I don't own Tenchi Muyo.
For Reasons That Escape Me
By The Great El Dober
Chapter Five
Washu watched on in fretful terror as she watched Ryoko battling with
the robot. She had held back on the Souja to protect Ayeka, but this was truly ridiculous.
I know that thing is strong, Washu thought, It managed to
defeat Azaka, Kamidake, Ayeka and myself with the element of surprise, but it has no such
advantage now. What are you doing my little Ryoko?
What Ryoko was doing was lowering herself to a harmless level. No
offence at all, just defence, however if things went to plan the end would justify the
seemingly absurd means.
It was this thought that drove her on as she dodged and phased about the
bridge, desperately avoiding the robot's deadly assaults without harming it, but also
coming closer to executing her plan. Every step she took was expertly planned to lead her
foe into her trap without arousing suspicion. After all, if there was one talent that
Kagato had left Ryoko with it was fighting.
The machine threw another mighty blow in Ryoko's direction and the space
pirate responded with a graceful, evasive somersault backwards. Graceful that is, all
except for the landing.
She fell backwards into a large statue, making a sickening sound as her
head cracked off the ungiving stone. She then fell clumsily to the floor like a bird shot
out of the sky.
Sensing a real chance for victory the robot Zero sped across to it's
fallen prey, closing in for the kill. Ryoko's eyes snapped open just in time to see the
oncoming assault.
A satisfied grin spread across her lips.
Her plan had worked.
Ryoko phased away just before the robot's thundering fist came crushing
down, but instead of sealing victory it only caused a large dent in the floor. Ryoko was
gone but not all that far away.
Reappearing on the other side of the statue, Ryoko formed an energy
sword for the first time in the fight and swiped at the base of the statue. The heavy
decoration came tumbling down on the unsuspecting robot that was still trying to locate
it's vanished opponent. It never had time to respond.
The towering stone sculpture covered the robot and pressed it into the
ground. The mighty machine was now trapped under a giant pile of rubble, as the statue
cracked and crumbled from the force of the fall, sending a veil of dust into the air.
The smoke finally cleared to reveal three very different impressions.
Ryoko stood next to the trapped robot, her face raging with a savage hatred as her feral
eyes locked onto the old man across the room. All of her hate, all of her pain, all of the
feelings that Kagato had left in her soul, all of them were now directed at him. He had
tried to take her mother away from her, and now he would pay.
Washu wore a far more surprised expression but she was also very
relived. Ryoko had triumphed, it had been very risky but she had triumphed and in more
ways than one. Through her ingenuity her daughter had managed to break away from her
bloody past and solve her problems without bloodshed. This left her very proud glow on
Washu's face, proud and delighted at the personal progress that Ryoko was beginning to
make.
Dr.Clay's expression was completely different from the first two. In one
word he was mortified. If that girl could put Zero out of commission what could she do to
him?
He had been scared before but that was a small glowing of fear fuelled
only by his anxious doubt over the fight. Now it was fuelled by far more serious matters
and his fears rose in the pit of his stomach just like a raging fire. The flames of fear
consumed his soul as he stared fearfully into the golden eyes that burned with the hate of
a demon.
"Let her go!" Ryoko commanded in a stern voice, her features
now fixed in a threatening glare.
"Wh. . .What do you mean?" stammered the very intimidated
doctor, fearing for his life.
"Let Mom go!" Ryoko demanded again, aiming the palm of her
hand in his direction to emphasize her point. Had he not known better Dr.Clay may have
found Ryoko's gesture amusing, but he did know better. That hand could rip his body apart
with one small blast. One wrong move and this could be the end.
Fearful footsteps made their way across the room under the vigilant
supervision of the outstretched hand that followed their every movement, a constant
reminder of what would happen if he dared to disobey. A trembling, reluctant hand accessed
a panel on the wall and went to work, entering the required commands.
I've done it! Ryoko thought triumphantly, It's all over
now, I can get my answers. Things are finally going to be the way they should be.
It was amazing how much one piece of information could change so much,
but to Ryoko it was far more than a piece of information, it was a piece of her soul. She
had a feeling this connection, this love for Washu had always been with her. It would
unlock secrets behind her beginning, help her deal with her past and help her look to the
future.
With a mother she felt normal, she felt equal. To think that she once
had someone who took care of her when she was sick, instead of beating her for being
inoperational, someone who soothed her fears instead of locking her in a dark corner
because she was insufferable, someone who taught her and nurtured her instead of punishing
her for not knowing, to think that was to give her hope of a real future, an equal future.
But she had to understand to be sure and now, finally she would.
The liquid was drained from the containment chamber before the glass
wall slipped away all together. Washu cautiously made her way out of her prison, careful
not to slip in her current soaken state.
It was at that point that Ryoko's excitement and anticipation overcame
her and sent her mind into a giddy dance of relief and joy. Her thoughts were completely
overrun by her happiness, they were floating like the clouds, so light and beautiful but
also out of reach. She didn't quite have a grip on herself.
All of the control she had clamped down on herself during the fight, all
of the suppression and holding back was now torn away. Her once focused and precise
thoughts were now a light-headed waltz, prancing through her mind with no purpose but to
indulge in the moment.
She completely forgot about the defeated doctor, turned and bounded
towards her rescued mother like a small child full of innocence and naivety. Her eyes
locked onto her mother as her mind was spewing out feelings of joy and relief through the
link, the same overriding emotions that loosened her control and bound her caution. She
approached with careless, blind steps led by a mind blunted by the wondrous feelings that
engulfed it. It was little wonder then that she didn't hear the sounds from the other side
of the room.
The sound of rubble being cleared.
Washu just stood there, too wet to risk running, with her arms wide open
eagerly awaiting her daughter.
It filled her heart with delight and elation to see Ryoko run towards
her, wanting to be with her. She could feel it as well, the emotions and love that flowed
across the link. She stood in a subdued silence, relishing the moment, savouring the
feelings and the faded memories that they restored. The Ryoko she saw now reminded her of
her lost daughter, the grateful Ryoko that she took care of, the admiring Ryoko that she
taught, the caring Ryoko that she raised and most of all the loving Ryoko that she loved
more than anything else.
Her hungry soul eagerly awaited Ryoko's arrival as if Ryoko was the
missing part, the vital core of her whole life. The moment she had been waiting so
patiently for had finally come. After countless years of torture, only to be reunited as a
confused and dazed shadow of her former self, Ryoko had finally shown that she cared,
shown that she had truly forgiven, shown that she still loved her mother. This moment
ended the uncertainty and fear in Washu's mind. Everything would be okay now.
With her mind so preoccupied, Washu also failed to notice the sounds
from across the room.
They continued, oblivious to the activities only feet away from them. At
that moment, with their sights and minds locked on each other there was nothing else in
their universe, it would only have been a disturbance. Ryoko was only steps away from her
loving mother, only moments away from a warm embrace when a raging shriek echoed
throughout the bridge.
"DIE!" the shrill metallic voice screamed as
the robot Zero finally freed its arm and fired a ferocious shot at Ryoko. The blast cut
through the air with such power and velocity that Ryoko didn't have time to acknowledge it
never mind evade it.
All Ryoko could do after hearing the robot's words was to feel the
burning pain in her back. She felt the force of the impact carry her forward. She closed
her eyes, bracing herself for a collision but it never came, she lost consciousness long
before that.
Her body fell limp like a rag doll into Washu's open arms, smoke still
smouldering from her wounded back. Instead of an emotional embrace Washu found herself
propping up a body that hung heavily like a corpse.
Her beautiful daughter.
Motionless.
Lifeless.
Just like a corpse.
No! It couldn't be true, she couldn't die. Washu held her daughter
close, holding Ryoko's body with all of her strength as if someone was trying to pry
Ryoko's body away from her. She gripped on with all of her strength, so that no one would
take her away.
But someone already had. As she tightened her grip on her daughter,
Washu could feel a warmness tickling at her arm. Instinctively she placed a hand at the
source, directly on her daughter's back, feeling the same warmness creep and ooze through
her fingers. She pulled her hand away to observe the cause.
Blood.
Ryoko's blood.
Her daughter's blood.
On her hands.
Washu fell to her knees bringing her daughter crashing down with her. It
was all her fault, she should have noticed, she should have been more careful. Now her
daughter had been hurt by her foolish incompetence and her reckless negligence. The deep
red smear that dripped from her fingertips was proof, a testament to her failure, her
failure as a mother. Ryoko's blood was on her hands. She was the one who was responsible.
As she cried over Ryoko's body her trembling lips mouthed frenzied
apologies and desperate prayers but she couldn't summon the strength to put a voice behind
them. She just held her daughter tight, trying to will things to somehow be better, as the
mechanical beast tore away the rubble and menacingly approached the vulnerable couple. She
didn't notice though, the joy and elation that clouded her mind was now replaced with
guilt and remorse.
It was over.
End of Chapter Five
Next Chapter - The final chapter. I can't say much more than that except
for Ryoko will finally get the answers to her questions.
Note - I should have probably mentioned this before but if anyone can't
find "A Second Chance" (the original story) then you can access it from my
profile page. Also I re-watched the episode about Dr.Clay and I know that there isn't a
statue of that description but I needed it for the story so I kept it in anyway.
