Author: Tenko
Title: Ryoko's
Truth
Chapter 4: Dancing
in the Wind
Disclaimer: I don't
own Tenchi Muyo, Universe, or In Tokyo or anything else for that matter. If you
sue me, all you'll get is a cardboard cutout of Christine from Hope's Angel
thrown at you!
"It's nothing, Tenchi,
ok?" Ryoko was on her feet in a flash and without thinking she flew
through the ceiling out into the rainy night. She flew aimlessly for about 15 minutes before she stopped to realize
where she was. She was very deep into
the mountains of Okayama, Japan. She'd
passed the shrine about 10 minutes ago. It suddenly dawned on her that she'd flown, away, from Tenchi--at top
speed. 'Why did I run...from Tenchi? Shit, I was caught up in my emotions
again...emotions for him,' Ryoko thought. She landed in a meadow that in the daylight would have been
beautiful. The rain had lessened where
she was, but it was still deathly cold to Ryoko (it's not THAT cold, but we all
know how much Ryoko hates cold weather). She looked around at her surroundings--it was something to get her mind
off things for the moment, to help her calm down.
There was one lone Sakura tree in the middle of the meadow in full bloom
and beautiful wildflowers surrounded its base. The flowers grew in an arrangement...like someone had planted them
there. The darkest of the flowers were surrounding the Sakura's trunk and were
growing tightly together. As Ryoko looked around she noticed the colors of the
flowers were starting to get lighter as they went away from the tree and
dispersed. There was a large rock to
the right of the meadow and large maple and oak trees surrounded the meadow. Ryoko sighed and her momentarily forgot
problems rushed back to her full force. The rain that had renewed its fierceness mixed in with the tears that
flowed down her cheeks. Tenchi had seen
her crying and sobbing like an emotional wreck. He seemed concerned...but how long had he been standing there
until he finally decided to say something?
Ryoko heard a scream and looked up. Suddenly there was a girl falling
from the sky! The girl righted herself in the air and slowed her decent until
she landed gracefully on the ground. Another thing Ryoko noticed was that it
had stopped raining...it was perfectly dry and sunny outside. Actually, it was
absolutely gorgeous outside. She stood
dripping wet staring at the girl.
"Ryoko? Hey, it's Christine...never thought I'd see you
again...wait a minute...where the Hell am I and how did I possibly get here?
Another good question is...where is here?" Christine asked, she looked to
be about 14.
"Who the heck are you? I've never seen you once in my life
before..."
"What? Hmmm...hold on a tick," The girl said and out of
nowhere a square cushion appeared (that oddly resembled Washu's except it was
navy blue...) and she quickly jumped up on it. A black see-through computer that looked exactly like Washu's appeared
under her fingertips. She typed away for a few moments when three windows popped
up around the computer.
"Ahhh, I see...the author screwed up!" She said angrily, but
not surprised in the least.
"Ack, the author messed up?!"
"Yeah, I'm supposed to be in Hope's Angel right now...guess she
started writing this story while thinking about me. That author really ticks me off..."
***I HEARD THAT YOU LIL BRAT! Now where exactly are you? I've been
searching all around Word, but you aren't in your story!!!***
"I'm right here in...Ryoko's Truth you dumbass, I believe you're
typing right this very second!"
***Oh...I see you are...well ok then...Ummm...how'd this happen? This is
going to make me a minute to fix, wait a tick.***
Christine rolled her eyes and said, "So Ryoko...having some
problems in the house?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"I'm A) a genius and B) I've already met you all in my world."
"Oh..."
"Talk to me, Ryoko, you have been able to in my world...why not
here?"
"Ok...well, ummm, I-I was...just...sitting on my rafter with
Ryo-Ohki."
"Uh-huh...I'm guess you were crying because that's just not rain
water all over you."
"Yeah...why am I tell you this? I don't even know you!"
"Hell, I can make the rain stop, Ryoko! Look, see!" She
laughed and went on, "Besides, Ryoko...you've got to tell someone and I
know how you think, so hah!"
Ryoko couldn't help but to smile. She liked this kid. "Fine...I
guess I do need to tell someone."
Christine smiled, "Alright then, how about you tell me why you,
Ryoko the fearless Space Pirate, were crying."
"I-I'm not really much of a space pirate anymore...Kagato's dead
now, so I'm free."
"That's not why you're crying, deary. Hey this is a pretty meadow,
by the way."
"I guess...I never really knew it existed. Hey, are you going to listen
or should I just revert back to my old self and go gallivanting around the
universe blowing things up?"
"Eep, sorry, Ryoko. You're a lil snip snappy today...go on"
Ryoko gave her an evil look and frowned. Christine held her hands up in defense
and laughed.
"I-I...was just thinking, about everything. Kagato, Washu, Ayeka,
Tenchi, Yosho."
"And that made you cry?"
"No...it's just that, grrr, it's not fair!" Ryoko suddenly
yelled. Christine shuddered a little at her sudden outburst and looked on a
little worried. "I think Washu only made me as an experiment, grief
because she lost her child and husband...so I'm nothing more than that! I-I
love Tenchi so much I actually cry and he hates me! Ayeka and I aren't going to
be friends like we used to and my own damned Cabbit likes Sasami more than me! Not
only that, but I was controlled by Kagato for years, forced to things I would
never want to! I was locked in a cave for 700 freakin years and I spent each
and every second awake, alive...I felt the long wait! Finally, finally, when
the one person I'd grown to love releases me, people think nothing more or me
than a lowlife beast! A monster, a demon! Lazy, stubborn...everything! You said
you know, so you know!"
Christine nodded and sighed. She
stood up from where she had been sitting and stood in front of Ryoko; looking
up at her.
"Ryoko, I'm standing here right now in front of you and I don't see
a monster or demon. I look up to you
Ryoko and I always have, you've been the only one in the Masaki house--besides
Tenchi, that would listen to me. They
think you're lazy and stubborn because you act like it, deary. You have this mask, I recognize it because I
have one, too. Let down your mask to
the people you love so they can know you. Forget about Kagato, that was the past; move on. You may always be known to the ones who
don't know you as Ryoko the space pirate, but your arrest warrant has
expired--well it is in my world. You
are Ryoko the woman just as I am Christine the girl. Show them the real you and nothing can possibly bring you down,"
She paused and smiled, "Tenchi doesn't hate you at all, he really
doesn't. The can't love you if you
don't tell them you love em, so get over the mask. Come on Chick, get out of here and go home before you catch
pneumonia or something."
Ryoko didn't know what to say. This girl just had the nerve to walk
right up to her and tell her what to do...she was right though. It began to rain again, just as heavily
before. Ryoko took this as a sign that Author might be fixing her mistakes.
"Wow, the Author managed to get off her lazy butt and fix someone;
I'm impressed!"
***Watch it Christine, or I'm going to turn you into a two tailed piranha
guppy fish thing!***
Christine narrowed her eyes and the invisible author but said,
"Ryoko, we're all Sakura blossoms dancing in the wind, we never know how
long until we reach our goal of finding the grassy ground or if we'll ever make
it there it there. Our goal may be cut short and we never know what direction
the wind will take us, but we dance on with our blind hope. I know that probably didn't make any sense,
but you might be to control what direction the wind takes you, so go for
it!"
With that Christine floated into the air and she smiled back at Ryoko
and quickly recalled her computer and cushion. The rain parted around her for a moment and she disappeared, leaving
Ryoko alone back in the meadow.
"You really are an evil writer you know..."
***SHHHH, fall back into character quick before someone catches wind of
this!***
'Maybe Christine was right...now I at least see standing here in the
rain isn't going to do much! I have to go find Tenchi,' Ryoko thought. She lifted off the ground and teleported to the shrine and back
to the house. She sat on the roof for a
second and a funny thing occurred to her; she didn't have a room. Was she so primitive that she had to sleep
on a rafter? As a space pirate she had
gotten used to sleeping where ever she could. She concluded to ask Tenchi if she could have the old guestroom no one
used tomorrow. She decided to see if
Tenchi had forgotten about her and went to sleep so she teleported into his
room.
Ryoko loomed over Tenchi's bed, but before she would do what she always
did she remember what Christine said about letting her mask down. She just looked to see if Tenchi was there;
he wasn't. Ryoko didn't know whether or
not to be worried or to be happy. She
teleported around the house trying to find Tenchi...but he wasn't anywhere. She landed by the door noticed that Tenchi's
umbrella and slippers were gone! 'He must be out looking for me!!!'
For the second time she was out in the rain. She looked by the lake and soon by the steps to the shrine. She flew over the stairs until she noticed
something; an umbrella that had been turned the wrong way by the wind. Her eyes
widened in fear and she searched everywhere.
After a relentless search she came up with nothing and she was out of
ideas. Just as she was about to break
down she remembered one place Tenchi always went when something was wrong or he
wanted to be alone; her cave. She
teleported instantly to the cave that she had gotten to know very well over the
past 700 years. She landed on a rock
and looked around in the darkness. She shuddered; she really hated a night
without stars--especially one so cold and rainy! That's when she spotted him! Tenchi's prone body was laying just beside the cave, he was undoubtedly unconscious. Ryoko was seized with fear, but she shook
her head and ran full out to Tenchi.
"Tenchi..."
"Tenchi..."
"Tenchi!" she called to him as she teleported back home. She carried him up the stairs the stairs to his room quickly as she yelled for everyone else in the house to get up! She set him down on his bed just as the others came sleepily into the room.
"Ryoko!!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO LORD TENCHI?! GET OFF OF HIM IMEDIANTLY!" Ayeka screamed at her.
"Ayeka, shut up! I found Tenchi passed out outside by the cave!"
"Oh no! It's just like in my dream!" Sasami said shakily "He was lost and sick in my dream and now this happened!" Sasami started crying into Ayeka's night clothes. Ayeka comforted her little sister as Washu rudely pushed Ryoko aside and started running tests on Tenchi. Ryoko backed away and leaned against the wall looking at Tenchi worriedly.
"Is he going to alright, Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked.
"Yes, he'll be fine, but he's not going to be well enough to anything for quite a few days."
No one even noticed as Ryoko slipped outside of the room and disappeared.
*********
"Hey, where'd Ryoko go?" Kiyone asked.
"I dunno, to bed?" Mihoshi pondered.
"Mihoshi, where were you when they were handing out brains?" Washu asked annoyed.
"We should all go find her. Sasami, you and Ryo-Ohki look after Tenchi. The rest of us will go look for Ryoko."
They went out to look for Ryoko only to come back with...well...nothing. Now everyone was starting to get really worried, especially since Tenchi told them how Ryoko was acting after she left. Tenchi laid back on his bed and thought, 'Ryoko, where are you?'
*************
Author Notes: Sorry
this chap didn't have the promise of finding Ryoko! Okie dokie, I've gotten
myself into this mess--er story! ;) Now I guess I'll have to finish it! Thanks
to all of those who take time to review and read! It makes me feel special! Look
down below, to hear me babble on to some people who had previously reviewed!
Thank you Silver (the wonderful author of The Bet and The Gamble) who's
unknowingly given me inspiration! Anyhoo, I remind you again; this has some
things from Tenchi Muyo and Tenchi Universe! I know, I'm really making this
story a mess by switching the POV's all the time! I had a major writer's block
when I started to write this...so I did what I always do when I get writer's
block; have a Christine/Author moment! haha, I have too much fun with
those...besides Ryoko needed someone to talk to! I hope I didn't make anyone too OOC and didja like my metaphor? Christine's
my lil character from Hope's Angel (which reminds me, I need to finish the real
chapter 5), by the way. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
gohan_viedel: So
far?! What, you think it'll get worse?! (j/k) Don't worry, Ryoko doesn't hate
Tenchi, she couldn't even if she wanted to! She doesn't really hate Washu...I'm
debating whether or not to make some mother/daughter bonding, heh, maybe I
should introduce Washu to the story at least! Yes, I do plan to continue it! Do
you plan to continue reading it? hehe :)
HandSolo14: Continuum disagreements, where? Where? Lemmi at em...*cough*
Anyhoo, there's no real record to set straight...I made Washu Ryoko's mommy and
Yosho locking Ryoko up happen on purpose because I want this to be mainly Muyo,
but I really liked the flower scene from Universe. I warned you in the first
chapter this was going to be a mix! ;) Everyone who wants me to add Nagi
somewhere in the story, say AYE!
I Love It: Hey, I'm not the only one who thinks like that, yey! Anyone who wants Ryoko to get killed; sorry,
I wouldn't kill off Ryoko, not while Tenchi and her aren't being honest with
each other, Muahahahahaha! I'm trying to make this a little bit different...but
you know it's going to end with a R/T, it's inevitable. Tenchi starts out not
really liking Ryoko that much...ya know like in the beginning of Muyo (or was
that Uni?) where he says to Ayeka "...she's not my favorite alien..."
but then he thinks back, back, way back into the depths of his soul
and...and...and...yeah maybe he'll end up liking her! ;)