The Ryoga/Ukyo Chronicles
By Jeremy Sumerlin (aka the Girthman)
Disclaimer:
Okay, you know the deal by now. Ryoga, Ukyo, ect. are not my
creations and are all copyright of Rumiko Takahashi. I'd like to thank
Takahashi-sensei for her great series. I once again claim no credit for
their creation, however, some of the characters are my creations (aka Ryu
and the four seasons masters) and I do claim them, so there!
Chapter Ten:
The Nature of Love, Part 2
*****************************************************************************
"If heaven calls
I'm coming too
It's just like you said
If you leave my life I'm better off dead...
...But I know I'll see your face again"
- "The Drugs Don't Work" by the Verve
*****************************************************************************
Ryoga charged forward, digging his heels into the ground and
barreling full speed at Hisaki. The master of Summer made no attempt to
move, and Ryoga connected full force, delivering a powerful blow to Hisaki's
chest. He stumbled back, fazed slightly, and smiled.
"Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that." He said, and twirled
around, suddenly striking out with a swift spinning kick. Ryoga caught it to
the chest and reeled as the force smashed into his with the power of a
meteor. He flew backwards, crashing into the side of another sequoia tree,
spitting up a massive spray of spit and blood as he felt his ribs bend and
snap. Four, maybe five. Dazed, he stumbled to his feet. Distantly, he
noticed his bandages no longer itched.
he thought with dry humor,
Before he could react, Hisaki was on him, gripping him tightly by his
shirt and hoisting him into the air one handed. Ryoga felt the wind forced
from his lungs as Hisaki proceeded to beat his injured chest with his free
hand. Each blow exploded in a flare of burning hot pain.
Ryu leapt from behind, katana raised high into the air, preparing to
strike. It certainly wasn't the most honorable thing to do, but sacrifices
had to be made. Hisaki glanced behind him just in time and reached up,
catching the blade between his fingers deftly. With a flick of his wrist, he
tore it away, then followed up by elbowing the samurai, all in one smooth
motion. Ryu, dazed by the force of the blow, soared through the air and
moaned as he saw a tree flying up to meet him. He struck it headlong, and
the force actually smashed him straight through it, leaving an odd hole in
the mighty tree. Ryu hit the ground, unconscious. Despite his dazed
condition, Ryoga groaned.
He thought bitterly.
Hisaki turned back and smiled at Ryoga.
"Now, where were we?" he said, hauling Ryoga back and smashing him against a
tree, then proceeding to drive his fist into the stunned boy's stomach over
and over again. Ryoga suddenly found himself in a place without pain locked
deep within his mind, watching Hisaki beat him , but not being able to
react. His body was shutting down. He was dying.
He felt consciousness ebbing away for a final time.
He reached out for it-
-straining with every once of willpower he had left-
<...love...>
-and he felt his body stretching itself beyond its limits for one-
<...I..love...>
-last-
<...her...>
-shot-
His half closed eyes flew open in a sudden fit of rage. Taken by
surprise, Hisaki stared at him stupidly.
"What the..." he said. "How can you possibly..."
"I...WILL...NOT...DIE...NOW..." Ryoga growled, blood flowing down his chin in
streams. Hisaki released him and took an uncertain step back. Ryoga raised
his hands in a diamond formation and closed his eyes, knowing he was putting
everything he had into this last desperate chance.
"Shishi...Hou...ko..." he whispered, fighting to stay up, to ebb back death
for one last time.
"No, wait..." Hisaki whispered, and threw his face up, closing his eyes.
"..Dan..." Ryoga whispered, and he felt the boiling, burning within him surge
like electricity into this last blast. There was a flash of light, a scent
of searing ozone and the trees succumbed to the force, collapsing and
shattering and the ball of chi absorbed Hisaki, screaming, and he flew out
of sight. In the aftermath, Ryoga stood shakily at ground zero, and smiled.
"Gotcha..." he said, and feel to his knees. It was over now. The cold fingers
of death were at his throat, beckoning him forth. He struggled to stand once
more, sweat rolling down his face, but collapsed again, shaking. Convulsing.
His quickly fading mind cried out desperately.
A single tear, so long in coming, so needed for emotion, fell to the ground
from his eye. He let it go. Perhaps warriors could cry, sometimes.
"Ryoga!" a female voice shouted from somewhere outside of his collapsing
self, and he creaked his eyes open to search for it.
And there she was.
Like and angel, a vision, she was there. She was free. Safe. Here.
he said inside himself, and reached out for her. She fell
to her knees, hugging him tightly. It hurt him, but he didn't care anymore.
He wrapped his arms around her and wept into he shoulder. Distantly, Ryu
stood and leaned against a broken tree, watching the scene in all its
bittersweet emotions.
"I never stopped believing you'd come for me." Ukyo said, her voice cracking
with emotion. She snuggled tightly against his neck, savoring its warmth for
all she could.
"I'm...sorry you...were...kidnapped..." he gasped in a raspy tone. Distantly,
in her mind, the words of Ryu's story in the hospital mocked her with their
ominous prophectic aura.
{ I was told once, long ago, a story of two people whose felling for each
other were never realized by them...}
She stroked his hair gently and looked into his eyes, those eyes she
had first noticed so very long ago. They were the same. There was an emotion
in them, behind the sadness and the suffering, an emotion he wanted her to
feel so badly.
"I...I...failed...you..." he whispered, then coughed in obvious pain. Ukyo
shook her head fiercely.
"No, no, no..." she said softly, cradling his head. "You didn't fail me. You
saved me." His eyes brightened, and the sadness seeped away.
"I...didn't...?" he said softly.
{... She was very much caring for him...}
"No." She said. "Never, ever, have you let me down. Never once. God, I'm so
sorry. This is all my fault."
"No..." he said, struggling to sit up, gnashing his teeth against the pain.
Death would not have him. Not yet. "Not...your...fault..."
She held him, trying to make him stop struggling. He was killing himself. He
couldn't die. Not now. Not ever.
"I'm so sorry." She said, her voice quivering. She held him tightly, not
wanting to let go. Not wanting him to slip away. He hugged her just as hard.
She was his tether to life. The only reason he was alive now was for her.
{...And he her, yet neither would say nothing for fear...}
"I...need...to tell...you...something..." he whispered. She looked at him
with her reddening eyes. He touched her cheek slowly, soft.
"I...I...I..." he stammered, choking as he spit out more metallic blood. She
gazed into his eyes, and knew what he was trying to tell her. It hurt her so
much to hear it, but it made her so happy.
"I love you, Ryoga." She said softly, smiling her best smile. He stared at
her, wide-eyed.
"Y-y-y-you do?" he said weakly. She nodded, and he smiled slightly.
"I...I..l-l-l-l-l-l-ove y-y-ou, t-too." He stammered meekly, and suddenly a
great weight was lifted from him. It was as if the universe itself were
suddenly taken from his shoulders. "I...love you m-more...more than I...thought I could...love...anyone..." he continued, gritting his teeth.
It was too much for her. Ukyo's lip began to quiver, and the tears rolled down her cheek. He did love her. He really did.
{...Man was great fighter. One day he battle a powerful dragon to save girl after she was taken away. He save her, and he tell her he love her...}
She kissed his forehead tenderly, and he felt his eyes welling as
well. There was something in his throat, a tight knot that hurt badly. He
smiled up at her.
"I....I...have...to go...away..." he whispered. "I don't....think...I can...hold on...anymore..."
Ukyo grapsed him by his shirt tightly and her face contorted into a mask of
bitter rage.
{...But he is badly hurt...}
"No!" she shouted at him, desperately, as if somehow she could force him to
stay. "You will not die now! I won't let you, do you hear me! I WON'T LET
THEM TAKE YOU FROM ME!"
She fell against him, sobbing. He rubbed her back, amazed he had the strength
left to do it.
"I'm sorry..." he said bitterly, in a fading voice. "I...fought with...all
I...had left..."
{... And dies in her arms...}
She felt him slip away. His hands slid off of her back and to his
sides limply. There, in the arms of the woman he loved...
Ryoga Hibiki died.
Ukyo shook him, desperately trying to revive him, to bring him back
to her. He was gone. He had wandered off and left her behind after all. She
held his limp body close to her, rocking back and forth, weeping, hating
herself for it.
"How pathetic." A sinister voice said from behind them all. Ito stepped into
the charred clearing and looked around with contempt. Around him still fell
the delicate leaves Ukyo had come to despise so much.
"Yokio, you brought her here, didn't you?" he said sternly. Yokio looked down
and said nothing. Ito sighed and shook his head.
"Why?" he said bitterly. "You know what the penalty is for breaking that
law..."
Still, she was silent. He turned to her, suddenly glowing with emotion. It
was anger.
"Why are you making me do this!?" he shouted at her, grabbing her and shaking
her shoulders violently. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US!? This is all we
have! You're destroying it! For what!? For her?" he shouted, pointing at
Ukyo. "For her precious boyfriend who so recklessly endagers himself for NO
LOGICAL REASON!?"
Yokio looked up at him with tender eyes.
"It's the nature of love, my lord." She said softly. Ito's anger drained
away, and he stared at her, baffled.
"What?" he said softly. "Love...?"
She reached up and touched his cheek.
"I love you, Ito. I'm sorry." She whispered, and kissed him lightly on the
lips. He stood, transfixed, and found himself unable to move. Ryu limped
over and waved his sword in front of the Prince's eyes.
"What you do to him?" he said. Yokio sighed and knelt down beside Ukyo, who
was still cradling Ryoga in her arms, oblivious to everything around her.
"I froze him temporarily. It will give me enough time." She said.
"Enough time?" Ryu said. "I afraid I do no understand."
Ignoring him, Yokio looked into Ukyo's distant eyes.
"Ukyo, you were the first person I could ever call a friend. I'm sorry we
couldn't have been better ones. But I know how I can pay you back. I'm going
to give him back to you." She said solemnly. Ukyo looked up at her,
confused.
"W-what?" she said.
"I am a sorceress, and as such, I can transfer life from one being to another." She said. "Please accept this as an apology."
With that, she stood and a slight static sensation filled the air.
Yokio began to glow with an inner light that radiated out of her, a blinding
white purity that cuased Ukyo to shield her eyes or become blind. Ryu closed
his as well. When the warmth and light washed away, Yokio smiled one last
time, then fell to the ground. There was silence. Then, in her arms, she
felt it. She felt him breath deeply. His eyes fluttered open slowly,
confusion filling them.
"Ukyo..." he said softly. "Am I dead?"
"Of course you're not dead, you big idiot." She teased, slapping him on the
shoulder. "Didn't I tell you I wouldn't let you go?"
"Then it wasn't a dream?" he said softly. "You really meant what you said..."
He seemed mystified by the very concept. Ukyo nodded.
"Only if you meant what you said, sugar." She said softly. Instead of
answering her, he reached up and pressed his lips to hers. It was more
intense a moment than she had ever imagined. She wrapped her arms around his
neck, savoring every second of this moment. Ryu watched them with a genuine
smile.
He thought idly,
but decided against it. Ryouga stood, holding her in his arms, pressing her
to him, not breaking their kiss. Their bond. It could no longer be denied or
hidden. It was out in the open. Ryoga closed his eyes admist the sensation.
He was damn glad it was out, too.
But bliss could not last forever. They broke the kiss off, looking at each
other in wide-eyed amazement.
"Wow." He whispered, and she giggled. Suddenly,. They both turned at the
sight of movement from the corner of their eyes. Ito turned to face them,
walking towards them with a deathly look about him. Ryoga pushed Ukyo behind
him and stood stolidly. Ito walked by him, kneeling by Yokio's prone form
instead. Ukyo and Ryoga exchanged confused glances as Ryu limped up beside
them. Ito fell to his knees and scooped her into his arms, and he seemed to
be shaking, almost as if...
Ukyo thought with amazement. Ito turned and looked at them, a
tear rolling down her face.
"She...loved me?" he said silently. Ukyo nodded.
"Very much." She said. "With all of her heart."
Ito looked at them and smiled slightly.
"I understand why you were crying now." He said solemnly. He turned away from
them and began to walk towards the crystal tower.
"Leave this place and never return." He said bitterly and vanished into the
distance. Ryu, Ryoga, and Ukyo all looked at each other for a moment.
"Well," she said finally. "What are we waiting for? I still have to get home,
remember?"
Ryu chuckled.
"I am not understanding you in the littlest." He said. "Is horrible ordeal,
and yet you still in good spirits."
Ukyo looked at Ryoga, and he exchanged a smile with her.
"Why shouldn't I be?" she said. Silently she blessed Yokio for her sacrifice.
In a more perfect world, they would have been best friends, she surmised. In
a more perfect world. She clasped Ryoga's hand tightly and began to lead him
off into the distance.
"Uh, Ukyo..." he said, and she stopped and faced him.
"What's wrong?" she said.
"It's this way." He said, and smiled. Scowling she let him lead her. Ryu
smiled.
"Only too ironic." He said, then his eyes widened.
"Hey, wait, Hibiki-san!" he shouted limping to catch up to them .
"Ukyo was right! You going wrong way! Ryoga!"
Overhead, the stars shone brightly.
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End of Chapter Ten.
Comments and criticisms welcome!
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