Lighting the Way: Chapter Eight

Written by: Liz Donovan

Hiroshi heard the scream even from where he still stood outside the Unryuu home. His chest tightened, knowing that only one thing could bring a sound that massive from her small chest. He ran up the stairs and into her house as well. Looking about he saw no one, but followed the sounds of sobbing, knowing she needed human comfort he alone could provide her. He rounded the corner to the hall and froze.

There was Akari, supportively being held in Ryouga Hibiki’s arms. Not far behind, Doctor Toufuu stood looking at the two; on the verge of going to see Katsunishiki or trying to comfort Akari. Finally his doctor instincts kicked in and he turned, back to the room the sumo pig was in. As soon as Toufuu moved, Hiroshi expelled his breath, and collapsed to his knees in the hallway.

"RYOUGA HIBIKI was her fiancee?" he screamed in his mind, staring at the two. "The man of steels!? The boy who won the Nerima ‘Most Likely to Challenge Saotome and Win’ contest!?" Hiroshi murmured a little. "Ryouga Hibiki…" he thought again, in disbelief. "How could I be so stupid? With a guy like him she’d never want a weakling like me." he hung his head, then slowly got to his feet, not looking at the engaged couple and turned slowly, walking away.

"Akari-san?" Hiroshi heard Ryouga say softly. "Ara…why are you crying?" he questioned. Hiroshi paused, and glanced back at Ryouga with narrowed eyes. The boy could be five times stronger than him, but when it came to common sense, Hiroshi took the lead. Ryouga seemed to have the sense of a pig. Hiroshi winced,, perhaps pigs weren’t so great of a contrast in this situation.

Akari raised her red teary eyes to look at Ryouga. "Ka…ka…tsu…." She sniffled unable to say any more, then burst into sobs, holding him tightly to her.

"Akari-san, Katsunishiki is sleeping…he…" Ryouga started but Akari cut him off with a loud wail of grief.

Katsunishiki!" she moaned. Hiroshi growled a little. Why was he continually mentioning that!? She needed to get her mind OFF the subject.

"Unryuu-san." he heard himself asking. Both Akari and Ryouga looked up at him. Akari wiped her eyes, Ryouga merely blinked. "Uh…", he thought of something, anything to get her away from the door and the thought of the pig. "…lets go get some tea, Akari-san." he managed. "Warm tea. To warm you up." Well that was stupid, he thought. She looked at him, hiccuped a bit and nodded a little unsure and sniffed.

Ryouga stared at him as though he were bewildered to see him. "Hot tea…" the idiot muttered. Akari nodded a bit and pulled away from Ryouga, walking towards Hiroshi.

"Hot tea…" she murmured moving towards him. He nodded and gently took hold of her, only supportively, and walked her back down the hall, one hand on her back lightly. She murmured a little more as he began walking to where he thought the kitchen should be. Ryouga stood looking at Hiroshi, perplexed.

"Akari-san?" he mumbled as she and Hiroshi turned the corner. Neither stopped to look back at him. He blinked a few times then took a step to follow them to the kitchen. A hand fell upon his shoulder, restraining him. He blinked and turned about.

"Hibiki-san, what happened to Katsunishiki?" Toufuu-sensei asked, looking down at him. Ryouga blinked recalling knowing the doctor from Nerima.

"You’re here too!?" he cried, then paused and then cried. "She went to Nerima for a doctor!?"

Toufuu nodded a little. "She went to find you. She found Hiroshi-san and myself instead. You’re a friend of Ranma’s, aren’t you?"

Ryouga’s first words with a snarl were: "We are not friends!"> Toufuu nodded and then sadly sadly.

"Ah, I remember. You’re the one who likes Akane." He matter-of-factly said. Again Ryouga snarled.

"How do you know-", he blinked, paused nervously, and put his hand to the back of his head as he nervously laughed. "A-Akane-san? Wh-what makes you say that?" he looked about almost uneasy looking. Toufuu shook his head and glanced at the closed door behind him, he idly commented, his voice laced with remorse.

"It doesn’t seem like the Unryuu’s needed my help after all, does it?" he said, looking down the hall Hiroshi and Akari’d just left.

To Be Continued…