A/N: Warnings: curse words and light sexual content in later chapters.
Unforeseen events
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It's dark and I am alone. That is the best reassurance I can give myself. I don't know how long I've been here, but it doesn't matter.
Kagato, will come for me soon and everything will be as it always has.
For now at least, I can rest…
I'm so tired...
XxxX
"Well, you certainly know how to take years of research and innovation and beat it to a bloody pulp, Ayeka."
The air was tense; Ayeka could feel Washu's eyes boring into her, demanding answers.
"It was an accident. If she had told me... I didn't mean for it to happen..." The words tumbled out of her mouth like heavy stones, her voice cracking as she tried to keep her tears from falling. Washu held up her hand and silenced her with a piercing glare.
"I'm not interested in your excuses—"
"I have none," Ayeka said desperately. "It's just that—surely you don't think I would ever mean to—I mean I… I…" her voice fell.
Washu opened her mouth to say something, but stopped and walked slowly over to where Ayeka was sitting on the couch. Washu sucked in a deep breath and, before she knew was she was doing, yanked her hand back and cracked it hard against the young princess's delicate face.
"Washu-san!" Tenchi yelled. Washu ignored him.
"Creating Ryoko took more than you could ever understand. That you could reduce her to this goes beyond anything you could explain away."
Ayeka cringed as vengeful tears ran down her face. She didn't bother trying to hide them. Trust Tenchi to make her shame more painful by trying to avoid it altogether. She didn't want to run and hide—she wanted to burn. She wanted Washu to rise up and cast her down. She wanted Tenchi to denounce her—to call her all the horrible names she was calling herself—not this. Pity, empathy, understanding—she deserved none of it.
"I have no excuses for my actions," she said, her voice cracking and she worked to keep her hands from shaking. Washu glanced up at her with disgust.
"But I'm waiting for the facts," Washu's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"
Ayeka opened her mouth, and struggled to find her voice.
XxxX
"What did you say?!" Ayeka pointed an unsteady finger at the Ryoko while her other hand clutched a half empty bottle of sake.
Ryoko gulped down another mouthful of the smooth liquid, savoring the warm sensation of the it as it ran down her throat, before she responded.
"I said, that ass of yours is getting a bit chunky." She flashed Ayeka a fanged grin.
"You filthy liar!" Ayeka screeched, bolting up from the onsen's warm water, but even as she spoke her treacherous eyes ran over her torso just to make sure. "My body is as brilliant as ever! You're just jealous!"
"Fiiiine. Don't believe me, but don't come crying to me when Tenchi won't talk to you because your fat ass is bigger than your fucking ego." Ryoko poured herself another drink, trying not to smile as Ayeka fumed with indignation and her Jurain energy crackled around her. Although common sense told her to just ignore her, that Ryoko was just trying to get a rise out of her, she pushed that voice of reason out of her head. So Ryoko wanted to play nasty? She could do that, too. She crossed her arms and set her mouth into a sharp smirk that Ryoko found most unsettling.
"Well, I can only imagine the amount of self control it must take for Tenchi-sama to tolerate the advances of a woman who resembled a dry husk when they first met. But don't worry Ryoko, I sure he saw right past your rotting flesh and found the beauty within!" She smiled inside when she saw Ryoko's fingers tighten a little harder around her sake bottle. "I'm just glad he didn't have that little problem with me."
She laughed coldly, proud that she could wiggle her way under that devil-may-care attitude of Ryoko's and prove once more that the pirate was vulnerable just like the rest of them.
"I mean look at me." She gestured to her full breasts and shapely waist while Ryoko pretended not to care. "I'm the picture of youth and excellence. My skin is tight and smooth, unlike yours. My hair is soft and well kept, unlike yours. And my body has never experienced the glory of decay, unlike yours."
"Hey now, don't you fucking start with that! That wasn't my fault." Ryoko exclaimed as she stood, suddenly sober. "If your bastard brother hadn't—"
And without understanding why, a sudden burst of anger bloomed in her heart and Ayeka screamed, "My brother probably saved thousands, if not hundreds of thousands that day!"
A terrible silence descended on the pair.
Did she really say that out loud?
Was that what she really thought?
Ryoko's golden eyes flared up. "Don't you fucking dare, bitch. I'm a thief, I'll give you that, but don't you ever call me a murderer," she yelled, the jewel on her wrist glowing ominously. This was no longer playful banter.
"Really...?" Ayeka sneered, as tiny wooden logs suddenly shimmered around her. A tinny voice inside her head screamed at her to shut up, but the wounds were too raw, the memories too painful. "Isn't that what you are?"
Ayeka braced herself as Ryoko concentrated her energy into a single crackling orb, and lunged at her.
But this time wasn't like the others. All Ayeka could see was her planet consumed in flames, and Ryoko, smirking, laughing madly as everything Ayeka knew crumbled all around her. Her body seemed to move its own.
She chose not to remember that Ryoko under Kagato's influence at the time.
She chose not to see Ryoko's surprised face when she realized that Ayeka wasn't playing.
She chose not to see the blood flow from the former pirate's wrist when she lost her hand.
She chose not to remember that without her jewel, Ryoko's main powers were gone.
It wasn't until Ryoko stopped moving that she really noticed anything at all.
"Oh god, Ryoko?"
XxxX
When Ayeka finished, it took every ounce of Washu's self control (which was usually a bit lacking anyway) not to give in to the sadistic urges that ran through her mind. But, she quickly reminded herself that she had more pressing matters to deal with.
Tenchi stayed silent throughout Ayeka's confession, his eyes drifted, unfocused, to the door to Washu's listened while Washu and Ayeka talked into the late hours of the night. Washu refused to let her to leave the room until she had extracted every conceivable detail from her. Then finally, when she was satisfied, she allowed Ayeka to leave.
"I just can't imagine it… all that anger… all that pain."
Washu looked up, surprised to hear Tenchi speak so suddenly.
"Well," Washu began, "Ryoko's been through a lot over the past—"
"No," Tenchi gave a hollow laugh. "Not just Ryoko; I mean Ayeka-san, too."
For a moment, Washy pondered angrily whether Tenchi had forgotten that it was Ryoko who was unconscious in her lab and Ayeka who was nodding into sleep upstairs. It had taken all of the gems from the Tenchi-ken to repair the damage in time—if Washu had been just a few minutes late—or slipped up just once—then Ryoko would have— Tenchi, seeing the look on Washu's face, quickly spoke again.
"I'm not saying what she did was justified, but I am saying that Ayeka-san's never really dealt with what Ryoko—"
"Kagato," Washu snapped. "If Ryoko had been raised by me, that attack never would have happened!"
Tenchi lowered his head and remained silent for a few moments, allowing Washu to regain her composure.
"Washu-san, I'm sorry. I'm not defending what Ayeka-san did. I'm just trying to understand."
Washu could tell that he had more to say, but for what ever reason, he remained silent. She thought for a moment, her mind swarming.
"She loves you, you know," she said, her eyes tracing over his face, looking for anything that would give her some insight into his thoughts. "...very deeply." And a fine man you are, trying to understand the mind of the person who hurt her. She thought savagely. Deep inside though, she knew he was right. Ayeka was a good person really, but Washu didn't want an explanation. She could have easily told anyone that Ayeka had issues from the attack, but bludgeoning Ryoko half to death wasn't going to solve anything.
"Can I see her?" Tenchi asked suddenly.
For a moment it looked like Washu was going to tell Tenchi no, and really, it was tempting, but she hardened her face into a neutral expression and walked over to the lab door.
"She's still very weak. She won't have had enough time to completely recover. She wouldn't want you to see her like this." She said softly, refusing to meet his gaze and silently pleading for him to change his mind.
"I know, but I want to anyway," he said, sending a silent apology out to Ryoko. "I'll leave before she wakes up."
Washu said nothing but nodded, and he followed her into the darkness of her lab, the crab bell clanking softly as they opened and shut the door.
XxxX
Am I in dead?
Ryoko peeled her eyes open and blinked a few times to get used to the liquid she was surrounded by. As her eyes absorbed the light and her vision cleared, she lifted her arm and pressed it against the cool glass.
No... not yet.
She looked around, and realized that she was in a lab of some sort, probably on one of the lower levels of Souja where the rehabilitation chambers were. Various computers lined the walls and large, bulging wires snaked over the floor. Odd lights flickered against their screens, reflecting in Ryoko's cat-like eyes. Ryoko glanced over her body, calming assessing the damage. There were some faint white lines scattered over her body where her skin was still thin from regeneration. A bit more time and they would disappear all together. She crossed her arms and resigned herself for a long wait.
What has that bastard made me do this time?
Ryoko closed her eyes and tried to recall the last thing she'd done, but just as usual when dealing with Kagato and his little schemes, she drew a blank. Most likely, she'd have to wait for him to collect her from the chamber and fill her in on what he considered to be the necessary blanks. It was one of the many things she hated about him overriding her mind. She'd be his machine, sure. That was what she was built for, but being his puppet was just degrading. Ha, degrading… If he heard her speaking like that (like she actually felt anything for herself) what a laugh he'd have.
Don't get too cocky Ryoko.
Inside the chamber, Ryoko gave a breathless chuckle, opening her eyes and—wait—something wasn't right. Ryoko knew that Souja was big—so big that even in the thousands of years that she'd spent inside it there were rooms that she'd never seen—but not like this. She twisted around, glancing behind her and peering into the darkness. A lump of dread twisted in her throat as she realized that whatever this place was, it wasn't Souja.
I've been captured! But how?
Her fingers darted to her neck and stroked the warmth of the jewel there. A similar warmth came from both her wrists, but they couldn't stop the coldness that wrapped around her spine and struck her with fear. She needed to get out. It was too dark—too cold. Ryo-Ohki...! Ryoko called out in her mind, but there was nothing. She might as well have been screaming into empty space. There was no connection and she was completely alone. She pushed her hands against the glass. The darkness was growing; the coldness was creeping up her body. She had to get out. The darkness was smothering her, pulling her down—she was trapped. She had to get out. She pressed harder on the glass, willing it to crack under the pressure. It was so cold. Something inside her screamed, terrified. Please don't leave me here! Her hair stood on end. Her nerves were twisting. She gritted her teeth and pushed harder.
Please don't go!
Don't leave me here!
Let me go!
A sudden crack resounded through the room and Ryoko's lungs filled with air as she collapsed onto the hard, tiled floor, waves of liquid rushing over her.
Coughing and gasping for air, she slowly lifted herself up.
XxxX
Tenchi tried to push down his dread as he stared at the ruins of the capsule that had held Ryoko.
"Have you reached her yet?"
Washu sighed and opened her eyes. "Something not right" She glanced up at Tenchi, her body tense. It was the first time Tenchi could remember seeing Washu so nervous.
"Something's wrong with her, Tenchi-dono. She's not herself." She placed her hands out in front of her and crooked her fingers. A semi-transparent keyboard shimmered under her hands. Red and yellow lights reflected in her eyes as her fingers ran over the black computer. Tenchi didn't bother trying to understand the complex equations and charts that were flashing across the screen, but shook his head and looked away. Everything was happening so fast... Everything was so wrong.
Suddenly, a strange feeling came over him and without a moment's hesitation, he snatched up the Tenchi-ken and focused his energy until a brilliant blue blade sprung from the hilt. He didn't know why, but for the time being he trusted his instincts to guide him. Something dangerous was coming.
Suddenly, a flash of crimson red slashed before Tenchi's face. Years of training guided his hand and he grimaced as the blue blade of the Tenchi-ken clashed against Ryoko's brilliant red energy sword. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the growing pain in his wrist as he struggled to keep Ryoko's blade away from his face.
"Where's my Ryo-Ohki?" Ryoko demanded, pushing harder against the Tenchi-ken's blade, the heat from her sword pulsing against Tenchi's skin. "And where the hell am I?"
"Ryoko!" Washu yelled, distracting Ryoko enough for Tenchi to shove her away.
Although temporarily caught off guard, it didn't take Ryoko long to snap back into a defensive stance. Ryoko glared contemptuously over the red glow of her energy sword.
"Where am I and why can't I teleport?" She glanced over their strange clothes. "You're not Galaxy Police, so what do you want with me?"
Tenchi let out a slow sigh and relaxed his grip on the Tenchi-ken; the blue blade faded away.
"I wouldn't do that," Ryoko warned. "I'm not above slitting your throat."
"Ryoko..." Tenchi said, reaching out his hand. "Don't you know who I am?"
"A dead man, fucking with the wrong person," she deadpanned, narrowing her cat-like eyes into golden slits.
"Ryo—"
"Don't, Tenchi-dono," Washu interrupted, stepping beside him. "Something's happened to her... I..." Her eyes widened. "I can't find any image of us in her memory at all."
In his mind, Tenchi knew she was telling the truth, but—
"Ryoko…" He stepped forward. "Ryoko, please, you have to remember me."
"Back off," she yelled, pointing her sword at his chest. "I don't know what you two are blabbering about, and I don't care, just stay the hell away or I'll plunge this straight into your heart."
Tenchi stopped just inches from the tip of her blade. His eyes searched hers for answers, for some trace of the Ryoko he knew. It was the first time in a long time Tenchi ever felt truly threatened by Ryoko. Her once passionate and loving eyes were cold and focused, ready to cut him down at a moment's notice.
Washu opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind and summoned a subspace tunnel. Ryoko's sharp eyes caught her movement, but before she could act, Washu pulled shapeless white dress from the black void.
"Here." Washu said, holding it out in front of her. "I know you're not cold, but..." she stepped forward.
Ryoko's eyes darted from the young man in front of her sword and the little girl. Confusion clouded over her mind. What was going on?
"Why can't I teleport?" she asked again, eyeing the man.
"Because my lab has a shield that prevents it."
Ryoko glanced at the young girl, surprised by her declaration. Her lab?
"Where's my Ryo-Ohki?" She demanded, summoning another energy sword and holding it under the girl's neck.
"Here… But not in this particular area." Washu stated calmly. "We're in subspace right now. That's why you're having trouble contacting her."
"What the hell is going on? How do you know so much about me?"
Washu's took in a deep breath and forced herself to look into Ryoko's eyes. In that moment, she made a split-second decision.
"I am Washu, the greatest scientific genius the universe has ever known," she said, straight faced and completely serious. Breaking her eye contact with her, she continued, "I'm afraid you're suffering from a form of amnesia. Your memory has been damaged." Ryoko's brow furled in confusion, but she allowed Washu to continue. "The time you think you're living in has passed." Washu lifted her eyes. "Kagato is dead."
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A/N: This fic will not be following the third OVA.
Disclaimer:
No infringement of intellectual rights is intended. This is for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made. Please support the official publications