The light is bright and it hurts to open her eyes, so she keeps them shut. She's cold and everything aches when she moves. There's an object in front of her that's moving, and it's making noises. One set of sounds stands out, and somehow she understands that it's her own name. "Ryoko."
Ryoko cries out as her body is tipped up, forced into a sitting position. She's naked; that's why she's cold. A gloved hand grips her chin roughly, turning her face this way and that. When she reaches up to push the hand away, the grip tightens painfully. "It will serve my purpose." The sounds are words to her now, even if she doesn't understand what the man is talking about.
"Hurts…" She manages to croak out, her throat dry from disuse.
"It will pass." the voice is cold, and she shivers as it sweeps through her.
Ryoko's chin is released and her eyelids are pulled back, sending blades of light into her brain. There's no escaping the insistent hands, so she remains still as they prod and squeeze muscles. She doesn't know what's going on, and fear is creeping in to her mind. Ryoko's eyes adjust to the light a bit more, though the intense glare is directly behind the man who is handling her. His face is in shadow and she can only focus on him when he moves to her other side.
His yellow eyes are intent on her, as he seems to examine her inch by inch. "Stand up."
Instantly she swivels, swinging her legs over the edge of the platform. Balancing is another matter altogether, though, and her knees buckle, dropping her to the ground. "Hurts. Need time." Her voice is stronger now, but there's still pain everywhere.
"You were created to do as you are told," he growls, "and you will do just that." Deep in Ryoko's mind, an enormous presence forces itself into her consciousness, taking over her motor functions. Her body seems to stand without her permission, as the mind of the man in front of her took control. She could feel everything, but control nothing.
"I am Kagato. I built you. You will be useful to me, or you will be erased." His presence in her mind diminishes, giving her command of her limbs again.
"You…built me?" There's something that seems wrong with that, but she doesn't know why. Are beings usually built? How would she know if they are or aren't?
Kagato's eyes narrow. "Built, created, invented. I made you as an experiment. If you serve me, you'll live. If you don't, you'll be returned to the scrap heap you came from. Is that clear?"
"Yes." What else can she say? She leans against the platform, still unsure of her balance. She's naked still, but the only thing that means to her is cold. Ryoko can feel the pain seeping away; too slowly, but it is happening. Somehow she knows she'll have to grow accustomed to the cold.
Notes: No Tenchi Muyo character belongs to me. I've gotten the urge to explore Ryoko's first two thousand years in a number of five hundred word vignettes. I don't know how many.
Minor note: I do not have access to all Tenchi canon (e.g. the light novels and much of the manga are unavailable to me) thus there is interpretation that is just my own. My interpretations will become clearer as I post more chapters. They will be short; I apologize for that. Hopefully they will be regularly posted, though. If there are questions, ping me. Reviews are always appreciated; flames likewise, for the backhanded compliments they imply.