Ryoga ½
by George Masologites
guilds@mail.serve.com [Hunter Kid]
© 0708/1997
3
Secrets Revealed

    Dawn had barely cracked above the horizon, bathing everything in its
beautiful, warm glow.  The birds chirped happily, glad to see the sun
again, and in the distance, there was even the sound of a rooster crowing
for all he was worth.  And then, of course, there were some people who just
plain didn't want to wake up.
    As light fell through a window of a backroom of a shop in the Nerima
District, Japan, there was one young woman in particular who didn't want to
wake up.  Instead, she rolled over, put a pillow over her head and feigned
sleep, snoring loudly. 
    The girl sat up and yawned, deciding to make the best of the morning.
The young woman had long dark hair that hung loose, somewhat tousled by the
tossing and turning of sleep.  She stood up and stretched, stumbling over
to the bathroom.  She was of or a little above average height, thin, and
had a nice figure, and probably had a pleasant smile, though it was sort of
hard to tell with her morning glare on her face.
    Named Ukyou Kuonji, she ran an okonomiyaki shop and lived in it, too.
It was her life, in fact...all she had ever really done well were two
things - fighting and cooking.  And it was much easier to make a life out
of cooking than fighting, so that was what she did.  Her cooking was good
enough that she had a fairly big crowd at all three meals of the day, and
she had enough spare money to even hire an assistant to work for her.
    Of course, she didn't have a whole lot of spare money, so her assistant
was sort of second-rate, but he had turned out to be a more skilled cook
than she thought.  Unfortunately, that was about the only thing Ukyou
really liked about him.  
    He called himself Jeikar Tsiang, and was apparently from China.  He was
a semi-tall, wiry boy with an ego the size of the country he was from.  He
was an aspiring martial artist, and though he seemed to have some natural
talent, he hadn't ever really trained too seriously and so wasn't very good
at it.  Ukyou was sure that she could beat him easy in a match, but it just
wouldn't do to beat up your assistant.  And so she was coming to wish that
Ranma would just come and beat him up.  Or even Ryoga, she thought to
herself with a grunt, wondering where in the world that idiot had wandered
off.  
    "And after he had gone to the trouble of making this beautiful talisman
for me, too," she noted with a sigh.  Not that it mattered to her whether
Ryoga stayed there or not - he wasn't Ranma, after all - but it would have
been pleasant to have company for a change.  After yesterday, she was
beginning to kind of like him, actually.  She wondered absently where her
assistant stayed; she knew he didn't have a family here.
    She shrugged.  "Probably just an apartment," she told herself.  She
also told herself to not worry about her assistant.  Ryoga she might have
been worried about...Jeikar, as far as she was concerned, wasn't really of
any consequence.
    Ukyou stepped out the bathroom, looking much better after her shower,
and got dressed.  Typical okonomiyaki chef's outfit, as usual.  She had
three pairs of the exact same thing, so she could wear a clean one every
day.  Belted shirt that hung down just below her waist, the baldric for her
large fighting spatula, and black tights.  She giggled at the thought of
forcing her assistant to wear one of these, then decided that maybe it
wasn't such a bad idea, if he was acting the fool again, today.
    As she stepped out of her room, she wondered for the millionth time why
Ryoga wandered off like that.  As she opened the door to her resturaunt,
she thought she heard the noise of someone snickering to themself in here.
    "Ryoga?"  She asked hesitantly as she walked in.
    Suddenly, a figure was in front of her and gave her a big bear hug.
"Ukyou, honey, I'm home," a jesting voice said, snickering as he hugged
her.  It was her assistant, Jeikar, she realized with a pang of anger.
    Ukyou glowered furiously at the Chinese boy before she shoved a fist
into his stomach and he landed with a loud thud on the ground, grumbling.
    "Aw, Ukyou, you're no fun," he mumbled, standing back up.  He was still
wearing those boots, Ukyou noted with a slight frown.  "I was joking around
with you."  He brushed himself off.  "Not that you would ever hit me if I
was ready, of course, " he said with a smirk.
    She wasn't in the mood, so she unsheathed the razor-edged spatula off
her back and sweetly asked if he would repeat himself.  He coughed and said
she must have heard him incorrectly, and went over to a grill, grumbling to
himself disconsolately.
    "Why the attitude, man?"  
    It was Ranma, in his male form, Ukyou noticed with relief.  Female
Ranma was getting too confusing these days, with Ryoga around.  She just
grinned broadly at Ranma.  "Ran-chan!"  She was already starting work on a
batch of her special okonomiyaki.  "Come by for breakfast?
    "Actually, yeah, but I walked by and saw that jerk -" he glanced over
at Jeikar "-fondling you and stuff and was wondering what was wrong."
    "Oh, nothing's wrong," Ukyou assured him, with a dark glance at her
assistant.  "Let's just say that he enjoys startling me."
    Jeikar snickered.  Ukyou glowered at him, warning him to be quiet, but
he didn't take the hint.  She had a pretty good idea of what he was going
to say, and just wouldn't do to have him say it.  "Yeah, nothing's wrong,"
he said, grinning at Ukyou, then smirked insolently at Ranma.  "Not that
you could do anything about it if there was, of course."  He said it, Ukyou
thought with a groan.  Now he's in trouble.
    Ranma, predictably, lost his temper.  "What did you say, you little
runt?  Come outside and let's see if you can back that up."  With that, he
stalked outside, fuming.  Jeikar waulted over the counter and swaggered
after him.
    Ukyou decided not to stop this.  It was kind of what she had been
hoping for, after all.
    "So," Ranma said, falling into a fighting position, "you think you're
good, do you?"
    Jeikar shrugged nonchalantly.  "I didn't say that, but I think I'm
better than you, ponytail boy.  You look kinda slow, if you ask me."
Today, Ukyou noticed with interest, Jeikar was wearing more traditional
Chinese garb.  It looked like a martial arts fighting uniform, in fact,
except for the strange boots.  His silk shirt was a dark green color, and
had a lighter green dragon swirling around it.  The pants seemed similar to
yesterday's; earth-colored brown made of some soft material that Ukyou
didn't recognize.
    "Slow?"  Ranma demanded.
    Before Jeikar could respond, or even react, Ranma had just closed the
gap of about ten feet between then and his first kick smashed hard into the
Chinese boy's ribs, knocking him back, staggering slightly.  Ranma didn't
hesitate, closing in again, bombarding his opponent with a flurry of
punches and kicks, of which most hit home.  Finally, Jeikar got an attack
in, a low sweep that Ranma nimbly jumped over, but the Chinese boy followed
through with a spinning side kick that Ranma mostly blocked, receiving only
a glancing glow to his stomach.
    "Don't underestimate me," Jeikar warned, grinning cockily.
    He's a little better than he looks, Ranma admitted to himself.  And
he's pretty fast with his feet, considering that he's wearing some pretty
clunky looking boots.  Oh, the hell with it, Ranma thought, gritting his
teeth, I'll just hurry up and finish him off.
    Jeikar, suddenly jumped at Ranma spinning and kicking again, which
Ranma leaned to the side and Jeikar sailed past.  Ranma spun around and
gave a quick roundhouse to the boy's side, which knocked him back,
stumbling slightly.
    This guy's a cinch, Ranma thought, shaking his head.  With that
wide-open defense, I'd have thought he had a constitution like Ryoga's.  He
shuddered slightly remember the hundreds of attacks it had taken to defeat
Ryoga after he had been trained by Cologne, and suddenly, in his mind,
Jeikar became Ryoga.  Have to get him before his stamina can make a
difference, Ranma thought grimly, launching himself at the Chinese boy.
    Jeikar, still confident, fell into a defensive posture.
    "Kachuu tenshin amiguriken!"  Ranma bellowed, unleashing a furious hail
of punches at which his angry mind almost thought was Ryoga, so Ranma used
the force he would have used on Ryoga.  Jeikar's confidence changed to
puzzlement, then utter terror, as the punches slammed into him.  He tried
futilely to block them, but they all came in too fast for him to even
think.  Then, suddenly, the punches stopped, as Ranma shouted victoriously,
and delivered a crushing side kick to Jeikar's unguarded abdomen, sending
him reeling back into the wall of Ukyou's okonomiyaki shop.
    Ranma panted, half expecting Ryoga to get back up.  Ranma shook his
head, clearing it.  No!  That wasn't Ryoga.  He suddenly realized he may
have just killed the Chinese boy; those attacks could very well have killed
a lesser man than Ryoga, without his monster vitality.  Jeikar didn't move,
and Ranma grew concerned, glancing over at Ukyou, who stood there,
momentarily stunned.
    "R-Ran-chan," she managed at last.  "I think you overdid it."  
    Yeah, I did, Ranma thought grimly.  I hope I didn't hurt him too badly.
 Against the wall, the wiry young Chinese boy staggered to his feet.
    "T-t-this isn't over yet..." he coughed out, as he collapsed back down,
unmoving, but breathing easy.  Ranma sighed in relief.  He hadn't killed
him, that was the important thing.  
    "Let's bring him to Doctor Tofu's clinic," Ranma suggested at last.
"He may have a broken bone."  Or two.  Or three.  Or four.  Ranma grunted
sourly, hefting the unconscious boy.  "You better come, too, Ukyou.  If
he's really hurt, this guy'll want to see a familiar face when he wakes up."
    Ukyou peered closely at Jeikar.  He didn't -seem- badly hurt.  He
actually just appeared to be sleeping restfully.  She shrugged anyway and
followed Ranma as he walked off, carrying her assistant over his shoulder
like a sack of potatoes.

    "You say you beat him up, Ranma?"  Doctor Tofu asked curiously.  "He
just looks like he's sleeping, to me."  He paused slightly.  "Well, you
two, I checked the young man for broken bones, but he doesn't seem to have
any.  He seems to have a few minor bruises about the chest and stomach
areas, but they're so minor that they're nothing to worry about."
    "Maybe he heals quickly," Ranma muttered.  He had hit that guy with a
flurry of punches that most people would be bloody and dying from, if not
bloody and dead.
    Tofu laughed slightly.  "No, Ranma, no one heals that quickly.  Well,
whatever happened, he'll be fine in a couple hours, after he wakes up.
What did you say his name was, again?"
    Ranma shrugged.  No one had told him.  
    "Jeikar," Ukyou broke in.  "His name's Jeikar Tsiang.  He's my
assistant cook, actually.  He was insulting Ranma so Ranma challenged him,
and won easily."  She beamed over at Ranma, who grinned back.
    Tofu shrugged and went back into another room where Jeikar was
'resting.'  
    After he left, Ranma looked frustrated.  "It doesn't make any sense,"
he said, half to Ukyou, half to himself.  "He doesn't seem to have any
out-of-the-ordinary stamina, because he collapsed after I used my chestnut
fist on him.  He's certainly not a wonderful fighter, seeing that I beat
him so easily.  So why isn't he hurt?"
    "You want him to be?"  Ukyou asked curiously.
    "Well, no," Ranma admitted, frowning.  "I suppose it's better like
this; I don't get any moral pangs with it this way."  He paused and sighed.
 "It's just that when I was fighting him, he seemed to...shift."
    Ukyou gazed at him, puzzled.  "What do you mean, 'shift?'"
    "He looks a little like Ryoga, you know, and..."
    "So do you, Ranma," Ukyou noted with a smirk.
    Ranma hurrumphed and went on.  "...and I suddenly got it fixed in my
head that he -was- Ryoga, so I fought him like I would Ryoga.  Ryoga's got
some incredible stamina, so I have to hit him hundreds of times for him to
even feel it.  And so that's what I did with...what's his name?  Jeikar?"
Seeing Ukyou nod, he went on.  "And after that many hard punches, almost
none of which he blocked, how can he only have a 'few minor bruises' as
Tofu says?"  He hesitated.  "He's not one of those crazy people with
'special powers,' is he?"  He asked warily, his mind drifting to people
like Toma, with his strange sword of illusions, and Prince Kirin, with his
chopsticks.
    Ukyou laughed.  "Of course not.  He's just my assistant cook."
    "Apparently doesn't take his martial arts very seriously, does he?"
    "I'm not sure.  I don't think he does."
    Ranma grunted.  "Well, we'll get some information out of him when he
wakes up."

    The cave was a strangely clean one.  Not clean as in tidy, just the air
in there had a feeling of peace that nothing could disturb.  The peaceful
feeling seemed to eminate from an underground spring, in the center of the
domed cavern.
    A young Chinese man of about 16 years of age, dressed in worn traveling
clothes with a strangely fresh-looking dark green silk shirt with a dragon
curled around it and a  climbed carefully down the mist covered chute that
led into the cave, and he grinned in triumph.  "At last," he shouted
victoriously.  "I've found it!"  He strode confidently to the edge of the
pool - a large enough pool to be almost called a lake, he noted with a
certain amount of interest - and waited.
    -Good day, traveler,- a deep, powerful voice echoed though his mind.
-Yes, you have found what you are looking for.  You seem to know what this
place is, do you know what it is you wish for?-
    The young man grinned broadly.  "I sure do."  He took a moment to
compose his thoughts.  "I wish," he began slowly, "for the Healing gifts.
Quick regeneration and an extremely powerful life-force and the power to
heal others' wounds with a touch."  
    -It shall be as you wish it, young traveler...-
    With that, the grinning Chinese boy dove into the underground lake, and
felt his body shimmer slightly.  He knew that this meant that his wish had
taken effect, and he laughed triumphantly as he clambered out of the water,
his blackish-brown hair drenched but his clothing strangely untouched by
the water.
    The young man bowed humbly.  "I thank you, Guardian Spirit, and now
shall take my leave."  He bowed again, and walked toward the chute, and
after a bit of effort, climbed quickly to the top, where he stretched
contentedly.
    "The Gift of Healing," he said, almost reverently.  "My dream.  And
it's come true."
  
    Regeneration.  The Gift of Healing.  
    The thoughts echoed through Jeikar's head as he sat up, startled.  He
glanced around.  Ukyou and that Ranma boy from before were both
here...where was here?  He realized he was in a doctor's office.  And
climbed off of the platform he had been sleeping on.
    "Hiya, you two," he greeted them cheerfully.  "Thanks for your concern,
Ukyou-san, but there was really no need to take me to a doctor.  I'm fine,
really."  He grinned in a friendly fashion.
    Ranma appeared puzzled, as he peered closely at Jeikar.  "How can you
be fine?"  He demanded.  "I hit you with over two hunded punches, and
knocked you unconscious."
    Jeikar grinned at him.  "Oh, it's nothing to worry about."  He gestured
to his chest and abdomen.  "See?"  He asked, pointing.  "Only a couple
bruises.  And hardly noticible."  Ranma grumbled at that.  "Oh, I don't
mean you aren't a good fighter, or you don't hit hard," the Chinese boy
assured him, "it's just...well, let's just say I recover quickly."
    Before Ranma could respond, Doctor Tofu walked in.  "Oh, I see you're
up, Jeikar," he commented nonchalantly.  "I thought you two might be
thirsty," he was now talking to Ranma and Ukyou, "so I got a couple sodas
from the fridge in the back room."  He tossed one to each of them, and
tossed his own unopened one to Jeikar.  "I wasn't expecting you to be
awake, so you can have mine."
    "Thanks," the Chinese boy said with his wide grin.  "Appreciate it."
He popped the top and started drinking.  "Not too bad," he noted, pouring a
little on his head.  "My head's hotter than my throat, though."  He pointed
at the ceiling.  "You're air conditioner's off, doctor, and it's sort of
stuffy in here."
    Tofu looked embarrased and quickly opened the vent.  
    "Don't suppose you've got a pail of water here I could drench myself
with, doc?  I'm sweating all over the place."  
    "Hm?  Oh, sure, I have a hose outside, I guess you can use that.  Now
you three can run along...there's another patient I have to bring in here." 
  
    "Ah, that feels good."  Jeikar held the hose above his head and sprayed
it all over himself.  
    "I'm sure it does," Ukyou said impatiently.  "Can we get back to the
shop now?  The customers are probably waiting for it to open."
    Jeikar grinned mischieviously and sprayed it all over Ukyou, and she
glared at him.  "Least it didn't get all over my clothes," she mumbled
darkly.  Ranma had been fidgeting nervously this whole time, and his
expression turned to a yelp of terror when Jeikar sprayed him.  "What's
wron..."  his voice trailed off.
    Ranma-chan glowered at him.  "Thanks a lot, jerk."
    Instead of the usual shock and disbelief that people expressed when
first seeing Ranma do his 'change,' Jeikar just nodded in understanding.
"Ah, so you've been to Jusenkyo, have you?  We have more in common than I
thought."
    Ukyou grumbled something under her breath.  "I'm glad you two have
something in common, but I -really- need to be getting back.  If you want
to discuss this with Ranma, Jeikar, do it after morning shift."

    "You said it like you've been to Jusenkyo, too."
    It was early afternoon, and the 'dull period' of the day.  Today,
though, Jeikar had stayed around the shop to talk to Ranma further about
Jusenkyo and the incidence of the morning.  Him and Ranma were sitting in a
dark corner table so their conversation wouldn't be noticed by anyone not
supposed to be noticing.
    Ranma, male again, was curious about Jeikar.  He wasn't cursed,
obviously because he'd sprayed himself and not changed into anything.  And
yet he had been to Jusenkyo?
    The Chinese boy nodded.  "I'm a wanderer, or I was, you understand, so
I traveled all over China."  He paused slightly before continuing.  "Well,
I had heard about Jusenkyo's...powers...let's call them, and decided to pay
the place a visit."  Ranma looked startled at this.  
    "Why would anyone want to visit that accursed place?"  He demanded.
"Look at the mess it got me into!"
    "You mean you didn't want to be this way?"  It was Jeikar's turn to
look surprised.
    Ranma was losing his temper.  "Of course not!"  He shouted.  "You think
it's fun being like that?"  
    Jeikar shrugged.  "Well, no, but if you didn't want to be, why'd you
wish it?"
    "Wish what?"  Ranma glared at the Chinese boy.  "I fell into a spring.
I didn't wish anything."
    To Ranma surprise, Jeikar broke down laughing.  "You fell into a
spring?  Why'd you do that?"  He was now chuckling uncontrollably.  "What
kind of idiot would fall into one of the springs if he didn't want to?"
    Ranma snorted.  "Well, it wasn't my idea.  We just thought it was a
training ground, and my pop decided that we should train there.  That's
what it is, after all."
    "Well, yeah, it used to be, a long time ago.  Then people started
realizing that the springs turned them into things, so use was
discontinued."  He hesitated slightly.  "You mean people really do still
use that place?  What happened to the Guide?  Is he dead?"  
    Ranma grumbled.  "No, he's fine.  Me and my dad just couldn't speak
Chinese, and the Guide couldn't tell us in Japanese what was wrong with the
springs in time to stop us.  My pop turns into a panda."  He sighed
unhappily.  "And I turn into a girl."
    Jeikar was cracking up.  "Oh, that's great!  You couldn't read Chinese
and you went there anyway?  Oh, man..."  He coughed and wiped the humor off
his face.  "That was about the dumbest thing I've ever heard of."
    Ranma was glaring at him.  "You really make me feel good, Jeikar.  Now
answer what I originally asked you.  What were you doing at Jusenkyo?"
    "Well," he began, "I didn't really know much about the place.  Not more
than anyone else, really, just that it cursed you in some way that was
singulary unpleasant.  Know I see why."  He smirked.  "Anyway, the guide
gave me more specific details, and when I asked him, directions to Sungchuan."
    "Sungchuan?  What's that?"
    "It translates to 'Blessed Spring.'  It's a place that grants any wish
you desire."
    Ranma leaped to his feet, realization of what that meant in his head.
Now he just had to get to China...  "All right!"  He exclaimed.  "That
means...that means I can be cured!"  
    "Yeah," Jeikar said slowly with a nod, "but there's something else
about Sungchuan.  You don't find it.  It finds you.  And if you are trying
to find it, it generally won't let you.  I guess I got lucky."  He grinned.
    "What's that mean, 'it finds you?'"  Ranma demanded angrily, his hopes
falling to pieces around him as he sat back down with a sour grunt.
    "It's based on need.  Very few have ever succeeded in finding it, you
know, though many people from the nearby villages hunt it as young men,
seeking glory and power.  If you seek power, though, you likely won't find
it."
    "So how'd you find it?"
    "Like I said, I got lucky.  The guide took a liking to me, I think, so
he told me where it was.  As I was entering, the entrance disappeared
behind me.  I don't think the spirit wanted me there, but as long as I'd
found it, it was obliged to grant me a wish.  And after I'd left, the
entrance was no longer there.  Vanished."
    "So..."  Ranma smiled slyly.  "What'd you wish for?"
    Jeikar bit his lip nervously.  "Ah...I'd rather not say.  Nothing too
glorious, though.  I hear if you make too vain a wish, the spring does the
opposite of what you want.  In my case, though, while my wish was a little
ambitious, it wasn't so much so that I didn't get what I wanted."
    "C'mon, man, you can tell me.  I'm used to keeping secrets, if you know
what I mean."  Ranma gave an ironic grin.
    Jeikar sighed.  "Sorry, I'm not telling anyone.  You'll probably find
out sooner or later, though."
    Ranma grumbled something, but let the topic drop.  "So, if you're from
China, what are you doing in Japan?  You speak the language pretty well, by
the way."
    "Thanks.  If it's one thing I can't stand, it's not being able to
understand your traveling partner, so I caught on to the language so I
could talk to him."  He chuckled.  "Nice guy, actually; met him in some
backwater village.  He was looking for someone, as I recall."
    "Oh?  Who was it?"
    "Who was he looking for?  Can't recall."  The Chinese boy ran a hand
through his thick dark hair.  "He ranted on about him, though, and called
him a coward.  Can't bring the name to mind..."  He paused, and shrugged.
"It doesn't really matter, anyhow."
    But he had sparked an interest in Ranma.  "No, keep going.  Tell me
more about this guy you were traveling with."
    Jeikar shrugged.  "He was pretty much a normal guy, but he seemed angry
all the time.  Apparently someone had wronged him.  No," he snapped his
fingers, "someone had run out on a duel, and he was looking for that person
to call the coward to finish the fight.  Well, anyway, I was staying near
some old village in the Bayankala Mountains, when I met him.  He was an
okay person, really, and we got on well, so we decided to travel together.
We were attacked by marauders one day, though, and we had to split up to
escape.  I haven't seen him since."
    Ranma's eyes narrowed.  "What did he look like?  Medium height, black
hair, funny-looking black and orange bandanna?"
    "Yeah, that's right.  You know him?  Is he in Japan?"
    "His name's Ryoga, and I'm the guy he was chasing."
    Jeikar seemed stunned momentarily.  "You?"  He asked, a little
disbelievingly.  "Why'd you run away?"
    "I didn't.  Actually, Ryoga never showed up.  He claims he did, but I
had left for China by then, and I guess he followed me."  Ranma sighed.  "I
haven't seen him lately, though, but when I do he generally tries to kill
me.  I think it's his hobby."  He made a sour face.
    "I'd watch out for him," Jeikar remarked.  "He's a good fighter.  Much
better than me."
    "Don't worry.  I've taken him on before.  Beat him every time."
    Jeikar looked surprised, but didn't argue or comment.  Instead, he
changed the subject.  "You're one of the best fighters I've ever seen, you
know, Ranma.  Could you teach me some of your stuff?"
    "Is that why you came to Japan?  To train?"
    Jeikar gave a nod.  "Yeah.  I've heard there's some good dojos here,
and training while wandering around China...well, that's more wilderness
survival training than anything else."  He smiled wryly.
    "No arguments there."  Ranma paused and thought.  Here was a chance to
help out the Tendo household.  A new student meant more money.  "Actually,
I'm staying at a place called the Tendo Dojo.  It's a good training place,
and the master, Soun Tendo, knows his stuff."  Ranma had never really seen
Soun fight, but he assumed he was good.
    "Soun Tendo taught you all you know, then?"
    Ranma laughed.  "Hardly.  Actually, my father taught me most of my
techniques, but I don't think he'll teach just anyone.  He just teaches
family, as far as I know, and I'm an only child, so..."  He left it
hanging.  "Well, I guess you can ask him if you want," he finished, "but I
doubt he'll agree."
    Jeikar sighed.  "I know how that is.  Well, I'll just ask for a lesson
from this Tendo guy, than."  He stood up.  "Hey, Ukyou!"  He called out.
"I'm probably not going to be able to work tonight, okay?"
    "Yeah, okay," Ukyou's voice called out from the kitchen.  "Today's
Tuesday anyway; probably not very many customers this evening.  Consider it
your vacation time."
    "Well," Jeikar grinned at Ranma, adjusting his green silk shirt, "let's
go meet Master Tendo."  

    Ryoga growled slightly to himself.  "Damn it," he grunted sourly, "the
one time I really need to find the Tendo Dojo, and it's the one time I
can't find it!"  And that stupid girl that looked like Ranma-chan running
off during the night didn't help his disposition, either.  Why was she
looking for Ranma?  He had thought it polite not to ask her, but now he
found himself realizing he really did want to know.  Surely she wasn't just
another one of his fiances.
    Then again, if she was, it wouldn't have startled him too much.  Ranma
already had...what?  Four of them?  "What could a person do with so many
engagements?"  He grumbled.  "And how could he treat Akane like that?  He's
like a monster." 
    How could he treat Ukyou like that?
    The question leapt into Ryoga's head unbidden.  Ukyou?  Why should he
be concerned with Ukyou?  She was just some girl who had agreed to give him
a room.  A girl who had actually shown him some affection.  A girl rejected
by Ranma, at least in Ryoga's eyes, and lonely.  Like himself.  He began
wondering if Ukyou would ever...
    "No," he growled angrily.  "Akane is the one for me.  Not Ukyou.
Ukyou...Ukyou's just a...friend.  She loves Ranma, anyway."  He clenched
his fist.  Damn Ranma.  Damn Ranma Saotome and everything he did.  He was
the cause of all his troubles.  Once Ranma was gone, then Akane would...
    -Akane will what, Ryoga?-  A faraway voice whispered into his head.
-Love you?  For killing her fiance?-
    "Shut up!"  Ryoga snapped to the voice in his head.  "You abandoned me,
Voice.  You would not give me your council, so I will not have any of your
nonsense now."  He snorted derisively.  "How could she love Ranma, anyway?
He cheats on her all the time!  That bloody fool has four fiances!  Answer
me that, Voice!" 
    Dead silence.
    "Answer me!"  Ryoga howled, in a rage.  "Answer me!"  He fell to his
knees, so angry and frustrated he couldn't even stand.
    But his only answer was the echo as his voice resounded through the
lonely hills.
---------------------------------
Hey, I finished a chapter within the timeframe of a day!  Heh, I'm great.
;)  If you're wondering why this chapter didn't focus on Ryoga so much,
well...

Okay, I know some of you readers out there absolutely despise it when an
author makes a character of his own creation and then devotes a lot of
attenion to him.  I don't really like that, either, and at first I was
going to make Jeikar just an ordinary guy...but I couldn't resist. :)  He
was a lot of fun to create.  

Also, still sitting there wondering who that girl was with Ryoga?  Don't
worry, she should show up in the next chapter...or maybe the one after
that.  She becomes important to the storyline, though.  What?  You think
Ukyou and Ryoga are going to get together?  Well...maybe. :)  As for those
boots of Jeikar's...well, he's kind of an odd guy, no matter what Ukyou
thinks. :)  I just gave him those because I thought they were kind of
funny.  Next chapter should be coming around soon...look for it! 

Oh yeah, C&C goes to guilds@mail.serve.com.  (I do want comments, by the
way.)  Well, until next time...zai jian!