Inspired by the 15th episode of 'Magical Project S'. I own Tenchi Muyo about as much as I own X-Men. Which is to say, it's not mine. Please R&R. Ryoko-chan wants you to.
Experiment
It started like any normal day in the Masaki house, with Ayeka and Ryoko fighting, Mayuka wailing, Mihoshi and Kiyone trying to mediate the fight, Tenchi trying to quiet his daughter, and Sasami in the kitchen. Ryoko had Ayeka trapped under her elbow when Washu entered the room. "Ryoko, can you hold off for a while? I need your help on an... experiment." said the scientist in her nasally voice. Ryoko looked up, annoyed, about to yell at her mom when she caught Tenchi's look. He was exhausted. His whole look said, 'Please, Ryoko, no more fights today.' "Ahh! Fine!" hissed the ex-pirate, standing and brushing herself off. Ayeka stood, looking pleased, and Ryoko stuck her tongue out at the Jurain princess as she followed her mother to the lab.
"So, whaddaya wanna try on me anyway, Washu?" asked the pirate, moving a hand through her teal spikes. The miniature genius just handed her daughter a glass of something green. "Drink up, little Ryoko!" said Washu. Ryoko sniffed the beaker dubiously. "I dunno about this, Washu..." she said, but tipped it back anyway. Washu smiled at the data popping up on screen and removed the electrodes from her daughter. "Come see me in half an hour, Ryoko." she said. The pirate shrugged and floated off through the ceiling. Washu sighed. "I'm sorry, Ryoko, but it's for your own good!" She took a photo album from her desk and took out a group of 19 photos. She looked at one of a normal, 19-year-old Ryoko. "Check," she sighed, marking the corner with a red marker.
"So, what did Washu do to you, anyway?" asked Mihoshi later. Ryoko shrugged. "I'm supposed to go back and see her in about two minutes, but I can be a little late, right Tenchi?" she asked, cozying up to the Jurain prince. Suddenly her hair seemed to retract into her head, growing shorter, down to her chin. She seemed to get shorter, too. "What the heck?!?" shouted the pirate, and broke away from Tenchi, dashing to the lab. She pounded furiously on the door. "Washu! Washu! Washuuuuu! Wash-" The door opened, and Washu stared up at her. "Well well well, Ryoko! My experiment is working just as planned!" said Washu with a smile. "Why am I getting smaller?" asked her daughter, furious. Washu held up another picture. "Ryoko, 18. Check!" she said brightly, marking the next picture. "What? I'm 18?" screamed Ryoko. Washu patted her on the arm. "You'll lose a year every half hour until I stop the process at 1:45 this afternoon." said the redhead calmly. Ryoko looked down at Washu and did the only thing she could in this situation. She screamed.
"You're WHAT?" asked Ayeka, before breaking out laughing. Ryoko smacked her sharply. Suddenly, her eyes darted to the clock, and her hands came up to her mouth in horror. The half-hour mark hit, and her hair lengthened again, to her shoulders, and straightened itself out. Her clothes changed, too, becoming a high-schoolers uniform. She grew even shorter. "No! No way!" she said, and her voice was lighter and gentler than usual. Th others couldn't help but stare. Washu appeared in the doorway. "Ryoko, 17! Check!" she said in that obnoxious voice.
Two and a half hours later, and a twelve-year-old Ryoko was furious at Washu. "Why did you use me for this dumb experiment, anyway?" she asked, glaring up at her mother. "Because, I wanted to see how someone like you would react! And don't you look at me that way, young lady." said Washu sternly, looking her daughter in the eyes. Ryoko lowered her eyes immediately and folded her hands in her lap. "Yes mom." she said, then paused and put her hand over her mouth. Ayeka chuckled. She had learned not to laugh an hour ago, when Ryoko had burst into tears at her teasing. "What's gotten in to me?" asked Ryoko. Washu patted her on the head.
Noon hit, and found a four-year-old Ryoko practically in hysterics. She had walked in to Washu's lab to find her mother setting up a crib, changing table, and cans of formula. When she asked Washu what was going on, the only reply she got was, "Setting up for the end results of our little experiment." She had run out and told Tenchi, but had changed again in the middle of her speech, and, upon finding herself lisping, had run off towards the kitchen crying. Sasami was currently trying to comfort the little girl, and had set a warm cup of chocolate in front of her. She was sitting next to the teal-haired child, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I don' wanna be widdle, 'Sami!" she sobbed. Ryo-Ohki nuzzled up to her elbow, and Ryoko patted her sister gently on the head. "Fanks, Ryo-Ohki." she sniffled.
In an hour, a two-year-old Ryoko was screaming at her mother. "I don' wanna be widdle, Mommy! Tuwn me back!" Washu just sighed and lifted her daughter up, cradling her close. "It's for your own good, Ryoko. And the half-hour mark hits... now." Ryoko shrunk yet again, her short, straight cyan hair waving gently as she rested her tiny head against her mother's chest. Her thumb went into her mouth, and she closed her amber eyes. "Rest, my Ryoko. You must be so worn out..." She trekked upstairs to the main group, pausing only to terminate the de-aging process. Heads turned, and as she turned the sleeping Ryoko around, there were suppressed squeals of delight from Sasami and Mihoshi, a slight frown from Kiyone, a disapproving look from Tenchi, and general 'oh, that's great's from Tenchi's father and grandfather. Ayeka was silent for a while, but, when asked, she admitted that Ryoko was... cute.
Until she woke up. The tiny girl was obviously upset, and almost as soon as her eyes snapped open, she screamed bloody murder. She was swiftly passed around and comforted in various ways, ending with a rather flustered Tenchi. He tried every trick he knew, but Ryoko was inconsolable. Eventually, the only one who hadn't had a hand in calming the chibi pirate took her. Ayeka cradled her to her chest, and rubbed the baby's back gently. "Ryo-chan, hush, hush. It's alright." she hummed gently. The room fell so silent you could have heard a pin drop. The girl had fallen silent, and was gazing up at Ayeka with a content look on her face. Ayeka hugged the girl close to her. Washu laughed. "So, she's captured your heart too, Ayeka?" asked the pint-sized scientist. The princess just smiled calmly.
"So, why the experiment in the first place? When are you gonna turn her back?" asked Sasami, gesturing at the little one in Ayeka's arms. Washu looked over at her daughter, then down at her hands. "I'm not." she said softly. This was followed by general statements of outrage. "Hear me out! We know the old Ryoko was bitter, and we know... we know why." She looked to one side guiltily. "But now, growing up like this... with a mother who's actually there for her, tons of sweet aunts and a kind uncle... maybe she'll be more well-adjusted. She'll be happier! I did this for my daughter's happiness!" The group nodded. "Well, we can't do much about it now." The tiny baby stirred and stretched her tail. This was definitely going to be a long few years, but was it going to be worth it?