12. GOODBYE JAPAN , HELLO CHINA ! (CRUISE OF BRUISES)
Ukyo and Akane looked at each other.
Then they resumed listening carefully.
Yes, there was no possible mistake : Soraya was humming in the bathroom !
It wasn't very loud, of course –to avoid waking up her friends – but loud enough to be heard.
"Someone's happy today…" casually remarked the short-black-haired girl.
"Someone had a pleasant evening…" replied the long-brown-haired girl.
"We didn't ask her what exactly happened yesterday, after Ryoga had left, but given her deep blush, I wasn't sure if… well, what went on between them…"
"Ah ah, nah, it's definitely not that. They wouldn't have dared to, and besides, they were still somewhat shy about it. It's too early. Even caresses, I don't think so. Perhaps a kiss… but that's none of our business. I don't wanna make her uncomfortable, and I know you don't either, Akane. So let's respect her privacy. If Soraya –"
At that juncture did the bathroom door open, in fact right when Ukyo started her sentence, with the redhead's name being audible by the concerned party herself.
"What's with Soraya ?" inquired the pigtailed girl, wrapped in a white towel and rubbing her wet hair, speaking in a tone as relaxed as possible… while she didn't feel so relaxed, knowing what the topic might be about !
Ukyo being the frank friend she had always known, rarely ever feeling uneasy, uncomfortable or embarrassed, didn't hesitate and spat it out :
"I wanted to say : if Soraya feels like telling us about yesterday, she will, but we must not ask her anything, out of respect for her. It's none of our business after all, no matter how curious we could be. And there, I've said it. We respect you and won't ask anything."
Caught by surprise at the chef's straightforwardness, the center of attention in the room was left speechless.
A lull in the conversation later…
"Thanks. I appreciate. But we didn't do much. I simply massaged Ryoga's back…
…and got very hot and sweaty, notably imagining that I was caressing his pecs in the most tender way... Oh God…
"…and we… we kind of let each other know what we felt… the feeling we shared… but without saying, you know, the "three words"… we decided to keep it for later, to not go all out on the same evening."
A brief silence, during which both dark-haired females looked intently at the red-haired one, making her uneasy.
"Okay, well… you two were reasonable. You didn't even kiss, so…"
Soraya opened her mouth, visibly hesitant.
Then closed it, her eyes switching between both her friends alternately.
Seeing this, Akane couldn't help it : "You… you did ? You kissed ?"
"Akane, come on ! Don't make her uncomfortable !"
"Actually, I… I gave him a peck on the cheek… but I swear that was all ! I even hesitated to, but… after all… since we now both know what we feel for each other…"
Now her interlocutors were staring at her with their mouths agape, like she was some sort of goddess or fantasy creature.
"Hum, I'll go finish drying my hair…" she informed them, still somewhat uneasy.
"Soraya ?"
Ukyo's voice was calm and soft, and that unusual softness in an otherwise pragmatic girl was what triggered the redhead's curiosity.
"Yes ?" she replied, observing Ukyo with a mix of caution, interest and curiosity.
"Congratulations for your couple ! Because that's what you and Ryoga now are : a couple. We all knew you two were infatuated, but now… now you both let the other know, even without saying the "three words", as you said. And I think that's wonderful ! We're so happy for you, Soraya ! For you and Ryoga !"
For the umpteenth time since the day before, Ranma's female half blushed… a different kind of blush, this time…and she felt her heart swell with happiness and emotion !
"Yes, we are !" confirmed Akane. "And may you both be happy together !"
This was a bit too much for the braided female, whose eyes then watered.
"Th-Thank you ! With all my heart !" she told them, wiping her eyes, before returning into the bathroom to finish getting ready…
(…)
Ranma cast a surprised glance at the two hands holding each other, with their fingers intertwined.
Then he smirked at these hands' owners.
"Ah, you lovebirds finally make it official, uh ?"
"Yeah, and you better not mess around with us regarding this. I don't want Ryoga to feel uncomfortable !" the fiery girl warned him.
"And I don't want Soraya to feel either, so please, be gentle, Ranma !" added the Bandana Boy.
The pigtailed boy snorted.
"My former rival begging me ? Ah ah ! Then I can't decently refuse…"
A "Pffffft…" from Ryoga and an "eyes roll" from Soraya later, the little troop started for the harbour, with the new couple bringing up the rear.
The brown-eyed teenager leaned to the ear of the blue-eyed teen :
"Soraya, I wanted to thank you for proposing to hold hands. I wasn't too sure about this at first, but… I've given it a thought, and… I mean, since we're smitten with each other, and that our friends all know about us, it doesn't make sense to hide ourselves anymore. It's logical that we behave like a loving couple, and therefore hold hands."
"Exactly. And I forgot to tell you this : Ukyo and Akane congratulate us and wish us all the best for the future ! They told me earlier and I wanted to let you know as well."
"That's very kind of them. I'll have to thank them later. But right now, I'm so happy we can… well, be ourselves in front of our friends."
"So am I..." she agreed, and as she kept walking, she briefly rested her head on Ryoga's shoulder, relishing the extreme bliss she was experiencing in that moment…
(…)
The old man smiled at those five youngsters who had requested a word with the owner of the boat company.
"Don't tell me anything, young fellows !" he addressed them with a kind smile. "You're the five people that my good friend Hayao recommended."
"Indeed, Sir. We are honoured to meet you." Ukyo reverently answered, bowing to him.
He bowed in return.
"Thank you very much indeed. Honour is shared. In fact, honour and pleasure are shared. But please, don't call me sir, that's all too formal. My firstname, Isao*, will be fine."
*I had chosen 'Hayao' to pay my respects to Hayao Miyazaki, the revered cofounder of animation studio Ghibli, and this time I'm paying my respects to the other Ghibli co-founder, Isao Takahata (author of "Grave of the Fireflies", a masterpiece of animation). May both these admirable persons be blessed, and may Ghibli remain active for as long as possible !
"Our deepest thanks to you, Isao-san !" respectfully said Akane, bowing to him.
"Here are our tickets for the boat trip. And please receive our gratitude for the discount you generously granted on the final price, Isao-san !" added Ukyo as she presented them to him, half-bowing.
"Of course, of course. But it's actually normal : you are friends of a friend, so it's with great pleasure that I help you."
It was his turn to bow.
He then lead them to the boat they would travel on and wished them a pleasant trip overseas and good luck for their mission.
At 11:00 a.m., the boat weighed anchor…
(…)
The landscape was beautiful : light blue sea, mirroring the light blue sky which was void of clouds, sun… and the sheer magnificence of Kitakyūshū's varicoloured trees – red, orange, yellow and still some green in the midst of it all.
Visually, it was splendid, "auditively", there was the calm, regular, soothing sound of the water moved about by the boat, and the occasional call of some seabird, seagull or other.
It was serene, and Akane was like hypnotized by the tranquillity around. The gentle lapping of the sea, the heat of the sunrays, the beauty of the vast horizon…
While she was admiring nature's beauty, her mind started to wander freely and brought her to a completely different topic : her relationship with Ranma.
While she had at first been happy about Soraya and Ryoga bonding deeply, to the point they ended up as an official couple, she had afterwards begun to feel…what exactly ? Well, if one was to be fully honest and objective, then one had to face the reality of facts : what she had felt, and still partly felt, was a pang of jealousy.
Yes, she felt at the same time happy for the lovebirds, whom were dear to her - Soraya had defended her own couple, the one she formed with Ranma as official fiancés, and Ryoga had had a hard, solitary life for most of it – AND jealous too, because she wished she could experience the same happiness with Ranma.
We are in good terms, our relationship is much better than it used to be, and actually has never been that good… but still, something is missing : real love, or at the least tenderness, sweetness, little attentions, deep care… all things that belong to the realm of love. A solid friendship should be treasured, yes, it's a blessing indeed… but love, or even passion, are even more "treasurable" ! I want to experience real love too, like Soraya and Ryoga ! I want Ranma to tell me –
"I love you…"
She jumped and turned around, eyes and mouth wide open.
The pigtailed boy, right behind her, almost jumped in turn, surprised at both her swift turning around and her flabbergasted expression.
"What… what did you just SAY, Ranma ?"
"Wow, easy, Akane ! I was just saying that I loved your stare !"
She then realized she hadn't heard the full sentence before, hence her wrong assumption about what he had said.
"My stare ?"
"Yes, the way you stared at the landscape…"
"Ah, that…" Obvious disappointment invaded her features. "And what's with my stare ?"
He made a nervous movement with his mouth.
"Well, I just thought that you looked pretty peaceful, and even..."
Then he hesitated.
"Even what ?" she asked, feeling slightly better. (after all, 'peaceful' sounded like some compliment, so that started to lift her spirits)
His mouth moved nervously again.
"Well… you looked even… cute ?"
The way he finished his sentence, making it sound like a question, showed his incertitude… but not about how she looked : about the way he expressed it !
"Really ? I looked cute ?"
Her spirits got lifted higher.
"Y-Yeah… to me you looked cute…"
She couldn't help it : she threw herself at him, her arms around his neck, her eyes filled with sheer joy.
"Oh Ranma… thank you !"
He hesitated, unsure if he should hug her.
But then he caught sight of their three friends, observing them with large grins, and he saw Ukyo mimic an embrace, a hug. She repeated the movement and her mouth formed the word 'hug'.
The blue-eyed teenager quickly glanced at Soraya and Ryoga, in each other's arms, his arm around her shoulder, her arm around his waist.
Damn, if they can do it, there's no way I can't !
"Ranma ?" asked Akane, looking up at him, then behind her, only to see Ukyo quickly bringing her arms down and showing an embarrassed smile.
Then she felt her back being wrapped in a muscular embrace and she knew he was hugging her back.
"Thanks for that, Akane ! You can be really sweet… when you want to !"
He winked at her, and she actually enjoyed his teasing.
"And you can be very sweet and caring… when you want to, Ranma !"
He chuckled at that, and she imitated him.
"It's me who must thank you for hugging me. I… I was actually hoping you would…" she told him, sensing the heat on her face and knowing what was happening to her cheeks in this moment.
"Well I'm glad I made you happy and fulfilled your hope, then…" he gently told her.
"Ranma…" she whispered… and rested her head on his chest.
He dithered… then made up his mind and slowly raised his arm.
The blushing girl felt a light weight on her hair… and then started to enjoy the delicate caress he was offering her.
I can't believe this is happening… Oh gosh, I just can't ! I hope it's NOT a dream… but if it's one, I want it to last as long as possible…
Ukyo felt happy for them.
Well, most of her did… but a small part felt painful, sad, disappointed, because that part wished that it were her, Ukyo, who was in Ranma's strong arms right now.
But her deep sense of friendship was more powerful and stifled that small bitter portion of herself, and knowing that Ranma felt happier right now helped her to do so : what mattered the most to her was his happiness, and if that happiness was with Akane, then it had to be so, and things were currently for the best.
When Ranma glanced at his childhood friend, she gave him a thumb up, and he smiled in response.
Ryoga caught sight of Ukyo's thumb up and decided to do the same, which his former rival also noticed with surprise, and he gave both of them a thumb up in return.
When they finally parted, Akane gave her fiancée her brightest smile ever.
"Ranma, I'm so happy…"
He returned it, and seeing that stubborn boy smile wide was no frequent thing, hence the particularity and importance of this moment.
"So am I, Akane…"
But as we all know, happiness is volatile, and so…
A loud vulgar snicker, behind his back, distracted them and made them look in that direction.
On the other side of the boat, a trio of teenagers, wearing leather jackets, was observing them shamelessly… and their expressions were a mix of scoff and scorn.
"What are you looking at ?" the pigtailed fighter barked at them.
The three thugs guffawed, which substantially rose Ranma's anger gauge.
Then Akane's eyes opened wide.
"That man… the one with spiky hair and black bandana with white spots… he's the one who gave me the middle finger, in that rushing car on the highway… the car which passed us by in a roar and provoked the accident later on…"
He turned to her, very focused.
"Are you sure ?!"
She nodded.
"I won't forget that man. All the more since he and his accomplices almost killed a family !"
The fiancés turned back at the evil trio and frowned plus glared at them.
That was enough to displease the delinquents who, after a short verbal exchange, slowly left their spot and walked very slowy – and very menacingly – in direction of the couple.
In fact, it was calculated slowness of walking : the bad boys wanted to appear as threatening as possible, and give those poor lovebirds all the time to get afraid.
Very afraid.
Ukyo, Ryoga and Soraya, who had witnessed the whole scene, sensed that the invasive weed of trouble had now germinated in the peaceful "soil" of the boat.
"Guys, get ready ! I'm not sure at all we can avoid a fight ! But let's do our best to keep calm though, ok ? Let's ignore their provocation ! A battle on a boat full of people is the last thing we need !" warned the leader of the "five team" as she tied her long hair into a ponytail, to move faster in case of a confrontation that part of her thought unavoidable.
The three thugs planted themselves right in front of the fiancés, smirking confidently and ignoring for the moment the other three teenagers (Ukyo, Soraya and Ryoga).
Now that the troublemakers were so close, it could be seen that the white spots on the black bandana were actually skulls…
"You're the ones who provoked that accident on the highway ! Because of you, a family man got badly hurt, and the family might have got killed ! You should be ashamed of yourselves !" attacked Akane.
Ukyo sighed in defeat.
I ask them to remain calm and not react to provocation… and SHE provokes them with accusations ! Great… But on the other hand, what they did is unacceptable and I understand Akane's outrage about it. After all, I'm just as angry as her about what they did…
She realized that, all things considered, she wouldn't mind giving these dudes a good lesson.
"And so what, Sunshine ? What are you gonna do, uh ? You're a woman, remember ?" disdainfully spat the tallest one, a guy with long greasy hair and several gashes on his face.
"That woman, as you say, happens to be a karate fighter and can easily kick your asses. Besides, don't call her 'sunshine' !" Ranma coldly told that guy.
The third one, a chubby and smaller guy with Mohawk haircut, snorted.
""Or else what, little boy ? You're gonna slap our asses ?"
Three stupid laughs loudly reverberated on the deck of the boat.
(From now on, the thugs will be nicknamed as follows : "Spiky" for the spiked-haired one, "gashy" for the gashed-face one and "Chubby" for the smaller one)
Sensing trouble ahead, people had started to retreat from around both groups of youngsters, and cautiously observed the scene from afar.
"Don't address my best friend that way or you'll regret it !" a new voice threatened the bad guys.
The latter turned to face Ukyo.
"Ah ah, look at that chick ! She's carrying a giant… thing on her back ! Hey, Sunshine, Halloween is next month, you're a bit early for disguises !" Spiky jokingly said.
The scumbags roared with laughter, and this drew the attention of a boat staff, a little further.
"You're pretty dumb, in fact…" jibed Soraya, smirking contemptuously at them.
Ukyo bit her lip. Taking one's defense was one thing, but provoking those guys… what a reckless move ! But the redhead's nature matched the colour of her hair : fiery. There was no changing that.
The chef then knew that the fight was now unavoidable.
"What… did you just say, Hot Stuff ?" threateningly asked Gashy.
Ryoga took a step forward, then another to the right, positioning himself partly in front of Soraya.
"Call her that again and I'll make your teeth come loose, bastard !"
Gashy raised a brow… then grinned sinisterly.
"What's going on here ?" asked the boat employee as he approached them.
Chubby swiftly pulled out a kind of short black stick and pressed something on it.
Then a long, sharp, pointy blade surged out and Chubby turned it in the direction of the boat staff.
"Nothing of your business, pal… Now clear off !"
The poor employee paled.
"You… you don't have the right to car-"
"MY BUDDY TOLD YOU TO CLEAR OFF, SO JUST DO THAT !" yelled Gashy, showing all those around him his leadership power.
"We'll call the authorities !" warned the staff member.
"Yeah, go and do that, motherfucker !" exclaimed Spiky.
In the silence that followed, the three thugs slowly turned back to their targets, and Spiky then Gashy also pulled out their switchblades.
"Hey, put that back in ! We don't want any trouble !" immediately intervened Ukyo. "In fact, we don't even wanna fight ! Let's just stay each on our side of the boat during the trip, okay ?"
Gashy spat on the side and smirked evilly.
"Not okay. Guys… let's roll !"
And then all hell broke loose !
Ranma sidestepped Chubby, who was rushing with his blade to the front, then she sent a powerful roundkick to his head, knocking him down instantly.
The pigtailed boy took that opportunity to quickly pick the fallen switchblade and put it under his Chinese outfit.
Spiky rushed to Ukyo but received a very powerful spatula hit that shook him badly and sent him crashing against the boat's side.
His switchblade landed a few feet away and Soraya immediately caught it and, just like her "brother" put it under her clothes.
As for Gashy, he sent his blade forward and missed Ryoga by a hair's breadth… but the punch he got in return smashed his jaw… and after collapsing, he opened his mouth and spat four bloody teeth on the deck.
"See ? I had told you that I'd make your teeth come loose !"
The tall delinquent got up with difficulty, his eyes sending daggers at that stupid boy with that stupid bandana… and after remaining still for a moment, he howled like a madman and ran at his target.
But before he could actually get to him, Soraya jumped to the floor and bounced back up like a loose spring… her feet meeting pretty hard with Gashy's face and casting him away like a ragdoll.
"Don't you touch my boyfriend !" she snarled warningly.
Which made the Lost Boy smile warmly at her.
Spiky returned to the fray and punched Ranma from the back.
He stumbled forward, with the bad boy snickering victoriously… but before he could do anything else, Akane crouched in front of him and, pushing quickly and hard on her feet, she dashed forward like a rocket and sent an incredible uppercut into his belly.
The skull-bandana-boy lost all his breath and quickly curled on himself on the deck, holding his tummy and wincing awfully.
"Thanks, Akane !"
"My pleasure, Ranma !"
A little further, Chubby charged at Soraya, but Ranma jumped and landed right in front of him.
The fat guy tried to react… but his skilled adversary was used to (re)acting fast, faster than his opponents, and the Saotome fist connected terribly violently with the bottom of the thug's chin, making him take off and crash much further.
The Red Pigtail thanked the Black one, who modestly smiled, and they returned to the fray.
In the mean time, Gashy painfully crawled towards the last remaining switchblade, that had fallen not far from him.
He was almost there…
He stretched his arm…
… and the spatula's sharp edge crashed on the deck, right between his hand and the weapon !
The scumbag twisted his neck upward (not without difficulty) to catch sight of the fearless cook, who was slowly shaking her head, her eyes cold and hard, like her weapon.
"No can do, Dude !" she warned him in a smooth voice that implied a hidden threat (Just try me and you'll see…).
The evil trio was now completely disarmed… and, to be honest, was visibly in no condition to withstand more.
"Wanna continue the fight, "Sunshines" ? We've got more in store !" Soraya provoked their enemies, as she remained in her fighting stance with her arms up.
A hand gently rested on her shoulder and, looking up at her beloved, she relaxed and first resumed a normal position… before wrapping her arm around Ryoga's waist.
"Thanks a lot for defending your boyfriend, girlfriend !" he told her… before kissing her forehead.
"Always, anytime, forever !" she replied, seizing his hand and kissing the back of it.
"Alright, the show is over, no ?" asked Ranma, arms crossed, his blue eyes set on the blue eyes of Ucchan.
"Pretty much, I guess !" she answered, her hand on the end of the spatula, that she held vertically by her side.
"I'm pleased that we got to give them a lesson ! They deserved it, after what they did on the highway !" Akane told them all.
All of them could only agree at that… and were equally pleased about the lesson given !
(…)
The boat had covered most of the itinerary by then, the only noticeable change in the landscape being the distant coast of another country, that they had seen shortly after their departure and which the cook had told them about… on the topic of cooking, precisely.
(flashback)
"That's South Korea, another major Asian country from the Far East. My father and me once ate in a South Korean restaurant set in eastern Japan, and tasted two of their most famous dishes : kimchi and bulgogi. The first one is based on fermented vegetables, notably cabbage, while the second one consists in grilled meat, generally beef or pork, prepared with various ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, chili paste and ginger. It was absolutely delicious, and my father decided to express his gratitude to the cook by preparing for him an okonomiyaki, to reciprocate the culinary discovery, and the cook was just as delighted by our own food, so much that he granted us a little discount on our meals' prices. It was a very interesting discovery that South Korean dishes !" had explained the food specialist of their team.
"A discount ? That reminds me of those times when you used my… assets to get free food, Brother !" had teased the Red Pigtail.
"Well, don't be too ironic about it, coz I helped you eat without spending, so you benefited from it just as much as me !" had countered the Black Pigtail.
"I agree, I agree !" had admitted the redhead with a chuckle.
Actually, you've been using Soraya's body many times to carry out your schemes, eh, Ranma !" Akane had reminded her fiancé.
He had shrugged, before deciding to tease her back.
"Yup, but now that she's independent, I can no longer do that. But perhaps she'll make Ryoga benefit from free food or such, now…"
The new couple had reacted with alacrity.
"Hey, I'm not like you, Buddy ! I'm not a freeloader or stuff, and I'll never use my charm to get some gifts from others ! Even for Ryo !" the girlfriend had indignantly replied.
"I know you won't, So, and I'm glad of that. Ranma, seriously, Man…" the boyfriend had told Soraya then Ranma.
"Ryo ? So ?" had repeated a slightly puzzled Akane.
"Oh, I guess it's their loving nicknames from now on : RYOga and SOraya. Am I right, Folks ?" the brainiest member of their little troop had said.
"Yeah… that's right…" the redhead had confirmed in a little voice, almost shyly.
Ryoga hadn't added anything, limiting himself to gently squeezing her hand and smiling at her, with her smiling back at him.
(back to present)
Yes, it had been an interesting but also funny memory, and all had wondered if they might someday visit South Korea, since that country was just opposite Japan after all. Perhaps during summer holiday…
But for the moment, it was time to visit another country, and alas not for leisure…
"You're pretty thoughtful…"
Akane slightly jumped and turned to the right, where Ranma was observing her.
"Well, I was admiring the landscape…." she trailed off.
"And ?" he inquired, sensing there was more but that she was probably hesitant or reluctant to share it.
She gazed at him, wondering if she ought to say it… then decided that she shouldn't be uncomfortable about it.
"And… I was remembering when I was in your arms, my head on your chest… and you caressed my hair. That's… that's something we had never experienced before. You had never been that tender with me and… and I hope you will be more."
He didn't know what to reply, taken aback as he was.
"You know, Ranma, we were engaged without our consent and have been through a great many tense moments, but… I gradually became fond of you. As time went by, I sensed that I was getting used to your teasing me, to your being… well, not always so nice to me, calling me 'uncute' and all that. I still didn't like it though, but for some reason… I no longer felt hateful to you. I slowly became okay with your strong nature, and started to consider your qualities rather than your flaws. Your courage, your honesty, your funny side and even your kindness, which you displayed less… but when you did, I really liked it. In fact, I loved it."
He was staring at her as if he was caught in a totally incomprehensible phenomenon, but sensed he had to say something.
"Akane…"
"I loved it and I… I love you, Ranma. Sincerely. We had harsh moments, but we're getting along much much better now. We've come to become very good friends. But I want more than your friendship, which I value a lot… but I long for is your love. I want us to get engaged, not following our fathers' decision, but following our own feelings. I love you, Ranma, and I want to spend my life with you."
He licked his lips, looked down…
…then took a deep breath.
"Thank you so much for… for opening your heart to me. Yes, we were off to a rough start, as they say, but we gradually overcame our differences and disagreements to become great friends. And it felt so good. But… but what I'm feeling right now is even better. What I feel when I listen to you. When I look at you. When I'm close to you."
It was her turn to utter only his name :
"Ranma…"
"Akane… thanks for loving me and I… I… love you too."
He closed the space between them, willing to kiss her… but then remembered that Ukyo was nearby (and probably watching them, although he hadn't checked), so he opted for a less demonstrative love gesture : leaning forward, she made their foreheads touch, putting his against hers.
""I'd like to do more, honestly…" he told her "…but Ucchan is perhaps watching, and although she now considers me as a very good friend, she might still suffer from seeing us kiss. This is less intimate, so it should be okay with her, hopefullys…"
"Yes, you're right. I'd hate to hurt her, so let's not get too physical while she's around…"
They stared at each other, their foreheads remaining in contact for a long moment, then parted.
Ranma noticed that Ucchan was indeed watching and he looked down sheepishly.
But when his eyes rose again… they saw his childhood friend standing in front of him, near Akane.
"You don't have to feel ashamed or uneasy, Ran-Chan. I can tell you love her. It was obvious when you held her and caressed her head earlier. And right now, when your heads were reunited. I know you feel the same, and you don't have to refrain because of me : you're my best friend, Ran-Chan, and nothing more than that. I swore about it, and I always keep my promises."
"But Ucchan… you used to be in love with me and… well…"
"I used to be. That's the past. Now is the present, and we are only very good friends. The closest there can be. So go ahead and be spontaneous. And, you know, I'm actually happy that you two are happy ! I'm happy that YOU, Ran-Chan, my dear childhood friend, and you, dear Akane, good friend of mine, are feeling blissful together. And I sincerely wish you a pleasant life !"
The young Tendo's eyes became all shiny.
"Thank you ! Oh, thank you, Ukyo ! You are such a kind person !"
"Yeah, thanks a lot, Ucchan ! You are a unique friend and I'm so lucky to be your friend !" added Ranma, not crying yet feeling pretty moved as well.
She shrugged, smiling.
"That's friends do."
And she winked at them.
(…)
A land was in sight.
Far away, for the moment, therefore appearing small, but gradually getting larger as the boat kept "devouring" the distance.
"China…" calmly said Ukyo, but loud enough for the other four to hear.
"Yes… where I became cursed… where WE became cursed, Ryoga and me…plus Pops, Shampoo and Mousse !" Ranma said almost absent-mindedly.
"Yeah…" merely said the Lost Boy as he kept his eyes on the looming land, only a tiny part of that gigantic country containing over 1 billion people.
"Where the real Soraya died… and where I got born from Ranma… That's both a place of death and a place of birth..." Soraya uttered, feeling like hypnotized as she stared at that faraway country she, Ranma and Ryoga were returning to.
"Yes… your place of birth, So !" her boyfriend whispered as he tightened his hug around her, which made her feel better.
"I can't believe I'm coming back there, where it all started…" added the young Saotome, feeling a strange impression overcome him.
"Hey look ! What's that ? Birds ?" suddenly asked Akane, pointing to the sky.
And indeed, now that they had got closer from China, some black shapes had appeared in the distance and were closing in rapidly.
"It seems to be, yes…" replied the redhead.
Ukyo didn't make any remark, merely observing the newcomers.
Soon, the birds were flying over the boat, casting their large shadows on the deck, with the other passengers expressing their awe as they looked up.
"They're rather large, these birds, no ?" wondered Ryoga.
"Yes, that's also what I thought…" agreed Soraya.
Ukyo still didn't say anything, but intently watched those animals flying overhead… with a slight frown.
Then, after flying past the boat, the winged creatures turned around and, after a few more seconds, they started moving in circles above the boat.
"Why are they doing this ? Are they hungry and think we have food ?" suggested the heir of the Tendo Dojo.
But the leader shook her head.
"Birds usually circle the sky above the fishing ships, because they can smell fish and seafood. In this case, there is no food to be smelled. And as you said, these… "birds", if that's what they really are, are abnormally huge. I don't like all this."
The passengers were no longer in awe but frightened now, as their sixth sense also told them that all this wasn't natural.
"Be on your guard, guys ! Danger is extremely close, I can tell ! I have an inkling that we'll have to endure another battle on this boat !" shouted the chef as she seized her spatula and positioned it and herself in the typical "waiting-to-fight" stance.
And then all hell broke loose… again !
The large creatures suddenly left their circling pattern and started to swoop down on the boat… but it soon appeared they had a certain target !
Indeed, as they began to defend themselves and strike back, the five teenagers soon noticed that the "feathery army" wasn't attacking any of all the other passengers… but limited their attacks to the five of them !
Also, it turned out that these beings weren't birds, but a weird mix between giant ravens and… and some unspeakable, indescribable flying monsters whose huge beak was serrated, which added to their dangerousness. And on their foreheads were large circular red spots.
The spatula had sent several of them away, but they didn't seem hurt and continued their onslaught.
The others used all their martial knowledge and experience to hit the flying monsters and drive them away, but the latter incessantly returned to the fray.
It was like the siege of a castle, except that the enemies were strange creatures instead of knights, and the place a boat instead of a castle.
"We can't go on this way ! They're always coming back and seem to have an awful stock of energy, while we're slowly getting more and more tired !" screamed Soraya as she kicked a large beak.
"It's true ! If they don't give up or we can't find a way to get rid of them, we're going to lose in the long run !" yelled Akane before ducking to avoid an incoming creature.
Ukyo heard all this, and as she battled on, her mind workeds hectically in parallel.
They're right : if we don't find a way to get the upper hand or even destroy them, we won't be able to win if it goes on like that…
Then she saw a bird looming at her horizontally…
…and as she stared intensely at it, a "metaphorical bulb" lit up in her "attic".
The monstrosity changed position so that its talons were directed at the blue-clad human.
Just when said talons were about to grasp her, the brunette leapt and, wielding her sharp weapon, she brought it down with maximal strength and a deafening yell…
…right into the large red circle adorning the monster's forehead !
What followed happened so suddenly and rapidly that 'surprise' seems too "weak" a word to describe the impression left : the huge black feathery body burst into an enormous mass of black powder that scattered all around, notably smearing part of the chef's legs.
After a few seconds, Ukyo began to understand… and when she saw one of those foes flying after Soraya, she jumped right in its direction and, aiming with the greatest precision, she flung her spatula in the huge red spot !
Just like before, the enemy's body dissolved into a large cloud of black powder.
"What the heck…?" started Soraya.
"The red spot on their forehead ! That's their weakness ! Strike it hard enough and they'll dissolve –"
She then suddenly spotted one of the "birds" flying at lightspeed in the redhead's direction… and, landing in the right spot, she welcomed the stealthy foe with a violent hit… obtaining her third bullseye in a row, and thus getting rid of a third adversary in a few minutes.
"…They'll dissolve into that black cloud of dust or powder that you just saw !" finished Ucchan. "I'll go tell the others ! Good luck !"
And a minute later, the brunette leader was screaming on top of her lungs :
"GUYS ! YOU MUST STRIKE THEIR RED CIRCLES ! ON THEIR FOREHEADS ! IT'S THEIR WEAK SPOT ! HIT THAT RED SPOT WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT !"
Sensing that they now had an advantage, that their situation was no longer desperate and that they could make it, the five teenagers combatted with renewed strength, determination and hope.
Ryoga used his Bakusai Tenketsu technique at best, avoiding the talons and beak aiming at him and then leaping right at the huge face to drive his forefinger straight into the Achilles heel to obtain a series of black explosions and always more dark powder on the deck.
Ranma and Soraya resorted notably to Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken to pummel their opponents and, as these were vainly trying to avoid the hits, the pigtailed martial artists launched forward and landed extremely powerful blows right on the red spot.
As for Akane, she was holding her own, using devastating kicks or punches to weaken her enemies… and of course to strike right where needed.
But what was noticeable – and admirable – is that each member of both couples was always ready to help his girlfriend/her boyfriend when he/she noticed that the other was in difficulty : Soraya helped/defended Ryoga and vice-versa, while Akane helped/defended Ranma and vice-versa. As for Ukyo, she assisted whoever of her friends needed backup and, additionally to her own battles, she also went from one to the other to lend a hand.
Soon, almost the totality of the creatures was decimated, Soraya and Akane finishing the job.
The redhead provoked the umpteenth black burst and turned to her brother's fiancée, ready to go help her…
… when the Tendo's assailant made an unexpected move with its beak, the serrated portion tearing the tender skin of the girl's arm.
The karate fighter screamed and collapsed, holding her injured arm.
"AKANE !" shouted an anxious Ranma, his worry temporarily giving way to wrath as he rushed forward in a flash and quickly got rid of the last monstrosity, before kneeling and taking his beloved in his arms.
"Akane ! Where did it hurt you ? Please show me !" he asked her on a most concerned tone.
She glanced at him with teary eyes before taking her hand off the wound, which consisted in a long deep slash bleeding regularly.
Their three friends had gathered around them and Ukyo instantly took things in hand.
"I'll manually compress the vein, but we'll need a tourniquet to stop the hemorrhage. And of course disinfectant, healing balm and bandage. Can you please call the crew for that ?"
She was looking at Soraya and Ryoga.
They hadn't understood all of it – the tourniquet was a mystery to them… - but diligently carried out their duty, and soon enough was Akane's arm properly sterilized and swathed.
After the staff had been thanked and had left the teenagers, the latter's attention focused on Akane's condition and her wound.
"Are you sure you'll be alright ?" Ranma asked for the third time.
She couldn't help smiling at him, in spite of his insistence : he had never been that worried for her, had never showed so much concern and care to her, and that clearly showed how dear to him she had become. That naturally warmed her heart and kept her happiness level high.
"Thanks a lot for caring that much, Ranma, I appreciate…but I'm telling you I'm okay. It's painful, yes, but I'll get over it. You know me, I'm tough, strong and stubborn : I'll live on ! You often teased me about my lack of femininity, but after all, it also has its advantages : being less girly and fragile means I'm more resistant !"
She winked at him, but he looked sheepishly to the side…
"Yeah, I remember telling you that quite often : that you were not feminine… and uncute. I'm sorry I said that, and so many times. That was very rude of me… stupid…"
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
"Hey, don't feel guilty, Ranma ! We didn't get along at all for some time, and I have my fair share of blame in all that. But I know you didn't mean bad, back then. You know the saying, eh : 'Spare the rod and spoil the child'. Well, that accounts for your behaviour !"
He scratched his head.
"Spare the… what ?!"
His facial expression and tone made the others chuckle. Clearly he had never heard that saying.
"It means that although you were tough with her, you actually cared for her !" explained the long-haired female. "And that, sometimes, being tough to others is a way – a surprising way, granted – to show that you actually care for them. We can't always be sweet and all lovey-dovey to our dear ones : at times, we can behave more… harshly. Got it, Ran-Chan ?"
He looked doubtful.
"I think I do. You really know a lot, Ucchan !"
"Yeah, those words you used before, 'tourniquet' and 'hemorrhage'… that explanation you just gave about the saying… your description of South Korean cooking… your driving abilities… your helping us all in that battle… and your plans and decisions in general ! All this is impressive !" enumerated Soraya.
The chef smiled.
"Maybe I'm more than just a simple cook, after all…" she told them with a wink, before adding : "But I'm not boasting. I'm just happy to be helpful to my friends. That's what really matters to me, the most important in my life. And if my friends are doing fine, then so am I !"
This spread smiles on faces… and smiling, after the double ordeal they had been through on that boat, was really more than welcome.
In fact, it was even needed ! :)))))
(…)
It was late afternoon as the vessel finally arrived in the bay of the Chinese harbour Qingdao.
The sun was slowly coming to the end of its daily journey… at least in this part of the world.
Soon, "Helios" would withdraw from the sky's scene and continue its show elsewhere, and it would be time for "Selene" to take the stage for a few hours.
The Five were standing side by side, admiring the incoming sunset, the sheer beauty of the declining light that would lead into the night and its darkness.
It was truly a view to behold, a moment of grace, a poetic fragment of a pretty busy day. But admiring the landscape – be it the blue sky, the distant lands or the seascape itself – had also been cherished moments of this day.
And now, they all enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the impending dusk, the hypnotic splendor of the oblique light, and that new country they were about to set foot on.
Well, new to Akane and Ukyo only, since both boys had already been there long ago, and Soraya indirectly had, being part of Ranma (plus the original Soraya was Chinese after all).
"Finally…" Ukyo said aloud, voicing what they all thought.
"We made it ! We're in China !" gently said Akane, staring at that unknown place she was about to enter.
"Feels strange to be back there after so long, uh, Ranma ?" Ryoga asked his rival-turned-friend.
"You bet ! I'm coming back to the country, and soon to the exact place, where I got cursed… where we both got cursed…"
Then the Black Pigtail turned to the Red one.
"But I no longer consider it a curse. I consider it a blessing. And so does Ryoga, I know."
His look was kind and caring to that "sister" he used to bicker so much with.
"Ranma…" she whispered.
"He's right, So : you ARE a blessing for sure !"
She turned around to face Ryoga then grinned at him.
"Thanks a lot, Ryo ! And YOU are my blessing !"
He grinned back and gently squeezed her hand.
Turning back to her "brother", the redhead kept smiling.
"And thank you very much for saying that, Ranma ! It means a lot to me, you have no idea !"
She playfully punched his shoulder.
"You're not so hopeless a brother, all things considered !"
He put his fists up, in the typical fighting or protective stance, and mimicked a small punch in her direction.
"And you're not that bad a sister after all !"
She also raised her fists, and made believe she would attack him.
But after a short funny while, she opened one of her hands and brought it forward, for him to catch it
He grabbed her hand in his and they gently squeezed to show their solidarity and their newfound harmony.
Their friends were extremely pleased by this, after all the quarrels those two had started in public, most notably in the Tendo's washitsu, around the table, at meal times.
*I tended to use 'living room' to refer to the room where the family gathers for meals, or to watch TV together, but recently found out (from HOYO476's Broken Chains that I lately read) that this place was named 'washitsu' in Japanese, so… I like using new words whenever I can. ;)
Now, the "Saotome siblings" seemed to be getting along just fine, and the risk of other arguments between both had significantly decreased, which relieved everybody and would relieve the rest of the family, once they'd all be back home.
"WELCOME TO QINGDAO HARBOUR, CHINA !" announced a voice via loudspeaker, and a few minutes later, the Japanese boat berthed on Chinese territory.
As the passengers left the huge vehicle that had carried them overseas, the tied-up trio of thugs, which the staff had efficiently incapacitated with ropes, got handed over to the harbour officers, and the captain of the boat later bore witness of the events involving those three delinquents…
…but only after he had wholeheartedly thanked our heroes for they help in getting rid of the two threats that had partly altered the nice trip the passengers were originally supposed to get.
Then, when The Five set foot on the foreign land they had arrived in and through which they'd have to travel for many days, they felt an eerie sensation : the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one.
The start of the real adventure.
Ranma looked around him, taking in his surroundings, then sighed deeply before gazing at the horizon…
… and unbeknownst to him, he was actually looking in the exact direction where certain springs lay, countless kilometers away… waiting for him.
I'm back ! Back where it all began ! Where I got my female half ! Well, not yet : for the moment, I'm back to China, but I will soon arrive to the Jusenkyo springs, where it really all began ! That feels… strange. And it will be even stranger when I'll contemplate the springs from that same overhanging rock where I first admired that vast training ground, a few years ago.
I'm back, and this time, I'm not alone. My friends are with me.
He clenched his fists.
And we are all ready !
(…)
(…)
WAOW, I said that this chapter would be long, but considering that it will above 8'000 words, I think I can safely say that it won't be that much shorter after all, eh !
I wrote a tremendous lot yesterday and the day before, and that's how you end up crafting much more than planned. :P
Good thing I did split that (at the time) already huge chappy in two, because otherwise, you'd have been forced to read a gigantic chapter of 16'000 to 17'000 words, eh eh !
Anyway, enough rambling on…
I hope you enjoyed that new big bunch, and I apologize for the fight scenes : I mean, they're not that bad, but I'm aware that they're pretty modest by comparison with many other battle sequences in various stories. That notably comes from the fact that I'm not good at (and not fond of) fight/action depiction, being more interested (and gifted) in psychological / emotional development, which is primary to me and definitely more important than action stuff… even if I admit that the latter can be very catchy and fun to read !
I did want those "highway thugs" who had put family lives in danger to get a proper "reward", hence my putting them on the boat with our heroes… who efficiently kicked their asses !
As for those half-raven half-Godknowswhat creatures… they came to my mind a few days ago and I decided to include them as well. As for the reason why those monsters only attacked our protagonists… I'm sure you already have an idea, mmmmh ? ;)
Sentimentally speaking, after the sweet moment between Soraya and Ryoga, now was time for another one between Ranma and Akane, the central couple of the manga and anime.
Ryoga and Soraya had their scene in previous chapter, and I didn't want to heavily insist with them in this one… but on the other hand, I wanted Ranma and Akane's relationship to evolve from strong, deep friendship to love, and I felt that I could develop their bond here. His concern for her, as she got wounded, shows how much he truly, deeply cares for her… how much he loves her ! After all their past bickering, it was about time, right ?
And so, the little troop finally manages to arrive in China, where Jusenkyo springs, Mount Nettōhen and the Temple of Dawn are waiting for their visit…
But there will be more obstacles in the way, of course. To find out which ones, and how it goes for our heroes… READ ON !
Ah, last thing : it's now October 7th (Monday) as I type this, but I'll publish it on October 11th (Friday), to celebrate the 4th anniversary of this story, whose first chapter got published on June 11th. Eh yes, already four months, and 12 chapters in the box ! ;)
Alrighty, time to put that final dot, no ? Hope you enjoyed that new instalment, thanxxxx again for your interest and time, take good care of you and your Dear Ones, be as happy as life lets you be… and catch you soon again ! :D
Léo