Trials and Tribulations X




Ryouga shivered as he was pushed down to sit at the feet of his 
tormentor. He clenched his fist in anger as he remembered the startled 
look on Ranma’s face as he was dragged off. < It wasn’t surprising 
in the least that Ranma had left >, he told himself ruefully,< why 
should he stay to see me like this anyway? Weak, I’ve always been weaker 
than Ranma. I was never good enough for him. Never, never. > 

Clenching his fist in anger, he gathered up his courage to squint 
through the darkness. He could barely see through the murky grayness 
of the cell, but the thin light from under the doorway illuminated 
just enough for him to have a glimpse of those cold aquamarine eyes and 
brick-red skin. 

“ Why did you bring me here?” He asked hoarsly, wincing as the demon 
turned to look down at him in amusement. A low, and surprisingly sad 
chuckle vibrated softly throughout the room and Ryouga at once wished 
he had just kept his mouth shut. 

“ Poor boy. Poor ningen boy.” 

Ryouga glanced quickly at the ground as he felt a large hand settle on 
his head briefly, before cupping his cheek and tilting his face up to 
gaze into those big eyes. 

“ You’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time, pretty boy,” The 
demon chuckled at Ryouga’s startled expression,” Contrary to popular 
belief, I do not enjoy messing around with ningens. It’s too…easy for 
my level of expertise.” 

Ryouga blushed with shame as he remembered his fight, or lack thereof, 
against this demon foe.< Ranma… 

Ryouga’s head jerked up higher, and he gasped as his neck was brought 
taut, right before the breaking point. “ I don’t want to hurt you. 
But…you have something I want. Something I need.” 

Tears began to form on the corners of Ryouga’s eyes as he struggled 
weakly to extricate himself from the rough grip, a mouse in a vice. 
He felt his face heat with struggle and lack of air, and he coughed 
weakly to get the demon’s attention. 

“ You are also somehow very pretty in your weakness. Beautiful 
actually,” he ran a sharp pointed finger down Ryouga’s stretched 
throat, tears now streaming down the lost boy’s face. 

“ Don’t cry, my dear. I’ve been locked up here for centuries and have 
not gone crazy, yet. You certainly won’t be here that long. “ 

Rough hands released him and Ryouga gasped in the precious air that now 
rushed into his lungs, his relief doubling him to the floor. 

“ What is it…*gasp*…what is it you…want…from me?” 

Long hair streamed about Ryouga’s face as the demon shifted position to 
clutch at his shirt, bringing them so close together they were breathing 
each other’s air. 

“ You really are naive ,ningen. You really don’t know what you have. 
Do you?” 

Ryouga’s hands clasped reflexively around the wrist of the demon 
holding him tight against his chest, pleading with his eyes to be 
let go. 

The sound of a slap ricochet around the room, followed by the thump 
of an unconscious body. 

“ I want the power you wield so innocently, ningen. I will have it too. 
All I have to do…is make you scream.” 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Light filtered slowly into the dirty cell, gliding across the room to 
land on a figure slumped by the door. Blood shot eyes and faint tremors 
signaled a night of little to no sleep. More likely, it was the latter. 

Ranma glanced up slowly, and winced as the sun met his eyes. He’d been 
in a daze ever since he realized Ryouga wasn’t there beside him, like he 
had been the night before, a startling distracting to his wandering 
mind’s eye. 

He realized now he cared for him deeply, maybe even loved him if his 
definition of love was correct. He definitely cared for him a great 
deal, and wanted him, badly. A mix between a sigh and a sob burst 
unexpected from Ranma’s throat as the recent stress of his life came 
crashing in on him all at once. 

“ What can I do,” he whispered to himself broken-heartedly,” I’m so 
confused.” 

< What can I do against a seven foot tall tough guy of a demon? Heck, 
I can barely stand up to Akane, and she’s not quite /that/ bad. > 
Ranma poked kanji into the floor absently as the wheels of his brain 
turned round and round, < I need some kind of strategy, quick! I’ll 
do anything for Ryouga, anything! Maybe…> 

Ranma halted mid thought as his eyes alighted on what he had unknowingly 
traced into the floor. < Help…> 

“ I’ll get help! That’s it! “ Ranma banged his hand down on the floor, 
his decision made. < That demon in the cafeteria, that looked so sad, > 
Ranma chewed his braid nervously, < Maybe he’ll help me. Maybe he’ll 
know that guy’s weakness!> 

His mood elevated as the idea came to him, but he quickly somber up at 
the thought of what could be happening to Ryouga at any given second of 
the day. < This better work. >, Ranma brushed his hair back from his 
face, a number of tendrils hanging lose from his pigtail. He got up 
quickly and headed toward the door. As his hand was reaching toward the 
metal knob, it swung open, causing him to stumble toward one of the most 
beautiful faces he’d ever seen. 

< Those eyes…violet…> 

A rakish grin formed on the sculpted face.“ Breakfast.” 




To Be Continued …