BONDING ….
Ranma landed just by the metallic fence stretching all along the canal and started panting as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Another good morning of training.
This one had been pretty awesome, as the Saotome heir had decided to try new techniques and had therefore spent a good part of her session practicing new moves, be they attack or defence ones. And the young martial artist just loved to try new stuff !
She was proud of herself and very pleased with her training… but what made her even more pleased was the extremely positive evolution of her relationship with her former rival/adversary.
Who would have thought…?
But don't they say that the strongest will can "move mountains", and after all, there had already been examples of people off to a rough start and who had surprisingly become friends later on… so why not in this case ?
I hope you'll be happy, Ryoga. And I'll do all I can to make your life as harmonious as I can. You've handed me your hand twice since you return, offering me peace and friendship, and I intend to repay you for these precious gifts, to help you the best and most often I can.
This gave her existence a new goal, a new meaning, and somehow made her excited about the future, which appeared much brighter now than it might have been in the past. And there wasn't only Ryoga : the significant improvement of the relationship with Akane also was a cause of satisfaction, as the "forced fiancés" no longer argued or yelled at each other but instead were nice and helpful to each other… finally, after so many months of pretty tough moments between the two, they had become real friends !
Ranma decided to call it a… training and to stroll back home.
Oh, and to buy herself a snack, because she was quite hungry after her demanding session, and it would soon be 11:00 after all, so…
I could wait for midday and the home lunch, but I really feel like eating something ! Maybe I overdid it today and this used up too much energy… hence my being ravenous !
She shrugged and left her training spot with a smile on her face, still in high spirits.
It would be a good day, she sensed it… and after all, wasn't Saturday her favourite day ? (1)
As she finished her shrimp snack, she was humming a little tune and wondering what she might do that afternoon.
Why not the swimming pool ? It's a sunny day and –
"Please… help me… please…"
Her blue eyes turned to the left and saw a young man looking at her; he was leaning against a wall… and had red over the right side of his face and on his hand !
Her mouth opened and she stopped, staring at him.
But she quickly came to and, three seconds later, she stood before him.
"What happened to you ?!"
"My… my little brother… they… beat him… please help me…"
"Alright, show me the way !"
But as they started to walk into the back alley, someone approached… someone who had seen the cute red-haired girl…
…and who started after her into the alley !
The man suddenly stopped and stood still.
Ranma waited… but he didn't turn around nor said a word.
She was about to ask him where his little brother was…
…when he snickered loudly, his back still turned to her !
She frowned, thinking she might have misheard…
…when he sang the following words :
"Poor lil' girl, ventured alone in the dark alley,
Recklessly exposing her narrow lil' valley…"
A shiver of disgust ran down Ranma's spine as she understood what kind of guy he really way and what he wanted from her.
But she immediately knew he wouldn't be alone in here and therefore quickly jumped aside while turning around, both combined in the same move.
Fortunately for her, she had reacted on the spot once she had realized this, as a SWOOSH ! filled the place : a long bar brutally came down right where she had been standing 2 seconds ago !
A second man had tried to bludgeon her from behind, and she somehow had sensed a rear attack !
The martial artist got to work : a rotating kick threw her sneaking assailant against a nearby wall, the bar dropping and clanking on the ground in the process.
Wasting no time, the red-haired female whirled around again, just in time to avoid the fist of the "fake victim" who had drawn her in here.
He turned around… only to receive the girl's punch full strength right in the middle of his belly !
"SAY HELLO TO YOUR LITTLE BROTHER FOR ME, BASTARD !" she yelled as she struck him.
Because of the hubbub the fight produced, including Ranma's yelling, our heroine didn't hear the faint metallic sound made by someone stealthily picking up the bar from where it had fallen during the first attack.
The guy rushed at her but tripped on an uneven area of the ground.
This got Ranma turn around once more, to see a new enemy – there was a third man… there almost always is… - crash in front of her.
"Nice try, but you're not exactly –"
Another sound behind her made her turn her head.
It lasted only a few seconds, but that gave the fallen guy enough time to smash the metal bar right into the girl's ankle !
Ranma screamed and collapsed.
The third man was already getting back up, and same with the first one, although laboriously.
That's when running footsteps echoed in the dark alley… and the first thug got smashed right in his face !
"YOU'LL PAY FOR HARMING HER !"
Ranma, who had her eyes closed the moment before, because of the acute pain in her ankle, reopened them slowly when she heard that voice.
"Ryo-… Ryoga…"
"Ranma, how are you feeling ?" the bandana boy loudly asked as he stood in front of her, face half-turned in her direction while remaining in defence position.
"My ankle… is hurting… pretty bad… but no more than… that…" she said with difficulty, before clenching back her teeth.
Ryoga let out a loud growl and ran to one of the bastards, ducked swiftly when the other threw a punch, and sent an uppercut to his chin, as violently as he could.
The other one flew back and landed pretty badly on the concrete, blood flowing from his mouth. He was quickly back up and ran away in the other direction, where the alley sank deeper in the dark areas of the neighbourhood.
Ryoga turned to the third scumbag and ran in his direction.
A few seconds later, the fist of the young saviour hit the hoodlum's nose with such force that a crack could be heard.
Needless to say the bad guy fled the fight scene, leaving an impressive red trail on the ground…
Only one remained : the guy who had got hit first, straight in the face, when Ryoga had barged in. But of course, seeing the impressive strength and quickness of the opponent, and knowing he was on his own now, he didn't try his luck and rather went over the hill, without further ado.
Making sure that they all had left, and that no other enemy was in sight, Ryoga hurried to Ranma, kneeling by her side and gently taking her hand (a gentleness which she didn't expect, given his visible distress).
"Ranma ! Can you hear me ? How do you feel ? Where did they hurt you ?"
The pigtailed girl was looking at him through half-closed eyelids, trying to stifle her moans of suffering.
"I'm ok…I guess. Just my… ankle. One of those bastards… hit it with… a metal bar, I think… it hurts, but… perhaps… it's not as serious… as it sounds…"
He gulped.
"Nothing else ? They… they didn't…"
He couldn't pronounce it.
And indeed, some horrible things are better left unmentioned.
"No, they… didn't get… what they wanted… from me… don't worry, Ryoga… and thanks for… for caring…"
He nodded, then looked worriedly at her ankle, which wasn't bleeding but had turned to a deep red… that would probably turn into a dark blue soon enough.
"We'll have to go see Dr. Tofu. But I don't remember where his practice is, so you'll have to guide me."
"I thought…you had improved… in finding your bearings…"
This was uttered with what she wanted to be a smile, but rather appeared as some kind of wince.
"Getting better at it, mind you…" he replied with a small smile, but soon resumed his serious talk : "Obviously you can't walk, so I'll carry you on my back." He crouched and turned around, for her to put her arms around his neck or his chest.
"I'll be… too heavy for you…Ryoga." A brief moment of thinking. "Maybe… maybe I can… still walk… somehow…"
He shook his head.
"Seeing how much you're in pain right now, no, you can't. So come on, get ready for a piggy ride !" (2)
"Are you sure ?"
"It's either that… or I carry you bridal style, all the way to the practice !" he replied with a smirk.
Despite the acute pain, she couldn't help chuckling.
"It's not broken, Ranma."
Dr. Tofu smiled at her after uttering such good news.
"The blow wasn't powerful enough, apparently. You told me your assailant hit you while he was on the ground, right ? Well, that's not a position that usually allows to deliver a full-strength blow. But if he had hit you while in standing position, then… the result would have been much more serious, and the bone most probably broken. You were lucky in that circumstance."
"Tell me about it…" she said, this time with almost no effort, given the quick action of the healing poultice the doctor had put on her wound.
"But my real luck was my good friend Ryoga here !" she continued, showing him with her hand.
Said friend smiled softly, and so did Dr. Tofu, who then remembered something.
"Tell me, is he the friend you were worried about the other day ? You know, when we met in the park, after your moment of weakness ?"
"WHAT ?! You… you experienced some weakness, Ranma ?! What happened ?! And why didn't you tell us once you got home ?!" exclaimed a distraught Ryoga.
"Because I felt better at the time, plus I didn't want to have you guys worry about me..." the pigtailed girl replied.
"But it's normal to worry for your dear ones, Ranma ! Please, next time, tell us when something went wrong, even if you think you feel better ! As for me, I'll do all I can to help you ! But tell me, alright ?"
"You have my word" she confirmed him, with a nod, not really paying attention that he had switched from "tell us" to "tell me"…. which was a clue indicating his caring for her.
Dr. Tofu appeared embarrassed.
"Sorry, I guess I made a mistake by mentioning this. I just wanted to know if he was that same friend you were concerned about, back then, but… looks like it wasn't a good idea to talk about that…"
The young man turned his head back to the young woman lying on the examination table.
"You were worried about me ?"
She felt slightly uneasy.
"Yeah… about… what we discussed that same evening… you know, on the roof…"
It was his turn to nod. But he didn't add anything : needless evoke bad memories…
Ranma turned to the practitioner.
"So, Dr. Tofu, since my ankle isn't broken… I guess I can go home ? But do I have to take any precautions ? Scarcely walking, I know, but anything else ?"
"No, only avoid walking, as you said. But if you need to move for some reason, you can use the crutches I'll lend you !"
He brought them to her, but it was Ryoga who took them, before turning around and offering her his back again.
"That was delicious !" he praised on a pleased tone.
"No contradicting you there !" she agreed with a content smile.
They were in a small restaurant, not far away from the doctor's practice, and had just finished their Teriyaki chicken – same dish for both, as she wanted to try the same food he chose – and were waiting for the bill.
"By the way… I'm delighted and relieved to see that you had quite some appetite. I dreaded that this morning's events might have put you off your food…"
"I know I could have lost appetite, but… for some reason… I didn't, and that's a good thing. I guess it's due to your helping and comforting me. It kept me in high spirits, and being happy, I felt still hungry."
He nodded and smiled.
That's when the waitress put the bill on the table.
Ranma stretched her arm towards the piece of paper… but Ryoga piped her at the post !
"Hum, that's mine, actually !" he exclaimed in an amused voice.
"No way ! You've helped me a lot this morning, so please let me invite you, Ryoga !"
"That's very kind of you, but you've faced a terrible ordeal this morning, Ranma, and I want to offer you this meal, in order to make your day better."
"But I really wanna pay for you ! Come on, Ryoga ! You'll invite me next time !"
"No can do, my red-haired friend ! It'll be my treat today. Maybe next time ?"
He winked at her.
"I guess I can't convince you, eh ?"
"Nope, you can't !"
And he laughed, while she chuckled.
Once they were outside, Ryoga took the direction of the park and walked slowly in the sunlight. It wasn't too hot today, and the breeze ensured a cool atmosphere that made it almost perfect for a nice little stroll.
"Thanks again for the invitation…" she softly told him.
"My pleasure…" he replied just as softly.
Silence settled between them.
But… it wasn't an awkward silence. It was a comfortable one.
The kind you let linger when two people are that kind and caring to each other that their relationship doesn't need actual words to express their happiness when they're staying together.
Ranma hadn't felt that blissful in a long time.
He's so kind to me… That makes me even more ashamed of myself for my behaviour to him in the past. He's a good guy, a nice guy. He deserves to be happy. And I'll help him to be.
"Ranma, isn't that the building of the skating rink, over there ?"
This took her off her sweet thoughts and, noticing he was looking to the left, she followed his gaze and saw a large white building, not too far from them.
"Yes, that's it indeed."
"Do you remember when Akane and you were challenged by that couple of weird skaters ? That Casanova and his girlfriend who kept stealing things and giving them new names ? And we had to then team up, you and I, to defeat them ? Remember that ?"
"You bet I do ! Jeez, I'll never forget how that dude kissed me by force ! Bleeeh !"
"Ah yes… pretty bad memory indeed… and then, we fought outside… and Akane fell into the pool… yeah, plenty of bad memories indeed…" A pause. "Oh and what about that time when you had to fight against Kodachi, in the gym ring ? That was hectic too !"
"Oh yeah, definitely ! And she was cheating big time ! When I think she restrained you with a chain and tied you to me, as if you were a captive animal…! I'm still mad at her for doing that to you !"
"And when I think I've been biting you and almost making you fall, because I wanted you to lose…! How stupid and mean I was back then ! All of this because of our rivalry ! You have no idea how much I regret my past behaviour with you, my dear Ranma…"
"I know, and I regret mine as well. So much time wasted. But we're now catching up, and have become such good friends…"
"Yes. Our new bond is a precious treasure to me."
"As it is to me."
Silence returned, and for a few minutes, none of them uttered a word. They simply enjoyed each other's presence (a lot), and it's all that mattered to them at the moment.
She regrets, and so do I. We really matured a lot. Dear Ranma, I'll never be mean to you, ever again !
He's so remorseful… and so am I. We're understanding things way better than we used to. Ryoga… never will I act badly to you, ever again !
Same wavelength.
Same feelings.
The redhead felt so happy in that instant.
Their bond…
Their presence…
Their warmth…
The soft rocking movement of his walk…
She let out a content sigh.
Then she got an idea.
"Ryoga… I feel… slightly tired… do you mind if I rest my head on your back ?"
"Not at all. Please do."
She carefully put her cheek on the beige fabric of his tunic and closed her eyes.
Another long sigh of content.
It was like being gently cradled… like a feeling of infancy… of safety…
She had never been so close to a man, and in his male form, never been so close to a woman either, and this made her feel…
… weird.
But in a good way.
Her eyes remained closed and her breath deep and harmonious as she relished the moment.
As for the Lost Boy, he felt also somewhat bizarre, as no girl had ever been this close to him, body against body…
It was really peculiar a feeling…
… but not a bad negative feeling.
Even on the contrary.
And inwardly, they both wished their little walk would last for a long long time…
"Ranma ! What happened to you ?" exclaimed Kasumi when she saw the red-haired female on the back of her former rival.
The latter didn't want Ranma to feel embarrassed by that question, and the details pertaining to the attack (especially the fact that there were three men facing one woman, and what it implied…), therefore did he reply for his hurt friend : "She encountered a stupid guy who tried to mess up with her, and unfortunately, he used a metal bar to hit her in the ankle. We went to Dr. Tofu's, and he said that the bone wasn't broken, but that she would need to use crutches should she have to walk. But of course, the idea is to avoid moving as much as possible."
"How do you feel, Ranma ?" gently asked Akane, as the Lost Boy cautiously let her off his back.
On some occasions, she had been worried for her fiancé in the past, but not as much as she could have been… because of the temperamental and mocking nature of said fiancé. Had he been nicer to her, she definitely would have cared more and worried more for him. But now that Ranma and Akane were on good terms, and had really become good friends, she did care more for him… or for her, in the present case.
"It still hurts some, but less than this morning. I'll be limping for a few days, I know, but no biggie. I've got a stronger body than a regular girl's, remember ?"
She concluded by boasting about her strength, arm up and biceps showing, with a wink and her tongue stuck out in a funny manner.
"Iron Lady…" joked Nabiki, smirking as well.
"We'll take good care of you, Son !" Genma ensured his hurt offspring.
"Mmmmmh…son ?" teasingly questioned Ranma, her hand playfully put on her hip.
"You catch my drift, my gender-shifter of a child !"
Everybody burst out laughing.
"And now, how about we have a nice dinner ?" proposed Soun. "We'll install you comfortably, Ranma, to make sure the hurt doesn't throb while you're eating.
"There. Is it okay that way ? No pain ?"
"No, I'm fine. Thanks, Kasumi. You're an angel."
The house caretaker smiled, her eyes briefly closing as she did so.
Ranma had just been put to bed by the eldest Tendo sister, who had made sure the smallest girl of the house was comfortable, and in a position that would avoid her any pain, as much as possible.
"Very well. I shall let you rest now. Don't hesitate to call me, should you need anything else : I'll leave the door open so that I can hear you if you call."
The redhead nodded.
"You'll be back in top condition in no time, I'm sure, tough girl ! Take it easy and relax at home, it should heal pretty soon. It's gonna be fine that way." Nabiki told her with a thumb up.
The two sisters exited the room, leaving only Akane and Ranma.
"My poor Ranma… I do hope that your injury will heal quickly, and that you won't have to stay home for too long."
"Nah, don't worry for me, Akane. I'll be okay, mind you. I was lucky to not get a fracture, and I'm sure it shouldn't take too long to get better. But thanks a lot for worrying for me, I appreciate."
"Don't mention it, it's normal. We're friends after all, aren't we ?"
"When I think how mean, disrespectful and aggressive I've been t-"
But the youngest Tendo sister had already put her hand up.
"Please stop it, Ranma. I know you feel bad about your past deeds and words, but you already apologized for all this at least three times, and I've forgiven you. So we're fine, now."
"Ok… but still…"
"Put it behind you now ! (3) You can't blame yourself forever, and must on the contrary forgive yourself, like I forgave you !"
The martial artist was silent for long seconds, then said two of the most beautiful words, in any language worldwide :
"Thank you."
Akane beamed at her and, after telling her to get some rest, she left the room and switched the light off, leaving the door ajar.
The wounded young woman remained alone in the darkened bedroom, eyes closed, remembering the numerous events of the day, up to Akane's encouragement to "turn the page and start anew".
It has been a long day… but what a lovely one, for most of it. In fact, the attack excepted, it was a very good day and I loved it ! All this thanks to Ryoga. What a sweet friend he has become ! I wish I could have wished him goodnight, but who knows when he'll return from his meditation ? I might be asleep by then and –
A faint noise, then…
"Ranma ?"
It was a whisper, no more, but that was enough to make her open her eyes.
"Ryoga ! I'm glad you could come before I'd fall asleep !" she said in an excited voice.
"Sorry, I think my meditation session lasted a tad too long. But yeah, I'm also happy you aren't asleep yet. I just wanted to know how you feel, and wish you goodnight. So… how are you tonight ?"
"Better. I think it's hurting less, thanks to that poultice Dr Tofu put on the wound, but I know it'll resume hurting tomorrow. Kasumi told me that the doctor had given her ingredients to prepare the poultice, some time ago, after Akane had almost broken a bone while training, so she'll put a new one tomorrow. I'm sure I won't remain immobilized for long, so don't worry, okay ?"
"Sounds good. I'm relieved to hear it's getting better." A short moment of silence, then : "Look, I wanted to thank you for this wonderful day. If we put the attack aside, it was really a nice day and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed spending it with you, and making you feel better. Thank you, Ranma !"
"No, thank YOU for helping me to remain happy after that bad experience ! You made me forget it and focus on good moments, so I'm the one being grateful here ! Thanks a lot for the piggy ride, for the restaurant invitation… oh, and for the funny memories of the skating and gymnastics challenges ! But most of all, thanks for being such an outstanding friend and keeping me in high spirits !"
"I'm happy if you are…" he modestly replied.
"Same here…" she replied just as simply.
And once again, that silence between them.
That comfortable silence.
Ranma felt her face heat up and had to look down.
"By the way, uh… would you mind if I… if I joined you in meditation ? If we meditated together ?"
His mouth slightly opened… but past the surprise, he gently smiled at her.
"Of course you can join me, Ranma. With great pleasure. But only when your ankle has fully recovered, so that you don't hurt yourself while sitting cross-legged. But yes, I'd love to have you with me !"
This time, both their faces heat up after the last sentence.
Long, long seconds of sheer happiness.
"O…okay… I guess I'll let you sleep… right ?"
"Right. Thanks for… everything. Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ryoga…" she whispered, concluding with a soft smile.
"Goodnight to you, Ranma, and may your dreams be even sweeter."
They stared at each other again, but he turned around after a few seconds, feeling awkward and his face still hot…
That evening, Ranma fell asleep with her lips bent upward again, and with the feeling that her heart was getting lighter… deeper… mellower…
And her last thought of the day (of this amazing day) was :
The tide is turning… again. It did when Ryoga proposed me peace. It did again when he proposed me friendship. And now, he didn't propose me anything, but I feel the tide is turning once more. I'm not sure on which side of the boundary I am, friendship or love, but I think I have an idea…
I'll make you happy, Ryoga…
Author's notes :
Saturday being Ranma's favourite day : it actually is mine, because it's less busy than the week days (Monday to Friday) but more than Sunday, which can be dull. Saturday is a perfect day for going out, have fun doing outdoor activities, for restaurant or cinema… I often had great Saturdays in my life ! And after all, there was SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, a cool film, so… ;)
Piggy ride : as you might have guessed, this is a lil' "wink" of mine to the 5th episode, in which Akane carried Ranma-chan on her back at night. It was a beautiful moment, calm and almost tender, and the gorgeous piano music (one of the best musics of the anime !) made it even more magical. Loved it, and here is my homage to that moment.
"Put it behind you now" : Akane's line here refers to the title of a song by Keane, a band I love, especially their first two albums. I wish I could attend one of their concerts… but I doubt they'll be coming to Switzerland anytime soon. "Trouble with dreams", as the other guy said, eh… ^^'
Wasn't that sweet, eh ? I wanted to make it touching and tender, somewhat romantic (although romanticism isn't my typical nature), because I love the intensity of feelings, the power of moving/touching moments, the magic of emotions… and the getting closer of two persons, notably when they hadn't been getting along so well in the past.
Oh, I'm not a blind optimistic, a blissfully happy dude, mind you. More the realistic kind. But yeah, I focus on the half-full part of the glass, not the half-empty one, because I'm attracted to positivity. And to the strength and magic of feelings and emotions.
I hope this wasn't soppy/mushy though. I wanted to make it sentimental, but not in an exaggerate way… and I know that the limit between enough and too much can be hard to see, when expressing yourself, so…
Anyway, thanxxxx to all those who read, review (in a respectful way, i.e. constructive criticism), enjoy, support this lil' fic here. Hopefully I won't disappoint you, but if some things can be improved, I'm pricking up my ears all the way for your remarks and advices !
Oh, btw : I've been reading a very nice RxR (Ranma-chan X Ryoga) story, with some pretty emotional, sweet moments too : DIAL IT IN, by Ficfairies. You should give it a try, really ! I've been reading other RxR stuff, but that one remains my favourite up to now.
Ok, that's all for now, Folxxxx ! Time to wrap it up ! Thanxxxx for your time, take care and catch you around next corner !
/ Léo /