked, getting excited. "I haven't seen him in a while. I'm starting to worry..."
"W- well, y- you see..." Ryoga stammered, figetting with his hands nervously, "when I followed Ranma to China, I went to Jusenkyo, too." Ryoga took a deep breath. "P-chan'smycursedformItrickedyouI'm sorry."
"WHAT!?!" Akane screamed.
"Akane, I-"
"You saw me in the nude, you lech!" "You slept in my bed!" Akane continued her verbal and physical assault for hours. Ryoga passed in and out of consciousness.
he thought between blackouts.
------------
Kiima smiled. Her king was hatching. Soon, things would go back to normal. A large crack appeared and she broke a large piece of the shell off. As the shell came away, her expectant smile turned to a look of shock and horror. The infant inside could not be her king.
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Author's note: Hey there! Sorry it took so long for this to get out, but I'm really lazy when it comes to busy work. I've actually had this written out on paper for a while now, but never could get up the will to type it. There is some good news, though. Chapter four and about a third of Chapter five are all written out on paper, so maybe now I'll get in the mood to type them, too. Please e-mail to let me know what you think. I'm not sure I've still got any readers out there....
Author's note revised: Ok, this revision, like the first two chapters, was mainly to correct grammatical and general flaws in the flow of the story. I plan to do a complete overhaul of the next two chapters, adding lots of explanation and to delve into the Psyche of each of the two main characters, so it may be quite a bit before I get that done, but believe me, it should be worth waiting for... Oh, yeah, these characters are not mine; they never were... I just like to put them in my stories... {insert usual plea for responses here}
Ryoga awoke from a troubled sleep and silently began breaking camp, preparing for the long trip back to the Tendo Dojo. He paused to watch the sun rise, as he did every morning. The beauty that had so often washed away the bulk of his depression for a few precious moments did nothing for the dull ache now residing in his heart. Trying desperately to blink away new tears, he just stood and thought, something he hadn't done since before he could remember. Now, he reflected on the events of the previous day and thought about what he now knew he must do. Sighing, he picked up his pack and started off toward the Tendo home.
By noon, he was in Cleveland.
------------
Akane had been running for hours, tears streaming down her face. Now she was huddled in the corner of a small cabin on a boat bound for Tokyo, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.
When the boat docked an indeterminant amount of time later, Akane forced herself to get up and proceeded to walk toward her home in a daze, muttering to herself, trying to rationalize what had happened and telling herself that Ranma would be there when she got home.
Upon arriving home, Akane simply walked up the stairs, not even looking at the ever-cheerful Kasumi, who peeked out from the kitchen, and headed to her room, locking the door behind her. Alone in her room, Akane collapsed onto her bed, tears flowing freely once again, soaking her pillow.
------------
Ryoga was walking down the street, wondering when people in France had started speaking Japanese when he noticed a sign that read "Tendo Dojo." Ryoga thought.
Luckily for Ryoga, Kasumi returned from her shopping and saw him before he went to try to find the front door somewhere in Yokohama. "Oh, hello, Ryoga," she said, smiling sweetly behind her armful of groceries, which Ryoga took, following her inside after exchanging greetings.
"Uh, Kasumi," Ryoga started, "is Akane home?"
A frown darkened Kasumi's face for a brief moment before she answered. "When she came home a few days ago, she locked herself in her room and has refused to come out. I've had to just leave her food by the door and hope she gets it. I'm worried about her." Kasumi's eyes took on a pleading look. "Would you be so kind as to go talk to her? She really needs a friend right now."
"Of course, Kasumi. I have some things that I need to talk to her about, myself," Ryoga said, getting up and moving toward the stairs.
"Like the fact that you're really P-chan?" Kasumi prodded, eliciting an "Urk" from the boy about to step into the closet.
"You know?" Ryoga asked, looking over his shoulder nervously.
"Ryoga," Kasumi chided, "only Akane is THAT blind."
"I guess you're right," Ryoga said. "I do have a lot of explaining to do." He then promptly went through the front door.
An hour later, Ryoga was wandering around Hiroshima, looking for Akane's room, silently cursing his bloodline for their sense of direction.
------------
Alone in a dark room, Akane wiped her eyes. She knew she couldn't stay here forever; she'd have to get on with her life. Her stomach took this thought as a cue to audibly remind her of another reason she had to rejoin the world.
Akane quietly exited her room and went downstairs, seeking the only real source of comfort left for her.
"K- Kasumi?" Akane said timidly, peeking into the kitchen and causing her older sister to jump in surprise.
"Oh, it's you, Akane," Kasumi said. "I've been meaning to ask you something," she continued.
"Wha- what is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked, dreading the inevitable question.
"When will Ranma be coming home? It's not like him to miss a meal," Kasumi asked, sounding only mildly concerned.
Searing pain shot through Akane's heart, and she had to choke back sobs in order to answer. "Kasumi," she croaked, "Ranma's dead. He died trying to protect me."
"Oh, my," Kasumi answered as Akane hugged her tight and sobbed against her elder sister's chest.
For the first time in anyone's memory, Kasumi Tendo allowed dinner to burn that night.
------------
Ryoga was lost. This was indeed a common occurrence. This time was different from the others, however. This time, he wasn't just lost in the sense that he didn't know where he was or how to get where he was going. This time, he was lost in that he didn't know what to do with his life. He'd vowed to protect Akane, but fate seemed to be firmly against that idea.
"Oh, hello, Ryoga," said a kind, soft, familiar voice.
Ryoga thought. "Hi, Kasumi. What are you doing in Australia?"
------------
"Akane?"
"What is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked, looking up from the mountain of makeup work on her desk.
"There's someone who would like to speak with you," the eldest of the Tendo sisters answered. "Should I let him in?"
"Of course," Akane said. "I need a break anyway."
"It's ok, Akane will speak with you now," Kasumi said, looking down the hall. "Oh my, that's the closet. Akane's over here," she added, allowing Akane to guess who her visitor was.
Ryoga stepped into Akane's room, looking rather uncomforatable.
"I'll leave you two alone," Kasumi said, nearly causing Ryoga's heart to stop. "I know you two have a lot to talk about."
Ryoga nearly paniced and bolted for the window, but he couldn't find one, not even the one in front of him.
"What is it you wanted to talk about, Ryoga?" Akane asked, giving him a questioning look.
"Well, Akane, it's about your pet P-chan..." Ryoga said hesistantly.
"Have you seen him?" Akane asked, getting excited. "I haven't seen him in a while. I'm starting to worry..."
"W- well, y- you see..." Ryoga stammered, figetting with his hands nervously, "when I followed Ranma to China, I went to Jusenkyo, too." Ryoga took a deep breath. "P-chan'smycursedformItrickedyouI'm sorry."
"WHAT!?!" Akane screamed.
"Akane, I-"
"You saw me in the nude, you lech!" "You slept in my bed!" Akane continued her verbal and physical assault for hours. Ryoga passed in and out of consciousness.
he thought between blackouts.
------------
Kiima smiled. Her king was hatching. Soon, things would go back to normal. A large crack appeared and she broke a large piece of the shell off. As the shell came away, her expectant smile turned to a look of shock and horror. The infant inside could not be her king.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note: Hey there! Sorry it took so long for this to get out, but I'm really lazy when it comes to busy work. I've actually had this written out on paper for a while now, but never could get up the will to type it. There is some good news, though. Chapter four and about a third of Chapter five are all written out on paper, so maybe now I'll get in the mood to type them, too. Please e-mail to let me know what you think. I'm not sure I've still got any readers out there....
Author's note revised: Ok, this revision, like the first two chapters, was mainly to correct grammatical and general flaws in the flow of the story. I plan to do a complete overhaul of the next two chapters, adding lots of explanation and to delve into the Psyche of each of the two main characters, so it may be quite a bit before I get that done, but believe me, it should be worth waiting for... Oh, yeah, these characters are not mine; they never were... I just like to put them in my stories... {insert usual plea for responses here}