Hey, I'm back! Finally, Part 3 is here! And, as promised it is much longer than any of the previous chapters, so I hope it appeases you for the moment. This part mainly features Tenchi and his thoughts, as well as some other characters' POV's. Hope you guys enjoy!
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo does not belong to me! Neither do the characters, except for Akuma! He's mine!!
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Redemption by Crystal Rose
~ Part 3 ~
Back at the Masaki shrine, things were normal for the most part. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. A cool breeze blew past as Tenchi stood up from his work in the carrot patch, one hand shading his eyes as he took in a breath of fresh air. As far as he was concerned, it had been too normal lately, if there was such a thing. This morning included, he felt a sense of wrongness and he feared whatever awaited him amongst all the quiet and silence. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but any moment now, he expected the mother of all accidents to occur. After all, you never know what trouble that crazy Ryoko will have gotten herself into next. He sighed. The question was: where was she? And what was she doing? He shook his head and prepared to go back to work.
"Tenchi! Breakfast," came the high-pitched voice of Sasami.
"Okay. I'll be right there!" he replied.
Breakfast came and went without incident, and still no sign of Ryoko. Even Ayeka seemed a bit more subdued than usual. Most likely, this was because the competition was no where in sight, so the princess felt no need to assert her stake on the boy, for which he was quite grateful. However, the air just seemed to be permeated with melancholy. Mihoshi, who'd come to visit with Kiyone, had been surprisingly quiet as well, sensing the strange mood everyone had fallen into. And although Tenchi was sure that nearly everyone present knew what was missing, except perhaps father and grandpa who seemed to get along just fine, no one had spoken yet. It almost seemed cruel and unfair that nobody felt the need to address the issue. It was as if no one wanted to acknowledge the truth and accept any responsibility on her part. It was as if no one wanted to care for her. He mentally sighed. Then again, who was he to point fingers. He was guilty of the same crime and was probably the cause of her disappearance in the first place.
Still it was strange that no one had noticed yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that... In total, it had been over a week since anyone had recalled seeing the loud-mouthed space pirate lounging about. Knowing Ryoko, she was probably just buying her time, causing all of us worry while she partied from dawn 'till dusk. Right? It's just like that one time they'd sent her off to buy them some food on a nearby planet. They'd nearly died from starvation while Ryoko squandered all their money on expensive hotels, gourmet meals, and who knows how much sake. This was just more proof of her reckless nature.
Tenchi continued his daily chores, lost in thought. Knowing Ryoko and her reckless behavior, who would want to care for the little she-devil, he thought. Thus, he answered his own question of why no one felt the need to care, or perhaps it should be no one felt the need to lose a limb, which was by all means possible in the presence of such a disaster. Watch out for Hurricane Ryoko! He chuckled a bit at the thought, a bitter sound. That's all he was doing right? Avoiding one of nature's disasters. It wasn't as if he didn't want to care, he just...couldn't.
Suddenly, Tenchi felt an unexplainable growing anger at the thought of Ryoko and her surely irresponsible actions over the last week or so. It was her fault that they were in such a mess, that he was in such a mess. No one seemed to be able to concentrate on anything except that rogue space pirate who seemed to enjoy randomly disappearing off the face of the earth just for the fun of worrying her 'family' sick! It was all so wrong. If anyone were to blame, it'd be Ryoko! If she'd just behave, he wouldn't have any problems. He'd be able to care for her normally without having to deal with any of her nonsense! All her fault! It was...it was...
The sharp sound of wood splitting broke him out of his rage. As he looked down at the broken broom stick in his hands, all his anger seemed to melt away and dissipate, leaving him as quickly as it had come, as his words came back to him.
Was it her fault? He knew he was capable of caring for Ryoko, he'd done so many times in the past, and nothing was standing in his way, let alone Ryoko herself. Yet, here he was, blaming her for his inability to care. And for what? Perhaps, he just didn't was to face the fact that he wasn't always Tenchi: the saint, the hero. He didn't want to acknowledge this ugly side of him, of all human nature.
But there it was. If anything, he realized with shock, he had been upset with himself, no furious. Furious with his inability to act and his not wanting to care because god knows what that woman has gotten him into before. No, he was the one at fault because no matter how much trouble she was, Ryoko had always watched out for him. It was no excuse because no matter how cold he'd been or rude or...uncaring, she'd always been there for him.
His shook his head as he disposed of the old broom. This lie had to end. He just couldn't allow himself to do this anymore, pushing all the blame onto Ryoko. He flashed back to the countless times she'd told him how unfair it was, how he just didn't want to see what was right in front of him. He thought back to a particularly ugly scene after a fight between Ryoko and Ayeka. They'd destroyed a part of the shrine that had been very important to him, its walls holding a memory of his late mother. He'd gone absolutely berserk and screamed at Ryoko about her horrible behavior. He'd told her she was completely useless. Why couldn't she find something better to do in her spare time? Why couldn't she restrain herself from attacking the defenseless princess? Meanwhile, he had helped Ayeka to her feet, completely ignoring Ryoko as he told her he regretted ever meeting her.
In hindsight, Ayeka had indeed started that little fight, and he remembered the look on her face as she brought her tiny logs out to play without hesitation. Ryoko had been dodging artfully, screaming back insults at the princess who had no inclinations of stopping. No doubt the space pirate was still thinking of the house's bathroom, which had mysteriously exploded in the middle of the night, for which she had received a thorough scolding. No, the only thing he could think of was that something had gone wrong once again in his life, and Ryoko was to blame. Always Ryoko.
How did he ever get away with it? It was ridiculous. Though more importantly, why had he done it? He couldn't even remember the last fight she'd actually initiated with the ornery princess. Perhaps on some subconscious level he'd been trying to fulfill some sort of false fairy tale, casting Ryoko as the evil witch so that he wouldn't have to deal with the responsibility of consciously choosing between the two. God, he was twisted! But even with this newfound knowledge, what was he supposed to do? He groaned in frustration as his head began to pound.
"Ryoko...where are you?"
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In the darkness, a figure sat brooding. The shadows wrapped about the figure, engulfing the entire area but for the faint bluish glow that emanated from a large monitor. One single lock of red hair stood illuminated in the damp air as the small figure seemed motionless, her gaze fixed on the screen.
A young boy stared back at her, a fierce light kindling in his eyes as he stood beside a wastebasket, the remains of a broom protruding from within. His face hardened as he headed for the temple.
The screen flickered before changing scenes to display the face of a young woman, who was laughing gaily at a man who stood sopping wet. The scowling dark haired man smiled suddenly and caught the woman around the waist, turning her about to brush aside a lock of her cyan hair. Her face colored a bright red.
A sigh permeated the thick air as the screen finally went black. In the abyss of true darkness, the figure slumped in her chair, caught between a battle of wills.
'Perhaps it would be best if she were never to remember.'
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"Where are you going Tenchi?"
The soft silky voice started the young boy as his steps faltered. He relaxed when he found the source of the voice, only to stiffen in surprise all over again.
"W-Washu?!"
Just the fact that no one had seen Washu since Ryoko left would have been reason enough for her appearance to be an unexpected surprise. However, the fact that she was currently in adult form was simply shocking. He knew how much she hated being an adult, ever since she'd lost her husband and child. Her dangerously soft voice just added to his belief that something was seriously wrong.
"Where are you going?" she repeated.
The question shook him out of his stupor as his thoughts came back into focus.
"I'm going to find Ryoko."
The statement was said with all the confidence and courage he could muster in the face of the universe's greatest scientist. The overwhelming feeling that he was undergoing some sort of test refused to leave him, making him feel wary and cautious as she weighed his words. Why was she acting this way? Could he have been wrong? Certainly, the fact that he had been acting badly couldn't be doubted, but was she out there wreaking havoc? Then again, one could say she was rebelling against the injustice of the world, or at least her world, which she'd once said he comprised.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that..."
Her words brought him back to the present with startling clarity.
"What? What are you talking about Washu? I need to go find Ryoko! You can't-"
His words were cut off as a cage materialized around him, binding his wrists and ankles. She looked as grim as ever.
"I can and will see to it."
Her voice was short and clipped as she stared down upon him. He continued struggling against the bonds to no avail.
"Why? Why are you doing this, Washu? Don't you care at all?!"
"I care too much..." She whispered, turning away.
"I...I don't understand. How can you do this and say you care? She's your daughter!"
"Tenchi..."
She turned to face him once more, her voice gentler, her piercing green eyes softening even as he watched. A deep and agonizing pain lingered underneath her cold façade, barely concealed; understanding dawned upon him in a rush of emotion. His eyes widened imperceptibly as he stared up at her.
"You know, don't you? You know where she is!"
His voice was accusing. She smiled slightly.
"Of course. I'm her mother."
"Mother doesn't always know what's best," he ground out savagely.
The insult hit the mark as the scientist stiffened. Her anguish was so evident that he felt a bit of remorse at his stinging comment, which referred to Ryoko's upbringing or lack thereof, as well as made a mockery of her circumstances as a young woman when she'd lost her first lover and child. However, he steeled himself. No matter what Washu thought of his actions, this was as much for himself as it was for Ryoko. He'd never find peace if he couldn't redeem himself of his past sins.
As if she could read his mind, which no doubt she could, Washu seemed to almost crumple in defeat. She sounded her surrender as she removed the cage that had rendered him defenseless. He began to rise from the ground when she approached him, her face shadowed.
"Here," she held out a small device, "This will lead you to her."
He stared at her outstretched hand for a moment before grasping the object and rising to his full height. As he turned to leave, she spoke once more.
"You know Tenchi...she's always been precious to me."
He paused with his back turned towards her before walking away in silence.
'I know Washu,' he thought grimly, 'I know.'
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Tenchi's grandfather was by no means insensitive or stupid. Aside from Washu, he had probably been the very first to take note of Ryoko's absence. Being a warrior for more than half of his life had given him a warrior's skills, and the most basic was to know one's surroundings. He sighed thoughtfully.
The tea before him lay untouched, rapidly cooling in the dark room. Thin rays of sun pierced through the paper-thin walls to stretch across the wooden floor like golden threads. Kneeling before the small table, Yosho sat motionless, his eyes closed momentarily in an expression of weariness.
Staring into the swirling green depths of liquid, he contemplated the events of the past year. Tenchi, his grandson had grown a great deal in power since his first awakening. As predicted, the Jurain blood within him would permit no less. However, that was the extent of his growth, for the boy had become no better in dealing with the many distractions his station warranted. Another sigh.
The fierce battle between the Juraian princess and the space pirate seemed all too commonplace in the past. However, over the last few months he'd sensed a subtle change in the young boy, could see it every time he looked into those clouded brown eyes that were so much like his own. He feared the change had been for the worse and was proven correct as a faint darkness had begun to taint the pure aura of Tenchi's spirit. Such dark emotion would end only in ruin. 'Hate is poison to the spirit,' it had once been said.
However, it seemed as if his grandson had come to his senses after months in the dark and was truly beginning to mature. As his mother once told him, 'To understand another, you must first know yourself.' After all enlightenment was just another step towards love.
He shook his head, amused by his own thoughts. He was getting more and more philosophical in his old age. He chuckled, lightly, thinking of what he'd just witnessed. He was proud of the young boy, of that he was certain. Nevertheless, he knew Tenchi's defiant words had struck the genius deeply and to be honest, he felt for her.
As the last echo of footsteps disappeared, Yosho rose silently to his feet, his movements graceful despite the many hours of inactivity he'd spent in the dark room. Padding carefully across the floor, he slid open the thin door, granting the sun access to the small room as bright rays flooded the enclosure. There the genius scientist stood in rare form, staring off into the distance in a contemplative silence.
Her back was partially to him, but he needn't have been careful, as she didn't even blink when he came to stand beside her. He took in the wide green eyes, fogged over in pain as she was lost in past memories. Her bright red hair seemed to glow in the sun, glinting orange where the bright rays struck it. He followed her gaze, adopting a casual stance before speaking.
"How's Ryoko?"
At this she started, breaking out of her trance as her eyes flew to his face in mild surprise, a gasp stifled on her lips. She averted her gaze once more.
"Happy."
"I see."
He replied in a voice much smoother and higher pitched than usual. She turned to look at him, blinking several times at the younger man that stood before her. He had shed the illusion of age for the second time now in centuries, his once gray hair darkening to a rich ebony, his face regaining its youthful beauty as his disguise seemed to melt away.
"It was rude of me to put you at such a disadvantage," he explained, smiling, "Now, we're even."
She continued to stare for a few more moments before shaking her head, a wry smile on her face.
"Even indeed," she mumbled out loud. He looked down at her, amused.
"Are you worried?"
They both knew what he referred to.
"Ignorance is bliss," she replied.
Not quite sure how to respond to such an ambiguous statement, he decided to rely on the past lessons of his childhood.
"True, however while ignorance breeds bliss, enlightenment leads to love."
Silence followed, a brief wind sweeping by before she coughed discreetly and turned to leave. Yes, he was definitely becoming entirely too philosophical for his own good, he thought, not missing the small puff of smoke or the mad laughter that followed it.
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A pair of red eyes snapped open at the sound of mad laughter, but the owner quickly dismissed the sound as non-threatening and settled back into the heated waters of the women's bath. She mentally sighed. As first princess of the Jurai royal family, she shouldn't be expected to suffer through so many indignities. Having that filthy space pirate around was bad enough in the beginning, but that hussy just couldn't resist taking a shot at her Tenchi, forcing her to protect what was hers by birthright! Over the past few months, with the way he'd been acting, she'd thought he'd finally come to see how perfect they were for each other. And it had all been coming together!
She pounded the water with a pale fist, splashing herself in the process. Ayeka sighed, wiping her face off. What had happened? Tenchi had been so kind lately and then Ryoko had just up and disappeared. It had been a dream come true! From there, things should have become increasingly bright for her and Tenchi, but instead everything seemed to go downhill in a matter of days. Everyone became moody and depressed, as if that hussy actually mattered! And now, Tenchi was gone!! She just couldn't believe it. In fact, she still wouldn't if she hadn't seen it with her very own eyes! Oh, she could just kill!!!
A small drop of liquid fell and made contact with the smooth surface of the water as red eyes blazed with fury.
'I'll get you for this, Ryoko!'
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Meanwhile Tenchi had set out on his 'quest' hours ago. The small device Washu had given him was more helpful than he had first thought, allowing access to a subspace pocket that held things like camping gear, food, and every other thing you could possible think of for survival out in the wild, if need be. He'd even found an umbrella and raincoat inside. He smiled. Well, there was Washu for you. She never forgot a thing.
His thoughts returned to that afternoon and her strange behavior, prompting the same questions he'd been repeating for the past few hours. Just what was going on? And how was Ryoko involved? He knew something was wrong...no he felt something was wrong, but was it?
He sighed, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He wouldn't know until he found her, and torturing himself with 'what-if's was not going to help. Pulling out Washu's device, he turned on the tracker and stared down at the flashing red spot on the screen.
'Ryoko...'
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So there it was! Sorry if you guys were disappointed about Ryoko not being in this part of the fic, but she'll be making an appearance in Part 4. Plus, I'm not likely to dwell much on the rest of the characters too much for the rest of the fic because this is a Ryoko-centered fic! Of course, you'll still be seeing a fair amount of Tenchi, but that can't be helped *shrug*. And another thing. I'd like to know if you guys would like Tenchi and Ryoko to get together because right now I don't really care either way and I can't decide because they both appeal to me.
So anyway, please REVIEW!!!!!!!! (I'd really appreciate it, even though I know I haven't posted anything in ages! *kneels* forgive me!
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo does not belong to me! Neither do the characters, except for Akuma! He's mine!!
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Redemption by Crystal Rose
~ Part 3 ~
Back at the Masaki shrine, things were normal for the most part. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. A cool breeze blew past as Tenchi stood up from his work in the carrot patch, one hand shading his eyes as he took in a breath of fresh air. As far as he was concerned, it had been too normal lately, if there was such a thing. This morning included, he felt a sense of wrongness and he feared whatever awaited him amongst all the quiet and silence. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but any moment now, he expected the mother of all accidents to occur. After all, you never know what trouble that crazy Ryoko will have gotten herself into next. He sighed. The question was: where was she? And what was she doing? He shook his head and prepared to go back to work.
"Tenchi! Breakfast," came the high-pitched voice of Sasami.
"Okay. I'll be right there!" he replied.
Breakfast came and went without incident, and still no sign of Ryoko. Even Ayeka seemed a bit more subdued than usual. Most likely, this was because the competition was no where in sight, so the princess felt no need to assert her stake on the boy, for which he was quite grateful. However, the air just seemed to be permeated with melancholy. Mihoshi, who'd come to visit with Kiyone, had been surprisingly quiet as well, sensing the strange mood everyone had fallen into. And although Tenchi was sure that nearly everyone present knew what was missing, except perhaps father and grandpa who seemed to get along just fine, no one had spoken yet. It almost seemed cruel and unfair that nobody felt the need to address the issue. It was as if no one wanted to acknowledge the truth and accept any responsibility on her part. It was as if no one wanted to care for her. He mentally sighed. Then again, who was he to point fingers. He was guilty of the same crime and was probably the cause of her disappearance in the first place.
Still it was strange that no one had noticed yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that... In total, it had been over a week since anyone had recalled seeing the loud-mouthed space pirate lounging about. Knowing Ryoko, she was probably just buying her time, causing all of us worry while she partied from dawn 'till dusk. Right? It's just like that one time they'd sent her off to buy them some food on a nearby planet. They'd nearly died from starvation while Ryoko squandered all their money on expensive hotels, gourmet meals, and who knows how much sake. This was just more proof of her reckless nature.
Tenchi continued his daily chores, lost in thought. Knowing Ryoko and her reckless behavior, who would want to care for the little she-devil, he thought. Thus, he answered his own question of why no one felt the need to care, or perhaps it should be no one felt the need to lose a limb, which was by all means possible in the presence of such a disaster. Watch out for Hurricane Ryoko! He chuckled a bit at the thought, a bitter sound. That's all he was doing right? Avoiding one of nature's disasters. It wasn't as if he didn't want to care, he just...couldn't.
Suddenly, Tenchi felt an unexplainable growing anger at the thought of Ryoko and her surely irresponsible actions over the last week or so. It was her fault that they were in such a mess, that he was in such a mess. No one seemed to be able to concentrate on anything except that rogue space pirate who seemed to enjoy randomly disappearing off the face of the earth just for the fun of worrying her 'family' sick! It was all so wrong. If anyone were to blame, it'd be Ryoko! If she'd just behave, he wouldn't have any problems. He'd be able to care for her normally without having to deal with any of her nonsense! All her fault! It was...it was...
The sharp sound of wood splitting broke him out of his rage. As he looked down at the broken broom stick in his hands, all his anger seemed to melt away and dissipate, leaving him as quickly as it had come, as his words came back to him.
Was it her fault? He knew he was capable of caring for Ryoko, he'd done so many times in the past, and nothing was standing in his way, let alone Ryoko herself. Yet, here he was, blaming her for his inability to care. And for what? Perhaps, he just didn't was to face the fact that he wasn't always Tenchi: the saint, the hero. He didn't want to acknowledge this ugly side of him, of all human nature.
But there it was. If anything, he realized with shock, he had been upset with himself, no furious. Furious with his inability to act and his not wanting to care because god knows what that woman has gotten him into before. No, he was the one at fault because no matter how much trouble she was, Ryoko had always watched out for him. It was no excuse because no matter how cold he'd been or rude or...uncaring, she'd always been there for him.
His shook his head as he disposed of the old broom. This lie had to end. He just couldn't allow himself to do this anymore, pushing all the blame onto Ryoko. He flashed back to the countless times she'd told him how unfair it was, how he just didn't want to see what was right in front of him. He thought back to a particularly ugly scene after a fight between Ryoko and Ayeka. They'd destroyed a part of the shrine that had been very important to him, its walls holding a memory of his late mother. He'd gone absolutely berserk and screamed at Ryoko about her horrible behavior. He'd told her she was completely useless. Why couldn't she find something better to do in her spare time? Why couldn't she restrain herself from attacking the defenseless princess? Meanwhile, he had helped Ayeka to her feet, completely ignoring Ryoko as he told her he regretted ever meeting her.
In hindsight, Ayeka had indeed started that little fight, and he remembered the look on her face as she brought her tiny logs out to play without hesitation. Ryoko had been dodging artfully, screaming back insults at the princess who had no inclinations of stopping. No doubt the space pirate was still thinking of the house's bathroom, which had mysteriously exploded in the middle of the night, for which she had received a thorough scolding. No, the only thing he could think of was that something had gone wrong once again in his life, and Ryoko was to blame. Always Ryoko.
How did he ever get away with it? It was ridiculous. Though more importantly, why had he done it? He couldn't even remember the last fight she'd actually initiated with the ornery princess. Perhaps on some subconscious level he'd been trying to fulfill some sort of false fairy tale, casting Ryoko as the evil witch so that he wouldn't have to deal with the responsibility of consciously choosing between the two. God, he was twisted! But even with this newfound knowledge, what was he supposed to do? He groaned in frustration as his head began to pound.
"Ryoko...where are you?"
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In the darkness, a figure sat brooding. The shadows wrapped about the figure, engulfing the entire area but for the faint bluish glow that emanated from a large monitor. One single lock of red hair stood illuminated in the damp air as the small figure seemed motionless, her gaze fixed on the screen.
A young boy stared back at her, a fierce light kindling in his eyes as he stood beside a wastebasket, the remains of a broom protruding from within. His face hardened as he headed for the temple.
The screen flickered before changing scenes to display the face of a young woman, who was laughing gaily at a man who stood sopping wet. The scowling dark haired man smiled suddenly and caught the woman around the waist, turning her about to brush aside a lock of her cyan hair. Her face colored a bright red.
A sigh permeated the thick air as the screen finally went black. In the abyss of true darkness, the figure slumped in her chair, caught between a battle of wills.
'Perhaps it would be best if she were never to remember.'
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"Where are you going Tenchi?"
The soft silky voice started the young boy as his steps faltered. He relaxed when he found the source of the voice, only to stiffen in surprise all over again.
"W-Washu?!"
Just the fact that no one had seen Washu since Ryoko left would have been reason enough for her appearance to be an unexpected surprise. However, the fact that she was currently in adult form was simply shocking. He knew how much she hated being an adult, ever since she'd lost her husband and child. Her dangerously soft voice just added to his belief that something was seriously wrong.
"Where are you going?" she repeated.
The question shook him out of his stupor as his thoughts came back into focus.
"I'm going to find Ryoko."
The statement was said with all the confidence and courage he could muster in the face of the universe's greatest scientist. The overwhelming feeling that he was undergoing some sort of test refused to leave him, making him feel wary and cautious as she weighed his words. Why was she acting this way? Could he have been wrong? Certainly, the fact that he had been acting badly couldn't be doubted, but was she out there wreaking havoc? Then again, one could say she was rebelling against the injustice of the world, or at least her world, which she'd once said he comprised.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that..."
Her words brought him back to the present with startling clarity.
"What? What are you talking about Washu? I need to go find Ryoko! You can't-"
His words were cut off as a cage materialized around him, binding his wrists and ankles. She looked as grim as ever.
"I can and will see to it."
Her voice was short and clipped as she stared down upon him. He continued struggling against the bonds to no avail.
"Why? Why are you doing this, Washu? Don't you care at all?!"
"I care too much..." She whispered, turning away.
"I...I don't understand. How can you do this and say you care? She's your daughter!"
"Tenchi..."
She turned to face him once more, her voice gentler, her piercing green eyes softening even as he watched. A deep and agonizing pain lingered underneath her cold façade, barely concealed; understanding dawned upon him in a rush of emotion. His eyes widened imperceptibly as he stared up at her.
"You know, don't you? You know where she is!"
His voice was accusing. She smiled slightly.
"Of course. I'm her mother."
"Mother doesn't always know what's best," he ground out savagely.
The insult hit the mark as the scientist stiffened. Her anguish was so evident that he felt a bit of remorse at his stinging comment, which referred to Ryoko's upbringing or lack thereof, as well as made a mockery of her circumstances as a young woman when she'd lost her first lover and child. However, he steeled himself. No matter what Washu thought of his actions, this was as much for himself as it was for Ryoko. He'd never find peace if he couldn't redeem himself of his past sins.
As if she could read his mind, which no doubt she could, Washu seemed to almost crumple in defeat. She sounded her surrender as she removed the cage that had rendered him defenseless. He began to rise from the ground when she approached him, her face shadowed.
"Here," she held out a small device, "This will lead you to her."
He stared at her outstretched hand for a moment before grasping the object and rising to his full height. As he turned to leave, she spoke once more.
"You know Tenchi...she's always been precious to me."
He paused with his back turned towards her before walking away in silence.
'I know Washu,' he thought grimly, 'I know.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tenchi's grandfather was by no means insensitive or stupid. Aside from Washu, he had probably been the very first to take note of Ryoko's absence. Being a warrior for more than half of his life had given him a warrior's skills, and the most basic was to know one's surroundings. He sighed thoughtfully.
The tea before him lay untouched, rapidly cooling in the dark room. Thin rays of sun pierced through the paper-thin walls to stretch across the wooden floor like golden threads. Kneeling before the small table, Yosho sat motionless, his eyes closed momentarily in an expression of weariness.
Staring into the swirling green depths of liquid, he contemplated the events of the past year. Tenchi, his grandson had grown a great deal in power since his first awakening. As predicted, the Jurain blood within him would permit no less. However, that was the extent of his growth, for the boy had become no better in dealing with the many distractions his station warranted. Another sigh.
The fierce battle between the Juraian princess and the space pirate seemed all too commonplace in the past. However, over the last few months he'd sensed a subtle change in the young boy, could see it every time he looked into those clouded brown eyes that were so much like his own. He feared the change had been for the worse and was proven correct as a faint darkness had begun to taint the pure aura of Tenchi's spirit. Such dark emotion would end only in ruin. 'Hate is poison to the spirit,' it had once been said.
However, it seemed as if his grandson had come to his senses after months in the dark and was truly beginning to mature. As his mother once told him, 'To understand another, you must first know yourself.' After all enlightenment was just another step towards love.
He shook his head, amused by his own thoughts. He was getting more and more philosophical in his old age. He chuckled, lightly, thinking of what he'd just witnessed. He was proud of the young boy, of that he was certain. Nevertheless, he knew Tenchi's defiant words had struck the genius deeply and to be honest, he felt for her.
As the last echo of footsteps disappeared, Yosho rose silently to his feet, his movements graceful despite the many hours of inactivity he'd spent in the dark room. Padding carefully across the floor, he slid open the thin door, granting the sun access to the small room as bright rays flooded the enclosure. There the genius scientist stood in rare form, staring off into the distance in a contemplative silence.
Her back was partially to him, but he needn't have been careful, as she didn't even blink when he came to stand beside her. He took in the wide green eyes, fogged over in pain as she was lost in past memories. Her bright red hair seemed to glow in the sun, glinting orange where the bright rays struck it. He followed her gaze, adopting a casual stance before speaking.
"How's Ryoko?"
At this she started, breaking out of her trance as her eyes flew to his face in mild surprise, a gasp stifled on her lips. She averted her gaze once more.
"Happy."
"I see."
He replied in a voice much smoother and higher pitched than usual. She turned to look at him, blinking several times at the younger man that stood before her. He had shed the illusion of age for the second time now in centuries, his once gray hair darkening to a rich ebony, his face regaining its youthful beauty as his disguise seemed to melt away.
"It was rude of me to put you at such a disadvantage," he explained, smiling, "Now, we're even."
She continued to stare for a few more moments before shaking her head, a wry smile on her face.
"Even indeed," she mumbled out loud. He looked down at her, amused.
"Are you worried?"
They both knew what he referred to.
"Ignorance is bliss," she replied.
Not quite sure how to respond to such an ambiguous statement, he decided to rely on the past lessons of his childhood.
"True, however while ignorance breeds bliss, enlightenment leads to love."
Silence followed, a brief wind sweeping by before she coughed discreetly and turned to leave. Yes, he was definitely becoming entirely too philosophical for his own good, he thought, not missing the small puff of smoke or the mad laughter that followed it.
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A pair of red eyes snapped open at the sound of mad laughter, but the owner quickly dismissed the sound as non-threatening and settled back into the heated waters of the women's bath. She mentally sighed. As first princess of the Jurai royal family, she shouldn't be expected to suffer through so many indignities. Having that filthy space pirate around was bad enough in the beginning, but that hussy just couldn't resist taking a shot at her Tenchi, forcing her to protect what was hers by birthright! Over the past few months, with the way he'd been acting, she'd thought he'd finally come to see how perfect they were for each other. And it had all been coming together!
She pounded the water with a pale fist, splashing herself in the process. Ayeka sighed, wiping her face off. What had happened? Tenchi had been so kind lately and then Ryoko had just up and disappeared. It had been a dream come true! From there, things should have become increasingly bright for her and Tenchi, but instead everything seemed to go downhill in a matter of days. Everyone became moody and depressed, as if that hussy actually mattered! And now, Tenchi was gone!! She just couldn't believe it. In fact, she still wouldn't if she hadn't seen it with her very own eyes! Oh, she could just kill!!!
A small drop of liquid fell and made contact with the smooth surface of the water as red eyes blazed with fury.
'I'll get you for this, Ryoko!'
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Meanwhile Tenchi had set out on his 'quest' hours ago. The small device Washu had given him was more helpful than he had first thought, allowing access to a subspace pocket that held things like camping gear, food, and every other thing you could possible think of for survival out in the wild, if need be. He'd even found an umbrella and raincoat inside. He smiled. Well, there was Washu for you. She never forgot a thing.
His thoughts returned to that afternoon and her strange behavior, prompting the same questions he'd been repeating for the past few hours. Just what was going on? And how was Ryoko involved? He knew something was wrong...no he felt something was wrong, but was it?
He sighed, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He wouldn't know until he found her, and torturing himself with 'what-if's was not going to help. Pulling out Washu's device, he turned on the tracker and stared down at the flashing red spot on the screen.
'Ryoko...'
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So there it was! Sorry if you guys were disappointed about Ryoko not being in this part of the fic, but she'll be making an appearance in Part 4. Plus, I'm not likely to dwell much on the rest of the characters too much for the rest of the fic because this is a Ryoko-centered fic! Of course, you'll still be seeing a fair amount of Tenchi, but that can't be helped *shrug*. And another thing. I'd like to know if you guys would like Tenchi and Ryoko to get together because right now I don't really care either way and I can't decide because they both appeal to me.
So anyway, please REVIEW!!!!!!!! (I'd really appreciate it, even though I know I haven't posted anything in ages! *kneels* forgive me!
