18. FATAL WEAKNESSES ….
A "cold sun".
Because the presence of the Galactic Light didn't necessary entail warmth.
Sometimes, even in the chilliest months, sunlight could relieve people from the unpleasant sensation of the Frozen Hand around them, and actually make them feel warmer, to some extent.
But not today.
If the global increase of light was indeed reinvigorating – both for mood and body -, especially after the succession of dull grey days, that light alas didn't bring with it some actual warmth, and the icy breeze that perniciously roamed the streets made sure that this sunny day would remain a pretty cold day… that hinted to the incoming winter, only a couples of weeks away.
The young lady was relieved that the overcast days were finally gone and that the sun was back at long last, bringing back the long-desired light. She was thankful for this, but she couldn't help wondering about her younger sister.
All the more since she was now vacuuming said sister's room.
Akane… where are you ? Are you alright ? And Ranma and Soraya, are they also okay ? And then there's Ryoga… and Ukyo… Oh dear, how I hope everybody is alr-
"AAAAAH !"
The vacuum's pipe fell from her hands, as well as the chair she had lifted to vacuum under.
The noise alerted the occupant of the adjacent bedroom, who came rushing in a few seconds after.
"Kasumi ! What's wrong ?!"
"There, on the window !" replied the eldest sister, pointing in that direction.
The girl with the bobcut turned her head…
…and goggled with her most revolted look !
A large insect was resting on the outside of the window !
Long, dark grey, with a chitinous body and segmented antennae, it was plainly repulsive.
"You know what it is, Nabiki ?" asked Kasumi.
"Nope… but I could still say I actually do know what it is : disgusting !"
And the second daughter of the Tendo family proceeded to the window and put a hand on the latch.
"What are you doing ?"
The bobcut girl smirked.
"Saving you, of course !"
And after winking at the older sister, the younger one opened the window ("Be careful, Nabiki !") and, stretching her arm, she pushed away the ugly insect.
The latter reluctantly took off and lazily flew away in a low buzzing noise.
"Thanks, Nabiki !"
"No problem. Really horrible, by the way : never seen anything that ugly !"
"I hope you're not talking about me…"
That last sentence made both girls turn around find themselves face to face with their father, who was observing them from the door frame.
"Naaaaah, Dad, what are you saying ?! You're not horrible, and you know it !" the second daughter replied on an amused tone.
"Sure of that ?" he continued on a fake serious tone, but his face showing signs of humor.
"Father, please…!" the first daughter reacted, hesitating between a funny and slightly shocked composure.
"Alright, alright, don't fret, I was only kidding !" he admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, then he regained his usual seriousness to ask : "But what were you two talking about then ? What is horrible or ugly ?"
Kasumi looked at Nabiki, obviously waiting for her sister to explain… mostly because she herself didn't feel like mentioning the disgusting creature again.
The bobcut girl caught her sister's drift and explained :
"A big insect was there, grey and kinda scaly. It was stuck to Akane's window. I chas-… Dad ?!"
She instantly interrupted her sentence upon noticing his face clouding over and his eyes sinking to the ground.
"Father ?" cautiously asked the family's "substitute mother",
He raised his gaze back at them, now earnest… if not worried.
"When you mentioned Akane's name, Nabiki, I… I just…"
He tried to control the pain that came from the lump in his throat, but it was hard… so damn hard...
The girls spotted the change in his eyes, their now shiny aspect, and immediately understood.
Without a word, both daughters went to hug their father tightly, knowing what he was feeling.
"I'm… I'm sorry…" he stuttered.
"Don't. It's absolutely normal, and we feel the same…" Nabiki gently told him, her own eyes shiny as well now.
He found it strange to see her shed tears, because she was so serious, and even used to be almost cold-hearted at times… he couldn't even remember when was the last time he had seen her cry.
"You're crying, Nabiki ?" he couldn't help asking.
She wiped her tears away and awkwardly smiled at him.
"Who said I was only serious ? I have a heart, and feelings, like everybody else !" she reminded him.
Kasumi put her arm around her sister's waist and gently squeezed.
"Of course you do, Nabiki…"
The three of them remained together, hugging each other, their tears returning.
"I miss her…" confessed Soun.
"Same here…" added Nabiki.
"I also do…" concluded Kasumi.
They were wondering where their sister and daughter was, if she was okay, what she was doing.
Mostly about the second point, though.
Then the long-haired brunette remembered something.
"I… I hope that this horrible insect on her window wasn't a bad omen about Akane… that it doesn't mean that something bad happened to her !"
Soun squeezed her shoulder gently.
"No, don't worry, Kasumi, I'm sure our Akane is doing fine !"
As for Nabiki, she almost felt like gently scolding her for such a fanciful idea, but upon noticing the anxious expression of her sister, she felt herself soften, and it finally was on a kind tone that she addressed her elder :
"I'm sure Akane is just fine."
A smile concluded the comforting process, and Kasumi did smile back, a weak smile, but one nonetheless, and a quick nod followed.
But deep inside, Nabiki had to admit that she wasn't sure of anything… and that she could only hope that her younger sister was really fine…
(…)
"I'm sorry… I don't understand… it shouldn't take so long…" said the redhead with effort as she took her hands off Ranma's chest and lay down by his side, tiredness slowly but surely devouring her.
They had postponed Ranma's recharging to the morning, as he had told them that it would be better to do it at the last minute, just before leaving their accommodation.
But that day, for the first time… it didn't work.
Or at least not completely.
Soraya had followed the usual process : she had pronounced the magical words while keeping her hands on Ranma's torso… and yet, this time, she hadn't manage to fully recharge him, as the colour of the light surrounding her hands hadn't changed.
Therefore, the boy's energy was partly back, yet it was impossible to determine exactly what percentage of it was restored. But given that the redhead had remained a long time in the same position, with her hands on his chest, one could reasonably assume that his energy level was relatively high.
"It's okay, you're not in great condition yourself, so don't get exhausted at it. We can retry later on, but maybe I'll be fine for a while anyway…" Ranma told his "sister".
That lit up a metaphorical bulb in Ukyo's head.
"But of course ! That's the reason why it's not working well this time !"
They stared at her quizzically.
"Soraya's weakness ! I guess it's what is slowing down the regeneration process ! She usually did it when in great shape, in her best condition, and it's why she quickly managed to restore Ranma's energy to its fullest ! But now that she is weakened by… her indisposition, the recharge duration is much longer ! The time is takes depends on the condition of the one recharging the other."
"You really think it's that way ?" Soraya doubtfully replied.
"Hum, it seems to make sense though…" Ryoga chimed in as he was holding his chin in the signature "deep thinking" attitude.
His beloved looked at him for a moment, pondering what he had said, and that her current weakness got in the way of the important recharge that had become her regular duty… she thought about all this and it deeply upset her, knowing she was unable to help the same way she was used to.
A long sigh left her lungs through her nose.
"I'm really sorry…" she repeated, hating to feel that helpless.
Ukyo rested a hand on her right shoulder.
"It's ok, don't blame yourself, you're not guilty. It's obviously not your fault if your lack of physical strength affects the energy transfer. You can't do anything about it. So relax, okay ? Don't be hard on yourself !"
Ryoga rested his hand on her left shoulder.
"Ukyo is right, So : you're not to blame, You do what you can, and if something you can't control is affecting you, that's not your responsibility. You're a victim here."
The redhead sighed again.
"I know… but I can't help feeling powerless about it ! I wish it didn't affect the transfer, because Ranma needs his strength : not only to come with us, but also when we have to battle again…!"
The boy had got fully dressed in the mean time and was now ready to go.
"What are we waiting for ? Let's go save Akane !" he almost ordered.
"I'll recharge you later, ok ?" Soraya told him.
"Ah, forget about that ! I feel much better, I can fight ! And I can tell you I'll kick the asses of those abductors !"
Ukyo observed him without a word, part of her appreciating his determination, part of her knowing it might not be sufficient… but hoping it would nonetheless.
It won't be that simple, Ran-Chan…
(…)
They arrived at the train station around 10 a.m. and noticed that the next train to Xian de Huangyuan wouldn't arrive before another hour.
That left the foursome enough time to go get food supplies in a nearby grocery shop they had seen shortly before arriving to the station.
The remaining time was spent waiting not far from the platform their train would be arriving on, all of them sitting against a wall, huddled together to keep themselves warm, with scarves tightly tied around their necks and their beanies pulled as low as possible, to counter the powerful hand of Cold, that kept closing around them.
Even the boys, as manly as they liked to consider themselves, wore beanies, because the cold was sharper that day.
Ukyo couldn't lean normally on the wall and had to remain slightly turned, because the pain was still there in her shoulder and made it impossible for the chef to lean on that shoulder or carry any weight on it.
"You okay, Buddy ?" Ryoga gently asked his former rival, who clearly was lost in thought.
"Not really. I'm worried about Akane. I dearly hope they won't do anything to her. She likes to remind us that she's strong, and she used to prove that she could take care of several assailants, but I don't think she'll measure up against our enemies. And I dread they could harm her in any way, especially… hum…"
His gaze met Ukyo's, then Soraya's, and his mouth arched down in a sign of powerlessness and disgust.
"We understand what you mean, and how you feel…" his childhood friend told him, putting her hand over his arm. "But something tells me they're not like that, and simply want to draw us into a trap, without any twisted ideas in their mind."
He looked at her, wondering if he should or would believe her, or rather think like her.
What convinced him was what Soraya then said :
"Yes, Ranma. I have the exact same impression as Ucchan : that these dudes ar-"
She abruptly stopped, wincing badly.
"SO !" instantly screamed Ryoga as he leaned towards her, his arm around her shoulder.
"Goddamn pain…" the pigtailed girl uttered with difficulty.
The chef pulled out the pills and was appalled as she noticed that there were only three left. But she didn't dare to share the bad news and simply handed a pill to her friend.
Once she had swallowed it, Soraya winced again, breathed deeper for a moment, then continued :
" I feel that our enemies aren't that perverse and are focused into attracting us into an ambush, without any other idea in mind, basically. I'm convinced that they won't harm Akane. Trust me, she'll be safe."
Both girls had naturally no way of being sure that what they were telling Ranma – that his fiancée would remain untouched – corresponded to reality. No proof that they were right… and there wouldn't be before they actually found her and asked her.
That made them uneasy, almost as if they were unwillingly lying to him, but they wanted to comfort him so dearly that they took the risk of being wrong just to calm him down, to alleviate his anxiety.
"I hope you two are right…" he said in a sigh.
Then, after a few seconds of silence :
"You know, I love Akane. I do. Sincerely. It took me too much time to realize it, but now, I know I do. I want her by my side, and I feel very bad when she isn't… like now. I've been really nasty to her in the past, told her terrible things, made fun of her all too often, notably teasing her about her lack of femininity, her brutality… I was stupid to behave that way, because she turned out to be a very good person, with a kind heart despite her sometimes brusque manners and her short temper. She has her flaws, yes… but I also have mine. We all have our weak points, but does that make us bad persons ? Does it mean we don't deserve to be loved, and end up our life on our own ? Love is getting over the flaws, and seeing the sheer value of someone, seeing the qualities too… and therefore accepting the other with both their good and bad points. I do accept Akane like she is, I'm aware of her feelings for me and finally realize that I have the same… that I have developed the same. I want to make her happy, and first thing first, I want to save her !"
He stopped there and looked at each in turn.
"You certainly have matured, Ran-Chan ! And I'm delighted you found someone to love !"
his childhood friend gently told him.
"I'm… sorry it's not you though. I hate to think that you suffered because of my love choice, Ucchan !" he replied sheepishly.
Her small smile grew bigger.
"No no no, don't blame yourself, Ran-Chan ! It's okay, I've got over it now ! I don't suffer anymore, I promise ! In fact, to be fully honest, I love seeing you so happy with Akane, it warms my heart to know you are happy with her. Your happiness is what I want the most, it's even more important that the love I felt for you. That's how much you mean to me, Ranma Saotome, that's how dear you are to me ! And besides, Akane is a very nice person, she has a good heart and sincerely loves you… and she has also greatly improved in her anger management, becoming a nicer, kinder person, someone one wants to live with. She deserves to be loved, and I know that, with you, she will be. I'm sincerely happy for you two, and it's all that matters now !"
Ranma nodded, his throat suddenly painful.
"Thanks, Ucchan. You are… a wonderful person. I'm honoured to have you by my side, to have known you for so long and onward, until our death. Thank you so much !"
He wiped the corner of his right eye and smiled… but that lump in his throat made it slightly painful to smile.
"We'll save her, Ranma ! I promise you that ! I'll give all I have for that !" Soraya told him, with all the seriousness and maturity she was capable of.
"Thanks, "Sister" ! You're not so bad after all. In fact, you're much better than I thought at first. Sorry for being harsh on you…"
"Oh, that's fine, really ! Don't blame yourself ! And I'm know I'm a good person, mind you : I'm part of you, remember ? I'm your female side, so I'm partly you. Therefore, if you think of yourself as a cool, nice person, then I am as well, eh !"
She winked at him.
This made the boy chuckle, and the girl's lips curved upward, happy that she was to see him feel better.
"Akane is a dear friend of mine, Man." Ryoga said as he put a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I used to love her, but she chose you, and it pissed me off at first… but now, I know that she made the good decision upon choosing you over me. I'm really happy to see you both happy together, and… well, since Soraya is a part of you, I can safely say, I think, that not only do you make Akane happy, Man, but also me. So thank you for that happiness you offer me through her. I'm very grateful to you."
The pigtailed boy snorted.
"Who would have thought that part of me would fall in love with… a male, and make this male so happy ? You never know, with life, eh…?"
They all smiled and nodded.
(…)
The train they got in was by far the oldest one they had been traveling in up to that moment.
Old wooden benches, some of them slightly dirty, two or three splits, windows that could use some cleaning…
"It's like we are in the cheapest class of a modern train…" observed Soraya with a pout.
"Hum… yeah, we've seen better…" agreed Ryoga, with his mouth arching down.
"Come on, let's make do with it ! It's not for long, given that the itinerary between Xining and Xian is one of the shortest of out trip. We won't have to remain in this old train for very long…" their leader told them, trying to see the positive in the negative, as always.
And it's true that the distance between both towns was not that great… but given that the antic train moved slower than the previous ones they had used, that leg of their journey appeared longer to them than it actually was…
There weren't that many people on board of the train, so they could easily find four places in the same "unit" of the car…
…but it felt odd to be all together at the same place, since there had always been at least one of them left out, given that they were five for four seats.
Now that one of them was missing, they could form a closed group in the train, all seated together.
How ironic… and how sad…
The landscape currently consisted mainly of mountains, with less greenery overall. It was a mineral universe they were moving through, and the austerity of these surroundings made them regret the vast open spaces of nature that they had seen and crossed, most notably the ones they had been cycling in.
And the few trees and bushes they could spot here and there were shaken by a violent wind that, together with the growing coldness, reminded them that winter was almost at the door, and that the "happy times of summer" were now but a memory…
Soraya was snuggling against Ryoga, feeling somewhat better now that the painkiller had kicked in, and she had closed her eyes, smiling in her nap.
Ryoga's gaze alternated between her and the mountains outside, and he was also wondering how Akane felt, inwardly praying she was fine.
Ranma was staring absent-mindedly at the landscape, his eyes not really seeing it.
Ukyo, who was still resting her body on one shoulder to avoid any pain in her sore shoulder, observed him, knowing what he was feeling… sensing how worried he was for his fiancée… guessing he still wondered if she was completely safe, just like she and Soraya had tried to persuade him of. And she herself was troubled, dearly wishing that Akane was safe and untouched, like they had told Ranma.
The Red Pigtail finally moved a bit, then opened up her eyes and, raising her eyes, locked her blue with Ryoga's brown.
"Could you sleep for a bit ?"
"Not really sleep, more like rest. But it's already nice to do so."
"Do you feel any better ?"
"Yes, but the pain is not completely gone, and I dread the moment when the painkiller's action will come to its end…"
"I feel so bad for you, So…"
"Don't be, Ryo. And you know what would make me feel way better ? Your kisses. I've missed them, since I was doing so bad and was not in the right mood for cuddling… but I long for your lips."
They tenderly kissed, taking all their time… and yes, they had missed that warmth and softness so much !
Soraya might not feel too good, but Ryoga's lips on hers… it definitely made her feel better, both mentally and physically.
Then she almost timidly parted her lips and her tongue began teasing his lips.
Cautiously looking over at Ryoga and Ukyo, and noticing that none of them were looking that way, Ryoga felt relieved and knew he could return the favour without making anyone uncomfortable.
He therefore opened his mouth and let his tongue meet his girlfriend's.
They naturally wouldn't snog in public, but having been deprived of kisses and tenderness lately (that damn monthly burden…!), they wanted a bit more than a simple kiss, so the tips of their tongues began slowly, sensuously caressing each other.
The petite female felt like moaning, to express her satisfaction, but here wasn't the place to do so. In privacy, she definitely would have let out moans and gasps, but in public, of course…...
Ukyo quickly glanced at the loving couple and got happy for them.
After all, Soraya had felt so terrible these past days that she deserved a better time, and with her boyfriend, it was perfect.
Ukyo smiled, knowing her red-haired friend felt better now, and that Ryoga also did…
I love it when my friends are happy, when their couple live in harmony, like Soraya and Ryoga, or Ran-Chan an-
Then Ukyo's eyes widened and she suddenly looked at Ranma… who had lost his beloved and was now in presence of a kissing couple !
He was staring at said couple and biting his lower lip hard, his gaze clearly sad.
Then he briskly turned away and raised his arm close to his right eye.
She understood what was happening.
He feels uneasy and sad because it reminds him that he can't do the same, since Akane has been kidnapped. He feels bad about it and turns away to avoid suffering. And he uses his arm to avoid seeing Soraya and Ryoga out of the corner of his right eye…
She got it all in a few seconds and quickly turned back at the lovebirds opposite, then cleared her throat.
They broke their kiss and looked at her.
She shook her head, mouthing the word 'no', before making a head gesture in Ranma's direction.
"It's okay, they can kiss if they want…" said Ranma, who had turned around when she had cleared her throat and seen her nod in his direction, after shaking her head at them.
Ukyo jolted, not expecting this.
"But Ran-Chan… you feel bad because you see them kiss, since Akane is not with you to do the same… I saw it in your eyes and –"
"It's okay, Ucchan. They have the right to do it. I just won't look."
He swallowed his saliva and turned back at the window.
Soraya had just realized what the problem was.
"Ranma ! We're sorry ! We… we didn't think that kissing in front of you would make you feel bad ! But it's true that Akane isn't here to do the same with you ! Oh boy, I feel so damn stupid, and also bad for you ! Sorry, Ranma, really !"
"It's okay, I tell you…" he mumbled.
"Sorry, Man ! We can wait, and we will !" said Ryoga on a decided tone.
The young Saotome sighed.
"As you want…"
He resumed absent-mindedly staring outside.
(…)
They finally arrived in Xian de Huangyuan in the first half of the afternoon, but as they stood up to walk to the car's exit…
…Ukyo froze and stared ahead.
You know how it is, when you're about to leave some public vehicle : you always vaguely look around and cast a distracted look to the neighbouring passengers, or those a little further, and you see all types of people, from little girls to old men, from teenage boys to mature women, from lively folks to silent dudes, from casually-looking adults…
…to a mysterious, somewhat worrisome young man all dressed in black, with black hair covering his forehead…
…and intently observing you from the other side of the car !
Ranma, noticing Ukyo's stare, turned in that direction… and, spotting the creepy dude, his gaze shifted to surprise… and then to anger !
Their leader, knowing what he was about to do, quickly positioned herself between her former fiancé and their enemy.
"Ucchan, what are you-
"No, Ran-Chan ! Please don't ! Not here !"
"But I'm sure he knows where Akane is held prisoner !"
"Maybe, but maybe not. I'm pretty sure this guy is only an underling, someone whose mission is to keep an eye on us, and who certainly doesn't know that much. So we can't be sure at all that he knows where Akane is…"
The train was about to stop now, and therefore they had to reach the exit.
"Ranma, we have to get out. But look, that dude is also getting out : we can meet him outside and see what we do with him !" proposed Soraya.
And sure enough, the guy had left the car and turned to the right, the side where the exits were located : he was indeed getting out as well.
The Black Pigtail saw that, then quickly looked at Ukyo, who nodded with utter seriousness… then he turned around and hurried for the exit on their side.
Once they were all outside , they could see that the young creep was waiting for them, a little ahead, so they firmly walked over to him and stopped right in front of the rather relaxed boy, who was leaning back against a pole with his arms crossed… and an irritating smirk stretching his lips.
"I'm gonna wipe that stupid smile off your face, motherfucker !" hissed an angry Saotome junior, his hands balled into fists, his back arched forward as if he was ready to leap over his adversary.
The later snorted.
"Yeah, sure… but if you do that, forget about learning where your friend is being held prisoner ! So… don't make any foolish move you'd regret, ok pal ?"
The Black Pigtail was about to angrily retort, but was piped at the post by the Red Pigtail :
"Cut the crap, weirdo ! We don't have time for your trash ! Where's our friend ?"
The smirk grew bigger.
"You'll find out soon. But for the time being, you'd better eat something and rest a bit, coz I can ensure you that you'll need all of your strength very soon."
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"You'll go to this location for your accommodation. The address is on one side…"
He showed them said side, then turned over the paper, revealing a drawing.
"… the map from the station to that place is on the other side. Don't go to any other place for your stay, only this one. If you don't obey…"
He left his sentence unfinished but opened up his arms, palms up, in the typical powerlessness gesture.
"And when will we hear of you again ? When will we know where Akane is ?" dryly questioned Ukyo, her sharp look sending daggers his way… a change in her usually nice and warm composure that really surprised her friends, not used to see her that way.
The weirdo's smirk widened some more, his lips uncovering teeth that looked yellowish rather than white.
"Akane, uh ? Nice name… Well, you'll find out in due time. We'll give you instructions later on. For now, as I said, you should eat and sleep : I can tell you that you'd better be in good shape for what's coming soon…"
With that said, the creepy dude left his leaning spot and, after folding the piece of paper, he slid it into the small buckle set in the middle of a nearby wire attached to a pole, then he walked away and stopped by the entrance of the station, observing them carefully.
Ryoga, who was the closest from the wire, went to retrieve the paper and they all checked out the name of the accommodation, its address and the corresponding map at the back.
"I think we don't have much of a choice here…" begrudgingly said the Bandana Boy.
"Yeah. If we don't do as they say… then they won't tell us anything. Those bastards." Soraya reluctantly admitted.
Ranma was obviously seething.
"WE'LL GET YOU ! BE SURE OF THAT !" he bellowed at the creep patiently waiting ahead.
Ukyo gently put a hand on his chest, and when he turned his mad eyes at her, he saw care and love in her calming gaze…
…but also pain.
She obviously felt bad for him… bad and sorry.
That instantly helped defuse his wrath, and after exhaling a loud huff, he put a hand on the shoulder of his former fiancée and nodded several times at her, getting the message.
"We'll punish them, don't worry !" said the redhead, as she laid a supportive hand on Ranma's back.
"Thanks, Soraya ! You're a real friend !" he kindly told her.
"Of course, since I'm your other half, rememb- NNNGH !"
She had gritted her teeth.
"You must take another painkiller !" her "brother" told her.
But she shook her head.
"I have to spare them. Not many left, I'm sure… and I could really need some later on, more than now. And, you know, I'm not that bad, you know."
"So, you really should listen to Ranma !" Ryoga intervened.
She smiled at him, appreciating his concern.
"Thanks, Ryo, but I'll be fine. I swear I will. C'mon, let's go find that hotel or pension or whatever it is. We need to rest a bit."
They soon exited the station, not without glancing at the creep, who was standing at some distance from them. All expected him to follow on their heels, without hesitation or concern of being seen… but when some of them took a look back, they could notice that he hadn't moved, remaining in the same position yet still observing their group until it was completely out of sight.
Why he didn't follow them was a mystery, but they had other things to worry about…
(…)
They tried to get some rest, but just couldn't.
They were far too nervous.
"He said we'd better be in good shape for what's coming soon… What do you think it is ?" asked a clueless Ryoga.
"Probably a battle. That's why you would need to regain energy by eating and sleeping, which is what he advised us to do…" explained the Red Pigtail.
"I agree with Soraya" the Spatula Girl told them. "They'll certainly try to lead us into a trap, making us go to a place where we'll have to fight many of those black-clad guys. And I guess they'll either try to get rid of us for good or capture us… perhaps with the intent of torturing us, starving us or whatever other cruel treatment…"
Silence fell back onto them as they brooded over that evening's potential events.
In the end, although their worry end nervousness had an adverse effect on them – well on most of them, Ukyo remaining the only one who managed to more or less control her emotions and feelings about their near future – they forced themselves to have a dinner, because after all they needed some energy. But they made sure to eat in reasonable limits, knowing they would need to be fully awake and nimble in case of a battle, which a hearty meal would prevent.
After that, Soraya cautiously massaged Ukyo's sore shoulder with arnica, and while the cook gritted her teeth yet didn't give away any outward sign of pain, she did appreciate the coldness of the balm over the painful spot.
And hoped she would soon be back in top condition.
But knowing there might well have to fight that evening, she didn't feel too good about her slightly "diminished" body… and hoped it wouldn't have an adverse effect on the outcome of that potential fight.
And then, they resumed waiting…
…waiting…
… anxiously waiting…
(…)
On one bed were the motionless bodies of Soraya and Ryoga : the couple had lay together on one bed and fought to stay awake, but had ended up trapped in Morpheus's arms*…
* to be in Morpheus's arms = to sleep (in Greek mythology, Morpheus is the God of Dreams)
On another bed was Ranma, who had also ended up falling asleep, which had surprised Ucchan : given his worry for Akane, he should have remained awake, she thought… so she attributed his sleep to his already weakening condition, following the reversal of the energy flow between him and Soraya.
As for Ukyo herself, too worried to sleep, she had remained alert, pondering several topics and wondering how the evening would go…
Knock knock !
The leader instantly turned her head in direction of the door and swiftly got up to open.
The pension's owner was standing there.
He raised one of his arms, and in his hand was a folded piece of paper.
"A young man just brought this and said it was for you…" he summed up.
"He was dressed in black, right ?" asked Ukyo, already anticipating the answer.
The man nodded, then excused himself from them and returned downstairs.
The cook returned to the beds and noticed that Soraya and Ryoga were doing their best to escape the clutch of Hypnos*. Only Ranma hadn't moved and had to be woken up.
* Hypnos is the God of Sleep, in Greek mythology
The five friends gathered to read the message they had been brought :
"Be at midnight at the spot indicated on the map"
That was all that was written. Those few words right in the centre of the small sheet.
Ryoga raised a brow.
"A map ? But where –"
The Red Pigtail caught the paper and turned it over…
…and sure enough, at the back of the small sheet, was a map, drawn rather awkwardly.
"Ah, like last time…" Ryoga sheepishly uttered, making Soraya smirk at him.
Their hotel was represented in the lower left corner, and a line went from there to the corner opposite, top right.
All along the way, the line meandered through streets, then exited the town, continued above a bridge then through a wood… until it finally stopped close to a waterfall. Or at least what looked like a waterfall, in the upper right corner (it was really poorly drawn…).
"Let's go save our friend…" Ukyo said in a determined voice.
(…)
It was a pretty long walk that took them quite some time, and the leader suspected that the meeting place had been chosen strategically : indeed, remote as it was, with no houses around, it prevented their team to get any help from inhabitants.
Not that they necessarily might have got help anyway : first because of the language barrier, second because the inhabitants were no martial artists and could barely be efficient against some trained warriors, and third because the locals might just plainly (and logically) have refused to fight… or simply to help some foreigners.
In the end, our heroes made it on time, and short before midnight, they found themselves admiring the beauty of a waterfall in the moonlight.
Two minutes went by in total silence, and finally, the most mysterious of all hours came.
Twelve gong strikes could be heard in the distance.
Then silence returned.
Seemed to thicken.
To linger on.
Minutes went by yet nothing occurred.
Some of them began to think it wasn't the right time, despite the twelve gong strikes indicating midnight, or not the right place.
Then they wondered whether they had been asked to come just to make them waste time, and that perhaps their foes had now seized all their stuff, in their hotel room.
"Perhaps it was a trick and that nobody is there…" suggested Ryoga.
But before anyone could answer, a faint sound could be heard ahead of them.
A silhouette emerged from the darkness, but because it was night time, our heroes couldn't make out the person's face or appearance.
To them, it was merely a mysterious shadow, no more… and that slightly altered the person's nature, making it anonymous… and almost inhuman.
"WHERE IS AKANE ?!" bellowed Ranma.
A loud sneer came in return.
"WHERE IS SHE ?!" he insisted, his fists clenched so tightly that the knuckles had dangerously whitened.
"No pain, no gain. You'll have to suffer first, if you want to see her again…" the husky voice of the silhouette replied.
Then the mysterious man snapped his fingers…
… and sounds of footsteps as well as rustles surrounded them.
From big rocks ahead, from bushes around them, from tress behind them, from all the possible hiding spots, dark figures emerged and remained standing in a clearly offensive position, slightly hunched forward, obviously ready to rush forward at the four teenagers.
"Ready to learn your lesson ?" asked the same man, certainly the villains' leader.
Ukyo put a hand behind her, grabbed her spatula, pulled it and put it in front of her, all of this very slowly…
…threateningly…
Her grip tightened on her weapon's handle.
"WE'LL SEE WHO WILL LEARN A LESSON HERE !" she angrily shouted, then bared her gritted teeth while furrowing her brows.
That also slightly surprised her friends, who had never seen her that livid, that menacing.
There was no reply… or rather, it came in the form of an aggressive yell :
"GET THEM !"
And then all hell broke loose.
The totality of the foes ran, jumped, rushed forward in direction of the four teenagers previously known as The Five.
"REMEMBER, YOU MUST DESTROY THE RED SPOT ON THEIR FOREHEAD !" was all that the heroes' leader had the time to scream to her friends before the fight was engaged for good.
Ranma, who was incensed at their enemies for abducting the woman he loved, didn't spare his efforts : punches succeeded to kicks, elbows and knees also joining the "party". He was the living image of fierceness and determination.
But his accuracy wasn't as good as usual, because he felt tired to some extent. And he knew all too well what was cause of that.
Goddamn energy transfer ! I really hope they can cure me in that Temple of Dawn : I can't spend my whole life being recharged like a fucking battery…!
His tiredness had some unwelcome result : he was regularly forced to take a second shot at destroying his enemies, as he barely missed the red spot on their foreheads and hit it only on the second (sometimes third) attempt.
But he still managed to get rid of his adversaries in the end.
Ryoga's tremendous strength also wreaked havoc : his fists, pummelling the adversaries at insane speed, broke many bones, and his empowered forefinger – courtesy of Bakusai Tenketsu, his signature attack - destroyed the foreheads' red circles without problem, getting rid of several enemies in a row.
And whenever an enemy could hit him, it wasn't that much of a problem, because he was very muscular and resistant, while the vast majority of the baddies was definitely not as strong as him and thus couldn't really shake him, hurt him, let alone knock him out. He was way too powerful for them.
But a bulkier guy (one of only two imposing adversaries) managed to punch him at full force while he was busy with another opponent, and this time, the attack managed to unsettle him : the Bandana Fighter crashed a few meters further, but he almost immediately started to pick himself off the ground.
"RYOGA !" yelled Soraya, jumping over at him after kicking her own enemy.
She wanted to fully help him up, but the bulky dude launched his fist at her.
The redhead leaped onto his extended arm, winced at the sudden shooting pain as she took momentum to leap again and, as she landed on his shoulders, ignoring the sharp dolor, she let herself fall and, gathering energy in her fist and focusing her eyes where she thought the red spot was, she hit with all that she had.
"SORAYA !" exclaimed Ryoga as he ran to her and her victim, who was now dissolving into thin black dust.
"I'm okay, don't worry !" she replied, but while it was true regarding the outcome of the fight, overall, she was far from okay.
"Are you s-"
But he was cut short when he saw another man charging at him, and was forced to return to the fray – no time for love during a battle, especially a tough one like this.
As for Soraya, she was clearly the one experiencing the most difficulty… in fact, it proved to be her toughest battle ! All of this because the pain had got sharper now and her lower abdomen was now throbbing insistently. She had the horrible feeling of knives slicing her insides and while she gave her maximum, she was still having a hard time dealing with all those foes.
The energy she deployed against their assailants sent adrenalin in her body, but while she had hoped it would counter the pain and make the latter diminish, the contrary had actually happened : her suffering had intensified as she incessantly moved around, landing some pretty tough blows on her adversaries, but losing both in power and in accuracy. How she regretted not being at her best,
Ukyo, as for her, was doing good : her dexterity at handling her giant spatula allowed her to take out many opponents, and she was very accurate when aiming at the centre of the foes' foreheads : she almost didn't miss any red spot and fought with merciless rage, incensed that she was because of her friends having to endure so much during their quest… and especially from these bastards they were fighting !
But for some reason, she felt the pain start to "wake up" in her previously hurt shoulder, as if the muscle inside was getting strained. And that disturbed her.
I wish I hadn't fallen on my bad shoulder during the bus incident. It reactivated that damn pain. I just hope it doesn't worsen during the battle…
There seemed to be an endless flow of foes, and our heroes were starting to wonder how the heck there could be such an immense amount of enemies, if there wasn't some spell behind this.
And the fight started to take its toll on them…
That's when the evil leader's lips stretched in a nasty smirk…
…and he screamed on top of his voice : "NOW !"
Suddenly, as Ryoga was sending his forefinger forward to perform one more Bakusai Tenketsu, he felt a rush of cold over his head and body… and found himself shaking his now tiny black head and grunting, before glaring at a man above him, holding an empty bucket in the air and spitefully grinning at the black piglet.
He had obviously snuck behind Ryoga with the full bucket, while our hero was busy with another villain, and taken him by surprise to turn him into his cursed form.
P-Chan tried to run away, but was almost immediately picked up by another man, who threw him into a thick bag that got promptly closed.
Soraya, who had heard the porcine noises, turned her head in his direction… and her eyes widened in horror as she witnessed her boyfriend-turned-pig being thrown into a bag !
"RYOGA ! NOOOO !"
But the few seconds she left her adversary from sight were alas fatal to her…
The pigtailed girl suddenly felt an overpowering pain in her middle section as a large fist crashed and pushed against her thin body, taking her dolor to new heights and knocking the air out of her lungs in a flash.
She ended up curled on the ground, holding her abdomen and trying hard to catch her breath, moans soon ensuing as she endured the greatest suffering she had ever felt.
Tears rapidly formed at the corner of her eyes as she held her belly while miserably screaming out her horrible pain.
But despite her terrible condition, her thoughts didn't linger on herself but quickly returned to Ryoga, realizing in what appalling situation he was now, completely helpless…
…just like she was now helpless herself.
Ranma heard Soraya's screams of agony and turned his head to find her curled up on the cold ground, her arms wrapped around her abdomen, her mouth letting out loud cries of pain that alternated with gritted teeth.
The pigtailed boy could see that her beautiful features were now twisted by some atrocious wince.
"SISTER !" he screamed, and started towards her…
…but then two guys landed by his sides and put a bag over his head.
And in the bag were…
"MEOOOOOOW ! MEOOOOOOOW ! FFFFFFFFFFF !"
His eyes widened to the extreme in the darkness of the bag.
"C-CATS ! OH NOOOO ! NOOOO !"
There were indeed three felines inside, and all were equally panicked by Ranma's presence. They didn't spare their hissing, clawing and biting at him, but the two scoundrels held the bag firmly around him.
Yet, as he was trashing about so wildly and so incessantly, he soon managed to get out of the bag and fell heavily on the ground.
"RAN-CHAN !" yelled Ucchan, who had heard his screams and, after getting rid of her current opponent, had to get rid of one more enemy before getting the chance to reach him.
As she was running to him, he was trying to sit down when he felt a huge shock and pain on his occiput…
…and he collapsed head first on the cold hard dirt of that wintery battlefield.
"RAN-CHAAAAN !" screamed Ukyo, on the top of her voice.
And raising her spatula, she hit Ranma's latest assailant with all her strength.
The evil dude got the sharp corner right in his chest and started to roll about on the frozen dirt, howling in great pain.
Her wrath blinding her, she instantly rushed at him and, waiting for the right moment, she aimed and struck even more violently than before.
A crackling sound could be heard… and the guy who had just knocked out her childhood friend and former fiancé ceased to exist !
Gritting her teeth, she started to turn around…
…when a flash of pain exploded in her "bad shoulder" !
"AAAAAAAAAH !" the cook shouted, her cry distorted by sheer pain.
A man armed with a metal bar had silently crept behind her as she was "terminating" Ranma's assailant, and right before she had turned back around, he had it her at full speed and with great force.
She heavily scrashed beside her former love, gritting her teeth as tears rolled down her cheeks. And it occurred to her that now, she had a better idea of the excruciating pain Soraya had been feeling very recently…
Ucchan painfully moved, trying to turn on the side, on her "good shoulder" of course.
But some hands grabbed her and violently pinned her to the ground, on her back, making her hurtful shoulder hit the dirt and have her wince some more, her eyes tightly shut and teeth clenched hard.
But all of a sudden, she felt a cold thin touch on her throat…
…and, reopening her eyes, she saw the leader of the enemies over her, holding her spatula by the handle, with both hands, and the sharp edge of said spatula was now pressed down on her throat !
"I wouldn't even try to move, if I were you…"
His lips cruelly moved up, baring his teeth in the most sinister rictus.
Two men were busy trussing Ranma right beside her, and in no time was the gifted martial artist wrapped tightly in thick ropes.
"Here are the other two !" exclaimed other men as they joined the evil leader.
Soraya and a bag landed next to Ukyo, who couldn't help twisting her neck in their direction, which the leader allowed… although he maintained his two-hands grip on the handle of the spatula, the latter remaining tightly pressed against its owner's neck.
The redhead was all tied up, like her male counterpart, and her beautiful blue eyes were half closed, while some frantic squeals rose from the bag.
"So… Sorry… Ukyo…" Soraya whispered with difficulty, as she helplessly fought her horrible pain to speak. "I… I tried… to do my… my best… but…"
"Don't apologize !" instantly exclaimed the chef. "You've been very brave, especially in your condition ! You can be proud of you !"
The braided female would have smiled if she had been able to… but all her mouth could do was twist in a sore wince.
"My pain… is… so awful… If I had… been… in good… condition… I would… I would… have done… better…"
"You've done great ! Don't feel sorry ! We got very unlucky here, and those bastards could exploit our weaknesses… It's the only reason they could win !"
She briskly jerked her head back to its initial position and glared at the smirking leader above her.
"Fucking scumbag !" she spat, tone and words totally unlike her… but then again, a livid Ukyo was a very different person.
"Sure, sure… Anyway, you guessed it right : we exploited your weaknesses indeed. You'll soon know how we could do that. But now is time for you to get a new "accommodation", isn't it…"
He sneered at her, then leaned forward, slightly pushing more on the spatula, which made her grit her teeth and only augmented her fury.
"By the way, my dear… didn't I say earlier that you would learn your lesson ? Well, here it is… and you know, the lesson's far from finished…"
His fixed look clearly showed madness, and his chuckle appeared just as insane as his stare.
Ukyo closed her eyes tightly and gulped with difficulty….
(…)
(…)
Waow, that was a long one, wasn't it ? Well, since it has now gone over 9'000 words, it's officially the longest chapter ! I've outdone myself, lol ! ;P
I apologize for the long while it took me to publish this : I cruelly lacked spare time again, didn't get as much as I hoped or wished I would. A man's life… uh, sorry, let me rephrase that : a HUman's life can be pretty hectic, as you know.
Anyway…
I wanted to put some calmer moments in the first half of this chapter, where Ranma evokes his feelings for Akane, and Ukyo states how she now feels regarding their couple. It's always interesting when a character is showing depth, when he/she start thinking a lot, realizing things, mistakes, changes. It's good to see people take the time to ponder their behaviour, others' behaviours or simply the turn of events. A fiction that would be all action and no feelings or thoughts… hum… well, I don't think it would be a good fiction, that's all. ;)
But then comes the second half, and notably that last part, with the great battle.
I'm not very good at depicting a fight, mainly because I don't deem I have enough glossary to accurately explain how a battle is unfolding in detail… so I limited myself in terms of battle descriptions and rather analyzed the difficulties our heroes were having (Ranma's weakness, Soraya's abdominal pain, Ukyo's pain resurgence at the worst time…) and how their enemies curiously came up with the precise "tools" that could indeed neutralize our heroes (water for Ryoga, cats for Ranma, hit exactly on the "bad shoulder" for Ukyo). How did the bad guys know about our friends' weak spots ? Interesting question, uh ?
It will be answered in next chapter, but perhaps you already have an idea…? ;)
But that chapter is indeed a turning point in the story, as it's the first time The Five find themselves helpless, outmatched… and eventually neutralized, ending up as prisoners. Their situation has never been worse… and who would have thought such a dramatic turn of events would take place ?!
We'll soon see what becomes of them… but pray for (y)our heroes, dear readers !
By the way, a friend of mine gave me a link to watch the "new Ranma" from 2024. I've already watched 4 episodes, and I must admit it's pretty cool animation-wise. But of course, nothing can beat the original show from the early 90's. :D
That friend of mine sadly had to go through hard times lately, and I'm hoping with all my heart that he'll feel better as soon as can be. He's a very good friend and my hope is that he has a better life from now on. If you're reading this, dear G, I'm sending you al my love, friendship and support !
A sad/bitter note here : I didn't get any reviews for the past 2 chapters, not even from Arianne Luna, so I hope that I will get a lil' something this time… It's always slightly disappointing when no water comes to irrigate the field of your creativity. Sure, you don't HAVE to leave reviews, alright… but God, are they motivating ! You have no idea ! Well, we'll see… Fingers crossed…
On a positive note this time, THE TIDE IS TURNING got favorited and followed 2 or 3 times lately, so that does brighten my mood and compensate for the recent silence around RANMA 2-2. My gratitude to those who did so ! :DDDD
I do hope that you are fine, in high spirits and good health, and here's wishing you to
BE AS HAPPY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN !
Hopefully I'll be able to update the story earlier, this time. Time will tell…
Take care, dear readers, and good luck with your own stories !
& Léo &