World of Stars
Ryoko
relaxed contently from her perch on the roof of the stolen car. The lights shone and winked at her from the
bridge across the bay.
"Look Tenchi!" She exclaimed in awe. "The Seto Bridge is something else, isn't
it?" Tenchi blanched.
"Look here Ryoko, that bridge happens
to be the Golden Gate," he said in a strained voice. Ryoko laughed at her own mistake and Tenchi's obvious distress.
"Well it really doesn't matter
either way," she said smiling. Turning
her gaze upwards, she looked longingly at the stars. The stars are all I really know, she thought to
herself. "We can sure see a sky full of
stars, huh? The stars are
beautiful." She sighed dreamily. "Don't you think?" This last was directed to Tenchi.
"Yeah, I guess," came the dubious
reply.
"We're all alone, under the starry
sky, you and me." No princesses, or
mad scientists, or galaxy police!
"I don't know how I got myself into
this mess!" Tenchi hung his head
unhappily. Ryoko laughed gently,
joyfully. "What is it?" Tenchi looked up at her.
"Nothing…It's just – " I'm
intoxicated, drunk with happiness! Just
being with you, just stargazing with…you.
"It's just what, Ryoko!" Tenchi demanded snappishly.
"Hey Tenchi?"
"Huh?"
"We've gone through a lot of stuff
since we started this journey, haven't we?"
"We sure have!" Came the soulful
response. Ryoko sighed contently.
"I just love stars…" Ryoko trailed
off, her voice wavering slightly. Here,
on the Earth, was the closest she had ever been to reaching her stars, those
brilliantly shining, untouchable stars.
Truly priceless jewels scattered across the murky blue sky, the only
jewels impossible for her to steal…until now.
Suddenly
blindingly white light surrounded the little car, lighting up the dim
dock. The space around them seemed to
shift and move strangely. A large
machine-like object slowly faded into existence through a dense cloud of blue
and black matter. With it, came a short
red head with a smug expression.
"Huh?" Ryoko looked at her confused.
Who is that little girl –
"Washu it's you! It's really you!" Tenchi sprang to his feet excitedly. Oh yes, now I remember…dimensional tuner…Ayeka…Mihoshi…Washu. Ryoko stared at her glumly. Tenchi sure had no trouble
remembering. While I lost myself in
this new world, Tenchi kept everything fresh in his mind…
"Long time no see, Tenchi," Washu
replied cheekily.
"So you've finally fixed
that…machine?" Tenchi asked happily.
"It hasn't been easy. I had to eliminate numerous different worlds
in order to catch up with you two."
"Alright!" Tenchi exclaimed. "So now we can return to our original world,
right?"
"Well, there is still one problem…"
"Wha –? " Washu directed her attention to Ryoko.
"You were the first one that
tampered with my machine, weren't you Ryoko?"
Washu looked at her knowingly.
Ryoko swallowed and looked away.
"Uhhhmm…I don't remember." She said softly, in a nonchalant tone. There was a slight pause before Washu
persisted.
"This world seems to be reflecting
your idea of a perfect world."
"Oh, yeah right, of course, no
wonder it's so messed-up!" Tenchi
glared at her, annoyed. Ryoko remained
silent, hands pressed flat on the smooth hood and ankles crossed
delicately. So, that's it, huh
Tenchi? Ryoko thought silently
My perfect world is just the 'messed-up' creation of a demon, is that right?
"It will be impossible for me to
eliminate this world without your help, Ryoko.
You need to renounce this world, that's the only way for us to get back
to our original world." Ryoko kept her
gaze on the stars, a faint mixture of dismay and anger lingering around her
eyes and mouth. For once a star
comes to me, and now I have to let it go?
"No way!" I'm a space pirate and I will steal my dreams to hold on to
them, just like I do everything else.
"Huh?" Tenchi looked at her desperately
"I will never deny this
world!" Ryoko turned and glared at him
furiously.
"Never? But don't you miss our original world? Come on, Ryoko!"
"Not at all, no I don't!" Ryoko turned her head and closed her eyes,
trying to ignore the desperation of his voice.
What's there to miss in that world? What kind of life is waiting for me there?
"Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted angrily,
"You shouldn't be so selfish at a time like this!" Selfish? Who's
selfish? She thought bitterly You're the one who wants me to give up the
only dream I ever realized…Besides, I learned to be selfish. How else could I survive? No one ever helped or gave me anything. I learned to take things for myself. "Why don't you want to go back?" Tenchi's question cut into her
thoughts.
"Because I – " Because I am
happy for the first time. Because I am
with you. Because the stars here are
just so beautiful, Tenchi.
She only paused for a second.
"Tenchi…haven't we had some fun together?" Her voice sounded small and hesitant, even to herself.
"You don't give me any
choices! How can I answer that?" She bowed her head, knowing that was true.
"I thought this world was beginning
to grow on you, Tenchi, isn't it at least a little?" The urgency and disappointment in her voice were clear. It was growing more and more painful to
speak, to hear Tenchi's angry responses, and to see her dream being ripped to
shreds.
"That's your wishful thinking!"
"Yes! I hoped!" Ryoko
exclaimed, pushing herself off the hood of the car and landing gracefully in
front of Tenchi. "I felt we had a deep
bond between us! I wished for that, I
admit it!" Ryoko leaned forward and
grabbed the sleeves of his black tuxedo.
And for once, Tenchi remained perfectly still at her touch. "Now, tell me I was wrong! Do you hate the idea of continuing to travel
with me so much?" Do you hate me
so much? Ryoko's golden eyes
radiated with pain, helplessness, and hope.
Tenchi looked away, overwhelmed and unsure.
"Well…I'm just…" No, Ryoko, I
don't like being with you and never will Ryoko thought, finishing his
sentence for him. She let out short, muffled sobs of pain as
she fought to stop herself from bawling.
Her eyes shone with unshed tears and crushed hopes, and she jerked her
head from side to side, refusing to give in.
"I'm staying in this world!"
Ryoko relaxed her grip on Tenchi and launched herself back and up into
the air, landing on the hood of the car with a dull thud. "This is the world I desire! This is my world, I'm not leaving
it!" Ryoko's voice cracked with emotion
as she fought off the despair of Tenchi's rejection. Tenchi gazed up at her in confusion and regret. Washu stood slightly behind him, her arms
folded across her chest and a troubled expression on her face. Ryoko clenched her fists into tight balls
and looked at them challengingly, before disappearing into the night sky.
* *
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * *
Tenchi
stood frozen, gazing at the spot where Ryoko had been a minute before. Then, he slowly turned to face Washu.
"Now what can we do?" He asked in a
defeated tone.
"We wait," she responded quietly.
"What? Washu, there has to be something…someway to…" Washu shook her
head slowly.
"Even if we could leave
without Ryoko's consent, would you want to do that to her, Tenchi?"
"I…" Could I do that to her? Tenchi wondered. I've never seen her that upset before…She's always been so
carefree, so liberal, so confident. I
envied her…and I disapproved of her too.
She acts as if having fun is all that matters, while I have been taught
duty and discipline my whole life.
We're really such different people, but tonight she was so…human! She actually told me what was on her mind,
instead of me having to guess. And
badly guess too, it would seem. Was I
so completely wrong about Ryoko?
Washu seemed to have read his thoughts.
"I was just as surprised as you at
Ryoko's reaction, Tenchi, and I have a better idea of the effects of my
machine. I know that this machine
endows the user with the ability to create their dream world, and needless to
say, there aren't many who would be willing to give it up. However, I never imagined that Ryoko was so
unhappy with her life. Of course, I
knew she would want a world with you all to herself, but…Tell me, Tenchi, what
were the other worlds like?" Tenchi
briefly described the five worlds they visited.
"Well, let's see…In the first
dimension, I was engaged to Ayeka, and Ryoko was a demon. In the next, we ended up in northern fishing
village with Kiyone trying to escape life with Mihoshi." Tenchi chuckled lightly.
"And Ryoko?"
"Oh, well, she was the town
drunkard. Next we ended up at a
school…Ayeka, Ryoko, and I were all students.
Sasami was dressed strangely and carried a big, colorful stick. She kept waving it around and chanting
strangely!"
"Then what?"
"Ummm…I was married to Mihoshi
and…Oh, Ryoko was our neighbor."
"And?"
"And what? Then we landed here."
"I thought so."
"What?"
"Tenchi, don't you find it odd that
Ryoko was never, in any of these worlds, married or engaged to you?"
"I thought the other relationships
just happened by accident! You know,
because the machine broke?"
"No, Tenchi. The girls entered in exactly what they
wanted. The machine overloaded, yes,
and some worlds were most definitely defective, but the main idea behind them
stayed intact. And this particular
world came out exactly to Ryoko's specifications. That's why she has to agree to leave before I can delete it. Apparently the machine was able to spit this
one out before the others interfered.
So, you see, Ryoko could easily have made you her husband."
"Exactly what's your point, Washu?"
"You were her partner in crime,
Tenchi. More than anything, she just
wanted you as a friend!" Tenchi stared
at Washu uncertainly.
"I've always been her friend!"
"Are you really, Tenchi? When was the last time you went to her? When have you comforted her, laughed with
her, just simply talked to her?
Have you ever done anything but run from her Tenchi?" Washu sighed and rubbed her face
tiredly. "While you sit there and judge
and condemn her for her actions, you never bothered to find out what drove her
to piracy. Do you believe that if she
had grown up in your household, she would've turned out the same way? Despair makes us do things we are not proud
of, Tenchi." Tenchi swallowed
hard. He really couldn't deny her
accusations
"I never realized you were so close
to her, Washu," he said weakly.
"I'm not. The greatest scientific genius in the universe does not have time
for friends!" She shouted, suddenly
energetic and grinning devilishly. "But
Tenchi, you do need friends, and so does Ryoko. She had all of us fooled into believing she was on top of the
world. She's glass, Tenchi, for all her
tough words, she's just glass. Don't
break her." Tenchi felt his throat tighten. Washu's words rang true; he knew she was
right. And all he could do was wait and
pray Ryoko was coming back. He had to
let her know how much he cared about her…and of course he did care. It was impossible to deny it any
longer. These past days, on the run
with her, the sparkle in her eye as they fled the police, the relaxed smile as
she leaned out the window, the wind whipping her hair…He cared for her. But, do I love her? My feelings are so…intense. With Ayeka, it's like a slow, warm blush -
gentle, calm, serene, and simple. With
Ryoko, it's a raging fire – passionate, angry, and so damn confusing! I wanted to hate her, but always came so
close to loving her. I wanted to hold
her, but was too busy pushing her away.
She's suffocating, she's distant, she's rough, she's soft…She provokes
emotions I can't control or even figure out!
I want her to leave, but when she does, it's so very cold. Tenchi sighed and began collecting wood
for a fire that could never warm him.
* *
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * *
Ryoko teleported to the
top of the Golden Gate Bridge and stood facing towards the dimly lighted
city. A strong, cold breeze ruffled her
hair and skirt. Ryoko wrapped her arms
around herself and shivered slightly. Why
is my perfect world so cold? I hate the
cold! She quickly phased to lower
ground, ending up in front of the carnival.
Everything was dark and silent, the Ferris wheel looming over the other
rides. Another bone-chilling wind swept
across the park, and Ryoko hastily phased into one of the Ferris wheel
cars. She gazed mournfully out of the
window with her hands resting idly in her lap.
I was so sure…so sure I had gotten the best of both worlds – Tenchi and
adventure. But then, I wouldn't be
sitting here, alone and depressed.
Tenchi would be across from me, enjoying the view…She smiled
cheerily at her make-believe Tenchi, who promptly smiled back before fading out
of existence. Ryoko dropped her gaze to
the floor, and then glanced back out the window, leaning against it for
support. Why can't I be happy? I have what I want and I'm not letting
go. Why…Why is it so goddamn cold! This is supposed to be a perfect world! But it's – it's not perfect. Ryoko realized with a sudden start. It's impossible for it to be perfect
because Tenchi's unhappy. And because I
love him, I want him to be happy. If
this was my perfect world, we would be together, and he would be happy…with me. "So why am I still here, then?" Ryoko asked
out loud, "This star is tarnished, I don't need or want it." Because this is the closest I've ever
come…This is the closest I'll probably ever come. And because I wanted to believe Tenchi could
learn to love me. Tragic, really,
but she never indulged in self-pity, and certainly never allowed herself to
cry. She hadn't in 700 years, and no
man was going to make her start now.
Still, she might want to dry her face before going back. Tenchi might wonder why a space pirate who
hadn't cried in 700 years had a wet face.
* *
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * *
Tenchi
sat by the fire, stirring it every so often with a stick. He turned in surprise when a dull boom
sounded behind him.
"Ryoko!"
he exclaimed. Washu turned her head
slightly.
"Yeah,"
Ryoko responded, with false brightness.
"Okay, let's go."
"Where
are we going?" he asked apprehensively.
"We're
going back to the original world, aren't we?" A bit of her old playfulness crept into her voice.
"You're
okay about that?" Tenchi asked, amazed.
"Yes." I have to be.
"But
you were so attached to this world, Ryoko." Ryoko bowed her head slightly, saddened.
"This journey
isn't real, and it's time I realized that." Her voice was heavy and tired; she was completely serious.
"Ryoko I - " Tenchi
hesitated. I'm sorry this couldn't
be real Ryoko. But Ryoko didn't
hear, or chose to ignore him.
"So Washu," she said,
hands on hips, "I'm ready anytime you are. Let's just get this over with." Washu nodded, her eyes sparkling. Good girl, Ryoko. In
the end you were stronger than anyone else could've been.
"Let's go
then." Washu walked to the machine
and entered in the proper settings.
"Ryoko's brainwaves…check."
As the machine powered up, Ryoko reached over and took Tenchi's hand.
"Huh?" Tenchi looked at her in askance. She simply smiled, a bit sadly. This must really be hard for her, he
thought. Tenchi smiled back
reassuringly and gripped her hand more tightly.
"The
dimension tuner is now set!" Washu called. "Now, hang on!"
With a blindingly white light the world vanished, and they found
themselves floating through a distorted space.
"Ryoko, I…I
am - " Tenchi struggled to find something to tell her, to apologize, or
thank her, or say anything comforting.
But as always with Ryoko, he found himself tongue-tied.
"Don't say
anything now, Tenchi. Otherwise, we'll
never make it back."
"Ryoko -
" I have to say something! It
isn't fair that she should sacrifice all of this, to sacrifice her dreams!
"But someday
Tenchi, I will take you on a real journey with me. Someday." I don't have to trap Tenchi to get him to love me, Ryoko
realized with sudden determination. I'm
the space pirate Ryoko! Powerful,
quick, street-smart, sexy… very sexy… Her thoughts drifted off as the white light consumed them,
returning the weary travelers to their own dimension.
All right, that about does
it. Sorry if it seemed kinda brief at
the end. I know I left out the onsen
scene, but I didn't think it really fit in with the main idea of this fic. I also left out the last scene between Ryoko
and Tenchi because (I'm lazy, and also,) I thought it was pretty
self-explanatory: the beginning of their beautiful relationship J
(as friends…soon to be lovers, no doubt).
