---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 21:48:04 -0400
From: Marisa Price <marisa@value.net>
To: fanfic@fanfic.com
Subject: L in L part 10 (2 of 2)
Ryouga was actually wondering the same thing as he stood in
the muddy field watching Akari and her Grandfather training their
sumo pigs.
It had been a long week since he had found Akari. Everything
had been wonderful the evening he had arrived, until Akari's
grandfather had shown up.
Since the spry old man's arrival, every moment between Akari
and Ryouga had been monitored, and he had not been able to tell her
how he felt, much less try to kiss her again.
The kiss. It had been wonderful. . . but far too short. It
had restored his confidence that he was attractive and reassured
him that Akari truly cared about him. But it had been so brief.
Akari had been... distant... since her grandfather had
returned, and had thrown herself back into the training of her pigs.
They were both enthralled with their work, and both of their lives
revolved around the muddy field, Akari listening to every word of
advice her grandfather espoused.
It was a completely different Akari than the gentle girl who
was always so proper. She would go out to the fields in her oldest
clothes and come in late in the afternoon, exhausted and covered with
mud. She would bathe and then cook dinner, and, after the stress of
the day, she generally had very little time to spend with Ryouga
before she went to bed.
Ryouga was actually starting to get bored.
Akari and her grandfather encouraged him to learn about
the training, so they coaxed him out to the field every day to watch
their techniques. Ryouga couldn't imagine anything more useless. He
spent so much time watching training, that he had little freedom to
practice his own techniques. If he ever made it back to Nerima, it
was more than likely that Ranma would have advanced ahead of Ryouga.
Ranma.
Nerima.
The words resounded through Ryouga's head. Unnoticed, Ryouga
turned and walked away from the training ground and wandered back
to the house (which was in sight, so thankfully he didn't get lost
on the way there.)
Ryouga took off his shoes and entered the house, sighing as
he flopped down on the futon in his "room."
Ryouga missed Nerima. He missed Akane, he even missed Ranma.
And... he clenched his fists. He had to admit it. He even missed Ukyou.
Actually, it wasn't exactly that he MISSED her, exactly...
He flushed as the confusing thoughts entered his head.
...It was just that he was worried about how she was taking the
new relationship between Ranma and Akane.
"Yeah, that's it. . ." Ryouga muttered out loud.
It was just too... BORING... out here in the country. He missed
his spars with Ranma, which were not only just fights, but also good
training sessions. He missed Akane's kindness and friendship... not
really the love he had once had for her. He still cared about her,
but he was starting to realize that what he thought was love might have
actually been. . . admiration? Appreciation for the only girl who had
ever been nice to him? Something like that.
He also missed getting up an walking to school with Ukyou, and
all their talks, and even their arguments. When he left, they had
finally started to become friends... And he had said he would be there
to help her through the whole Ranma/Akane thing.
"She's gotta hate me now for leaving," Ryouga mumbled.
Akari. Akari. Akari.
What did he feel for her? When he first came here he was ready
to admit his love for her and to spend the rest of his life with her.
But, as Ryouga was just starting to realize, he hadn't really known Akari
as well as he thought he had. He knew she liked pigs, but not to this
extent. He knew she lived in the country, but he had no idea it was this
boring. And he DEFINITELY had not realized the incredible influence her
grandfather had over her; OR that the love of their work would daily be
more important than her relationship with her supposed-fiancee.
Ryouga sighed. He was starting to think...
That maybe he didn't love Akari.
...Maybe he had just been in love with the IDEA of Akari. A
sweet, kind, pretty girl who liked pigs and liked HIM. It had seemed
the perfect match.
But, when it came down to it, that wasn't really that much
in common. Ryouga, although he was occasionally one, absolutely hated
pigs. His experiences during the first few weeks of his curse had been
horrible: he had been penned with domestic pigs, carried along with
packs of wild pigs, and almost eaten several times. Although others
would go on and on about how intelligent and clean pigs were... Ryouga
just couldn't buy it. He hated pigs. He hated BEING a pig. And he was
now wondering how he could be considering spending the rest of his
life TRAINING PIGS.
Ryouga shut his eyes tightly.
He remembered one of his conversations with Ukyou before
he left:
* * * * *
". . .So you are sure that you want to go back to China
with Ranma?" Ukyou asked seriously.
"I am more of certain of that than I have been of anything
else in my life. I would give ANYTHING to be normal again..." Ryouga
said fiercely.
"Then... Good luck. You should try and fulfill your dreams...
Even if they don't always work out." She said quietly, her eyes closing.
Ryouga noticed a tear at the corner of her eye and realized that
UKYOU's dream was to marry Ranma.
He sat there, wanting to comfort her, but not knowing what
to do.
He said cautiously, "Well, if an old dream doesn't work out,
you can always find a new one. . ."
Ukyou smiled at him and said, "I'm trying. . ."
* * * * *
Ryouga then remembered his conversation with Akari from a
few nights ago:
* * * * *
". . .and so Ranma and I are planning to go to China
together," Ryouga finished.
Akari looked troubled and finally said, "Why don't you just let
HIM go? I don't CARE if you are a pig half the time... I love pigs!
And I love you just the way you are!"
Ryouga had looked at her in surprise and asked, "But... Don't you
understand why I want to be normal?"
Akari had squeezed his hand and said softly, "You are normal,
Ryouga. At least to me! And isn't that all that matters?"
* * * * *
Ryouga opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He wondered
if that WAS all that mattered, and if he should give up his dream without
even trying to fulfill it. Somehow Ryouga knew, although Akari might be
happy, that Ukyou, Akane, and Ranma would be disappointed with him.
Who was the most important?
"You should try to fulfill your dreams..."
Ryouga stood up and began to pack his bags.
He couldn't make a decision now either way... and, before he did,
he had to talk to Ranma, Akane, Ukyou. Especially Ukyou. She would know.
She would understand.
Hopefully Akari would think that he had just wandered off and
gotten lost again, and wouldn't worry too much while he was away. He was
too confused to go tell her goodbye or to write her a note.
Ryouga sighed and hoped Akari would forgive him, perhaps that
Ukyou already HAD forgiven him.
Ryouga grabbed his backpack and began to fold clothes and put
them inside. On top he placed the school uniform that Ukyou had bought
for him right before he left. He had been wearing it when he ran away
from Akane that day. He lightly touched the brass buttons and then
clenched his fist.
Ryouga was going back.
He was going HOME.
As he walked out the door he turned his head briefly to look
at the small figures in the distant field. He sighed and said, softly,
"Farewell for now, Akari... Until we meet again."
* * * * *
Marisa Price
marisa@value.net
http://value.net/~marisa/