Lost Soul – Part Thirteen
By Seed
Ranma Saotome, fearless martial artist and victorious survivor of countless battles sneaked stealthily around the corner of the gym of Furinkan High, carefully casting glances left and right. Like a soldier sent out on a secret mission deep behind enemy lines he moved forward, anxious not to draw any attention to his presence.
When the area seemed clear he let out a sigh of relief and sat down under a tree near the football field. The reason for Ranmas current stealthmode was rooted in the fact that his fiancée Akane Tendo had home ed. today. And this meant he would have to endure unbearable painful stomach twisting agony if he was unlucky enough to be forced to try out the toxic monstrosities Akane would produce in the kitchen.
He had still to recover from the last attack of the blueberry muffins of doom which had caused his veins feel like they were filled with lava. Just when he was about to thank the gods for his luck to have successfully avoided certain death at the hands of Akanes baked goods a shadow fell over him.
In front of him stood a very serious looking okonomyaki chef better known as Ukyo Kuonji or Ucchan for her friends.
"Ranma we have to talk".
"Oh, ah, hi Ucchan what can I do for you?"
Ranma flashed her one of his trademark smiles which never failed to charm his old friend but strangely Ucchan didn't even seem to notice it today.
"It's about Ryouga. He didn't come home, I mean to Ucchans for a whole week now. Even for him that's a bit much. You know him the best with you two brawling all the time and duelling or whatever you want to call this male-macho-rivalry-thing. So do you know anything about him? Did you have a fight?"
Now Ranma was caught off guard. If Ukyo had any doubts about her fiancés involvement in this, his fidgeting and nervous stroking back of his hair proved that she had been on the right track.
"Well you see we had kind of an argument. You now how short his fuse is. We didn't really fight it just... we got in an argument over nothing really and then we started shouting at each other and yeah maybe I lost it a bit. I said some pretty harsh words to him. But you know how he is; he always comes around to pay me back. I wouldn't worry Ucchan."
Ukyos deep frowning showed Ranma that his words hadn't the desired smoothing affect.
"Oh Ranma you know how upset he is right now with all the recent changes and starting school and everything. I mean I know how pigheaded he can be and that he has a way too fiery temper sometimes but don't you think we should at least, I don't know look for him or something."
"Yeah well but what good would it do. He could be practically everywhere right now. From Nairobi to Hong Kong or god knows where. When he took off he was pretty upset I don't think we will see him for quite some time actually."
Now Ukyo was even more curious and also started to get a bit angry with Ranmas nonchalance.
"Ranma what exactly did you to argue about? What did you say to him?"
Ranma glanced nervously around not wanting to meet Ukyos piercing eyes.
"Yes, well I said that..., I kinda called him a loser and that neither I nor Akane would like him if he would always fell miserable about himself. Then he took off shouting that I wouldn't have to stand this loser anymore. And...and I think he got tears in his eyes when he left. I, Ucchan, I really, I never wanted to hurt him it just it got out off hand and when I wanted to stop him he was already out off sight.
But I think he will come back just give him time to cool off. We always fight sometimes more sometimes less but in the end he always comes back right?"
Ranma looked Ukyo now directly in the eyes almost pleadingly his last words were more like a question than a statement.
Ukyo didn't know what to make out of the situation. On the one hand she knew now why Ryouga had run off, although she didn't know all the details and she had the suspicion that Ranma wouldn't let her in completely on what was going on between him and the Lost Boy.
Maybe she had to fill in the blanks herself. But this was a start. She also was not too happy with Ranma. Sure the two were not the best friends but she would have expected a bit more sympathy of Ranmas side for Ryouga. Although they fought all the time Ukyo thought it was more out of a brotherly kind of rivalry than to kill each other. Ranma was usually never trying to deliberately hurt somebody rather to help others when they were in trouble and Ryouga all the blunder and blistering aside was a very soft and kind hearted kid underneath his rough exterior.
Of course Akane was standing between them but with Ryogas pathetic attempts at establishing conversation with the opposite sex this would never go anywhere, she had enough failed schemes to prove for that.
Finally Ukyo decided it was the best to let go of these thoughts for now and start to get angry with Ranma.
"Oh Ranma, damn why did you have to upset him. You know how difficult he is. You can drop a tank on his head and he wouldn't notice but words can cut him deep Ranma and after Akane I think you are the one who can hurt him the most because no matter what Ryouga respects you and sees you as a friend.
Sometimes you should really think before you open your big mouth Ranma Saotome."
"Ucchan wait I didn't mean, I know Ryouga is…, but come on…"
Ukyo felt how anger rose inside her.
"Save it Ranma I am really angry with you at the moment. You can try your lame excuses with Akane but I am not as stupid as her."
With this Ukyo turned on her heel and left a dumbfounded Ranma behind."
Why did she get so angry all of a sudden? Man, and since when is she so concerned about Ryouga. I mean he is just staying at her place right? Nothing more. So why is she so riled up about this? Pff women.
Ukyo stomped down the way along the football field.
I didn't want to snap at Ranma like this. What has gotten into me? This whole thing with Ryouga really has me gotten all worked up. But why? Why am I so worried about that big jerk? And why am I still so furious with Ranma for just letting him go like that.
Ukyo decided she was too concerned with other things now so she didn't go back inside but headed to Ucchan's. After returning there, she cleaned the tables, set up the menus and prepared everything for the afternoon crowd.
Soon the first guests were entering and she fired up the grill and put some batter on it added meat sauce and spices and let her sink into the routine of her working.
Meanwhile a lone wanderer was fighting his way through thick underbrush cursing when the twigs of the trees would snap back and hit him. He did not feel well. He had not eaten anything since quite some time and he felt how his strength was not like it used to be. At night he also could find no relief because bad dreams were hunting him causing him to get not more then two or three hours of sleep at best.
It was no exaggeration to say that Ryouga Hibiki had seen better days.
His hair was even messier than usual, the eyes were dull and sunken in, he walked with slumped shoulders and his head lowered as if he was looking on the road for some answers to questions that were running through his head.
Ryouga knew that he could not continue forever like this; wandering all day aimlessly through the wilderness only eating when his body absolutely forced him to renew some energy, not resting enough and finding sleep only when exhaustion got the better of him and could hold the nightmares off.
Ryoga stopped when he noticed that the stars were already out and that there was not much point in running through the woods in pitch black.
The small clearing he had found seemed to make for a good place to spend the rest of the night but Ryouga did not really feel like setting up camp. He just tossed off his rucksack and collapsed under an old oak looking at the sky above. Since he had been a little kid he had loved star-gazing. His mother had told him once that for every one on earth there was a special star above. When he thought about it now he was not so sure if there even was a star for him or if maybe the star was as lost and alone as himself.
He closed his eyes and soon dozed off only to be awoken by a nightmare that had his heart pounding and sweat running down his face. Ryouga decided that sleep would not come anymore that night and grabbed his pack to continue his walk into nowhere.
In the early hours of the morning Ryoga had reached the end of a trail that had led out of the forest and to a road; he had followed that road to a small town where a fresh incoming breeze with a slight salty taste and the distinct quaking noise of seagulls told him that it had to be a port town somewhere at the Oceanside. He had absolutely no clue where exactly he was but for one thing this had never bothered him before and secondly he felt somewhat thankful for seeing some signs of civilisation again.
He walked further into town and when he turned a corner he could see a narrow road going down a small hill and leading directly to the port whew some fishermen were apparently getting their boats ready.
After a short walk down this way, the Lost Boy was now trying to find a place that served breakfast. He felt awfully hungry but at the same time this was a good sign. The sight of the ocean and the fresh air he breathed in seemed to have cleared his head a little.
Ryouga did not have this numb almost nauseous feeling anymore that had dulled his senses and slowly had drained his energy
He looked around and soon found a bar that was already open and hopefully serving something decent. He checked his pockets and came up with coins and bills from over twelve different countries among them a 1.000 yen bill.
With a sharp push he opened the dark wooden door of the "Ocean Goddess" and took a seat at the counter. A gruff looking man of medium age spotted him and came from the back to take his order.
It seemed he was suspicious about a boy that age in a place like this at this early time of morning but he did not say anything when Ryouga gave his order.
Ryoga looked outside the window admiring the beauty of the sea and how it affected so profoundly the life of the people that lived with it so closely. He almost did not notice when his order came but then he dug in with barely restrained vigour.
Almost as bad as Ranma
There it was the name of his hated enemy, the bastard that had made him get into this state in the first place. The one person he had thought of as someone who would understand him and which had uses his trust and betrayed him so cruelly.
I never knew he could be so cruel. I always knew that he did not like me, but that he hated me so much I did not expect.
But suddenly Ryouga felt something new, the depression, the dull and numb emptiness he had sunken into the last days every time when he had thought about the recent events, made way for a new feeling. A fire was now burning inside him a fire replacing the previous self-loathing and despair, a fire of rage and hatred and the desire for revenge.
I will show him. I will show them all. I don't need them, not one of them. But I will come back. I will not run away and hide like a coward. I will train like I never trained before and even if it takes years I will never loose sight of my true and only goal in life.
I will destroy Ranma's happiness.
To be continued...