L O O K H O M E W A R D , A N G E L
The following story takes place in the "Tenchi Universe" continuity. At the end of Episode 24, "No Need For Ryoko," she is seen slumped in Ryo-ohki's Command Chair, dripping blood on the deck and apparently lifeless. Yet, two episodes later, she appears back on Earth healthy and happy. Her activities during the interval were not explained in the series, and has been the subject of some speculation. What follows is my interpretation.
Title: "Look Homeward, Angel"
Artists: The Monarchs, peak Billboard position # 47 in 1964
- also charted by Johnnie Ray at # 36 in 1957
- also charted by The Four Esquires at # 55 in 1956
Words and Music by Wally Gold
(Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh)
Look homeward, angel
Tell me what you see
Do the folks I used to know remember me?
Look homeward, angel
Eye my lady fair
Does she dream about the love we used to share?
So she'll know how very much I miss her
Angel, while she's dreaming, won't you kiss her?
Look homeward, angel
One thing I must know
Do her empty arms still yearn for me alone?
So she'll know how very much I miss her
Angel, while she's dreaming, won't you kiss her?
Look homeward, angel
One thing I must know
Do her empty arms still yearn for me alone?
If so, then homeward, angel
Homeward, I must go
(Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh, woo)
- - - -
Ryoko's eyes fluttered open. They were crusty with grit and dried mucous, and she had trouble focusing. But the fact that she could open them at all was amazing. "Why am I still alive?" she whispered.
The silence of Ryo-ohki's Command Deck was broken by a startled "Mi-yaa?" Several crystals hovered around her, inspecting her closely and becoming increasingly agitated. "Meeeyah, myah-mowr?"
"Yes, Ryo-ohki, I hear you." Ryoko tried moving, and discovered that practically every joint in her body ached. And she was cold, a condition she disliked. The simple act of trying to lift her head off her chest forced an unbidden groan from her lips. And her left hand, which had been dangling over the side of the Command Chair, felt as heavy as a cement block. It took every bit of her remaining strength to force herself into a sitting position, her hands flopping limply across her lap. There was dried blood staining her left side, and rivulets of congealed blood caked her left arm and hand. The corresponding rust-colored puddle on the floor below her chair showed her why she felt so weak.
She spent the next few minutes breathing deeply, examining her body from the inside. The pain in her side was unabated, and it flared with every inhalation, but it had acquired a different feel to it. That was the spot where Kagato, The Imposter, had wounded her. One of his Dark Power blasts had punched a hole in her side, knocking her out of the sky. The barely-controlled fall had been jarring enough, and the trauma to her side hadn't helped either, but the real damage had been caused by the lingering presence of the Dark Power. It had clung to the raw wound like a malignant aurora, eating away at her flesh and overwhelming her body's immune system. With the poisonous radiance leeching her, she had no chance of healing. It was simply her iron will that had sustained her long enough to deliver Tenchi safely to the Palace, and then affect a quiet retreat. She had decided to die in space, alone, as she had spent most of her life.
Except, she wasn't dead. And a very-worried Ryo-ohki kept watching her every move with undisguised concern.
Ryoko slowly (and painfully) peeled her black jumpsuit away from the wound. It was still raw and ragged, festering and swollen at the edges. But the black effulgence was gone, replaced by a pearlescent glow that shimmered gently. As she watched, one of her bruises visibly shrank, consumed by the surrounding healthy tissue.
Her head rocked slowly backward, and she studied the ceiling. No Dark Power could only mean no Dark Magician. And only one person in the entire galaxy could have erased that evil: Tenchi Masaki, her one true love. She had feared terribly for his safety, because he had marched off to face Kagato with a heart full of vengeance (the Imposter had critically injured Tenchi's grandfather, Yosho, kidnapped his kinswoman, Ayeka, and severely injured Ryoko). He would need a clear head and a courageous heart to go toe-to-toe with that monster....but apparently he had found what he needed.
Tears came to her eyes, and she sobbed with relief and joy that Her Tenchi was still alive. He had won!!! And his Jurai Power was healing the damage caused by Kagato's cancerous magic. Alone in her chair, with no one to witness, she bawled like a baby. Damn, she wished she had seen that fight!
"Mi-ya?"
"It's alright, Ryo-ohki," Ryoko replied, sniffling through a chuckle. Then it dawned on her, that they were drifting alone in space, vulnerable. "We'd better find a place to lay low until I heal up." She recalled the list of hideouts and safe havens available to a wanted criminal, and made her choice. While not the closest, it was probably the safest. She issued the command to Ryo-ohki, who complied immediately. The cabbit could see that her mistress would survive, and a great burden was lifted from her. The stars outside the portal blurred as the living ship accelerated beyond lightspeed.
- - - -
Ryo-ohki slipped silently through the planet's atmosphere, settling gently into a familiar meadow. It had taken two days to reach this haven, since they had avoided the trade routes to reduce the chances of being seen. This was one of the many agrarian worlds that populated this sector; except for the bustling starports, the planet's only residents were a few thousand farmers and their machines. It was a low-key, trade-oriented world with little interest in interstellar affairs beyond commodity prices. There was a farming community near the meadow, where Ryoko stole a few simple clothes (for camouflage), and together she and Ryo-ohki (in her quadruped form) had teleported aboard one of the fast-moving railed transports that took them towards the nearest town. As long as she kept her head down and behaved herself, she shouldn't be noticed.
Actually, Ryoko was so tired and haggard that she didn't have the energy to troll the sordid taverns that she normally favored. With her cyan hair covered by a hat, and the fatigue that marked her face, she blended easily into the general population. She had enough credits to rent a room in a cheap-but-clean hotel, buy another set of clothes, and eat regularly. She could only afford this luxurious lifestyle for a few weeks, but that was ok; her health was improving dramatically. When she was awake, she visited the nearby restaurants and ate large-but-sensible meals. Then she went back to her hotel room and slept, relying on Ryo-ohki to stand guard. Every morning she woke-up and checked herself, and was pleased to see that the pus was draining, the scars were shrinking, the cracked rib was mending, and the constant pain was diminishing steadily.
And the radiant mist that was Jurai Power never wavered. The link to Her Tenchi continued its work ceaselessly, healing her body and raising her spirits.
As the days stretched into the first week, Ryoko started feeling restless. Boredom was a sign of returning vitality, but she restrained her rising impatience and let the healing process conclude normally. She started taking long walks, and sitting along the fenced perimeter of the spaceport's landing field. She loved watching the ships arriving and departing -- in fact, that was one of the lures that had drawn her into interstellar piracy in the first place. There was just something irresistibly appealing about the freedom of space travel, and the possibilities it represented.
On Ryoko's eighth day of recuperation, she received three shocks to her system:
(1) She wasn't much for reading newspapers, but she saw one in a local convenience store that she bought outright and took back to her hotel room. The lead article was a summary of the events transpiring at The Capitol, and a major portion of the front page was covered by a 3-D photograph of the new Crown Prince. Though he was dressed in the lavish robes of the aristocracy, Tenchi s posture was his typical shy-but-determined. The corners of his lips were curled into That Smile, and his eyes twinkled at the camera. His face was puffy with healing bruises, but he stood straight and tall. Ryoko's heart raced every time she looked at him. Other photos with the article showed Princess Ayeka posing beside her sister Sasami and the knights Azaka and Kamidake, Tenchi's father and grandfather recuperating in a hospital, Little Washu strolling around the Science Academy campus, and Galaxy Patrol Detectives Kiyone and Mihoshi entering the GP Sector Office. But there was no mention of Ryoko anywhere in the article. "Probably just as well," she sighed. "It would be too big an embarrassment for the Imperial Family to be associating with known felons." And buried in the text was the mention of a possible marriage between Tenchi and Ayeka. "Well, why not? Isn't that what happens after princes rescue princesses?"
Ryoko dropped the newspaper onto the bed and went for a long walk, Ryo-ohki riding silently on her shoulder.
(2) Ryoko eventually found herself sitting in the shade of a large tree situated on a rise near the landing field security fence. This was becoming her favorite spot, where she could lean against the trunk and watch the bustle of activity around the hangars. Still feeling depressed, she gently petted the sleeping Ryo-ohki, her mind not really focusing on anything in particular -- when she suddenly recognized a familiar shape rising into the sky. Angular and crystalline, it was unmistakably another member of Ryo-ohki's starfaring species: Ken-ohki, companion to Nagi the bounty hunter. Nagi had probably been searching the bars and flophouses near the terminal (Ryoko's usual haunts), looking for the still-wanted criminal. It probably never occurred to her to examine the sedate bedroom community that catered to the more civilized offworlders. Ryoko was worried that Ryo-ohki would sense Ken-ohki's presence and attempt to contact him. But the latter was already too distant, and the former didn't even stir in her sleep.
Ryoko breathed a sigh of relief.
(3) That night, Ryoko retrieved the newspaper and settled onto the edge of the bed. Tenchi smiled up at her, and she felt her spirits lift a bit. She didn't hold him responsible for the author's slights...he had no way of knowing. And if by chance he did read the article, she was sure he would do something about it. Tenchi was just too kind and sympathetic to allow his friends' feelings to be hurt. That thought cheered her up, and she kissed the photo. "Good night, My Tenchi." She shut off the light and lay down on the bed with the newspaper spread over her chest. Ryo-ohki curled into a ball on the foot of the bed, content with the day's activities. Ryoko smiled into the dark, determined to dream about Tenchi when she realized that the room was *totally* dark. It hadn't been totally dark before because of the subtle glow from her wound. It took only a moment to realize that the curtain of Jurai Power was gone. Her last link to Tenchi had disappeared.
Though unbecoming of a ferocious space pirate, Ryoko cried herself to sleep.
- - - -
Ryoko decided over breakfast the next morning that it was time to leave. The Jurai Power had dissipated, Nagi was already hot on her trail again...and others would soon follow.
After breakfast she located a secluded (and empty) warehouse and began testing all of her abilities. She appeared to be completely recovered; teleportation, levitation, energy blade, doppelganger, fireball...everything was back to peak proficiency. And the pain in her side amounted to little more than a twinge when she moved abruptly.
She considered just heading straight back to the meadow, but decided against it. Best not to leave any loose threads, and an unpaid bill would sharpen the memories of the locals. She wanted to be able to return here some day.
Ryoko was standing at the main desk, counting her credits, when two men walked past deep in conversation. She had to get back in the habit of noticing everything around her, since that habit had kept her alive and free on numerous occasions. So she eavesdropped (which was easy with her heightened senses).
"Can you believe it?" the fat one said. "He turned down the throne!"
"If he fought that hard to get it," the old one replied, "he must have had his reasons."
Ryoko gasped and reached for the nearest shoulder. "What are you two talking about?"
The two men stopped, startled by the cyan-haired beauty. "Why, Prince Tenchi has refused to take the Throne. It's all over today's newspapers," the fat one said.
She thanked them and went looking for a copy of the newspaper. The front cover was dominated by a photo of Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami. While Tenchi smiled politely, neither of the princesses smiled at all. Sasami looked melancholy and Ayeka looked downright glum. Ryoko dived into the article's lead paragraph:
"A spokesperson for the Palace confirmed the rumors that Tenchi Masaki, champion of the Royal Family and victor in his duel with The Imposter, has declined the Throne. While it is his by Right of Combat, he has issued the following statement: 'To be a good leader requires training and preparation. And while I have not had that kind of education, Princess Ayeka has been groomed for the Throne since birth. She will make a much better Empress than I would an Emperor. And she can always count on my support.' Princess Ayeka added, 'You must follow your heart wherever it leads you, and his is leading him home.' Prince Tenchi, his father and grandfather, will be leaving for an undisclosed location in the next few days."
Ryoko's hands trembled as she placed the newspaper back on the counter.
* Tenchi would not be next emperor, and so was not going to stay on Jurai.
* There would be no marriage between Tenchi and Ayeka.
* The Masaki Family would return to their 'undisclosed location.'
But *she* knew where they were going: they were returning to Earth!
The meadow dwindled in size as Ryo-ohki floated majestically towards the clouds. She was rested, fit, and happy. Her mistress had recovered, and the stars beckoned her.
Ryoko was rested, fit, and happy, too. She had farther to travel, so Tenchi would get there first. But that didn't matter; she knew where to find him. She was going *home*.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author's Notes:
The characters of Tenchi Muyo were created by Masaki Kajashima and Hiroki Hayashi, and brought to North America by Pioneer LDC. This story, while incorporating names and situations held under copyright by others, is copyright 2002 by Jeffery L. Harris.
This story comes entirely from my imagination, and is not, nor intended to be, canon. Please do not send the legions of lawyers after me...it's not worth their time, or mine.