Stranger Within
"Ryoko?"
The word resounded through the empty room. There was only silence.
Tenchi looked around. Ryoko had not come down to eat breakfast,
and Sasami had asked Tenchi to go and fetch her in her room. They
had all been slightly confused at her absence. It was not like her
to miss a meal, which meant that she must be in bed either sick or drunk.
But, as Tenchi scanned the room, there was no sign of her.
He was about to turn and leave when he noticed something strange about her room. Tenchi looked around to see what was the thing that had bothered him. It wasn't as though there was something there that shouldn't be there. Quite the opposite in fact. There was nothing. A slight shiver ran down his spine at the thought of her running away. He dismissed the thought as impossible. But she had done it before, after the night he kissed Sakuya....
"Tenchi?"
Tenchi jumped, startled. He turned to see the owner of the voice.
Sasami stood there, watching him slightly worried.
"Oh, hi Sasami, Ryoko isn't in her room." he explained as she looked
at him slightly worried.
"I know. Are you feeling all right?" asked the young girl.
"Yes, of course, why would you ask that?" he said, trying to look as
normal as possible for the child.
"You seemed kind of worried." she responded. "Why where you looking
at Ryoko's room like that?"
Tenchi looked at the girl, wondering if he should tell her what was on his mind. He sighed as he decided to tell her; after all, Sasami would be able to tell if he was lying.
"It's just that Ryoko's room seems kind of different." he explained.
Sasami's eyes roamed over the room, trying to see what Tenchi meant.
She frowned. "It looks normal to me Tenchi."
"Normal? Are you sure? Don't you think it's kind of... empty?" Tenchi
asked.
"What do you mean?" asked Sasami, slightly confused.
"Well, there's nothing. I mean, no pictures, posters, books, clothes,
or anything that there would normally be in a room where a girl lives.
There's nothing that would even suggest someone lives here."
Comprehension dawned on Sasami's eyes. "Oh, that's what you mean.
Ryoko doesn't have anything like that Tenchi, she never has."
"Never?"
Sasami shook her head. "You mean you hadn't noticed before? Ryoko does
not have any belongings like that."
Tenchi let the newfound information run through his mind, He had never given much thought to what Ryoko's room looked like. Ryoko usually didn't even sleep in the room.
Sasami was looking expectantly at Tenchi, and he realized that she had asked him a question.
"I'm sorry, what did you say Sasami?"
"I said that Ryoko probably went out somewhere and she'll return later,
and that we should have breakfast. Are you coming?"
"Yeah."
With one last glance at the empty room, Tenchi turned and followed Sasami
downstairs.
~0~
Tenchi returned to the room later in the morning. Ryoko had not returned from wherever she was, and everyone had an idea of where she was.
"Maybe she went to visit a friend." exclaimed the ever innocent Sasami.
"She probably is off somewhere, terrorizing the population of some
innocent planet." said Ayeka, always distrustful of the pirate's nature.
"Maybe she met the Space Police Policemen and she's helping them destroy
the bad guys!!" added Mihoshi while her eyes glazed over. Everyone
else sweat dropped.
"She could have gone somewhere to take a walk." suggested Kiyone while
she bopped the blonde on the head.
"Ow!"
"Well, I for one think she's out somewhere drunk." stated Washu, the
number one genius in the universe.
"She could have gone out to have a little fun." said Noboyuki.
"She will return when she's ready." said the ever calm Katsuhito.
"Myaa!!!" agreed Ryo-ohki.
Tenchi shook his head and his eyes roamed around the room. No one had expected Ryoko to keep a room clean, but apparently she did. That could have been accounted to the fact that Ryoko hardly spent any time there. Tenchi walked around, looking for something of Ryoko's. There were a couple of empty sake bottles in a corner of the closet, some old fashion magazines, and some makeup. It sat there collecting dust, and Tenchi figured it was from the time they went out on a date. He smiled slightly at the memory.
Other than the things in the closet, the room was very much bare.
How could he have not noticed? Tenchi always thought of Ryoko as a very good friend, if nothing else. He knew everything there was to know of his school friends, but yet he lived with Ryoko and he had never noticed the oddity of her room. He realized that there was much he did not know about her.
With a sigh, Tenchi laid down in Ryoko's bed and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. His eyes ran up and down, following the uniform pattern of the wood. So many mysteries. Ryoko's life was pretty much unknown to Tenchi. He had always felt he knew all of the girls and their lives.
Ayeka- First princess of Jurai. Shy, well mannered, polite. Beautiful with her delicate pale skin, large ruby eyes and flowing purple hair. She had lived a life as royalty complying with Juraian customs. Rigid, proper strict, yet sometimes childish and innocent. She could be self-rightgeous and then humble.
Sasami- Second princess of Jurai. Happy, kind, cheerful child. Adorable with pink eyes, full of life, framed by lovely blue hair. She had a sweet disposition towards all, even with those no one would mingle with. She was raised like Ayeka, minus some of the rigidity necessary for the training of the future empress. Sasami was the young child yet the mother figure at the same time.
Washu- Self-proclaimed mad scientist. Mischievous, cunning, but nonetheless adorable in her sometimes childish plots. Lively with her brilliant emerald eyes and flame red hair. She oozed energy, always thinking of some new invention. She had always loved science, and she had made it clear that a scientist was all she would ever be. The number one genius scientist, of course, no less.
Mihoshi- First class Galaxy Police Detective. Amusing, clumsy, sweet. Childish with her blue eyes, blond hair and slightly olive skin. A constant headache for Kiyone, yet a relief when things got too tense. One couldn't help but like the forgetful, accident-prone girl. Always causing some sort of mayhem while trying to help out. Sometimes too sentimental, crying over the simplest things. With her constant chattering Tenchi felt he knew enough of her to write a book.
Kiyone- First class Galaxy Police Detective. Intelligent, serious, dedicated. Pleasant with her teal hair and cerulean eyes. She had become a great Galaxy Police officer by means of her intelligence and hard work. Kiyone was the dependable person of the team. She was the person who covered your back while you fought and helped you stand when you fell. The pillar, you could say.
Ryo-ohki- Cabbit. Sweet little animal, half cat, half rabbit. Everyone's pet, even if formerly only Sasami's. Just give her a carrot and she was your friend for life.
Ryoko- Space pirate. Intense, entertaining, radical. Outgoing
with golden cat eyes, vibrant cyan hair, and a devil may care attitude.
She was never one to mope, and when she did feel down she could lighten
up easily. Or at least to Tenchi's knowledge. She was the wild card
that could turn your worst day into your best and vice versa.
Tracing the patterns of the wood with his eyes, Tenchi contemplated all he knew. If it could be a simple and reliable as the pattern. Up and down, consistent, unvarying, iden- Wait, what was that?
Tenchi looked at a small square at a corner of the ceiling. The pattern there shifted slightly. Not too much as to be noticed easily, but at a second glance it was visible. Tenchi frowned. He was quite sure that had not been there before Ryoko arrived. Not that he took special interest in watching the ceiling... but he would have been the one fixing any holes in the ceiling, and he didn't remember this particular one. Could it be....? His frown deepened and he stood. He walked towards the corner and studied the square. He left and then returned with a ladder.
He positioned the ladder carefully and climbed. He ran a hand softly along the edges of the square. Yup, this was definitely recent. He pushed the square upwards slowly and it gave easily. He looked at the hole. It was dark and small, no one could go through it. But... maybe some small object could fit there.
Tenchi lifted his hands and touched the interior and... There! A box? No... a book of some sorts. Tenchi pulled it out. A thin layer of dust covered the book and as he blew it off he was engulfed in a cloud of dust. Tenchi climbed down the stairs and walked towards the bed. He sat on it and looked at the book curiously. It was obviously expensive, with black leather as a cover and a golden "Ryoko" inscribed in it . He traced the single word with his finger and then opened it. On the inside of the cover there was a note.
"So you can practice those rusty writing skills (and hopefully learn something in the process!). Love, Washu-chan." Tenchi looked at the drawing of Chibi-Washu under the message and chuckled.
Tenchi turned to the middle of the journal. A couple of pictures fell to the floor. He bent to pick them up and curiously looked at them.
Ryoko standing on top of a table covered in money. She's seductively winking at the camera and grinning while making a victory sign with her right hand.
Tenchi rolled his eyes while smiling. That was Ryoko all right.
Ryoko and Washu are covered in expensive jewelry and are each grabbing onto a side of a crown, playing tug of war. They both have comical competitive expressions on their faces.
Tenchi had to chuckle at that one.
A group picture of all the family. They are all smiling happily at the camera. Ryoko is not present but there is a square on the corner of the picture with her face on it.
Tenchi remembered taking that picture right before he left for Tokyo.
A set of photos of Tenchi and Ryoko. Ryoko is happily hugging Tenchi while Tenchi looks slightly mortified.
Those were from their date. Tenchi remembered it vividly. Ryoko had tried so hard and had been a handful all throughout the date.
Ryoko and a man standing side by side. Ryoko is smiling ferociously, and she looks like she doesn't have a care in the world, but her eyes look slightly dim. The man by her side is also smiling, but his smile is more mysterious and slightly cruel. He is arrogantly handsome with long, blond hair and cold blue eyes hiding behind glasses. Instead of making his look less attractive, the glasses give him an air of intellect above normal standards.
That was Hotsuma. The man who had tried to marry him and Sakuya and who had tried to take her away when Tenchi refused to do so. The man who had been so impressed with Ryoko at their initial battle, who had helped her run away to the stars to a life of piracy after the carnival. The man who tried to kill Ryoko when he felt he didn't need her any longer.
'Why would Ryoko keep a picture of them together?' thought Tenchi, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling at the bottom of his stomach. 'Could it be that she still has some lingering feelings for him, even after all she went through?'
Tenchi put the pictures away, still worried, and turned back to the first page. It was blank. He turned the page and then there was something written.
"A poem?" Tenchi wondered aloud.
Tenchi was shocked. It WAS a poem. And dedicated to him.
Or at least he hoped it was.
Like a Beam of Moonlight.
Like a beam of moonlight,
Throughout the sleeping jungle.
Like that, the light in your eyes
Has enlightened my lonely life.
You gave light to the pathway
In my night without fortune,
Lighting my sky
Like a clear beam of moonlight.
Beam of white moonlight,
You light my way.
Like that is your love in my life,
The truth of my destiny.
You gave light to the pathway
In my night without fortune.
Lighting my sky,
Like a clear beam of moonlight.
Tenchi remembered when they met, how he had fought and injured her. He had felt so guilty he took care of her later, trying to bring her out of her slumber by talking to her, even if she couldn't listen to him. Ryoko had been thoughtful and studied him carefully for a couple of days after she woke. Had that been what she had thought of him? A clear beam of moonlight through the dark jungle of her life?
Tenchi became curious to know what else she wrote. He turned the
page.
Cinnamon Skin
The universe can lose it's stars
Or the vast ocean it's immensity.
But that the darkness of your eyes does not die,
And your cinnamon skin stays the same.
If the rainbow lost it's beauty,
And the flowers their scent and color,
My sadness would not be so great
Like that of losing your love.
I care about you,
And you.
And only you.
I care about you,
And you,
And nobody but you.
Dark eyes, cinnamon skin
That drive me insane.
I care about you,
And you,
And nobody but you.
She WAS writing about him!! Hotsuma had blue eyes, blond hair and pale skin, while Tenchi had "Dark eyes" and "Cinnamon skin." For some reason that made him happy, knowing that Ryoko thought so much of him as to write a poem about him, especially one in which she stated she cared for no one but him.
He smiled and turned the page.
Flavor of me.
So much time I enjoyed of this love
Our souls became so very close
That I keep your flavor,
But you also hold my flavor.
If you denied my presence in your life,
It would be enough to hold you and talk.
So much life I gave you,
That you must have the flavor of me.
I don't pretend to own you,
I'm nothing, I have no vanity.
Of my life I give the best
I'm so poor, what else can I give?
A thousand years will pass, many more.
I don't know if eternity holds love.
But there, just like in here,
In your mouth you will hold my flavor.
Tenchi chuckled. He was sure to hold her flavor after all of those hugs she constantly gave him. He smiled at the thought of her not "Pretending to own him." Why, that was the reason for the daily morning battles Ryoko shared with Ayeka. Well, at least it once was.
He turned the page.
If You Say to Me "Come"
If you say to me "Come"
I'll leave it all.
If you say to me "Come"
It will be all for you.
My most hidden moments I will you give you also.
My secrets,
Which aren't many,
Will be yours also.
If you say to me "Come"
everything will change.
If you say to me "Come"
There will be happiness.
If you say to me "Come."
Do not delay the moment because of indecision.
To unite soul with soul, heart with heart.
To laugh with you against any pain.
Crying with you,
Crying with you will be my salvation.
But if you say to me "Come"
I'll leave it all.
Don't let it become late
And you find yourself in the streets
Lost, without a path, and in the mud.
If you say to me "Come"
I'll leave it all.
Leave? Would Ryoko really leave all she knew for him? Tenchi's eyes widened as he realized she HAD left it all for him. Money... glory... freedom... power. Everything that came with being a pirate. She had abandoned all that she had loved and been comfortable with. For him. He had never stopped to realize all that each girl had given up just to be by his side. Yet he had abandoned them for Sakuya when they needed him the most.
Lost in thought Tenchi turned the page.
Then I will turn around.
You leave because I want you to.
At any time I want to
I'll stop you.
I know you need my love
Because whether you want it or not
I own you.
I want you to travel through the worlds
And I want you to meet many people.
I want other lips to kiss you
So you can compare me to them
Today, like always.
If you find a love that understands you,
And you feel loves you like no one else.
Then I will turn around,
And I'll leave with the sun
When the evening dies.
You leave because I want you to.
So she had felt that he had left her, but she had allowed him to go thinking that he would come to his senses later. She had been hurt, but indignant. That sounded like Ryoko, no matter what she kept on going on.
Tenchi turned the page.
Tell Him I love Him.
Moon that breaks over the darkness of my solitude,
Where do you go?
Tell me if this night you'll leave me like he left,
With whom is he?
Tell him I love him,
That I die of so much waiting.
Tell him to come back.
For a moment Tenchi felt sure he could see Ryoko standing alone among a sea of stars. She would be talking to the lone moon in her solitude, asking her to deliver a message she could not deliver. For a moment Tenchi felt guilt wash over him.
He turned the page.
Without You
Without you
I will not be able to live anymore
And to think
You will never be next to me.
Without you
What can I care
If what makes me cry
Is far from me.
Without you
There is no mercy in my pain
The hope of my love
You take at last.
Without you
It is useless to live,
Like useless it will be
To try to forget you.
Even after all Tenchi had done, she still thought about him. She couldn't forget him. Tenchi wondered how he had ever questioned her feelings for him. He had thought once that all of her interest in him was just a game, that he was a toy that could be used to annoy others, like the Princess. He had ever really thought that her feelings for him ran so deep.
Tenchi turned the page.
The story of a Love
You are no longer at my side, my heart.
In my soul I have only solitude.
And if cannot see you anymore,
Then why did God make me love you,
To only make me suffer more?
You were always the reason of my existence.
Loving you was to me a religion,
And in your kisses I found,
The warmth that your love and passion brought me.
It's the story of a love like there is no other one,
That made me understand all the good, all the bad,
That gave light to my life, only to take it away.
Oh, what a dark life!
Without your love I will not live.
It's the story of a love.
"Loving you was to me a religion." Such a strange phrase, coming form the most dangerous Pirate in the Universe. But then, the idea of Ryoko writing poems was almost alien to Tenchi. Here was the proof that things ran more deeply than they appeared to. There was a part of Ryoko no one knew about. It was depressing to read Ryoko's thoughts when she was alone and away from all of them. She had felt empty and lonely, yet nobody even though she was capable of that. It was as if everyone knew the artificial, playful Ryoko, but there was a stranger within no one knew about.
Tenchi turned the page.
In What Way Do I Forget You?
You'll see that I haven't changed.
I'm in love with you, maybe just like yesterday.
Maybe they have told you
That they have seen me alone,
Crying for your love.
And I'm not ashamed
That even with the experience that life gave me
To your love I hold on to,
And even if I don't have it anymore,
I cannot forget you.
In what way do I forget you?
In what way do I bury
This damned love
That every day tortures my heart?
In what way do I forget you,
When I see you in any person?
And you don't want to even see me
Because you wish to quiet my love.
"Maybe they have told you?" That must have been written when Kiyone and Mihoshi tried to capture her and ended up playing cards. She had assumed that they would tell him all about her on their return to Earth, and she had been right. Unfortunately he had been all caught up with Sakuya. He had placed her before anyone else, and it had torn his family apart.
Now they were together again, and everything seemed normal, but Tenchi could sense that there were deep scars left. His once crazy, but perfect family had cracked edges. He had once had all he had wished for and not realized it, and now that he couldn't have it again he missed it.
He missed the simplicity in which they would all talk, not worried about bringing up something uncomfortable. Now they were careful not to mention anything that would remind them of Sakuya or Yugi.
He missed having Ayeka and Ryoko fight for the simplest reasons. He had hated it once, but now that they no longer fought as often, and usually not for him he found himself missing the constant battles. It somehow added excitement to their house.
He missed Washu's experiments. She had warned him over and over again about the conditions in the house when Yugi tried to separate them, but he had refused to listen. Now Washu was not as open as before.
Ayeka didn't trust him like before either. She had also begged him to return home, as he had refused, dismissing it all. Ayeka had been hurt deeply by his carelessness, by how he had allowed his family to break up and had thought nothing of it. His relationship with Sakuya had not helped matters. Ayeka was still cordial, polite and sweet towards him, but she was much more reserved and exclusive.
Sasami, Kiyone and Mihoshi seemed to treat him almost like before the breakup. Almost but not quite. There were certain... small incidents in which they had not acted like their former selves.
Ryoko, however, worried him the most. She didn't dote on him as much anymore. She would laugh, talk, and flirt with him like before, but there were things that were off. She no longer hugged him every chance she had, and she sometimes she seemed to avoid him. She would be laughing with the girls over something funny or over some romantic scenes of the soap operas she enjoyed watching, and if Tenchi walked in, her smile would disappear. She would smile again, of course, and try to pretend all was right, but Tenchi didn't miss her change of attitude.
Reading her journal, Tenchi realized how deeply she had been affected by his actions. It was hard to think that he, who would not choose between them before so he wouldn't hurt anyone, had hurt them so thoughtlessly, all in the name of love. Unfortunately, "love" was not a good excuse for abandoning them.
Tenchi sighed and turned the page. The next page was blank. He frowned and turned the page again, finding that the next page was also blank.
"That's it?" What about her return? What about the battle, and life after it? Why would she stop writing?
Tenchi returned to the first page and began flipping through the journal again and again, lost in thought.
Voices were heard coming from downstairs, and Tenchi stood up and returned the book to it's hiding place. He listened carefully to the conversation carefully as he walked down the stairs.
"Hey everybody!"
"Ryoko? Where were you? We were worried!!" chastised Sasami.
"Worried about me? You really shouldn't worry, I'm Ryoko, the most
wanted pirate in the universe!!!! I can take care of myself."
"Really Miss. Ryoko, running away just like that!!! May I inquire about
your whereabouts?" said certain purple haired princess.
"No you may not." answered Ryoko, imitating the princess.
"Ryoko!!! Please don't start a fight, Tenchi just fixed the hole where
Mihoshi crashed!!" begged Sasami.
"Fine, fine, sorry Sasami. I simply went to Tokyo. I was
bored, so I decided to go to Tokyo and shop around. I got you all gifts.
Here!!" responded Ryoko.
"Hey! Chocolate cabbits!!! Thanks Ryoko." said Mihoshi.
"Yep, I had them specially prepared for you."
"Well Miss. Ryoko, it was rather nice of you to buy candy for us, but
may I ask where you got the money from?" asked Ayeka.
"From your purse, of course!" answered Ryoko.
"WHAT?!!!!!!"
Tenchi winced at Ayeka's scream. Stranger or not, Ryoko was still Ryoko.
~@~
Well, what did you think? I wrote this long ago but didn't post
it. Most of the songs are old Mexican songs that my grandma listens
to sometimes. The songs belong to the deceased Los Panchos, 'cept
for "In What way do I forget you?" that one is relatively new and
belongs to Vicente Fernandez. They are badly translated, on account
of the fact I am NOT a living dictionary. Please bear with me, and
review. Pretty pretty please? And I'll love you forever? And ever?