Lost Soul - Part Seven
By Seed
It was a rare, peaceful morning at the Tendo-Dojo. Usual the place where ancient demons, magical spells, panty-thieving perverts, Chinese amazons and other assorted elements of madness added to the special touch of Nerima life-style, nothing out of the ordinary had taken place so far. Kasumi was preparing breakfast while Soun and Genma were already sitting at their usual spot playing Go and cheating like there was no tomorrow. Nabiki saw through some papers regarding the calculations of the expected profits for new Ranma-chan pictures. The calm scenery was abruptly shattered by the sounds of two very agitated teenagers coming down the stairs yelling and insulting each other. "Uncute tomboy". "Baka". "Macho-chick". "Stupid jerk".
To prevent the fight from going on and developing into a direction where it could increase the already immense amount of monthly repair costs Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen and with her soft trademark smile she announced that breakfast was ready. As usual Ranma immediately stopped any action, which could delay the intake of food besides giving Akane a quick last "Bwee" and rushed to the table to dig into anything edible within a ten- foot radius. While everyone sat down and enjoyed Kasumis usual excellent cooking, Akane had a distant look on her face. She was thinking about her little pet-pig P-chan. *He sure is gone for a long time. I hope nothing happened to the poor little thing. I wish he could just stay here and not always run off on his own. Perhaps I should get him a female partner. A little pig-girlfriend for him to be together with, so he won't feel alone, when I'm in school.*
"Hey Ranma have you seen P-chan anywhere lately?" Ranma too occupied with fighting his father over the last rice-cake didn't even hear the youngest Tendo daughter or if he did, he didn't care.
"HEY RANMA PAY ATTENTION YOU BAKA!" Akane struck the pig-tailed artist in the face with her own rice-cake. Ranma turning his head towards Akane answered rice-cake between his teeth. "Whatcha want?" Akane just snorted.
"Forget it, baka." She had long given up to be insulted by Ranmas terrible table manners, but the insensitive jerk could at least pay attention to her when she was asking him something.
After breakfast was finished Ranma and Akane rushed off to another day in Furinkan High, according to TIME: "The worst school in the world. Psycho Teachers. Crazy Students. Exploding Coconuts."
Ranma balanced skilfully as ever on top of the fence running alongside the canal while Akane was walking on the street to his left. As usual they were twenty minutes late when they finally arrived at the gates of their school. But the scene that greeted them was definitely not usual. In the middle of a huge crowd of students stood Ukyo performing threatening looking moves with her spatula and to her right, a dark haired boy wearing a black and yellow bandanna tied around his head and a big, brown rucksack with a red bamboo umbrella strapped on top. Curious like the cat, Ranma approached the two, Akane close behind.
"Get off damn it. I warn y'all. One more question and I swear I pound you in the ground with my big, bad, baby here." Ukyo looked really pissed. She grabbed her spatula even tighter and stared menacingly at the aggravated students around her. *I don't believe this. It has taken me enough time already to actually get here with Ryoga in time. The idiot's ability to get lost is really extraordinary. And now we're finally here, but these bozos won't back off.*
Ranma could finally hear that all the students were bombarding Ryoga with questions.
"Hey what are you doing here?" "Aren't you the boy that always fights with Ranma and loses?" "Hey aren't you the one, who is getting lost all the time?" "Do you come to our school, or do you just wanna fight with Ranma again?" "Hey didn't you get that old lecher for us some time ago?" "Did they kick you out of your old school?"
To say Ryoga looked uncomfortable with all this attention towards him was like saying Mousse was a bit short-sighted. The Lost Boy stared intensely to the ground, his lips closed tight into a fine line, only his left fang showing. His hands balled to fists Ryoga wished for the ground to open and swallow him right away. He would have rather died on the spot then continue with this. He had never been a very social type, his life-style of wandering around and camping out in the woods most of the time, prevented him from gaining much social skills. Developing common sense was just not on your list of priorities when you spent most of your days with survival.
Basically his only regular interactions were with Ranma, Akane and the rest of the Tendos. Ryoga thought about just running away and letting all this trouble behind him for a while. Perhaps he could join tomorrow, or the day after, or next week. *I knew this was a stupid idea. I didn't get along in my old school why should this be any different. I almost bakusai-tenkuetsed the schoolyard if Ukyo hadn't yelled at me god know what would have happened. I feel so damn miserable*
"Hey P-brain, what are you doing here. Don't tell me you think this is the dojo. Not even you can be that stupid."
"Stop teasing Ryoga you baka."
Ranma and Akane had finally managed to get through the crowd and were now standing besides a depressed looking Ryoga and a furious Ukyo. The Lost Boy still tried not to yell out his frustration and lash out with his umbrella at the assembled students when he finally noticed the newcomers. He smiled a bit at Akane and grunted in Ranmas general direction. Ukyos greeting for her handsome fiancé was of course a lot more enthusiastic.
"Hey there Ranchan. Nice to see you. Think you can get us out of this mess?" She flashed him her second best "ain't-I'm-the-cute-fiancée" smile and noticed how Akane instantly began to look a bit jealous.
"Sure thing Ucchan." he turned to the crowd. "Hey listen up everybody. I saw Miss Hinako heading this way and she looked really angry. I think she lost her favourite stuffed toy or something like that."
Within the blink of an eye the whole place was deserted. Running and screaming students could be seen vanishing into the building true to the motto "Every man for himself". Everyone at Furinkan knew that it was very bad for your health if you met Miss Hinako on one of her bad days. Heck it was even dangerous when she was in a good mood. So with no one risking the chance to get chi-drained by the pint-sized teacher Ranma, Ryoga Ukyo and Akane were left alone to talk in peace.
"So Pig-Boy. Tell us what brings you here. Do they give geography lessons for free? Not that it would do you any good of course." Ranma ever the wise- cracking smartass grinned at Ryoga who flinched and tried desperately to suppress the urge to beat Ranma to pulp. It didn't work.
"DIE SAOTOME!" Ryoga swung a mighty punch at Ranma, who easily dodged. Ryoga then sprung up high in the air, grabbing his umbrella from his pack and lashed fiercely at his target. Ranma himself jumped back and kicked Ryoga in the gut with a straight kick with his right leg. The Lost Boy didn't even notice that he had been hit and attacked again. He slashed open Ranmas shirt by sending a wave of razor sharp shuriken-bandannas at his opponent, followed by a jump-kick when Ranma was still distracted by the incoming yellow headbands. Ranma dodged the kick and jumped out of Rygas range not risking getting in a choke-hold by the stronger boy.
"Hey you jerk that was a new shirt. Now I'll get you porkie."
"I said to you a thousand times over. Stop calling me that!" Ryoga rushed forward with a speed, which although it was nowhere as fast as Ranmas, still breathtaking to watch and threw a series of punches at his opponent, who either blocked or dodged. Then it was Ranmas turn. A fast kick at his side brought Ryoga slightly off balance and Ranma let loose a real firework of flying fists all directed at Ryogas torso. He tried to block as many as he could, but a few came through his defences, yet were answered right away by a backspin kick at Ranmas head, who narrowly avoided the impact.
"Ah come on, piggie-piggie-piggie. You can do better than that." Ryoga was now ten seconds before meltdown.
"I'll get you, you hentai womanizing Casanova bastard!"
While Ranma and Ryoga exchanged a flurry of punches, kicks, sweeps, back- flips and jumps the two girls just looked at each other and sighed. "Males." Ukyo and Akane watched the fight continue and both were growing increasingly impatient with the situation. Both had a faint blue aura around them, which was getting brighter by the minute.
"Stop this you two!" "Ryoga you jerk stop picking on Ranchan!" "Ranma stop provoking Ryoga!"
Finally the two combatants broke off and returned to two the girls. As many sparring sessions before it hand ended in a kind of draw. While Ryoga possessed the superior strength and endurance, Ranma had the advantages of speed and greater skill on his side. The fact that Ranma usually came out on top of their more serious fights after all was not so much a matter of skill or strength, but a matter of concentration and determination. While Ryoga proclaimed for the hundredth time the death of his opponent he just lacked a certain recklessness to actually defeat Ranma, also he was too easily distracted in a fight, no matter how much he wished for victory.
Ranma on the other side would do anything to win a serious fight. To do anything you could, to find the weak spot in every opponent and use any dirty trick in the book was the basic concept of the Saotome School of Martial Arts and Ranma fought true to the schools teachings. It certainly wasn't the most noble or honourable way of fighting but no one had ever said that you had to be fair in order to win.
The two martial artists were greeted by a spatula banging on the head for Ryoga and Ranma met with his old friend, the "all-mighty-mallet-of-mighty- blows".
Both boys rubbed their bumps and before Ranma could get a chance to tick off Ryoga again Akane asked: "Say Ryoga would you now please tell us why you are here with Ukyo?" She smiled at him reassuringly and Ryoga almost lost himself in the crystal-blue eyes of the girl he adored.
"Eh well A-akane i-i'ts kind a long story. Y-you see I-I was..." Before Ryoga could go on any further he was interrupted by Ranma.
"Hey what about we take the day off. We go someplace nice and quiet an' Ryoga can tell us his story and nobody will bother us asking stupid questions. What you say?"
"Ranma you just wanna slack off and you know it." "Ah come on Akane I'm just worried about my old buddy Ryoga here. Right Ryoga old pal, old friend, old chap?" He patted his "friend" on the shoulder fully aware that he took the risk that the Lost Boy might bite his hand off. *Those fangs can be really nasty.* Ryoga was about to say that the day he would call Ranma his friend was the day hell froze over when Ukyo stepped in.
"Perhaps Ranchan has a point here. We missed the first lesson anyway and since principal Kuno is on a trip to Honolulu nobody would really bother us anyway." *And I'm so not in the mood to stand in the hallway with those damned buckets right now*
After Akane was partly convinced, partly dragged away by Ranma the four leapt over the roof of Furinkan towards a small little meadow not far away from the school, alongside the river. They sat down and Ryoga and Ukyo told the other two about the events of the last week and the arrangements that they had made for Ryoga to stay.
When they had finished their story Ranma and Akane were sitting in silence. Akane was the first to get back her composure and smiled at Ryoga.
"Hey that's great Ryoga. You always seemed so lonely, wandering alone all the time. And now you can come to school with us every day and Ukyo is there so you won't get lost so much any more."
Upon hearing Akanes kind words Ryoga almost thought he could hear his heart jumping out of his chest. *She, she really cares about me. She is happy for me. Oh Akane if you only knew how much you mean to me. If I only could bring myself to admit my love for you. If I could just take your hand right know and run off with you into the sunset.*
Ryoga sighed dreamingly and looked over the river, fantasying about how romantic it would be, if he just could gather his courage. It sometimes angered him so much. He could face twenty armed men or a fully grown bear but if around the girl he loved with all his heart he completely went to pieces.
Ukyo watched as a goofy grin appeared on Ryogas face, signalling that he had taken a trip to dream-world again. For some reason it bothered her a great deal.
*Stupid jerk. What does he find attracting at the girl anyway? Ranchan is right. She is uncute and a tomboy. I mean she is no cheap hussy like Shampoo or a complete whacko like Kodachi but she is definitely not the feminine type. And I of all persons have to know. Bah. Why do I bother anyway, the jackass can fall in love with whom he wants. That's so not my business.*
Ryogas thoughts were finally interrupted by Ranma, who had taken the news with a mixture of surprise, nonchalance and a somewhat relaxed anticipation.
"Guess we will see you around more often then buddy. Nice to know that at least I won't be running out of chances to kick your butt. But I hope that doesn't mean that you will extend certain sleeping habits at a certain place as well."
The girls looked a bit puzzled not getting what Ranma meant with this comment. Ryoga flinched, gritting his teeth.
"I stay at Ucchans idiot. Didn't you listen? So back off!"
"Jeez aren't we cranky. It will be a real pleasure to see your sunny self and charming personality every morning in school from now on. I hope they have paid the insurance fees for the building."
"Why do you always have to pick on Ryoga, Ranma? I'm sure if you wouldn't provoke him all the time nothing would happen at all."
Akane shot her fiancé a glare, hoping that she would make Ranma lay off his teasing of the Lost Boy for a while. Unfortunately Ukyo now felt obliged to defend her Ranchan.
"Now come on Akane it isn't Ranma-honeys failure that this stupid jerk here attacks him all the time. If that jackass just wouldn't always be so damn stubborn and accept his defeat like a man and wouldn't make everyone responsible for his own stupidity then there would be nothing to worry about."
Ukyo glared at Ryoga, whose eyes were again filled with a distant longing. *Oh Akane. You are so kind and considerate. You defend me all the time. You're like an angel coming down to earth to bring light into the miserable darkness of my life.*
He still looked away from the others letting his eyes take in the scenery of the town and Akanes kind words sink into his heart not risking looking the girl of his dreams directly in the eyes, because he feared he might faint.
It seemed that Ryoga hadn't even noticed Ukyo talking about him. Ukyo for her part had enough of the sight of a love-drunken Ryoga and decided that it was time to leave.
"Well you guys it's been fun, but I have to go now, I can't let the restaurant stay deserted for that long time. Yo, Ryoga let's go. Hey Ryoga are you listening stupid? Ryoga hello-ho"
Since the Lost Boy still made now attempt to snap out of his trance and kept staring over the river, even after she had practically shouted in his ear, the okonomiaky chef growled in frustration. "Fine be that way jackass. If he comes down to earth anytime make sure that you get him to Ucchans for me, okay Ranchan? Bye."
With no wish to wait anymore Ukyo leapt onto the next roof and was soon out off sight. Soon after her departure Akane who had found Ryogas behaviour a bit strange herself, got up and addressed Ranma:
"I think I will go home now Ranma. I promised Kasumi to help her with the groceries today. And don't bother Ryoga, okay? He seems a bit troubled to me. Maybe it's a bit much with everything that is new for him right now."
"All right, all right. Man he is no baby you know. But don't worry. I will get him to Ucchans, but only if you make sure that the others leave some food for me."
Akane walked a few steps away and then turned around looking back at the two boys.
*Ryoga is so hard to read sometimes. Especially when he gets all excited and then he is getting all nervous or not saying anything at all. Sometimes I think I don't know him at all. He seems so distant at times, almost as if he wasn't there, or as if he would try to hide inside himself. At least I always know what's up with Ranma. He is insensitive, insults me and only thinks about food, sleep and martial arts.*
When she was about to turn away again a light breeze blew through Ranmas soft, black hair, making his pigtail swing from one side to the other. Akane could not other than stand still and stare mesmerized. She took in Ranmas strong but elegant features his handsome face and his smile as he watched some kids play not far away.
*Sometimes I really wish we wouldn't fight all the time. There are times when I almost want to cry "stop" and just run off with him so we can be together away from everyone. A chance to get to know us and to realize our true feelings for each other. Not what everyone wants us to feel or expects us to feel or accuses off to feel. Away from all the pressure and rivalry and madness.*
Finally Akane took her eyes off Ranma and continued her way home.
Ranma himself was entertaining himself with one of his favourite subjects, "Tick Ryoga off". He finally managed to get his rivals full attention by punching him straight in the face and crying: "Tag, you're it."
The Lost Boy was instantly on alert. When he realized it was no real attack but just Ranma making fun off him again he relaxed some but not very much "Oow, what did you do that for you jerk."
"Hey Lost Boy finally back under the living. You were a bit zoomed out there."
Ryoga humphed and took a look around. "Hey where are the girls?"
"Duh, they went home about half an hour ago, but you were to busy daydreaming to even notice."
Now Ryoga looked a bit guilty. *Oh no. I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I totally lost track of anything around me. Akane must think I am a complete idiot. Damn it*
While the travelling martial artist with the habit of getting lost within his own contemplations pondered about his inability to stay focussed, Ranma thought about his relation with Ryoga.
He wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but he really liked Ryoga. Off all his rivals he was by far the closest to him in skill and strength. No one kept him on his toes like the Lost Boy and in fights with him Ranma had always to give his fullest. Kuno and Mousse were more an annoyance than a real challenge and fighting with his pop was like fighting himself. No surprises and nothing really new.
*No wonder after all I keep fighting the old man since I'm five years old.* Ranma smiled at that thought. *But Ryoga had never anybody to teach him or someone who watched out for him and made sure that he trained properly. Sure pop might be the worst father in the world but still, he was always there. Even if I could kill him for the cat-fu I have to admit he made me one of the finest martial artists in the world.
But Ryoga had to do anything on his own. Aside from the bakusai-tenkuets he learned all his techniques and moves by himself. Sure I'm usually ahead but just close and if he wasn't distracted so easily and wouldn't always fight when the fury is practically blazing in his eyes it would be even closer.*
Ranma sometimes regretted always making fun of Ryoga, he knew that the Lost Boy was far more easily hurt by words than by fists. But since he always came back, yelling about revenge and the usual rant about how Ranma had made his life hell, even if he had sworn never to return at all and since he also had his share in making Ranmas life even more troublesome than it already was with being engaged to three different girls, not to mention the whole P-chan thing, the Saotome boy thought that Ryoga could handle a few teasing comments. After all the insults, fights and all that were reciprocate. If someone, who didn't knew them watched them fight and interact with each other one might get the impression that they were the worst enemies. But that wasn't true at all.
For outsiders it might seem hard to understand but although they fought all the time they were friends. Beneath the harsh exterior and the yelling and teasing and fighting Ranma knew that if he there was one person on this earth who would risk his neck for him without a second thought it was Ryoga. There had been many occasions where the Lost Boy had bailed him out of real trouble. The Seven Lucky Gods, the attack of Mousse and the others when he had suffered from the moxa-burn, the learning of the hiro-shouten- ha, the fight with Saffron and so on. And he had helped the Lost Boy as well. The incident with the magic mushrooms, the sign of god etc.
They were both to stubborn to ever acknowledge it but they did care for each other. When it really came down to it, when there was really trouble, their friendship proved to be there underneath the rivalry. Yet still their fighting and duelling was part of their friendship as well. It was just natural from being martial artists so far advanced, strong and skilful that there were only a handful of people, who actually stood a chance against them. They were a challenge for each other and both secretly acknowledged the skills and strength of the other. And they showed their mutual respect by constantly trying to push their limits further, so that the other would always be a worthy opponent. All their brawls about cures, girls and what else were not the bloody battles of doom but more like a sibling rivalry.
Ranma had to laugh a little at that. He never had thought about Ryoga that way, but now when he took a closer look it didn't seemed so farfetched.
He still remembered the first time he had seen the Lost Boy, back in Junior High School...
To be continued...
By Seed
It was a rare, peaceful morning at the Tendo-Dojo. Usual the place where ancient demons, magical spells, panty-thieving perverts, Chinese amazons and other assorted elements of madness added to the special touch of Nerima life-style, nothing out of the ordinary had taken place so far. Kasumi was preparing breakfast while Soun and Genma were already sitting at their usual spot playing Go and cheating like there was no tomorrow. Nabiki saw through some papers regarding the calculations of the expected profits for new Ranma-chan pictures. The calm scenery was abruptly shattered by the sounds of two very agitated teenagers coming down the stairs yelling and insulting each other. "Uncute tomboy". "Baka". "Macho-chick". "Stupid jerk".
To prevent the fight from going on and developing into a direction where it could increase the already immense amount of monthly repair costs Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen and with her soft trademark smile she announced that breakfast was ready. As usual Ranma immediately stopped any action, which could delay the intake of food besides giving Akane a quick last "Bwee" and rushed to the table to dig into anything edible within a ten- foot radius. While everyone sat down and enjoyed Kasumis usual excellent cooking, Akane had a distant look on her face. She was thinking about her little pet-pig P-chan. *He sure is gone for a long time. I hope nothing happened to the poor little thing. I wish he could just stay here and not always run off on his own. Perhaps I should get him a female partner. A little pig-girlfriend for him to be together with, so he won't feel alone, when I'm in school.*
"Hey Ranma have you seen P-chan anywhere lately?" Ranma too occupied with fighting his father over the last rice-cake didn't even hear the youngest Tendo daughter or if he did, he didn't care.
"HEY RANMA PAY ATTENTION YOU BAKA!" Akane struck the pig-tailed artist in the face with her own rice-cake. Ranma turning his head towards Akane answered rice-cake between his teeth. "Whatcha want?" Akane just snorted.
"Forget it, baka." She had long given up to be insulted by Ranmas terrible table manners, but the insensitive jerk could at least pay attention to her when she was asking him something.
After breakfast was finished Ranma and Akane rushed off to another day in Furinkan High, according to TIME: "The worst school in the world. Psycho Teachers. Crazy Students. Exploding Coconuts."
Ranma balanced skilfully as ever on top of the fence running alongside the canal while Akane was walking on the street to his left. As usual they were twenty minutes late when they finally arrived at the gates of their school. But the scene that greeted them was definitely not usual. In the middle of a huge crowd of students stood Ukyo performing threatening looking moves with her spatula and to her right, a dark haired boy wearing a black and yellow bandanna tied around his head and a big, brown rucksack with a red bamboo umbrella strapped on top. Curious like the cat, Ranma approached the two, Akane close behind.
"Get off damn it. I warn y'all. One more question and I swear I pound you in the ground with my big, bad, baby here." Ukyo looked really pissed. She grabbed her spatula even tighter and stared menacingly at the aggravated students around her. *I don't believe this. It has taken me enough time already to actually get here with Ryoga in time. The idiot's ability to get lost is really extraordinary. And now we're finally here, but these bozos won't back off.*
Ranma could finally hear that all the students were bombarding Ryoga with questions.
"Hey what are you doing here?" "Aren't you the boy that always fights with Ranma and loses?" "Hey aren't you the one, who is getting lost all the time?" "Do you come to our school, or do you just wanna fight with Ranma again?" "Hey didn't you get that old lecher for us some time ago?" "Did they kick you out of your old school?"
To say Ryoga looked uncomfortable with all this attention towards him was like saying Mousse was a bit short-sighted. The Lost Boy stared intensely to the ground, his lips closed tight into a fine line, only his left fang showing. His hands balled to fists Ryoga wished for the ground to open and swallow him right away. He would have rather died on the spot then continue with this. He had never been a very social type, his life-style of wandering around and camping out in the woods most of the time, prevented him from gaining much social skills. Developing common sense was just not on your list of priorities when you spent most of your days with survival.
Basically his only regular interactions were with Ranma, Akane and the rest of the Tendos. Ryoga thought about just running away and letting all this trouble behind him for a while. Perhaps he could join tomorrow, or the day after, or next week. *I knew this was a stupid idea. I didn't get along in my old school why should this be any different. I almost bakusai-tenkuetsed the schoolyard if Ukyo hadn't yelled at me god know what would have happened. I feel so damn miserable*
"Hey P-brain, what are you doing here. Don't tell me you think this is the dojo. Not even you can be that stupid."
"Stop teasing Ryoga you baka."
Ranma and Akane had finally managed to get through the crowd and were now standing besides a depressed looking Ryoga and a furious Ukyo. The Lost Boy still tried not to yell out his frustration and lash out with his umbrella at the assembled students when he finally noticed the newcomers. He smiled a bit at Akane and grunted in Ranmas general direction. Ukyos greeting for her handsome fiancé was of course a lot more enthusiastic.
"Hey there Ranchan. Nice to see you. Think you can get us out of this mess?" She flashed him her second best "ain't-I'm-the-cute-fiancée" smile and noticed how Akane instantly began to look a bit jealous.
"Sure thing Ucchan." he turned to the crowd. "Hey listen up everybody. I saw Miss Hinako heading this way and she looked really angry. I think she lost her favourite stuffed toy or something like that."
Within the blink of an eye the whole place was deserted. Running and screaming students could be seen vanishing into the building true to the motto "Every man for himself". Everyone at Furinkan knew that it was very bad for your health if you met Miss Hinako on one of her bad days. Heck it was even dangerous when she was in a good mood. So with no one risking the chance to get chi-drained by the pint-sized teacher Ranma, Ryoga Ukyo and Akane were left alone to talk in peace.
"So Pig-Boy. Tell us what brings you here. Do they give geography lessons for free? Not that it would do you any good of course." Ranma ever the wise- cracking smartass grinned at Ryoga who flinched and tried desperately to suppress the urge to beat Ranma to pulp. It didn't work.
"DIE SAOTOME!" Ryoga swung a mighty punch at Ranma, who easily dodged. Ryoga then sprung up high in the air, grabbing his umbrella from his pack and lashed fiercely at his target. Ranma himself jumped back and kicked Ryoga in the gut with a straight kick with his right leg. The Lost Boy didn't even notice that he had been hit and attacked again. He slashed open Ranmas shirt by sending a wave of razor sharp shuriken-bandannas at his opponent, followed by a jump-kick when Ranma was still distracted by the incoming yellow headbands. Ranma dodged the kick and jumped out of Rygas range not risking getting in a choke-hold by the stronger boy.
"Hey you jerk that was a new shirt. Now I'll get you porkie."
"I said to you a thousand times over. Stop calling me that!" Ryoga rushed forward with a speed, which although it was nowhere as fast as Ranmas, still breathtaking to watch and threw a series of punches at his opponent, who either blocked or dodged. Then it was Ranmas turn. A fast kick at his side brought Ryoga slightly off balance and Ranma let loose a real firework of flying fists all directed at Ryogas torso. He tried to block as many as he could, but a few came through his defences, yet were answered right away by a backspin kick at Ranmas head, who narrowly avoided the impact.
"Ah come on, piggie-piggie-piggie. You can do better than that." Ryoga was now ten seconds before meltdown.
"I'll get you, you hentai womanizing Casanova bastard!"
While Ranma and Ryoga exchanged a flurry of punches, kicks, sweeps, back- flips and jumps the two girls just looked at each other and sighed. "Males." Ukyo and Akane watched the fight continue and both were growing increasingly impatient with the situation. Both had a faint blue aura around them, which was getting brighter by the minute.
"Stop this you two!" "Ryoga you jerk stop picking on Ranchan!" "Ranma stop provoking Ryoga!"
Finally the two combatants broke off and returned to two the girls. As many sparring sessions before it hand ended in a kind of draw. While Ryoga possessed the superior strength and endurance, Ranma had the advantages of speed and greater skill on his side. The fact that Ranma usually came out on top of their more serious fights after all was not so much a matter of skill or strength, but a matter of concentration and determination. While Ryoga proclaimed for the hundredth time the death of his opponent he just lacked a certain recklessness to actually defeat Ranma, also he was too easily distracted in a fight, no matter how much he wished for victory.
Ranma on the other side would do anything to win a serious fight. To do anything you could, to find the weak spot in every opponent and use any dirty trick in the book was the basic concept of the Saotome School of Martial Arts and Ranma fought true to the schools teachings. It certainly wasn't the most noble or honourable way of fighting but no one had ever said that you had to be fair in order to win.
The two martial artists were greeted by a spatula banging on the head for Ryoga and Ranma met with his old friend, the "all-mighty-mallet-of-mighty- blows".
Both boys rubbed their bumps and before Ranma could get a chance to tick off Ryoga again Akane asked: "Say Ryoga would you now please tell us why you are here with Ukyo?" She smiled at him reassuringly and Ryoga almost lost himself in the crystal-blue eyes of the girl he adored.
"Eh well A-akane i-i'ts kind a long story. Y-you see I-I was..." Before Ryoga could go on any further he was interrupted by Ranma.
"Hey what about we take the day off. We go someplace nice and quiet an' Ryoga can tell us his story and nobody will bother us asking stupid questions. What you say?"
"Ranma you just wanna slack off and you know it." "Ah come on Akane I'm just worried about my old buddy Ryoga here. Right Ryoga old pal, old friend, old chap?" He patted his "friend" on the shoulder fully aware that he took the risk that the Lost Boy might bite his hand off. *Those fangs can be really nasty.* Ryoga was about to say that the day he would call Ranma his friend was the day hell froze over when Ukyo stepped in.
"Perhaps Ranchan has a point here. We missed the first lesson anyway and since principal Kuno is on a trip to Honolulu nobody would really bother us anyway." *And I'm so not in the mood to stand in the hallway with those damned buckets right now*
After Akane was partly convinced, partly dragged away by Ranma the four leapt over the roof of Furinkan towards a small little meadow not far away from the school, alongside the river. They sat down and Ryoga and Ukyo told the other two about the events of the last week and the arrangements that they had made for Ryoga to stay.
When they had finished their story Ranma and Akane were sitting in silence. Akane was the first to get back her composure and smiled at Ryoga.
"Hey that's great Ryoga. You always seemed so lonely, wandering alone all the time. And now you can come to school with us every day and Ukyo is there so you won't get lost so much any more."
Upon hearing Akanes kind words Ryoga almost thought he could hear his heart jumping out of his chest. *She, she really cares about me. She is happy for me. Oh Akane if you only knew how much you mean to me. If I only could bring myself to admit my love for you. If I could just take your hand right know and run off with you into the sunset.*
Ryoga sighed dreamingly and looked over the river, fantasying about how romantic it would be, if he just could gather his courage. It sometimes angered him so much. He could face twenty armed men or a fully grown bear but if around the girl he loved with all his heart he completely went to pieces.
Ukyo watched as a goofy grin appeared on Ryogas face, signalling that he had taken a trip to dream-world again. For some reason it bothered her a great deal.
*Stupid jerk. What does he find attracting at the girl anyway? Ranchan is right. She is uncute and a tomboy. I mean she is no cheap hussy like Shampoo or a complete whacko like Kodachi but she is definitely not the feminine type. And I of all persons have to know. Bah. Why do I bother anyway, the jackass can fall in love with whom he wants. That's so not my business.*
Ryogas thoughts were finally interrupted by Ranma, who had taken the news with a mixture of surprise, nonchalance and a somewhat relaxed anticipation.
"Guess we will see you around more often then buddy. Nice to know that at least I won't be running out of chances to kick your butt. But I hope that doesn't mean that you will extend certain sleeping habits at a certain place as well."
The girls looked a bit puzzled not getting what Ranma meant with this comment. Ryoga flinched, gritting his teeth.
"I stay at Ucchans idiot. Didn't you listen? So back off!"
"Jeez aren't we cranky. It will be a real pleasure to see your sunny self and charming personality every morning in school from now on. I hope they have paid the insurance fees for the building."
"Why do you always have to pick on Ryoga, Ranma? I'm sure if you wouldn't provoke him all the time nothing would happen at all."
Akane shot her fiancé a glare, hoping that she would make Ranma lay off his teasing of the Lost Boy for a while. Unfortunately Ukyo now felt obliged to defend her Ranchan.
"Now come on Akane it isn't Ranma-honeys failure that this stupid jerk here attacks him all the time. If that jackass just wouldn't always be so damn stubborn and accept his defeat like a man and wouldn't make everyone responsible for his own stupidity then there would be nothing to worry about."
Ukyo glared at Ryoga, whose eyes were again filled with a distant longing. *Oh Akane. You are so kind and considerate. You defend me all the time. You're like an angel coming down to earth to bring light into the miserable darkness of my life.*
He still looked away from the others letting his eyes take in the scenery of the town and Akanes kind words sink into his heart not risking looking the girl of his dreams directly in the eyes, because he feared he might faint.
It seemed that Ryoga hadn't even noticed Ukyo talking about him. Ukyo for her part had enough of the sight of a love-drunken Ryoga and decided that it was time to leave.
"Well you guys it's been fun, but I have to go now, I can't let the restaurant stay deserted for that long time. Yo, Ryoga let's go. Hey Ryoga are you listening stupid? Ryoga hello-ho"
Since the Lost Boy still made now attempt to snap out of his trance and kept staring over the river, even after she had practically shouted in his ear, the okonomiaky chef growled in frustration. "Fine be that way jackass. If he comes down to earth anytime make sure that you get him to Ucchans for me, okay Ranchan? Bye."
With no wish to wait anymore Ukyo leapt onto the next roof and was soon out off sight. Soon after her departure Akane who had found Ryogas behaviour a bit strange herself, got up and addressed Ranma:
"I think I will go home now Ranma. I promised Kasumi to help her with the groceries today. And don't bother Ryoga, okay? He seems a bit troubled to me. Maybe it's a bit much with everything that is new for him right now."
"All right, all right. Man he is no baby you know. But don't worry. I will get him to Ucchans, but only if you make sure that the others leave some food for me."
Akane walked a few steps away and then turned around looking back at the two boys.
*Ryoga is so hard to read sometimes. Especially when he gets all excited and then he is getting all nervous or not saying anything at all. Sometimes I think I don't know him at all. He seems so distant at times, almost as if he wasn't there, or as if he would try to hide inside himself. At least I always know what's up with Ranma. He is insensitive, insults me and only thinks about food, sleep and martial arts.*
When she was about to turn away again a light breeze blew through Ranmas soft, black hair, making his pigtail swing from one side to the other. Akane could not other than stand still and stare mesmerized. She took in Ranmas strong but elegant features his handsome face and his smile as he watched some kids play not far away.
*Sometimes I really wish we wouldn't fight all the time. There are times when I almost want to cry "stop" and just run off with him so we can be together away from everyone. A chance to get to know us and to realize our true feelings for each other. Not what everyone wants us to feel or expects us to feel or accuses off to feel. Away from all the pressure and rivalry and madness.*
Finally Akane took her eyes off Ranma and continued her way home.
Ranma himself was entertaining himself with one of his favourite subjects, "Tick Ryoga off". He finally managed to get his rivals full attention by punching him straight in the face and crying: "Tag, you're it."
The Lost Boy was instantly on alert. When he realized it was no real attack but just Ranma making fun off him again he relaxed some but not very much "Oow, what did you do that for you jerk."
"Hey Lost Boy finally back under the living. You were a bit zoomed out there."
Ryoga humphed and took a look around. "Hey where are the girls?"
"Duh, they went home about half an hour ago, but you were to busy daydreaming to even notice."
Now Ryoga looked a bit guilty. *Oh no. I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I totally lost track of anything around me. Akane must think I am a complete idiot. Damn it*
While the travelling martial artist with the habit of getting lost within his own contemplations pondered about his inability to stay focussed, Ranma thought about his relation with Ryoga.
He wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but he really liked Ryoga. Off all his rivals he was by far the closest to him in skill and strength. No one kept him on his toes like the Lost Boy and in fights with him Ranma had always to give his fullest. Kuno and Mousse were more an annoyance than a real challenge and fighting with his pop was like fighting himself. No surprises and nothing really new.
*No wonder after all I keep fighting the old man since I'm five years old.* Ranma smiled at that thought. *But Ryoga had never anybody to teach him or someone who watched out for him and made sure that he trained properly. Sure pop might be the worst father in the world but still, he was always there. Even if I could kill him for the cat-fu I have to admit he made me one of the finest martial artists in the world.
But Ryoga had to do anything on his own. Aside from the bakusai-tenkuets he learned all his techniques and moves by himself. Sure I'm usually ahead but just close and if he wasn't distracted so easily and wouldn't always fight when the fury is practically blazing in his eyes it would be even closer.*
Ranma sometimes regretted always making fun of Ryoga, he knew that the Lost Boy was far more easily hurt by words than by fists. But since he always came back, yelling about revenge and the usual rant about how Ranma had made his life hell, even if he had sworn never to return at all and since he also had his share in making Ranmas life even more troublesome than it already was with being engaged to three different girls, not to mention the whole P-chan thing, the Saotome boy thought that Ryoga could handle a few teasing comments. After all the insults, fights and all that were reciprocate. If someone, who didn't knew them watched them fight and interact with each other one might get the impression that they were the worst enemies. But that wasn't true at all.
For outsiders it might seem hard to understand but although they fought all the time they were friends. Beneath the harsh exterior and the yelling and teasing and fighting Ranma knew that if he there was one person on this earth who would risk his neck for him without a second thought it was Ryoga. There had been many occasions where the Lost Boy had bailed him out of real trouble. The Seven Lucky Gods, the attack of Mousse and the others when he had suffered from the moxa-burn, the learning of the hiro-shouten- ha, the fight with Saffron and so on. And he had helped the Lost Boy as well. The incident with the magic mushrooms, the sign of god etc.
They were both to stubborn to ever acknowledge it but they did care for each other. When it really came down to it, when there was really trouble, their friendship proved to be there underneath the rivalry. Yet still their fighting and duelling was part of their friendship as well. It was just natural from being martial artists so far advanced, strong and skilful that there were only a handful of people, who actually stood a chance against them. They were a challenge for each other and both secretly acknowledged the skills and strength of the other. And they showed their mutual respect by constantly trying to push their limits further, so that the other would always be a worthy opponent. All their brawls about cures, girls and what else were not the bloody battles of doom but more like a sibling rivalry.
Ranma had to laugh a little at that. He never had thought about Ryoga that way, but now when he took a closer look it didn't seemed so farfetched.
He still remembered the first time he had seen the Lost Boy, back in Junior High School...
To be continued...