Broken
Shadow Knight
Chapter 15: Time's Requiem
Disclaimer: No ownership whatsoever.
~
NOTE: Sorry it's been long. Please forgive me. :P Oy! In the middle of the story, I kinda lost thought and ended using first point of view instead of second. So, if you find some mistakes, try your best to ignore them, please. ^_^
~
"Is Ranma his old self today?"
"No. . . Ryoga. . . No, he's not."
With a sigh, Ryoga ran his fingers through his air and started out the gate as the door slid shut behind him. He'd asked that question every day since he found out what had happened. And every day, it was the same answer.
Something suddenly crunched beneath his foot. Taking a step back, the cursed boy glanced downward. A rose lay at his feet, petals decaying from death and stem broken by his ignorant foot. The wind suddenly twisted about and stirred the shivering crimson petals. He watched, transfixed by the sight.
It could have been anything really that would have fixed his sight as so. Just the fact that it was such a deep shade of red was what had him spellbound.
It reminded him of her. . .
. . . just like her name. . .
. . . Akane. .
~
That day he found out about what had happened was still sharp in his mind, the wounds still fresh, even after all this time. . .
He had finally made his way back to Japan. With a tired smile on his face, he dragged his body determinedly toward the Tendo Dojo, his love's face already beckoning him with that friendly smile in his mind's eye.
"Just. . . a. . little longer, Akane. . . Wait for me," he huffed doggedly.
Suddenly something flashed in front of his eyes. He struggled for a moment to concentrate at the waving object. Finally his eyes registered on a-
"Would you like to buy your girl a red rose, sonny?"
Distracted by the high nasally voice, the confused boy turned from the beautiful flower to the face of the grinning merchant. "Excuse me?"
Noticing the failing interest from the boy, the merchant quickly pounced. "A rose sir. I'm sure you've got a pretty- I mean beautiful girl that would love one. The girl's fancy pretty little things like these. Just like them. Delicate and beautiful. It's only 5-"
"Akane's not delicate. She's beautiful _and_ strong. She's-oops." Ryoga quickly covered his mouth as it betrayed his "secret" crush.
The merchant was beginning to see flashing yen. With a sly smile, he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and drew closer to him. "So. . .," he whispered with a knowing smile, "The lucky gal's name is. . . Akane?"
Ryoga's cheeks flushed at her name. "Yes," he admitted, his index fingers and thumbs forming an awkward diamond shape.
"And you love her very much, no?" This kid was hooked, lined, and sunk.
"Yes," he squeaked with crimson cheeks.
"Well then," the crafty merchant replied, wrapping his fingers around a batch of roses behind him on his cart, "why don't you buy this, Akane, something just like her pre-beautiful name? Red roses sound wonderful for such a lovely girl. I'm sure she'd be giving you kisses over and over."
Ryoga's vision suddenly broke from the ground and focused on the merchant intently. "You really think so?!" he questioned seriously, a giddy giggle in his voice.
"Sure, kid, I suppose."
"I'll buy a dozen red roses!" Ryoga cried with fervent joy.
The merchant grinned and handed them over as the coins jangled into his hand. He didn't even care anymore about the price. This kid was too in love. Whatever amount he handed over was fine.
"Hurry and give those to Akane, kid!"
"Thanks sir!"
~
He never was able to give them to her.
When he had finally arrived at the dojo, Ryoga stopped at the gates, a chill traveling down his spine. Something was foreboding about the place now. Before it had seemed like a wonderful haven for him, warmth and happiness exuding from it.
Now. . . it was cold. . and dead.
The wind picked its nimble fingers around the house and found some forgotten wind chimes. The dull, hollow clicking of the chime sounded like ominous knell. Something was different in the air. . . it. . . it wasn't the same.
And then, he knew it. Something. . . something was seriously wrong. Ryoga ran up to the door, his heart beating frantically like a cornered animal. His breath came out quick as his fingers settled on the door. Pulling back the door, he stepped in and searched frantically for that face he loved so.
When the cursed boy reached the living room, he was stopped short. Why. . . why was everyone just sitting near the table? With such gloomy faces?
Stepping toward the table, he reached out a tentative hand for Kasumi's shoulder. He touched her gently, figuring she would flip around with her sunny smile. But she didn't move. Shaking her shoulder gently he waited until she slowly turned, almost mechanically.
"Oh. . . . why. . Hello Ryoga. . . .," she replied slowly, a small, sad smile sketched on her face.
"Hi Kasumi. . . um. . .did I come at a bad time? I just. . .I just want to deliver these to. . .to. . um. . .well. . . you see. . .-"
"She's not here."
Ryoga stared up at her startled. Never had he heard such a cold voice from her. "Excuse me?"
Something stirred in Kasumi's eyes. She bit her lip and stood up. Grabbing his arm, she led him to the door. He was confused but permitted her to guide him without resisting. When they were out of hearing range from the members at the table, she turned to him.
It truly frightened Ryoga in what he saw.
Her eyelids were plucked red from fresh tears. Skin that was normally bright and sunny now seemed to have a gray tinge to it, worry lines seeming to pick at her face. But her eyes. . . oh her eyes. . . with such sadness and pain. . .that's what hurt the most to see.
He placed my hand lightly on her arm. "Kasumi," Ryoga practically breathed, "what happened?"
She noticed him observing her face and turned her glance downward. "She's gone, Ryoga. . ."
"Who are you talking about, Kasumi?" Something prickled in his skin as a thin crack traveled over his heart.
"He hasn't been the same since. . . . . ," she mumbled distractedly, caught in her own reverie.
The wrapped roses dropped from his hands as he grasped her arms and pleaded with her, in broken whispers, his anxiety growing. "Kasumi! Please answer me! Who's gone?! What's happened?!"
With a jagged sigh, she lifted her head, her eyes boring into his. "Ryoga. . . I'm so sorry. . . I know you. . . . I know you loved her. . . ," she stopped with a broken sob, and the shakily continued, "Ryoga. . . . I. . . . She. . . . ,"
"Go. . . go on, Kasumi," he let my tongue betray himself, for in his heart, he knew he didn't want to know.
"Akane. . . she's. . . . she's gone."
Ryoga released her arms, as the words fell upon his ears. He broke his stare and couldn't see anything. His world was crashing around his eyes. "She's. . . .gone? Where. . . where? This has to be Ranma's fault isn't i-"
"No! No. . .Ryoga," she stopped herself from yelling at him, "This. . this wasn't his fault at _all_. He was drugged and. . . oh. . . Ryoga. . . he. . he hurt her. Hurt her bad. . but. . .now he suffers because of it. Ryoga. . you don't understand. . he's. . he's almost dead now. ."
"It's. . .it's not his fault," he mumbled, "But. . . .so where is she. ."
A hand gripped his firmly. He looked up deftly into Kasumi's eyes. "Ryoga. . . understand this. . . I can't tell you again. . Akane is gone. She's not here anymore. We've searched for her and we can't find her. Nabiki has used up all of her sourc. ."
His mind didn't register her voice anymore. It was lost to him. Ryoga looked down at the floor. She's. . . gone? Akane. . .left? But. . .but she didn't . . . I. . .I never got to tell her. . .
Something cracked inside the boy.
Ryoga's eyeballs burned as something scalded the insides of his head. A ball of fire churned in his throat with every breath. He saw not his shoes, not the floor. . . only blackness.
"No. . . it can't be true. ."
He heard a scattered cry filter through the air. Vision returned to him in a flash. Suddenly there was a searing pain in his left hand. He looked down slowly.
Drip
It was so . . .red. . .his hands were somehow holding onto the roses again and now he was clutching them too hard. Blood slipped down his wrist as the thorns bit into his flesh. So red. . . just like her name. . . Aka-
Suddenly reality hit again.
"Oh God. . . No, it can't be true! Please, no!"
His body was on fire! Grabbing his head with his other hand, a cry curled in his throat. He had to get out of here! Throwing open the door, he ran. He didn't glance back at Kasumi as her eyes closed, tears running down her cheeks and sank to the floor.
He just ran. Ryoga didn't know where he was going. He didn't care. He just ran as fast as he could. Tears began to rumble down his cheeks, his breath came in short fervent gasps. His feet began to slow as he reached some grassy field. Exhausted, he let his body fall. The grass brushed at his salt streaked face.
Tears running into the ground, he planted seeds of sorrow. His cries were muffled by the ground as his fingers ripped at the grass, body convulsing against the ground.
". . . I never got to tell her. . . Akane. . . I never got to tell you. . .that. . I. . I love you. ."
Ryoga don't know when, but at some point, the ground, his sobs and tears. . . they all melted away from as consciousness was pulled away from him.
~
He awoke with a shiver. Blades of grass scratched lightly at his eyelids as he blinked, clearing the fuzziness surrounding his brain from sleep. Another chill swept down his spine as the wind blew. Sliding over onto his back, he stared up at the sky.
A black sky looked back as the stars twinkled mischievously. "Where. . . where am I?" he muttered out loud.
Suddenly it all came back in a flash. He squinted his eyes for a moment as it all came back to him. He glanced besides him. There, laying tattered and mussed, were the roses he had bought for Aka-. . . for her.
He gathered them up gently and carefully rearranged them. There were two missing, he mused calmly. He ran his hand over his face with a sigh. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a faded picture and glanced at it hardly.
Akane. . .
Tears welled in his eyes for a moment, but he wiped them away roughly. No. . .Ryoga. . . stare at that picture, he told himself. Remember her every feature at this moment. . .just. . just for this moment. Because from now on, you'll have to forget her.
He didn't want to, but he knew this had to be the way. Yes, he could look for her, search for her until the ends of the earth. . . but. . . he knew that it would be useless. Sure, he could look all over and finally find her but. . . what then?
Would she just smile and take his hand back to Japan?
No. That was another messed up fantasy of his, never to come true. He hated himself when he dreamed. . . it only led to hurt him. She only loved him as a pig. Never as himself. Sure, she was nice. . . but. . . . there wasn't love. . .not like his to her.
And what was it about Ranma he had heard? It wasn't his fault. . . It was truly ironic. After all this time, he had actually blamed Ranma for things that he knew deep down weren't actually the boy's fault. And yet, when it came to something that actually happened. . . well. . . he didn't.
Somehow, as angry as he wanted to get at his cursed companion. . . he couldn't. He knew that it wouldn't be right. Especially not now. No. . . didn't need to be beat. . . he needed to have a friend.
He had to be strong and believe that Akane would come back. He had to be strong for Akane, Ranma. . . and himself.
~
And that. . .that's where he was now, as he stood, fascinated at the rose before him. He picked up the broken rose and stroked its petals softly. He was surprised as they fell apart at his touch. The wind picked them up gently from his hand and carried them up from his hand.
Odd, he thought. . . was this a sign of something to come?
He felt a forced laugh fall from his lips. Never was he one to believe in omens. Why would he start now?
~
The rose petals danced lightly about in the air. Finally, they settled about at a strange pair of feet. Stepping forward, the shoes crushed the small petals.
"I guess it's about time I got back here."
With a small chuckle, the figure became encased in shadows of the coming night.
~
Okie dokie. I know a lot of people probably are mad at me for being so late to update, but man on man, I've been busy as every! Whoo! Got a new job, doing some serious work, whoo! c-R-a-Z-y! Well, I know that this was kind of rushed, so it may be. . . uh. . .well frankly. . . sucky. I hope you guys are happy with the results though.
I tried to show what happened to Ryoga in the meantime of all this. Well, with his wandering around, he's always likely to be gone. He just happened to be gone at this time. And how long was it until he discovered? Hmm. . . let's say. . . 2 weeks afterwards. Who knows with his directions.
And with his little "friendship" and checkups? Well, I've read a lot of fanfics about Ryoga and Ranma truly being friends in hard times. Because if you think about it, they will team together if hardships do hit them. And even though they kind of laugh at each others predicaments at times, when it relates to true pain, they help each other out. Their almost like brothers. Just very violent ones. ^_^
Finally, since the incident happened we'll say it's been about a few years. I don't really want to classify at this point. Oh! I've kinda got the story past this point, but I'm beginning to become unsure about it. I don't know. Hopefully I'll get it out as soon as I can.
Thank you, all of you guys who are nice enough to review and encourage (or threaten) me to update. It really helps. Criticism is welcome too. Helps me improve. :P
Until next time,
Ciao. ^_~
P.S. _SakK_: Sorry this wasn't super long. I'll try to make it longer next time. :P
P.P.S. I'll try to update Dancing in the Dark and some of the others as soon as I can.
Shadow Knight
Chapter 15: Time's Requiem
Disclaimer: No ownership whatsoever.
~
NOTE: Sorry it's been long. Please forgive me. :P Oy! In the middle of the story, I kinda lost thought and ended using first point of view instead of second. So, if you find some mistakes, try your best to ignore them, please. ^_^
~
"Is Ranma his old self today?"
"No. . . Ryoga. . . No, he's not."
With a sigh, Ryoga ran his fingers through his air and started out the gate as the door slid shut behind him. He'd asked that question every day since he found out what had happened. And every day, it was the same answer.
Something suddenly crunched beneath his foot. Taking a step back, the cursed boy glanced downward. A rose lay at his feet, petals decaying from death and stem broken by his ignorant foot. The wind suddenly twisted about and stirred the shivering crimson petals. He watched, transfixed by the sight.
It could have been anything really that would have fixed his sight as so. Just the fact that it was such a deep shade of red was what had him spellbound.
It reminded him of her. . .
. . . just like her name. . .
. . . Akane. .
~
That day he found out about what had happened was still sharp in his mind, the wounds still fresh, even after all this time. . .
He had finally made his way back to Japan. With a tired smile on his face, he dragged his body determinedly toward the Tendo Dojo, his love's face already beckoning him with that friendly smile in his mind's eye.
"Just. . . a. . little longer, Akane. . . Wait for me," he huffed doggedly.
Suddenly something flashed in front of his eyes. He struggled for a moment to concentrate at the waving object. Finally his eyes registered on a-
"Would you like to buy your girl a red rose, sonny?"
Distracted by the high nasally voice, the confused boy turned from the beautiful flower to the face of the grinning merchant. "Excuse me?"
Noticing the failing interest from the boy, the merchant quickly pounced. "A rose sir. I'm sure you've got a pretty- I mean beautiful girl that would love one. The girl's fancy pretty little things like these. Just like them. Delicate and beautiful. It's only 5-"
"Akane's not delicate. She's beautiful _and_ strong. She's-oops." Ryoga quickly covered his mouth as it betrayed his "secret" crush.
The merchant was beginning to see flashing yen. With a sly smile, he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and drew closer to him. "So. . .," he whispered with a knowing smile, "The lucky gal's name is. . . Akane?"
Ryoga's cheeks flushed at her name. "Yes," he admitted, his index fingers and thumbs forming an awkward diamond shape.
"And you love her very much, no?" This kid was hooked, lined, and sunk.
"Yes," he squeaked with crimson cheeks.
"Well then," the crafty merchant replied, wrapping his fingers around a batch of roses behind him on his cart, "why don't you buy this, Akane, something just like her pre-beautiful name? Red roses sound wonderful for such a lovely girl. I'm sure she'd be giving you kisses over and over."
Ryoga's vision suddenly broke from the ground and focused on the merchant intently. "You really think so?!" he questioned seriously, a giddy giggle in his voice.
"Sure, kid, I suppose."
"I'll buy a dozen red roses!" Ryoga cried with fervent joy.
The merchant grinned and handed them over as the coins jangled into his hand. He didn't even care anymore about the price. This kid was too in love. Whatever amount he handed over was fine.
"Hurry and give those to Akane, kid!"
"Thanks sir!"
~
He never was able to give them to her.
When he had finally arrived at the dojo, Ryoga stopped at the gates, a chill traveling down his spine. Something was foreboding about the place now. Before it had seemed like a wonderful haven for him, warmth and happiness exuding from it.
Now. . . it was cold. . and dead.
The wind picked its nimble fingers around the house and found some forgotten wind chimes. The dull, hollow clicking of the chime sounded like ominous knell. Something was different in the air. . . it. . . it wasn't the same.
And then, he knew it. Something. . . something was seriously wrong. Ryoga ran up to the door, his heart beating frantically like a cornered animal. His breath came out quick as his fingers settled on the door. Pulling back the door, he stepped in and searched frantically for that face he loved so.
When the cursed boy reached the living room, he was stopped short. Why. . . why was everyone just sitting near the table? With such gloomy faces?
Stepping toward the table, he reached out a tentative hand for Kasumi's shoulder. He touched her gently, figuring she would flip around with her sunny smile. But she didn't move. Shaking her shoulder gently he waited until she slowly turned, almost mechanically.
"Oh. . . . why. . Hello Ryoga. . . .," she replied slowly, a small, sad smile sketched on her face.
"Hi Kasumi. . . um. . .did I come at a bad time? I just. . .I just want to deliver these to. . .to. . um. . .well. . . you see. . .-"
"She's not here."
Ryoga stared up at her startled. Never had he heard such a cold voice from her. "Excuse me?"
Something stirred in Kasumi's eyes. She bit her lip and stood up. Grabbing his arm, she led him to the door. He was confused but permitted her to guide him without resisting. When they were out of hearing range from the members at the table, she turned to him.
It truly frightened Ryoga in what he saw.
Her eyelids were plucked red from fresh tears. Skin that was normally bright and sunny now seemed to have a gray tinge to it, worry lines seeming to pick at her face. But her eyes. . . oh her eyes. . . with such sadness and pain. . .that's what hurt the most to see.
He placed my hand lightly on her arm. "Kasumi," Ryoga practically breathed, "what happened?"
She noticed him observing her face and turned her glance downward. "She's gone, Ryoga. . ."
"Who are you talking about, Kasumi?" Something prickled in his skin as a thin crack traveled over his heart.
"He hasn't been the same since. . . . . ," she mumbled distractedly, caught in her own reverie.
The wrapped roses dropped from his hands as he grasped her arms and pleaded with her, in broken whispers, his anxiety growing. "Kasumi! Please answer me! Who's gone?! What's happened?!"
With a jagged sigh, she lifted her head, her eyes boring into his. "Ryoga. . . I'm so sorry. . . I know you. . . . I know you loved her. . . ," she stopped with a broken sob, and the shakily continued, "Ryoga. . . . I. . . . She. . . . ,"
"Go. . . go on, Kasumi," he let my tongue betray himself, for in his heart, he knew he didn't want to know.
"Akane. . . she's. . . . she's gone."
Ryoga released her arms, as the words fell upon his ears. He broke his stare and couldn't see anything. His world was crashing around his eyes. "She's. . . .gone? Where. . . where? This has to be Ranma's fault isn't i-"
"No! No. . .Ryoga," she stopped herself from yelling at him, "This. . this wasn't his fault at _all_. He was drugged and. . . oh. . . Ryoga. . . he. . he hurt her. Hurt her bad. . but. . .now he suffers because of it. Ryoga. . you don't understand. . he's. . he's almost dead now. ."
"It's. . .it's not his fault," he mumbled, "But. . . .so where is she. ."
A hand gripped his firmly. He looked up deftly into Kasumi's eyes. "Ryoga. . . understand this. . . I can't tell you again. . Akane is gone. She's not here anymore. We've searched for her and we can't find her. Nabiki has used up all of her sourc. ."
His mind didn't register her voice anymore. It was lost to him. Ryoga looked down at the floor. She's. . . gone? Akane. . .left? But. . .but she didn't . . . I. . .I never got to tell her. . .
Something cracked inside the boy.
Ryoga's eyeballs burned as something scalded the insides of his head. A ball of fire churned in his throat with every breath. He saw not his shoes, not the floor. . . only blackness.
"No. . . it can't be true. ."
He heard a scattered cry filter through the air. Vision returned to him in a flash. Suddenly there was a searing pain in his left hand. He looked down slowly.
Drip
It was so . . .red. . .his hands were somehow holding onto the roses again and now he was clutching them too hard. Blood slipped down his wrist as the thorns bit into his flesh. So red. . . just like her name. . . Aka-
Suddenly reality hit again.
"Oh God. . . No, it can't be true! Please, no!"
His body was on fire! Grabbing his head with his other hand, a cry curled in his throat. He had to get out of here! Throwing open the door, he ran. He didn't glance back at Kasumi as her eyes closed, tears running down her cheeks and sank to the floor.
He just ran. Ryoga didn't know where he was going. He didn't care. He just ran as fast as he could. Tears began to rumble down his cheeks, his breath came in short fervent gasps. His feet began to slow as he reached some grassy field. Exhausted, he let his body fall. The grass brushed at his salt streaked face.
Tears running into the ground, he planted seeds of sorrow. His cries were muffled by the ground as his fingers ripped at the grass, body convulsing against the ground.
". . . I never got to tell her. . . Akane. . . I never got to tell you. . .that. . I. . I love you. ."
Ryoga don't know when, but at some point, the ground, his sobs and tears. . . they all melted away from as consciousness was pulled away from him.
~
He awoke with a shiver. Blades of grass scratched lightly at his eyelids as he blinked, clearing the fuzziness surrounding his brain from sleep. Another chill swept down his spine as the wind blew. Sliding over onto his back, he stared up at the sky.
A black sky looked back as the stars twinkled mischievously. "Where. . . where am I?" he muttered out loud.
Suddenly it all came back in a flash. He squinted his eyes for a moment as it all came back to him. He glanced besides him. There, laying tattered and mussed, were the roses he had bought for Aka-. . . for her.
He gathered them up gently and carefully rearranged them. There were two missing, he mused calmly. He ran his hand over his face with a sigh. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a faded picture and glanced at it hardly.
Akane. . .
Tears welled in his eyes for a moment, but he wiped them away roughly. No. . .Ryoga. . . stare at that picture, he told himself. Remember her every feature at this moment. . .just. . just for this moment. Because from now on, you'll have to forget her.
He didn't want to, but he knew this had to be the way. Yes, he could look for her, search for her until the ends of the earth. . . but. . . he knew that it would be useless. Sure, he could look all over and finally find her but. . . what then?
Would she just smile and take his hand back to Japan?
No. That was another messed up fantasy of his, never to come true. He hated himself when he dreamed. . . it only led to hurt him. She only loved him as a pig. Never as himself. Sure, she was nice. . . but. . . . there wasn't love. . .not like his to her.
And what was it about Ranma he had heard? It wasn't his fault. . . It was truly ironic. After all this time, he had actually blamed Ranma for things that he knew deep down weren't actually the boy's fault. And yet, when it came to something that actually happened. . . well. . . he didn't.
Somehow, as angry as he wanted to get at his cursed companion. . . he couldn't. He knew that it wouldn't be right. Especially not now. No. . . didn't need to be beat. . . he needed to have a friend.
He had to be strong and believe that Akane would come back. He had to be strong for Akane, Ranma. . . and himself.
~
And that. . .that's where he was now, as he stood, fascinated at the rose before him. He picked up the broken rose and stroked its petals softly. He was surprised as they fell apart at his touch. The wind picked them up gently from his hand and carried them up from his hand.
Odd, he thought. . . was this a sign of something to come?
He felt a forced laugh fall from his lips. Never was he one to believe in omens. Why would he start now?
~
The rose petals danced lightly about in the air. Finally, they settled about at a strange pair of feet. Stepping forward, the shoes crushed the small petals.
"I guess it's about time I got back here."
With a small chuckle, the figure became encased in shadows of the coming night.
~
Okie dokie. I know a lot of people probably are mad at me for being so late to update, but man on man, I've been busy as every! Whoo! Got a new job, doing some serious work, whoo! c-R-a-Z-y! Well, I know that this was kind of rushed, so it may be. . . uh. . .well frankly. . . sucky. I hope you guys are happy with the results though.
I tried to show what happened to Ryoga in the meantime of all this. Well, with his wandering around, he's always likely to be gone. He just happened to be gone at this time. And how long was it until he discovered? Hmm. . . let's say. . . 2 weeks afterwards. Who knows with his directions.
And with his little "friendship" and checkups? Well, I've read a lot of fanfics about Ryoga and Ranma truly being friends in hard times. Because if you think about it, they will team together if hardships do hit them. And even though they kind of laugh at each others predicaments at times, when it relates to true pain, they help each other out. Their almost like brothers. Just very violent ones. ^_^
Finally, since the incident happened we'll say it's been about a few years. I don't really want to classify at this point. Oh! I've kinda got the story past this point, but I'm beginning to become unsure about it. I don't know. Hopefully I'll get it out as soon as I can.
Thank you, all of you guys who are nice enough to review and encourage (or threaten) me to update. It really helps. Criticism is welcome too. Helps me improve. :P
Until next time,
Ciao. ^_~
P.S. _SakK_: Sorry this wasn't super long. I'll try to make it longer next time. :P
P.P.S. I'll try to update Dancing in the Dark and some of the others as soon as I can.