A/N: I've finally gotten around to rewriting this. Okay,
here's the drill: This story takes place after the end of the Tenchi Muyo OVA
series (The one where Washu is Ryoko's mom, I can't quite remember if that's the
OVA or what.) and assuming that the events in Tenchi the Movie II-Daughter of
Darkness never happened. Confusing enough for you? I would hope so. If
you've already read my sequel to this, you already know how it turns out, but
please don't spoil it for anybody else!!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
No Need For Startica
Part I~The Zero Virus
Ryoko lay on the roof of the Masaki house, drinking a
bottle of saki, just soaking up the afternoon sun. Suddenly a sharp pain shot up
her body causing her to twist and turn in agony.
"What's wrong with me?" She wailed in pain.
After tossing and turning for about five minutes, the pain faded away. The
silver-haired demon stopped turning and lay back to catch her breath. "That
was weird. I wonder what it was about." Ryoko thought out loud to herself.
"Well, I'm not too worried about it, I'll see Washu if I need any
help." The daughter of Washu said, spying a certain dark haired man coming
back from the shrine.
On the path from the Shrine to the house...
Tenchi Masaki walked to his home to clean up for lunch.
The air was thick with humidity and the afternoon sun beat down on him like he
was in a desert. Suddenly, the young man heard the sound of dissipating matter
from behind him and two seductive arms wrap around his waist.
"Welcome home, Tenchi!" It was Ryoko.
"Hello, Ryoko." Tenchi said half-heartedly. The space pirate squeezed
Tenchi tightly. "You don't sound too happy to see me." Ryoko whined.
Tenchi chuckled in an embarrassed manner.
"Well, of course I'm happy to see you, Ryoko, just
not happy to be squeezed to death." With that Ryoko let go of her
"main squeeze" (pardon the pun). Before the space pirate could think
of something else to say, a shout came from the house.
"Ryoko, Tenchi, lunch!" Sasami called. Tenchi
turned to Ryoko and smiled. "Well I guess we'd better get going." The
shrinekeeper's apprentice said as he began to walk to the house.
Lunch...
Sasami was the last to sit down at the table.
"Guess what, everybody?" She said in an excited voice. "What is
it, Sasami?" Tenchi inquired as he swallowed a large gulp of Meiso soup.
"Next week is the celebration of Startica!"
The Second Princess of Jurai's Royal Family announced gleefully. "Oh my,
yes! I remember the wonderful celebrations on Jurai that we had." Ayeka
reminisced. "Sounds like fun." Washu said.
"It is quite a bit of fun." Lord Katsuhito
chimed from the other side of the table. Mihoshi looked puzzled, as usual.
"What's Startica?" The blonde ditz asked.
"Startica is the celebration of the Summer Solstice
of Jurai. The actual day of Startica is the Friday of the chosen week, but the
celebration lasts all week." Ayeka explained in an intellectual tone.
"Maybe we should do a Startica Celebration here?" Noboyuki suggested.
With those words, Sasami jumped up from the table. "Oh could we?" She
gasped excitedly.
Lord Katsuhito smirked in his normal way. "I don't
see why not." The old sensei replied. Sasami's eyes light up like a pair of
light bulbs. "Did you hear that, Ryo-Ohki? We're going to celebrate
Startica!" The green-haired princess exalted. The small brown cabbit meowed
with delight and transformed into it's humanoid form to dance about with her
friend.
"Oh my! I'm going to have to prepare some special
dishes just for the celebration!" Sasami realized. Ryo-Ohki meowed in
agreement.
"Let's see, today is Friday, so I'll need some
things to start decorating for next week..."
"I'll go into town if you give me a list of what we
need." Ryoko suggested. Ayeka raised an eyebrow.
"Of course you'll go into town! You'll go into town
and use all of the money we give you on saki!" The purple haired princess
pointed out. "Lord Tenchi, we cannot trust this demon with any money, you
know how incompetent she is when it comes to things like this!" Ayeka
argued, turning to Tenchi.
"You're so mean!" Ryoko pouted.
"Ayeka! That was mean! I'm sure we can trust Ryoko
with something like this." Sasami said, shooting an angry glare at her
sister.
"Ayeka, I'd hope that we can at least trust
her with this task, right, Ryoko?" Tenchi said, turning to Ryoko. The
silver-haired space pirate was touched that Tenchi would side with her,
especially in a fight between Ayeka and herself.
"Sure, just give me a list." Ryoko shrugged.
Ayeka looked as if she was about to explode.
30 minutes later...
Ryoko the space pirate flew over the Okayama Mountains
with a bag slung over her shoulder with the list of items needed for Startica
and the money that would be used to buy the items with. Just watch me, Ayeka.
I'll prove to you AND Tenchi that you can trust me with this money to get the
stuff that we need. The lithe space pirate schemed.
Soon Ryoko came upon the town nestled in the valley of
the Okayama mountains and landed nearby it. She took out the list that Sasami
had made out for her.
"Hmm...first stop, flower shop. I guess we have to
wear these flowers in our hair or something." Ryoko determined as she
studied the list. The silver haired space pirate looked around herself to find
the flower shop.
"Where is that damned flower shop?" Ryoko
asked herself as she began to walk down the street. As she walked, she turned
her head from side to side, studying the signs on each shop.
"Here we go, Sakura Flower Shop." Ryoko
stopped in front of one of the stores with a white sign with pink lettering and
a picture of a cherry blossom next to the letters.
An hour later...
Ryoko walked out of the grocery store with her arms full
of bags. "I think this is it, I'd better check the list." She said as
she sat down on a bench next to the sidewalk. "Flowers, check...Sparklers,
check... Paper lanterns, check... Food, check...Looks like that's it. Man, for
such a small list, there are tons of bags." The lithe space pirate said,
examining the myriad of bags she had with her.
Without warning, a shock of pain shot up the space
pirate's body, just as before. Being in public, Ryoko didn't want to attract too
much attention. She gritted her teeth and let out a low moan. What's wrong
with me? I've never had problems like this before. It hurts worse than last
time, what's wrong with me? The lithe space pirate thought. Wincing from the
pain, Ryoko stood up and heaved the bags to the bus stop.
"It'll take longer, but this way I know I won't run
out of energy before I get home." Ryoko sighed.
Meanwhile, back at the Masaki home...
Ayeka paced nervously around the living room with her
hands clasped behind her back. Sasami and Mihoshi sat on the couch watching the
princess go back and fourth.
"Where is that Ryoko? She should have been home
quite a while ago." The purple-haired princess groused. Sasami sighed.
"Probably on her way back home right now. You know
how far away the town is." Ayeka's little sister said, rolling her eyes.
"No, she's probably at a bar, drinking her life
away and our money!" Ayeka shot back. Just then, the back door opened and
Tenchi walked in.
"Hello Miss Ayeka, Sasami, Mihoshi." The
brown-eyed boy said with a smile on his face.
"Lord Tenchi, I think it would be wise if we all
went to town to fetch Ryoko, I don't think it takes this long just to get a few
groceries and a couple flowers." Ayeka suggested, hoping Tenchi would side
with her.
"Miss Ayeka, I think we should have a little more
faith in Ryoko. She isn't all that bad. If it gets late and she still isn't back
I'll go after her." Tenchi said confidently.
"And besides, Ayeka, when Sasami goes to buy
groceries, she's gone for almost two hours. I count because I always wait for
her to bring back those yummy muffins from the bakery." Mihoshi explained.
"That's right, Ayeka, so quite worrying and why don't
you clean up the living room while I make dinner." Sasami said, rising from
the couch.
"Yeah, worrying only causes more wrinkles."
Mihoshi chimed innocently.
Ayeka glared at Mihoshi. "And that is exactly WHY I
have none, I don't worry!" The Juraian princess snapped back as she also
rose from the couch.
About an hour later...
Ryoko the space pirate stepped off the bus and began to
walk down the path to the house.
"What am I walking for? I might as well teleport
there. I've already wasted enough time coming back on that damned bus." The
lithe space pirate figured out loud. With that, Ryoko made sure that the bus was
out of sight and teleported to the Masaki home.
Masaki living room, about 2 seconds later...
The sound of dissipating matter filled Ayeka's ears as
Ryoko appeared before her. The Juraian princess let out a yelp of surprise as
she fell backwards onto the couch.
"Hello, little princess. Didja miss me?" The
silver-haired space pirate asked mockingly.
"Why I would ever miss you is beyond me. So how
much did you drink this ti-" Ayeka stopped speaking when she saw the bags
Ryoko was carrying.
"Did you really use the money on the items we need
instead of saki?" The princess asked in a surprised voice.
"Why I'm insulted you'd think otherwise."
Ryoko smirked as she walked out of the room into the kitchen with the bags she
had brought back from the town.
That night...
Tenchi found the house unusually quiet that night. No
fights and no late night TV viewing was detected through the walls in his room.
"I wonder if something's wrong?" He asked
himself as he lay in his bed. After weighing the situation he figured it
couldn't hurt to check and see if anything was wrong. The shrinekeeper's
apprentice walked out of his room and to the stairs to see Ayeka, Mihoshi, and
Kiyone gathered around the television watching a soap opera or something
quietly.
"Hey, where's Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, curious to
see that the ultimate "bad girl" was not downstairs defying the rules
of bedtime.
"She said she wanted to get to bed early tonight.
She should be in her bedroom." Kiyone said, turning towards the stairs.
Tenchi nodded.
"Thanks, I just thought it odd that it was quieter
than normal." Tenchi said, waving goodnight to the girls.
Ryoko? Wanting to go to bed early? Strange...I wonder if
she's feeling alright. Well, she's a big girl. If it was something serious,
she'd come to one of us. The young brown-eyed
man thought.
Tenchi opened the door to his room and walked in. After
closing the door and turning out the lights, the shrinekeeper's apprentice lay
down in his bed with a sigh. "I'm just a worry-wart." He thought to
himself as his eyes closed and he drifted off into dreamland.
Five days later, 9:00 p.m...
Ryoko found herself feeling sick inside and out. The
attacks had gotten more frequent, as well as worse. Each one had left her
feeling weakened so that it became a chore just to teleport. She didn't even
want to think about flying.
The space pirate lay in her bed, lights out and door
closed. She could hear the bustle of the some people below her, and some in
their rooms across the hall. Ryoko felt too sick to sleep, so she decided to use
some of her gathered strength to teleport to the roof.
On the roof, probably 2 seconds later...
Ryoko landed on the roof with a thud, feeling weaker and
tired. "Ryoko?" Someone called her name.
"Tenchi? What are you doing here?" The silver
haired space pirate looked up to see the love of her life also on the roof,
looking out at the stars.
"I'm just thinking, what about you?" He asked,
motioning for her to come sit. "I'm just too tired to sleep that's
all." Ryoko replied in a tired voice.
"You've been acting rather weirdly lately, is there
something wrong?" The brown-eyed young man asked with a hint of worry in
his voice.
"I'm fine, just fine." Ryoko straightened
herself up, realizing that her sickness was showing.
"Are you sure? I mean, you have been going to bed
really early and sleeping late, not to mention you haven't said two words to
Ayeka or tried to seduce me lately, are you sick or something?" Tenchi
pried, seeing that there was something that Ryoko was not revealing.
"I'm just trying new tactics." The lithe space
pirate returned. Tenchi nodded his head and looked back up at the stars.
"Aren't the stars nice to look at?" The
shrinekeeper's apprentice said. "Yes, they are." Ryoko said in a soft
voice. There was an uneasy silence that followed. All of a sudden, a light bulb
went on in the lithe space pirate's head.
"Tenchi, I have a question." The silver-haired
woman said, looking at Tenchi. "Shoot." The young man replied. Ryoko
smiled.
"I'm not asking you to choose between me and Ayeka,
but I want to know, do you love me?" The lithe space demon asked. Tenchi
smiled with warm eyes.
"Ryoko, I love all of you, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Sasami,
Ayeka and you. I would never forsake any of you. I love you all." Tenchi
answered. There was another pause, this time, the silence was warm. Ryoko found
herself overjoyed.
Well, it's a start. Ryoko
smiled. Suddenly, pain racked her body again, and the space pirate, Ryoko, went
into a seizure.
"Ryoko! What's wrong?" Tenchi asked, grabbing
her shoulders and steadying her.
"I don't know, it's been happening...ever since
last Friday and I can't figure it out... It comes and goes...but each time the
pain increases...and I get weaker..." Ryoko had to pause for breath between
phrases.
"I'm taking you to Washu, come on." Tenchi
declared as he began to slowly slide the space pirate over to the side of the
house where he could get off and get Ryoko off the roof.
15 minutes later, Masaki living room...
Ayeka turned her attention to the stairs upon hearing
the "thump, thump, thump" of heavy footsteps. There she saw Tenchi
coming down the steps with Ryoko in his arms.
"Lord Tenchi, what's going on?" Ayeka asked,
confused.
"Something's wrong with Ryoko, Washu might know
what it is, so I'm taking Ryoko to her." Tenchi explained with desperation
in his voice. Ayeka watched as Tenchi made his way from the stairs to Washu's
lab door. Tenchi walked in and closed the door behind him.
"Washu! Washu, are you there?" The young man
called out into the blackness of the small genius' laboratory.
"Well, where else would I be?" a voice snapped
back. A door appeared in front of Tenchi and out stepped Washu, the pint-sized
genius. She observed Tenchi and the contents of his arms.
"I felt that there was something that my Little
Ryoko wasn't telling anybody. What happened?" The small scientist asked,
examining her daughter.
"I was up on the roof when she came up. We talked
for a little while and then she had this seizure type thing. She said that it's
been happening for five days now, and each time it gets worse and drains her of
more energy." Tenchi explained. Washu's expression suddenly became grim.
"I don't like the sound of that," The small
genius muttered. "Tenchi, follow me." Washu motioned for Tenchi to
follow her as she walked into the door she had come out of. The young man
carried the now silent Ryoko in his arms and followed Washu. The two entered a
room which looked like a medical facility.
"I kept this room just for emergencies. I was glad
I never had to use it." The pink-haired scientist explained. "Set her
down on this bed." Washu instructed. Tenchi did as he was asked.
"Alright, now, I need to do an inspection, you know
the way out. I'll come and get you after the inspection." Washu instructed.
Tenchi nodded and walked out of the room.
Living room, a few minutes ago…
"That big faker. She's only doing this to get
Tenchi's attention." Ayeka gloated as she sat on the couch sipping tea.
"I don't know, Ayeka, it looked real to me."
Sasami said.
"Yeah, she was pretty pale." Kiyone commented,
also taking a sip of tea. Ayeka looked as if she was ready to explode.
"So now you're all on her side?" Ayeka asked,
infuriated.
"Who's side?" Came a voice. The three girls
turned around to see Tenchi standing before the door to Washu's lab.
"Oh nothing, Ayeka's just going on about how Ryoko
is just a big faker." Sasami sighed as she picked up her empty glass and
took it to the kitchen.
"Lord Tenchi, I was just worried that Ryoko might
be faking this just to get attention from you, and I don't want your heart
broken. After all, she is a space pirate demon." Ayeka explained calmly.
Tenchi's expression became one that a parent often gives a child when they're
disappointed in the child's performance.
"Miss Ayeka, I'm greatly disappointed that you'd
think that Ryoko would fake something like this just for my attention. I thought
you would rise above that." Tenchi said with an angry look on his face.
"I'm sorry, Tenchi," Ayeka lamented, lowering
her head.
"What is wrong with Ryoko, anyway?" Kiyone
inquired.
"I don't know. I was sitting up on the roof when
she came up. We talked for a little while and then she had this seizure-type
thing. Washu is doing an inspection right now, she said she'd come up and
explain what she finds after she's done." Tenchi explained.
30 Minutes later…
Tenchi, Kiyone, and Ayeka sat at the table, waiting for
Washu to come and explain the situation. Sasami had gone to bed a little while
after Tenchi arrived.
"I wonder why it's taking so long?" Ayeka
wondered out loud. As if to answer the question, Washu entered the room.
"Tenchi, may I speak with you?" Washu asked.
Tenchi got up from the table and joined the small scientist in her laboratory.
"So, what's wrong, Washu, is Ryoko going to be
alright?" Tenchi asked. With a heavy sigh, the pink-haired genius began her
explanation.
"When Ryoko assimilated with Zero, she contracted
everything that Zero had been exposed to, programmed to, and so on. Apparently,
that octopus head, Dr. Clay, purposely built a glitch into Zero. Whenever Zero
assimilates with anything, the thing it merges with contracts a built-in virus.
I've never seen anything like this before. I studied it for a while and I think
I may have a way to cure it, but, like I said, I've never seen anything like
this before, and what I come up with may not work." Washu explained.
"What does this virus do?" Tenchi asked. Washu
lowered her head.
"This virus multiplies slowly. After it's
multiplied, it attacks anything in the body thinkable. The attacks are
time-released, and that's why Ryoko went into seizures, because the amount of
virus cells attacking the same parts all over the body at the same time caused
so much pain. When the virus attacks anything, it eats away at whatever it
attacks, each time it does, that's why she felt drained after each attack."
Washu explained.
Tenchi swallowed this information in one big, painful
gulp. He had one final question.
"What are the chances of survival?" He asked,
not really wanting the answer.
"Slim to none." Washu muttered unhappily.
Tenchi stood there, astounded. He had figured that's what the answer would have
been, but it was hard to swallow.
Next time: Tenchi goes
to visit Ryoko in Washu's infirmary while the others prepare for Startica. Will
Ryoko survive? The next chapter is enough to make your head spin! Part II of No
Need For Startica: Ryoko's Lament
