Eternal Sleep:? Part Fifteen

Written by: Liz Donovan

It took two weeks for Yachi-yunqi to realize that he wanted to return to Japan. Both Cologne and Mousse had convinced him to stay on at the Nekohanten with them. Cologne had already set up to close the shop down indefinitely. When the day arrived that Yachi-yunqi had told them that he was returning to Japan, Cologne had wasted no time in persuading him to take Mousse.

The Nekohanten was closed in less than an hour, and both Mousses and Cologne’s traveling packs mysteriously turned up, ready for use. Yachi-yunqi seemed slightly miffed at having to travel with Mousse, but he did not offer much complaint.

The three traveled for days upon days, and finally reached the ocean, where upon they boarded a plane and flew over to Japan. A month had easily passed, and all three were exhausted. The plane had a lay over in Tokyo, and Cologne decided she wanted to get off there. Both Mousse and Yachi-yunqi followed in suit. They spend a two good days in Tokyo, as Yachi-yunqi lead them around. Mousse tried to intervene, but Cologne would not let him. She wanted Yachi-yunqi to find what he searched for own his own.

Finally Mousse rented a hotel and stayed there while he waited for Yachi-yunqi to find what ever he was looking for. Cologne sat on the twin bed near Mousse. She sighed and Mousse sat on the bed himself.

"Cologne, when will this end?" Mousse asked, tiredly laying back. "What’s this Yachi-yunqi looking for anyway?" he asked in basic Japanese. Cologne, ignoring the language Mousse spoke in, answered in Chinese.

"He will find it. He will." She spoke. Mousse shut his eyes, wearily. Yachi-yunqi had been wandering the streets for over two days now, and still there was no sign of anything. He couldn’t believe he was just sitting here dumbly smiling.

Yachi-yunqi found it incredibly smoothing to be back in Japan, where everyone spoke his language. He stopped at a small store, and fished out a couple of bucks, ordering himself a deluxe okonomiyaki. He sat silently, waiting to be served. There was something he wanted to find, but Tokyo was such an immensely huge city he couldn’t fathom on where to look. He didn’t even know what he was looking for. Something that would remind him of who he was. He shrugged…where could he find, a thing like that?

The waitress arrived, and served him his dish. He looked up at her, taking the warm plate. Something similar to deja-voo stuck him, as he looked into the waitresses face. She was a pretty girl, probably around his age, though he looked older than he was. She kept her long dark hair pulled back in a pony tail, and she worn a traditional okonomiyaki sellers outfit. She smiled at him as he took the plate from her.

"Everything alright?" she questioned, smiling. Yachi-yunqi, held the plate up, trying to detain her. She scratched her nose and waited for a reply.

"Uh…uh…h-hai!" he answered. She smiled, and turned to leave. He reached his other hand out, and touched her arm. She turned back around, a little startled.

"Yes?" she questioned. Yachi-yunqi thought his words over then asked.

"Do you know who I am?" he questioned. She cocked her head to one side, looking him over.

"You do seem a little familiar. What’s your name?" she questioned. Yachi-yunqi blinked, at the fact she might know who he was. He said: "My Chinese name is Yachi-yunqi." He stated. She seemed to step back little.

"Chinese? Are you Chinese, sir?" she questioned. Yachi-yunqi nodded no. Then she contemplated the name. "Yachi-yunqi?" she said. "Well its Chinese, but I don’t have enough knowledge of the Chinese language to tell you what it means." She said. Yachi-yunqi blinked.

"I know what it means." He answered. The waitress leaned on one foot, interested.

"What does it mean then?" she questioned. Yachi-yunqi put a hand to his head.

"Its Chinese for ‘lucky’ and ‘teeth’." He answered. She nodded, no.

"No recollection." She answered. Yachi-yunqi stopped, and nearly dropped the dish.

Concerned the waitress looked at him. "Sir? Sir, are you alright?" she questioned. Yachi-yunqi set the plate down and got to his feet.

"That’s it!" he cried. The waitress nearly face faulted.

"What’s it?!" she questioned. "What’s happening?" Yachi-yunqi pushed past her, and ran outside of the store. She followed him.

"Gotta get to Nermia!" he cried, turning and running down the street. The waitress chased him a little, but then fell back, watching him tear off down the road. She panted, watching him run.

"What’s in Nermia?" she whispered.

Mousse and Cologne were long forgotten as Yachi-yunqi tore through the day, and onto night. It wasn’t until he nearly collapsed in faint that he realized he had no idea where Nermia was. He ate some of the provisions in his pack to sustain him. Then he constructed a small fire and slept.

At the first sign of sunlight, Yachi-yunqi awoke. He hurriedly got to his feet, packed his things, and took off again. He stopped once to get directions to the city, but the map the man drew for him had to have been wrong because he followed it, and still wasn’t near anything like even looked like Nermia.

And that was strange because he remembered Nermia being very close to Tokyo. Then on the fourth day of walking he stumbled across it. And he meant stumbled. Feeling better with each step he took, he waltzed into down town, and kept going. He recognized it. Some of it was new, but it all seemed familiar. He took it all in, reveling in the memories it brought back. He wondered why he’d left this place to begin with. Surely something had happened he still hadn’t remembered. He heard something behind him, and spun around. A group of young girls, dressed in P.E. clothes were jogging towards him. He stepped aside and watched as they jogged into the gates of their school. Turning back around, Yachi-yunqi spotted the schools sign. He walked to it, and placed his hand on the smooth cool metal plate.

"Furinkian High School." He said, mostly to himself. Turning he looked at the ground and recalled the first time he’d stood in front of this school.

He looked up and remembered more. It became clearer, and he knew that all he had to do was follow the clues, and it would lead to the answer of his mystery. He turned and started running. He took to an alleyway, and then was compelled to jump onto the fence. There he ran along the top of the fence, heading away from the High School. Somehow he knew where he was going. He knew his mind would take him to where he needed to be, and once there he’d find out what he was searching for.

He came to the end of the fence, and hopped off, still running. He past the park, and several empty lots. He turned down a street, and his running slowed. He skidded to a halt, bringing a trail of dust up around him. He stood in front of a nicely constructed house. A sturdy wall surrounded the lot, and an arced stone way lead into the gardens and front lawn. He walked though the stone way and up to the house. There he paused.

Why was he here? He looked up at the house, not noticing the sign of the family who owned the house. He turned away. He’d come here after going to Furinkian. What was at the High School that connected to this house? He hadn’t attended High School, so it couldn’t…wait. He hadn’t attended high school. And THAT was the reason he was here for. He turned around and banged on the door.

The banging of the door sounded loudly though the quiet house. The two people in the living room looked up, and one got to her feet.

"Oh, it seems we have a visitor." The standing person said. Then she called to the banging door. "Just a second!" she hurried and walked to the door, sliding it open. She blinked at the ragged, worn man that stood before her. She wrinkled her nose, taking in his long, unwashed hair, and dirty, sweaty clothes. Regaining her posture she smiled and said: "May I help you?"

The man leaned forward, and seemed like he was very angry. He looked at her, his eyes flashing coldly. She stepped back a little, ready to call for help.

"Where is Saotome Ranma?!" he cried. The woman blinked.

"Ranma?" she said, and then seemed slightly sad. "Ranma." she repeated. She looked back up at the bedraggled traveler. "Ranma is in the same place he’s been in for the last four years." she softly said. The man’s eyes narrowed.

"Where is that?" he questioned.

"Sherwood Cemetery." She answered.

The world seemed to blacken around Yachi-yunqi and he turned from the woman at the door.

"The cemetery!?" he cried. He ran out the stone way, taking off. This was another clue as to where he needed to go. His feet guided him, his mind not thinking because he’d get lost if he thought about where he was going. Within minutes he was at the cemetery, and minutes after that, he was going down the gravesides, looking for the final resting place of Saotome Ranma.

It took over four hours to find, but when he located it, he was motionless. Yachi-yunqi stood in front of the tombstone, while the hot sun beat on his back, and sweat trickled off his brow. He dumbly stared at the stone, reading, and re-reading the words carved there. The cold words written there meant more to him than he thought possible. He took a breath, and read them again:

Here Lies Saotome Ranma,
son of Saotome Genma and Nodoka.
From 1967~1984
Dedicated in loving memory by the Tendo household,
by his fiancee Tendo Akane,
and funded by the House of Kunou.
May he rest in peace, eternally.

Yachi-yunqi read it over. Dedicated by Tendo Akane…and the House of Kunou.

"Akane." Yachi-yunqi whispered. He turned and left the tomb of Ranma. He stopped, and looked at the flowers growing along the brick cemetery wall. "Akane." He repeated. That was his next clue. He’d found Akane. She was the reason he’d left, and she was the reason he’d returned. He dropped to his knees. That was all he needed. Just hearing her name brought the sharp knives of pain back. His heart constricted and he felt the tears form in his eyes.

The forgotten memories formed in his mind. The thoughts of her, and Ranma, and then of himself and her. The pain was overwhelming and he struggled to breath. "Akane-san…" he whispered. Then he slumped down, unable to move. He relived the memories, the pain and the love. And finally he remembered the last time he’d ever seen Akane. The things she said, and the things he’d done.

He sat up, and blinked, his tears falling onto the grass. "I…know it now. I remember it all now." He got to his feet, shakily. "I know what I have to do…and I know why." He bowed his head, and then looked up. "I know who I am…I do…and I know what I must do!" he confirmed. Turning, he looked towards the cemetery exit. "My name is means lucky, because I once found someone like Akane to love. And my name means ‘fangs’ because if you vex me, I have a sharp bite, so beware. I know who I am, now, and I shall never again forget. One does not meet me and easily forget who I am. Tendo Akane!!" he cried. He gasped, and then fell to his knees again. The bright blue sky faded, and the flowers vanished from his sight.

He couldn’t return to Akane now. Not after what had happened. He couldn’t face the pain of losing her again, or worse of her rejection. He’d but begun a new life, void of the heart-wrenching memories of the past. He couldn’t afford to throw it all aside and plunge back into the scalding knife Akane readily held.

Yet he knew he had to. He had to confront his fears, and conquer them…or die trying.

To Be Continued…

Send email to rjd2@earthlink.net if you like.