Chapter 11
Like Mother, Like Daughter
Ryoko slept uneasily the night that Rio disappeared—the look Rio had given her before being taken by the rift tore at Ryoko's heart. Rio had never left right in front of her eyes, and she was thankful that it hadn't happened multiple times; it was difficult enough the first time. She lay in the bed she had been sharing all the while with her daughter and fell into a fetal position. She wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them up—wishing she wasn't alone.
"Ryoko?" A voice came from the outside door and beckoned after her.
She made no answer, not really wanting to be around anyone.
The door creaked as it slid open; the noise slightly making Ryoko tense.
"Are you alright?" Tenchi sat on the edge of the bed, unsure of how close was too close.
"I'm just tired." Ryoko stated nonchalantly, refusing to admit her sadness.
"I miss her too you know." Tenchi saw past her defenses as he always could.
She took a sharp intake of air, trying to stop herself from crying or remembering the miserable face her daughter had. She curled into a tighter position. Tenchi put his hand on her shoulder and softly rubbed it.
"She'll be back soon…" Tenchi was at a loss for words.
She turned to face him and her eyes were like melting gold as they brimmed with tears.
"But I know she'll live the next few years of her life without me there…I won't be there for her." Ryoko finally let out as she clenched her fists. "I know how it feels like to feel abandoned; to feel alone."
Tenchi pulled her close to him and held her tightly as she silently sobbed her anguish away. He understood her feelings to some extent, but he would never truly register the heart of a mother. However, he could comprehend what it felt like to not have a mother; his heart fell a notch lower as he realized that Rio had neither mother nor father with her.
"I'll stay with you tonight, if you don't mind." He lay beside her and kept her nestled in his chest.
Ryoko enveloped herself in the warmth that Tenchi brought and fell into an uneasy sleep.
*Meanwhile in the future*
"It's time Rio, you're 21 now." Washu looked at her granddaughter as she scanned the grown woman she had become.
"You think they'll be surprised to see me so old?" Rio sounded anxious as she packed her bag—she would need special gear for the upcoming battle.
"Old? So what am I?" Washu raised her eyebrow as she stared intensely at her smirking granddaughter.
"We've gone over this countless times—you're what one would consider ancient." Rio stuck out her tongue and dodged a flying beaker that Washu had thrown. "Or perhaps a beautiful goddess." She tried to make amends.
"That's more like it; remember what I told you about your enemy. This is everything we've been preparing for; I want you back, so don't die on me alright?" She tried to keep the mood light as she readied herself to send her granddaughter away—her only living loved one.
"Don't worry Grams, I've got this." She winked back at her grandmother as she put on her mid-crop leather jacket. "I'll bring everyone back this time." She was determined not to fail and her heart was set on being successful.
"You have your mother's taste in appearances; you look rebellious you know—you might make your mother a bit jumpy." Washu smiled as she stared at a mirror image of Ryoko in Rio.
"That's what I'm going for." As she said bye, Rio turned back. "I love you Grams, but I have one last question." Rio looked a bit unsettled as she dropped her gaze to the floor.
"What is it?"
"Will I remember any of this?" Rio was unsure of how to word her fear—she was afraid of disappearing: the her that existed now.
"Both the me and you now will cease to exist, but all that means is that we won't grow up alone—we'll live in completely different circumstances. We won't have to hide in deep space anymore, and the rest of the universe won't be dead; no one will be dead once you complete your mission." Washu knew what she was afraid of.
"I see…alright I just wanted to know."
"Everyone else will remember you though, so you'll be alive in a sense." Washu smirked as she initiated the time traveling machine. "Say hi to everyone for me!" She smiled and watched as her granddaughter disappeared. "I believe in you."
*Back to Ryoko and Tenchi's time period*
Rio had transported at midnight and had avoided anyone's detection; it had been 4 days since her disappearance in this time while it had been a good 8 years in her time. She inhaled deeply and reveled in the smell of the trees and blooming flowers. Her eyes took in the vibrant colors and she couldn't help but feel a bit thrilled at the prospect of this being her future home. If it hadn't been for 'him', she would have grown up here. She growled lightly at the thought of the man who had destroyed everything she held dear, but she would make sure he would fail this time. She had three months to complete her training and to obtain the jewels her grandmother had ensured her father was in possession of. With her three jewels and the three jewels of her father, she would gain unfathomable power—power enough to save her family.
She basked in the light of the moon. Marveling at the glow of it on the planet earth: it gave her a somewhat ethereal shine. She went to the edge of the pond and looked in it—she really could be a spitting image of her mother, but she hadn't quite gotten the extreme spikes that both her mother and grandmother had. Hers was long but lay flatter with occasional spikes of no big proportion, but her eyes were just as golden and her beauty just as radiant. She chuckled; even her voice was just as rough as her mother's—boy was her mother in for a surprise. She began to think of different scenarios as she decided on how to approach her family; how to once again introduce herself.
"Perhaps I'll pretend I'm another woman after my father; I always thought mom had a strange way of dealing with other women…quite humorous actually." She tossed the idea back and forth in her head and gave up the notion as soon as she dwelled on the fact that Tenchi was indeed her father. She shook her head and devised another plan. Soon enough a huge grin graced the features of the time-traveling daughter: she knew just what to do.
Morning came and the Masaki shrine soon burst with life, though everyone seemed to be moving slower than usual. She watched from a safe distance and noticed how each person she saw had a hanging face, as if they had forgotten how to smile. She searched for her mother, but found her nowhere in sight. She had seen her father working in the fields but wanted to find Ryoko first—she had missed her the most. She teleported to various places but still no trace was to be had of her mother being near.
"If I were her, where would I go?" She thought back on it and it finally hit her—the cave.
She quickly teleported as her heart raced ever faster at the hopes of finally finding her mother. Rio had been right; Ryoko was at the cave, sitting on the branch of a cherry blossom. She quietly positioned herself in a hidden spot and summoned an energy bolt in her hand. She smirked and let it fly near the ground where Ryoko was residing. The space pirate jumped immediately and cast a menacing glare at the direction in which she had been attacked. She phased and reappeared near Rio. Holding herself back from laughing, Rio quickly phased away and placed herself directly behind her mother. She tugged one of her cyan locks and moved away again before she could be seen.
"What the hell?" Ryoko scanned the area for her enemy but was irked to find no one. "Cut the crap and come out, you coward!"
With that Rio came out of hiding and went for a full body impact with Ryoko. She encircled her arms around her mother as if going for a hug and flew straight up. Ryoko struggled to be free and finally did so by drawing out her energy sword.
"Who the hell are you?" She eyed the intruder up and down as she spat out her words loathingly.
"Someone's getting old," Rio snickered as she put some distance from her and the sword.
Ryoko's sword flickered as did her expression—first from anger and then to a pained look. Rio noticed and suddenly regretted her way of returning: she hadn't meant to hurt anyone.
"Rio?" Ryoko's voice slightly cracked as she flew nearer to the nearly full-grown woman.
"Hi Mom, it's been awhile." Rio said nonchalantly which hurt Ryoko to some degree; why was she masking her emotions: acting so gallant.
Ryoko took her in for a full embrace, unashamed of the emotions that welled within her and relieved that Rio had returned.
"I wasn't sure you were coming back twerp…you usually came back immediately or the next day." Ryoko smiled at the girl in her arms and was amazed at how much they looked alike.
"Yeah…I'm not sure why I didn't come back earlier either." She lied through her teeth as best she could; she knew the reason because Washu had informed her, but to tell her mother would surely worry her. 'He' would notice the pattern of her time travel and would most likely try to sabotage her mission—she took every precaution available.
"You're a lot older…" Ryoko muttered as she inspected her daughter and cupped her breasts. "You didn't have these last time I saw you."
Rio laughed and didn't bother to pull away; in fact she liked the attention—her grandmother had told her that was a trait taken from her mother as well. She knew her mother was well over centuries old, but it was still strange to look almost as old as your mother.
"Good thing you got my genes in you." Ryoko patted her roughly and smirked. "You'll have great advantage over the opposite sex."
"I hear that wasn't what landed you dad though?" Rio raised an eyebrow and dared to be sassy.
Ryoko turned her face to a mock annoyed one and took Rio under her arm for a headlock.
"Now look here, you're a lot older now and I can rough you up a bit more so you better watch it." She threatened her with a smile on her face.
"I dare you!" Rio laughed as she struggled to break free.
"I think you took too much after me." Ryoko smiled and let her daughter go. "Let's go see Tenchi, he'll be in for a surprise…I don't think any of us expected you to be this grown up. Thank god I got to skip all those horrible teen years." She jested and made her way to the fields with Rio not far behind.
Rio looked around and was happy to see everything was just as she left it those long years ago. After abruptly returning the last time, her heart had been cracked a bit. She could not shake off the memories of the world she had visited; it wasn't the same as when she left as a toddler; this time her memory was well intact and the pain had lasted the past 8 years. She had never told her grandmother, for fear that she would worry her, but the truth was she had been hurting all the while. Even now she was afraid to seem too weak, too needy and overall too pathetic.
"Hey Tenchi, guess who's back?" Ryoko gleamed with joy; something Tenchi hadn't seen these past days.
"Where is she?" He looked right past Rio. "Oh, hi…who are you?" He looked befuddled as he met with someone he considered very good looking—he blamed it on her likeness to Ryoko. He did nothing short of ogle her and get a bit clumsy as he walked over to say hi.
Ryoko wore an angry expression and whacked him over the head before he could shake Rio's hand. "That's your daughter…you idiot." She muttered as he fell face down on the ground.
"Whaaa?" Tenchi looked back up and found the young woman to be laughing at him but helping him up as well. "Rio!" He looked her in the eyes and found that she indeed had his tender look and the golden color that Ryoko had. "I'm s,s,sorry; you look so very…older." He said for lack of a better word.
"It's ok dad, I understand; mom said I would have an advantage over the opposite sex."
"I didn't mean like this." Ryoko said a bit peeved at Tenchi's behavior.
"Either way it's great to have you back!" Tenchi said hoping to put that behind them and never return to it again. He gave her a fatherly hug, but still felt strange knowing she was around his age, if not older. "How old are you anyways?"
"I'm 21." Rio chirped happily knowing full well she was older than her father by this point.
"Perfect for drinking here on Earth," Ryoko chimed in.
"Actually…well I don't drink." Rio said, actually hinting to her bashful side—there was the Rio that Ryoko had known. "Though I may try it with you…as long as you don't go overboard." She eyed her mother warily—she had heard the many tales of Ryoko's escapades.
"Overboard! Whatever do you mean?" She said as innocently as she could muster and laughed as she pulled Rio close to her. "Enjoying the small things in life is never a bad thing."
The family made their way back to the main house in a cloud of merriment, but even in this positive atmosphere, Ryoko could feel that something was different in her daughter. She wasn't positive, or even sure of what it was, but she would observe Rio to find the answer.
"Where's Grams?" Rio asked immediately, ready to talk battle strategies and discuss tactics.
"She's coming with Ken-Oh-Ki from the lab; she'll be here in no time."
"Wow, Rio you look so big!" Sasami poked her head out of the kitchen and stood in a state of stupor as she took in Rio's form.
"Sasami!" Rio rushed at the girl and wrapped her arms around her. "I've been dying to have your food again." Her stomach grumbled in approval.
"Don't worry I have a special dish just for you." Sasami smiled as Rio placed her back down. "You really did grow though!" Sasami had to look up to her now.
"I hit my growth spurt early." Rio winked and then fixed her gaze on the person who was making their way down the steps. "Well if it isn't Miss Ayeka."
Ayeka peered down at the new guest and was at first wary that yet another space pirate had infiltrated the Masaki shrine. However the girl was marked by Ryoko's attributes so much that mistaking her for someone else, other than Rio, was impossible.
"Ah, you've returned!" Ayeka hurried herself down the stairs and swooped Rio in her arms. "Hopefully you haven't turned out too vicious without my lessons of propriety."
"I don't know about that," Rio pulled at the princess' hair lightly as she was pulled into a hug. "It's been so long now…" She teased her elder.
"Oh has it now?" Ayeka laughed haughtily as she grabbed Rio by the ear. "I suppose we'll have to start from the beginning."
Rio chuckled as she phased out of the painful grasp of the princess and spotted Washu as she closed her lab door. A jolt of pain passed through her as she heard the last words of her grandmother echo in her head—'both the me and you will cease to exist…' Before she could snap out of her fazed look, Washu cupped her face with her hands.
"Well here's a sight for sore eyes!" She pulled Rio's cheeks and chuckled. "My, my have you grown. Hopefully you're not as embarrassing as your mother was at that age."
"Hey!" Ryoko smacked Washu on the back of the head, or at least tried to as the scientist narrowly dodged the assault. "Like you're one to talk."
"I don't think I've ever had the chance." Rio laughed as she rubbed her sore cheeks. "Though I understand mom gets it from you." Rio ducked as Washu threw a baby blue colored cushion towards her. She caught it and her eyes widened. "This is…this is mine?"
"Yup, I just made it." Washu grinned at her achievement. "It matches with your mothers."
Rio traced the embroidery with her finger as she examined the pillow—it was just like the one she had back on the ship. Her grandmother had given it to her soon after Ryoko's death. It was a mark of the bond between the Hakubi women; that was what her grandma had told her.
"Thank you, grams." She picked Washu up from the floor, who seemed at once flattered and flustered, and hugged her tightly. "Here's payback for pinching my cheeks." She gave her the most intense bear hug a half Jurian/powerful being could give.
"I think you broke my back…" Washu said through gritted teeth.
"You'll live." Rio chuckled as she let go of her grandmother.
"So what have you got this time?" Washu eyed her backpack curiously.
"I was hoping we could discuss that in private for the time being. I have to talk to you before I can reveal anything to anyone else." Rio's eyes were devoid of happiness, but within strong will and intense determination could be found.
"Why's that?" Ryoko spoke up as she eyed her daughter warily. "What can't you tell me?"
"It's not that…it's just, I was given instructions to follow." She pursed her lips as she failed to meet her mother's gaze—the news she had come with this time would not please her mother at all.
"I'm sure it's just my future self being cautious." Washu tried to lighten the mood and grabbed Rio's hand. "We'll be back up in a bit."
Rio sighed with relief as she followed her grandma down to her lab.
"So I take it you know everything now, right?"
"That and more." Rio muttered as she recalled the data her grandmother in the future had given her—it was more than she would like to have known.
End Note: Thanks for reading! Please review, it always encourages me to push forward when I'm stuck at a point in the story. Hope you enjoyed it ^_^