Lighting the Way: Chapter Seven
Written by: Liz Donovan
Ranma ½ Homepage
Lighting the Way: Chapter Eight
Less than two hours later, doctor Toufuu strolled out of a store, dressed now, in dark brown pants and an off-white collared shirt. He seemed to walk with a new air of confidence. No newspaper conspicuously hiding him, no diverting his eyes, nothing.
Hiroshi shook his head, smiling a little, carrying a bag, as he too walked out of the store. He strolled up to Toufuu, and pushed the bag into the mans hands. "Here." He stated,. Toufuu excepted the bag, dejectedly.
"If I never wear these again, it’ll be too soon." the doctor muttered, and lighting laughed.
"I’ll bet." Hiroshi echoed. He turned as Akari exited the store from behind the two men. She had a little bag herself. "Say, Unryuu-san, found something you liked?" he asked. Akari nodded enthusiastically.
She opened her bag, and pulled out a sweater. It was pink and sewn in a straight line across the front of the sweater was a line across the front of pastel pink, blue, and yellow pigs. "It’s soooo cute!" she happily cried. Toufuu and Hiroshi only exchanged glances.
Hiroshi shook his head. "Right…um…so now. Where’s your farm from here?" he asked, eager to get this over with, and perhaps get home. Toufuu nodded.
"Katsunishiki!" Akari cried out. "I forgot!"
Hiroshi promptly face faulted to the floor. "You forgot where you live?!" he cried, dismayed.
"I think she meant she forgot about Katsunishiki." Toufuu said, pushing his glasses up on his face.
"I knew that." Hiroshi said, standing up. "Hey! Akari! Wait!" he cried, as Akari had taken off, running down the street, obviously her urge to save Katsunishiki greater now. "Unryuu-san!" he cried again, and then took off after her. Toufuu breathed out.
"Well, here we go again." he muttered, then shook his head, and took off running after them.
They ran along ways. Hiroshi had to fight to keep running. He just wasn’t in shape for that sort of long distance run. Akari seemed also exhausted, but refused to slow. She ran, her harsh breath audible to even Hiroshi. He wanted to tell her to stop, and slow down, but he knew she wouldn’t.
Doctor Toufuu seemed to be fairing a lot better. He paced himself and jogged along side Hiroshi, almost seeming to enjoy himself. In fact, the scenery was delicious. Beautiful trees and long grass surrounded them, separated by only by a white picket fence on either side of the worn dirt road.
Finally Akari turned, and she ran through a gate, down the long dirt drive to the house that was her farm. Toufuu ran along too, catching up with her. His gait quickened, feeling urgency.
Hiroshi skidded to a halt before the gates. He looked up at the sign above the gates, and blinked several times at the name and bright sun.
The named read:
The Unryuu Pig Farm
"The future home of the Hibiki’s"
He just stood there, staring up at the sign, shaking his head, almost unbelievingly. Hibiki? He thought. "Hibiki?" he said out loud. "Hibiki?!"
Ryouga Hibiki looked up as Akari burst through the door of her house and ran door the hall, to where she’d left Katsunishiki. She ignored him, not seeing him, and he ran after her, noting she’d brought a doctor as he’d been informed she would. "Akari-san!" he cried out.
She came to a halt, hearing his voice, turning her head and looking down the hall at him. She blinked, shocked at presence.
"Ryouga-sama…?" she whispered, in disbelief. He slowed, and then walked towards her, standing in front of her. She looked up at him, her eyes large and wavering. She seemed on the brink of words. "Katsunishiki…" she whispered, then turned and started down the hallway again
Ryouga touched her shoulder.
"Akari…" he softly said. "…you don’t want to go in there."
She stopped. Frozen. Her back was to him, her breath caught in her throat. "Ryou-…" she choked on her words. He gently turned her around, sympathetically. She looked up into his caring green-gray eyes. She shook her head at the message she read in them. Her eyes filled with tears. "KATSUNISHIKI!!!" she screamed in agony, flinging herself into Ryouga’s arms, trembling in devastation. Ryouga held her, not as Hiroshi had, but nonetheless supportively. She sobbed, gasping, shaking her head. "No, no, no….Katsu…nishiki!" she clung to him desperately, sobbing. "No…"