"I can't believe you're going through with this! I thought you were better than them!"
"Ryoko, please calm down, this isn't going to help anyone."
"To hell with everyone! You think I care how they think of me?! Well, guess what? I don't! And I don't see why you should either!"
"They are my family…"
"That isn't family, Tenchi! You don't know those people! Family is what we have down here, what we have all created by coming together through hardships and love; far away from politically driven arranged marriages, backstabbing old house rivalries, and power pushing assassinations. Don't give me that look! Jurai may have its hand on the pulse of the civilized universe, but beneath all that glitz and glamour they are the worst bunch of pirates, down to their core."
Tenchi's eye twitched, anger slashing through him in response to her blatant disregard for his bloodline, "Oh, and that doesn't apply to you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Sounds pretty rich, the most infamous space pirate knocking others for their past deeds."
"… How dare you? You know damn well I never had a choice! I never knew what it was like to live freely for thousands of years! Not until I was slain down here, and entombed. Not until I was able to finally figure out how to push my consciousness out of my immobilized body and out of that damn cave! And you know what I found? Some damn peace and quiet for once. But could I enjoy it? I mean really feel the sun warm my bones? The breeze glide against my skin? The smoothness of the stone, the roughness of bark, the grit of dirt, the scent of each season on the air… for hundreds of years I could see, but never know.
"I had given up all hope of ever knowing true happiness and freedom, until…" she trailed off, fighting another losing battle against the tears forming to cascade down her face. Damn this stupid boy! Why did he have to be so thick headed?
Tenchi's lips tightened before he hung his head slightly in shame. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before attempting again, "I know this story, Ryoko. We all do. We've always listened, and it was incredibly unfair for you, and I wish you never had to go through it. I wish you had a decent upbringing, knowing the love of your mother and sister, making friends and feeling happy like the rest of the universe. I know what you went through… that you will never forget it; and maybe it makes you want to find something to fight against, and lash out at those who don't understand. But this isn't that fight."
"Excuse me?…"
"Listen, I just think-"
"No! This is exactly that fight! Are you deaf, Tenchi?!" She had had enough. He didn't get it, didn't understand why this ridiculous decree from his great-great-grandmother was the absolute most reviling thing she had ever heard of! And for him to not only be unbothered by the notion, but also eager to go along with it? Why, it made her blood boil! "I thought you said you listened! That you understood! I had everything taken away from me! Rarely had a lucid thought to myself. Then I was taken out and sealed away, where I only had my thoughts left, and for more than half that time I was trying to figure out a way to snuff my life out! But no, Washu had apparently made me too damn durable! So I had to suffer for centuries not knowing anything but cold, dark, and silence! Unless I wanted to torture myself with the beautiful visions of a world I couldn't touch."
"Ryoko…"
She wasn't going to give him any more time, though. Clearly he had never really listened to her; never bothered to understand not only what she felt, but why she felt it. So in response she merely shook her head, closed her eyes, and began to open up in a way she never had before.
"On and on and on… I forgot who I was… I tried being different… I tried acting like the occasional passerby. Over the endless years I picked up tidbits of the human way of life. I internalized it, used it to look at who I was, and who I could be. But still, I would lose my mind at not being able to talk, to touch, to feel… anything! I was just about to give in to despair again, when something caught my notice. A woman, with an infant strapped snugly to her back. I had seen her hiking around before, and was so jealous of her freedom and seemingly indomitable will. I stared at her, wondering why on Earth she would bring a baby to my cave. Then I realized I hadn't seen a baby clearly for nearly a thousand years! So I stared at the child instead. And wouldn't you know it, he stared back at me… I tilted my head, and he smiled. I floated over for a closer look, and he laughed! He followed my movements, reached his tiny hands out to me and laughed! I felt something new then… I felt a warmth gather inside myself…
"Every few days the woman and her baby returned to my cave, and she would tease her child when he laughed aloud. Until one time she asked the most innocent question, but it held so much gravity for me, 'What is it Tenchi, do you see the demon?' Tenchi… your name was Tenchi! Oh… I'm getting choked up just remembering how I felt to finally know your name, the only being in all the universe who knew I still existed and was happy to see me. But also, I was the demon. A monster. Even here trapped on Earth, I couldn't escape that title. Everyone always called me a demon, or monster, and they would run screaming. Was that going to be your fate too? As you grew, would you be fed lies about who I was and fear and hate me as well? I remember silently praying, or bargaining, or whatever to any powers that might have been listening; 'Please, not him too. Not him too!'
"And as luck would have it, you didn't seem to fear me! I watched as you grew older, visiting my cave with your mother on your hikes in the mountains. Playing games with her, and me trying to play along too. I would listen to her talk to you about her fears, her worries, or joke about all the people in her life. In fact… I never told you this, but I learned more about what it was to be a human being from her than anyone else. And, of course, I would play with you; by making faces, or flying around, or superimposing my image over your mother's. It never failed to amuse you…
"Next thing I knew you were wandering around on your own two legs, eager to be put down by your mother and bound over my way. I… I remember how full of wonder your eyes were. How big they would get, before I performed some impossible feat for your amusement. Heh… back then, no matter what I did, you never seemed to be let down. You would giggle, or gasp, or just smile with genuine happiness. Sometime your mom would look concerned, staring at me but not truly seeing. Other times she seemed amused and asked more playful questions about who I was; what I looked like, what I was doing, how funny I must be for a demon.
"She started appearing with you less and less often. And somehow this made you grow all the faster in my eyes. Soon you were forming your own words, but at a price it seemed. The more you developed, the less you seemed to be able to notice me. This hurt, terribly. That warm feeling, which had been growing slowly every time you visited me, began to fade away.
"After awhile you had grown to a point where you could come visit me on your own. And though you could no longer see or hear me, you felt comfortable enough in my presence to talk aloud, as if to no one in particular. I listened, too, learning even more what it was like to grow up as a human… this was the closest I ever had to a childhood, you know. Listening to you, trying to respond when you gave pause, playing around with you when you believed you were alone. Though when you really got into pretending, not thinking too hard about what you were doing, you did react to me. Sometimes you would play what seemed to be your favorite game, Samurai versus The Demon. You were always the samurai, and I was always the demon. As you fought against me I would make swipes at you, and you would dodge! I would jump out of your way, and you would always pursue! It was like you were still subconsciously aware of me. And that warm little feeling began to grow again.
"Those days were so much fun, Tenchi. Just you and me, alone, growing together and wondering aloud. I… I would make two wishes back then. The first was to be free, so we could play for real forever; the second was that our days together would never end… So it was such a shame that they were so short lived. For a long while you didn't show up, though I was being optimistic then, thinking that it was merely on account of the weather. Snow began to fall, blanketing the forest with a brilliant white; though not before you suddenly made your way to me. Oh, how much you had grown!
"But I couldn't mentally mark the difference then, because there was something wrong. First off, you were not nearly covered enough for the freezing weather; and then there was the state of you! Crying, distraught, whimpering, and exhausted. You practically collapsed by my feet crying for your mother. Asking why she had to go, pleading for someone to bring her back. I knew then what was the matter. Your mother had passed away.
"I felt a new sensation then; a deep, sorrowful cold. But overriding that, I was enveloped with a desperate, unyielding urge to comfort you. I tried to pull your little form into mine, but my arms cruelly passed through your shivering body. Shivering… you were going to suffer from exposure if something wasn't done! And no one could do anything! There was no one… no one, but me. It had to be me, somehow.
"Well, like hell I was going to lose you! So I concentrated, I pulled deep, deep from within my body and soul. If I wasn't dead, then there had to be some power left in me. And I had to use that somehow! I strained, I directed, I pushed, I even prayed. I used everything I had… At first there was only the tiniest tingle. Then, all of a sudden, as I looked at the pure sorrow in your eyes and could only feel the need to love and protect you; an overwhelming surge of strength flooded my entire existence, like a fount bursting to life. Power inundated my astral projection and real body alike!
"I directed the energy to form a protective shield around you, to stave off the cold and snow. And it worked! I saw your shivering abate, and your curled ball of a body unbound. It was draining, though, I could feel the invisible shield sapping my power. But I couldn't let go. You had to survive! Your life was more precious than my own. So I held firm, determined to keep protecting you until either help came, or I extinguished my own life force.
"It felt like ages, and it was agony; but all I had to do was look at you, and I saw all the reason I needed to not let go. Finally, as the world began to go black around me, I heard one of your family members running toward us, their blurred outline only briefly discernible. I smiled, and let the shield go as I fell for an eternity.
"How long did I drop into nothingness? A day? A month? Years, even? I couldn't tell. Time had escaped my notice again. Sometimes I knew who I was, sometimes I couldn't form a coherent thought. Sometimes I only saw the inside of my burial mask. Sometimes I saw memories of my past, sometimes I dreamed about things I never experienced before. There were stars, and stars, and stars. I was adrift among the stars. I saw cherry blossoms bloom and release their pretty pink petals, like a new kind of snow in spring. Dreaming, nightmares, memories. Wishes, desires, the dread of never knowing love.
"At night, watch me sleep, consequences, under the pink blossoms, love and stars, guilt stricken, sobbing, good morning Ryoko!
"I had pushed my spirit up, seemingly by habit now. It was Spring again! I could hear the birds singing, the insects chirping, see the sun riding high and bright, almost able to warm my empty form. I surveyed my surroundings. Yes, this was outside of the cave. And look, there you were, talking happily to yourself. It must have been your voice that roused me, I realized. I smiled then, and sat beside you as you went about your business, strangely content with merely observing the life I had saved.
"The years flew by in such a rush. You grew, you developed, you matured. Past were the days that you played good versus evil before my cave. But you always came back; to think, to practice, to experiment, to wonder. Sometimes you would try to break into my cave, but your Grandfather had begun to arrive just in time to head you off.
"Oh gods, I grew to despise him for that. Not just out of my own pettiness, but because it always upset you so much. But it was no matter, you still came back despite all his warnings about how dangerous I was.
"Then, when you were almost as tall as me, a new companion joined our ranks. A small kitten, who could not fend for herself. Such a cute little thing, too. She had just stumbled out of the bushes, as you were cooking fish by my cave. I actually laughed to myself as you gave a short start. Then all she had to do was mew pathetically, and she had you won over. You hastily offered her your meal, and she greedily accepted. Another new feeling began to stir inside me then, pride, spiced in compassion.
"Turns out the little one, who you simply named Kitty, wasn't very healthy. Try as you might, she was growing weaker by the day. You did your best for her, with medicines, healthy food, clean water, and lots of love and care. And she loved you too, I could tell… Yet despite all of this, she was still dying.
"You were breaking apart emotionally all over again. Trying your best every day, caring for Kitty by my cave. Well, I had had enough. I wasn't going to let either of you be in pain any more. So what did I do? What could I do? I didn't even know, but I had to try something. Thus I pulled deep from my body and soul once more. I utilized all of my concentration and fueled it with my new-found compassion. It took the better part of a day, but I felt the tingling sensation of power spreading through my being again. Then, laying an illusionary hand upon little Kitty, I transferred as much of my life force as I could into her. This act was draining too, and actually caused me physical pain, but I didn't let up until all went blank.
"I didn't fall into nothingness this time, though. No, I was merely adrift, and at peace. I knew what I put into her would save her life, so I knew you would be happy. I was so content with this that I didn't even try to keep track of the days. I somehow knew, deep down in my cells, that I would recover given enough time. I slept. I dreamed. Memories again, and a far away smile, surrounded by soft, deep pink. It… somehow comforted me. As if I knew whoever the smile belonged to, they approved of my actions and loved me for it.
"By the passing of a season I came to my senses again; this time I was staring up at the moon, and shortly began wondering who else might be gazing at it with me, across all the world. The end of summer had come, and I felt a strange mix of unease and excitement. Sure enough, the following morning you arrived, Kitty happily following close behind your feet.
"You no longer talked to yourself as much, but rather to the cat. You told it how you still loved coming to the cave, that it was your own special spot, and was just about the only place you could feel safe and think clearly. And that you were going to miss it.
"My heart sank… Miss it? Why miss it?! I was shouting these things silently at you, flying over to be by your side. Jumping in front of you, and somehow making your cat growl with unease.
"Then you told her it was going to be alright, you would still be back for break three times a year, especially for the summer. But you had to start high school soon, and to do that you would need to move in with your father to cut down on the commute. Ah… right, education. I forgot about that. I was so sad then. I didn't want you to go! You were all I had! And I had done so much for you! I nearly snuffed out my own existence for your health and happiness! Oh, and how handsome you had become. How was I going to go on, if I couldn't admire how wonderful you were?
"But despite my own negativity, you did end up leaving. Though not before musing to your Kitty that one day you were going to break into my cave, and see for yourself if I really existed or not. This should have made me overjoyed, but despite myself I seethed, I cried, I banged my imaginary hands against the Earth. I grew bitter toward you, because you made me feel a brand new emotion, abandonment. Eventually I sank into myself. I wanted to punish you in some way for hurting me. But I had grown so weak. So I promised myself no more astral projection, no more needless expulsion of energy reserves, I must centralize all of myself and recuperate. I needed to regain my strength and be ready for the day I would get out of here! I didn't know when you were going to manage it, or if you even could, but if you did, I had to be ready…
"My body had become a desiccated shell of it's former self. But as I rested calmly, reuniting my spirit and form, I could feel… well, no, more like I sensed the vessel begin to slowly mend, fill out, and recover strength. As time passed, so did my forgiveness. I still wanted to punish you some, but I didn't want to hurt you. No, in my mind I would amaze you, and make you wish to never do away with me again. Then we could spend the rest of our lives together, always playing, always exploring, always growing closer and closer… closer… I saw your soft eyes in my head. And your soft lips… I wanted to touch you… I wanted to hold you, to kiss you… to possess you. I wanted you, and I wanted you to want me.
"I was patient. I was calm. I bided my time. I dreamed of you. I dreamed of the stars. I dreamed of showing you the stars. I remembered playing samurai versus the demon with you. Then I knew! I knew how I would all at once punish you, awe you, and make you remember how much you cared about me! We had to play a real life version of our favorite game.
"Do I need to tell you what happened next? You came back home, and you were so determined to see if I was really a myth or not. You told me before how you spent that entire summer trying to win the keys to my shrine from your grandfather, and it was only by accident that you managed to obtain them. Then you broke in, split apart my imprisoning seal, and slipped down into my burial chamber.
"Ah, but did I ever tell you the rush of power I felt once you freed me? It was the most incredible thing! For centuries I felt the closest there is to nothing, then, all of a sudden, all of my sensations were returned to me. And power began flowing into my body. I gasped! I twitched! I writhed! Then I realized you were so close… and I had to calm myself. Just for a little longer. After all, I had a plan, and I couldn't afford to fail!
"Finally you entered… rather clumsily I might add, but you were there. And soon enough you were looking over me, speaking in the most nervous voice. Ah, to hear things with my own, real ears! And your voice… it was so calming to me. So soft against my soul. So soothing. I was forgiving you again, and thinking twice about punishing you. Perhaps I was being too harsh? After all, at the time it wasn't like you could see or hear me anymore. And you still wanted to come back to me, but duty was calling you…
"You began moving away, scared of your surroundings. No! I wasn't going to let you leave me again! So I reached out and grasped your arm! Oh, how warm you were! How soft and firm and strong! And your face, despite the fear, was making my heart thunder inside me. But I was scaring you… no, I had to make this right. I had to show you I was your friend. So I caressed your soft face, and tried to say your name… but it was all wrong. Only a raspy groan escaped my withered throat.
"Then, just for a second, your eyes were staring into my own. My real, true eyes. And I saw, for the faintest moment, the smallest part of understanding begin to enter your mind. But all of a sudden there was a flash of light, and pain enveloped my entire being! I groaned out the closest thing I could manage to a scream, and released you.
"It was that blasted sword! And it had all of my gems! My gems… the only thing that could tear my gaze away from you, were the source of my life and power, hanging before the both of us. I felt my eyes begin to illuminate, transfixed on the only other things that mattered to me, besides you and Ryo-Ohki that is.
"In that moment of confusion, you took the sword with you and hightailed it out of there. I tried to give chase, but my body wasn't ready to undertake such strain yet. So I watched you abandon me again, having not even tried to understand me: yet the fear I remembered on your face told me all I needed to know, you thought I was a monster, too.
"Pain again, but not from an external source. No, instead it was coming from within, I clutched my chest and sank into the freezing pool of my tomb, hearing the entrance sealing once more. I won't lie, I feared that I might have been trapped again, unable to move. However, I was still able to stiffly gaze about the chamber, then tried flexing all of my creaking joints, and felt power continuing to fill my weakened body. So I calmed my fears and shifted focus.
"I needed to recover still. Needed to gain back as much power as possible. Or else I was going to blunder again. I closed my eyes, and willed my body to only focus on recovery. And I wasn't going to rouse until I was back to my former self.
"Weeks passed, and despite the temptation to now astral project to any location on the Earth, I kept to the plan. And it worked. My body filled out to it's ample self. My hair became full and thick and brilliant. My eyes and teeth and senses sharpened. My features were striking once more. And best of all, my base power was back to one-hundred percent!
"I rose to my feet, stepping out of and onto the luminescent water; reached up to my burial mask, slowly tore it from my face, easily snapping the old leather straps, and dropped it with a splash. I felt absolutely deadly.
"Finding you wasn't actually too hard. You remember how I donated so much of my minuscule life force to save Kitty? Well, I simply had to hone in on that energy, see through her eyes, and a second later I teleported to be right before her, sleeping on your bed. What a sweet little thing she was, curled and loyal. I scratched her some behind the ear, as I had watched you do for the last couple of years, just to wake her. She fussed a bit, then stretched, jingling a small bell around her neck, before her eyes grew wide realizing who I was.
"She didn't hiss though, merely gazed with uncertainty. I was like a stranger, yet so very familiar. When I picked her up she struggled some, but ultimately calmed down when I pressed my forehead to hers. Because so much of my life force was animating her, I was able to access parts of her memory. In a flash I saw images of you, leaving and running off for school. Now that I had a direction I was about to take off again. But Kitty protested with a sad, small mew.
"I blinked a couple times, and with matching eyes she did the same to me. She must have known, through our newly established link, that I was going to see you. I smiled then and asked her, 'Alright Kitty, you want to come with?'
"I don't know if she ever understood my meaning, but she didn't object when I held her to my chest and flew toward your school. Imagine it, the sun is setting, the weather is so pleasant, and there is a demon flying through the sky, with an excited little kitty in her arms, on the way to see the person that matters the most to both of them. Almost makes me wish I could draw…
"Anyway… We found you sleeping on the roof of your school building. Once I landed I put kitty down and she ran right for you, sniffed, patted, then came back to me. Though mostly through all of this I was only watching you. Asleep?! Damn it! That didn't fit my plans at all! I couldn't just wake you up and then start the great climatic battle of our favorite game!
"Kitty was staring at me with her unusually big eyes. This made me wonder how much she could understand. So I opened the link in our minds again and peered around. It was basic, she knew you and your family. She also knew a couple of people and other cats she saw down on the streets. And now she knew me. But I could feel how she felt about me. She was intrigued, but also jealous. I was a female, like her, but I looked like a human, like you. She could feel I wanted to be near you, like her, but had the potential to also become so much closer than she ever could.
"A wild thought passed my mind then, and if it came from her or me I am uncertain, but the idea was this: 'What if we could become one? Wouldn't that be the best?' And then instinctively I knew it was possible! Since her life force was almost entirely made up of my own, I could merge with her! I put the idea into her head, wondering if she could comprehend it, let alone agree to it. But I sensed no abhorrence, only acceptance!
"I took her little bell collar off, and mentally directed her to stand on the other side of you. Which she did happily. The two of us watched you sleep for hours, and you didn't rouse yourself until the stars were already twinkling in the sky. I was patient, though. Formulating how best to go about our final confrontation.
"You know what happened next, I merged with Kitty, then as two becoming one we tried playing with you, to which you freaked out and nearly died. You hurt me something terrible when you called me a monster. I punched you for real. You cheated and attacked me with your new sword. And in the end I admitted defeat after hearing your heartfelt apology for chopping off my hand. It was a blast though, wasn't it?"
Ryoko paused her story, wanting to know Tenchi's true thoughts on the memory. The former Space Pirate turned toward him, an inquiring gaze accompanying her awe-inspiring features. However, all she saw was the young man clenching his fists, seeming to be practicing patience. Her brow furrowed in a twitch, and she crossed her arms, waiting for his reply.
Tenchi took a deep breath, steadying himself before answering, "A blast… yeah, that's one way to put it. Umm, can I ask something?"
"Hm?"
"Kitty… I always assumed she was just an illusion cast by you, to get me to let my guard down. But you say the two of you merged that night. So… is she still a part of you?"
"Oh. Well, no, not anymore."
"So… she what? Faded away?" There was a tone of sadness pervading his words
Ryoko smiled to herself, placing a hand over her heart, "I learned a lot from Kitty, mainly about you. But also how to act while on Earth, at least for a cat, anyway. Weeks went by and we became accustomed to each other. She was so happy to be able to talk, to have a higher level of thinking. To be able to fly and teleport and phase through matter. She was also really keen on eating human food, and was especially fascinated with carrots for some reason. But most of all, we loved being by you. However, she soon began to miss having her own body. And to tell the truth, so did I.
"Luckily, an opportunity had arisen for us! The original Ryo-Ohki was destroyed, and needed to reproduce itself. When that happens, I can shape the design of her travel size. Originally she was just a floating crystal, something I could keep on me or send off to do some task. This time though I was going to extract a part of myself, the part with Kitty in it, and place it in Ryo-Ohki… And by the look on your face I think you just figured it out."
Tenchi's eyes had grown wide, realization slapping him hard across the face, "R-Ryo-Ohki?!"
Ryoko couldn't help but laugh, "Yup! The Ryo-Ohki we know and love today, she was originally our sweet little Kitty!"
"Why didn't you ever tell me before?!"
"Hmm…" Ryoko's tone became playful then, "Well, you never asked what happened to her."
"Yeah, but!… Well, I always just assumed when Ayeka arrived, and was firing at our house, that it must have frightened her and she ran off. I never knew…"
"Well, don't beat yourself up too hard about it. After all, she has always been with us."
"Yeah… I guess you're right…"
"Hey, Tenchi?"
"Hm?"
"So… do you understand now? Understand why I can't accept what Jurai has proposed for you? That we are both human? Both Earthlings? It doesn't matter where or how our bodies were formed, we grew up on this planet. We follow its customs. And the most beautiful, most meaningful of all those customs, to me, is that one person can totally dedicate themselves to any other one person of their choosing. I know your experience with the customs of other planets is lacking at best, but believe me when I say this is unique, and deserves to be cherished and honored."
Tenchi was silent for a long while, staring out into the distance, contemplating her words, "You really believe in this? The Earth custom of one person only loving one other person?"
"Yes! Of course I do!"
"But, Ryoko, that isn't the only custom on Earth."
"…What?" In the far reaches of her mind something was beginning to rip apart, making her voice small, and struggling not to break.
"Yes, single love marriage is a common practice on Earth. But in other cultures all across the globe, polygamy is the norm. And I care about all of you the same."
"I'm not hearing this…"
"Ryoko, I heard you out; now let me say my peace, please?"
"This isn't happening, this doesn't sound like you…"that tiny rip just took a bit more toll.
"Listen, for the longest time I too struggled; with who I was going to have by my side, and who I would have to hurt in doing so. You have all went through such hardships, and each have unique and amazing qualities to offer. I couldn't make up my mind one way or another, knowing it had to be just one of you. But then my sister pointed out how marriage worked on Jurai, and it all became suddenly clear! I might not care about the throne, but I do honor my family and do what is expected of me. And my family has decided to be generous and agreed to having all of us marry someday. It doesn't have to end in anyone getting hurt! We can all be happy!"
"You… you were part of this?" Ryoko took a step back, unable the believe what she just heard.
"Well, yes! You see now? It's the right answer. This way all of us can always be together, and I don't have to lose any of you."
"I… I don't…"
"Ryoko?"
"You never got over it…"
"Huh?"
"Your mother…"
Tenchi frowned, "What about her?"
"You never got over the death of your mother, did you? You still feel like losing a woman in your life is unbearable, don't you?"
"Come on Ryoko! What does that have to do with-"
"Am I wrong?"
"Huh?"
"Am - I - wrong?"
"… I just want all of you to be happy. I know the others are happy to accept, I just need to… I mean…"
"To what?"
"Uh… I just misspoke, let's not- "
"Stop avoiding the question! You always do this! Tell me, what did you need to do with me?"
"I didn't mean for it to come out like that."
"I told you to stop that!" that small ripping had given even more, "Grr! Never mind! I know already. I was the odd man out, right? I would put up a fuss and you had to quell me somehow. Is that it?"
"Err… Y-yeah… That is what everyone thought…"
"Everyone?… Who else knows?"
Tenchi stared at his feet, unable to meet her eye.
"Tell me, Tenchi."
"Everyone else… save Sasami."
That hurt, as if the ripping had turn her heart in two, "… So, not only am I the odd man out, but also the last to know? Despite being the first one in your life? Despite being there for you longer than anyone else?! Despite going farther for you than all the rest combined?!"
Tenchi's features tightened again, though he still refused to make eye contact with her, "Well… according to Seto, I was arranged to be married long before-"
"Don't you DARE give me that crap about an arranged marriage before you were even conceived!" This was really pissing her off now, not only was he mindlessly spouting their royal propaganda, he didn't even have the courage to look her in the eye while he did it! "They had no way of predicting that your grandfather would take off after me, get stranded on Earth, remarry, have children, one of those children getting married, and having you! And then slate you to be wed to a specific suitor, who at the time wasn't even adopted into the royal family! We both know damn well that the moment that devil found out about your existence, she couldn't wait to sink her claws into you and slice you up like a prime cut of meat!"
"Ryoko!" That did it! Now he was at least looking at her again.
"No! We all know how she works! She uses her descendants and their extended families like threads in a tapestry. She has to control how they connect, how they breed, and what to do with the kids. And I just bet she can't wait to have control over me! Well, I'm not going to be part of it! No one else will EVER have control over me again."
"Please… I know this must be frightening. But it's not like I would let anyone hurt you again. Not Seto, or Washu, or either of your aunts. No one!"
"No one but you, you mean…"
"I would never-"
"You already have, Tenchi."
Tenchi clenched his fists again, while hanging his head. Words weren't working for him, and part of Ryoko was taking delight in this. She wasn't going to budge, though, for anything. It had to be her way, and only her way. She wasn't going to share the man she loved. She wasn't going to schedule with the others when she could or couldn't make love to him. She wasn't going to produce a string of children for Seto to whisk away and pin to some stranger. If it was up to her, she would confront The Devil Princess on her own about this whole deal, but without her other gems there wasn't a chance in hell of her succeeding. And Tenchi hadn't seen her fit to possess the other two for… for… oh…
She looked him over again, his eyes now staring out into the distance, frustration shallowly buried beneath a opaque veil of shifting calmness. Alright, if he wasn't going to budge on this, and she was just as stubborn, then she would just have to appeal to a senior power. She let out a long, drawn out sigh, and recollected her thoughts. First thing first…
"Tenchi…" she said with a drifting lightness, and was glad to see his shoulders relax as he turned back to her. Maybe he was just mislead, and couldn't admit being wrong yet. She hoped so, because she had to bring out some of the manipulative scoundrel again, to start fixing this mess, "You… I'm sorry for attacking your family. I know all of this has been piling up on you all of a sudden. And you are trying to do what is right. But I don't want to be Juraian, I… We are Earthlings..."
"It's not like we would have to move to Jurai, Ryoko," good, his tone and posture were showing he was taking the bait.
She inhaled slowly, stalling so her thoughts could gather, "Ever since Noike came into our lives, I have felt like I have been losing you, little by little. As if you have been less interested in me. Or maybe you never had an interest to begin with, and was only placating me for fear of what I could do. Did I fuck up everything when I introduced myself on the roof of your school? And your first and final impression of me has always been that demon who wanted to frighten you?"
"No… no, of course not."
"Really? But you never like spending time alone with me. Ever since your new family started intruding, you stopped finding me on your own. Before we were working on building trust between each other, so I could earn my gems back. But you…" her voice was actually becoming unsteady, and she had to take a couple deep breaths to gain control again, "You just abandoned that whole plan, didn't you?"
"I… I lost track… I'm sorry, Ryoko. I didn't mean to make you feel so isolated."
"So you say…"
"No, I mean it."
"I'm kinda finding that hard to believe at the moment…"
"Really," he took a tentative step in her direction, which despite everything still made her heart skip a beat, "I never wanted to hurt you."
"You… you promise?"
Tenchi ventured another step in her direction, "I promise."
"Prove it."
"Huh?" That stopped him in his tracks!
"I can sense the master key on you. And I have been more than perfect up until today, haven't I?"
"Well… of course you have…" Tenchi's hand unconsciously moved to trace the outline of his namesake resting in his pocket.
"So… I need to know you have told me the truth up until now. I need to know you are truly taking the path you feel is best, and not just the easy way out."
"Umm… Wait… How will giving back your-"
"Because if you can prove you trust me, then I know I can put my trust in you, Tenchi."
She held firm to his questioning gaze, absolutely refusing to break eye contact. This was the crucial moment, She couldn't let anything break her resolve now, not if she was going to fix this.
Tenchi seemed unsure, even now. His lips fidgeted, his hands flexed, and he was blinking a little more than natural. Then he closed his eyes, and took in a deep, heavy breath of air. All seemed to slow, the cool breeze outside his window, the falling leaves, the shifting grass. So when he withdrew the Tenchi-ken sword hilt, Ryoko nearly lost her composure in the excitement that rushed through her entire being.
"If… If I return these to you, then you would have the power to decimate entire star systems with ease. It's not that I don't feel your heart is in the wrong place, though, but Washu warned me long ago that your temper was still unstable."
He stopped talking, looking up from the hilt and to her. She knew her expression was stern, and she couldn't afford to lose face beyond that. However, she didn't trust her voice just then either, so all she did was nod in response.
"Yet that wasn't the only reason why I withheld these. I was… I was scared of something else. And I know it was selfish of me to do, but as you pointed out earlier, there is something I never quite got over. So…" he trailed off, seeming to have run out of sufficient words. Or perhaps he realized that he had just admitted Ryoko had him figured out.
This only caused Ryoko to smile, though just barely, "You thought I would have left you?"
At first she didn't know if he had caught the question, before seeing him only nodding a couple seconds later. Damn it, she was being reminded why she loved him so damn much.
"Can you forgive me? I wasn't so concerned with the potential safety of the universe, as I was with you never leaving me, too."
"Tenchi…" Damn it! Damn this beautiful boy with a heart too big for his own good, "Yes, of course I forgive you. I won't lie, that is pretty frustrating. But even more than that, I'm… I'm touched."
He smiled. Not just a normal smile, though. No, this was soft, warm, and thankful. To which caused her the pieces of her heart to instantly spring back together and fire off with a series of flutters and somersaults.
"Alright… I do trust you, Ryoko. And if you put your trust in me, then I don't need to hold onto these anymore." He closed his eyes, and pointed the bottom of the hilt toward her chest. There was a brief pause, before all three gems in the room began to emit a brilliant red light. Then, one after the other, the two housed in the master key dissolved from their prison, and reformed on the wrist and collarbone of the fierce beauty.
Power, immeasurable, blinding power. A rush of heat and pressure pushed against every cell in her body, making her size seem insufferably confined. Her head spun, her blood roared, and yet her footing held firm.
Tenchi opened his eyes, smiling with a queer relief. How this must have been a load off of his mind, so sure that he had won Ryoko to his side again. For an instant he was happy, everything was going to be OK. Then, in the next second he must have instinctively realized something was wrong, for his face went blank and he began to ready his posture into a defensive mode.
However, Ryoko knew her window of opportunity was going to be short. Tenchi might have been physically impressive, and capable of reforming matter, but his guard had been down; he didn't even have his Juraian armor at the ready, let alone his Light Hawk Wings. She was behind him before he could react, and brought a swift, hard hand to the back of his head. He was out instantly.