The Inner Child
A Tenchi Muyo! Fanfiction by HelloSir
Summary: All of us begin as a child, even the most callous and brutal criminal the universe has ever known....
Disclaimer: The anime Tenchi Muyo is copyrighted by Pioneer LD and AIC. Therefore, I do not own any characters/references, and this is in no way sponsored or produced by the owners of the trademark anime from which this fanfiction is based on. That being said, get off my case.
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Chapter 1: Lonely Wishing
"I want a child."
"Excuse me?" Professor Washu Hakubi, one of the most renowned scientists in the Royal Space Academy (despite her unnerving appearance of a 12-year old), swiveled around in her cushion to meet the saddened eyes of her best friend and fellow scientist. "What do you want?"
"I want a child." Naja Akara repeated. She was one of the few who could talk to Washu so directly; after all, Naja was also one of the top professors, and was said to be Washu's scientific equal. Washu snorted loudly.
"Well, I wanted to do that MASU experiment, but as you can tell..." She gestured exasperatingly at the mediocre microchips scattered in front of her. "We don't always get what we want."
"That's just it, Washu-chan!" the other exclaimed, her cheeks puffed in a habitual expression of anger. "We can make my child out of MASU! We can finally see if it works! Aren't you curious? Don't you want to see if that strange creature is capable of creating a humanoid replica when added to some sort of DNA sample? I don't know about you, but I certainly want to see."
The red-headed scientist seemed to pay no heed to her friend's words and continued to toy with an electron microscope. Naja waited patiently for a reply, and when it didn't come, she resumed talking. "Washu-chan, please. I want a child, and you want the recognition for undertaking such an unpredictable assignment. Together we can convince the council to give us the funding. I don't care if you get the glory, as long as we use my DNA."
Desperate to end the conversation, Washu leaped off her levitating cushion and glared at Naja with a cold fury. Her form swayed and shifted, revealing her adult form. They were now eye to eye, emerald orbs against ruby spheres. An awkward silence followed, disturbed only by the occasional beeping of the numerous machines that adorned Washu's immense laboratory.
"You must be angry." Naja was the first to break the hostile air. "You only revert back to your original form when something or someone has disturbed you deeply. Knowing this, what was it I said that bothered you?"
"Oh, let's see, what do you think it was?" Washu spat haughtily back. "'I want a child!'" She mocked Naja in a grotesque high-pitched whine, causing the latter to wince and step back. "You're so dense I'd like to slap you until those disgusting silver locks of yours fall out! Have you no tact? Do you not remember? Remember Mikumo? Mikamo? You know how much I suffered and am suffering now, and yet you STILL ask me for a child when I'm still grieving over the loss of mine? Do you think this is a game?" Washu fell back on her maroon pillow, exhausted. "It's a game for you, isn't it? Sadistic bitch."
Green energy crackled at Naja's fingertips, tendrils of energy curling up over her forearms. She suppressed the urge to shoot something and exhaled loudly, rubbing her temples. The wisps of energy disappeared, leaving the room cold, stinging the air with a wintry chill. Naja nodded slightly and strode towards the lab exit silently, tapping the doorknob with a slender pale finger.
"You're a selfish one, Little Washu."
Washu turned abruptly back to where her friend once was, almost falling off her seat in the process. It was too late; Naja had already left, the decrease in the room's normal temperature the only reminder of her visit. She hated when Naja got angry; the room became chilly and.... silent. It was a sharp contrast to when she was incensed: the room seemed to burst into flame with the heat of her rambling and the fires of her fury. But Naja....Naja was spooky at times, she thought.
She shivered. The laboratory thermal stats indicated that the temperature had indeed decreased 5 degrees Celsius since Naja's arrival. Shaking her head, Washu returned back to work, trying to hide the fact that she was extremely shaken from that last fight with Naja. They seemed to be fighting more and more these days, and it usually had something to do with Mikamo's abandonment. Washu knew true pain: she had loved with all her heart only for it to be ripped away from her because her status didn't match with the magnitude of her love. She knew what it was like to look upon your child's face as they were taken away from you forever. She had tried visiting Mikumo in disguise, but he seemed so happy in Seniwa...she just couldn't take him away from that.
He's royalty, she realized. And you're not. Your son is royalty, and he belongs with others just like him. He has a half-sister now who loves him. She couldn't do that to another, take away someone they loved for her sake.
She wouldn't do it, even though she had to live through it.
On the other hand, she thought, it isn't fair to others to stay in such a somber demeanor because of it. It had been so long ago --- Mikumo must be at least seven by now --- that she didn't even know if it was worth living the way she had been living. She locked herself away in the dark confines of her lab, refused to eat or talk to anyone unless it had something to do with science. The MASU experiment she had asked the council for was more out of boredom than anything else.
It had indeed been a traumatizing event, but how long should the mourning last? It wasn't fair to her students. It wasn't fair to her professors. It wasn't fair to Naja, who had been there for her since she arrived at the Royal Space Academy. The silver haired scientist had been her happiness when she could not longer see the joy in life, her shoulder to cry on, and a valuable asset in many an experiment. Naja harassed Clay with her, proposed ideas with her, created wondrous inventions with her.
Washu smiled and continued to tinker with the most recent of a series of prehistoric computer data files (busybody work, she called it, but didn't really care at the moment). Washu was never alone while at the Academy. She had Naja.
But who did Naja have?
The thought jolted Washu to her senses. Strong Naja, cool Naja, happy Naja. Was she really that stable?
In all the years of knowing her, Washu had never seen Naja go out on a date or even come close to remotely liking a male (or female, for that matter). But when Naja was around children.... that was a different story. Washu remembered when Naja babysat Mikumo. She had never seen Naja look so serene, so at peace.
So happy.
The normally eccentric and proud bravado of Washu slipped away as she realized what she had done. She had loved and lost, but Naja had never loved at all. Who was she to judge her?
"All she wanted...." Her red bangs slumped in front of her face as though hiding her regret. "She didn't want to be lonely any more."
Then there was silence, as the genius struggled to figure out a way to apologize to her friend.
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"It's a game for you, isn't it? Sadistic bitch."
Washu's words echoed in her head as she stormed down the halls in a blind fury, thin wisps of emerald energy crackling with every step. Students hurriedly clung to the walls as the angered professor swept by them like a hostile gale, causing some of the more timid ones to drop their books in fright, muttering embarrassed apologies. Naja paid no attention to the strange looks she was receiving from students and professors alike, and continued on the path back to her private dorm. She was exceedingly grateful it was private; if she shared it with Washu, she would have nowhere to go.
The dorm door slammed behind her, threatening to split the walls. Naja strode to the bathroom mirror, reluctantly looking at her reflection.
An extremely tired woman stared back at her, with flawless pale skin and calculating crimson eyes, laced with a faint ring of amber. Limp silver locks curled around her neck and rested gently upon her broad shoulders. Her bottle green professor robes were spotless as usual, and she quickly polished the lens of her pince-nez, which always found a place perched on her angular nose.
"Ugly," Naja muttered. "I'm so ugly. This reflection is ugly. Everyone thinks I'm ugly. Washu thinks my hair is ugly, Clay thinks my eyes are ugly, Yume thinks my skin is ugly, and I think they're all ugly." She giggled for a bit, and then slapped herself mentally for such juvenile thoughts. She couldn't afford to lose her brain and sanity; those were the only things she had going for her.
Sighing deeply, she trudged out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, where she pulled out a bag of green tea leaves and a mug. She filled the mug with water and placed it into the automatic liquid heater (she liked to call it a microwave), but when she pressed the buttons, the machine refused to do its duty.
"Great. Now I'm going to have to fix it." Naja began to access a subspace portal, but a slightly devious idea popped into her head before she could finish.
"Heh. I could get one of those cute students over here and he could fix it for me." She chuckled. "Of course, I'm the professor.... it's suspicious if I ask a student to perform such a mediocre task. I could probably ask one of the professors for one. Perhaps they'll buy me a new heater if I offer to watch their child for a while..."
The thought of children delivered a sharp pang of pain in her chest, and Naja quickly abandoned the idea, solemnly removing the mug from the malfunctioning heater. She stared at the mug in silence. She wanted some tea, but really didn't want to fix or buy anything today. She was too emotionally drained to think right now.
Suddenly, another idea sprung into her head, but this one was far too risky. Any form of unauthorized energy use could earn her a month's probation. The thought of that made her shiver; she loved her work too much and couldn't bear the thought of not doing anything for a month. The law was put into use so that students who possessed powers (either native to their planet or earned) would not use these as an advantage over the powerless students. Energy in any form, even if it was as simple as teleporting to class, was forbidden; they couldn't risk anyone getting hurt in battles or an accidental misuse. Even professors couldn't use their powers if they had any: physical matters were better left to the battle and dueling professors, the headmasters said. The teachers must use their brains to get ahead, not their force.
But she really wanted some nice hot tea, and it would only take a few seconds.
Being one the few professor endowed with what they called "powers", Naja mentally probed for an energy source in the nearby vicinity. Finding one, she quickly concentrated its contents into the palm of her hand, creating a large green flame, emanating a violent heat. She smiled slightly. Energy manipulation gave her a feeling of such power, as did flying, teleporting, and most of all, battling.
Oh, how she loved to fight. It was almost impossible to hide her disappointment when her application for the Professor of Self Defense and Ethical Dueling title was turned down.
She carefully placed the mug over her flaming hand so that the strangely colored flame lightly licked the bottom, just enough so that it wouldn't melt all over the place. In just a few moments, the water began to boil, and she extinguished the flame with a soft snap of displaced energy. She nonchalantly stirred the tealeaves into the now satisfyingly heated water and walked towards her bedroom.
Her bedroom was her solace in the turmoil of the school. No one but her ever saw this room, not even Washu. She liked it that way: no one could hurt her if they didn't know anything about her. It brought her peace to know that in this crazy universe, there was at least one thing she could control: her secrecy.
The bedroom was majestically decorated, and one could tell just by looking at it that the owner prized this room above all others. The floor was covered by a rich black downy carpet, which resembled bird feathers. Deep green wallpaper covered the walls, shimmering in the dim light provided by the stained glass kerosene lamp that sat on her nightstand. The lamp was the only source of light, but there was a cherry wood shelf upon on of the walls that held numerous candles (all green, of course). A cherry bookshelf loaded with books stood complacently against another wall. Another row of shelves proudly displayed ancient artifacts, awards, and diplomas.
Although this was all very beautiful, Naja loved her bed best of all. It was a hanging bed, carried by two thin silver cords that emerged from the ceiling. It was lined with sheets and pillows, which were all different shades of green. She loved green; it was such a powerful yet calming color. Plus, she looked good in her bottle green robes.
With a swift leap, Naja pounced upon her bed with the utmost stealth and agility, not even causing the bed to sway from its seemingly weak supports. Her head sank into the largest and softest green pillow as she recalled the day's events. She winced. Today was not a good day, starting with a failed biology class to the argument with Washu. Her muscles ached in protest, responding to the stress building inside her mind.
"I need to calm down." Naja cautiously gathered enough energy to summon her mug of tea to her side. She sipped slowly, savoring the soothing aroma. Her muscles twitched and loosened, bringing a wave of relief and pleasure. The only other thing that brought her to this serene state was a child, but she...
She didn't have that. Tea would have to do for now.
But how she wished she could have a child! She had been so insanely jealous when Washu was blessed with Mikumo that she asked her friend if she could leave, unable to bear the maternal love that was swimming around the room like a drunk on a raft.
"I'll only get in the way, Washu," she recalled saying. "I'll transfer to another department on another planet. You and Mikamo enjoy your lives together."
"Don't be silly, Naja!" Washu had patted her friend on the back reassuringly. "I didn't hang around you for this long just to lose you now. You helped me through this, remember? You're the one who told me not to care what planet he's from, as long as I love him. And looked what happened!" Washu proudly showed off the bawling Mikumo.
"It's a blessing to have a child," she whispered. "You're so lucky. But I'll only bring trouble, I know it."
"You're a weird one, Akara."
"Look who's talking, Hakubi!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
That particular day had ended with hugs and drinks, and at the end the two friends had passed out on the couch together, Mikamo and his newborn son taking refuge at Washu's dorm.
Everything seemed to go so well after that. Washu even let Naja look after Mikumo a few times, something that gave Naja great joy. It was perfect.
That is, until Seniwa decided that Mikamo and his son belonged to them, and Washu belonged to Jurai. Thus, they were parted.
Washu thought she was the only one who suffered, but Naja cried with her.
Naja was always there for her.
"But she still treats me like I'm an ignorant fool," sighed Naja, who was now cradling an empty mug. A moment passed in silence, the only inhabitant of the room sprawled out on the bed like a dead fish.
KNOCK!
"Wha...?" Naja bolted upright and leapt off the bed in a flash, racing to the central room. With a flick of her wrist she tossed the mug into the kitchen, plopping it neatly into the soapy water. She played with her hair in frustration and stared at the only entrance to the dorm.
KNOCK!
The academy's sensors must have detected my energy manipulation, she thought. Damn it.
KNOCK!
Gain composure, she lectured herself. Composure.
"This is the residence of Naja Akara, Professor of Ancient Artifacts, Mythology, and Philosophy," she recited perfectly. "How may I help you?"
"It's Clay!" A gruff voice answered on the other side of the door. "Let me in, you insolent woman!"
"Insolent woman?" Energy crackled, but she caught herself just in time. "Oh, and what may I do for the Professor of Robotics and Mechanical Life?"
"Let me in!"
"Surely I didn't expect a visit from you, Professor Clay. I thought it would be that new boy, Yakage. I was going to congratulate him on his new position. What is he now, Professor of Warfare Technology? I always told him he was a bit sword-crazy!" Naja chuckled in her hand. Teasing Clay always proved to be amusing.
"What's it to me?"
"How's the Professor of Energy Use and Storage?" she inquired, referring to Yume, one of Washu's (many) rivals.
"If you don't let me in, I'll have the Professor of Energy Use and Storage monitor you a bit more closely! Don't think I don't know that you still fail to obey the rules of the---"
With a muffled "Oof!", a beet-red Clay fell into Naja's dorm face-first. Naja calmly closed the door again, staring lucidly at the mildly frightened man. Clay was never an attractive person, having substituted his right eye for a mechanical prosthetic, not to mention that horrific hair-do that resembled an octopus.
Well, a graying octopus, Naja noticed as she spotted a few gray hairs in the deep brown curls. Lucky my hair is already gray.
"What did you do that for, you imbecile?" Clay got to his feet in a dramatic huff, brushing imaginary dust from his red robes.
"Let's cut to the chase, Clay. What the hell are you doing here?"
He smirked, giving his slightly wrinkled face a horribly contorted look. "I'm merely delivering a message. A very important message, I might add." His smirk grew longer and his face contorted even more.
"Oh, playing messenger boy now since you couldn't get Washu's position?" Naja shook her head somberly. "I never thought you would stoop that low, Clay."
"Why you!" The smirk dissipated from his face, only to be replaced by a vivid crimson hue and a demonic snarl. "You of all people should know that Washu cheated to get that position!"
"How so? I think she earned the position of Head Professor of Scientific and Biological Discoveries by just means."
"Just means? JUST MEANS?? DOES THAT MEAN SWITCHING YOUR PRESENTATION WITH A PORN TAPE???" Clay was now wildly flailing his arms, hopping around the room in anger.
"Well then, you should be a little more careful of where you put your tapes, Clay," answered a bemused Naja.
"Listen here, Naja!" Clay roared. "I didn't come here to play 'Twenty Questions' with you. Do you want the note or not?"
She shrugged. "Sure, why not? Who's it from?"
"The headmaster herself."
"W...Washu?" Naja caught herself just in time, but her widened eyes told the real story.
An evil grin graced Clay's features. "That's right. Why, Naja, did you do something wrong? Something that you shouldn't have done? Like manipulating energy again?"
"Absolutely not!" Naja lied, but her insides were teeming. "Just give me the damn letter!" Clay fumbled in his robes and pulled out a small pink envelope. He handed it to Naja hastily, as though he couldn't wait to get it off his hands. She grabbed it eagerly and glared harshly at him.
"Well, what are you staring at? Get out!" She pointed sharply at the door, her eyes narrowed.
To her surprise, Clay shivered. "It's cold. Do you feel that?"
"Feel what?" She lowered her finger, but continued to stare at the fellow scientist.
"It's cold as winter in here!" Clay rubbed his arms frantically. "Don't tell me you can't feel it!"
Naja closed her eyes for a minute and concentrated on the room. A few moments later, she looked up. "No, I can't feel a thing."
His eyes widened to the point where they looked like they would burst out of his head. "It must be you then! I always knew it was you!"
"Me?"
"Yes!" Clay backed away slowly. "Whenever you get angry, it.... it gets cold. And not just chilly. I mean really freaking cold."
Naja narrowed her eyes again. Clay only talked in incomplete sentences when he was frightened. But was he frightened of her?
A whimper brought her out of her thoughts. Clay was now staring at her as though she was pointing a GP pistol at his forehead.
"What is it now, Clay?" She was getting slightly annoyed of his abrupt accusations. It was also slightly disturbing to think about.
"Your eyes. I....I hate your eyes." Clay whispered, who had now backed his way out into the hallway.
The rude comment incensed Naja's fury, the previous events giving it kindling. "MY EYES ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!" With a sudden howl, a gust poured into the room from nowhere and slammed the door in the shocked man's face, the noise resonating throughout the halls. A green bolt shot through the room and hit the chandelier, causing it to fall to the floor and shatter into tiny shards. She gasped and spun around, seeing the damage her rage had caused. She shook her head slowly.
"I really should learn how to control my temper." Naja placed the scene with Clay in the back of her mind, reminding herself to analyze it later. There were more important matters at hand, such as the strange pink envelope.
Naja sighed for the thousandth time today. "What do you want now, Washu?"
She ripped open the envelope and pulled the small paper out, hoping she didn't rip it by accident. Fortunately, it was still intact. Naja held the tiny letter up to her face and adjusted her pince-nez.
Naja,
Care to come over for some MASU? My treat. You just bring the DNA.
Little Washu
The Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe
"You're a selfish one, Little Washu." Naja echoed her past words. "But I can't help but love your conceited ways."
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All right, I know I haven't even gotten to Kagato yet, but have patience fellow followers! He will arrive shortly. Oh, and I bet you Naja fans are happy that someone recognized her. Of course, I'm not the best writer so...
Want more? Review please. Don't want more or have criticism? E-mail please.