Dreams of a
Goddess
By: Little Ryoko
Chapter
I
Ryoko sighed and rolled her neck,
letting the cramps leave with pops of air. She craned her arms over her head
and arched like the cat she had designed after, she dropped them again and
looked around bored. She was resting on a cliff-top about half-mile from the
Maskai shrine, surrounded by the trees and a small, gently flowing river. Her
amber eyes took all of this in and she let a small grin pass on her lips. Lady
Funaho and Lady Miskia had returned to visit their childern and Ryoko had
offered to dissapper for the week since she wasn't highly regarded by either of
them. Oh well, she thought, at least I'll get some training done. She then
stood and jumped off the site and once again peered aroud her. But where to
sleep, that is the question. She mused. The cave was always an option but she
really didn't feel up to a trip down memory lane. She puased for a moment,
frowned and then split into two beings. "We'll take turns keeping
watch." She told her double, who nodded.
"I'm getting first." Ryoko
laughed and flew up to a tree branch and settled into for her watch.
Sasami hummed absently as she
stirred the soup. Her Mother and Aunt Funaho had stopped by and were now
staying with them for a while. She smiled, now there was someone to help with
cooking and one to keep order around. Everyone had seemed more relaxed and even
Washu- who rarely came out of her lab- was out and being socialble. And
Mihioshi hadn't gotten into any accidents today. She sighed and petted
Ryo-Ohki. "This would be great if everyone was here." Tsunamai
silently agreed.
Washu smiled politly as Lady Miskia
finished up another story about 'Little Ayeka'. She mentally sighed and wished
for the solitude of her lab, where equations kept her company. She shot a
glance over to Ayeka and shook her head. Since Ryoko had left that morning
Ayeka had been acting a bit out of character. Washu summed it up to Ryoko's
absensce, but something tugged at the back of her mind. She sighed again and
wondered where the absent Oni was.
Ryoko twitched her tail and sent
another small energy blast up into space. "Okay...you've had your beauty
sleep. Get up." She muttered as she floated down to lightly kick her
double. Her target, however, meerly yawned and rolled over, turning her back on
Ryoko. "I know you can hear me." Ryoko folded her arms. "Come
on. Don't make me hurt you."
Her double finally opened one eye
and looked at her. "Oh...fine." She got up and dusted herself off,
glaring at Ryoko who was now smiling smugly. "But don't put all your hopes
on me. I'm still tired." She grumbled and flew up to the spot Ryoko had
been moments before. A small glittering light in the sky caught her attention
and she cocked her head, trying to think if she'd seen that before.She pouted
when nothing came up and closed her eyes. I told her not to rely on me. She
rationalized as she fell asleep for the second time that night.
Sunlight and birds drew Ryoko away
from the dream world and she yawned loudly as she awoke. Blinking, she peered
up into the tree and shook her head in amusement. "I should of
known." She chuckled to herself and formed a small energy ball and let it
loose. Her double yelped and fell off her branch. "Good Morning."
Her double's answer was a snarl and
she disappeared and formed back into Ryoko. Ryoko sighed and sat up. What to
eat...? Her stomach growled, agreeing with her. She couldn't go to the house,
so that option was out, 'Aw, damn'. Sighingly she opened up a link to Washu. Hey Washu...
....oh,
hello Ryoko, you want something? Came the sleepy reply of the mad genuis.
Ryoko paused, she hadn't been
expecting a response. Um...Sasami didn't
tell me how I was supposed to get food.
Washu's soft laughter floated
through her mind. Come by the lab later
when you're hungry, Little Ryoko. Ryoko tensed at that but shrugged, it was
too early to be bickering with Washu. Silently she closed the link and
teleported to the tree.She settled back down and yanwed again. 'Oh well, a
small nap can't hurt, besides, she said later.'
"Ryoko? Ryoko! Geez where is
that Baka?" Ryoko cracked open one eye to see Washu standing beneath the
tree with the sun well high in the sky. She rolled her eyes and threw a small
blast down by Washu's feet. "Gah!"
"There you are, Sasami was
getting worried." Washu exclaimed as she spotted the lounging Oni. She
moved to show Ryoko the pinic basket she was carrying and set it on the ground.
Curious, Ryoko craned her neck further to watch Washu.
Humming to herself she set up two
plates and looked up expectantly at Ryoko. 'Well?' her eyes read. Ryoko blew
out a breath and hopped down. She took the sandwich Washu offered and bit into
it. "So, how's the reunion going?"
Washu looked at her and swallowed.
"Not bad."
"They're not letting you in the
lab are they?" Ryoko chuckled as she bit into it again. She ingored the glare Washu gave her. Around a
mouthful of food she continued. "How's Tenchi holding up? Is Ayeka-"
"Ayeka is behaving quite well
under the circumstanes," Washu grinned. "Although, she's seemed to
take after you in some areas."
"WHAT?!" Ryoko shouted.
Washu waved a hand in the air.
"Relax. She's keeping her promise." She finished off the sandwich and
grabbed another. "Mm, I must thank Sasami for these." Ryoko agreed.
"Anyways...how are you doing?"
Ryoko sipped some Saki and shrugged.
"I'm fine."
"Sleep well?"
Ryoko smiled into her cup.
"Remind me never to let myself stand guard for me."
Washu chuckled and patted Ryoko's
calf. Ryoko glanced up to smile at the woman in front of her and stopped when
she realized what was happening. Silence fell over the two and Washu coughed to
break it. She reached for the cakes and tossed one to Ryoko. They finished the
meal without talking and afterwards Washu tossed the trash into subspace.
She stood to leave and reached the
edge of the clearing when Ryoko spoke again. "Washu, um, I know that
they'll keep you out of the lab once you get back and I, uh, know that you, uh,
hate that, um, so..."
Ryoko trailed off, reaching behind
to rub her neck. Washu just smiled and moved to sit underneath a large oak. She
summoned her holocomputer and begun typing away; stopping only to hand some
books to Ryoko. "Sasami said you haven't read these yet."
Ryoko smiled gratefully at her
mother and sat close to Washu. She couldn't see the smile that had formed on
Washu's face and the small tear in her eye.
"Ms. Washu!" Sasami heard
her sister, Ayeka, call out. "Oh, where is that woman?"
She popped out of the kitchen behind
Ayeka. "She went to give Ryoko some food." Ryo-Ohki meowed in
agreement. Ayeka sighed and looked out the window.
"Mother wants to meet with her
later." She peered back at Sasami. "Do you know where-"
"The clearing near the river by
Ryoko's cave.She's giving Ryoko her lunch." Ayeka nodded her thanks and
headed out. Sasami frowned and turned back to her cooking. "I hope I
didn't do something wrong."
Ayeka muttered to herself as she
walked towards the clearing Sasami mentioned. "If she just went to give
Ryoko her lunch then why?..." her mind processed several reasons and her
eyes went wide. "Did that demon-woman..." she broke into a run.
"Ms. Washu!!"
Washu frowned at hearing her name
and looked up from the screen to see Ayeka burst into the clearing with her
guardians behind her. "Ms. Washu are you alright?"
She willed away her computer and
nodded. "It's Little Washu and yes, Lady Ayeka, I'm fine." leaning
back she watched Ayeka look about the clearing. "Is there something you
need?"
"Where's Ryoko?"
Smiling gently, Washu pointed to her
left. There laid the Oni, absorbed in her book. Ayeka looked back at Washu. She
met Ayekas gaze and then turned to look at Ryoko. Ayeka coughed and moved
closer. "Mother wanted to see you about something-"
"Tell Lady Miskai I'm working
on it."
Ayeka nodded and again glanced at
Ryoko. Washu caught this and smirked. "Is there something you find
interesting about my daughter, Lady Ayeka?" At Ayeka's blush and stammered
response, she grinned. "There's still some sandwich's left." and with
a spreading of her fingers her computer came back and she dipped her head back
to the screen.
Ayeka sighed and flopped her arms.
She paused for a moment and sat down near the two. She grabbed one of the few
sandwichs left. Half-way finished, she became curious about what was keeping
Ryoko from being her snide, rude, self. "What are you reading Ryoko?"
The demonness replied by turning the page. Ayeka huffed and asked again, more
forcibly; again Ryoko ingored her.
"Oh, really!" Washu hid
her smile and nugded Ryoko with a foot. The Oni blinked, looked at her and then
Ayeka, then back to her.
"What?"
Washu gave Ayeka a smug nod and
returned to her work, half tuned onto the two young girls. Ayeka sighed.
"What were you reading?"
Ryoko glanced at her page, marked it,
and handed it to Ayeka, who watched this in semi-shocked.
"'Watchers'?" she handed back to her.
"Uh-huh, it's really
good." Ryoko commented, already getting back into it.
"I can tell," Ayeka
muttered under her breath. She looked over to see Washu similarily absorbed in
whatever work she was doing. She suddenly stood and brushed off her kimodio.
"Well, for whichever ones' of you are listening, Mother and Lady Funaho
are leaving in about a week." She shook her head and left.
"Thank you for the info, Ayeka,"
Washu's voice carried after her.
Washu watched the princess leave
with amusement and laughed to herself. "What's so funny?" said Ryoko,
flipping another page.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing."
They stayed like that, Washu typing
away and Ryoko reading untill Sasami came up to get Washu. Washu had glanced to
Ryoko who was handing the books back to Sasami. "Tell Washu to pick these
up when she comes up again." She inwardly smiled at that and and picked up
the pinic basket. As Sasami went on ahead she paused and turned to face Ryoko.
"Ryoko?" she looked at the
genius. "Tomorrow, if there's any energy blast coming near my
feet...you're foraging for the week." She left with Ryoko's laughter.
"Master, signals of the Ship
Ruykai are in an Alliance galaxy not far from here." the computer sounded.
The person it was addressing let an evil smile form and black eyes flashed with
unknown emotions. It held up a hand and stared at the elongated fingers while
it pondered the message. Finally, after a long pause it spoke.
"How long will it take?"
It's voice was a growl and it looked into the screen.
"One week, Sire, one
week."
"Reunions are such bliss,
aren't they Tsunamai?"
Washu's thoughts kept going back to
Ryoko during Dinner and she had lost track of whatever the two Empresses were
chatting about. She frowned at her plate, feeling bad for leaving Ryoko out,
but it was what the family had agreed. 'I'm sorry, my dear'
When she finished, she excused
herself and walked over to a window and summoned a cushion. She sat down on it,
placed her head in a hand and sighed loud enough for only Tenchi to hear. He
paused in his chewing to look where the sound was coming from. He stood and
came up behind her. "Little Washu?"
She jumped a bit and smiled wryly.
"Ohayo Tenchi."she said absently. He shook his head with a grin.
"Go on. I'll excuse you for the
night." He said. She glanced up at him in confusion but he was already
moving away. "Maybe you two will finially reconclie." 'I hope' He
shooed her out the door with a laugh and returned to the table.
As Washu neared the clearing, sounds
of a battle started. She gasped and hurried in to see Two Ryoko's going at it.
She sighed and leaned back agaisnt a tree, arms folded aross her chest and
simply watched the fight in front of her.
"Ha! You'll never touch
me--oww!! No fair!!" Ryoko yelled as "Double" singed her dress
with her sword-tip. "That was a cheap shot!!" Double shrugged and
dogded the blasts. Ryoko growled and dissappeared to form behind Double and
smack her head.
"Ouch!!" She reached back
only to grab thin air and gasped as she ducked to avoid another blast.
"You're relying on the blasts too much Ryoko." She shouted as she
stood and looked for her opponet. Her eyes widened and she too vanished before
Ryoko's sword could slice through her.
"Thanks for the
tip--ahh!" Ryoko ended up pinned
and threw up her hands. "Alright, alright, you won." Doulbe let her
up and they formed into one as Ryoko sensed a presense nearby.
"She is right, you know,"
came the nasal voice from the shadows. "You do rely on your blasts too
much ,and you also have this tendency to curl your left wrist before forming
your sword." Washu commented as she stepped out into the open. "Hello
again, Ryoko."
Ryoko sighed and wiped her forehead.
"Washu? Why aren't you home?"
Washu gave her a look. "And
hear "Little Ayeka" stories again? I think not." She lifted her
head and closed her eyes as the wind blew past her. "Really Ryoko, you
know me better." She bowed her head and looked at her child."But do
you know me well enough to fight me? Now that's a question." She mused as
she formed her own energy sword-green-.
Ryoko grinned and crouched.
"That it is, Washu." and sprang.
It took twenty minuted for Ryoko to
finially knock Washu down and by that time she was panting from the effort. She
groaned and held out a hand to the genuis and helped her up.
"And...when" she said through her breathing, "Did you....learn..how
to fight?"
Washu brushed off some dirt and
massaged her hand from it's cramping. "I've always known Ryoko."
"Then why the hell don't you
come to the battles more often?!" Washu grinned.
"Now why would I want to do
that?" Ryoko growled in annoyance and looked at her. "Don't give me
that."
"Well, no matter what, you're
still not as good as me."
Washu chuckled and willed away her
sword. "Funny you should assume that," Ryoko cocked her head and
raised an eyebrow. Washu inwarldy smiled and continued. "For I taught you how to use a sword."
Ryoko's jaw dropped.
"Noooo...!!" It took all of Washu's will to refrain from laughing.
"Yes, Ryoko." she paused.
"I believe you were about two when Kagato had asked me to train you....I
showed you everything I knew." she smiled at the memory. "You were an
exceptional learner, my Ryoko, great in anything you had put your mind
on." she sighed and crossed her arms about herself. Geez, how can you
stand this?"
"The cold?" Ryoko
shrugged, her breath now seeable. "You know what, it was never this bad.
You must be affecting it."
Washu shot her a glare. "Ha ha.
Can't you be nice once?"
Ryoko opened her mouth to make a
comment but Washu's hand clamped it back shut. "Shh, what's that?"
she turned to where Washu was pointing.
A bright light filled up half the
moon and was slowly growing larger. Ryoko blinked and averted her gaze; it was
getting too bright.
"I don't know Washu...should we
tell the others?" Ryoko replied, all signs of bitterness gone. Washu bit
her lip and slowly shook her head. "Then...what do we do?"
"Wait, my Little Ryoko...we
wait."
**********
A/N
Well, this is my second fic...I hope everyone enjoys it and please review!! 0_o
It really helps me learn to write better.
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