Tenchi! Chapter 2 - No Need for Sentiment
Author: Ryoko-chan
Email: _Ryoko_@masakishrine.com
Rating: PG
Summary: Tenchi gets an insight into Ryoko's dreams and learns that he has a more significant role in everything that he thought.
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is the property of Pioneer Entertainment, AIC, and TV Tokyo along with the people who created the characters and gave them life by lending their voices to them. I have absolutely no claim to them.
Author's' note: Thanks to everyone who's been following the story from the beginning. If you haven't been, I hope its been easy for you to follow what's been happening.
Enjoy this chapter.
==============================
TENCHI! CHAPTER 2 - NO NEED FOR SENTIMENT
By: Ryoko-chan
Ryoko had been asleep for about an hour before I snuck into her room under the orders of Washu. I don't know why she's making me do this. She could just do this herself, she doesn't need me here.
I quietly walk up to her bed and place the small box that Washu gave me under her bed. It automatically clicked on and an orange light came on, surprising me a little. I step back and sit on the floor in the corner of her room.
As soon as Ryoko enters REM sleep, the light on the box will turn blue. Then you will suddenly have a headache. It shouldn't be too bad, so don't let it bother you. Washu had told me before I had come upstairs.
A headache...Nothing yet. Knowing Washu's ability at understatement I expect it to feel more like a minor head trauma. Ryoko shifts uncomfortably in her sleep and suddenly the light changes from orange to blue and a wave suddenly hits me. It is a headache all right. Like I said, a minor head trauma.
I close my eyes and I can suddenly see a hazy room. The room was black with a blue haze. This was Ryoko's dream or at least part of it. Suddenly the haze clears away and there is a bright light and it fades into the vastness of space.
The view I see through Ryoko's eyes is the view from Ryo-Ohki. I can see the control panel in front of her and Yukinojo and Yagami are flanking the ship. I remember this moment perfectly...this is when Ryoko fired at Yukinojo. The moment that Mihoshi was so critically injured that she died a week later.
Every detail is perfect. Every moment exact. Ryoko has this memory disturbing her sleep every night. That is why she always seems so worried that she did something horrible. The image Yagami and Yukinojo fades away as quickly as it appears and it is replaced with an image of the shrine. Suddenly an image of my mother and I standing in front of the shrine appears. Ryoko's gaze goes down to her hands which are transparent. She's a projection at this time. Washu always said that she could be in two places at once, but I never knew she had done this before. Soon that image fades as the other did.
"Tenchi?" I can hear Ryoko's voice. I'm not sure if its coming from her dream or from her.
"Yes?" I reply unspoken.
"What are you doing here, Tenchi?" She replies back.
This is something Washu didn't warn me about. She never told me that Ryoko would know I was invading her dreams like this. That I would be intruding into her most private thoughts. This could end badly, I think to myself.
"Why are you here Tenchi?" She asks me again. She can only hear what I want her to hear.
"Tenchi?" She asks again, impatient.
"I only wanted to be sure you were all right."
"Really, Tenchi?" She asks me, cheerfulness entering her voice.
"Of course, Ryoko."
"Tenchi...I'm sorry." She says.
"Why, Ryoko?"
"Because of Mihoshi..."
"You remember that now."
"Now?"
"I mean, you've gotten your memory back?"
"I never lost it Tenchi!" She says as if I was playing a joke on her.
"That's right." I say, opening my eyes.
"Where are you going Tenchi?"
"You need some sleep, Ryoko." I say, cutting the link to her dream.
I stand up, grabbing the box from under her bed, standing up.
"I'm so sorry, Ryoko." I say, holding the box as the small orange light blinks rapidly. "I didn't want this to happen. I didn't think I would so intrusive. Washu should have told me..."
No reply comes from Ryoko, of course. She is still sleeping, the light from the moon outside shines brightly on her face.
"These past weeks...months even...have been hard Ryoko. All that time we didn't speak to one another, watching the energy drain from your body because of those damn gems and knowing there was nothing I could do about it. And now, you not even knowing your past. The past that it hurt you so much to tell me about. You told me anyway...that really meant a lot to me, Ryoko. Knowing that you trusted me that much. I hope you understand that I couldn't just let you die during your fight with Miho. I couldn't let that girl defeat you so easily. I upset you so much, I know. But Washu's right. We were both being ridiculous about it."
I sigh, knowing how stupid I sound. If she was awake now, she'd tell me to stop being such a fool.
"Ryoko, I know that you're hiding your memories. You have the ability to remember what's happened to you. You need to face that, Ryoko. Face what you did...what you've done all your life. Aeka misses her fights with you, Sasami misses having to shoo you away from the TV every afternoon, and I miss just having you around. I know that you're lying right in front of me, but this isn't you Ryoko. Something is missing and I wish you would bring that back to us." I say.
"Tenchi." Washu says from behind me.
"Yeah, Washu?"
"You should go to bed, Tenchi. You've done what I needed you to do." She says, walking up to me and taking the small box away from me. "You did exactly what you should have done after the fight with Miho. You told Ryoko what you were feeling."
"I guess you're right, Washu."
"Go to bed, Tenchi." She says, pulling me out of Ryoko's room and quietly closing the door.
Washu heads downstairs as I walk to my room, yawning. I guess I am a bit more tired than I thought I was. Once I'm in my room and quickly get ready for bed and just lay there. Now, suddenly, I can't sleep.
I keep seeing the shot from Ryo-Ohki fly through space toward Yukinojo. Not only do I see it, but I see it through Ryoko's eyes. I can feel her pain at killing her friend, but it is masked. Her feelings suppressed from the gems' power over her. It was almost as if she was still suppressing her emotions. Maybe that was why she couldn't remember anything.
I quickly jump out of bed and I go down to Little Washu's laboratory.
"Tenchi? I thought you went to bed." She says as I walk inside.
"I did, but I was thinking."
"Oh yeah? What about?"
"I think I might know what happened to Ryoko. When the gems were controlling her she couldn't feel anything, maybe she still thinks that the gems have a hold over her. She doesn't realize that they're gone."
"That's a theory Tenchi, but how do you know? It was the dream wasn't it?"
"Yeah...she keeps the memory of the shot at Yukinojo. She can remember everything when she isn't awake."
"I know that, Tenchi."
"She-what? You know? Why haven't you done anything then, Washu?"
"There's nothing I can do, Tenchi. She needs to do this on her own. I keep saying that but no one listens. I would like to help her, but it has to be her decision. After tonight, I'm sure it won't be long before we have our old Ryoko back."
"Why do you think that, Washu?"
"She heard the voice she has needed to hear asking her to come back. She'll find her way back now, Tenchi. I'm certain of it."
"So you're saying that all she needed was to hear me?"
She nods at me.
"That's right, Tenchi. You still don't realize what you mean to these girls, do you?"
I don't say anything.
"Goodnight, Tenchi. We'll see in the morning if Ryoko is back to normal or not. In the meantime, don't stay up all night. You need sleep."
"Right." I say, walking out of the laboratory and back upstairs to my room.
All of this couldn't have depended on my actions. Why does everything in the universe depend on me? Why does everything in Ryoko's life depend on me?
All of these girls' lives depend on me at one time or another. Freeing Ryoko from Kagato, winning a duel so Aeka and Sasami could stay on earth, inadvertently saving Mihoshi from a black hole. By saving Mihoshi, Washu was eventually freed. Its a giant chain reaction. If I hadn't awakened Ryoko, Aeka and Sasami would have never shown up. If Ryoko wasn't here, Kagato wouldn't have shown up, bring Mihoshi and Washu along with him. If Mihoshi wasn't here, Kione would have never shown up. All of this because of me. And because of Ryoko.
Ryoko and I have been entwined together since before I was born. Perhaps it has always been my fate to awaken her from her 700 years of sleep. I don't know. Nobody knows, except perhaps Tsunami. Tsunami is supposed to have insight into everything in the universe. Perhaps she means for Ryoko and I to be together for the rest of my life, but how can I do that?
How can I ever choose Ryoko over Aeka? I love them both. There's absolutely no reason for me to choose...not yet.
I yawn again, laying down once again and quickly falling asleep.
===================
~End Chapter 2 of Part 5~
NEXT UP:
Tenchi! Chapter 3 - No Need for a Rainy Day
Author: Ryoko-chan
Email: _Ryoko_@masakishrine.com
Rating: PG
Summary: Tenchi gets an insight into Ryoko's dreams and learns that he has a more significant role in everything that he thought.
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is the property of Pioneer Entertainment, AIC, and TV Tokyo along with the people who created the characters and gave them life by lending their voices to them. I have absolutely no claim to them.
Author's' note: Thanks to everyone who's been following the story from the beginning. If you haven't been, I hope its been easy for you to follow what's been happening.
Enjoy this chapter.
==============================
TENCHI! CHAPTER 2 - NO NEED FOR SENTIMENT
By: Ryoko-chan
Ryoko had been asleep for about an hour before I snuck into her room under the orders of Washu. I don't know why she's making me do this. She could just do this herself, she doesn't need me here.
I quietly walk up to her bed and place the small box that Washu gave me under her bed. It automatically clicked on and an orange light came on, surprising me a little. I step back and sit on the floor in the corner of her room.
As soon as Ryoko enters REM sleep, the light on the box will turn blue. Then you will suddenly have a headache. It shouldn't be too bad, so don't let it bother you. Washu had told me before I had come upstairs.
A headache...Nothing yet. Knowing Washu's ability at understatement I expect it to feel more like a minor head trauma. Ryoko shifts uncomfortably in her sleep and suddenly the light changes from orange to blue and a wave suddenly hits me. It is a headache all right. Like I said, a minor head trauma.
I close my eyes and I can suddenly see a hazy room. The room was black with a blue haze. This was Ryoko's dream or at least part of it. Suddenly the haze clears away and there is a bright light and it fades into the vastness of space.
The view I see through Ryoko's eyes is the view from Ryo-Ohki. I can see the control panel in front of her and Yukinojo and Yagami are flanking the ship. I remember this moment perfectly...this is when Ryoko fired at Yukinojo. The moment that Mihoshi was so critically injured that she died a week later.
Every detail is perfect. Every moment exact. Ryoko has this memory disturbing her sleep every night. That is why she always seems so worried that she did something horrible. The image Yagami and Yukinojo fades away as quickly as it appears and it is replaced with an image of the shrine. Suddenly an image of my mother and I standing in front of the shrine appears. Ryoko's gaze goes down to her hands which are transparent. She's a projection at this time. Washu always said that she could be in two places at once, but I never knew she had done this before. Soon that image fades as the other did.
"Tenchi?" I can hear Ryoko's voice. I'm not sure if its coming from her dream or from her.
"Yes?" I reply unspoken.
"What are you doing here, Tenchi?" She replies back.
This is something Washu didn't warn me about. She never told me that Ryoko would know I was invading her dreams like this. That I would be intruding into her most private thoughts. This could end badly, I think to myself.
"Why are you here Tenchi?" She asks me again. She can only hear what I want her to hear.
"Tenchi?" She asks again, impatient.
"I only wanted to be sure you were all right."
"Really, Tenchi?" She asks me, cheerfulness entering her voice.
"Of course, Ryoko."
"Tenchi...I'm sorry." She says.
"Why, Ryoko?"
"Because of Mihoshi..."
"You remember that now."
"Now?"
"I mean, you've gotten your memory back?"
"I never lost it Tenchi!" She says as if I was playing a joke on her.
"That's right." I say, opening my eyes.
"Where are you going Tenchi?"
"You need some sleep, Ryoko." I say, cutting the link to her dream.
I stand up, grabbing the box from under her bed, standing up.
"I'm so sorry, Ryoko." I say, holding the box as the small orange light blinks rapidly. "I didn't want this to happen. I didn't think I would so intrusive. Washu should have told me..."
No reply comes from Ryoko, of course. She is still sleeping, the light from the moon outside shines brightly on her face.
"These past weeks...months even...have been hard Ryoko. All that time we didn't speak to one another, watching the energy drain from your body because of those damn gems and knowing there was nothing I could do about it. And now, you not even knowing your past. The past that it hurt you so much to tell me about. You told me anyway...that really meant a lot to me, Ryoko. Knowing that you trusted me that much. I hope you understand that I couldn't just let you die during your fight with Miho. I couldn't let that girl defeat you so easily. I upset you so much, I know. But Washu's right. We were both being ridiculous about it."
I sigh, knowing how stupid I sound. If she was awake now, she'd tell me to stop being such a fool.
"Ryoko, I know that you're hiding your memories. You have the ability to remember what's happened to you. You need to face that, Ryoko. Face what you did...what you've done all your life. Aeka misses her fights with you, Sasami misses having to shoo you away from the TV every afternoon, and I miss just having you around. I know that you're lying right in front of me, but this isn't you Ryoko. Something is missing and I wish you would bring that back to us." I say.
"Tenchi." Washu says from behind me.
"Yeah, Washu?"
"You should go to bed, Tenchi. You've done what I needed you to do." She says, walking up to me and taking the small box away from me. "You did exactly what you should have done after the fight with Miho. You told Ryoko what you were feeling."
"I guess you're right, Washu."
"Go to bed, Tenchi." She says, pulling me out of Ryoko's room and quietly closing the door.
Washu heads downstairs as I walk to my room, yawning. I guess I am a bit more tired than I thought I was. Once I'm in my room and quickly get ready for bed and just lay there. Now, suddenly, I can't sleep.
I keep seeing the shot from Ryo-Ohki fly through space toward Yukinojo. Not only do I see it, but I see it through Ryoko's eyes. I can feel her pain at killing her friend, but it is masked. Her feelings suppressed from the gems' power over her. It was almost as if she was still suppressing her emotions. Maybe that was why she couldn't remember anything.
I quickly jump out of bed and I go down to Little Washu's laboratory.
"Tenchi? I thought you went to bed." She says as I walk inside.
"I did, but I was thinking."
"Oh yeah? What about?"
"I think I might know what happened to Ryoko. When the gems were controlling her she couldn't feel anything, maybe she still thinks that the gems have a hold over her. She doesn't realize that they're gone."
"That's a theory Tenchi, but how do you know? It was the dream wasn't it?"
"Yeah...she keeps the memory of the shot at Yukinojo. She can remember everything when she isn't awake."
"I know that, Tenchi."
"She-what? You know? Why haven't you done anything then, Washu?"
"There's nothing I can do, Tenchi. She needs to do this on her own. I keep saying that but no one listens. I would like to help her, but it has to be her decision. After tonight, I'm sure it won't be long before we have our old Ryoko back."
"Why do you think that, Washu?"
"She heard the voice she has needed to hear asking her to come back. She'll find her way back now, Tenchi. I'm certain of it."
"So you're saying that all she needed was to hear me?"
She nods at me.
"That's right, Tenchi. You still don't realize what you mean to these girls, do you?"
I don't say anything.
"Goodnight, Tenchi. We'll see in the morning if Ryoko is back to normal or not. In the meantime, don't stay up all night. You need sleep."
"Right." I say, walking out of the laboratory and back upstairs to my room.
All of this couldn't have depended on my actions. Why does everything in the universe depend on me? Why does everything in Ryoko's life depend on me?
All of these girls' lives depend on me at one time or another. Freeing Ryoko from Kagato, winning a duel so Aeka and Sasami could stay on earth, inadvertently saving Mihoshi from a black hole. By saving Mihoshi, Washu was eventually freed. Its a giant chain reaction. If I hadn't awakened Ryoko, Aeka and Sasami would have never shown up. If Ryoko wasn't here, Kagato wouldn't have shown up, bring Mihoshi and Washu along with him. If Mihoshi wasn't here, Kione would have never shown up. All of this because of me. And because of Ryoko.
Ryoko and I have been entwined together since before I was born. Perhaps it has always been my fate to awaken her from her 700 years of sleep. I don't know. Nobody knows, except perhaps Tsunami. Tsunami is supposed to have insight into everything in the universe. Perhaps she means for Ryoko and I to be together for the rest of my life, but how can I do that?
How can I ever choose Ryoko over Aeka? I love them both. There's absolutely no reason for me to choose...not yet.
I yawn again, laying down once again and quickly falling asleep.
===================
~End Chapter 2 of Part 5~
NEXT UP:
Tenchi! Chapter 3 - No Need for a Rainy Day