Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Tenchi Muyo or any Tenchi related series and plots. All I own that deals with Tenchi Muyo are a few lovely mangas, a Ryoko figurine (I finally got one), some Ryoko pics, and this fanfic which is the result of my imagination. I am not making any money from this. I do this only to entertain. I also do this for those of the Ryoko+Hotsuma legion.
Chapter 8 Three Gems of Power
Ryoko curled into a tight ball on the steel floor rocking herself with quick movements; wishing she were near Jurai so that she could have Washu's comfort even if it would only have been over their mental link.
"My children." Ryoko cried a painful knot forming in her stomach. "Hotsuma!" She cried as she clutched a star pendent necklace around her neck.
Ryoko sat on the ground empty of tears and unaware of how long she had sat there on her knees. An hour perhaps longer, time seemed meaningless in this dark and cold place. 'This is what happened to Suzuka isn't it?' Ryoko wondered to herself. 'After I took all that she loved she embraced the silence and darkness. She devoted her life on seeking vengeance on me. Her vengeance involved the life of my family. My husband and my children. Killed them all just to get back at me.' The mere thought of wasted lives made Ryoko's golden eyes flash crimson with pure fury. 'Suzuka has to pay for the lives she has taken.'
Ryoko held herself tightly as her bangs cast a shadow over her fragile golden eyes. "That bitch is going to pay." She muttered aloud breaking Suzuka's beloved silence in spite of her.
The last time she had ever felt this way was when she had thought Kagato had killed her once beloved Tenchi. Pure anger boiled within her as her mind searched within the darkness of herself to find the strength she would need to face Suzuka once again. That was a task she never thought she would ever do. She looked deep in the dark place of her soul and found the woman she had once been. The one Kagato had twisted into a ruthless space pirate. The one who laughed at the hellish chaos she created while raiding a planet for her 'master'. Ryoko smiled fiendishly; yes she could feel her heart hardening at the mere thought.
As Ryoko coiled around the ideas of the old forming in her mind an image suddenly appeared before her. With a gasp she looked up peering at the figure. 'You aren't like that anymore Ryoko.' A familiar voice said.
Ryoko stared at the sight of her husband comforting her. "Hotsuma?" She asked reaching out her hand to stroke his cheek. The image faded leaving Ryoko once again in the dark with the sharp pain of lost as her only companion.
"Just a dream." Ryoko said sadly. Whatever that was it was right Ryoko couldn't go back to that. It would break her even worse if she did. But she had to do something. What exactly she was not sure.
***
In the halls of the dark fortress Yosho slipped in and out of the dark shadows as he made his way towards the direction he had last seen Ryoko. He had been left to wonder only by chance to encounter a Shadow every once in awhile. He was walking around a corner when he heard a group of Shadows walking before him. He overheard them celebrating gladly about Ryoko's defeat and the execution of her family. "No, that can't be!" Yosho said to himself turning around the way he had come to get back to Ryoko.
"Ryoko?" Yosho called as he walked through the ruined gold doors that bared the mark that Ryoko had been in the general area. He looked around in the now dark room until he spotted Ryoko curled into a ball next to the large window. 'She had seen it all.' Yosho concluded as he approached her. Too late, they were too late to stop the mad woman. Yosho quickly ran to her side and looked into her eyes. They seemed so distant like the stars in the sky. So dull in distant as if she could stare through him.
"Ryoko?" Yosho asked pushing her hair away from her eyes.
Ryoko's dull eyes looked towards him. "Hotsuma?" She asked as she focused on him. The distance in her eyes disappeared as she looked at him. "Yosho." She smiled happy to see one familiar face.
"Are you alright?" Yosho asked helping Ryoko onto her feet.
Ryoko smiled. "I'm fine. You should see the other bitch." Ryoko said forcing a laugh.
Yosho gave her a quick look over. "Come on we have to get out of here. We'll come up with a new plan then we shall return." Yosho said. Carefully they made their way to the portal that would take them back to the Yubori.
Yosho held tight to the battered Ryoko as he walked her through the door. "Yosho, how long would it take to get to Jurai?" Ryoko asked once they were on the other side back on the untouched Yubori.
"Jurai? Two perhaps three weeks." Yosho said watching as Ryoko sat at Yubori's controls with a determined look on her battle dirty face.
The Yubori turned at Ryoko's command and sped quickly away from the lone dark fortress. "Then that makes one week for Yubori." Ryoko said.
***
Three days later aboard Yagami Kiyone sat in her usual place at the controls with Mihoshi asleep beside her. There were times Kiyone envied her partner the way she reminded almost carefree of most situations, and unable to grasp how serious some things may be. Kiyone only sighed but if she were like Mihoshi she would have to be a clumsy ditz.
"Daydreaming Kiyone?" Washu asked. "You must have gotten that from Mihoshi."
Kiyone quickly turned to see Washu. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked.
"Not long." Washu said looking down on Mihoshi ever amazed that she could sleep so much. The Yagami could be under attack and still she would be snoring. "I've come to tell you that it's time for dinner."
At the mere mention of food Mihoshi was on her feet and running towards the kitchen. Both Kiyone and Washu shook their heads from side to side as they sighed pitifully on Mihoshi's behalf.
***
Halfway through dinner Washu jumped onto her feet toppling over her bowl of miso soup in the process.
"What is it Lil' Washu?" Tenchi asked as he and the others looked into the mad scientist's wide green eyes.
"She's near! She's on her way here!" Washu cried out.
Kiyone was on her feet in a matter of seconds. "Suzuka?" She asked her blood pumped with adrenalin.
Washu shook her head causing her magenta mane to sway back and forth. "No, Ryoko." She said.
"Ryoko!" Everyone shouted standing onto their feet causing more food to fall onto the table.
As if saying her name was a summons Ryoko appeared with the elderly Katsuhito standing beside her. "You sound surprise to hear from me." She smiled.
"It's been nine months since we last saw you Ryoko." Tenchi admitted as he and the others stood to greet the two.
Yugi, Sasami, and Ryo-ohki were the first to get to Ryoko. They told her of how well they did as space pirates even through they didn't steal their own ship. Followed by Mihoshi who gave her a bear hug that could have broke her spine. Washu came to her daughter's rescue by bopping the blonde in the head before she took up the job of hugging her daughter into near comatose. Tenchi, Noboyuki, and Ayeka on the other hand went to see to Katsuhito.
"We will talk later right now I wish to eat." Katsuhito announced sitting down at the table.
After dinner everyone sat down in the living room to catch up on the last few months they had spent separated. After sitting down with a cup of saki Ryoko looked around to see that they were in the Masaki house. "I see you brought the house with you."
"Tenchi asked that they transport it to Jurai. He couldn't stand residing in the palace." Ayeka said.
Ryoko forcefully chuckled into her cup as she took a drink. Ayeka was still talking about Jurai when Washu began to speak. "Ryoko what's wrong?" She asked interrupting Ayeka.
Everyone looked at the momentary pained face of Ryoko. Ryoko, finding it pointless to lie or procrastinate due to Washu's constant probing in her mind, decided to tell them the truth or what she could. Ryoko stood and looked around at the waiting faces. "Katsuhito and I have just returned from Suzuka's fortress." Ryoko said. Everyone's face paled in fear of what else Ryoko might say. "The twins..." Ryoko couldn't say it as if actually saying it made it official.
But she didn't need to say it the others immediately understood. Sasami's baby pink eyes teared. With a loud sob she buried her face into Yugi's shoulders.
Ryoko bit into her lip before she went on with her voice shallow. "And Hotsuma too."
Everyone who wasn't crying for the lost of their extended family members was shocked into silence. Ryoko had lost her little family in a matter of moments. Almost everyone was surprised that she was standing before them without a tear in her eye, all except Ayeka who had seen the exact look Ryoko had in her eyes at that precise moment. She had seen that look when Tenchi was believed to have been killed. She knew what Ryoko was going to do.
"Tenchi I need something from you." Ryoko said barely turning her head in Tenchi's direction.
"Anything Ryoko." Tenchi said willing to please her at all cost now.
"I need my other two gems." Ryoko said.
"What?" Everyone asked.
"I'm not going to let her get away with what she's done." Ryoko said.
"Ryoko you haven't matured enough to use the gems to their full potential." Washu said. "If you try to tap into their power-"
"I can be killed." Ryoko said removing her replica gem from her wrist. "It's funny everything I do can result in my death." Ryoko laughed. "Alright Tenchi dear, you know what to do." Ryoko said holding out her wrist.
Tenchi removed Tenchiken from his belt and held the hilt towards Ryoko. "Just pray for their return." Tenchi said out loud. The two remaining red gems began to glow a high fluorescent white until they vanished from the Tenchiken and reappeared on Ryoko.
"Umm! That feels good." Ryoko moaned as the glowing ebbed. "It's been awhile since I last had all three gems. I feel...complete." Ryoko said running her fingers over her wrist and neck.
"Ryoko are you sure about this?" Washu asked.
Ryoko nodded her head as she placed her replica gem into the hilt while looking at Katsuhito. "Everyone take care of yourselves and everyone else while I'm gone." She said.
Ryoko reached behind her head and pulled her long mane of cyan hair over her shoulder. If she were to wet it, it would fall to her feet. With one quick swipe of her saber she cut her back to its original length leaving the rest to fall in a small cyan heap on the floor.
"Come on Ryo-ohki!" Ryoko said walking towards the window. Ryo-ohki miyaed as she followed after Ryoko. Without another word Ryoko had vanished just as quickly as she had come.
***
Suzuka stood once again in the cold embrace of the dark shadows in which she dwelled happily. She was a little upset that when she returned to her room to find that Ryoko had not died but had disappeared somewhere. But she did not let that ruin her victorious mood; she had beaten her even though it was with uncouth methods. All that mattered was who came out victorious.
"Mistress there are reports of a ship flying at an alarming rate in our general direction." Bendis's sexless voice reported as it and its dark twin floated in their rightful place above Suzuka's shoulders.
"Is it of any threat?" Suzuka asked.
"We believe not Mistress." Meltis said.
"It may be someone passing through to get to the planets beyond us." Bendis said.
Suzuka slowly nodded her head. "Has there been any word from Manora?" She asked.
"No Mistress." The spheres answered in union. "It is believed that she was still on the sister fortress when it was destroyed, along with Ryoko's husband and children."
Suzuka smiled coldly. "Very well then." Suzuka closed her blood red eyes and indulged herself in the stifling silence.
Suzuka's world of silence and stillness was broken with an abrupt jolt shaking the entire fortress. Suzuka was pitched forward falling face first to the dark marble floor. Just as her face was about to hit she stopped her body and levitated parallel to the floor below her.
"Mistress, are you well?" Meltis asked as it and Bendis awaited their mistress to regain her poise.
Suzuka floated back onto her feet. "What happened?!" She demanded of her trusted spheres.
A moment passed before Meltis answered. "It seems we are under attack."
Suzuka scowled at the dark sphere. "I believe we all have already figured that out for ourselves. The question is who has attacked!"
"This is unknown, mistress. The assailant has fled and we have no information on the ship, it moved too fast to be identified." Bendis reported.
"A cowardly hit and run." Suzuka sneered. Just as those words passed her lips a loud explosion could be heard from the lower levels of the fortress.
Suzuka took hold of Meltis. "Control room, what is going on!" She demanded into the sphere's communication link.
"She's destroying everything!" Someone screamed.
"Who?" Suzuka asked. There was no response from the other end. "Who is destroying everything?" Suzuka asked.
"Me." A low deadly voice said.
***
Earlier... Ryoko stood on Ryo-ohki's bridge with her arms crossed before her chest and her golden eyes closed. A crystal with Ryo-ohki's face appeared before her. "Meow?" It asked.
Ryoko opened her eyes and smiled at her beloved sister. "I'm okay Ryo-ohki." She said petting the crystal. "When we get to Suzuka's fortress I want for you to leave." The crystal of Ryo-ohki looked at her with distress as she miyaed. "Why? Because Suzuka might have you attacked. I'll call for you if I need you." Ryoko said trying to avoid the point that she might be able to survive the upcoming battle. Ryoko was grateful that Ryo-ohki did not press the topic on.
They traveled on in a comfortable silence only to be broken when Ryo-ohki reported that Suzuka's vessel was before them. Ryoko narrowed her golden orbs on the dark fortress ahead. "Ram them Ryo-ohki!" She commanded pointing ahead.
"MMMEEEEEEOOOORRRRRRRWWWWWWW!!!" Ryo-ohki cried out changing faster towards the fortress.
With incredible force Ryo-ohki collided with the dark fortress ship piercing a dense hole into the fortress bottom at an upward angel.
"Okay Ryo-ohki you how what to do." Ryoko said teleporting herself aboard the fortress.
Ryo-ohki waited only a few moments before she pulled away creating a vacuum in the hall as she left. Ryo-ohki watched as numerous Shadow warriors were sucked out of the ship into space. She lingered a moment more sending a thought of good luck to her friend before she sped away as Ryoko had commanded. She would return to Sasami and the others if Ryoko didn't call for her, but she wasn't sure how long she should wait or for the time being where. Ryo-ohki's thoughts were interrupted as she felt a familiar presents, it was faint but it was there. Without another thought she hurried towards the presents.
***
Ryoko slowly crept towards the control room of the fortress using the darkness as her cover until she was just outside the door.
"The ship that just attacked has disappeared." One of the many shadow warriors reported to another.
The one most likely in charge nodded. "Report this to Bendis and Meltis." He said. The others went to work at the shadow's command.
As everyone turned to go back to work Ryoko chose that moment to attack. With her energy saber ablaze in its orange glowing glory she ran into the room uncaring of how she was attacking. She threw blast after blast uncaringly at one place to another until. The shadows cried out as she attacked them. Ryoko pounced like a cat onto the large control panel lining the huge metal wall. With a mad grin Ryoko plunged her saber into the panel taking it out of commission. And leaving the fortress unguided.
As the chaos ensued in a mad roar of flames and destruction Ryoko made her escape to the upper levels where she knew Suzuka would be.
Ryoko returned to the room where their earlier battle had took place to find the golden doors she had destroyed with replace with those that looked like the older ones only washed in fresh blood.
Ryoko phased silently into the room to see Suzuka holding onto one her precious spheres. "Who is destroying everything?" Suzuka asked impatient anger evident in her voice.
"Me." Ryoko growled.
Suzuka turned to see Ryoko standing far across the room from her. "Ryoko, so you're up and about. I thought you had crawled into a corner and died like a good girl." Suzuka taunted.
Ryoko did not let her words get to her. She was going to do this as she had planned. "Suzuka." Ryoko started. "I am sorry for what I have done to your people even though I did not have the strength to fight my former master. But what you have done to me and countless others cannot be exempted." Ryoko said forming a saber in her hands. "And for the crimes you have done of your own self-will you will pay."
Suzuka humphed, "Oh how righteous you sound. You forget you have just as much blood stained on your hands. I am your creations Ryoko so the blood I have shed is on your head too."
Ryoko slowly began to walk towards Suzuka. "Then I will destroy what I have created!" She said charging.
"Puny weakling you will not harm Mistress Suzuka!" Bendis cried advancing towards Ryoko.
Small beams shout out from Bendis's light body as it attacked. Ryoko carefully adverted the beams with her saber. "So you're the one who shot me in the back." Ryoko hissed as she deflected one beam with her saber then grabbed the sphere in her hand. Ryoko landed with Bendis still in her hand. "Let's do this fairly this time Suzuka. No shots in the back." Ryoko said closing her hand around Bendis's frame until it gave way and crushed like a simple soda can.
Suzuka and Meltis watched as Bendis's crushed body fell to the ground. "You bitch!" Meltis cried as it flew at full speed towards Ryoko. In the blink of an eye Ryoko thrust out her arm piercing the charging sphere with her saber.
Ryoko stared at Suzuka as she banished her saber allowing the now dead sphere to fall to the ground next to its twin. "And no tricks." Ryoko said bringing her foot down on the sphere crushing it.
Suzuka stared down at the broken bodies of her once trusted friends made of metal and wires. What little emotions she held left for anything remotely alive were in those two spheres. Her blood red eyes narrowed in hatred looked up to the one that had destroyed her spherical advisors and friends to see two golden orbs reflecting the hateful glare.
Suzuka held out her hand producing a dark sword. "Shall we end this once and for all Ryoko?" Suzuka asked the power of the Heaven's Tear pulsating throughout her body with what seems like excitement. Ryoko only nodded once as she reproduced her saber once again. Suzuka smiled as she produced a dark ball of energy in her hand. "Then die Ryoko!" She shouted throwing the ball towards her.
Ryoko, having no time to dodge the attack only crossed her arms before her face as the dark energy formed into an attack landed on her. In the place of Ryoko was now a blazing spread of fire.
"I am not as easy to kill as you thought uh Ryoko?" Suzuka asked into the flames where her adversary was most likely burning. Suzuka laughed to herself as she walked away.
"Neither am I Suzuka." Ryoko said launching out of the fire.
Suzuka quickly formed a dark sword much like Ryoko's and brought it to her defense as Ryoko came to her. Ryoko fought furiously but kept herself in control so that she did not tire herself too quickly. Suzuka quickly moved to the defense amazed that in the little time of their last battle Ryoko's strength and speed had actually improved to the point that she was having a difficult time keeping up. Anger flushed over her as she felt herself near the large window of her spacious chamber, any moment Ryoko will have her pressed back against it with no escape. This piece of knowledge angered Suzuka; she was not about to allow her most hated enemy to win so easily even if it did mean tapping into the rest of the power of the Heaven's Tear.
With one hard push Ryoko pinned Suzuka to the window. "Oof!" Cried Suzuka as her head hit the glass. "Do you think you've won so easily Ryoko?" Suzuka asked just as her body began to glow with a bright fluorescent light.
Ryoko quickly jumped a few feet away from Suzuka. She was about to warn her that taking anymore from the Heaven's Tear could kill her but she knew that would not stop her as Washu's warning of the gems had not stopped her. Suzuka stood looking refreshed and the blood red of her eyes even darker. "Ready to go again Ryoko?" She smiled.
Ryoko extinguished her sword once again. "I knew you'd do something like this." She said smiling. Ryoko held out her arms in a downward angel revealing the gems on her wrist.
"Oh so you have all of your little gems again. I've heard about their power and always wondered if those little balls could hold up to the Tear." Suzuka said standing back allowing Ryoko to activate the gems' power.
Ryoko's golden eyes closed as the gems began to glow. The warm glow of the gems grew until it covered all of Ryoko's body in a bright aura. Ryoko's mouth parted in a small gasp as the glow completely consumed her body, suddenly a flash of light appeared before her. One single Light Hawk wing which multiplied into three those three became nine and the nine became twelve.
All beings knew of the legendary light hawk wings of Jurai. Rumored only to be accessed by those of the Jurai royal blood. But even those of royal blood was unable to create twelve light hawk wings, only the goddess Tsunami was known for producing that many light hawk wings.
Suzuka's red eyes grew with shock. "How?" Suzuka asked. "How are you able to create the light hawk wings? You are not a Jurain!" She hissed narrowing her once wide eyes with disdain.
Suzuka's question was answered as three gold dots appeared on Ryoko's forehead, those three dots represented the symbol of the Goddesses.
The glow around Ryoko slowly began to vanish starting at her hands and feet. Ryoko's body hugging battle suit was no longer one side black and the other red with stripes. Now from her hands to the flaired shoulders was red, along with her outer thighs, and most of her chest. The rest remained black. And instead of the black of her battle suit streaking across her face like war paint it only covered to her oblong ears leaving the tips bare. Her garb was complete with a gold design around the gems.
Ryoko held out her hand forming one of the twelve light hawk wings into a blade. Suzuka looked on with little worry and outrage that her sworn nemesis is a goddess. She wasn't one of the Three Coushin, but the symbol on her bow meant she was of their decent.
Goddess or not Suzuka was going to fight. With a loud cry she flew towards Ryoko and swung once. Suzuka stepped away from Ryoko smiling with triumph at the line of blood on Ryoko's cheek. "See Ryoko, I'm even more powerful to you as a goddess." She boasted.
Suzuka's smile was quickly drawn back as she witnessed Ryoko's fanged grin. The blood instantly dried falling away in small flakes, and the wounded skin sealed back together leaving a faint scar. Then the scar faded away into nil, as if she had never been cut at all.
Ryoko gave her a fierce grin. "That," Ryoko said in a militiaperson voice. "will be the last blow you will ever lay on me!" Ryoko said mocking the statement Suzuka had once promised her.
"What because you have your pitiful gems again? You forget Ryoko; I have the power of the Heaven's Tear assimilated within me. I can easily kill you. Would you like that Ryoko? To be reunited with your adulterer of a husband and your brats?" Suzuka asked smiling. "I've beaten you before Ryoko! I'll do it again!" She yelled pointing the dark sword at Ryoko.
Suzuka's eyes widen as she looked down at her hand that held the sword. It was no longer a startling color of chalk white but had began to regain the color she once had before she took in the power of the Heaven's Tear. A sharp pain ripped through her body causing her to fall onto her knees with a strained cry. Suzuka began to convulse, "What is hap-happening to me?" She asked no one as she continued to stare at her hand.
"I told you your pride would be your downfall." Ryoko said bringing Suzuka out of her shock. "When you began to believe that your power was now greater than that of mine you lost your concentration on the Heaven's Tear." Ryoko said looking down on Suzuka. "I would prefer to see you down on all fours like the bitch that you are, but that's beneath me." Ryoko said. Ryoko closed her golden eyes and held her wrists out exposing the two true gems.
"Ryoko what are you doing?" Suzuka asked a tinge of fright in her voice as she stood.
Ryoko's golden eyes snapped open. She reached her hand out drawing forth the Heaven's Tear from Suzuka.
"No!" Cried Suzuka pushing the power back into her. "No I won't let this power go so easily Ryoko! You hear me?!" She screamed standing onto her feet. "I don't care what it does to me as long as you pay for what you've done!" With a determined look in her eyes Suzuka drew forth her dark sword.
Ryoko, never having released hers, brought her sword before her. Ryoko knew what she was about to do to stop Suzuka and destroy the Heaven's Tear as well.
Suzuka's eyes grew wide as she felt Ryoko's powers grew. It took only a moment to figure out what Ryoko was about to do. "We'll both die Ryoko!" Suzuka yelled staring at the furious space pirate in fear.
Ryoko smiled maliciously at Suzuka relishing in the fear in her blood red eyes. "Suzuka, do you know what the most dangerous creature in the universe is?" She asked her energy sparking about her.
Suzuka foolishly charged at Ryoko as a last desperate attempt to stop the woman before she actually destroyed everything. Ryoko flew towards Suzuka and in the blink of an eye both combatants stood a foot from the other with their backs facing each other. At the same time they banished their swords and turned.
"A mother protecting her children is the most dangerous creature in the universe." Ryoko said her eyes locked on Suzuka's eyes, which were narrowed with hatred and pain.
Suzuka released a shrill cry just as her body blew away as if she were made of smoke. All that reminded in her place was a large glowing orb. "I thank you, Ryoko." It said before it too vanished.
Smiling victoriously Ryoko banished the rest of her Light Hawk Wings. Deep within her Ryoko felt something break, like a rubber band that had been stretched beyond its limit. Ryoko could feel her power leaving her body and as if went she felt herself grow tired.
Ryoko sank down to her knees slowly falling into a laying down position on her stomach. She felt too weak to really notice how much her body ached. "What a way to go." She smiled halfheartedly. "I guess I'll just lay here until it's over." She said as her eyes grew heavy with sleep.
"Ryoko!" A familiar voice called. Ryoko could have sworn it was a ghost. Maybe she was on her way to the afterlife and Hotsuma was greeting her.
"Ryoko, where are you?" The voice called again.
Ryoko's eyes snapped open. A ghost with bad direction? No, not a ghost this had to be real. "Hotsuma?" Ryoko called weakly. "Hotsuma! Hotsuma!" Ryoko screamed. Suddenly Ryoko became aware of how much her body ached. "Ah! Aaaah!" She screamed her body writhing in sharp pain. She rolled onto her side holding herself in hopes that she could still her paining body.
Hotsuma appeared at her side. "Ryoko!" He shouted in happiness and worry.
"You're alive!" She smiled as he bent down to pick her up. He cradled her in his arms unintentionally placing pressure on her tender ribs. "Ah!" Ryoko cried out.
"Ryoko, what happened?" Hotsuma asked. It was then he noticed the three glowing red gems. "We have to get out of here. Whatever damage you did is causing the ship to destruct." Hotsuma said carefully holding Ryoko in his arms. With a mere thought he teleported them to Ryo-ohki.
***
"Momma!" Yosho cried once he sensed his parents' arrival. Hotsuma appeared with Ryoko in his arms.
"Mommy!" Akira shouted as she ran with her brother towards their mother.
Tears flowed down Ryoko's cheeks. "My sweet oni!" Ryoko smiled as Hotsuma helped her to sit in Ryo-ohki's floating chair. Yosho and Akira jumped into Ryoko's arms, although her body felt as if every bone had been broken and each muscle pulled she wrapped her arms around her children and hugged them tightly fearing if she did she would lose them again.
Hotsuma watched the scene smiling broadly, a small implosion from the dark fortress alerted him that they weren't in the best of places to hold their small family reunion. "Ryo-ohki get us out of here!" Hotsuma commanded.
Ryo-ohki sped away from the damaged fortress leaving it alone to explode in a fiery cloud just as its sister ship did before it.
"You two have grown since I last saw you two." Ryoko joked as she kissed and hugged her children over and over.
Hotsuma began to notice how tired and weak Ryoko looked. Of course she was tired she just defeated that insane woman. "Come on guys I think mommy needs to get some rest. She just beat the life out of that woman who kidnapped you." Hotsuma said taking the two out of Ryoko's lap.
Ryoko grinned up at Hotsuma thankful for him. Even more thankful he was still alive. She watched as her family disappeared into one of Ryo-ohki's lower levels.
Ryoko smiled as she stared out at the stars outside Ryo-Ohki's windows. Suzuka was no more, no longer a threat to her or anyone else. Husband and children were all alive and safe. Yes that was all that mattered now. Ryoko looked around until she found Hotsuma's journal seated on one of Ryo-ohki's crystals. She ripped out a page and began to write her thoughts.
Hotsuma returned after putting the twins down to play. "Ryoko, I didn't know if you were thirsty or not so I brought you something to drink. It isn't saki but it should help refresh you." He said. He looked down at Ryoko when he didn't hear a reply. She sat in a slouching position her eyes half open with a small content smile on her face.
"Princess?" He asked expecting her to chide him for the pet name. Still no responds not even a slight flinch. "No!" Hotsuma gasped dropping the glass and its contents. He touched her cold hand then cheek. Tears flowed from his eyes as he cradled the cold dead body of his wife. "No Ryoko. Ryoko!" He cried.
As Hotsuma held his wife a piece of paper fell from her lifeless hand.
To the Universe,
It's been a blast.
Thanks, Ryoko.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
She's gone much too long
Any time she goes away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
I know
She's gone to stay
It's breakin' me up
Anytime she goes away
Gotta leave the young thing alone
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone
~Bill Withers
________________
Sad isn't it?
End chapter 8