I don't own Tenchi Muyo.
The Prodigal Son
By The Great El Dober
Chapter Two
The hour was late and the heavy night air seemed to drag and lie heavily
on eyelids but the raw excitement of the situation fuelled them and kept them well awake
into the small hours of the night. There was an unplanned but very welcome feast laid out
in front of the them to help celebrate what seemed to be a very happy occasion. Intrigued
eyes set upon this newcomer and listened intently with a captivated interest, all except
for two golden spheres that scrutinised this stranger with an uncomfortable agitation.
She sat cross-armed like a foul stench in the midst of a warm, welcoming
air. She was completely out of place and hostile but unlike a stench she was largely
unnoticed. This foreigner had charmed everyone else, they had all suddenly changed leaving
her to feel like the last of a forgotten kind.
In fairness that was untrue, they hadn't changed but this was a
monumental occasion and one that deserved proper recognition and consideration, which was
exactly what Washu was giving it. Her mind swam in a mixture of joy and guilt as she heard
of her son's tragic past . . .
" . . .so my father re-married when I was very young," he
explained, "and I always assumed that woman to be my mother. That was most definitely
how my grandparents presented it."
"And how did your father present it?" Washu asked in a voice
that showed her disappointment and pain no matter how much she tried to cover it.
"Father never disagreed and neither did my step-mother," he
answered, "but he always held my grandparents in a measure of contempt. This seemed
strange to me as they showed nothing but kindness and generosity to my family but he
seemed to hold a grudge that he never forgave them for. However he never revealed the
truth until he had to."
"What do you mean by 'had to?'" Ayeka asked, completely
enthralled by this captivating tale of deceit and revelations.
"As you can guess I am very old, although I don't look it," he
explained with his prominent blond mane framing his youthful features. "It was only
when my family and friends began to die off and I never even aged that I realised
something had been hidden from me. Then on his death bed my dear father made a guilt
ridden confession and finally revealed the truth behind my birth."
Of course, Washu thought, I always knew that Ryoko
inherited her massive life span from me but it never occurred to me that Hono would
inherit it also, but now that I think of it, it makes perfect logical sense. If I can live
at least 20,000 years then there is no reason that my son shouldn't still be alive.
"After learning of my true origins I vowed to search until I was
reunited with my true mother," he told them, "That was centuries ago and
although my search has been long and tedious it has all finally came to fruition."
This news of his longing to be with her warmed Washu's heart. After
hearing the sorrowful tale of how her loved ones' life had gone on without her it was
uplifting to hear such pleasing things, however it also filled her with an equally potent
but far more sinister emotion. Guilt.
How could I have let this happen? she berated herself, I
should never have given up my search for him, I should never have given up hope. He has
been searching for me all this time while I have been acting like he never even existed.
I'm a terrible mother.
It was ironic because while she had these thoughts, her child was left
ignored feeling neglected and obsolete. However this child had slipped through her guilty
conscience and was nowhere in her thoughts.
This is unfair, Ryoko thought, Why all of this for him? Why
all of this for a complete stranger? This never happened when I was reunited with Mom, no
one made a feast then. They didn't even do anything when I was released from the cave.
Then she sensed it, a small slither of negative feelings coming from her
mother. Washu had tried to hide them but very strong emotions would always seep through no
matter how hard you tried to obstruct them. Ryoko couldn't read what they were but she
knew they were negative so she mistook her mother's guilt for disapproval.
She heard me! Ryoko thought while redoubling her efforts to
seal the link, I can't let her know what I'm thinking. She won't like it. This is
important to Mom, I can't spoil it for her. She'll think I'm nothing but a spoilt, jealous
brat. I've got to do better, I have to at least make an effort.
"Hey guys," Ryoko started in a fake but cheerful sounding
voice, "Could someone pass me the . . ."
"I have a question," Ayeka started, killing off Ryoko's words
and her efforts to fit in. Ryoko's gentle approach fell pathetically into the unnoticed
depths of the background noise. With her honest attempts ignored she was felt abandoned,
suffocated in her own obscurity.
"Nevermind," Ryoko's sad, lonely voice whispered, but no one
noticed. All attention had now been turned to Ayeka her rival, although she was beginning
to think that she might soon have two.
"From the look of your clothes," the princess continued,
"I would say you are a man of great wealth. Tell us of your prosperity and how it
came about."
"It is simple really," Hono began, regarding the extravagant
garments that had given his affluence away, "Although I was searching I still spent
many of the countless years on my home world. I come from a very aristocratic family and
through the course of my prolonged life I have inherited almost everything for the past 26
generations."
26 generations! Washu thought in awe, beginning to realise
possibilities that had yet to dawn on her, That must have been terrible. Imagine
seeing so many loved ones die. He must have had great-great-great . . . . wait a minute!
"Did you ever have any children?" Washu asked in a voice that
betrayed her attempts to conceal her eager hope. If Hono was still alive because he was
her son then there was a probable chance that his children would have also survived this
long. She might have grandchildren!
"Alas no," he replied, "once I discovered my situation I
made a conscious decision not to. I wanted to learn more, I wanted to understand what had
happened to me before I passed it on to anyone else."
"Well, I'd be glad to share all that I know with you," Washu
offered, again narrowly failing to hide her true feelings. There were still
distinguishable traces of disappointment in her voice. This agitated Ryoko even more. Not
only was her mother making offers, eagerly trying to waste even more time on this stranger
but she was also visibly upset. Hono was getting a lot of attention from Washu, attention
that was normally reserved only for Ryoko and Ryoko resented having to share it. It was
hers, it was her right and here this stranger had just walked in and stole it from her. It
wasn't fair.
"What are your plans?" Ayeka asked nervously, worried about a
new possibility that had just entered her mind, "I hope you don't plan to take anyone
away with you."
No! Ryoko's mind screamed, He can't take Mom! I need her,
he can't just take her away from me. She wouldn't leave me here all by myself, she
couldn't.
Ryoko takes a long fearful glance at her beloved mother who stares
attentively at this blond haired menace. She does seem so interested and pleased, but she
wouldn't . . . . would she?
Mommy please don't leave me, Ryoko thought in desperation as
she frantically tried to hold back her nerve-racked tears. This was becoming far too much
for her to cope with and she could feel her barrier to the link slowly start to erode
under the force of her stress. Please Mommy, pick me. You have to, you just . . . .
"Well actually," Hono began after swallowing the mouthful that
had delayed his answer, "I have no real plans for my immediate future. I was so
focused on my mission to find my family that I assumed everything else would just fall
into place."
"In that case," Tenchi began in his normal friendly tone,
"I'm sure you can stay here for as long as you wish."
Tenchi? Ryoko's dismal thoughts continued, Why Tenchi why?
I know you meant well but now he will be here for longer. I hate this, I just want it all
to end now. Things just keep getting worse and worse.
However her progressive nightmare was far from over and with her
emotions free of their leash and wreaking havoc on her mind, with her block to the link at
breaking point, Ryoko was left completely unprepared for the finishing blow yet to come.
This one would hurt the most of all.
"Hono," Washu spoke to her son in a soft voice that conveyed a
gentle sweetness and a friendly calm as it drifted through the air. "It must have
been very hard for you all these years and although I can't undo any of that I want to do
everything I can to help you in the years to come. As your mother I will do everything in
my power to make it up to you. I promise."
That was the breaking point. Ryoko felt betrayed and although it was
unjustified her raging jealousy and wounded pride blinded her from all other possibilities
and left her with nothing else to believe in. She perceived the whole night as a downwards
spiral that she had been doomed to sink and drown in. Nothing would have changed the
outcome, she never had a chance and that fact just added to her agony.
Her feelings had slowly swirled up inside of her and now there were a
furious maelstrom of pain and dejection that thrashed around her mind and soul. It was
these feelings that made an assault on her link-blockade and threatened to break through
at any moment. Then Washu would know, she would she her daughter for what she really was,
a greedy, envious, ungrateful moaner. And Ryoko could feel it coming, she knew it was
going to happen. The mighty blockade was now a tissue thin membrane and it wouldn't hold,
it was going to . . . .
"Excuse me," Ryoko said quietly as she phased out of the room.
She had to escape before she collapsed completely. She needed space to breath more freely,
to be away from the smothering party atmosphere of the table. She needed privacy to
express her feelings without worrying about how others would react to it. Most importantly
she needed time and calm to reinforce the crumbling control over her mind and the link. If
Washu was ever to discover what her daughter had been thinking then she would most likely
be very disappointed in her and that was something that Ryoko wanted to avoid, no matter
how disappointed she felt just now.
The rest of the table was left in a silence of confusion as Ryoko
abruptly disappeared from her spot at the table. Tenchi, lover of all things
non-confrontational and comfortable, was stunned and jolted out of his pleasant, jovial
meal and into a sinister doubt that all was not well. Ayeka just muttered something about
being a 'mannerless person' but for a short moment before that her face had shown hints of
confusion and alarm. Neither of them did anything though as they recognised this as being
very much a family affair and considered themselves as spectators, guests, allowed to
interact but not to interfere. Neither of them wished to offend anyone.
Then there was Washu. She felt a deep parental concern for Ryoko that
usually overruled all else, but this time it was opposed by an equally strong parental
interest and guilt for her long lost son. This had been a most uncomfortable development
for her. She had been building up the confidence to open up to Hono for most of the night
now and just when she had managed it, Ryoko's actions were threatening to derail all of
her efforts. After years of searching while she carried on with her life, surely Hono
deserved her full attention just now. But Ryoko was her daughter and she had been through
a lot as well. Didn't she deserve her mother's concern? What would she do?
Simple, she would do both. It was times like these that the link was a
very useful device indeed. With a quick check across their mind link she could soon
discover the reasons behind her daughter's exit.
But what if she missed something important? Using the link required a
lot of focus and concentration, so if something was said during her check then she was
likely to miss it. She couldn't risk missing Hono's response to the words that she had
spoken only moments ago.
That was okay, she could limit her search, that way it would be far
quicker.
She quickly opened her link and searched Ryoko's side for negative
emotions only. That way she would know if Ryoko was upset or in need of help.
Nothing.
She then shut off the link assuming that Ryoko was fine and there was
not an unhappy thought in her mind. She was completely unaware that her probe had met an
iron wall, a complete block out of all thought. For all Washu knew Ryoko was as happy as
can be, maybe just a bit full or feeling tired at such a late hour, so with these thoughts
behind her she happily rejoined the festivities.
She didn't know any better but someone else did.
Ryo-Ohki sadly adorned Sasami's head and looked mournfully at Ryoko's
empty seat. Unlike Washu, Ryo-Ohki had no real interest in this newcomer except for the
detrimental effects his arrival was having on her 'sister'. She knew all about Ryoko's
blockade and being a creation of Washu's herself she could understand Ryoko's jealousy.
With all of this in mind and considering herself a sister to Ryoko she felt an obligation
to do whatever she could to raise Ryoko's fallen spirits.
Sasami's eyes followed pawed feet as they leapt from the top of her head
and scampered up the stairwell. The young princess looked around the table hoping that one
of the older members would have noticed, but none of them had. Her concerns for her friend
Ryoko had just been doubled and seemingly justified as her best friend had just followed.
Should she?
"Ayeka, can I be excused to use the bathroom?" she asked in a
most polite but discreet fashion, as was the proper, well-mannered thing to do. After a
tranquil nod of approval Sasami rose from her seat and followed the small cabbit upstairs.
She was going to find out what was going on.
Her tiptoed footsteps faded into a lonely silence once she reached the
upper floor. It was dark and the thick shadows cast a hazy screen around her, absorbing
the vibrancy of her royal robes and making most things either hidden or faint, but one
thing was very clear. There they were, Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki. The cabbit sat loyally at
Ryoko's feet, looking up with grave concern but feeling rather helpless to heal her
sister's distress.
Ryoko was staring longingly out of an open window as the wintry night
air chilled her gleaming tears as they slowly streamed down her face. Her golden eyes
sparkled like jewels in the reflection of a star filled sky but they had somehow lost
their lustre and hunger for life. Instead they held a deep death, a terrible volume of woe
that mirrored how Sasami imagined Ryoko must have felt inside.
The young girl felt a calling, a strong desire to help her friend, to
walk up and put an arm around Ryoko and try to pacify the troubles that plagued her but
Sasami knew Ryoko too well for that. How would Ryoko feel if a child like Sasami was to
take pity on her, how inferior would she feel then? Ryoko may open up to her mother,
showing signs of the small child that she still was in many ways, but that was only to
Washu, no one else. And now not even Washu was there to comfort her.
Poor Ryoko, Sasami thought sadly as she quietly began to
descend the stairs slowly, returning to the spirited dinner table. However as she walked
her footsteps echoed in a grieving silence that still called to her heart.
"There you are Sasami," Ayeka greeted with a giggle as the
younger princess came down the last stair, "You really must hear this story. It is so
wondrously funny tha. . ." and with that Ayeka fell back into a choking laughter. The
others were too, Tenchi was breathless after straining his body with laughter and Washu
was still clearing tears of amusement from her eyes. All of them, they were all indulging
in entertainment while Ryoko was sad and all alone.
It was then that it really struck Sasami, the stark contrast between
them and Ryoko. The table was flowing with laughter and fun, the air was warm and friendly
and it was on the verge of a carnival atmosphere. It was in all respects, a celebration.
Then there was the profound, grief-stricken silence that Sasami had
witnessed only moments before, where Ryoko was surrounded by her isolation and suffering.
Then Sasami fully understood how Ryoko felt. Here was her family celebrating, becoming
closer and Ryoko couldn't fit in. They didn't need her, she was no longer a part of it,
she had been removed. It was like a loyal dog that is put out in the pouring rain so that
it's owners can entertain guests as it stares longingly through it's master's window with
soaken eyes, wishing that it was the one receiving all the hospitable attention. Ryoko
didn't just feel jealous, she felt severed from the only place that she had ever belonged
to. Sasami couldn't let this happen.
"I'm sorry but I can't stay," Sasami replied, "I'm just
here to get my food. I'm going to eat it with Ryoko."
"Do as you wish," Ayeka reluctantly acknowledged as Sasami
skipped over to collect her plate with an eager fervour. It didn't matter that she would
miss out on a funny story and the pleasant company, all that mattered was that Ryoko's
loneliness was still there, it was still calling to Sasami's heart, even stronger now, and
she was going to answer it.
End of Chapter Two
Next Chapter - The introduction has not gone very well for Ryoko but how
will they all adjust given a fresh day to start on? How will Hono and Ryoko's first ever
conversation go? Is there anyone who truly understands what Washu is going through?
Note - I know the emotions in this chapter are a complete contrast to
those of the first but this is to show how Ryoko's life has been turned upside down in a
matter of hours and all because of one person's arrival.
