So What's the Plan?
"Well, Miss Washu what is the plan?" Ayeka questioned as she slowly followed behind Washu, being careful to not upset anything in the lab.
"What did you call me?" Washu inquired with a threatening tone.
"Little Washu, what is the plan?" Ayeka restated through clenched teeth. Little Washu!! This harpy is old enough to be my great-great grandmother. But deciding that silence is the better part of valor Ayeka kept her thoughts to herself.
"Well Ayeka, if you must know I wasn't planning anything in particular beyond giving Tenchi what he wants." Climbing onto her cushion and beginning to type away at her holo-computer Washu gave a subtle grin that caused Ayeka a moment of fear.
"And what exactly would that be?"
"Well, Tenchi wants a calmer, more sedate Ryoko right?" waiting for Ayeka's answering nod Washu continued, "Well, what if Tenchi got what he wanted without actually changing Ryoko?"
"How would we go about doing that Missss…." Washu's head snapped away from her monitor to stare at Ayeka "I mean Little Washu?"
"Good save Ayeka, and we are going to accomplish that by removing the real Ryoko from the picture entirely and planting a fake Ryoko in her place."
"You mean like Zero?"
"No, Zero was a complete copy, so complete that Ryoko's emotions over-rode her core programming. No, what we need is a copy that would act like Ryoko without the true depth of feelings for Tenchi otherwise the copy would simply be overwhelmed by Ryoko's feelings. What we need this copy to be is Ryoko pretending to be you."
"You mean that this doppelganger of Ryoko is going to do nothing but make fun of me all day!?! Why make a copy, we can just have the original for that!" Ayeka's voice steadily rose to a scream.
"Calm down Ayeka. What I meant was that we need this duplicate to behave like you with all of your… uhm…how to put this diplomatically? With all your courtly manners and mannerisms." Washu reached for a sensitive way to broach Ayeka's aloofness.
"Little Washu wouldn't Tenchi see through the copy and wonder what was wrong with Ryoko?"
"Not if he honestly believes that Ryoko has changed for him!"
"But, she wouldn't give in to him that easily. Would she?"
"Actually Ayeka, I don't know for sure? I mean, I think eventually given time Ryoko would cave in to Tenchi's demands, but we don't have that kind of time."
"Washu.…er Little Washu why would I want Tenchi to realize that he likes Ryoko just the way she is?"
In a serious tone Washu replied, "Because Lady Ayeka, you couldn't accept Tenchi's heart if you didn't win it from Ryoko fairly and despite everything I think you want what's best for all." Washu's voice and face brightened, "Besides you don't honestly think something this small is going to sway Tenchi's heart, do you?"
"Why am I here Little Washu?" Ayeka was getting the suspicious feeling that Washu was trying to convince her about the validity of Ryoko and Tenchi, and she didn't like it. Ayeka still honestly believed that she and Tenchi were destined to be together and no amount of argument would dissuade her certainty.
"Because I can't do this without your help."
"Why not? Can't you just use all the information that you've already collected on me to make the copy?"
"No, I need a more detailed layout of your personality than what I've already collected. So, will you help me Ayeka?"
"Well, if I must then I must." Ayeka sighed in defeat.
"Good girl." Washu smiled and generated a seat for Ayeka to sit on and a cute recording device for Ayeka's head.
"How long will this take Little Washu?" Ayeka questioned patiently.
"Not that long for the recording process. The longest part will be the creation of a believable clone. There is no way for the clone to have access to the same powers as Ryoko does so if its going to be believable, then the light show that will happen anytime you two get into a fight will have to be impressive."
"But, why?"
"Because we need something to distract the crowd from the fact that there is nowhere near the same amount of power being used during the usual show of anger. Now Ayeka, you know that once the clone is in place you can't use your full powers like you use to with Ryoko, okay?"
"Yes, Little Washu I understand."
"Good! Then let's get to work, shall we?" Washu said as Ayeka sat down in the chair.