11. LAST LEG IN THE RISING SUN …
Muffled sounds.
Blackness.
Pain.
Disorientation.
More lost than ever.
Than he had ever felt.
He winced, but couldn't move.
"…ga ! Ryo… Can y-… me ?"
He moaned, vaguely aware that he was regaining consciousness.
He felt something delicate on his face.
On his cheek.
Skin.
Soft skin.
"Ryoga ! Ryoga, please ! Can you hear me ? Ryoga !?"
Her… voice… It's… her voice… I… I must…
His lips moved.
Slightly.
Moved again.
Slowly parted.
"S… So…raya…"
"Oh gosh, he replied !" exclaimed the voice, obviously informing the others, before resuming her addressing him : "Ryoga… open your eyes, please !"
The Lonely Traveller heard other voices, but focused solely on hers.
He felt her hand gently move on his cheek again, and this time, her thumb briefly moved a few times on his skin, a tiny caress, a tender gesture that proved…
She cares for me… she likes me… she… she…
His eyes opened and he looked at her.
In the background, he could still hear the others' voices, but ignored them, keeping his focus solely on her.
She took her hand off his face and her concerned expression was briefly replaced by a nice smile, as she whispered a kind 'hey !', but worry soon returned.
"How… How do you feel, Ryoga ?" she cautiously asked, feeling anguish nibbling at her heart as she dreaded to hear him say he couldn't move anymore… which would indicate a major fracture, possibly in his spine.
And that was frightening.
"Tired… and kinda painful… but I'll be okay… I think…"
He stared at her and made an effort to smile at her.
Seeing this, she couldn't help smiling back, although circumspectly, being still concerned for him.
The others had stopped talking, since he didn't seem to notice them, for obvious reasons, and limited themselves to observing the "unofficial couple".
"Can you… help me up…?" he asked her, raising his hand.
She grabbed it in her right one and gently pulled up, while her left hand got behind his back, to push it up. It was essential to move very cautiously, to avoid making the pain more acute.
Once he was in sitting position, she didn't let go of his hand and instead tightened her grip on it.
The Lost Boy's wince alerted Soraya, but also the rest of his friends.
"Ryoga ! Is it your back ? Is it hurting badly ?" asked Akane, who had kneeled by his side, across from Soraya.
"Yeah… it's just the shock… I'll be okay… but what about… you, Soraya ?" he asked with difficulty, his aching back preventing a fluid elocution.
"I'm unharmed, thanks to you. Your body protected me from the impact of the truck, and when we crashed to the ground, meters away, it's also your body that took all the damage and prevented mine from getting hurt. I owe you a lot. Thank you, Ryoga."
He smiled, although pain was apparent as well.
"I'm glad… you're safe…"
"Thanks, but I want you to be safe as well ! We have to take you to a doctor !"
"It's not… that serious… perhaps I can rest… a bit more… and fully recover… but not very long… I'll soon be fine…"
The redhead squeezed the boy's hand as she energetically protested :
"NO ! Please be reasonable ! You must get examined ! It could be serious !"
"For once, I agree with you, "Sister" : he has to see a doctor." agreed Ranma, before looking at his former rival : "Look, Buddy, it could be serious, you never know !"
Soraya appreciated the (for once) kind words of her "brother" to his former whipping boy and thanked him for that, to which he merely nodded.
"Yes, listen to them, Ryoga !" pleaded Akane, who didn't dare to take his hand (although Soraya would have understood it given the situation, Akane wasn't sure that this innocent gesture wouldn't have made the redhead cringe…)
He looked at all of them in turn.
"But…" he started yet couldn't go any further, as the only one silent up to now had the final say in it :
"Ryoga, as Soraya said : please be reasonable !" Ukyo told the poor boy as she also kneeled by him, next to the pigtailed girl. "And as Ranma also said : it could be serious. You MUST see a doctor and get examined by him. If there's any problem, we must find out now, and not when we'll be on the road. For if you have a serious internal wound or some concussion that we can't find out about, as we have no medical knowledge, it could worsen if we keep on travelling without checking. For example, in case of a new impact, it might become very bad and put your life in danger."
The young victim sighed, visibly ready to surrender.
"I guess… I don't have the choice… since you all… want me to get… medical care…"
"That's right, you don't have the choice !" teased the chef with a knowing smile. "And it's for your own good anyway, so better accept it and be grateful."
"I am."
Ukyo turned to Ranma.
"Ran-Chan, since you're the strongest of us, can you please carry Ryoga on your back ?"
"I could do it !" protested Soraya, but got a denial "headshake" from Ucchan.
"I know you're strong, but Ryoga is very muscular and rather tall : you won't be able to carry such a weight, believe me ! Ranma has the most strength among us all, so it's more reasonable to let him do it."
And as she read Soraya's disappointment over her face, she added : "I'm sorry."
The braided female made a grimace of powerlessness with her mouth.
"Okay then…" she replied with obvious chagrin.
Ranma took the Bandana Boy on his back, and once the latter was secured behind him, the Black Pigtail turned to the Red Pigtail.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."
"Thanks."
"Oh, no problem. I know how dear to you he has become."
A wink followed.
"Ranma, come on, Man !" Ryoga indignantly said.
Ukyo and Akane, as for them, couldn't help giggling.
The redhead cast an embarrassed look around her, at each in turn, and ended with Ranma, to whom she addressed a mad stare, but although his smirk upset her, she didn't reply… because, after all, he was right.
And right now, she didn't feel like clouding the issue nor arguing, as her mind was focused on something much more important : worrying for the one she loved…
(…)
The next day, in the waiting room of Yamaguchi hospital…
"I'm sure he'll be alright, Soraya. Don't worry." Akane told her friend, resting her hand on the redhead's upper back in the typical comforting gesture.
"I hope so. But it's all my fault : I wanted to help that cat, avoid it getting run over by that truck… and I ended up falling from my bicycle, risking my own life. And that's because Ryoga wanted to save me that he risked his own life. If I had got up quicker and jumped aside, none of this would have happened… and he wouldn't have to see a doctor !"
"Easy, Soraya, easy. You don't have to blame yourself. I'm sure you reacted as quickly as you could, and the truck was getting at you very fast anyway, so you had very little time to take action !" remarked Ukyo, before gently smiling : "And you were willing to do the good thing : saving a life, just like Ryoga also saved yours. Doing something that preserves others' lives is one of the most admirable deeds in mankind, so you can be proud of yourself, and Ryoga of himself : you both saved lives yesterday, and for that, I have nothing but gratitude to express to you and him ! I will tell him later, once we can finally see him."
Speaking of gratitude, that's what Soraya's look was full of, when she smiled at her dear friend "Thanks a lot, Ucchan."
And turning to the other side :
"And thank you, Akane, for also trying to comfort me. Thank you to both of you for your kindness, it means a lot."
Ranma loudly coughed, another typical gesture… to get noticed, this time.
The three girls glanced at him.
"Something wrong, Ran-Chan ?"
"Well, I hear only thanks for you two but nothing for me… I also told you he'd be ok, didn't I ?"
Soraya frowned but spoke on a calm tone :
"Yeah, but you uttered it in a rather careless manner, as if you were discarding the issue as unimportant or not so serious. But he got hit by a truck, dammit !"
Her voice had risen at the end.
"Okay, okay, but he told you himself that he didn't feel that bad, only a bit of pain in the back. If it was really serious or painful, he would have told us."
Ukyo immediately replied, knowing that if Soraya did, she would react roundly, if not angrily, and now was one of the worst times to bicker, considering they were in a hospital :
"Ran-Chan, some damage can be hidden, and only detectable via internal examination of organs and skeleton by a professional. Also, the fact that a pain is not severe doesn't imply that the case is minor : sometimes, there's not that much pain, yet there's internal bleeding… A physical damage cannot be assessed only from the intensity of the pain."
Soraya gave her a thankful look and observed carefully Ranma's reaction, ready to react heatedly if need be.
The pigtailed boy stared at Ukyo, then glanced at Soraya… and saw the determination in the latter's eyes.
She looks like a tigress ready to leap… I'd better not try her, all the more since I bet Ucchan and Akane will side with her against me.
"Alright, alright, maybe I didn't give it enough importance…"
"Maybe ?" repeated the cook, raising a brow.
"Ok, certainly…" he grumbled.
(…)
They entered the room and Ryoga turned his head at them.
"Hey friends…"
He looked somewhat tired, which his companions didn't see as a good omen.
Soraya took a step forward… then stopped and glanced cautiously at Ukyo, as if asking her permission.
The chef smiled and made a nod in direction of the bed, mouthing the word 'go'.
The redhead also noticed that Akane was watching her as well, a small smile on her lips.
Encouraged, yet feeling herself blushing (they know… I can see it in their looks and smiles…), the redhead walked to the bed and turning the side chair in direction of the bed, she sat and intently looked at the one who had stolen her heart.
She was well aware of the stares on her… on Ryoga and her… and prayed that a certain other pigtailed person wouldn't put his foot in it, with his legendary subtlety…
"How… how do you feel, Ryoga ?" she gently asked, tempted to seize his hand yet not daring in public… even if said public were only their good, long-time friends and that they wouldn't mind.
"I'm ok, I guess. I could rest this whole night and I feel better now. The doctor took all the time needed for a thorough examination. He said he would come back this morning with the results." His lips gently stretched. "And thanks for asking."
"Don't mention it…" she whispered, feeling the heat all over her face. "I-I'm happy you're doing better. Happy and relieved."
His lips stretched even more and he slowly nictated.
She also smiled, but bashfully.
It occurred to her that the others didn't say anything and she could almost feel the weight of their gazes on her.
"Wh-why don't you come closer, guys ? she asked them, half-turning her head in their direction… but only half, because she knew that they would notice her deep blush if she completely turned to them.
"No no, we're fine. Keep chatting, Sister." replied Ranma, his arms crossed, amused by the scene.
And indeed, they all could feel the slight mockery in his tone… but not a mean, nasty one : rather a gentle tease.
There was an eerie silence, as Soraya and Ryoga stared at each other, their races all red, their three friends observing them with interest (even Ranma didn't feel like interrupting or saying something mischievous to make them feel uneasy).
Ryoga's hand left the sheet it was resting on and moved in direction of the redhead's hand…
… and that's the moment the doctor chose to enter the room !
He greeted everyone present and then came the decisive moment :
"Mr. Hibiki, I have good news for you : there is no trace of fracture, hemorrhage or any other serious damage. There is only a contusion at the spot you got hit, and right beside is a bruise consecutive to your body's impact on the ground. These are minor injuries, that can be healed with the use of "hematoma ointment", as we call it here. You'll have to apply it each day, preferably in the evening, and within a week and a half, you should be back to normal. My secretary will prepare you the prescription for the ointment."
"That's great news !" joyously exclaimed Akane.
"Indeed." Ukyo told her, before turning her attention to the practitioner : "Thank you, Doctor. And so, our friend can leave the hospital… still today ?" asked Ukyo.
He nodded.
"I would recommend still a bit more rest today, but I think that this afternoon he should be good to go, yes. He was lucky that, as he explained me, the truck hit him when it was about to fully stop, which implied less force and therefore a minor collision, the kind that doesn't leave any major sequelae. If the truck's speed had been substantially higher… that could have been very serious."
He gave a reassuring look and smile to his patient, to alleviate the implication of his last words.
"Luck was on your side, my young friend."
Ryoga nodded, and giving a quick glance at Soraya, he thought :
It still is…
(…)
In the early afternoon, the five friends were glad to be all back together, out in fresh air, away from all medical whiff.
And equally glad to admire the various colours of the trees' autumn "suits" : that multicoloured symphony remained, as always, a feast to the eyes.
There was a pharmacy almost opposite the hospital and they headed there to get the ointment the Lost Boy would have to use until at least next week.
"Ok, now that we have it, we must figure out a way to continue our trip !" Akane said to no one in particular…. but looking directly at Ukyo.
"Yes, what do you think, Ucchan ?" asked Ranma.
The "unofficial couple" also had their eyes on Ukyo, waiting for her reply.
"Hey, why are you all looking at me ?" the cook asked, taken by surprise.
"Because you're our guide and the one who has the most initiative. You've already made a few important decisions, so it's fair to say you're the team leader !" explained the Red Pigtail.
"I get it. I never intended to be the leader… but if you're willing to consider me that…"
"We are, as you can see…" Ryoga chimed in.
Ukyo realized she had just been officially acknowledged by all as the one in charge.
"Right. But I'm not making decisions on my own. You can voice your opinion whenever you want, and all ideas are welcome, okay ?" she told them.
General nod.
"So, I think we should check at the train station, since we need the fastest mean of transportation. Bus is less fast, and given our recent experience, better avoid it… even if the weather is calmer here. As for the bicycles… we'll arrive for Christmas if we use them again !"
This earned her a general giggle, even from the boys, and it was reassuring to laugh all together after the ordeal they had been through.
"Wait, I'll go ask the direction of the train station !" proposed Ryoga, and immediately went to an elderly lady for that purpose.
"The direction-challenged boy asking the itinerary… we're so doomed !" grumbled Ranma, with Soraya instantly shushing him.
The elderly lady replied to Ryoga, indicating the right way with her hand.
All happy that he could get the precious info, he returned to the group.
"It's a 30 minutes-walk in that direction !" the Lost Boy said with satisfaction, pleased with himself, as he showed them the… left way !
The girls' faces switched to a dismayed expression, while the other boy simply facepalmed while muttering "I knew it, I so knew it".
He observed them for a moment, apparently puzzled by their reactions…
…and them, to their utter surprise, he burst out laughing !
"You should see your faces, guys ! Priceless !"
"What's so funny, Ryoga ?" Soraya asked him on confused yet gentle tone.
"Have you been pulling our leg, by chance ?" asked Ukyo.
"No, Ryoga really has a poor sense of direction. But you already know that !" Akane remarked.
"Oh, I sure know that… but I also know that he made great progress in orientating himself these past months, as you told me, Akane. Given this, and the fact he's laughing at us, I suspect he didn't understood it wrong but was just messing with us. Am I right, Ryoga ?"
The boy whipped out a "tear of laughter" before answering :
"Well done, Ukyo ! You unmasked me ! Yeah, I was pulling your leg indeed. It's in the other direction !" He pointed to the right, where the elderly lady had stretched her hand to. "Sorry, that was too tempting. And when I saw your reactions… it was really worth it ! But yeah, sorry ! And bravo, Ukyo ! You're very clever !"
The cook had a modesty gesture.
"Ah, see ? He's not so bad after all, uh ?" the redhead told the "blackhead" with a smirk.
Then she joyously told the (no longer so) Lost Boy : "You're the best, Ryoga !"
Her "brother" sighed and rolled his eyes.
(…)
"Kitakyūshū ?" asked the tickets employee. "I'm afraid that won't be possible : there is only one railway leading to that city, and it was damaged by an incident yesterday evening. The repairing crew is at work on it right now."
"Crap ! Just our luck !" muttered Saotome Jr under his breath.
"How can we go there, then ?" asked a concerned Akane, visually consulting Ukyo to get her opinion.
"Excuse me, but I can give you an advice about this : there is a car rental office called RENTAKAA* just down the street, on the left. Many people have been using that solution… or the bus, if you prefer…" the employee told them.
*That company name comes from the Japanese for "rental car". As simple as that. ;)
"No no no, we don't prefer the bus !" hurriedly replied Soraya.
This got the other giggling, save for Ranma, who seemed to be sulking.
The employee goggled at them, wondering what could be wrong with the bus…
(…)
"I didn't know you had your driving license, Ucchan…" Ranma told her as he took the passenger's seat of the Subaru.
The chef got behind the steering wheel and seized it with both hands.
"I got it last year and used it for some time. But I haven't driven for a few months now… and yet I'm pretty sure I can remember it all. It's not very difficult to drive, you know !"
"And where did you go when you were driving ?" asked a curious Akane.
"Oh, somewhere in the country. In a quiet place. There, I could relax for a moment."
The cook's blue eyes turned to the right and a small smile formed on her lips.
"And when I was alone in nature, I often thought about you. I thought that I could take you on a ride if you were with me. I would have been happy to."
The blue eyes got twinkling.
The smile sank.
The throat got painful.
"Ucchan ?" asked a concerned Soraya, sensing something was wrong.
"You okay, Ucchan ?" wanted to know Ranma, worried.
She whipped the warm liquid overflowing from the rim of her eyes and silently moving down her beautiful face… beautiful yet sad, in this moment.
"Yeah… just old memories of a time that won't exist anymore… it's all behind… and see, I can finally give you a ride, Ran-Chan !"
The tone at the end was artificially joyous and her sudden enthusiasm sounded off, but the others sensed that their leader was doing her best to counter her sadness about renouncing her love for the pigtailed boy, and they decided to avoid making any remark or ask any question.
"Yeah, that's cool ! Thanks a lot, Ucchan !" the pigtailed boy thanked her.
The chef nodded, and her smile, this time, was no longer sad, but grateful.
Behind them, in the back, Ryoga felt slightly uncomfortable… not because he was "squashed" between Soraya and Akane, but because he found himself right in the middle of his former crush and his current crush. !
And that felt bizarre to him.
"That's a good thing there's the same car rental company in Kitakyūshū and that we can return the car there, without being asked to bring it back to Yamaguchi later on !" noted the redhead.
"Yes, their policy in this respect is really well defined. Cars can remain in their arrival point, and will be brought by other drivers to their starting point someday. Very practical." the okonomiyaki specialist admitted, putting her sadness behind, now ready to get down to business : "Alright, seat belts on, everyone ?"
"Sir, yes, Sir !" exclaimed Soraya as she saluted, hand against her temple.
Another round of giggles. Even Ranma couldn't help chuckling, this time.
"May we be luckier with this new mean of transportation !" wished the third Tendo.
"As you say, yes !" agreed Ukyo, starting to feel better.
And she turned the car key.
(…)
They had chosen the highway, for efficiency and speed reason – they didn't want to take too much time, especially since they had wasted hours with their various misadventures – but once they saw how many cars there were on said highway, they wondered if the A-road was less populous, and if they shouldn't have taken it instead.
But now that they were there, no turning back possible. They had to deal with it and hope that this great mass of cars wouldn't slow them down that much.
That had already covered most of the itinerary between Yamaguchi and Kitakyūshū.
It was late afternoon and the sun was gradually reaching the west, making shadows grow longer, longer…
Ukyo was very focused, remaining alert, with her eyes set in front of her.
But as attentive as she was, her mind still worked independently, and at some point, it sent her a signal.
Something isn't right around here…
Then she remembered seeing Ranma asleep earlier, and when she quickly glanced at him again, she could notice he still was.
How long has he been sleeping ? Not since we left Yamaguchi, right ? Or did he ?
She heard Soraya whisper something that she didn't get – in fact, she was telling Ryoga that she was hungry – and as she looked in the rearview mirror, she could see the girl busy with her backpack.
Clever as she was, she knew what was coming next… and thus wasn't surprised to see the pigtailed girl bite in a dumpling the following minute.
The redhead's blue eyes met the cook's blue eyes in the rearview mirror… and the discrete "eater" instantly felt guilty.
"I'm… I'm sorry, Ucchan… I felt too hungry… I've been holding back for a moment now… But I just couldn't anymore… sorry…"
"It's okay, Soraya. I'm well aware you have no control over this. But just try to eat reasonably, not too much. We really need to spare food, as the journey will be long. Okay ?"
"Okay. I'll be careful."
"Ukyo, Ranma has been asleep for a long time now…" remarked Akane, sensing what the reason of this was.
"Yes, he has. After the talk Soraya and me just had, I assume you guess what's happening…"
"The energy transfer…"
"Exactly."
There was an awkward silence, the four friends knowing it was a fatality and that none of them had the power to change it.
The driver was about to utter something comforting…
…when her attention got caught by a sudden horn blast !
But not a normal one : an extended one, rather aggressive !
Ukyo's eyes widened in the rearview mirror as she saw a sports car closing in extremely fast… and about to bash the rear bumper of their car !
"He's crazy !" exclaimed Akane, who had turned around to check where that horn came from and what was happening.
The long-haired female changed lane just when the was about to run into them.
A loud roar filled their ears as the sports car rushed past them, zooming forward at insane speed. Akane had just enough time to spot the face of the guy in the passenger's seat : a guy with spiky hair, black glasses and a black bandana with kinds of white spots, who gave her the middle finger from his black-gloved hand.
"Damn jerk !" the cook fulminated against the reckless driver.
"Wh-what was… that sound ?" asked a furred voice.
"Oh, you're awake, Ran-Chan ? I'm sorry that bastard woke you up !"
"What bastard ?"
"There was one of those car rodeo dudes behind us." Akane chimed in. "He almost-"
A din ahead cut her short.
"What was that ?" asked a bewildered Ryoga.
"Could it be an accident ?" suggested Soraya.
Then all of them thought about the same thing.
"The mad driver ! Maybe he provoked an accident !" a suddenly worried Ukyo exclaimed, voicing everyone's fear.
And indeed, very soon…
"There, on the side !" said Ranma, pointing his finger to the right.
The blue-clad driver pulled over behind a distorted car and the five teenagers hurried out of their own vehicle.
"Hi ! Is anybody hurt ?" asked an anxious Ucchan.
"Yes ! My… my dad… is… bleeding !" screamed a weeping child.
"A sports car hit us violently and my husband lost the control of our car ! Please help us ! Help my husband ! He's very bad !" begged the panicked wife.
Soraya spotted a familiar shape a little ahead.
"A SOS call box ! I'll get some help !" she exclaimed before taking off.
She ran as fast as she could to the emergency telephone and quickly explained what had happened and, looking around her, she gave as many precisions as she could about the location of the accident, concluding by stressing the urgency of the case and the need to dispatch an ambulance in the shortest time.
"They said they would send an ambulance as soon as possible…" she said aloud as she came back to the damaged car.
"Thank you so much ! Oh, thank you, thank you !" thankfully exclaimed the poor wife, whom the okonomiyaki cook had been comforting.
"We'll stay with you until the ambulance arrives, alright ?" Ukyo told the poor woman, who nodded quickly and resumed her thanking.
Soraya saw that Akane was applying pressure to the husband's wound, whose head was resting in Ryoga's lap.
"Is it serious ?" the pigtailed female asked the black-haired girl.
"No, but it's still a wound, and there's still blood loss, so I have to take care of it. But it's not a bad wound, neither long nor deep. His life is not in jeopardy." replied the youngest Tendo.
The blue eyes wandered to certain brown eyes.
"Thanks a lot for helping as well, Ryoga !"
"Oh, no problem, really ! It's my duty !"
She couldn't tell if he was blushing, as he looked at her, averted her gaze… before resuming looking at her… but it seemed to her that he did, and that warmed her heart.
Ranma, as for him, was reassuring the two children of the couple, telling them that their daddy was the strongest daddy of the world and that nothing could beat him.
That sight made Soraya smile… and she thought that, all things considered, and despite his short-tempered and provocative nature, her "brother" wasn't a bad sort…
(…)
"If I find those reckless guys, I swear I'll give them the beating of their life for endangering a family's life !" the smallest girl said, gritting her teeth at the memory of the injured father and scared mother.
"And I'll help you with it ! Those bastards ! How did they dare do such a thing ?!" the Bandana Boy added, clenching one of his fists as he spoke.
"I understand how you feel, my friends, and that accident also shook me." admitted their driver. "We haven't seen any other accident since we resumed our trip, and I hope there won't be any other… but I wish it were those little fuckers who had an accident !"
"Fuckers ? I never heard you swear like that, Ukyo !" exclaimed a surprised Akane.
The chef couldn't help smirking.
"Eh eh, I also have a bad side, what did you think ? Like all of you !"
"If Ranma could hear you swear, he'd be baffled too !"
The young cook glanced at her former fiancée, who slept soundly on her right, and sighed.
"Yeah… But Sleeping Beauty here won't wake up…"
The expression made the other girls smile… but then, concern "took over" :
"Do you think we should wake him up ?" cautiously asked the karate fighter.
"Ah no, let him sleep : at least, when he does, he doesn't annoy anyone !" protested the braided female.
Her interlocutor didn't reply, knowing it wasn't wrong after all.
"I agree with Soraya. I mean, I like Ran-Chan, but I have to admit that he can be kinda bothersome. Sorry to say so but it's true. But most of all, I don't wanna wake him up because I hate waking up people in general. If they need sleep, we must respect that. Let's leave him slumber… but we'll need to recharge him after arriving."
No one opposed that.
They drove in silence for a while, evening having now settled, although there remained a fair amount of light after the sun's dive behind the mountains.
Ryoga's gaze occasionally drifted from the landscape on his right to another… "landscape" inside the car, a much more appealing one, whose beautiful redness reminded him of the red leaves scattered in the sea of leaves outside…
And then…
"Kitakyūshū !" the Spatula Girl read aloud, from the sign ahead.
"Finally !" (Soraya)
"Great !" (Akane)
"We made it !" (Ryoga)
The "driving cook" switched on the right blinker to exit the highway, then they found themselves on a quieter road taking a large turn to the right and soon leading them to the entrance of that port city that would help them reach another country, in which their fate awaited patiently…
(…)
They left the car in the local RENTAKAA car rental and decided to have dinner, since it was now night time and they felt dead hungry.
But since they had finally reached their Japanese destination – that would allow them to later reach their Chinese (and final) destination – they decided to make an exception and to celebrate the successful first part of their trip by eating in a restaurant, for once.
But they made sure to choose a place with reasonable prices, and once they got there, after a fair waiting, they got delighted by tokoyaki, shrimp dumplings, ramen, dim sum, gyoza. It was absolutely excellent and the price-quality ratio was indeed interesting.
They chatted animatedly (except for Ranma, who made an effort yet visibly felt more tired than ever), laughed wholeheartedly, didn't annoy each other and therefore spent a very nice moment all together.
Dinner over, time had come to look for a place to spend the night, and they opted for a family pension located not too far from the harbour, making it faster for them to find the ship they were to travel on.
"Now is the time to increase your energy level again, Ranma !" his fiancée told him as they climbed the stairs to their rooms.
"Can't it wait until tomorrow ? I'm awfully tired…" he complained.
"Why wait, Ranma ?" asked a puzzled Ryoga.
"Because I will start losing energy during the night, energy which I don't need since I won't be doing anything, merely sleeping. Better give me back my energy once we start moving again, at the last minute, no ?"
"Mmmmh… that makes sense, Ran-Chan !" admitted Ukyo. "I guess you're right. Let's all go to bed now."
"Uh… can someone please help me put that healing ointment on my back and massage it ?"asked the Bandana Boy who, after opening his backpack, pulled out the ointment tube.
He tried hard to avoid Soraya's look, but although his gaze tried to look at all the girls in turn, his brown eyes tended to come back to those beautiful blue ones and linger on them for a few seconds before resuming the general, overall glance.
The fiancée and former fiancée of the pigtailed boy didn't say anything, but discreetly turned to the pigtailed girl.
The latter noticed their stares, as well as Ranma'sl. So that, with Ryoga also observing her expectantly, she had all eyes on her !
"What ? Me ?" she shyly asked, feeling her face heat up.
Ucchan simply walked to Ryoga, seized the ointment tube, returned to the redhead, grabbed her hand and put the tube in it, concluding with a victorious grin : "You."
(…)
"You don't have to feel embarrassed. It's natural to fall in love… even if you probably didn't expect it to happen with your former rival !" remarked the brunette, a hand on Soraya's shoulder, smiling encouragingly at her.
"Yeah, not really, I admit… but I… I just can't help it. I'm attracted to him, and not only because of his looks : he's a very kind and caring man, deep inside. I can tell he has matured a lot these past months. He used to be impulsive, wild, attacking with raw strength and prone to react when teased or annoyed. He has become calmer, more respectful, nicer, always ready to help and oblige. He's a different man now and… and I care deeply for that man !" confessed the redhead, looking at both her female friends in turn.
"You can say it, Soraya : you love him… Don't feel ashamed or embarrassed to say it. Don't feel uneasy with us. Ukyo and me may well be your closest friends and you can share anything personal with us. You can confide. Well, if you feel like doing so, of course !" Akane told the pigtailed beauty.
The petite female sighed deeply, her gaze temporarily directed at the pension floor… then she raised her splendid blue gems and, taking a deep breath, she whispered : "Yes… Yes, I do love him."
"Then it's time to show him. You don't have to go too far. But helping your beloved to heal is a great proof of love, and I know it will make him very happy. Have a sweet moment with him, and don't feel forced to anything. I know he respects you and care for you, so he won't insist if he notices you're unsure of yourself. Just act natural, and so will he…" concluded the Spatula Girl with a pat on her back… and a little push forward.
Soraya walked to the door of the girls' room – she refused to massage Ryoga in the boys' room, in Ranma's presence, so her two female friends had proposed her to use their own room and they would wait until she was done to then go to sleep– and put her hand on the handle.
Then she turned around.
"Thank you, really !"
"Ah, don't mention it !" replied Ukyo with a dismissive gesture. "And just be comfortable with your feelings ! Not just you, but both of you. You don't have to hide yourselves, as we all know by now. So in case you want to… be more tender to each other while in our presence, don't hesitate. But it's up to you. If you prefer to be more discrete for the time being, when we're all together, it's also ok. It's your choice, both of you."
Soraya felt herself blush… and, opening the door, she entered the room.
Ryoga was there, sitting on one of the three beds.
"I… I was waiting for you…" he told her, stating the obvious… out of jitteriness, of course.
"Yeah… I know…" She stopped in front of him. "Uh… where do I have to put the ointment exactly ?"
Ryoga solicited his memory.
"Well, if I remember correctly, mainly on the upper half of my back. But the doctor said that it could be applied to the whole back, for a more extensive effect."
"And for how long ?"
"The doctor said : about 15 to 20 minutes."
"Okay… hum… could you… could you lie face down and pull up your tunic ?"
"Sure. Uh, actually, I'll remove it, it will be easier that way."
A few seconds later, he was half bare, his muscular chest offered to the blue gaze of the redhead.
Damn… I always despised those girls who drooled all over 6-pack, and it's true that it's not that important… but on the other hand, it's impressive… and even beautiful…
She felt her temperature rise again.
He noticed her intent stare and felt slightly uneasy.
"Okay, I guess I should turn around…" he said, swallowing his saliva.
"Y-Yeah…" she replied, gulping.
I never thought I'd enjoy a man's bare chest, and yet…
But the perfection of his torso musculature was indeed impressive…
Once she had her back in front of her, she put some ointment in her hand… and realized the quantity was somewhat excessive.
"Damn !" she whispered.
"What's wrong, Soraya ?"
"I… I squeezed out a bit too much ointment…"
He turned his head to the side, offering her his profile.
"Hey, don't get nervous. There's no reason, okay ? It'll be fine. Just… relax, alright ? Take your time and don't feel uneasy. You're just helping a…" Hesitation. "…a good friend of yours."
"A very good friend…" she clarified, then almost cursed herself for saying that and even more for stressing out 'very'.
Taking a deep breath, she put her hands on his back and started gently rubbing in regular motions, hesitantly at first… but, as minutes went by, always more confidently.
She found herself massaging the back of her beloved with both real efficiency and some kind of… yes, of tenderness. That's what it proved to be, although she wouldn't have openly admitted it.
"Mmmmh… you're doing… very good… it's… so relaxing… Mmmmh…" he told her on a tone that left no doubt about his level of enjoyment.
She flushed, her cheeks getting pink, then red.
"I'm…" *gulp* "I'm glad you like it…"
"Oh yeah… I do…Mmmmh… keep going... Soraya… you're… so good…"
She stopped massaging, sensing that her face must have gained the redness intensity of her hair… if not more.
Then he realized what he had just said…
"I… I mean… so good at massaging, right ?" he told her. "You're very gifted with your hands."
"Gifted with… with my hands ?" she repeated, imagining something much more specific, that made her breathe deeper and sweat more, the heat inside of her becoming almost unbearable.
She knew that, had she been a male, she would definitely have got a nosebleed in that very minute.
Ryoga had certain knowledge of intimate stuff and knew what a (gifted) woman could do with her hands… and so he realized the involuntary innuendo he had just made !
He remained still for a moment, then got up on one harm.
"Wait… I didn't… It's not… I wasn't… I… I mean…"
He perhaps wasn't as flushed as her, but certainly close enough.
"I-It's okay…" she replied, averting his gaze and swallowing her saliva.
"I think… I think we'd better stop here… I hate seeing you uncomfortable…Thank you very much for… for… uh… your massage… really…"
But she felt frustrated.
Because HE was frustrated as well.
Their common happiness had just vanished, making them uneasy, doubtful, awkward… and therefore suddenly disappointed.
I'm ruining it all ! I don't want to ! I want him to feel comfortable with me ! I want him to feel HAPPY with me, not uneasy ! Stupid me, can't I be more relaxed ! I must save the situation !
"No, please ! I haven't massaged you enough. It's not yet 20 minutes... It won't be efficient enough !"
He looked at her hesitantly.
"But I made you feel uncomf-"
He was unexpectedly quickly shushed by her index over his lips.
"It's okay, really. I'll be fine, and I want you to be. Please let me finish that massage. You need to be healed, and I dearly want you to be. After all, if you're hurt, it's all my fault and -"
Her turn to be shushed by his index.
Then he caught her by surprise again… by gently kissing her forefinger, which was still over his lips !
Her mouth opened, just like her gorgeous eyes.
His own eyes stared lovingly at her.
Yes : lovingly !
He kissed me ! It was only my finger, yes… but still, it's a part of ME ! He kissed ME!
She gulped…
…and her lips slowly moved forward, kissing his finger this time.
He gave her a sweet smile, the smile of a man pleasantly surprised… by that kiss she had just returned.
Their faces were as red as they possibly could, their bodies as warm as they had ever been.
And their eyes were magnetized by each other's, her blue obstinately locked with his brown.
Finally, she (reluctantly) let her forefinger slowly slip from his lips, her gaze not leaving his, and he did the same.
"I'll resume your massage, okay ?" she said, on a confident tone this time, staring intensely at him.
"Please do !" he said, looking at her just as intensely.
They had a hard time interrupting their mutual hypnosis, and she soon resumed her ministrations, kneading his skin with great care, rubbing his muscles with tenderness, and blushing furiously at his moans of approval.
Oh God… there's no turning back this time… all that's left now is for us to tell each other the three magical words… but I want to leave it for next time… tonight has been intense enough, let's leave some emotions for next time… Not everything on the same evening !
On his side, he greatly enjoyed her touch and wanted it to last for so much longer than it actually did. He was delighted to feel her hands on him… delighted and also excited, as a certain part of his anatomy proved it… (luckily, he didn't have to lie face up… or else she would notice and turn bright red out of embarrassment… although she perhaps would feel flattered as well…)
As Soraya half-massaged half-caressed Ryoga's strong back, she began to fantasize about massaging… his chest, his pecs. Her mind started to wander, making the now sweating female visualize her hands petting the front muscles her beloved had gained after years of intense training.
What… what am I thinking about ?! Am I really imagining that ?!
But on the other hand… it was really nice a fantasy.
Even extremely nice.
She felt like suffocating, so hot her body had turned… with some new warmth developing in her chest and abdomen.
She gasped, and that noise made Ryoga turn around, resting on one arm.
"Are you alright, Soraya ?"
"Yeah, I just… It's very hot in here, don't you think ?"
"Yes, you are… Uh, NONONO, IT IS ! IT IS very hot !"
She couldn't help chuckling at this, finding his awkwardness kinda cute.
"You're all flushed…" she whispered.
"I… I know… so are you…" he gently countered.
They stared at each other for long, long seconds.
"Do you… do you want me to… to… uh… to open the window ? To get fresh air ?" he asked.
"No no, it… it will be okay… but thanks… I-I will … continue. Okay ?"
All he could do was nod and lie down again.
They continued to sweat and feel that strange warmth radiating from their center – with an additional "reaction" in his case… ;) – and making them feel… unusually excited.
In fact, more than that : aroused ! (although they might have denied it, had they been asked about it)
But all good things must end or, as George Harrison sang, All Things Must Pass.
The massage session had to come to end at some point, although both did regret it.
Ryoga quickly sat up and grabbed her hands in his.
"Ryoga ! My hands are still oily from the ointment ! You'll have yours all dirty now !" she almost screamed, warning him.
"I don't care. Soraya, I have to tell you something important. Something… something vital. Soraya, I… I really like you a lot… and in fact… in fact, I…" He swallowed his saliva, took a deep breath and : "Soraya , I l-"
"NO ! Please Ryoga, don't say it ! Not tonight ! We've had enough intense emotions this evening and… and I think it would be best to keep some for another time. Maybe… in a couple of days or so ! I know you dearly want to say it, and I want to say just the same, but… but let's leave some beautiful feelings for another time, okay ? Let's not go all out on the same evening, alright ? Is it okay with you, Ryoga ?"
"Yeah. I understand what you mean and… no problem, I can wait."
"Thank you, my dear Ryoga. I… I really enjoyed our moment together… and I hope you too… that you enjoyed my massage and… well, the whole moment we spent here side by side…"
"Oh yes, I did ! I loved it… I love…" He realized he was about to say it and got a grip on himself : "I love… any moment with you, dear Soraya !"
She offered him her brightest grin, and he imitated her.
"I should go to bed now. And you should do the same and get back to your room. I know you don't want to, and neither do I, but… I'm afraid we don't have the choice…"
"I know…" he said with a sigh.
She excused herself, time for her to wash her hands, and for him to put his tunic back on. And once she was back by the bed, both lovebirds walked together to the door and, stopping in front of it, stared intensely at each other.
"Goodnight, Ryoga…" she whispered in her sweetest voice, one he had never heard.
"Goodnight, Soraya…" he whispered back, and that very soft tone was new to her as well.
"Before you go… I just wanted to let you know… well, I know you already guessed it, but still, I want to utter it out loud : what you were about to say when I stopped you… those three magical words you were about to pronounce… I feel the same about you, Ryoga, the exact same… and those three words, I will also tell them to you very soon… we will say them together… but yeah, we're on the same page, and it's all that matters. We'll be together now, for good. And to help you have a peaceful night, here's a little present…"
Leaning forward, she tilted her head to the left and her lips softly, delicately pressed the skin of his cheek…
Then, keeping her head extremely close to his, she gazed at him with the most loving eyes, her hand tenderly pressing his shoulder as she smiled adorably.
His heart was beating so powerfully that he thought it would never calm down, and as speechless as he was, all he could do was stare agape at that magnificent redhead who had stolen his heart…
His night would be peaceful, as she wished… but only if he could manage to sleep at all !
And same for her…
(…)
(…)
So… title first, since it may well sound cryptic to you : 'leg' here means 'part of the journey' ; as for the 'rising sun', it refers to Japan's nickname "Land of the Rising Sun" (with the rising sun being symbolized by the red sphere on Japan's flag.
Therefore, the title means : "last part of the journey on Japanese territory"… which implies that next chapter will see our heroes arrive in China.
I admit it wasn't the most simple chapter title, eh eh ! '
Now… this chappy and the next one originally were written together in one go, and as far as yesterday (October 3rd), they were still together in one large bunch of above 12'000 words ! So you guess what I was forced to do, eh… I used to write much longer chapter many years ago, like above 10'000, but I've become more reasonable with time (and with age, lol), so here's splitting that huge mass in two, with this one being close to 9'000 words… which is already a lot !
I'm still currently continuing chapter 12, which will be (much) shorter – I'm close to the 4'000 words now, so it'll be between 4'000 and 6'000 for sure – and hope to publish that one by next week, if everything goes according to plan… But with life, of course, you never know, eh ! ;P
Regarding this chapter, I originally planned to have the team make the last leg of the Japanese part of the journey (doesn't that sound awkward ?) by train, just like at the beginning in Nerima, creating an effect of symmetry… but considering that The Five – that will be the nickname of our team from now on – have been using different means of transportation since the very beginning (train, bus, bicycle), I thought I could follow that "logic" and have them use still another vehicle… so this time, it's a car !
As for the SxR scene (Soraya x Ryoga)… I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted them to experience intense emotions and feelings, wanted to show their inner trouble – blushing, sweating – but at the same time their happiness. They feel thrilled, excited… and even aroused despite their slight unease, their shyness. Soraya may be a tough girl, as we could well see from the very start, yet she's in unfamiliar territory when it comes to love, having never dealt with it up to now.
And of course, aside from excitement and nervousness, what was essential to show was the tenderness, the care with which she massages him, the pleasure she gains from it… NOT sexual pleasure, although there IS physical pleasure here somehow, but mostly emotional, psychological pleasure.
And speaking of sexual pleasure, I did imply that Ryoga was… hum, "reacting" to her ministrations (you know what I mean…), but that didn't go any further in description. I didn't say anything about Soraya's own body reaction, simply mentioning the pleasant warmth that radiated from her center… but on second thought, it may well be that she also "reacted" in a certain area (and that she found out only when undressing later that same night…). We can imagine so, at least.
All in all, I really loved writing that scene, and while I know it's pretty long, I felt that I should take time to develop their impressions, their reactions, their turmoil… and NOT summarize, abbreviate their first long moment together. Love needs space to expand and flourish, notably in its early stages… so I gave our lovers all the space they needed. :D
Alright, I'll return to chappy 12 now, but before I do, I wanna wholeheartedly thank all those showing their interest in this story, in one way or another, most particularly ARIANNE LUNA, who has left a review for almost every chapter of this story ! (except ch. 9) Granted, those reviews are very short, but they show that you, dear Arianne, enjoy the story a lot, and this makes me so happy and motivates me, encourages me to continue ! So MUCHAS GRACIAS for your support, I'm delighted that you like this fic' so much !
Okay, time to leave you… until next time !
Take care and be as happy as you can possibly be !
Till next time, dear readers ! .
\ Léo /