Galaxy 1001D presents:
Washustein; or the Modern Mad Scientist
Starring Washu Hakubi as Doctor Washu Fitzgerald von Washustein
Tenchi Masaki as Tenchi Mancini
Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Mihoshi Gerstell
Aeka Masaki Jurai as Ayeka Jurai
Sasami Masaki Jurai as Sasami Jurai
And Ryoko as the Monster-woman
Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer/Genon/Funimation. This story is written solely for entertainment and is not intended to make a profit in any way.
Based on "Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus" created by Mary Shelly
And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaki Kajishima
Lyrics for 'Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead' by E. Y. Harburg
Chapter Fourteen: I've Created A Monster!
"I'm free!" Ryoko cheered as she danced down the halls of Castle Washustein. "Free at last!" She broke into song as she strutted and pranced through the corridors. "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead…!"
"What's going on, Ryoko?" Mihoshi asked while carrying up fresh blankets and bed sheets for Washu's bedroom. "What are we celebrating?"
"I pushed Washu out the window!" Ryoko announced.
"Oh my! That wasn't very nice!" Mihoshi scolded. "Was she mad?"
"No-no Silly!" Ryoko gushed. "I pushed her out of the window and she fell to her doom! Don't you get it? We're free! We're finally free! We can do what we want now!"
"Woo-hoo! We're free! We're finally free!" Mihoshi cheered. Then her eyes widened in fear as Ryoko's statement sunk in. "Wait a minute! Did you just say that you killed Miss Washu?"
"That's right!" Ryoko jumped up and down, unable to contain her excitement. "Let's celebrate! Let's invite Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami over here and have a party! We can do all the things Washu never let us do and have some fun! What do you say?"
"Er uh, that sounds great Ryoko," Mihoshi stammered as she backed away from the cyan-haired girl. "I'll um… go deliver the invitations by hand, okay? I think that I might… oh… invite some police officers over too. I hear they're really good dancers…"
"Okay, invite anybody you want, just make sure they're ready to have a good time!" Ryoko smiled.
"Okay…" Mihoshi sang as she waved and trotted happily away from Washu's homicidal creation. "I'll be back pretty soon, so don't go anywhere, okay?" As soon as the blonde was out of Ryoko's sight she put her hands over her mouth in horror. Ryoko had just killed her employer! Was she next?
Suddenly, Ryoko's strong hand gripped the housemaid's shoulder. "Hey Mihoshi, I just realized I don't know how to cook…"
"EEEEEE!" Mihoshi screamed as she collapsed to her knees.
"Hey!" Ryoko said as she pulled the reeling blonde to her feet. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? You really gotta be more careful." When the trembling Mihoshi sniveled and nodded her head, Ryoko continued. "Look I just realized that I don't know how to fix any snacks for anybody so I better go invite the guests while you get things ready for the party."
Tears welled up out of the trembling Mihoshi's eyes as she nodded helplessly.
"Okay, don't get so upset, I'm just going invite over Tenchi, Sasami, Ayeka, and Ryo-ohki," Ryoko assured her. "It's not like I know a whole bunch of people or anything. You won't have to work that hard and you can teach me how to be a good host. Can you do that?"
"Y-yes Ryoko! A-anything you say!" Mihoshi stammered.
"Good. Don't worry. We'll have a great time! See you!" Ryoko pranced and sang as she went down the stairs and danced towards the front door. "Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead... She's gone where the goblins go, Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out. Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low. Let them know The Wicked Witch… is… dead…" Her voice trailed away when she opened the door and saw the small muddy figure silhouetted by the lighting in the distance. Thunder boomed as angry green eyes declared their murderous intent. "What? I don't believe it! How did you survive?"
"Castle Washustein is on a hill," Washu explained testily. "The next time you want to kill someone, don't push them out a one-story window!"
"Aah!" Ryoko screamed as she turned around and ran away. "Mihoshi! She's back! Washu's not dead! Quick! Get me a hammer!"
"Come back here you infantile ingrate!" Washu ordered as she dashed after her fleeing creation. "I give you life and this is the thanks I get? I was going to give you the knowledge you need to conquer the world and you push me out a window? You are in big trouble young lady!"
Ryoko screamed as Washu chased her around the main floor. In desperation, she grabbed a couch and pushed it into Washu's way to block her path. "Get away from me!"
"You have been asking for it, young lady! Quit running or you'll only make it worse!" Washu snarled as she tried to get around the couch. "Hey! What are you doing?"
Ryoko pushed the couch forward to pin Washu against the wall. "Mihoshi!" she cried. "I need your help! She's alive again!"
"Ryoko!" Washu gasped as she struggled to free herself. "Stop it! I can't move! You've got me pinned here!"
"If I give you an inch you'll throw the couch on top of me!" Ryoko protested.
"No I won't! I'm not that strong!" Washu protested.
"You're not?" Ryoko's eyes became wide as she pulled the couch away from the wall. "Hm," she said as she hoisted the couch onto her shoulders, before holding it up over her head. "Can you do this?"
"Don't be silly," Washu wheezed as she staggered forward from the wall. "I gave you the strength of Hercules. Only you are that strong."
"Oh really?" Ryoko smiled evilly as one of her canine teeth was briefly visible. "Is that so?"
"When am I gonna keep my big mouth shut?" Washu moaned.
"So… I'm stronger than you am I?" Ryoko asked mischievously as she set the couch down. "This changes everything!"
"Holy Smokes! I've created a monster!" Washu exclaimed when realization set in. "N-now Ryoko!" she backed away as Ryoko advanced on her. "Now think about this! Don't do anything you might regret!"
"The only thing I regret is not doing this sooner," Ryoko sneered. "Didn't you say that the only way to get ahead in life is to be totally ruthless?"
"Not towards me you idiot!" Washu cried. "How do you expect to conquer the world if I'm not around to teach you?"
"I don't want to conquer the world, I just want you out of my hair," Ryoko informed her. "Once you're out of the way, Tenchi and I can be happy."
"You don't want to conquer the world?!" Washu grit her teeth, her fighting spirit returned. "That's it, Ryoko! Getting rid of me is one thing, but destroying my dreams is the last straw!" She ran to the wall and pulled a rapier off a display of crossed swords that hung as a decoration. She assumed a fencing stance pointed her blade at her rebellious creation. "Go to your room and stay there, young lady! I brought you into this world and I'll take you out of it if I have to!"
Ryoko looked around and then pulled the second rapier off the wall and assumed an identical fighting stance. "Make me!" she challenged.
"Not a good idea Eve," Washu warned her as she made a few practice strokes. "I was the top fencer in my class and I'm qualified to teach professionally. Now put that down before I cut you into a million pieces. I can just make another one you know. And I won't miss you either 'cause she will look just like you."
"I may still be getting used to moving around but I can take you!" Ryoko retorted as she duplicated the practice strokes that Washu had demonstrated. "On guard!"
Washu's brow furrowed as an idea occurred to her. "Great. I gave her my brainwaves and that means she has my motor skills and that means she could be just as good as a fencer as me…"
"Hiyah!" Ryoko cried as she lunged at her creator. Washu countered with a parry, followed by a riposte that disarmed her rebellious creation. As Ryoko's sword flew over her head the cyan-haired girl somersaulted backwards and sprang to her feet just in time to catch it by the grip. Washu turned and ran away as Ryoko chased her from the room.
When the dueling duo entered the dining room Washu jumped on top of the table to keep herself from being pinned by a piece of furniture again. Ryoko slashed at her creator's legs, but Washu was able to leap over the flashing blade. The set piece candles on the dining table showed no sign of Ryoko's blow until Washu completed her dodging jump to return to the table's surface. Then the candles fell apart to reveal the Ryoko's slash had cut them in two.
Washu kicked the salt and peppershakers sending the contents at Ryoko's face and giving her a chance to retreat before her creation's next blow. Growling in frustration Ryoko removed the white damask tablecloth with one quick yank, but once again Washu had leapt into the air, this time completing a somersault before landing on the table again. For a second both Washu and Ryoko peered quizzically at the settings on the table. Somehow, despite the fact that the tablecloth had been pulled off, all of the plates, silverware and other decorations were still at their proper places.
"Huh," Ryoko blinked twice before hopping up on the table to attack her cruel creator. "Take that you creep!" she challenged as she slashed furiously in Washu's direction.
Speaking of creeping, Mihoshi was creeping quietly down the stairs attempting to make for the front door. If she hurried she might get to town before it was completely dark outside. Suddenly she gasped as she saw Washu and Ryoko exchanging blows with weapons that Mihoshi called 'Musketeer Swords'. Washu was performing a fighting withdrawal but able to parry the blows of the taller Ryoko.
"Master!" the blonde cheered.
"Mistress, you idiot!"
"You're alive!" Mihoshi gushed as Washu backed up the stairs to offset Ryoko's height advantage.
"Not for long if you don't get out of my way you nitwit!" Washu growled as she retreated up the stairs and into the befuddled blonde.
"Okay master, I… Eeeyaah!" the blonde screamed as she found herself in the center of the flashing blades. She crouched down and protected her face with her hands. As the dueling damsels continued up the stairs, Mihoshi breathed as sigh of relief when she realized she wasn't harmed. "Oh thank goodness I…" her words died as she staggered to her feet and her maid's uniform fell apart. "Ooh!" she squeaked as she clutched two tattered pieces of cloth to her tanned and naked body. "I better go find something to wear!"
Upstairs, Washu dashed down the hall and used her sword to knock over a suit of armor to slow Ryoko's pursuit. Ryoko simply jumped over it and tore off after her creator. Washu ran into a study and slammed the door behind her. She ran over to try to push a bookcase in front of the door, but Ryoko knocked the door off its hinges.
"Ha!" Ryoko crowed as she entered, stepping over the fallen door.
"Why did you do that?" Washu nagged. "That door wasn't locked you idiot!
"Oops," Ryoko blushed. "Oh well. Once you're out of the way I'll get a new door. And buy a pony! Yeah, I'm totally going to buy a pony!"
"A pony?" Washu sneered. "Over my dead body!"
"That's the idea isn't it?" Ryoko smiled evilly as she raised her sword. "Time to make Washu giblets!"
"Dammit!" Washu growled as they locked blades once more. After a few parries, Washu grabbed the curtain cord with her free hand and jumped out the open window. Ryoko stepped to the window just in time to be kicked by the little genius as she used the curtain cord as a rope to swing back in.
Ryoko spun about and dropped her sword but she wasn't done yet. "Well two can play that game!" she declared as she grabbed the curtain cord and jumped out the window. The curtains and the curtain rod were yanked from the wall as Ryoko fell over backwards and rolled down the hill that was against the building. "Yaaaah!" Unlike her creator, the five-foot six-inch woman was heavier than an emaciated kindergartener. "Ow! Dammit!" Ryoko shouted as she hit the ground. She looked up just in time to see Washu shut and shutter the window.
Washu lost no time racing to the front door. Quickly, she locked and barred the main doors to keep her homicidal creation out. Gasping and panting, she quickly dashed to the servant's entrance to lock that too. Castle Washustein was once a fortress and would be able withstand a siege, even from a woman with the strength of Ryoko.
"Mihoshi!" she shouted. "Help me check the exits and windows!"
"Yes Master!" Mihoshi shouted from wherever she was.
"Mistress you fool!" Washu retorted.
In the meantime, her homicidal creation pounded her fist on the front door. "Hey! Let me in! I'm cold out here!" Ryoko pleaded.
"She's got to be kidding," Washu grumbled from inside. "You'll get back in when you learn to behave!" she bellowed through the door. "Until then you can spend the night outside in the barn! That will learn you!"
"That will teach me!" Ryoko's muffled voice corrected through the door.
"Whatever," Washu muttered. "The point is that you're not getting in here until you learn to curb these antisocial tendencies of yours! I didn't bring you into this world just so you could take me out of it!"
"Fine!" Ryoko shook her fist at the door. "I didn't want to live with a meanie like you anyway! I'll go stay with Tenchi! See yah!"
"Fine!" Washu shouted.
"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.
"Fine!" Washu shouted.
"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.
Three hours later…"Fine!" Washu shouted.
"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.
"Fine!" Washu shouted.
"Fine!" Ryoko shouted.
"Excuse me!" Mihoshi called from an upstairs window. She was wearing a nightshirt and a nightcap and was holding a lit candle in a holder. "I'm going to sleep now and I was wondering if you two could keep it down for a while. Just until I go to sleep, then you can keep shouting again. Would that be okay? I'm a real deep sleeper."
"Sure Mihoshi, we were getting hoarse anyway," Ryoko sighed.
"Thank you," the blonde smiled. "Goodnight!" She closed the window and put out her light.
Ryoko sighed as she turned to walk back to town. Now that she wasn't fighting with Washu she was starting to get depressed. This was the second time she was kicked out of someone's house. She was beginning to wonder if there was anyplace that would accept her, if there were anyplace that she could call home.
Next: Little Washu