He held the card aloft as he watched it, the shadows never dulling, masking the face looking back at him. And that pang of guilt struck back, burrowing into the depths of his heart. Everything had changed since that day, in a sudden, bloody rush, maddening even to his own usual routine.
The battle hadn't even been too serious. No rush of emotion, not desperation, no grand explosion of something, reaching deeper into himself than he'd ever done before. It had simply... happened.
One moment, he was the same Ranma Saotome he'd always been, the next, something different. Someone different, more than he'd been before. So different, he couldn't understand what was happening, what he was doing, what he was.
What should have ended simply until the next time things blew up like they had, ended, well...
He stared down at the card in his hand for a moment longer, before he firmly grasped hold of the power around him, pouring it into it before he gave a slight flick of his fingers and tossed it to the ground next to him.
There wasn't a flash, a spectacular explosion of power, a heralding stream of light. One instant, it was a card, landing on the soft grass, the next, it was a figure seated there next to his own. A figure that seemed startled for a moment before a look of annoyed comprehension dawning across his face, "Ugh, what do you want this time?"
"Just looking for someone to talk to is all," There was a moment's pause, a sadness as he looked onto the shadowed waters under the bridge, "Ya know?"
"Meh, not like I have a choice in the matter," There was a grumbling look of annoyance on Ryouga's face before he followed Ranma's gaze, "You know that."
"I didn't mean for this to happen ya know," legs curled back up against his chest as Ranma pressed his chin against his knees, "If I had a choice, we'd all still be in Nerima, and none of this would ever have happened."
"Fat lot of good it does the rest of us," an angry glare, "This is all your fault!"
"I know," arms tightened about his knees before he shrugged helplessly, "But there's nothing I can do about it."
"Yes, there is and you know it!" Ryouga growled angrily before slugging against Ranma's arm, "For one, some more places for us to go so I'm not dumped in Jusenkyo half the time!"
Ranma smirked slightly as he would lightly rub against his arm, "Sorry, just haven't... Don't really want to start becoming like... Them."
"yeah well tough shit," Ryouga glared back, "If you don't start picking up more things, you're gonna end up losing, and you KNOW what that means for us."
"Hey, I've managed to do all right, and I've gotten those other guys tokens!"
"Yeah, yeah, but you know you gotta keep getting stronger!" Ryouga glared once more, "I don't wanna end up with someone like you know who."
"I know."
See other episodes by Eternal Heart
(Posted Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:54)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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