Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi Muyo! or the characters. They are owned and copyrighted by AIC and Pioneer. I just wish that I did. This is written for entertainment purposes only; I am not doing this for profit in any way. Please do not sue me; I'm broke. If you would be so kind, review the story when you are done. Thank you and please enjoy!
The Song that Resides in One's Heart, One's Soul
By Anime Enigma
"Is not music the food of love?" Richard Sheridan
Ryoko walked through the lab, stretching her arms behind her head. 'Why did Sasami have to ask me to call Washu for dinner? I have no idea where she is!' She went down another bank of computers and other technology, pausing to call out "Washu!" again before continuing on.
Its not like she hated her mother or anything, it was just that she was really uncomfortable here. All of the machinery and the metal, it all looked so… cold. Sort of like the cave…
The sad, light sounds that flowed through the room derailed her train of thought as she shook her head to focus on where the music was coming from. Ryoko followed the sounds to a part of the lab she hadn't been to before, a part that was warmer, more friendly and hospitable. Sitting on her cushion, Washu was playing a shining flute, eyes closed as she focused on the notes. Ryoko stopped about ten feet away, a feeling of nostalgia rushing over her like a wave.
Washu, having felt Ryoko's presence, stopped playing and opened her eyes to look at her daughter, who stood, mouth agape. "What's the matter, Little Ryoko?"
Instead of the usual snide comeback, Ryoko's response surprised Washu. "That flute… where'd you get it?"
Washu looked at the flute with a confused look before responding, "It used to be yours… a long time ago… before Kagato took you away, you used to play this every night before you went to bed. I always loved listening to you playing this flute."
"I… I used to play the flute?" Ryoko asked.
Washu nodded, "Yes, and you used to be so good too." A slight smile came over her features, "Uh huh, it was so cute when you would play for me in the living room." The smile slowly went away to be replaced by a stony look.
Her eyes came upon Ryoko again, "So, what did you come down here for?"
Ryoko's eyes didn't meet her mother's, instead focused entirely on the flute, "Sasami asked me to tell you that dinner's ready."
Washu's eyes lit up slightly at the prospect of another delicious meal from the young Juraian princess. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go eat!"
She was about to put the flute away in subspace when Ryoko placed her hand over the cool metal. Ryoko still focused on the flute as she spoke, "Do you think I could keep that for a while? I… I think I remember some of it."
Washu looked between her daughter and the flute before shrugging and releasing her grip, "Sure, go ahead. I hope that it helps you a bit. Come on, let's go eat."
Ryoko nodded absent-mindedly before floating off with her mother for dinner.
Later that night, Tenchi woke up from a light sleep by the rumblings of his stomach. Strange, considering how he had engorged himself with Sasami's delicious dinner, but he didn't think much of it and went downstairs to get a late snack. Definitely weird, it is, he thought, to be woken up by one's stomach at 3 in the morning. Perhaps fate had something to do with it? Possibly. Or maybe it was just the jumbled concepts that permeated his every thought? Yeah, could be that too, he conceded to himself.
After grabbing a few crackers and a drink of lemonade, he sat down to think over the events of the day before he went back to bed. He found it kind of strange that at dinner Ryoko wasn't really focused at all, not responding when questions were asked of her beyond either nodding or shaking her head, and didn't react whatsoever to Aeka's rants of Ryoko's laziness. After she finished picking at her food, Ryoko teleported away to places unknown.
Although he didn't know what was going on, he figured it must have something to do with Washu, due to the fact that she kept glancing at Ryoko, almost a somber look in her eyes. Tenchi shrugged off the thought and got up to go to bed when a light sound pierced his consciousness. He perked his ears as he listened to the soft sounds coming from outside the house. He moved to the door that led outside and slid it open.
There, resting on the deck, sat Ryoko with her lips to the mouthpiece of a flute, softly blowing, creating a whirlwind of notes that enveloped the consciousness. The melancholy chords seemed to soothe the spirit, but also filled the listener with an intense longing. Tenchi wondered how she could play such mysterious, such wonderful music. An aura of calm and peace seemed to emanate from her body as she sat with her legs hanging over into the water, slowly moving and causing slight ripples in her reflection.
"Hey Ryoko."
The words were like a curse, breaking that perfect moment. Ryoko suddenly stopped playing, looking scared and fearful, a ghost of her usual persona. "Oh, I'm sorry Tenchi! I've been keeping you up! I'll stop playing now so you can-"
"No, no, Ryoko! You haven't been keeping me up. I just came down to get a snack when I heard you playing." Seeing Ryoko visibly calm down, Tenchi moved to sit down on the dock as well. "I didn't know that you played the flute Ryoko."
Ryoko looked at the flute, embarrassed, a slight flush in her cheeks. "I actually just got this today."
Tenchi's eyes opened wider in amazement. "You're kidding, right?! I mean, nobody could just pick up a flute and begin playing as well as you just did."
Ryoko's cheeks became darker as she looked down into the water. "Well, it used to be mine a long time ago. Washu just gave it back to me before dinner."
Tenchi nodded slightly. "Oh, before Kagato…"
Ryoko responded with her own nod. "At first I didn't remember it at all, except a few fleeting images. But when I play…" She paused to think of the right words. "When I play it seems like I'm a different person, in a different space. I see a place I only dream of, my home before my mother was taken away from me and I became a slave…"
Seeing Ryoko begin to break down, Tenchi decided to change the subject. "Well, hey, don't worry about it. You've got Washu again and now you've also got the entire family to help you out. You know, I actually play the harmonica."
"What's a harmonica?" Ryoko dried the few stray tears from her face and established eye contact with Tenchi.
Surprised she didn't know, Tenchi reached into his pocket and pulled out the small metallic object. "Its kinda like your flute in that you have to blow into it as well, but the way you change the notes is different, see?"
Tenchi put his mouth to the cool metal of the harmonica and began playing a bluesy jazz song, just winging the notes like he always did. While not having the same depth of emotion as Ryoko, Tenchi made up for it with his enthusiasm, slowly melding with the instrument until the notes came out like water from a stream: constant and cool. After a few minutes, he stopped and pulled the instrument away.
"Wow, you're pretty good Tenchi. I've never seen anyone get so into their music," commented Ryoko, nervously shifting the flute between her hands.
Tenchi grinned slightly. "I did just a little while ago. You put just as much, if not more, feeling into your music. I guess we both kinda become intermingled with our instruments, playing our notes as if we were flexing a muscle or closing a fist."
Ryoko looked at the instrument in her palm before looking back at Tenchi. "Hey, do you wanna play with me?"
Tenchi, surprised a bit by the change of mood, asked, "Do we know any of the same songs?"
Ryoko shook her head and moved closer to Tenchi until her eyes were full in his view. "My Tenchi, we don't need to know a song. If we both start playing, our hearts will synchronize and we'll play as if we were one." She smiled playfully and moved back a bit, "At least that's what I think."
Tenchi chuckled a bit and motioned for Ryoko to start playing. After getting her rhythm down, Tenchi joined in. The music, while an unusual combination of flute and harmonica, came out beautifully. The two were able to anticipate the other's next move, note for note, until it became almost a conversation between them as they tested out each other's comparative abilities.
Soon, though, their exchange came to an end. "Wow, you are very good, Ryoko," said Tenchi.
Ryoko blushed again, "Thank you, Tenchi." She looked at the horizon and saw the skyline beginning to become lighter. "I think it's about time we both went to sleep." She got up from her spot on the dock and stretched a bit before floating inside. "Good night, Tenchi."
"Good night, Ryoko." Tenchi sat for a little while longer, looking at the harmonica in his hand before getting up and going inside.
The next day Tenchi woke up to find Ryoko sitting at his desk, writing something. "What are doing Ryoko?" he asked, still groggy from sleep.
Ryoko started and dropped the paper she had written. "Oh, Tenchi! I woke you up again, didn't I! I'm-"
"Ryoko, I told you yesterday you didn't keep me up; you didn't wake me up this morning either, alright?" Ryoko nodded slightly.
"Well, I was gonna leave this note for you but since you're up…" Ryoko bent over and picked up the note, then handed it to Tenchi, signaling him to read it.
After reading over the short note, Tenchi looked at her with a confused look on his face. "What's this all about Ryo-"?
Ryoko put her finger to his lips, silencing him. "Just follow the instructions and meet me after breakfast," a touch of mystery creeping into her voice. She blew him a kiss before teleporting out of the room.
Tenchi sat in his bed, scratching his scalp and reading the note. The instructions were simple, but he had work to do today so he'd have to try and find Ryoko after breakfast and tell her he couldn't go.
After showering and getting dressed he went downstairs to eat breakfast. After eating and thanking Sasami for yet another fantastic culinary masterpiece, and finding Ryoko no where around, Tenchi set out for the fields hoping he would run into Ryoko since he had work to do, but also so he could get to tending the gardens. What he saw when he arrived shocked him: Ryoko was finishing up the garden work. There she was, in overalls, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, as she finished tilling the ground. Upon seeing Tenchi arrive, she teleported over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey Tenchi! Like the work I did?"
Tenchi, speechless, could think of no other words beyond, "Why?"
Ryoko beamed and replied, "Well, so that you could come along with me on our little trip. If you didn't have any work to do, you couldn't complain, right?"
"But Ryoko you didn't need to-"
Ryoko shook her head, "Silly Tenchi, of course I had to! If I didn't you couldn't come with me!"
She refocused her gaze on him. "So? Are you gonna come with me? It's only for a few hours. Please?"
Tenchi shook his head, defeated. He couldn't really argue; he had no work to do, thanks to Ryoko. And he really had wanted to take a day off…
He grinned slightly and shook his head again. "Alright. You win Ryoko; I'll go with you for this mystery function."
Ryoko grabbed his arm and teleported them to Washu's lab. "Great! I just need to grab one little thing and we'll be ready to go!"
"So now I'm just 'one little thing,' am I? Didn't we agree you'd call me mother?"
Ryoko put her hands behind her head, beaming at Washu. "Well, yeah, I just didn't see you there! Come on, get the stuff or we'll be late." Looking at Tenchi she asked, "You did remember to bring it, right?"
Tenchi nodded, pulling out the harmonica. "Yeah, I brought it, but I have no clue what's going on."
Washu looked at her daughter and shook her head as she led them into the lab. "You're dragging him to this and you didn't even tell him what it was? Where are your manners?" she asked in a joking tone.
"Mom!"
"Ah, so much better," Washu smirked evilly at her daughter. She reached into a box and pulled out a small package. "Okay, I've got the stuff. Here we go!" she said, as she pushed a small button.
In a bright flash of light, the trio was transported out of the lab and outside of a courtyard area, a terrace Tenchi quickly recognized. "Uh, Ryoko? What exactly are we doing at my school?"
Ryoko looked at him in mock disbelief. "Tenchi, you seriously don't know? Come on, I don't even go to your school and I still remember you talking about the Haru Matsuri!"
Tenchi stood, dumbfounded temporarily, as the information sunk in. School… Haru Matsuri… music… Ding! "Oh, no. Ryoko, you didn't happen to…"
He stopped when he saw her nodding her head sweetly. "Come on Tenchi; we need to set up so we'll be ready when the MC calls for us."
As Washu and Ryoko set up the equipment, Tenchi put together the last of the pieces of the puzzle. His school was having the annual Haru Matsuri (Spring Festival), and one of the main activities was going to be a small contest between local 'bands' who thought they had musical talent. Apparently Ryoko had taken the liberty to sign them up as a group for the occasion. Swell.
Seeing as how he had no real way out of the situation, Tenchi decided to bite the bullet and get ready to play, reading over the sheet music Ryoko had handed to him. A moderately slow ballad, but Ryoko hadn't written any words. Ah, it didn't matter; after all, he wasn't doing any of the singing. His musing were interrupted by Washu giving him a stern look and putting out her hand.
"Tenchi, hand me that piano!"
He looked around confused for a moment before laying eyes upon a small parcel marked 'Piano,' which he promptly gave to her. He sighed, resigning himself to a long day…
An hour later, their equipment set up, the MC called 'Ryoko and the Cherry Blossoms' to the stage. Tenchi rolled his eyes slightly as he was dragged backstage by the apparent lead singer. And here he was thinking she was going to play her flute…
Just before the curtain rose, Ryoko phased into two forms, one picking up the flute and the other going to the lead mike."Everybody ready for this?" asked lead singer Ryoko.
Flute Ryoko gave a thumbs-up and got into position behind her mike.
Washu gave a 'V' and prepped up her "piano."
Tenchi nodded slightly and primed himself for the crowd.
The curtain was raised and lead singer Ryoko sounded them off. "Alright everyone! This one's a little number I like to call 'Lonely Moon.' Just sit back, relax, and let the music begin! One, two, three!"
The other members began to play their given instruments; Washu began playing her "piano," which was more like a synthesizer, the Ryoko with the flute began letting the soft melody flow, and Tenchi started his own flood of notes from his harmonica. That's when she began to sing:
"I am lonely like the moon
You are away as the earth
Now you say I light your thoughts
Night after night
Soon you forget
We are drifting in this dance
I can feel you circle my heart
Keeping such a graceful distance
So close but somehow apart
Sometimes I cry for you
Knowing you don't want me to
Sometimes I whisper to the stars up in the sky
That I want to find the way to your soul
Kiss in the sun when the morning comes
You don't seem to count the hours
When we are not together
I've seen a tender fire in your eyes
Yet when I'm gone you carry on
I float in this emptiness
Till at last love returns
With the night
And the lonely moon."
She paused momentarily, allowing the torrent of accord to briefly overwhelm her senses, looking at Tenchi for a fleeting moment. He could have sworn he saw a tear in the corner of her eye. But the moment ended too soon and she continued:
"I am lonely like the moon
Always wanting you to be near
I embrace you till the dawn
Then with a smile
You disappear
We continue in our dance
There are times I think it should end
But I lose myself in rapture
And we start all over again
Sometimes I cry for you
Knowing you don't want me to
Sometimes I whisper to the stars up in the sky
That I want to find the way to your soul
Kiss in the sun when the morning comes
You don't seem to count the hours
When we are not together
I've seen a tender fire in your eyes
Yet when I'm gone you carry on
I float in this emptiness
Till at last love returns
With the night
And the lonely moon
I love the warm emotion you bring
Though there is pain, I don't complain
How you can inspire me
Whenever we're together
Ev'ry time it's like a new song
You move me so
I think you know
I won't even say a word
In your arms or far from sight
I'll be your light
Like the lonely moon."
As the music faded, the noise of the crowd's cheering immediately filled the void. After taking their bows the group went back stage to grab a drink of water. The two Ryokos melded back together as they went to the dressing rooms.
"I had no idea you could sing that beautifully Ryoko."
She stopped in her steps and turned to look at Tenchi, arms stretched behind her head lazily. "Well, I just seem to keep surprising you, don't I? First with the flute, and now with my singing," she said with a grin.
A faint smile touched Tenchi's lips. "Yeah, I guess you do." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Ryoko, did you… did you mean what you said? About how you feel like the moon, and all that, I mean?"
She stood for a moment looking at his eyes, trying to decipher the look that they held. It was one that didn't seem very familiar to her, but yet she knew she had seen it before. But where…
'It's love, Ryoko. He's looking at you with love in his eyes. I'm sorry you never saw that same look with me,' came Washu's voice through the connection. Ryoko's eyes opened slightly before she nodded her head, almost imperceptibly.
'Don't worry. We can always make up for lost time,' Ryoko responded, feeling the unrelenting joy that was her mother's reaction. 'Could you leave for just a moment? So I can talk to him in private?'
'Of course,' replied Washu as she left to go get a drink from one of the stands. 'Be good, Ryoko.'
Tenchi, oblivious to the conversation between Ryoko and Washu, seeing her face get redder, believed that he embarrassed her. "Oh, I'm sorry Ryoko. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or any-"
She shook her head, cutting off his apology. "No, no, nothing like that my Tenchi. I was just thinking of something else for a moment… That song tells how I feel sometimes, knowing that the one I love is so close to me, but yet so very far away. I long to hold you close to me and not have you run away in fear of who I am. Until that day, it will be that song that resides in my heart, my soul."
They both stood there for a long moment, just studying each other's eyes, trying to find the truth, whether it being what was said, or something deeper. Finally, Tenchi sighed slightly and closed his eyes. "So tell me then, what would the song be if I decided to stop running, hmm?"
It took a moment for the information to process. Slowly, Ryoko's eyes widened with pure joy and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close for a kiss. They stood that way for a long moment, pausing there, embracing one another as the MC could be quietly heard listing off the three finalists of the contest. "… our second band is N2S2, with Ren, and our third and final band is Ryoko and the Cherry Blossoms! Our finals will start in five minutes."
The two star-crossed lovers slowly pulled apart from the kiss, Ryoko laying her head on Tenchi's chest, listening intently to the sounds of his beating heart. "Well, that's not much time, is it?" asked Tenchi.
"I guess not."
"What are we playing this time?"
The childish voice of Washu answered, "This song! It's Ryoko's favorite from when she was a little child." Quieter she asked, "Do you remember the words, Little Ryoko?"
Ryoko pulled herself from Tenchi's arms and went to pick up the new sheet music. "As if I had sung it yesterday," she responded.
'Thank you mom; for everything.'
A slight chuckle. 'Little Ryoko… how could I just sit back and let this pass by? You now have the boy you fell in love with, and all that matters is you're happy.'
'But that's not all.'
A look of surprise crossed Washu's face. 'How do you mean?'
Ryoko smiled brightly, 'You've got your daughter back as well.'
As tears came to Washu's eyes, mother and daughter embraced, trying to make up for thousands of lost years in a moment. Soon, though, they split apart, agreeing to talk again later, after they got back home. For now, they had the music to get to.
Once again, the curtain rose and revealed the foursome, Ryoko getting ready to sing the song from her childhood. "This is a song I learned a long time ago. It holds a special place in my heart, just like a particular few people. The song is called 'Dimension of Love.'" And she sang her song that now resides in her heart, her soul. It went something like this:
"When the cherry blossom start to bloom
Meet me here in my lonely room
We'll find a passion filled fantasy
And this time you will stay with me
All the misery that we knew before
Stays away when you are at my door
My heart will sing at ev'ry tender touch
And, oh, you'll want me twice as much
A new dimension of love
A bold adventure waiting for you
The true dimension of love
A soaring flight. A dazzling view
We're gonna take it all the way
We'll make the dream so totally real
See greater wonders by the day
Then tell the stars what glorious rapture we feel
Soon, with the stars of Spring
We'll know are hearts are changing
Leave the hurt behind
I'll be true and kind
Be the best you'll ever find
We don't ever have to cry or fight
Something tells me we can make it right
Enough of wandering far and wide
I just can't forget you though I've tried
This is destiny so why pretend
Close your eyes kiss me once again
I'll always be the only one you need
So go where your deepest longing leads
A new dimension of love
A bold adventure waiting for you
The true dimension of love
A soaring flight. A dazzling view
We're gonna take it all the way
We'll make the dream so totally real
See greater wonders by the day
Then tell the stars what glorious rapture we feel
Soon, in the April breeze
We will bring alive the mem'ries
Yes I'm sure we will
Bring back every thrill
Make them all lovelier still
When the cherry blossom start to bloom
Meet me here in my lonely room
We'll find a passion filled fantasy
And this time you will stay with me
All the misery that we knew before
Stays away when you are at my door
My heart will sing at ev'ry tender touch
And you will want me twice as much
We don't ever have to cry or fight
Something tells me we can make it right
Enough of wandering far and wide
I can't forget you though I've tried
This is destiny so why pretend
Close your eyes kiss me once again
I'll always be the only one you need
So go where your deepest longing leads."
'Ryoko and the Cherry Blossoms' were declared the winners of the contest. The band posed for a few pictures, then packed up their gear and returned home.
Later that night, after dinner, Tenchi sat on the docks breathing a sign of relief. With Ryoko by his side, he had announced to his extended "family" that he had chosen her. Expecting the worst (i.e. thermonuclear war, or some equivalent), he was genuinely surprised when he received congratulations from the other girls. Aeka even got up and shook Ryoko's hand. "We may have been rivals for Lord Tenchi's heart, but I still respect you. Treat him well, as we all know you will," she had said, looking Ryoko in the eye.
Ryoko, in turn, grinned slightly. "I, too, hold no slight towards you. We were rivals for Tenchi's heart, but maybe we could be friends, ne?"
This brought a slight chuckle from the group, releasing the tension in the air. "Perhaps the term 'friendly enemies' might describe us better?" asked Aeka.
Ryoko shrugged, "Whatever, just so long we can stop fighting so often. It's gettin' kinda repetitive."
Mock shock had shown on Aeka's face. "You? Not wanting to fight? It must be the end of the universe."
Louder laughter sounded this time, as everyone sat down to a meal as a real family. Back in the present, Tenchi looked back in the house, seeing the girls around the television watching one of their soap operas. He pulled out his harmonica and looked at it gleaming in the moonlight. Somehow this little piece of metal had managed to bring him closer to Ryoko, and actually the entire family, than any fight with some megalomaniac or hot-tempered conversation ever could. Although he didn't understand it entirely, what he did know was that he wouldn't be playing too many more blues songs.
One more time he brought the harmonica to his lips and began to play one of his bluesy tunes. For some reason, though, it sounded different. After a minute of playing he realized he wasn't the only one making music. Without taking his lips away he turned to see Ryoko sitting to his left, she too playing a harmonica. She stopped playing, a smile lighting her features. "I thought maybe we could both play this. Think you can teach me how?"
Tenchi laughed softly. "I don't think that there's anything I need to teach. You sound great already." He stood up and stretched. "Well, it's getting late. We should head inside before it gets too cold. Come on." He reached his hand out to help her up. Surprised a bit, she sat for a moment before a crafty grin lit her lips; she put her hand into his and stood up, pulling her mouth next to his right ear.
"Hey Tenchi? Where am I gonna sleep tonight?"
Owari (End)
Huh… Well, that took a bit longer than expected. I know it's kinda hard to imagine "Lonely Moon" or "Dimension of Love" being played with a harmonica or a flute, but follow me here, for a second; I just thought that those instruments represented the characters best. Harmonicas are usually used to show sadness, thus why most harmonica players know only blues songs. The flute is small and looks delicate, something that a young girl would play for her mother. I don't know; maybe I'm entirely wrong. In either case, please tell me what you thought of my story.
Here's props to my friends N2S2, Sephiroth the Great, and Codename Viper; thanks you guys for prereading the story. Also, if you haven't read my other story "Ascension of the Soul," please do so. Thank you very much! God bless America!
Please e-mail me at:
anime_enigma@tokyo.com