Lost Soul - Part Three
By Seed
Ryoga sighed, it had all been so clear just two hours ago. He had finally accepted, that depression and anger wouldn't get him anwhere with his problem at hand and that he needed to find help. So he had decided to once again wander the streets of Nerima until he would find a familiar face that he could ask for directions to the Tendo-Dojo or Ucchans, or maybe he would even be lucky enough to find one of his "friends" directly.
But after two hours of walking around in vain he started to get annoyed. Finally his short temper got the best of him and he punched his right fist in a concrete wall, pulverizing the innocent item into dust. But before getting into full Hibiki proverty destruction mode a soft voice from behind made him stop. "Ryoga is that you?" Ryoga turned around searching for the source of the familiar sound. There a few feet behind him stood Ukoy Kuonji, famous chef of delux okonomiaky, and known to her friends as the "cute" fiancée. "U-Ukyo, I fnally found a familiar face". Ryoga almost cried with relief and and rushed to the starteled girl embracing her in a bear hug so forceful he threatened to crush her delicate frame. "Ryo-Ryoga, stop your suffocating me here, sugar." Ukoy was completely stunned. She hadn't much experience with open affection shown towards her, at least not from Ryoga, or any other boy besides Ranma. And even that were just smiles and a friendly hug sometimes. So she was too surprised to follow her first urge and beat Ryoga into pulp with her spatula.
Ryoga finally let go off her, but was still obviously very agitated, down right thankful to have met her. Ukyo frowned, usually the emotional outbursts of the Lost Boy were saved for Akane or Ranma. But a scream of "RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!!!, or a bitter-sweet sigh with "Oh Akane!" on the lips seemed not to be Ryogas only forms of emotional expression.
"Say sugar what's up with you. It's not that you were gone for that long time. I think its just about three or four weeks. For you that's pretty good." Ukyo was really curious, Ryoga just stood in front of her and seemed to be embarassed about his little scene. He fumbled with his thumbs and stuttered something unintelligent, eyes locked to the ground. Ukyo knew by own experience, that it could take hours to get the Lost Boy to spill the beans when he was like that so she just did what a practical girl would do in such a situation.
WHAM! The blow of the spatula, sent Ryogas head bouncing back and fore several times like a punching bag, but achieved to shake the Lost Boy out of his nervousness. "Ow, you couldn't just have snapped your fingers or something like that?!" Ryoga angrily glared at her rubbing the bump that already started to grow on his head. Ukyo flashed him her most innocent "I'm-just a-little-cute-chef"-smile and responded. "Sure, but that way's much more fun." Ryoga just scowled at her irritated. "Oh come on you big dummie, it's not that you even felt it being the big oaf with the thick skull you are." Ukoy was starting to get a bit annoyed here. *Man, Ryoga stubborn mule he is can get worked up over the stupiedest things like a itzy-bitsy tiny spatula bashing over his head. Serious, males.*
"So Lost Boy, finally ready to tell me what's got you all gun-ho at me?" Ryoga blushed again at the reminder of his spontanous embrace but managed to say, this time not risking another kiss of the spatula: "S-sure Ukyo, I, I was reallly happy to see you, anyone familiar, coz I was really l-looking for a-a friend coz it's like I have a lilttle problem and I was w-wonderin if y-you c-c-could..." Ukyo just sighed. *I swear, the day Ryoga is growing a backbone and manages a intelligent conversation with a girl is the day I eat Akanes self-made cookies.
But usually he's just that nervous around Akane, there must be something, really troubeling him. Hm, wonder what that could be* Finally after Ryoga had once again lost any sense in his explanations Ukyo made a decision. "Okay Lost Boy, tell you what. You come with me to my restaurant, calm down and then you tell me all about yer problem, without getting all dead- brained on me, deal?"
Ryoga just nodded, happy somene had taken action and saved him from more embarassment. He had never been that good with talking about himself and he surely hated to talk about personal problems he had, but Ukyo was smart and considerate and at least she wouldn't tease him as bad as Ranma. *Good thing I didn't ran into Ranma first, he usually makes everything worse, even when he doesn`t do it on purpose.*
After a short walk which involved Ukyo slapping Ryoga over the head while he tried to wander off and calling him "Jackass" for about 45 times, they finally reached Uchans. Ryoga took a seat at the kitchen counter and Ukyo prepared a few okonomiaky, just to have something to do while Ryoga tried to find a way to tell her what it was, that he was so uncomfortable with. The Lost Boy seemed to really have a hard time with this so Ukyo decided it would be best if she just waited until he would come up with some sort of explanation by himself, without her pressing him.
It took Ryoga twenty more minutes, but he finally mastered all his courage, not wanting to make a complete idiot out of himself again, and hesitantly started speaking. "Well I guess I should explain now." "That would kinda be a godd start sugar." Ukyo couldn't help but sound a little bit sarcastic. But she didn't tease the Lost Boy any further, he seemed to really struggle with himself about this, whatever it was. *Go easy on him girl, this has to be something really serious, Ryoga may be an idiot but usually he isn't that weired, he's acting as if he had something terrible to confess or something like that.*
Ryoga indeed felt very uncomfortable, first he had been so relieved to find someone who might be able to help him, but now he had to open up and tell someone, he wasn't alll that close to, something he would have preferred to stay secret. He just was used to deal with his problems alone. *Maybe I should tell her it was nothing and be on my way. No, I will not chicken out here, I'm a martial artist after all, damn it.* "Well it all started two months ago, I happened to get home - my home by accident and..." "What do you mean by accident, oh wait I see your directional thing okay go on."
"Well as I said I was at home for the first time in about, well I really don't know. Anyway I checked the mailbox, usually I don't bother because nobody writes my family any letters, everyone knows that we are lost most of the time and we aren't very well, the äh social types, but I didn't know anything else to do that day.
But this time there was a huge pile of letters. No one had emptied the mailbox since about two years. You know, Mom and Dad are gone most of the time and when they are home they don't risk to get lost again by going to the mailbox. Of course usually they promptly get lost on their way to shop for groceries or something like that. It think I haven't seen them for four years."
Ryoga looked very sad for a moment remembering all the days and nights alone on his travels not having anyone to talk to or share the time with and Ukyo felt a great deal of sympathy for the lonely boy sitting in her restaurant. She knew how it felt to be alone and to miss the people you loved and cared about and who felt the same about you. But knowing that your family is there was not the same as having them around you every day. Sometimes Ukyo envied Akane and her daily life with her family.
She softly squeezed Ryogas right hand. "Go on sugar, I know this must be hard for you but sometimes letting it out is really helpful, believe me I know about this." She smiled at him warmly. "R-Right", Ryoga managed to say thankful for Ukyos kind gesture, feeling a somewhat warm feeling rush through him.
"I tossed away the junk mail and what was left were these." Ryoga grabbed his huge backpack and opened a sidepocket. From the pocket he took about thirty or fourty letters held together by a bandanna. He put the small package on the counter. Ukyo was now more curious then ever. What could possible be written in these letters that had got Ryoga so worried. She looked at one of the envelopes then the others, noticing all the letters seemed to be the official kind.
After a small pause in which Ryoga had eaten a bit okonomiaky and drunken a sip of tea he continued. "Well, the first letter was about two years old, from my old Junior Highschool, they wanted to know why I wasn't coming anymore and if I had been transferred to another school. Of course all the letters were adressed to my parents but since I didn't know when they would be back I decided to read them anyway. Okay, so the school sent several more letters, each one being a bit more urgent and sounding a bit more pressing than the last one. Then in the fifth letter they informed my parents that they had contacted some sort of social department or something like that to find out what was happening, that was about one year ago. So since then we got mail from the social department, they demanded an explanation of my parents about my whereabouts, but of course nobody responded. So they seem to finally have grown impatient and sent out some sort of inspection team to my house about six month ago.
They didn't find anybody of my family though and started to interview our neighbours. Well and they told them how the house was most of the time not occupied and that they hadn't seen my parents in months some of them not even in years. Then, according to the letters these inspectors started to investigate even further, they found out about me having gone off to China. How they got to know this I honestley don't know.
Maybe one of our neighbours knew something or had seen me running of, the day I went following Ranma." Ryoga looked really miserable now and Ukyo had a nasty suspicion that the worst was about to come. She hadn't liked the whole story one bit so far, and was really starting to worry about Ryoga.
"Well finally the found my track in Nerima, asking around here, giving them a description they had made based on the informations of my old school and the neighbours. After some interviews with the local police authorities it seemed to be proven that I'm a dangerous, aggressive, uncontrolled street- fighter causing a good half of the citys yearly repair costs for property damage. Finally they came to the conclusion that I seriously lacked parental guidance and that I would become a threat to society if I couldn't proove that I live in stable surroundings providing some sort of counter- measure for my aggressive and violent tendencies.
So in this last letter they sent me, they said that they wouldn't wait any longer to take action. I should attend to some kind of hearing on November, the 30. And there my case would be decided by a judge. I had eigth weeks to put in "formal protest" but I didn't understand. Where should I protest, in front of their office perhaps, and why formal I don't evem have a tuxedo and besides with a banner or something like that it would look stupid."
Ukyo couldn't help but stiffle a small laugh at the Lost Boys incomprehension of juristical termology and offical correspondence, totally unnoticed by Ryoga who had drunken some tea because he felt his mouth go dry.
"And that's why I was so glad to see you Ukyo, I need somebody to guide me to the courthouse on that day to clear this mess. First I thought I would just ignore the letters and all that junk, but then I remembered somekind of documentation on TV, I saw in a bar in Osaka or was it Kyoto. Anway, it was about a boy who had run away from home and had been living on the streets. He had got caught by the police, but he hadn't been send back to his parents. The judge had said something about missed responsibility of the parent side and neglect and now that boy has to live in some kind of foster home or a social installation, I don't remember exactly. And that got me thinking. What if I don't show up there and they send the police after me. What if they catch me and send me away and I-I will never see my parents again or Akane or you or Ranma, Mousse everyone. I-I cant be locked in somewhere, I need to be free I..." Finally Ryoga let go off al the boiled up frustration and angst and burst into tears, sobbing and once again feeling very desperate and alone.
Ryoga had desperately tried to find his way to the place where the hearing should be held. He had started two weeks after he had red all the letters and realised that this wouldn't go away by itself. But then he had ended up in Australia and had completely lost track of time until he had found that calendar in the shop window totally freaking him out because he had just one week left and with his sense of direction getting anywhere specific in this short period of time was just impossible.
Now after telling his story to Ukyo everything came rushing back to him, the face of the boy in the TV dragged by two officers away from his parents, his fear that the same would happen to him, his feeling of guilt, what would his parents think about their son should he become a man wanted by the police, and the nagging thought that nobody would care, that they all would be glad if they would get rid of the Lost Boy once and for all, especially Ranma.
Ukoy was completely shocked. She had known something was wrong with the way Ryoga had acted but this, this was really bad. It was nothing like the havoc and madness they all were used to. No stupid challenge or a martial artist coming out of nowhere seeking revenge for something that happened nobody knew how long ago, it wasn't an acient curse or magical item or evil spirit rising from a scroll. This was something you couldn't fight with your fists. When she finally realised Ryoga was crying she rushed over to his side and hugged the Lost Boy in a tight embrace assuring him that nothing like this would happen and that anything would go well. But despite the comfort she tried to give Ryoga she wasn't so sure if there really would be a good ending to this.
To be continued.
PS: Thanks for the reviews, it really is nice to know that your work is noticed.
And sorry for the many spelling mistakes in the first versions. My
Amazon pet monkey does the typing for me and he is not very reliable. :)
By Seed
Ryoga sighed, it had all been so clear just two hours ago. He had finally accepted, that depression and anger wouldn't get him anwhere with his problem at hand and that he needed to find help. So he had decided to once again wander the streets of Nerima until he would find a familiar face that he could ask for directions to the Tendo-Dojo or Ucchans, or maybe he would even be lucky enough to find one of his "friends" directly.
But after two hours of walking around in vain he started to get annoyed. Finally his short temper got the best of him and he punched his right fist in a concrete wall, pulverizing the innocent item into dust. But before getting into full Hibiki proverty destruction mode a soft voice from behind made him stop. "Ryoga is that you?" Ryoga turned around searching for the source of the familiar sound. There a few feet behind him stood Ukoy Kuonji, famous chef of delux okonomiaky, and known to her friends as the "cute" fiancée. "U-Ukyo, I fnally found a familiar face". Ryoga almost cried with relief and and rushed to the starteled girl embracing her in a bear hug so forceful he threatened to crush her delicate frame. "Ryo-Ryoga, stop your suffocating me here, sugar." Ukoy was completely stunned. She hadn't much experience with open affection shown towards her, at least not from Ryoga, or any other boy besides Ranma. And even that were just smiles and a friendly hug sometimes. So she was too surprised to follow her first urge and beat Ryoga into pulp with her spatula.
Ryoga finally let go off her, but was still obviously very agitated, down right thankful to have met her. Ukyo frowned, usually the emotional outbursts of the Lost Boy were saved for Akane or Ranma. But a scream of "RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!!!, or a bitter-sweet sigh with "Oh Akane!" on the lips seemed not to be Ryogas only forms of emotional expression.
"Say sugar what's up with you. It's not that you were gone for that long time. I think its just about three or four weeks. For you that's pretty good." Ukyo was really curious, Ryoga just stood in front of her and seemed to be embarassed about his little scene. He fumbled with his thumbs and stuttered something unintelligent, eyes locked to the ground. Ukyo knew by own experience, that it could take hours to get the Lost Boy to spill the beans when he was like that so she just did what a practical girl would do in such a situation.
WHAM! The blow of the spatula, sent Ryogas head bouncing back and fore several times like a punching bag, but achieved to shake the Lost Boy out of his nervousness. "Ow, you couldn't just have snapped your fingers or something like that?!" Ryoga angrily glared at her rubbing the bump that already started to grow on his head. Ukyo flashed him her most innocent "I'm-just a-little-cute-chef"-smile and responded. "Sure, but that way's much more fun." Ryoga just scowled at her irritated. "Oh come on you big dummie, it's not that you even felt it being the big oaf with the thick skull you are." Ukoy was starting to get a bit annoyed here. *Man, Ryoga stubborn mule he is can get worked up over the stupiedest things like a itzy-bitsy tiny spatula bashing over his head. Serious, males.*
"So Lost Boy, finally ready to tell me what's got you all gun-ho at me?" Ryoga blushed again at the reminder of his spontanous embrace but managed to say, this time not risking another kiss of the spatula: "S-sure Ukyo, I, I was reallly happy to see you, anyone familiar, coz I was really l-looking for a-a friend coz it's like I have a lilttle problem and I was w-wonderin if y-you c-c-could..." Ukyo just sighed. *I swear, the day Ryoga is growing a backbone and manages a intelligent conversation with a girl is the day I eat Akanes self-made cookies.
But usually he's just that nervous around Akane, there must be something, really troubeling him. Hm, wonder what that could be* Finally after Ryoga had once again lost any sense in his explanations Ukyo made a decision. "Okay Lost Boy, tell you what. You come with me to my restaurant, calm down and then you tell me all about yer problem, without getting all dead- brained on me, deal?"
Ryoga just nodded, happy somene had taken action and saved him from more embarassment. He had never been that good with talking about himself and he surely hated to talk about personal problems he had, but Ukyo was smart and considerate and at least she wouldn't tease him as bad as Ranma. *Good thing I didn't ran into Ranma first, he usually makes everything worse, even when he doesn`t do it on purpose.*
After a short walk which involved Ukyo slapping Ryoga over the head while he tried to wander off and calling him "Jackass" for about 45 times, they finally reached Uchans. Ryoga took a seat at the kitchen counter and Ukyo prepared a few okonomiaky, just to have something to do while Ryoga tried to find a way to tell her what it was, that he was so uncomfortable with. The Lost Boy seemed to really have a hard time with this so Ukyo decided it would be best if she just waited until he would come up with some sort of explanation by himself, without her pressing him.
It took Ryoga twenty more minutes, but he finally mastered all his courage, not wanting to make a complete idiot out of himself again, and hesitantly started speaking. "Well I guess I should explain now." "That would kinda be a godd start sugar." Ukyo couldn't help but sound a little bit sarcastic. But she didn't tease the Lost Boy any further, he seemed to really struggle with himself about this, whatever it was. *Go easy on him girl, this has to be something really serious, Ryoga may be an idiot but usually he isn't that weired, he's acting as if he had something terrible to confess or something like that.*
Ryoga indeed felt very uncomfortable, first he had been so relieved to find someone who might be able to help him, but now he had to open up and tell someone, he wasn't alll that close to, something he would have preferred to stay secret. He just was used to deal with his problems alone. *Maybe I should tell her it was nothing and be on my way. No, I will not chicken out here, I'm a martial artist after all, damn it.* "Well it all started two months ago, I happened to get home - my home by accident and..." "What do you mean by accident, oh wait I see your directional thing okay go on."
"Well as I said I was at home for the first time in about, well I really don't know. Anyway I checked the mailbox, usually I don't bother because nobody writes my family any letters, everyone knows that we are lost most of the time and we aren't very well, the äh social types, but I didn't know anything else to do that day.
But this time there was a huge pile of letters. No one had emptied the mailbox since about two years. You know, Mom and Dad are gone most of the time and when they are home they don't risk to get lost again by going to the mailbox. Of course usually they promptly get lost on their way to shop for groceries or something like that. It think I haven't seen them for four years."
Ryoga looked very sad for a moment remembering all the days and nights alone on his travels not having anyone to talk to or share the time with and Ukyo felt a great deal of sympathy for the lonely boy sitting in her restaurant. She knew how it felt to be alone and to miss the people you loved and cared about and who felt the same about you. But knowing that your family is there was not the same as having them around you every day. Sometimes Ukyo envied Akane and her daily life with her family.
She softly squeezed Ryogas right hand. "Go on sugar, I know this must be hard for you but sometimes letting it out is really helpful, believe me I know about this." She smiled at him warmly. "R-Right", Ryoga managed to say thankful for Ukyos kind gesture, feeling a somewhat warm feeling rush through him.
"I tossed away the junk mail and what was left were these." Ryoga grabbed his huge backpack and opened a sidepocket. From the pocket he took about thirty or fourty letters held together by a bandanna. He put the small package on the counter. Ukyo was now more curious then ever. What could possible be written in these letters that had got Ryoga so worried. She looked at one of the envelopes then the others, noticing all the letters seemed to be the official kind.
After a small pause in which Ryoga had eaten a bit okonomiaky and drunken a sip of tea he continued. "Well, the first letter was about two years old, from my old Junior Highschool, they wanted to know why I wasn't coming anymore and if I had been transferred to another school. Of course all the letters were adressed to my parents but since I didn't know when they would be back I decided to read them anyway. Okay, so the school sent several more letters, each one being a bit more urgent and sounding a bit more pressing than the last one. Then in the fifth letter they informed my parents that they had contacted some sort of social department or something like that to find out what was happening, that was about one year ago. So since then we got mail from the social department, they demanded an explanation of my parents about my whereabouts, but of course nobody responded. So they seem to finally have grown impatient and sent out some sort of inspection team to my house about six month ago.
They didn't find anybody of my family though and started to interview our neighbours. Well and they told them how the house was most of the time not occupied and that they hadn't seen my parents in months some of them not even in years. Then, according to the letters these inspectors started to investigate even further, they found out about me having gone off to China. How they got to know this I honestley don't know.
Maybe one of our neighbours knew something or had seen me running of, the day I went following Ranma." Ryoga looked really miserable now and Ukyo had a nasty suspicion that the worst was about to come. She hadn't liked the whole story one bit so far, and was really starting to worry about Ryoga.
"Well finally the found my track in Nerima, asking around here, giving them a description they had made based on the informations of my old school and the neighbours. After some interviews with the local police authorities it seemed to be proven that I'm a dangerous, aggressive, uncontrolled street- fighter causing a good half of the citys yearly repair costs for property damage. Finally they came to the conclusion that I seriously lacked parental guidance and that I would become a threat to society if I couldn't proove that I live in stable surroundings providing some sort of counter- measure for my aggressive and violent tendencies.
So in this last letter they sent me, they said that they wouldn't wait any longer to take action. I should attend to some kind of hearing on November, the 30. And there my case would be decided by a judge. I had eigth weeks to put in "formal protest" but I didn't understand. Where should I protest, in front of their office perhaps, and why formal I don't evem have a tuxedo and besides with a banner or something like that it would look stupid."
Ukyo couldn't help but stiffle a small laugh at the Lost Boys incomprehension of juristical termology and offical correspondence, totally unnoticed by Ryoga who had drunken some tea because he felt his mouth go dry.
"And that's why I was so glad to see you Ukyo, I need somebody to guide me to the courthouse on that day to clear this mess. First I thought I would just ignore the letters and all that junk, but then I remembered somekind of documentation on TV, I saw in a bar in Osaka or was it Kyoto. Anway, it was about a boy who had run away from home and had been living on the streets. He had got caught by the police, but he hadn't been send back to his parents. The judge had said something about missed responsibility of the parent side and neglect and now that boy has to live in some kind of foster home or a social installation, I don't remember exactly. And that got me thinking. What if I don't show up there and they send the police after me. What if they catch me and send me away and I-I will never see my parents again or Akane or you or Ranma, Mousse everyone. I-I cant be locked in somewhere, I need to be free I..." Finally Ryoga let go off al the boiled up frustration and angst and burst into tears, sobbing and once again feeling very desperate and alone.
Ryoga had desperately tried to find his way to the place where the hearing should be held. He had started two weeks after he had red all the letters and realised that this wouldn't go away by itself. But then he had ended up in Australia and had completely lost track of time until he had found that calendar in the shop window totally freaking him out because he had just one week left and with his sense of direction getting anywhere specific in this short period of time was just impossible.
Now after telling his story to Ukyo everything came rushing back to him, the face of the boy in the TV dragged by two officers away from his parents, his fear that the same would happen to him, his feeling of guilt, what would his parents think about their son should he become a man wanted by the police, and the nagging thought that nobody would care, that they all would be glad if they would get rid of the Lost Boy once and for all, especially Ranma.
Ukoy was completely shocked. She had known something was wrong with the way Ryoga had acted but this, this was really bad. It was nothing like the havoc and madness they all were used to. No stupid challenge or a martial artist coming out of nowhere seeking revenge for something that happened nobody knew how long ago, it wasn't an acient curse or magical item or evil spirit rising from a scroll. This was something you couldn't fight with your fists. When she finally realised Ryoga was crying she rushed over to his side and hugged the Lost Boy in a tight embrace assuring him that nothing like this would happen and that anything would go well. But despite the comfort she tried to give Ryoga she wasn't so sure if there really would be a good ending to this.
To be continued.
PS: Thanks for the reviews, it really is nice to know that your work is noticed.
And sorry for the many spelling mistakes in the first versions. My
Amazon pet monkey does the typing for me and he is not very reliable. :)