hi - my name is Mee Robinson, and this is my first attempt at writing
(and posting) a fanfic - so, I would really like input...good, bad,
anything...am I comma-happy? Does Ukyou say "jackass" too often? is
everyone completely out of character? how is my take on Konatsu?...
there are 2 parts so far. thanks, and here goes...
- Mee
-----
The usual disclaimers...
[Auth's note: This is yet another fanfic (in progress) focusing on Ryouga and
Ukyou, which takes place after the final manga issue. I'm not planning on
writing a lot about Ranma, Akane, or any of the Tendou family members,
so please don't read on if you feel you will be disappointed. I'm also
introducing (semi)new characters in future installments, hopefully
not annoying ones...so please don't read on if you hate things like that!
^_^
Also, for the Oh My Goddess! characters, this story takes place about
two years after the OAV series took place. Skuld is about 14.
<> indicates charcater's thoughts, {} indicates flashbacks, [] indicates
author's notes.
Okay! on with the show!]
Found
Part 1
(A Ranma 1/2 - Oh My Goddess! Crossover by Mee Robinson)
<Oh Akane,> Ryouga thought as he trudged through the streets of yet
another strange city. <How I wish we were together...I miss you so much
when I'm traveling. Next time, for sure, I'll find the courage to tell you how
I really feel...>
Ryouga sighed and glanced around, becoming aware of his surroundings for
the first time in hours. The wind blew sharply through the deserted streets,
stinging his arms where his cloak had begun to unravel. The rain fell
steadily, bouncing harmlessly off his umbrella. Ryouga frowned and pulled
his cloak more closely around his shoulders. Wind and cold were certainly no
problem for him, but the rain made him nervous. He began to look around for
a good place to pitch his tent, a vacant lot, perhaps, or a thick wood-
"Hello?"
"Eh?" Ryouga looked up in surprise and found himself confronting a
beautiful face surrounded by long, pale hair.
"Er..." he said after looking around frantically for anyone else she
might be talking to, "Are you talking to me?"
"Of course." she nodded, smiling.
It was a wonderfully sweet voice, and now he noticed that she was
standing inside a stone gateway where she had been tending to some -
flowers? in the middle of winter? - and that she was tall and seemed to
be a few years older than he was.
"Oh...ah...well..."
"I was wondering if you needed any assistance," she said softly. "You
look as if you've been traveling for a very long time."
"That's true...I..." Ryouga blushed, then shook himself and scowled,
somehow rankled by the gentle observation. "I don't need any assistance!
I'm used to it..."
The girl didn't seem at all hurt by his abruptness, and continued to
stare at him placidly.
"But you're cold and damp, and you wanted to be home with someone-"
"Belldandy?" a male voice called from somewhere beyond the wall.
"Oh! Keiichi-san!" the girl replied, and a minute later a young man
appeared, a worried expression on his face.
"Belldandy, are you okay?" he asked, "You'll catch cold if you stay out
here - Oh... Hello." The newcomer looked at Ryouga curiously. "Who's your
friend?"
Belldandy smiled, "He is a traveler! His name is..." she turned to Ryouga
expectantly.
"Hi-Hibiki Ryouga," Ryouga stammered
Keiichi gave a small smile, "Pleased to meet you - I'm Morisato Keiichi.
And any friend of Belldandy's is welcome here," he said as he glanced
anxiously upward, "but I think we should all get inside before this storm
gets any worse."
"Of course, Keiichi-san!" Belldandy said, taking Keiichi's offered hand
and Ryouga's sleeve.
"Uhh...hai," Ryouga muttered as she led him into the garden, toward a
large house that looked like a temple.
*****
It felt wonderful to be in a warm house again, even if the obvious love
between Keiichi and Belldandy only depressed him further. Ryouga took
another sip of the hot soup, closing his eyes and concentrating on the flow
of heat from his mouth to his throat, chest, and stomach. It was delicious.
Even better than Kasumi's.
"You're awfully quiet," said a loud, clear voice very close to his left
ear.
Ryouga turned to see a very shapely, darkly tanned woman with white
hair leaning over him. He blushed, stammering, "Yeah, uh, just...enjoying
the soup - "
"Urd!" Both Ryouga and the dark skinned woman jumped, startled at the
- almost - stern voice of Belldandy.
She frowned, a tiny Belldandy frown. "Urd! Don't be rude! He's a guest."
"I know, I know," said Urd as she backed up and leaned against the table.
"I'll be good."
Ryouga gulped down another mouthful of soup.
"Mmm. Belldandy's a great cook, isn't she?" said a cute, dark haired
girl -
was her name Megumi? She peered over her shoulder and then leaned across
the table, whispering, "And there's cake for dessert too - I saw her making
it...don't tell Keiichi!" She winked at him and grinned as she leaned back.
"Uh, yeah," Ryouga said, unsure of how to answer. "It's really good."
Megumi smiled. "So, where are you from, Ryouga? Are you a student?"
Ryouga shook his head no. "I was never able to stay in school for very
long - I left junior high in order to look for someone, and I haven't really
been back since. Hey - you wouldn't happen to know where the Tendou Dojo
is, would you?"
"Tendou Dojo? Where's that?"
"Nerima, I think..."
"That's not very far..." Megumi sighed. "It must be awfully exciting,
moving
around from place to place like that. Sometimes it feels like I've spent my
entire life going to school. What do _you_ think Skuld? Wouldn't it be fun
just to travel the countryside, having adventures, not having to study
anymore?"
The younger, dark haired girl scowled fiercely. "I've _got_ to keep
studying, or I'll _never_ get out of this place!" But then she seemed to
soften a bit and gave Megumi a sheepish grin.
Ryouga watched this exchange, a bit confused by it all. "You two aren't
sisters, are you?" he asked.
"Nah," said Megumi, affectionately ruffling the other girl's long hair,
"Although sometimes it sure _feels_ that way. Skuld's Belldandy's little
sis, and Urd's their big sis, and Keiichi's my older brother. So, I guess we're
all more or less in-laws...and Belldandy even says they're gonna have a baby
in about seven months! How about you, Ryouga, do you have any sisters or
brothers?"
"No," said Ryouga. "I don't think I do, anyway," he amended, thinking
of the
time that Ranma had fooled him into believing that _he_ was Ryouga's little
sister.
Skuld looked vaguely interested. "Shouldn't you know?"
Ryouga stared down at his folded hands. "Well, I...I haven't seen my
parents
in a while. I mean, I know my dog had puppies while I was away..."
"Do you mean Hibiki Shirokuro?" said Belldandy, poking her head into the
dining room. "That cute dog who was on tv looking for her owner?"
Ryouga nodded. "Hai, that was her." A image of Ranma-chan, looking
obscenely adorable in a bandanna and pigtails, flashed unbidden into his
mind.
{Yoiko, you make sure to hold on tight to your brother's hand...} Ryouga
closed his eyes.
<Damn you, Ranma!>
Belldandy stepped into the room, carrying a large cake cut into slices.
"It must be hard, being away from your family so much."
Ryouga shrugged, bringing his fury under control with an effort. "Even
if I _was_ home more often, neither of my parents are there very much.
At least Shirokuro's got her puppies now, so she isn't left alone all the
time."
Megumi looked at him sympathetically now, her eyes wide. "Was you're
life always like that? Traveling all by yourself?"
Ryouga shook his head emphatically. "Oh, no," he said, trying hard to
remember, "When I was really little, my mom used used to take me with
her all the time. It wasn't until I got old enough to take care of myself
{We see an image of a four year old Ryouga beating up an _enormous_
boar.} that I sort of lost track of her..."
"That's sad," Keiichi said seriously. "I can't even imagine what life
would be like without Bell, and Megumi...and Skuld...and Urd..." At this, he
grinned a bit wryly. "I know I didn't always feel that way...but now my life
would be so empty without them." He smiled and took Belldandy's hand,
and she returned the smile lovingly. Ryouga looked from one to the other,
feeling somehow lonelier than ever. He looked away and saw that Megumi
and Urd were grinning knowingly at each other. Skuld seemed to be
staring at _him_. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Uh...Thanks for everything," he said, "But I really have to go now..."
"Now?" Megumi exclaimed, "But it's still _pouring_ out!"
Ryouga rose, shouldering his pack. "I've got to get back to Nerima."
"Can't you at least stay until the storm is over?" Belldandy asked with
excruciating tenderness.
"We've got plenty of space," Keiichi added, "And you hardly seem dressed
for this type of weather."
"I'll be _fine_," said Ryouga firmly. "If someone could just...point me
toward the door..."
*****
"The world is a cold and lonely place," Ryouga murmured to himself,
failing to draw comfort from the familiar thought. He stopped to rest
under a large tree. Wait. That wasn't true. The world was a cold and lonely
place for _him_. Belldandy and Keiichi, and their entire little family were
warm and snug and together. The Tendous - Ranma and Akane - he didn't
even want to think about _them_. The wind keened eerily through the
branches, but the sound of the rain was uninterrupted by another living
creature. Ryouga shivered, cold and alone.
"Hey, what are you still doing here?"
"Huh?"
Ryouga whirled around, and there was Skuld, watching him guilelessly
from a brightly lit porch.
"Um...still?" he said, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah. I thought you left hours ago. Weren't you in a hurry to get to
Nerima?"
"I was, I mean, I am..." Ryouga said helplessly. <Oh _gods_, why can't
I ever get where I'm _going_?> He growled softly, fists clenched, his
entire body glowing blue with depression.
Skuld cried out in fear at this visible display of ki.
<What...what is he _doing_?!> she thought, terrified. Then her eyes
narrowed as her training took over. "Hopelessness," she whispered,
"loneliness ...despair...and...and...a curse?" She closed her eyes, the mark
on her forehead glowing brightly as she rose, suspended in midair, as
another, unearthly wind swept through the night.
"What the-" Ryouga fell back, shielding his eyes from a light that
beamed from the girl's forehead to the heavens themselves.
And then it was quiet.
Ryouga blinked, unsure of what he had just seen, wondering if it
had all been a hallucination.
Skuld opened her eyes. "I have received permission!" she exclaimed
reverently.
"Received permission?" Ryouga repeated, "Received permission for
_what_?! "
Skuld sat down on the porch, smoothing her skirts as she grinned
wildly.
"For helping you find happiness, of course!" she said.
"What?!" Ryouga tried to growl, "What kind of joke is this?!"
"Calm down," Skuld could barely contain her joy. <YES!> she thought.
<Finally! A _real_ assignment!!!>
"I can explain everything," she told Ryouga jubilantly. "You see, I'm a
goddess."
Ryouga seemed to deflate somewhat. "Yeah. Sure." he said. "Don't you
think you're a little old to be playing games like this? You seem like a
really cute, bright kid - I'm sure you and your friends can find
something better to do than-"
Ryouga suddenly found himself unable to move.
"As I was saying," Skuld continued, without looking up, "I am a
_goddess_, and I am _not_ a kid."
Ryouga strained without effect.
"Hey! How dare you - let me go!"
Skuld glanced up at him. "Only if you promise to listen."
"Listen?! To a crazy story like that?"
Skuld shrugged "I guess it's no crazier than a story about a _boy_
who turns into a _pig_ when he gets wet."
Ryouga stopped struggling. "WHAT?!?!" he gasped, "How - how did
you-?"
"I _told_ you," she sighed as she released him.
Ryouga gulped. "A real goddess?"
Skuld nodded, trying to be patient. "We've actually got a file on you,"
she said excitedly, pulling out a laptop computer and scrolling down
the screen. "We've got entries on all the Jusenkyo victims. Here you are:
'Hibiki Ryouga, residence unknown...Spring of Drowned Pig...absolutely
_no_ sense of direction...' Hmph, tell me about it. 'Often depressed, and
uses this emotion to generate a ki-based attack. Cross referenced with
Saotome Ranma and Saotome Genma of Nerima Ward, Shampoo and
Mousse of the Joketsuzoku village in China--see also Pansuto Tarou,
Rouge, Price Herb of the Musk Dynasty, Tendou Akane-'"
"Akane? What's she in there for? She isn't cursed!"
Skuld scrolled a bit further down the page. "Tendou Akane, fiance
and one true love of Nyannichian victim Saotome Ranma."
"WHAT?!?!"
"What's all the racket? Oh, it's you." Urd drawled lazily from the living
room window. "Well, could you keep it down out here? I'm _trying_ to
watch my soap operas...Ciao."
"One true love...of _Ranma_?!" Ryouga repeated more quietly. "Never! I
won't allow it!"
Skuld cleared her throat. "Didn't I just say I would help you?" Then
she sighed wistfully. "Of course, I'm not a Goddess First Class, yet...so
I'm not allowed to grant wishes, or anything like that."
Ryouga scratched his head. "Why not?" he asked.
"Well, wishes are tricky things," said Skuld. "Goddesses can only grant
wishes to a certain type of person, or else horrible things can happen,
like world domination by cruel tyrants and things like that. Even small
wishes, when granted, can have dreadful results." she paused and looked
at him. "For instance, if I told you that I could grant you one wish, any
wish you wanted, you'd probably want to be cured of your curse, or to
be invincible and defeat Saotome Ranma, or to have the love of Tendou
Akane, or something really dumb like that."
Ryouga blinked. "Er...hey!"
"If I granted any one of those wishes, your life, and the lives of
everyone you care about, would be thrown completely out of balance.
And you _still_ wouldn't have found happiness." Skuld took a deep breath.
"_However_," she continued, "Because you have a truly loving heart, and
because you don't deserve to be so unhappy, I can help you."
Hope, doubt, and sadness warred for control of Ryouga's heart. <I can
never have Akane?>
The computer screen flared to life as colors, numbers and shapes
flickered by almost too rapidly to be seen.
"What - what's it doing?" Ryouga said, startled.
"I'm downloading _everything_ about you," said Skuld. "Not just the
Jusenkyo files - I'll need much more information before I tackle
something as big as this." She nodded with satisfaction at what she
was seeing. "You go to sleep," she said, "I'll get back to you as soon as
I've got a plan. I can't guarantee that you'll end up with Akane, but you
_will_ find happiness, I _promise_ you."
*****
"Good morning!" said someone cheerfully, "I'm so glad you decided to
stay with us after all."
Ryouga blinked groggily as the world shifted into focus. Belldandy
stood over him, smiling brightly.
He sat up. "Where-?"
"Skuld said that you got lost when you were leaving, but you managed
to find your way back here. We were all really worried about you, out
there all by yourself! It's a good thing you came back."
"I...guess so..." said Ryouga, looking around slowly. How much of last
night had only been a dream? "Where _is_ Skuld? I think she wanted to
tell me something."
"Skuld's still working, I think," said Belldandy. "I can tell by the ice
cream cups she's left outside her door."
"Er...what?"
"I _do_ hope the sun comes out today," Belldandy said, sighing, as she
looked out the window. "All the rain's turned to sleet, and I _did_
want to go shopping today. Keiichi doesn't like me to go out in such bad
weather anymore." She patted her stomach absently.
"I'll go for you!" Ryouga offered.
Belldandy smiled. "That's very sweet of you Ryouga," she said gently,
"But I wouldn't want you to get lost again because of me."
"I won't get lost! It's lighter out now - I can see my way clearly - I
have to repay you for being an inconvenience!"
"You aren't an inconvenience at all," Belldandy said. "But, if you insist,
we do need more flour, rice, cabbage, and onions. Thank you very much!"
She handed Ryouga some money and left the room while he washed his
face and hands and dislodged the umbrella from the top of his pack.
"Where do you think you're going?" Skuld said as she entered.
"Shopping," said Ryouga, as if it was the most natural thing in the
world. "You're out of flour, rice, cabbage, and onions."
Skuld yawned. "You're going to get lost," she predicted. (With 100%
accuracy, it might be added.)
"I will _not_. I _know_ my way around this place by now!"
Skuld rubbed her eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it," she offered, "But
I'm too tired to argue about it now - I gotta get some sleep. - But don't
worry about anything, the Ultimate Force system is up and running - it
should take care of everything 'til I straighten it all out. Until then,
could I have something of yours? It'll make it easier to keep track of
you, and to get in contact if we need to."
"Uh, sure," said Ryouga, tugging off his bandanna. "Will this do?"
"Sure, that's fine," said Skuld, tucking it away into her robes. "Good
night. I mean, morning."
A few minutes later, Belldandy returned and found no one there. "He
left already?" she said, fingering the jacket and scarf she was holding.
"I wanted to give him these."
*****
(a few days later)
Ryouga shivered in the frigid air, cluching his bag of purchases a little
closer to his side. <Damn. Where on earth am I now? Finland? Mongolia?
I _knew_ I should've brought my pack with me.> he thought.
Winter had always been the most unpleasant season for Ryouga, who
was usually lost during most of it. Of course, now and again he _would_
find himself inexplicably in the middle of a hot desert or washed up on
a tropical beach, but that didn't happen often enough for comfort.
Usually he kept warm by running, shouting threats of vengeance to
Saotome Ranma, but the day's dark and melancholy skies, the heavy
sleet and slick streets all forced him to be cautious, stepping gingerly
past large puddles while attending closely to the moisture-laden wind.
Perhaps this was why he failed to notice the distracted female figure
standing in his path until he walked right into her.
"Ow!" cried a rather damp and bedraggled Ukyou, who seemed to be
struggling with several packages of her own while battling an
umbrella which insisted on turning itself inside out.
"Uh-Ukyou!" exclaimed Ryouga, honestly surprised to see a familiar
face in the far reaches of Mongolia. (Although, truth be told, it _had_
happened often enough before.) He awkwardly shifted his umbrella so
that it covered them both.
"Ryouga!" she said, catching her breath and trying to get her
purchases in order. "You're back!"
Ryouga blinked. "What do you mean, back?"
"I mean, back in Nerima, you idiot," she said without heat as she
examined her own umbrella, which, upon inspection, seemed to have
been sadly bent out of shape by the wind.
"Oh. Uh. Right!"
"Uh huh." Ukyou said knowingly, then sighed as she crumpled up her
useless umbrella and looked dismally out at the rain. "I don't suppose
you'd walk me back to my restaurant on your way to the Tendou's."
"I wasn't going to the Tendou Dojo," said Ryouga. "Say, you wouldn't
know of any big, old temples around here, would you?"
Surprised, Ukyou thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Can't
think of any. You suddenly find religion, Ryouga? I didn't think you were
the type."
Ryouga shook his head. "Oh, no. Not really. Well, sort of, but-"
Ukyou cut him off before he could babble any further. "Well, could you
walk me back to my restaurant anyway?It's kind of far, and I don't want
to get any wetter than I already am." She paused, thinking. "I'll make
you some free okonomiyaki," she offered. "Maybe I can even find you a
map." <Not that it will do any good.>
Ryouga pondered this for a moment. He hadn't eaten any hot food in
days, not since that dinner at the temple, and, remembering that, he
suddenly didn't think he could face another week of wandering alone.
He wanted to spend the rest of the night with someone he knew, even
if that someone wasn't his one true love, only a rather impatient,
cross-dressing...friend.
"Sure," he said, "Where-?"
Ukyou sighed in relief. "Come on. I'll lead the way."
*****
"Whew!" said Ukyou, shaking a fine spray of water droplets out of her
hair as they approached the front door of her shop. "I was beginning to
think we'd _never_ get here!" And with that, she rushed inside,
unconsciously splashing through the puddle of icy water that lay in front
of her restaurant.
"Hey, wai-BWEEEE!!!"
"Huh?" said Ukyou, returning to peer out of the restaurant door. "Ryouga,
what are you _doing_ out there? Ryouga?" Ukyou stepped outside and
looked out onto the street, her gaze missing the small black piglet
completely. "Jackass," she said to herself. "Lost already?"
"Bwee!" Ryouga squealed.
Ukyou looked down. "Hey, it's Akane's pet pig," she said, picking him up
and looking at him curiously. "What the heck are you doing here? Akane
hasn't been here in over a week, you know."
"Bwee..." <It's hopeless...>
"Well, I guess I should bring you in and dry you off, at least," said
Ukyou, sighing. "Geez. Can't Akane get a leash for you, or something?"
"Bwee!" Ryouga said indignantly.
Ukyou frowned. "Okay, okay. I was just _kidding_, you stupid pig."
"BWEE!"
"Hey, what's this?" Ukyou shifted Ryouga into the crook of her arm as
she noticed, for the first time, Ryouga's clothes, groceries, and still open
umbrella lying in the slushly puddle in front of her door. "Ryouga's stuff."
Ryouga sighed, shivering, as Ukyou looked from his belongings to him
and back again, her eyes narrowing. Ryouga stared back apprehensively.
She lifted him up to eye level, scrutinizing him, and then carried him inside
and placed him on the counter where she very slowly and deliberately set a
kettle to boil. She frowned at him for a moment more before going to
undertake the not unmonumental task of dragging his belongings inside.
The water was steaming by this time, and Ukyou simply leaned against
the counter, arms folded over her chest, watching Ryouga intently.
Ryouga steeled himself for a moment, then resolutely leapt at the
kettle, knocking its contents onto himself. There was a moment of
stunned silence as Ryouga, his naked body rather red and scalded, knelt
in the small, steaming pool he'd created on the floor, unable to meet the
okonomiyaki chef's gaze.
Ukyou's head was reeling. "You - you're," she sputtered. Ryouga slowly
looked up at her, looking so dejected that she didn't laugh, scream, or
faint, or any of the options she'd been considering. She wasn't much the
fainting type, anyway.
"Maybe..." she said slowly, "You should start at the beginning.
*****
"That's incredible," Ukyou said two hours later, when Ryouga finished
telling his story.
Ryouga nodded. He was dressed in a robe and a pair of loose, black
pants, loaned by Konatsu, of all people. He was surprised that they fit
at all. He speared a piece of okonomiyaki vehemently with a chopstick.
"And it's all _Ranma's_ fault!"
Ukyou frowned. "Hold on a minute, sugar. _You're_ the one who missed
the duel. And you didn't have to go wandering around all of China when
you _knew_ you were just gonna get lost."
"Hey! I don't get lost _all_ the time, just-"
"Uh huh."
Ryouga toyed with his okonomiyaki for a minute. "But, Ukyou, _you_
were after him for longer than I was!"
"Yeah, so?"
"So, _you_ of all people should understand why I have to get revenge!
And _you_ didn't have to go and dress like a boy for ten years, did you?
I'm _stuck_ as a pig!"
Ukyou scowled. "What would you know about it, you jackass?"
The two glowered at each other for a long moment before Ukyou
hmphed and looked away.
"Are you gonna eat that, or just play with it?" she said, motioning
toward the half finished okonomiyaki on Ryouga's plate.
"Oh...yeah," Ryouga said, pushing it around some more with his
chopsticks. It tasted funny, to tell the truth. Or maybe he just wasn't
hungry. No, that couldn't be it.
<Jackass.> Ukyou thought, arms crossed over the tightly bound
softness of her breasts. <And I got over that. I'm the _cute_ fiance.
I don't want revenge any more. I want...> She closed her eyes as
images of Ranma flitted through her mind. Ranma smiling, laughing,
his mouth full of okonomiyaki. So strong, so handsome. Ranma, who
had done what she'd thought was impossible, who had broken through
the defenses she'd spent the last ten years building up, allowing her
to feel, for the first time since childhood, something other than
loneliness and anger, the feeling that she'd been left behind because
she wasn't good enough. He was the only man who could make her feel
pretty, who could make her feel...like an ordinary girl. Something that
Konatsu, sweet as he was, just couldn't do.
Her reverie was interrupted by a loud sneeze. She turned to see
Ryouga, his okonomiyaki still half eaten, wiping his nose on his sleeve.
"You sick or something?"
"No." Ryouga shook his head, seeming a bit dazed.
"'Cause I could forgive you for not eating if you were sick," said
Ukyou, shrugging.
"I'm fine," Ryouga said, sniffling loudly and looking around for his
groceries. "I gotta get back to that temple-"
"Are you gonna be able to find it?"
"Of course!"
<Stupid jackass pig. With everything all covered up in slush, he'll be
lost for weeks...And he really does look sick - not my problem -
dammit.>
"Oh yeah?" she said, then paused, reaching out a hand to feel his
forehead. "You look awfully flushed, Ryouga. And it's still really cold
out."
At this, Ryouga flushed even brighter. "I'm _fine_. I'm not some kind
of weakling!"
"Hey!" Ukyou interjected, surprised. Ryouga's head _was_ very hot
indeed, his bangs damp around the hairline, but that wasn't what
surprised her. "What happened to your bandanna?"
"My bandanna?" he said, probing his forehead. "Oh...I...gave it to
someone." <How did that happen?> he wondered.
"All of them?"
"Just one...I gotta get out of here, ask her how she did it-"
"She who? Akane?"
"No..."
"Akari?"
"No! It was a little girl. She wanted it..." Ryouga said, starting to
rise, then gripped the counter as the room began to spin.
"Are you okay? Ryouga?"
"...yeah, just...gimme a minute..."
And then Ukyou had his arm draped over her shoulder, supporting
him, and he was too dizzy to fight it.
"Konatsu! Help!"
The diminutive ninja poked his head out of the back room.
"What is it, Ukyou-sama?"
"This...directionless idiot," Ukyou grunted under his weight. "Help
me get him upstairs!"
"Hai, Ukyou-sama!" said Konatsu, his large eyes round as saucers
as he hastened to her side.
And the room began to spin into a bright darkness.
*****
"Damn stupid jackass," he heard someone say.
Hot. He was so incredibly hot. He was in a bed of some sort,
covered with blankets and quilts. He tried to push them back, but
his arms failed to respond. <Did I change back into a pig without
realizing it? Akane?> Someone placed a cool, damp cloth over his
forehead, and he could vaguely hear a hushed, urgent conversation
taking place somewhere above him. Ryouga strained to hear, but the
voices were silent now, and then the air was filled with a sweet, heavy
scent; it almost made it difficult to breathe...he was so tired...
"I don't know what to do - His fever's really high, Ukyou-sama!"
Konatsu whispered, sounding scared.
"I know..." Ukyou whispered back, scared herself, as she placed a
cold compress on the lost boy's forehead. <Think, Ukyou, think!
Dammit, Ryouga never gets sick! Why me? Why here? I don't know
what to do with him!> "Ranma!" she blurted out. "Ranma-honey would
know what to do, wouldn't he? Or maybe Kasumi would...or Cologne..."
Unnoticed by Ukyou, Konatsu's shoulders slumped a little at the
mention of Ranma's name. He tugged at her sleeve. "Maybe...we could
call a doctor?" he suggested in a small voice.
Ukyou blinked. Yes, that would logical, wouldn't it?...Didn't the
Tendous have a family doctor...? "Yes, you're a genius, Konatsu! Come
on, " she said, grabbing him and racing down the stairs, "Let's call
Dr. Tofu!"
*****
"Augh! I just _knew_ this was going to happen!" Skuld wailed,
materializing seconds later. She scowled at Ryouga. "How can you
_still_ get lost when I've _got_ a spirit link set up? You're as bad as
Keiichi _ever_ was! Oooh, I'll _never_ get my certification at this
rate!"
Skuld reached out to touch Ryouga's head and concentrated, creating
a warm golden glow. <That should do it.>
Ryouga tossed fitfully and coughed in his sleep.
"What?! It _can't_ be! Is there something wrong with the Ultimate
Force?"
She whipped out a small, flashing device and scanned the area
with it. <I don't see any bugs...But there are definitely strange
spiritual vibrations here. _Something's_ happening...but what? If
it's not the bugs, then...> She popped the device back into her robes,
pulled out a cellular phone, and punched a number.
"URD!" she yelled into the mouthpiece. "You've been messing with
system _again_!" A few minutes passed as the older goddess
retaliated.
Skuld frowned. "That's what you always say!..............Oh, you're just
a born troublemaker, and you're ruining my very first relief
assignment!.............*sigh* oh, all right already, I _will_ come and
see for myself!"
And with that, she vanished.
Only to reappear a moment later, looking guilty as she fumbled
around in her robes, finally producing a small incense burner.
"Um...sorry about that," she muttered to the unconscious Ryouga,
"This should help you sleep easier, anyway."
And with that, she vanished again.
*****