Chapter Nine: Your Father's Son

The Ryouga & Ukyou Chronicles, Volume Two

Disclaimer:
Ryouga Hibiki and Ukyou Kuonji are not my creations and are both copyright of Rumiko Takahashi. This same holds true for Nabiki Tendo, Sasuke, Hiroshi, Daisuke, and yes, even Kuno. I’d like to thank Takahashi-sensei for her great series once again. So don’t sue me. I’m broke. All you’ll get is an IOU written on a cocktail napkin. Well, that is, if I could afford a cocktail...Anyway, I once again claim no credit for their creation. And, now, on with the show...

I

It seemed so long ago, a faded, fuzzy memory, barely recalled in a deep, troubled slumber. A small boy, no older than eight, slowly slid shut the shoji door to his house, his head hung low, eyes obscured by the shadows cast by the room’s lighting. His breathing was shaky, and punctuated occasionally by choked sniffles. Shaking with barely contained adolescent rage, young Ryouga Hibiki slid heavily down the door, into a heap on the floor, propping his arms on his knees and burying his face in them. Even preoccupied, he knew when the dark shadow came over him that it was his father.

"D-Dad?" the youth choked, trying not to show his savaged emotional state. His father towered over him, implacable, unemotional.

"What is wrong?" he said, but with no hint of concern. Ryouga flushed, scowling, and turned away, looking down at the floor as he shook with rage.

"This…this kid at school…" Ryouga stammered. "Ranma…he makes me so mad…he’s a thief." Ryouga heard his dad give an almost amused chuckle.

"That’s it?" He said. "Listen, here, Ryouga. You are my son. One day you will carry on the proud fighting school that I now am master of. You are the proud son of a great warrior. And all you can do…is cry."

"I…I-I’m sorry…father…" Ryouga stammered, shame-faced. "B-B-But what can I do? He’s a good fighter."

"Be a man, Ryouga." His father said sternly, his presence towering over the small, shaking youth. "Tears are for the weak. I refuse to have a weakling for a son, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, father…" Ryouga stammered, his face flush with shame. His father regarded him with those deep, passionless eyes. The youth felt like they would swallow him up. He glanced behind his father and saw Yuriko, the young daughter of his father’s assistant instructor, watching. She smiled warmly at him, though it brought him little comfort.

"Don’t be afraid, Ryouga. Ever." His father said sternly. "Warriors don’t cry. They fight. You must defeat this Ranma boy. Crush him with you bare hands, and prove yourself worthy to be my son."

"Yes, father…" Ryouga said, his small fists clenching tightly. "I will…I will find Ranma, and crush him…just like a good son…"

The images slowly began to run, like ink on wet paper, until all that was left was the young Hibiki and his father. His father’s words…

Warriors don’t cry. They fight.

I won’t have a weakling for a son.

Prove yourself worthy…worthy to be my son, Ryouga.

II

The gentle, calming sound of the morning birds chirping drifted lazily along the breeze, dancing with the rays of the rising sun and spilling across the Japan countryside with the carelessness a small child might have. Groggily, Ryouga Hibiki shifted and sat up, dousing his lagging psyche with the first breath of the new day. He almost subconsciously reached beside him to where normally a familiar form would rest beside him. He didn’t know why he always had to check to make sure she was there. Maybe it was because he was still having a hard time believing that what he’d found with her was real, and not some cruel cosmic joke. Maybe it was because his past experiences in Nerima taught him that there were many unstable people that made a habit of kidnapping women for whatever reason and running off with them to some kind of mysterious unmapped area of China.

At any rate, she wasn’t there.

Hmmm… His mind commented offhandedly, still adjusting to the shock of leaving blissful slumber and immersing itself in the world of the awake. Stretching, he stood slowly and looked around the small room which he was occupying. Just the bare necessities. It wasn’t much of a hotel, really. More like an old house converted for use by weary travelers. Didn’t look like it had changed much in a couple of hundred years. Ryouga appreciated the ambiance of the old place, seeming so out of sync with the rest of modern Japan, not barely three days travel from Tokyo. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he stretched and strolled slowly out to the main room of the little hotel.

"Good morning, Ryo-chan." Ukyou Kuonji chirped happily to him as he stumbled into the room and plopped heavily down at the table. "That must have been quite a dream. You kept tossing and turning. I couldn’t get any sleep." She stood, sleeves rolled up, looking all business, at the small stove. The smell of cooking okonomiyaki filled the air, and helped to bring the lost boy around. Ryouga mumbled something incoherently, which caused Ukyou to scowl, obviously annoyed.

"You’re such a jackass in the morning, Ryo-chan, you know that?" she said matter-of-factly as she refocused her attentions on the food cooking in front of her. After a moment, a youth with slightly mussed black hair stumbled into the room and sat down across from the listless Ryouga, yawning loudly. He wore a white long sleeved collar shirt, hastily buttoned up and adorned with numerous wrinkles.

"Okonomiyaki again?" he grumbled, his eyes still closed for the most part. "Shouldn’t the hotel…person…be cooking, Ukyou?" He barely finished his second statement before he was abruptly interrupted by a spatula slamming into his face. Groaning, he twitched a couple of times, and then collapsed backwards onto the wooden floor.

"If you don’t like it, Daisuke…" Ukyou hmphed, her arms crossed over her chest defiantly, "Then maybe you’d like to go buy some food of your own for a change, instead of mooching off me!"

"You crazy girl!" Daisuke shouted, sitting up and peeling the spatula off his face, annoyed. "What is it with you martial artists always having to hit people to emphasize your points!? Haven’t any of you ever heard of strong body language before? It works, too, you know!"

"Daisuke, shut up." Agotsu Kourenai said, walking into the small room and sitting in the middle of the open doorway, looking out onto the street. "You woke me up from a rather peaceful dream."

"I bet." Daisuke chided. "Deny it all you want, but you’re a girl, and girls can’t resist me. Eventually, they all fall to my charms. Your dreams are just a prelude."

"If you say so." Agotsu said. "Actually, you were in my dream, now that you mention it. And I’d be happy to re-enact that scene with you whenever you like."

"R-Really?" Daisuke said, his voice cracking slightly, betraying his cool exterior with its adolescent eagerness.

"Of course." Agotsu said slyly. "Although I’d hate to stain this nice old house with so much blood."

"That’s…uh, okay….Never mind." Daisuke said, scooting backwards on the floor a little, away from her. "We…just forget it, okay?"

"As you wish." Agotsu said, not bothering to turn around and even acknowledge him.

"You know, Ucchan…" Ryouga said after a moment of silence. "Daisuke may be right. You don’t always have to cook, you know…you should take a break sometimes."

"Aww, that’s sweet of you to be concerned." She said, flexing a muscle in her arm as she smiled triumphantly. "But I need the practice. For when the children come."

"C-Children?!?" Ryouga stammered. Daisuke smirked and elbowed the Lost Boy slyly.

"Why you old dog, you…Heh Heh Heh…" he chuckled. Ryouga shook his head, stammering, his face a bright crimson.

"N-N-N-No, it…I…we…didn’t…I haven’t…I…" he sputtered. Ukyou rolled her eyes and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Not now, of course, you idiot." She said sarcastically, but with a hint of happiness buried within. "Not for a few years, at any rate. We need to build up a stable home life, first. I was thinking, maybe Konatsu would be interested in handing the okonomiyaki shop back over to me…and maybe you could get a job somewhere, maybe teaching martial arts…we can get a place of our own…" Her voice drifted off as she seemed to become temporarily lost in her own little fantasy world.

"Man, she works fast." Daisuke commented. "Better enjoy the single life while you can, Hibiki." He was cut off by Ukyou, who angrily smashed his head with her fist.

"What do you mean by that, you pervert!?" she snarled. Daisuke didn’t respond, mostly because he was crumpled in a heap on the floor, passed out.

"Anyway…" Ryouga chuckled nervously, "Why don’t you let me take you out to breakfast, Ucchan? You can let someone else do the cooking for a change?"

"Did I hear someone say they were paying for breakfast?" Nabiki Tendo said, emerging from her room immaculately dressed in the latest designer style suit and skirt. Ryouga opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted again.

"Ah, pay for food. Is good. Go to debt you still owe for destroy my business, okay?" Ryu said from behind him. Ryouga leapt up, startled, and spun angrily. Ryu was sitting against the wall, his katana resting against his shoulder lazily. He nodded to Ryouga firmly.

"But I-" Ryouga stammered.

"I suppose I will accept." Agotsu said darkly. "It’s the least you can do, considering how you ruined my life forever."

"How I ruined?" Ryouga said, becoming angry. "I didn’t mean I was going to take everyone to-"

"You’re taking us all to breakfast?" Daisuke said, sitting up again. "Wow, thanks, buddy. I knew you were getting sick of Ukyou cooking too."

"What!?" Ukyou shouted angrily, gripping her spatula tightly. "Getting sick of my cooking, are you?"

"WHAT?" Ryouga stammered, shaking his head emphatically. "N-N-NO, Ukyou, I’m not-"

"Come on, Ryouga." Daisuke said, leaning back slightly and folding his arms. "You can’t sit there and tell me you don’t get tired of okonomiyaki for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, EVERY single day?"

He smiled slightly, seeming to be waiting for an answer. Ryouga scowled and then looked over at Ukyou. She stood, silently, hands on her hips, seemingly waiting for his answer as well. He swallowed hard, and chuckled nervously.

"Er…I…uh…I like…okonomiyaki…" he said nervously. Ukyou raised her eyebrow, not yielding him the smile he was hoping for. "Uh…and…I…uh…love you?" he added uncertainly after a moment. Ukyou smirked and shook her head.

"Okay, fine then, we’ll go out and eat, if that’s the way you all feel." She said, annoyed. Everyone else seemed to nod eagerly, except of course for Ryouga, and Ryu, who never did anything eagerly. Sighing, she shook her head and began to pack up her things. She stormed into her room, grumbling and gesturing for Ryouga to follow, which he dutifully did.

"Well, she’s awfully cranky." Daisuke commented. "Ryouga should really learn how to talk to women a little better."

Agotsu opened her mouth as if to retort Daisuke’s moronic comment, but a sudden movement in the shadows caught her attention. Almost invisibly something had shifted in the heavy forested area surrounding the quaint little hotel. Daisuke watched the girl’s face contort into a deep concentration, slightly puzzled.

"Uh…Agotsu?" He said, looking up from a cup of steaming tea the cook had brought him. "Something wrong?"

"I…it’s nothing." She said, her tensed body relaxing slightly. "I just thought I heard something, that’s all." She paused for a moment, then turned to face him with a scowl.

"Why the hell were you paying so much attention to me, anyway?" She snarled. "I hope you aren’t getting any stupid ideas."

"Those are the only ones he gets." Nabiki sighed nonchalantly as she sat down next to the now fuming Daisuke. "You don’t know him that well yet, but you’ll see."

"Hey!" Daisuke snarled, slamming the tea cup on the table angrily. "I don’t have to take this from either of you!" He turned to face the garishly clad samurai seated away from them all.

"Come on, Ryu!" he said, angrily. "You can’t let them talk to me like that! We guys have to stick together in the face of this kind of oppression!"

"You talk about oppression like monkey talk about flying to moon." Ryu commented softly, his eyes closed. So said, he stood slowly, his katana resting on his shoulder, and turned and strolled out into the early morning sunshine.

"Uh…yeah…" Daisuke said, sitting heavily back down. Glancing back down, he frowned to notice that his tea cup was now empty. Nabiki cleared her throat and he looked over to her. She held a tea kettle in one hand, smiling at him smugly.

"Thanks…" he said humbly, flushing, as she poured the tea for him. She smiled brightly and waved her hand dismissively.

"Think nothing of it." She said. He smiled and began to sip the tea casually. "After all," she added, "I’m only charging you a thousand yen for it."

"WHAT!?" He gasped, sputtering and choking as he spat tea across the table. "That’s Highway robbery, dammit! Don’t you ever think of anything but money!?" His words were cut short when Agotsu’s hand slammed onto the table, accompanied by the familiar sound of splintering wood as he hand passed through the shattering furniture. Daisuke looked up to see her face, snarling in rage, and dripping with warm tea. Her Chinese broadsword hung menacingly from her other hand.

"Uh…Ah…Heh heh…" He chuckled nervously, backing away from her. Ignoring him, Agotsu stepped over the splintered table halves, and stood over him, slowly raising her sword over her head and taking hold of it with both hands.

"Time to die." She whispered, and charged at him, scrambling to his feet, he ran screaming out of the room, with her not far behind. Nabiki, watched, amused, and poured herself some tea.

Ryu strolled around the hotel grounds complacently, immersing himself in the serenity of the quaint surroundings. Looking up into the sky, he smiled at the warmth of the sun’s rays, and came to a stop next to a small pond. He kneeled down at the end of the cool, clear water, and watched the cherry blossom petals lazily drift earthward. He sighed, happy to dwell in this moment of peace forever. But, something caught his attention. A sudden movement, out of sync with the sounds of nature that surrounded him. Something unnatural. Narrowing his eyes, he stood, his hand caressing the hilt of his sheathed katana in anticipation.

Strolling silently into the surrounding wilderness, he saw it. A cloaked figure, partially concealed in the foliage, watched the inn intently, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Ignoring the few cherry blossom petals that drifted by his face, he cautiously drew his blade, the sound of metal sliding against metal betraying his presence, and stepped out to meet this spy. The figure snapped to attention and turned quickly, the eyes of both people locking together in an intense stare.

"I do not know who you are…" Ryu said slowly, assuming a defensive stance, "But you do not seem to be having good intentions, sneaking like ninja in the woods." The figure seemed to smirk to itself, and pulled one side of the black hooded cloak aside, drawing out a pair of nunchaku and twirling them nonchalantly in one hand. Ryu gritted his teeth as he watched the nunchaku twirl lazily. Neither figure dared to breathe for a moment, locked in an intense stare. The only hint of movement were the lazily falling cherry blossom petals drifting to the grassy earth.

Suddenly, the figure shifted footing, and charged forward, the nunchaku spinning at its side with intense velocity. Ryu didn’t flinch, waiting for the perfect moment. The figure swung its weapon toward him, and he thrust his sword out to meet it, the flat of the blade striking against the descending nunchaku perfectly, knocking it backwards with a loud clash. At the same time, Ryu saw the figure draw another nunchaku from its cloak, swinging it up to his exposed left side. Reacting quickly, he leapt up, spinning sideways in the air, flipping over the figure’s still outstretched left arm and nunchaku, landing to face the assailant, his sword clicking as it slid back into its sheath. The figure seemed to smirk as it now twirled a nunchaku in each hand. Ryu gritted his teeth and gripped the handle of his blade with his right hand. The wind swirled through the trees, lifting the errant petals from the forest floor and swirling them around the combatants in a bizarre sort of dance.

Suddenly, Ryu charged, Iaijutsu drawing his blade at an incredible speed, which the figure barely dodged, leaping to one side and responding with a swift kick, which Ryu spun to avoid, the foot flying past where his head had been a moment before, almost grazing his cheek. The figure landed, facing him, as he held his katana in his right hand tightly. His left hand still gripped his now empty scabbard. The figure leapt forward, one nunchaku thrusting forward. Ryu shifted slightly, the weapon rushing under his arm, barely missing his ribs, and smashing against a cherry blossom tree, the trunk cracking with the bone shattering impact of the weapon against it. Simultaneously, the other nunchaku swung towards his other side, apparently planning to smash into him as he avoided the strike from the other side. He instantly reacted, striking the chain of the approaching weapon with the blunt end of his katana, causing the weapons to tangle together impossibly. Ryu pulled the scabbard of his sword free, as his hand still grasped it tightly, and swung it awkwardly, as if drawing his sword. The scabbard smashed into the figure’s side, and it snarled a little as the impact struck it. The figure winced, and planted one foot against Ryu’s chest, pushing backward and gracefully flipping backward, landing on its feet as Ryu fell back on one knee, his sword in one hand and his scabbard in the other. Breathing heavily, Ryu stood and assumed a stance, his scabbard pointed in front of him as his katana was held above his head, and he waited.

"Not bad." The figure said, its voice obscured by the thick hooded cloak that disguised it. "I’d like to continue this at a later time, but for now, you’ll have to excuse me." So said, it leapt high into the air, onto a large tree limb.

"Hey! Wait!" Ryu snarled, quickly re-sheathing his katana almost without thinking. The figure saluted and leapt into the thick tree branches, heading towards the inn.

"Dammit." The young samurai snarled, rushing to chase after the intruder before they could get to whatever they were looking for in the inn. Whatever it was, Ryu was fairly certain that it somehow involved Ryouga and Ukyou, and it probably wasn’t a good thing.

III

"Why didn’t you tell me you were tired of my cooking?" Ukyou huffed as she thrust another article of clothing into her large traveling pack. "We’re going to get married some day, Ryouga. You should tell me these things…" She shook visibly, as if trying to contain her anger and not doing a very good job of it. Ryouga sat on the floor behind her, scratching the back of his head, his face bright red.

"I didn’t say that…" he mumbled pathetically. Ukyou hmphed and turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest defiantly.

"Well, you should have spoken up!" she said angrily. "You’re supposed to defend my honor, you jerk! How could you let them insult my cooking like that!?"

"I…I don’t…I’m sorry…" He muttered, hanging his head in shame, his face burning with embarrassment. Ukyou sighed, her angry face softening. She smiled and walked over to him, kneeling next to him and leaning into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him firmly. His face brightened even redder at this, of course.

"Oh, Ryouga…" she sighed. "I’m sorry. I just want to go home."

"I understand." He said, smiling slightly as he nervously placed a hand on her back. "We’ll be there soon. Then, everything will be okay."

"Good." She said, sitting back and looking up at his smiling face. "Traveling with these people is driving me insane. We never have any time to ourselves…plus, they’re all idiots." She chuckled and kisses his cheek gently before standing up and offering her hand to him.

"Come on and help me get all this crap in order so we can get the hell out of here." She said smartly, winking. Smiling, Ryouga took her hand and stood up. They looked into each others eyes for a blissful, silent moment. This was interrupted by the loud shifting of the door sliding open. Both of them turned to see Ryu standing in the doorway, his figure shadowed by the illumination spilling in around him from the outside. However, Ryouga could see the intensity in his eyes.

"Hey, Ryu, do you mind!?" Ukyou said, annoyed. "Don’t you know how to knock before barging into someone’s room? What if I had been undressed or something!?"

"W-What!?" Ryouga said, glancing over at her, his face flushed. "Ukyou, what are you talking about!? We didn’t…"

"I was just making a point, doofus!" she said, snatching her hand from his and crossing her arms. "It’s perfectly natural to assume that since we’re engaged, and share a room, that I might be in some stage of undress! I’m just saying that he needs to take things like that into consideration!"

"Excuse, Ryouga -san, and Miss Ukyou…" Ryu said sternly. "I mean no disrespect, but it seem you have visitor."

"What?" Ryouga said, turning to the open window. A figure, hidden by a thick black cloak and hood, knelt on the windowsill, one hand helping maintain its balance, while the other rested on one of its knees lazily. The figure dropped into the room, stood, and slowly turned, closing the window behind them, and fastening it shut. Ryouga stepped between the figure and Ukyou instinctively, clenching one fist in anticipation.

"Who the hell are you?" Ryouga snarled. The figure turned and seemed to regard the pair for a moment with its deep brown eyes, before deftly drawing the twin nunchaku from the cloak and twirling them menacingly. Ryouga stood his ground, preparing himself. Suddenly, Ryu darted in front of him, his sword drawing with lightning speed, and Ryouga heard the clang of metal, as Ryu blocked a blow that Ryouga hadn’t even seen coming. The figure swung its foot swiftly, connecting with Ryu’s stomach and stunning him for a moment, as it brought its elbow down against his back, sending him sprawling to the floor.

Ryouga took advantage of the moment’s distraction and swung his fist forward, just missing the dexterous figure, who quickly backflipped out of the way, then immediately charged forward, swinging a nunchaku towards his head. The figure’s eyes widened in surprise as Ryouga’s hand shot out, grasping the nunchaku as it hurtled toward him and pulled forward, yanking the figure towards him. He grasped the intruder’s neck with his other hand and slammed it hard against the wall, holding the figure dangling a foot off the ground in an iron grip. Ryu got to one knee, leaning against his katana for support, and watched.

"Talk." Ryouga growled, tightening his grip around the person’s throat. "Now." The figure chuckled.

"You’ve gotten better, Ryouga." The figure whispered. "You’re almost as good as your father."

"What!?" Ryouga shouted, startled, and dropped the figure to the ground. "How do you know my dad? Who the hell are you?"

"You don’t remember me?" the figure said, reaching up and yanking the hood down to reveal what it his underneath. The figure was actually a girl, about Ukyou’s age, with dark black hair that now fell across her shoulder in a thick braid. She smiled devilishly. "How about now?" she said smartly.

"You…" Ryouga gasped. "What…how did you find me?" Ukyou stepped up next to him and protectively wrapped her arms around his waist. The figure raised one of her eyebrows, apparently amused.

"Girlfriend?" she said, chuckling. "Your father will be happy to hear."

"Ryouga, who is this?" Ukyou said, tugging on his arm slightly. Ryouga looked down at her, and she could see the confusion in his eyes.

"My name," the girl said, bowing graciously before the couple, "Is Yuriko. I’m here to see Ryouga on very important business about his family."

"M-My family?" Ryouga said. Ukyou scowled and clung a little tighter to her man. As much as she cared for Ryouga, she knew precious little about his past, especially his family or his life before Ranma and Nerima. He seemed to keep that pretty much to himself. She always assumed he had his reasons, but this person suddenly bringing it up unnerved him in a way that scared her.

"Yes…Ryouga, please, can we talk?" Yuriko said. Ryouga straightened himself, and regained his composure, almost unconsciously curling one arm around Ukyou.

"Ukyou is…my…fiancee…" he said, his confidence slowly emerging. "Anything you have to say…she can hear, too." This, of course, caused Ukyou to both blush and simultaneously smile proudly.

"Very well." Yuriko said, seating herself on the ground. "It’s about your father. He’s…he’s not well, Ryouga." Ryouga was quiet for a moment, almost complacent, as if brooding on a matter of extreme emotional torment. He nodded.

"I…see." He said. "Did he send you to get me because he wants to see me, or because he wants me to prepare to take over the Dojo?"

"Take over the Dojo?" Ukyou said breathlessly, watching Ryouga’s face, which seemed to be awash with some kind of sadness. Yuriko shook her head.

"He’s not able to speak…but, unless you come, there may not be a Dojo left." Yuriko said. "The Hikaigo Clan has found out he is ill…They know about you, too…They’re preparing to strike against our family while we’re vulnerable."

Ryouga sighed heavily and stood, walking over to the window and opening it, watching the white birds flee skyward from the windowsill as he threw the panels open. He turned back to face Yuriko, his demeanor as serious as Ukyou’d ever seen it.

"That’s not my problem." Ryouga said heavily. "It’s not my family anymore. My father wouldn’t accept a failure like me as a son, or an heir." He sighed for a moment, lingering in a memory only he knew, and then walked over and knelt beside Ukyou, taking one of her smaller hands into his.

"Besides," he said, smiling, "I’m happy now. I have a life of my own…with Ukyou, and my friends."

"But, Ryouga…!" Yuriko stammered. "We need you! You have to help us! If you don’t the Hikaigo will destroy the Hibiki school forever…"

"I’m sorry, Yuriko." Ryouga said, bowing his head low, respectfully. "I can’t help you." Yuriko sighed, and nodded, standing back up and refastening her cloak.

"It’s not over, Ryouga." Yuriko said. "If I could find you, so can the Hikaigo. They won’t rest until the Hibiki are wiped out. All of them, even the errant son himself." Unbeknownst to any of them, a figure watched from the cover of a tree canopy. He chuckled to himself as he fondled the hilt of a large weapon that was strapped firmly to his back.

"No, it’s not over…" he whispered to himself. "It has just begun, Hibiki Ryouga…"

End of Chapter Nine.