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 1
*****************************************************************************
"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
*****************************************************************************
Hiroshi ran a sweating hand through his light brown hair as his eyes
scanned the horizon. The sun was sinking slowly in the west, being swallowed
by the rolling hills that were now bathed in its dying glow. It gave them a
golden tint, a sight that was something truly beautiful to behold. Not that
Hiroshi noticed this at all. He was busy noting something other than the
sunset. There were no signs of movement at all. In fact, the only thing that
seemed to shift at all was the gentle, slightly cold breeze that wafted by
every so often. Nearby, Daisuke leaned casually against a cherry blossom
tree, seemingly unconcerned with their current crisis. Hiroshi turned and
looked at him with a somber demeanor.
"I don't like this. She should have been here by now." He said. Daisuke
glanced over at him and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Hey, she's traveling with Kuno, right?" he said sarcastically. "Who knows
when she'll get here. That is, if she makes it here at all."
Hiroshi snorted derisively and turned to face the horizon once again. Daisuke
sighed and sat up to an Indian-style position, hands resting on his folded
legs.
"I'm sure she's fine." He said, but not with much enthusiasm. Honestly, he
didn't care where Nabiki was. He didn't want to be mixed up in this in the
first place. But, he surmised, one must adapt to the unexpected. So, he
tried his best to sound reassuring.
"Right." Hiroshi said snidely. "Your concern touches me, Daisuke."
"Hey, I was just trying to make you feel better, jackass!" Daisuke shouted.
Imagine, he thought with spite, after putting all that effort into being a
nice guy, and all he got was an insult.
"Go ahead and mope. See if I care." He said angrily. With that, he folded his
arms and looked away in contempt. Hiroshi sighed and slowly walked over to
him.
"Sorry, bud." He said.
"Hmph. You should be." Daisuke grumbled. "No need to fly off the handle at me
because your chick hasn't shown up yet."
"She's not my 'chick', Daisuke." Hiroshi retorted. "I'm paying good money for
her services and I don't want to see her late. I'm just checking up on my
investment, that's all."
Daisuke grinned. "Yeah. Sure thing. Whatever." He jibed, winking. Hiroshi
rolled his eyes and leaned against the tree. He abandoned all hope of
convincing Daisuke that girls could be just friends with guys long ago.
"I'm not saying I blame you, man." Daisuke said after a moment's silence.
"Nabiki's really cute. I mean, for a chick that doesn't fight or anything,
she's got a pretty hot little body."
Hiroshi looked down at his friend with contempt.
"Is that all you ever think about?" he said. Daisuke shrugged and leaned back
against the tree, folding his hands behind his head luxuriously.
"Practically." He said lazily. "I mean, what could be better than women?
Especially hot ones."
"Money." Hiroshi said matter-of-factly. "Money makes the world go around, my
man. If you're rich enough, you can have anything you want. The lap of the
world is open for you." Daisuke glanced up at him, amused.
"Okay, now who's the shallow one?" he said smartly. Hiroshi scowled.
"Why do I even bother talking to you?" he said angrily. Daisuke closed his
eyes and chuckled.
"Probably because I'm the only one who ever listens to you." He said. Hiroshi
was about to open his mouth for another retort, but a distant, mechanical
sound caught his attention. The wind carried the chopping sound as it
drifted lazily by again.
"Hey, you hear that?" he said, straining to focus on the noise. Daisuke
opened his eyes and halfheartedly listened.
"Yeah. Sounds like a helicopter." He said with benign interest. "Looks like
your chick made it after all, Casanova."
"Shut up." Hiroshi sneered as the helicopter came into view, seeming almost
to emerge from the setting sun. It set down nearby, and an attractive girl
with brown hair stepped out and looked around. Hiroshi smiled slightly and
strolled over. Daisuke rolled his eyes.
"Oh man," he muttered. "He's got it bad."
Nabiki smiled and waved at Hiroshi as he approached, then walked out
to meet him. She was wearing some of her normal attire; A white and blue
striped shirt and white, form fitting jeans. She was carrying a black
leather notebook in her hands.
"Good to see you again, koshii." She said teasingly, but there was a minute
hint of sincerity in her voice.
"So glad you decided to show up, shouchuunotama." Hiroshi said, smiling.
Nabiki shrugged and motioned towards the chopper.
"Hey, I wasn't exactly flying first class. A short delay was expected." She
said. Hiroshi watched as Kuno emerged from the chopper, looking decidedly
better than the last time he'd seen him. Then again, the last time Hiroshi
had seen Kuno was after his fight with Ryoga. Kuno was kind of bloody then.
He barely looked worse for wear now. He looked around imperiously and strode
over towards the two of them, followed closely by Sasuke, carrying a large
burlap sack full of, well, who knows what. Hiroshi really didn't care to
think about it much.
"Hello, Kuno-sempai." Hiroshi said, trying his best to sound respectful. Kuno
nodded, then scanned the horizon.
"Greetings, nameless admirer." He said. "I would like to entertain you with
my many witty commentaries, however, I am searching for something else."
"I see." Hiroshi said slowly. Nabiki rolled her eyes.
"Indeed." Kuno continued. "Perhaps you may be so kind as to tell me
whereabouts is the evil citadel of the vile sorcerer Ranma Saotome? I fear
he holds my beloved pig-tailed girl captive, and I must make haste to
confront him, lest he make her his unholy bride."
Hiroshi nodded. "I understand perfectly, Kuno-sempai. Just wait here and soon
you'll have your chance to save the...pig-tailed girl."
"My eternal thanks, nameless admirer." Kuno said, dismissing him. Hiroshi
turned and leaned towards Nabiki.
"I need to talk to you for a minute." He said quietly. Nabiki nodded.
"Be right back, Kuno-baby." She said. Kuno nodded.
"Make haste, Nabiki Tendo." He said. "Tread cautiously, for the agents of
Saotome are all about us."
"I'll be sure to." She said, and turned to walk with Hiroshi, who was heading back to Daisuke's tree.
"Honestly," Hiroshi said as they were walking back. "I don't know what you
see in that guy."
Nabiki smiled contentedly. "He's an idiot with a very big wallet. What better
business associate could a girl want?" she said smartly. "Besides, I feel
kind of sorry for him, in a weird sort of way."
"Just business associates?" Hiroshi said. Nabiki smiled at him evilly.
"Jealous?" she chided. "I didn't know you cared so much."
Hiroshi turned deep crimson. "I'm not jealous." He sneered. "I was
just...curious. That's all."
Nabiki nodded thoughtfully. "I see." She said. They stopped, and Daisuke
looked up at them with disinterest.
"Well, look who it is. Hey, Hiroshi, did you finally hook up with her? Geez,
took you long enough." He said smugly, grinning. Hiroshi began to fume and
grumbled under his breath.
"Hello, Daisuke." Nabiki said. "I see you still have no social life of your
own, hence you're still tagging onto Hiroshi here."
Daisuke smirked and closed his eyes.
"Touché, Tendo." He said with a slight sound of respect in his voice. Very
slight. Nabiki smirked triumphantly. She turned and looked at Hiroshi.
"Okay, so what's this little legal problem you have?" she said, looking around. "You don't seem to be in trouble with the police or anything."
"You'd better sit down for this one." Hiroshi chuckled, motioning for her to
take a seat. She shrugged and plopped down near Daisuke. Hiroshi sat in
front of her and coughed nervously.
"Lets' see." He said thoughtfully. "Where do I begin?"
"How about the beginning, dingus." Daisuke commented. Hiroshi frowned, but
had to admit it was a pretty logical place to start from. He cleared his
throat and sighed.
And he told her everything. Nearby, Kuno stood a silent vigil, eyes
ever watchful for the stirrings of the vile Ranma Saotome. Not surprisingly,
none came.
*****************************************************************************
Ryu applied another bandage to the wounded body that laid before him.
As he examined the chest, he was not shocked to discover that the wounds
Ryoga had sustained from the Dragon Column Technique were badly aggravated.
Then again, he had suspected as much. Ryoga was clearly pushing himself well
beyond even the astronomical limits of his own monstrous endurance. At this
rate, he was almost certain to die before he even reached Ito himself. Ryu
re-evaluated his performance in the battle with Nobara with slight shame. He
had been defeated so easily. Ryu had always considered himself a capable
warrior, but it had been long since he had battled a strong or worthy
opponent. He would certainly have to devote more time to the physical
aspects of his training after this ordeal was over. That is, if it ended in
their favor. Considering all of the obstacles left for them to cross, he
could find very little assurance of that happening. He sighed out loud. The
burden of responsibility was never a light load. After a few more minutes,
Ryoga began to stir.
"Huh?" he said weakly, and strained to stand up. Ryu leaned over and tried to
push him back down.
"Hold, Hibiki-san." He said. "You is much injured. Do not move much, okay?"
Ryoga looked at him with confused eyes, then began to search wildly from side to side.
"Nobara..." he said, remembering. "Ryu, where is he?" Ryu motioned towards a
battered figure slumped against a smashed tree.
"Is over there. No move much neither. He is out for a few days, okay?" he
said. Ryoga nodded, comprehending the gist of what Ryu was saying.
"What am I doing with these bandages on me?" Ryoga said. "Take them off.
They'll get in my way when I'm fighting."
"You is in no condition to fight nobody." Ryu said sternly. "You is pushing
yourself too hard. Rest or you will die."
Ryoga scowled and dragged himself into a sitting position, reaching for his
shirt.
"I can't rest now." He said. "Ukyo is still in danger. I'll rest when she's
safe again."
Ryu sighed and sat down, resting his arm against one knee, his sheathed sword
leaning against his shoulder.
"I can no stop you from going on." He said. "However, I can only still warn
you that you will not defeat Ito in your condition."
"Well, in a perfect world, I'd love to be able to sit down and recuperate."
Ryoga sneered, slipping the shirt over his bandaged chest. "But this is the
real world. I don't have the time. It's my fault she was kidnapped, and it's
my responsibility to get her back."
Ryu looked at him quizzically. "I do not understand." He said slowly. "How is
Ukyo kidnapped your fault?"
Ryoga sighed and looked off towards the direction of the trail of leaves Ito
had left behind.
"I couldn't save her when she needed me, Ryu." He said distantly, his mind
replaying the scene again for him in all its shameful detail. "I failed her.
Just like I failed everyone else I ever cared about."
"How so?" Ryu said. Ryoga sighed and sat back down, crossing his legs and
resting his elbows on his knees.
"When Saffron kidnapped Akane, it was Ranma who saved her, not me." He said
solemnly. Ryu had no idea who Ranma, Saffron, or Akane were, but he listened
anyway. " I should have tried harder. Maybe then, things would have been
different. But I didn't, and she slipped away from me forever."
There was a moment of quiet reflection.
"And Akari." Ryoga said finally. "I...I couldn't be a man for her. I loved
her, but in my heart I betrayed her to Akane several times, even if Akane
and I never really did anything. I don't think Akari ever even realized it,
and I was content to let it be like that forever."
As Ryoga spoke, Ryu noticed a melancholy aura settle about him, and he
gritted his teeth, as if angry about these things he was feeling. Or in
pain.
"I was a fool to think it could be like that forever. A damn fool. God, I
can't believe how naive I was!" he shouted bitterly.
"Is natural for us to try to live out what we think is perfect life,
Hibiki-san. Is desire for perfection that builds great things. Is also what
tears them down." Ryu said. Ryoga paused and nodded thoughtfully for a
moment.
"Yeah, I guess so." He said. "I guess in a way I was trying to do that. But,
this isn't a perfect world."
"I believe you was already say that earlier." Ryu noted.
"Well, it's true." Ryoga snorted, annoyance in his voice. Ryu resigned
himself to sitting quietly again.
"Akari was such a sweet girl." Ryoga said sadly. "She even knew about my
curse, and it didn't matter to her. She deserved someone better than me. A
real man, who wasn't afraid to love just her."
Ryu perked up. "Curse?" he said warily. "You is cursed?"
Ryoga looked puzzled for a second, then he realized Ryu had never seen him
transform. It was the most amazing stroke of luck, actually. Ever since
leaving Nerima, he had yet to be splashed by cold water once. Silently, he
cursed the ill timing of his good fortune.
"Yeah. A long time ago, I fell into a cursed spring in a valley." Ryoga said
with a twinge of anger.
"You is referring to Junsenkyo cursed springs, then?" Ryu said. Ryoga nodded,
somewhat surprised by the hairdresser's knowledge.
"You know about them, then?" Ryoga said. Ryu shrugged and nodded.
"Have passes by Joketsukozu once, long ago." He said. "Amazons warn about
cursed place. So I no go there. Simple as that, okay?"
"Right." Ryoga said bitterly. "As simple as that." The two men sat in silence
for another moment. The cool wind drifted by slowly.
"So, you is saying you is betraying two people you care for, then?" Ryu said.
Ryoga nodded.
"And now Ukyo too. That's three." He said solemnly. "I am unworthy to be
anything to her, even a friend. I make myself sick."
Ryu frowned at the bitterness in his comrade's voice. He had no idea
this was eating him up as badly as this. No wonder he was so skilled with
the Shishi Hokoudan technique. He had no idea how Ryoga could ever be
anything but depressed.
"Is not your fault." Ryu said. "Is no guidebook for how to live life,
Hibiki-san. All must make mistakes. Is one of the few sure things in this
world."
Ryoga frowned. "Hey, I didn't say it wasn't okay to make mistakes. But the
ones I make are unforgivable."
"I am sure Ukyo does no blame you." Ryu said thoughtfully. "If what Nobara
say was true, she is much caring for you."
"I don't deserve her love." Ryoga said bitterly. "She's such a good woman.
She deserves someone strong, who can protect her from danger."
"Maybe so." Ryu said, gazing out into the horizon. "But is you she love. I
would not pass it by as you wish to. Is perhaps a bigger mistake than any
other you could make."
Ryoga sighed and leaned up against a cherry blossom tree, staring at Nobara's
unconscious form.
"You think we should tie him up or something?" he said after a few moments of
mutual reflection. "I mean, in case he wakes up."
Ryu nodded. He reached into his backpack and tossed Ryoga a length of
silk rope. Ryoga stood and began to bound the tuxedo-clad boy tightly. He
looked back at Ryu, who was still gazing out towards the setting sun.
"Ryu?" he said. The samurai turned and looked back at him.
"Thanks. For listening." Ryoga said, and resumed his chore of bounding
Nobara. Behind him, Ryu noted with content that he had concentrated on the
spiritual part of his training as much as he did. Some battles the sword
could not win, after all. Ryoga finished and walked back over, standing over
him and staring into the horizon. He winced at the burning pain under his
bandages and sighed.
"It's too late to move on tonight, I guess." He said solemnly. "We might as
well rest here."
With that, he relented and went to curl up under a tree. He didn't quite
catch the slight smile that slinked across Ryu's face. Ryoga sighed and
closed his eyes, trying to get as comfortable as he could.
He thought as blessed sleep began to wash over him,
Overhead, a nightingale chirped, signaling the end of another day.
*****************************************************************************
Nabiki looked over the blazing of the newly made campfire at Hiroshi.
He had just finished telling her one of the most ridiculous tales she had
ever heard. Given the people she lived with, that was truly a feat.
"You actually expect me to believe this?" she said. Hiroshi sighed and smiled
slightly.
"Well...yeah, actually." He said nervously. Sitting cross-legged beside
Nabiki was Kuno, who had apparently felt the area was Saotome-safe and had
joined in to listen to the bulk of Hiroshi's tale. Wisely, he left out the
whole part about fighting Kuno. In fact, he was starting to doubt if Kuno
even remembered it happening. Brain damage tended to do that to people, or
so he'd heard.
"Such a tragic tale of woe." He commented. "It is only proper that I lend my
superior swordsmanship in the quest to free the fair damsel from her
tormentors. A true samurai could do no less. Do you not agree, Sasuke?" The
small ninja seated next to him nodded eagerly.
"Indeed, master Kuno. You are truly noble." He said. Kuno smiled grandly.
"Indeed, that I am." He said. "Surely you are all grateful of my offer?"
Nabiki, Daisuke, and Hiroshi all raised their eyebrows at the kendoist
simultaneously.
"Uh, thanks, Kuno." Hiroshi said slowly. "That's very generous of you."
"Yeah." Nabiki said. "Are you sure you're feeling okay, Kuno-baby?"
Kuno glared at her imperially.
"I assure you I am in perfect form, Nabiki Tendo. Do you find it so hard to
believe that the great Tatewaki Kuno has a heart of gold?"
Why not? Daisuke thought irritably. His head is made of lead, after all.
"Besides," he said sternly. "Such despicable cads as these 'Four Seasons'
ruffians are undoubtedly in league with the vile Saotome. To pursue them is
to move a step closer to rescuing my lovely pig-tailed girl from his
insidious magics. Do you not agree, Sasuke?"
Sasuke nodded eagerly. "Oh, positively, Master Kuno. Your thinking is as
impeccable as ever." Kuno nodded, reassured.
"Ah, loyal Sasuke. You are truly gifted with an insight." He said. Daisuke
groaned. Hiroshi glanced at Nabiki, who rolled her eyes.
"Anyway ..." Nabiki said, pushing the last conversation aside. "Even with
Kuno-baby's help, we're hardly a fighting force to be reckoned with. If we
hope to have any chance of evening the odds, we've got to beat them at their
own game. That means we'll have to find a little loophole in their laws
somewhere."
She began to flip through her leather-bound notebook, and Hiroshi
noted each page was marked with laws from Shurkashuuton Tengoku.
"Where on earth did you get that?" he said. Nabiki raised an eyebrow at him
as if saying "You really have to ask where I got information ?"
"Oh, that's right. Nevermind." He said, sitting back down. "Sorry. I forgot.
You're Nabiki Tendo. You can get anything."
"Well, almost anything." She said slyly, and grinned at Hiroshi. He squirmed
uncomfortably. Daisuke looked at the two of them and shook his head.
"Okay, I'm gonna just go to bed now, okay?" he said snidely. "You two just
keep the sexual innuendoes down to a minimum, if you could.
"I thought I told you to stop saying things like that, stupid!" Hiroshi
shouted, but Daisuke crawled into his sleeping blanket, ignoring him. He
slept with a smile on his face.
"Sorry about that." Hiroshi said nervously. Nabiki shrugged.
"Don't worry about it." She said with a gleam in her eyes. "He wasn't entirely off the mark there."
Hiroshi swallowed hard. "W-w-w-w-what d-d-do you m-mean?" he said nervously.
"I mean, I should stop teasing you. We're supposed to be working, after all."
She said simply, and began to thumb through her notebook, making marks on
potentially important points. Hiroshi sighed in relief.
"I shall not pretend that my knowledge of the workings of law are as great as
my combat prowess and charm." Kuno declared suddenly. "It is hardly
necessary for a samurai to bother with such things. However, loyal Sasuke is
well-versed in the arts of the bureaucracy. He shall assist you on my
behalf. I must prepare for tomorrow with my usual purifying routine."
With that said, he walked over to his sleeping bag and was soon snoring
loudly. Nabiki and Hiroshi looked at Sasuke, who smiled politely at them.
"Well," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Shall we begin?"
*****************************************************************************
Ryoga idly scratched the bandages under his shirt in annoyance as he
took in his new surroundings with mild interest. It was the province of
Summer by all accounts, or the weather in Spring had suddenly taken a turn
towards very hot. All around them stood giant trees, the name of which he
could not remember. They were the kind you could drive a reasonable sized
van through, if you cut a big enough hole into it. The temperature was
sweltering, and he idly brushed the sweat from his forehead. Behind him, Ryu
was scanning the area.
"Is no sign of Summer master." Ryu said.
Ryoga looked back at him quizzically. "How do you know that? We have no idea
what he looks like. Hell, it could be that girl for all we know."
Ryu shrugged. "I see no one. Therefore, is no Summer master here, okay?
Simple as that."
Ryoga grunted. It made sense, he supposed. They continued on through
the forest, dwarfed by the sheer size of the trees around them. In a lot of
ways, it reminded him of how he felt whenever he looked up at the sky at
night, or whenever he was near Ukyo. Part of something much larger than
himself. Something...greater. He stopped as a strange odor wafted into his
nose. Ryu looked at him quizzically.
"What wrong?" he said sternly. "Why we stop?"
Ryoga began to glance around, looking desperately for the source of the odor.
"Do you smell that?" he said in a low voice. Ryu, confused, sniffed the air.
He smelled it now, too. A scent very familiar, but yet he couldn't place it.
"Smell like...like...burning wood..." he said, getting a good whiff of the
air. Suddenly, Ryoga caught a glimpse of a thin red line forming down the
middle of one of the giant trees. Smoke rose from it as it continued to
widen and swell. His eyes widened with horrible realization.
"Get down!" he shouted, grabbing Ryu and ducking for cover on the green
forest floor. The two men watched in fascinated horror as the crack
continued to widen, and a pair of hands shot through the opening, gripping
either side of it. There was a loud snapping noise, and the tree split in
half, falling to either side, smoking. Standing on the newly made giant
stump was a boy familiar to Ryoga. He wore a white button up shirt with a
collar, an unbuttoned red vest, and black slacks. His hair was brushed back
neatly. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides.
"He...he tore that sequoia tree in half..." Ryoga said, noticing how the word
suddenly leapt onto his tongue.
Ryoga thought, remembering Akane
saying something similar the first time he had fought with Ranma. It was
ironic, in an odd way. He almost laughed, but maintained his composure.
"Ah, you must be Master of Summer." Ryu said eloquently. The boy bowed to
him. He seemed nice enough.
"I am Hisaki Bakajikara, and I have been ordered to destroy you." He said
with some regret. "Please forgive me, but I must follow the laws of our
land."
"Whatever. Let's go." Ryoga said, standing in a defensive posture. Ryu stood
beside him, sword ready.
Hisaki grunted. "I am sorry about your girlfriend, Ryoga. She loves you very
much. That's why it pains me to do this. When you die, please bear me no ill
will."
"You shut up about Ukyo, you bastard!" Ryoga snarled. "I'm going to tear your
throat out if you have so much as laid a hand on her..."
"I understand you reaction." He said. "Come, let's get this over with."
*****************************************************************************
Ukyo looked at the disheartened woman in front of her with a small
measure of sympathy. Yokio actually did love Prince Ito, or at least, she
thought she did. Ito was, by her accounts, an emotionless bastard. This
mistress of Winter, despite the company she kept, as actually a decent
person. She had emotions, and she expressed them in a human way. Ukyo had
assumed that a woman in charge of winter would be rather cold-hearted by
nature. Maybe there wasn't as much typecasting here as she had at first
guessed. Well, she could admit she was wrong.
"I'm sorry about all this, Ukyo." She said for perhaps the fourth time since
yesterday night. "I don't want you to lose a man you so clearly care for."
Ukyo flushed a little. She couldn't help it.
"Well, I understand. It's not your fault, Yokio. It's Ito that's to blame for
all this." She said bitterly. "Who the hell does he think he is? God?"
Yokio frowned. "Ukyo, please, you must understand something about Ito. He was
raised since birth to believe in the law as the ultimate judgment of right
and wrong. Not God, and not even our own conscious. He was conditioned to
behave like this. He was trained to become the Master of the Four Seasons,
and to inherit the school and this valley. You can't really fault him for
how he is."
"I can." Ukyo grumbled. "People can think for themselves."
Yokio sighed. She had no retort for that. Ukyo turned and gazed out
of the window for the millionth time. She thought of Ryoga and the others,
and what they were doing right now. She missed them all. They were her
friends, and despite their shortcomings, they were all a part of her life
for the past two months. They were integral to her continued existence. She
liked to cook for them, to keep them in line, to talk with them, joke with
them....
Her eyes began to water and she sniffed the wetness away angrily. Those guys
had given her life a new purpose. Like it or not, she needed them. She
wanted them as her close friends. And, of course, she wanted Ryoga as more
than a close friend. Much more.
"What am I to do, Ukyo?" Yokio said distraughtly. "I can't stand having these
feelings for him and him not knowing. It makes me hurt so much..."
Ukyo sighed. She knew the feeling all too well.
"You have to tell him." She said, finding it somewhat amusing that she was
dolling out advice she herself was too afraid to take. Nevertheless, she
knew what she was saying now was the right thing to do. She didn't wish the
emotions she had to suffer through on anyone. Not even the people who kept
her from the man she loved.
"You can't let the chance slip you by. If you wait too long, if you hesitate
to make the move, then he may slip away from you. Forever." She continued,
still gazing out of the window.
"I won't let that happen." Yokio said softly. "Oh, Ukyo, thank you so much. I
don't think I could ever repay you."
"Let me see him again, Yokio." She said, her voice assuming a pleading tone.
"Let me touch his face one last time, or feel his hand holding mine. It's
not so much to ask, is it? Yokio sighed and looked at the floor.
"If I were to be caught, I would be killed. So would you." She said. Ukyo
walked over and sat down next to her, putting her hands on the woman's
shoulders.
"I don't care." She said sternly. "I'm willing to take the chance. That's the
nature of love, Yokio. You'd do anything, suffer through anything, just for
one small sample of real, strong, unconditional love. All of our greatest
trials are suffered through for love. I would rather see him and die than
miss him and spend my days trapped here."
Yokio nodded. Suddenly, she understood. Standing up, she took a deep breath
and nodded.
"Very well, then." She said solemnly. "I am a sorceress by training. I will
transport us there."
Distantly, Ukyo felt a small resurgence of hope flutter in her heart. She let
it stay there as she followed Yokio out of the room.
*****************************************************************************
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