Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi, but I think I may have recently spoken to
someone with a life-sized Ryoko cutout. Don't ask. It might give you
nightmares. "Wherever You Will Go" is by The Calling and is property of them
and whatever label publishes their CD. Author's note at bottom, rather like
fruit on bottom yogurt.
**************************
Ryoko sat on the sturdy limb of Tenchi's favorite tree and watched the tangerine
dappled sunset reflected over the peace of the lake. She habitually ate faster
than everyone one else in the household, and now she was glad that it afforded
her the opportunity to slip away for her own private moments. Nearly a week had
passed since the final confrontation with Yugi, and in that time Ryoko had
returned to Okayama with the rest of the Masaki family. She noticed no changes
to the out of the way shrine or the red roofed house which the Masaki's called
home. Everyone around her slipped easily back into their daily routines with
the minor addition of Yugi sound asleep in the small cave behind Katsuhito's
shrine. Ryoko watched Sasami cheerfully visit the cave every afternoon to
report the daily events to Yugi, while Ryoko secretly visited the cave every
night to make a report of her own. It seemed a more appropriate resting place
than some nameless chunk of ice orbiting a frigid sun eons away.
Ryoko wondered how her life could be exactly the same as it had been months ago
yet feel completely different. She tried to behave exactly the same, but
niggling details crept into her mind constantly and ate away at her beneath the
detached façade. She'd decided earlier to bring the subject of Sakuya up to
Tenchi, but the conversation had been unenlightening at best. Tenchi avoided
her questions and when asked he never made a move to kiss her. Perhaps that
itself spoke volumes. Ryoko fiddled with the locket around her throat as she
prepared to make her nightly visit ahead of schedule.
"Hey, Ryoko!" called a deep female voice at the base of the tree. Kiyone stood
there in the fading light with her hands cupped around her mouth. Upon seeing
Ryoko look back, Kiyone waved up at her as though trying to flag down the
preoccupied pirate. "Ryoko, I need to talk to you for a few minutes," Kiyone
called up, "I just need you to answer a couple of questions to finish my
paperwork. Why don't you come inside and have some tea?"
"Apparently, my visit is going to have to wait," Ryoko whispered, casting a
quick glance towards the cave. A warm breeze blew Ryoko's bangs forward, and
she pushed them out of her eyes as she turned back towards Kiyone. Ryoko
grinned down at the teal haired officer. "Well, if I'm going to be forced to
help with paperwork, I need more of a reward than just tea..." Ryoko drawled, as
she waited to see what more Kiyone might have to offer.
"Sasami made cookies," Kiyone replied, anticipating the pirate's response.
"We'd better hurry though, before Mihoshi and Ayeka eat them all on us!" If
that didn't get Ryoko moving nothing would. Ryoko's competition with the Jurian
princess was the stuff of legend. Kiyone couldn't hide her smirk as Ryoko leapt
from the tree and phased to the ground beside her.
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Ryoko cajoled, as she grabbed Kiyone by
the sleeve and dragged her towards the lights of the house. The blue haired
woman laughed like a little girl, who'd just been offered a chance to play her
favorite game. "It's not like Ayeka needs anymore cookies, or her butt might
become the size of a whale! This is a public service issue!" the pirate
snickered, exuberantly. "C'mon! C'mon! You know what a cookie-hog she is!"
"There you are, Ryoko!" chimed Sasami brightly, as Ryoko raced into the house
with Kiyone still in tow. The little brown cabbit perched on the shoulder of
her blue kimono chirped an enthusiastic greeting of her own, as Sasami danced
around the pair happily. "Ayeka and Mihoshi are in the living room, and I made
plenty of cookies for everyone. They're my best batch yet!" the little princess
exclaimed proudly, as she puffed up her chest. "Don't forget to save some for
Washu! I'm just going to bring a plate up to Tenchi!" she giggled, giving Ryoko
one of her beatific smiles before disappearing up the stairs with her long blue
pigtails trailing behind her.
Kiyone propped herself up against the wall and gasped for air, as they entered
the comfort of the living room. She looked up to see Ryoko plopping down next
to Mihoshi on the couch and happily helping herself to a cookie, while Ayeka
poured the tea with a roll of her eyes. As the first strings of bickering
began, Kiyone realized that she needed to get her interview over with before an
argument erupted and distracted them all. Kiyone hobbled over to the sectional
and seated herself at a right angle to Ryoko. She was starting to catch her
breath now, but it still felt heavenly to collapse into the softness of the
large sofa. "Thank you, Ayeka," she said sincerely as the princess passed her a
steaming cup of tea.
"You're very welcome, Kiyone," Ayeka responded graciously. She immediately
fixed Ryoko with a disdainful glare. "That, Ryoko, is what courtesy sounds
like!" she goaded. "It certainly wouldn't hurt you any to improve your manners,
and just how many cookies do you intend to stuff into your giant maw? Isn't
that the third one in less than a minute? These are supposed to be for
everybody!" Ayeka's prim chastisements continued, as though she--like Ryoko--
were trying to make up for lost time.
"Thank you for agreeing to help me Ryoko," Kiyone interrupted, as Ryoko stuck
out her tongue in retaliation. "I'll try to keep this really short, but Mihoshi
and I just have to tie up a few loose ends before your pirating exploits can be
put to rest. I guess I should start with what happened after you and Hotsuma
fled the new GXP fleet..." Kiyone rambled as she shuffled through a large stack
of papers on the wooden coffee table. It seemed that the right paper was never
where it was supposed to be, and she was forced to spread the papers out over
most of the shiny free surface around the cookies and tea set.
"Oh, yes!" tittered Mihoshi. "That was all so exciting! And you and Hotsuma
did seem to be rather cute together. I think he really liked you, Ryoko,"
Mihoshi sang out, while she nudged Ryoko with her elbow. The blond woman's
often-vacant expression was replaced with a knowing wink, and she giggled behind
her hands as though her knowledge about Ryoko and the blond pirate was
embarrassingly intimate.
"Oh, no!" Ayeka sighed dramatically, as she sat on the end of the maroon couch
beside Kiyone. She cocked her head to the side as she held her hand-painted
porcelain teacup between her fingers. "Don't tell me we're going to have to
listen to all your exploits with some kinky space pirate!" she groaned, still
trying to get a rise out of her prey.
Ryoko bristled immediately and a crackle of energy danced through the air near
her skin. "That kinky space pirate had a name, Pri..." she began with a growl,
but the last word seemed to catch in her throat. Her eyes widened, registering
a mixture of surprise and pain, and she quickly cleared her throat and used her
blue and white teacup to hide her expression until her control had returned.
The crackle of energy subsided as quickly as it had started, and Ryoko seemed
withdrawn and much smaller than her usually greater-than-life self. "Princess,"
she finished quietly. "Besides there really isn't much to say"
Ayeka and Kiyone exchanged a worried glance before turning back to Ryoko. Ayeka
hadn't expected this reaction from Ryoko. If anything she should have just
blown it off with a comment about Tenchi being her only interest or possibly a,
"Hey, I can't help it if men find me so gorgeous that they follow me across the
entire universe." Ayeka would have even settled for an, "Ayeka, stop trying to
pawn your kinky fantasies off on me!" The only thing in the room more obvious
than Ayeka's chagrin was how terrible Ryoko was at lying.
"Well that'll just make my report easier to file," Kiyone covered smoothly.
Kiyone tucked a troublesome strand of hair behind her ear so that she could see
her forms clearly. She smiled superficially at Ryoko, and picked up her pen,
pressing it to the paper in readiness. "Do you know the current whereabouts of
the space pirate Hotsuma?" Kiyone asked in her most efficient tone, as she
studied Ryoko for any sign that she was holding back.
The pirate turned herself to stare out through the sliding doors leading to the
porch. "You don't have to worry about Hotsuma, Kiyone. He won't be causing any
further problems for the Galaxy Police," Ryoko answered emotionlessly. She
fixed her sharp, golden eyes on a point somewhere outside the glass, as she
spoke--not bothering to look at any of the other women in the room.
"And how can you be sure of that, Ryoko?" Kiyone demanded in frustration. She
wasn't asking a difficult or even personal question, but Ryoko was already
getting evasive. At least Ryoko could have the decency to wait until Kiyone
asked something even remotely invasive before getting defensive. Kiyone tapped
her pen on the form as she waited for a response.
Ryoko gave her an appraising glance without turning to face the annoyed
detective, and a sly smirk spread across the pirate's soft features. "Well,"
she said reaching into the large wooden bowl on the table and turning her
mischievous grin upon the teal-haired officer. "You know, while we're on the
subject of missing people, I'd give a cookie for the whereabouts of the space
pirate Aicheron, Kiyone..." she replied, and she raised one of her arched brows
expectantly at the other woman. Watching Kiyone flush, Ryoko leaned in closer.
"But if you told me that he wasn't going to cause anymore trouble, I'd accept
it." She added, handing Kiyone the chocolate-chip treat and relaxing back into
her own seat.
"Ryoko I'm not asking for anything that detailed here!" Kiyone barked back, as
she snatched up the cookie. Aicheron had been nowhere on the lists of captured
or killed pirates, but Kiyone still felt an anxious leaden feeling in the pit of
her stomach at the mention of his whereabouts. She'd bundled his gear along
with hers and Mihoshi's, and kept it stored in a trunk in her room. She found
it rather comforting to know it was there, a solid presence in the corner of the
room. On the official reports she'd sited him as an indispensable informant and
contact, in hopes that it might mitigate the circumstances of his involvement
with Ryoko's gang. His official status was listed as missing. "If you say he
won't be a problem, that's fine! But you could at least give me SOMETHING to
put on this report!"
"He probably left her, because she was just to vulgar to be believed," Ayeka
interjected with an air of wisdom, as she took another sip of her tea. She
ignored the shocked looks from Kiyone and Mihoshi. She knew better than anyone
how to bait the temperamental bandit. It was a strange friendship between them
perhaps, but as a result of their incessant bickering the pair knew each other's
vulnerable spots with unerring precision. In addition, Ayeka could get away
with saying things to the space pirate that nobody else dared.
Mihoshi stared at the outnumbered pirate with tears filling her huge, brilliant
eyes. "Oh, Ryoko!" she cried between sniffles. "That's so sad," the blonde
wailed, "Did Hotsuma really leave you? I mean I know you snore like a bear and
you aren't the tidiest person, but really... that's so mean!" Mihoshi bumped
the cookie bowl with her elbow as she lunged forward to hug her "abandoned"
friend, and Kiyone quickly jumped out of her seat to catch the bowl before it
could spill to the floor.
Ryoko gritted her teeth as she tried unsuccessfully to peel the overemotional
detective off of her. In the background of the room Ayeka and Kiyone were
discussing the way Hotsuma would have broken off with her. "Enough!" Ryoko
bellowed, tensing her entire body with the attempt to keep herself from blowing
up the nearest convenient target--which at this moment was Mihoshi. "Deceased.
Just put deceased, Kiyone," she said, as she finally managed to get the
blubbering bubblehead pried free. She caught Kiyone's speechless stare and
immediately added, "It's none of your business beyond that."
Ayeka silently bit into a cookie, while she watched Ryoko compose herself across
the table. She had the advantage of years at court, and when not provoked by
Ryoko, Ayeka could mask her thoughts better than anyone else in the household.
She had also learned to read people with surprising accuracy--a talent that
would prove invaluable to any future ruler of Jurai. "It looks like that trip
away from the Earth was even more eventful than anyone expected," Ayeka thought
to herself, "including Ryoko."
"Alright," Kiyone continued. She tried to hide how nervous this interview was
suddenly making her. "For the most part, the GXP has tracked down the stolen
goods. There are still a few pieces that have outstanding claims filed on them.
Do you know the present location of the royal throne of Elerostra? Or maybe the
smiling goddess of Tier138?" Kiyone excitedly wrote in the coordinates for the
second base as Ryoko rattled them off as the most likely location.
"Wonderful!" Kiyone beamed. Despite her current lowly assignment, perhaps
Kiyone could garner some recognition and even a raise with this information.
"Now there's only one item from your early jobs that still has a large
outstanding complaint on it," Kiyone plowed ahead, "Do you have any information
on The Princess's Heart? It was a holo-locket that was among the crown jewels
of Polidis. It apparently has great sentimental as well as monetary value."
"I wouldn't know about that one," Ryoko answered woodenly. It took all her
resolve not to reach up to the locket around her neck. Even with the high
collar on her black dress the jewel encrusted heart wasn't hidden. She crossed
her arms over her chest and crossed her legs, as she sat straight backed and
defiant before her friends. Kiyone could have everything else, but this piece
Ryoko would never part with. She hadn't taken it off since her return to Earth.
Mihoshi looked up at Ryoko from the photograph that she was studying. She drew
her brows together, studied Ryoko carefully, and chewed her lip thoughtfully.
Her expression brightened as she glanced back and forth between the picture and
the space pirate, and Ryoko felt a sinking feeling of premonition. Mihoshi
giggled and slapped Ryoko on the back good-humoredly. "But Ryoko you're wearing
it, see?" she said, as she held up a picture of Ryoko's locket around the neck
of the crowned princess of Polidis. "Wow! And people think I have a bad
memory!" she exclaimed with a silly laugh.
"This is just a memory locket," Ryoko insisted icily, as she drew back from the
inquisitive blond. Ryoko moved her hands up protectively in front of the golden
ornament, which dangled openly on its twin ruby and diamond jeweled chains. She
sensed a movement behind her, and turned her head to see Kiyone just behind her
shoulder grabbing for the glittering charm. "No! I said let go!" Ryoko cried
as she felt Kiyone's fingers wrapping around her heart.
"Honestly, Ryoko!" Kiyone scoffed. "We're putting our butts on the line to
cover for you! The least you can do is let us see the necklace!" She
reflexively tightened her grip as Ryoko tried to pull away. "It's an exact
match to the picture, Ryoko!"
"Kiyone, I think perhaps it would be better not to press Ryoko at the moment,"
Ayeka broke in. She gracefully rose and placed her hand on top of the
detective's. "Obviously, this necklace is very important to Ryoko, so I think
it must be exactly what she says." Ayeka gave Ryoko a slight smile. "Besides,
what would she need with someone else's memories?"
"It's not like I'm trying to take it away, Ayeka," Kiyone justified. "I'm only
trying to get a better look at it!" she grunted, as Ryoko tugged at her wrists.
Kiyone's fingers slid over the smooth stones, and she felt something give under
the pressure of her touch, as a small ruby on the side of the necklace depressed
under her fingertips. Kiyone gasped in surprise, as a deep male voice resonated
from the charm in her hands. She let go of the necklace entirely, as Ryoko
choked back a small sob.
"I'm so sorry, Ryoko," Hotsuma's voice said through the locket, as Kiyone slowly
withdrew her shaking hands. Kiyone could see Ryoko's defenses and evasions
crumbled and in ruins around her as her lost golden eyes stared fixedly at the
small hologram of Hotsuma that seemed to stand atop the delicate charm resting
in her palm. Kiyone slowly sat on the edge of the table, and Mihoshi gawked at
the projection with her wide, innocent blue eyes. Ayeka slid into place next to
Ryoko, cradling the normally unflappable pirate like a child, as she released
the clasps so that Ryoko could hold the locket at a more comfortable position.
Ryoko had played Hotsuma's last message countless times when no one else was
around. She could repeat it word for word, if she'd wanted to. Yet, watching
it with an audience made it as new and heart wrenching as the first time she'd
activated the projection.
"When you come back to the base, I have to deceive you for the last time, and
it's by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Hotsuma continued. He
pushed his glasses up with his middle finger. "I need you to kill me, Ryoko,
and I don't have time to convince you willingly. I've been trying for days to
tell you everything, but Tenchi is headed to confront Yugi as I speak. My last
hope is to be reabsorbed by her and try to work on her from inside. It's the
only way I can get there in time. At best, I may be able to interfere with her
powers directly. At worst, I'll simply cease to exist." Hotsuma shifted
uncomfortably with the admission.
"You were right to spare that child, Ryoko. I don't know what's been wrong with
me lately, but you were right. Yugi is also just a child, and she deserves the
same chance. I'm asking you to make sure she gets that chance. Don't let
anyone kill her, Ryoko. I need time to convince her; even if I cease to be,
maybe my memories will be enough to... to make her swayable," Hotsuma spoke
carefully.
Ayeka rubbed Ryoko's arm comfortingly, as silent tears swelled in Ryoko's
luminous cat-like eyes. They spread down her pale cheeks in glistening, wet
trails, and Ayeka leaned her head against Ryoko's as the pirate wept
soundlessly.
Hotsuma broke off talking for a moment, clenching his eyes shut and rubbing his
left temple as though he were in pain. When he looked back up, he seemed even
more earnest. "Ryoko, I've done anything and everything to be by your side--
even if it was just for a short time. I can't regret the things that brought
you to me, even though I regret hurting you. Maybe it's impossible to explain,
but emotions are complex things. For a time I was the greatest space pirate in
the universe--not because of some stack of gold or money-- but because I was
able to steal you away from the rest of creation. Being with you was worth
everything, Princess. Don't ever forget how much you're worth. In case I don't
have another chance to say it... I love you. I've tried to keep all my promises
to you, and I guess I just have one left," Hotsuma took a deep breath, and bit
his lip nervously. "This was a lot easier with the sake and the karaoke
machine," he laughed. He closed his blue eyes under a fringe of thick lashes,
as he gathered himself together, then he slowly began to sing. The space pirate
sang softly and a cappella, in a rich warm voice,
"So lately, I've been wonderin
Who will be there to take my place?
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face."
Ryoko let free her first audible sob, as Ayeka rocked her gently. She made
soothing shushing noises against Ryoko's hair. "Just let it all out, Ryoko..."
she whispered.
"And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own?"
"I killed him," Ryoko moaned into the princess's kimono. "If I had done just
one thing differently, I could have changed it all! I should have stopped it
before it ever came to that," Ryoko sniffed as she continued. "I should have
been able to stop the energy blast... or deflect it or...do something...but I
couldn't move, and he was just standing there waiting for it. It was as if I
had killed one of you!"
"And maybe, I'll find out
The way to make it back someday--
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days."
Kiyone took Ryoko's other hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "He left you this
message, because he didn't want you to blame yourself, Ryoko..." Kiyone assured
her.
"Well then I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you!"
Ryoko shook her head vehemently against Ayeka's shoulder. "Then he was just
laying there in my arms, and there was so much blood. I kept thinking this just
couldn't be happening, but in just moments he was really gone. Then he started
to fade away, and I tried to hold on, but he disappeared right out of my arms...
like he simply ceased to be," Ryoko managed between sobs.
"I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart and your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time"
"I didn't understand it until after we'd brought Yugi back to Okayama, when her
powers were explained to me. The way he just evaporated... what was the point,
if he just ceased to be?" Ryoko asked.
"If I could, then I would.
I'll go wherever you will go.
Way up high or down low,
I'll go wherever you will go"
Fighting not to bawl herself, Mihoshi laid her head upon the pirate's other
shoulder, and watched the little hologram in Ryoko's hand. It hurt to see Ryoko
this upset, and she had nothing more that she could offer than another loving
presence. They were Ryoko's family after all.
"If I could turn back time,
I'll go wherever you will go.
If I could make you mine,
I'll go wherever you will go."
"Now it's just too late," Ryoko finished. She wiped at her tears impatiently
with the side of her hand, and Ayeka passed her a soft handkerchief with the
princess's name stitched into the corner.
"I wouldn't say that, Ryoko," a high nasal voice broke in. Washu had entered
the room unnoticed during the excitement and was now ready to make her presence
known in startling Washu fashion. She popped a chocolate chip cookie into her
mouth and chewed thoughtfully. The diminutive scientist stood unabashedly in
the middle of the scene, munching on the sweet and gooey snack. "Yummy!" she
exclaimed before turning all business again. "This does help to explain the
strange readings I've been getting on Yugi, since she came to rest in the cave.
What do you think, Tenchi?" Washu asked, turning her attention to the very pale
Earth guardian who, upon entering slightly after Washu, stood in the doorway
wiping away tears of his own.
Tenchi jerked to attention at her words, and he scratched his head nervously as
five pairs of eyes focused on him. "Well, when Yugi took back Sakuya, every
picture of her or listing for her vanished too. But that locket still works, so
he couldn't have ceased to exist." Tenchi stepped forward, looking rather
sheepish still. "When I confronted Yugi in her fortress, she was already
hysterical. She was crying about not wanting to go back to the dark and talking
about not wanting to be alone. Sometimes I wasn't sure if she was talking to
me, or if she was talking to a voice only she could hear. It makes a lot more
sense now."
Tenchi entered the crowd and knelt to stare into Ryoko's shocked, amber eyes.
Tenchi wiped away Ryoko's few remaining tears with the pad of his thumb. He
seemed as intensely uncomfortable as Ayeka had ever seen him. She couldn't tell
if this was an aching reminder of Sakuya for him, or if he was simply anguished
over seeing Ryoko in such grief. His expression grew more pained when Ryoko
flung herself into the young shrine keeper's arms while asking him if it were
really true, and after an indecisive moment he tightened his arms around her and
closed his eyes tightly. Ayeka could see tears clinging to the corners of his
warm brown eyes, before he turned his face into Ryoko's hair. "Of course, it's
true," he replied. "So you... You should cheer up, Ryoko!" he forced himself to
exclaim brightly.
Ryoko pulled away to look into the mask of his smiling face. "You've got the
number one genius scientist in the universe right here," he said gesturing
towards Washu with his left hand. "We'll figure it out somehow, and I'm sure
Washu will be able to make things right," he promised her gently. "You'll see,
Ryoko."
"Yeah," Mihoshi mused thoughtfully, as she rubbed her chin. "I mean Hotsuma
wasn't like Yugi's other shadows at all."
"What would you know about it?" Kiyone demanded, as she crossed her arms and
stared at her bouncy partner.
"Well," Mihoshi began, resting her index finger on her chin and looking towards
the ceiling as she spoke. "First of all, that other guy that she created...
Tsugaru... well he was totally... um... what's that word? Anhydrous?"
"Androgynous," Kiyone supplied, testily. "The word is androgynous, and yes he
was."
"Right," Mihoshi continued, "But Hotsuma must've passed Ryoko's tests, if you
know what I mean. So how could a little girl know so little about men when she
made one, but know so MUCH when she made the other?" Mihoshi babbled happily.
"Mihoshi," Ayeka said daintily. "The image that you have just seared into my
mind will haunt me for the rest of my life."
"Shortly after I walked in, it looked like Hotsuma was rubbing his temple,"
Washu interrupted. "Can you tell me anything more about that, Ryoko?" she asked
as her floating cushion and transparent keyboard popped into place around her.
"He started having recurring headaches," Ryoko replied. She furrowed her brow
in thought. "It started just before the nightmares--around the time that Kiyone
and Mihoshi infiltrated the gang." She looked up at Washu, for a sign that this
information would help, and she could see the pink-haired scientist was already
busily typing away. "Then when we robbed Tier138, he freaked out about a kid,
who he told me to kill. He was telling me how important it was to never leave
an enemy behind, but he seemed confused as to exactly what made him react so
violently. The headaches seemed to get even worse after that."
"Interesting," Washu lilted without looking up from her work. "I think I need
to access the files from when the ancient Jurians created Yugi, to know exactly
what happened. However I do have a few ideas now. Since returning, I've been
reading two separate sets of brainwaves in Yugi. There is also a second astral
pattern, which she didn't show any evidence of the first time we encountered
her. I need to check her complete genetic code to narrow the field of inquiry
further, but from what I've learned tonight I suspect that Yugi did not create
Hotsuma." Washu looked up and flashed everyone one of her scary grins. She gave
a brief maniacal laugh, elated at her discovery and her own genius.
"But then who created him, Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked in bewilderment.
"Why Hotsuma, of course!" Washu cackled, as everyone stared at her in utter
confusion.
**************************
Author's Note: Ahhhhhhh! And then there was one. I wish I could have fit in
all my ideas for this chapter, but I think this final draft has the best flow.
I may try to work some of the things that I wanted to squeeze in here into the
next chapter. For those of you who've mentioned how I've been hinting at things
in previous chapters, I give you each a Hotsuma plushie. Care and feeding of
him is quite easy. Don't forget to cuddle him frequently, as this character
seems to miss out on the fans' love all too often. ;)
Anyhow the next chapter, Into the Light, should tie up everything that's left.
I've had this all planned since last December, and I'm very excited to finally
be into a section where I've passed the series end of Shin. It gives me more
room to breathe, so to speak. It felt kinda funny to finally get to write all
the other Tenchi characters again. I was really having fun with the vibe
between Ayeka and Ryoko here, as I view them as being best friends despite
themselves. Ayeka and Ryoko often are there for each other emotionally in
Tenchi movies, and I felt it was most natural for her to be the main support for
Ryoko here. I really love writing the entire ensemble cast, and I have done
them before in other fics, so it felt great to pick them up in this continuity
at last. I hope I can give each of them a good scene before I'm finished with
the story.
The first time I heard "Wherever You Will Go" I knew that it had to go into this
chapter. Because I didn't want to get too songficcy, I decided to use it in
snippets and skip some of the refrains. I concentrated on the strongest lyrics
that would support this story, because that was the song's purpose--to suit the
story. It expresses Hotsuma's longings and concerns for Ryoko, in a way he
wouldn't be able to put into words. I planned this chapter as a mirror to the
scene where Kiyone drew the story about Tenchi out of Ryoko as well as a mirror
to the way Hotsuma admits his feelings for her to himself in chapter one.
Ryoko's total preoccupation with Tenchi could only be shaken by something
momentous, which was another reason for Hotsuma's apparent death in the previous
chapter. Because of the musical aspect, the title seemed appropriate on several
levels, as it is a reprise. The title also hails the shadowy and hidden
feelings in Ryoko's heart.
someone with a life-sized Ryoko cutout. Don't ask. It might give you
nightmares. "Wherever You Will Go" is by The Calling and is property of them
and whatever label publishes their CD. Author's note at bottom, rather like
fruit on bottom yogurt.
**************************
Ryoko sat on the sturdy limb of Tenchi's favorite tree and watched the tangerine
dappled sunset reflected over the peace of the lake. She habitually ate faster
than everyone one else in the household, and now she was glad that it afforded
her the opportunity to slip away for her own private moments. Nearly a week had
passed since the final confrontation with Yugi, and in that time Ryoko had
returned to Okayama with the rest of the Masaki family. She noticed no changes
to the out of the way shrine or the red roofed house which the Masaki's called
home. Everyone around her slipped easily back into their daily routines with
the minor addition of Yugi sound asleep in the small cave behind Katsuhito's
shrine. Ryoko watched Sasami cheerfully visit the cave every afternoon to
report the daily events to Yugi, while Ryoko secretly visited the cave every
night to make a report of her own. It seemed a more appropriate resting place
than some nameless chunk of ice orbiting a frigid sun eons away.
Ryoko wondered how her life could be exactly the same as it had been months ago
yet feel completely different. She tried to behave exactly the same, but
niggling details crept into her mind constantly and ate away at her beneath the
detached façade. She'd decided earlier to bring the subject of Sakuya up to
Tenchi, but the conversation had been unenlightening at best. Tenchi avoided
her questions and when asked he never made a move to kiss her. Perhaps that
itself spoke volumes. Ryoko fiddled with the locket around her throat as she
prepared to make her nightly visit ahead of schedule.
"Hey, Ryoko!" called a deep female voice at the base of the tree. Kiyone stood
there in the fading light with her hands cupped around her mouth. Upon seeing
Ryoko look back, Kiyone waved up at her as though trying to flag down the
preoccupied pirate. "Ryoko, I need to talk to you for a few minutes," Kiyone
called up, "I just need you to answer a couple of questions to finish my
paperwork. Why don't you come inside and have some tea?"
"Apparently, my visit is going to have to wait," Ryoko whispered, casting a
quick glance towards the cave. A warm breeze blew Ryoko's bangs forward, and
she pushed them out of her eyes as she turned back towards Kiyone. Ryoko
grinned down at the teal haired officer. "Well, if I'm going to be forced to
help with paperwork, I need more of a reward than just tea..." Ryoko drawled, as
she waited to see what more Kiyone might have to offer.
"Sasami made cookies," Kiyone replied, anticipating the pirate's response.
"We'd better hurry though, before Mihoshi and Ayeka eat them all on us!" If
that didn't get Ryoko moving nothing would. Ryoko's competition with the Jurian
princess was the stuff of legend. Kiyone couldn't hide her smirk as Ryoko leapt
from the tree and phased to the ground beside her.
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Ryoko cajoled, as she grabbed Kiyone by
the sleeve and dragged her towards the lights of the house. The blue haired
woman laughed like a little girl, who'd just been offered a chance to play her
favorite game. "It's not like Ayeka needs anymore cookies, or her butt might
become the size of a whale! This is a public service issue!" the pirate
snickered, exuberantly. "C'mon! C'mon! You know what a cookie-hog she is!"
"There you are, Ryoko!" chimed Sasami brightly, as Ryoko raced into the house
with Kiyone still in tow. The little brown cabbit perched on the shoulder of
her blue kimono chirped an enthusiastic greeting of her own, as Sasami danced
around the pair happily. "Ayeka and Mihoshi are in the living room, and I made
plenty of cookies for everyone. They're my best batch yet!" the little princess
exclaimed proudly, as she puffed up her chest. "Don't forget to save some for
Washu! I'm just going to bring a plate up to Tenchi!" she giggled, giving Ryoko
one of her beatific smiles before disappearing up the stairs with her long blue
pigtails trailing behind her.
Kiyone propped herself up against the wall and gasped for air, as they entered
the comfort of the living room. She looked up to see Ryoko plopping down next
to Mihoshi on the couch and happily helping herself to a cookie, while Ayeka
poured the tea with a roll of her eyes. As the first strings of bickering
began, Kiyone realized that she needed to get her interview over with before an
argument erupted and distracted them all. Kiyone hobbled over to the sectional
and seated herself at a right angle to Ryoko. She was starting to catch her
breath now, but it still felt heavenly to collapse into the softness of the
large sofa. "Thank you, Ayeka," she said sincerely as the princess passed her a
steaming cup of tea.
"You're very welcome, Kiyone," Ayeka responded graciously. She immediately
fixed Ryoko with a disdainful glare. "That, Ryoko, is what courtesy sounds
like!" she goaded. "It certainly wouldn't hurt you any to improve your manners,
and just how many cookies do you intend to stuff into your giant maw? Isn't
that the third one in less than a minute? These are supposed to be for
everybody!" Ayeka's prim chastisements continued, as though she--like Ryoko--
were trying to make up for lost time.
"Thank you for agreeing to help me Ryoko," Kiyone interrupted, as Ryoko stuck
out her tongue in retaliation. "I'll try to keep this really short, but Mihoshi
and I just have to tie up a few loose ends before your pirating exploits can be
put to rest. I guess I should start with what happened after you and Hotsuma
fled the new GXP fleet..." Kiyone rambled as she shuffled through a large stack
of papers on the wooden coffee table. It seemed that the right paper was never
where it was supposed to be, and she was forced to spread the papers out over
most of the shiny free surface around the cookies and tea set.
"Oh, yes!" tittered Mihoshi. "That was all so exciting! And you and Hotsuma
did seem to be rather cute together. I think he really liked you, Ryoko,"
Mihoshi sang out, while she nudged Ryoko with her elbow. The blond woman's
often-vacant expression was replaced with a knowing wink, and she giggled behind
her hands as though her knowledge about Ryoko and the blond pirate was
embarrassingly intimate.
"Oh, no!" Ayeka sighed dramatically, as she sat on the end of the maroon couch
beside Kiyone. She cocked her head to the side as she held her hand-painted
porcelain teacup between her fingers. "Don't tell me we're going to have to
listen to all your exploits with some kinky space pirate!" she groaned, still
trying to get a rise out of her prey.
Ryoko bristled immediately and a crackle of energy danced through the air near
her skin. "That kinky space pirate had a name, Pri..." she began with a growl,
but the last word seemed to catch in her throat. Her eyes widened, registering
a mixture of surprise and pain, and she quickly cleared her throat and used her
blue and white teacup to hide her expression until her control had returned.
The crackle of energy subsided as quickly as it had started, and Ryoko seemed
withdrawn and much smaller than her usually greater-than-life self. "Princess,"
she finished quietly. "Besides there really isn't much to say"
Ayeka and Kiyone exchanged a worried glance before turning back to Ryoko. Ayeka
hadn't expected this reaction from Ryoko. If anything she should have just
blown it off with a comment about Tenchi being her only interest or possibly a,
"Hey, I can't help it if men find me so gorgeous that they follow me across the
entire universe." Ayeka would have even settled for an, "Ayeka, stop trying to
pawn your kinky fantasies off on me!" The only thing in the room more obvious
than Ayeka's chagrin was how terrible Ryoko was at lying.
"Well that'll just make my report easier to file," Kiyone covered smoothly.
Kiyone tucked a troublesome strand of hair behind her ear so that she could see
her forms clearly. She smiled superficially at Ryoko, and picked up her pen,
pressing it to the paper in readiness. "Do you know the current whereabouts of
the space pirate Hotsuma?" Kiyone asked in her most efficient tone, as she
studied Ryoko for any sign that she was holding back.
The pirate turned herself to stare out through the sliding doors leading to the
porch. "You don't have to worry about Hotsuma, Kiyone. He won't be causing any
further problems for the Galaxy Police," Ryoko answered emotionlessly. She
fixed her sharp, golden eyes on a point somewhere outside the glass, as she
spoke--not bothering to look at any of the other women in the room.
"And how can you be sure of that, Ryoko?" Kiyone demanded in frustration. She
wasn't asking a difficult or even personal question, but Ryoko was already
getting evasive. At least Ryoko could have the decency to wait until Kiyone
asked something even remotely invasive before getting defensive. Kiyone tapped
her pen on the form as she waited for a response.
Ryoko gave her an appraising glance without turning to face the annoyed
detective, and a sly smirk spread across the pirate's soft features. "Well,"
she said reaching into the large wooden bowl on the table and turning her
mischievous grin upon the teal-haired officer. "You know, while we're on the
subject of missing people, I'd give a cookie for the whereabouts of the space
pirate Aicheron, Kiyone..." she replied, and she raised one of her arched brows
expectantly at the other woman. Watching Kiyone flush, Ryoko leaned in closer.
"But if you told me that he wasn't going to cause anymore trouble, I'd accept
it." She added, handing Kiyone the chocolate-chip treat and relaxing back into
her own seat.
"Ryoko I'm not asking for anything that detailed here!" Kiyone barked back, as
she snatched up the cookie. Aicheron had been nowhere on the lists of captured
or killed pirates, but Kiyone still felt an anxious leaden feeling in the pit of
her stomach at the mention of his whereabouts. She'd bundled his gear along
with hers and Mihoshi's, and kept it stored in a trunk in her room. She found
it rather comforting to know it was there, a solid presence in the corner of the
room. On the official reports she'd sited him as an indispensable informant and
contact, in hopes that it might mitigate the circumstances of his involvement
with Ryoko's gang. His official status was listed as missing. "If you say he
won't be a problem, that's fine! But you could at least give me SOMETHING to
put on this report!"
"He probably left her, because she was just to vulgar to be believed," Ayeka
interjected with an air of wisdom, as she took another sip of her tea. She
ignored the shocked looks from Kiyone and Mihoshi. She knew better than anyone
how to bait the temperamental bandit. It was a strange friendship between them
perhaps, but as a result of their incessant bickering the pair knew each other's
vulnerable spots with unerring precision. In addition, Ayeka could get away
with saying things to the space pirate that nobody else dared.
Mihoshi stared at the outnumbered pirate with tears filling her huge, brilliant
eyes. "Oh, Ryoko!" she cried between sniffles. "That's so sad," the blonde
wailed, "Did Hotsuma really leave you? I mean I know you snore like a bear and
you aren't the tidiest person, but really... that's so mean!" Mihoshi bumped
the cookie bowl with her elbow as she lunged forward to hug her "abandoned"
friend, and Kiyone quickly jumped out of her seat to catch the bowl before it
could spill to the floor.
Ryoko gritted her teeth as she tried unsuccessfully to peel the overemotional
detective off of her. In the background of the room Ayeka and Kiyone were
discussing the way Hotsuma would have broken off with her. "Enough!" Ryoko
bellowed, tensing her entire body with the attempt to keep herself from blowing
up the nearest convenient target--which at this moment was Mihoshi. "Deceased.
Just put deceased, Kiyone," she said, as she finally managed to get the
blubbering bubblehead pried free. She caught Kiyone's speechless stare and
immediately added, "It's none of your business beyond that."
Ayeka silently bit into a cookie, while she watched Ryoko compose herself across
the table. She had the advantage of years at court, and when not provoked by
Ryoko, Ayeka could mask her thoughts better than anyone else in the household.
She had also learned to read people with surprising accuracy--a talent that
would prove invaluable to any future ruler of Jurai. "It looks like that trip
away from the Earth was even more eventful than anyone expected," Ayeka thought
to herself, "including Ryoko."
"Alright," Kiyone continued. She tried to hide how nervous this interview was
suddenly making her. "For the most part, the GXP has tracked down the stolen
goods. There are still a few pieces that have outstanding claims filed on them.
Do you know the present location of the royal throne of Elerostra? Or maybe the
smiling goddess of Tier138?" Kiyone excitedly wrote in the coordinates for the
second base as Ryoko rattled them off as the most likely location.
"Wonderful!" Kiyone beamed. Despite her current lowly assignment, perhaps
Kiyone could garner some recognition and even a raise with this information.
"Now there's only one item from your early jobs that still has a large
outstanding complaint on it," Kiyone plowed ahead, "Do you have any information
on The Princess's Heart? It was a holo-locket that was among the crown jewels
of Polidis. It apparently has great sentimental as well as monetary value."
"I wouldn't know about that one," Ryoko answered woodenly. It took all her
resolve not to reach up to the locket around her neck. Even with the high
collar on her black dress the jewel encrusted heart wasn't hidden. She crossed
her arms over her chest and crossed her legs, as she sat straight backed and
defiant before her friends. Kiyone could have everything else, but this piece
Ryoko would never part with. She hadn't taken it off since her return to Earth.
Mihoshi looked up at Ryoko from the photograph that she was studying. She drew
her brows together, studied Ryoko carefully, and chewed her lip thoughtfully.
Her expression brightened as she glanced back and forth between the picture and
the space pirate, and Ryoko felt a sinking feeling of premonition. Mihoshi
giggled and slapped Ryoko on the back good-humoredly. "But Ryoko you're wearing
it, see?" she said, as she held up a picture of Ryoko's locket around the neck
of the crowned princess of Polidis. "Wow! And people think I have a bad
memory!" she exclaimed with a silly laugh.
"This is just a memory locket," Ryoko insisted icily, as she drew back from the
inquisitive blond. Ryoko moved her hands up protectively in front of the golden
ornament, which dangled openly on its twin ruby and diamond jeweled chains. She
sensed a movement behind her, and turned her head to see Kiyone just behind her
shoulder grabbing for the glittering charm. "No! I said let go!" Ryoko cried
as she felt Kiyone's fingers wrapping around her heart.
"Honestly, Ryoko!" Kiyone scoffed. "We're putting our butts on the line to
cover for you! The least you can do is let us see the necklace!" She
reflexively tightened her grip as Ryoko tried to pull away. "It's an exact
match to the picture, Ryoko!"
"Kiyone, I think perhaps it would be better not to press Ryoko at the moment,"
Ayeka broke in. She gracefully rose and placed her hand on top of the
detective's. "Obviously, this necklace is very important to Ryoko, so I think
it must be exactly what she says." Ayeka gave Ryoko a slight smile. "Besides,
what would she need with someone else's memories?"
"It's not like I'm trying to take it away, Ayeka," Kiyone justified. "I'm only
trying to get a better look at it!" she grunted, as Ryoko tugged at her wrists.
Kiyone's fingers slid over the smooth stones, and she felt something give under
the pressure of her touch, as a small ruby on the side of the necklace depressed
under her fingertips. Kiyone gasped in surprise, as a deep male voice resonated
from the charm in her hands. She let go of the necklace entirely, as Ryoko
choked back a small sob.
"I'm so sorry, Ryoko," Hotsuma's voice said through the locket, as Kiyone slowly
withdrew her shaking hands. Kiyone could see Ryoko's defenses and evasions
crumbled and in ruins around her as her lost golden eyes stared fixedly at the
small hologram of Hotsuma that seemed to stand atop the delicate charm resting
in her palm. Kiyone slowly sat on the edge of the table, and Mihoshi gawked at
the projection with her wide, innocent blue eyes. Ayeka slid into place next to
Ryoko, cradling the normally unflappable pirate like a child, as she released
the clasps so that Ryoko could hold the locket at a more comfortable position.
Ryoko had played Hotsuma's last message countless times when no one else was
around. She could repeat it word for word, if she'd wanted to. Yet, watching
it with an audience made it as new and heart wrenching as the first time she'd
activated the projection.
"When you come back to the base, I have to deceive you for the last time, and
it's by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Hotsuma continued. He
pushed his glasses up with his middle finger. "I need you to kill me, Ryoko,
and I don't have time to convince you willingly. I've been trying for days to
tell you everything, but Tenchi is headed to confront Yugi as I speak. My last
hope is to be reabsorbed by her and try to work on her from inside. It's the
only way I can get there in time. At best, I may be able to interfere with her
powers directly. At worst, I'll simply cease to exist." Hotsuma shifted
uncomfortably with the admission.
"You were right to spare that child, Ryoko. I don't know what's been wrong with
me lately, but you were right. Yugi is also just a child, and she deserves the
same chance. I'm asking you to make sure she gets that chance. Don't let
anyone kill her, Ryoko. I need time to convince her; even if I cease to be,
maybe my memories will be enough to... to make her swayable," Hotsuma spoke
carefully.
Ayeka rubbed Ryoko's arm comfortingly, as silent tears swelled in Ryoko's
luminous cat-like eyes. They spread down her pale cheeks in glistening, wet
trails, and Ayeka leaned her head against Ryoko's as the pirate wept
soundlessly.
Hotsuma broke off talking for a moment, clenching his eyes shut and rubbing his
left temple as though he were in pain. When he looked back up, he seemed even
more earnest. "Ryoko, I've done anything and everything to be by your side--
even if it was just for a short time. I can't regret the things that brought
you to me, even though I regret hurting you. Maybe it's impossible to explain,
but emotions are complex things. For a time I was the greatest space pirate in
the universe--not because of some stack of gold or money-- but because I was
able to steal you away from the rest of creation. Being with you was worth
everything, Princess. Don't ever forget how much you're worth. In case I don't
have another chance to say it... I love you. I've tried to keep all my promises
to you, and I guess I just have one left," Hotsuma took a deep breath, and bit
his lip nervously. "This was a lot easier with the sake and the karaoke
machine," he laughed. He closed his blue eyes under a fringe of thick lashes,
as he gathered himself together, then he slowly began to sing. The space pirate
sang softly and a cappella, in a rich warm voice,
"So lately, I've been wonderin
Who will be there to take my place?
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face."
Ryoko let free her first audible sob, as Ayeka rocked her gently. She made
soothing shushing noises against Ryoko's hair. "Just let it all out, Ryoko..."
she whispered.
"And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own?"
"I killed him," Ryoko moaned into the princess's kimono. "If I had done just
one thing differently, I could have changed it all! I should have stopped it
before it ever came to that," Ryoko sniffed as she continued. "I should have
been able to stop the energy blast... or deflect it or...do something...but I
couldn't move, and he was just standing there waiting for it. It was as if I
had killed one of you!"
"And maybe, I'll find out
The way to make it back someday--
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days."
Kiyone took Ryoko's other hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "He left you this
message, because he didn't want you to blame yourself, Ryoko..." Kiyone assured
her.
"Well then I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you!"
Ryoko shook her head vehemently against Ayeka's shoulder. "Then he was just
laying there in my arms, and there was so much blood. I kept thinking this just
couldn't be happening, but in just moments he was really gone. Then he started
to fade away, and I tried to hold on, but he disappeared right out of my arms...
like he simply ceased to be," Ryoko managed between sobs.
"I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart and your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time"
"I didn't understand it until after we'd brought Yugi back to Okayama, when her
powers were explained to me. The way he just evaporated... what was the point,
if he just ceased to be?" Ryoko asked.
"If I could, then I would.
I'll go wherever you will go.
Way up high or down low,
I'll go wherever you will go"
Fighting not to bawl herself, Mihoshi laid her head upon the pirate's other
shoulder, and watched the little hologram in Ryoko's hand. It hurt to see Ryoko
this upset, and she had nothing more that she could offer than another loving
presence. They were Ryoko's family after all.
"If I could turn back time,
I'll go wherever you will go.
If I could make you mine,
I'll go wherever you will go."
"Now it's just too late," Ryoko finished. She wiped at her tears impatiently
with the side of her hand, and Ayeka passed her a soft handkerchief with the
princess's name stitched into the corner.
"I wouldn't say that, Ryoko," a high nasal voice broke in. Washu had entered
the room unnoticed during the excitement and was now ready to make her presence
known in startling Washu fashion. She popped a chocolate chip cookie into her
mouth and chewed thoughtfully. The diminutive scientist stood unabashedly in
the middle of the scene, munching on the sweet and gooey snack. "Yummy!" she
exclaimed before turning all business again. "This does help to explain the
strange readings I've been getting on Yugi, since she came to rest in the cave.
What do you think, Tenchi?" Washu asked, turning her attention to the very pale
Earth guardian who, upon entering slightly after Washu, stood in the doorway
wiping away tears of his own.
Tenchi jerked to attention at her words, and he scratched his head nervously as
five pairs of eyes focused on him. "Well, when Yugi took back Sakuya, every
picture of her or listing for her vanished too. But that locket still works, so
he couldn't have ceased to exist." Tenchi stepped forward, looking rather
sheepish still. "When I confronted Yugi in her fortress, she was already
hysterical. She was crying about not wanting to go back to the dark and talking
about not wanting to be alone. Sometimes I wasn't sure if she was talking to
me, or if she was talking to a voice only she could hear. It makes a lot more
sense now."
Tenchi entered the crowd and knelt to stare into Ryoko's shocked, amber eyes.
Tenchi wiped away Ryoko's few remaining tears with the pad of his thumb. He
seemed as intensely uncomfortable as Ayeka had ever seen him. She couldn't tell
if this was an aching reminder of Sakuya for him, or if he was simply anguished
over seeing Ryoko in such grief. His expression grew more pained when Ryoko
flung herself into the young shrine keeper's arms while asking him if it were
really true, and after an indecisive moment he tightened his arms around her and
closed his eyes tightly. Ayeka could see tears clinging to the corners of his
warm brown eyes, before he turned his face into Ryoko's hair. "Of course, it's
true," he replied. "So you... You should cheer up, Ryoko!" he forced himself to
exclaim brightly.
Ryoko pulled away to look into the mask of his smiling face. "You've got the
number one genius scientist in the universe right here," he said gesturing
towards Washu with his left hand. "We'll figure it out somehow, and I'm sure
Washu will be able to make things right," he promised her gently. "You'll see,
Ryoko."
"Yeah," Mihoshi mused thoughtfully, as she rubbed her chin. "I mean Hotsuma
wasn't like Yugi's other shadows at all."
"What would you know about it?" Kiyone demanded, as she crossed her arms and
stared at her bouncy partner.
"Well," Mihoshi began, resting her index finger on her chin and looking towards
the ceiling as she spoke. "First of all, that other guy that she created...
Tsugaru... well he was totally... um... what's that word? Anhydrous?"
"Androgynous," Kiyone supplied, testily. "The word is androgynous, and yes he
was."
"Right," Mihoshi continued, "But Hotsuma must've passed Ryoko's tests, if you
know what I mean. So how could a little girl know so little about men when she
made one, but know so MUCH when she made the other?" Mihoshi babbled happily.
"Mihoshi," Ayeka said daintily. "The image that you have just seared into my
mind will haunt me for the rest of my life."
"Shortly after I walked in, it looked like Hotsuma was rubbing his temple,"
Washu interrupted. "Can you tell me anything more about that, Ryoko?" she asked
as her floating cushion and transparent keyboard popped into place around her.
"He started having recurring headaches," Ryoko replied. She furrowed her brow
in thought. "It started just before the nightmares--around the time that Kiyone
and Mihoshi infiltrated the gang." She looked up at Washu, for a sign that this
information would help, and she could see the pink-haired scientist was already
busily typing away. "Then when we robbed Tier138, he freaked out about a kid,
who he told me to kill. He was telling me how important it was to never leave
an enemy behind, but he seemed confused as to exactly what made him react so
violently. The headaches seemed to get even worse after that."
"Interesting," Washu lilted without looking up from her work. "I think I need
to access the files from when the ancient Jurians created Yugi, to know exactly
what happened. However I do have a few ideas now. Since returning, I've been
reading two separate sets of brainwaves in Yugi. There is also a second astral
pattern, which she didn't show any evidence of the first time we encountered
her. I need to check her complete genetic code to narrow the field of inquiry
further, but from what I've learned tonight I suspect that Yugi did not create
Hotsuma." Washu looked up and flashed everyone one of her scary grins. She gave
a brief maniacal laugh, elated at her discovery and her own genius.
"But then who created him, Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked in bewilderment.
"Why Hotsuma, of course!" Washu cackled, as everyone stared at her in utter
confusion.
**************************
Author's Note: Ahhhhhhh! And then there was one. I wish I could have fit in
all my ideas for this chapter, but I think this final draft has the best flow.
I may try to work some of the things that I wanted to squeeze in here into the
next chapter. For those of you who've mentioned how I've been hinting at things
in previous chapters, I give you each a Hotsuma plushie. Care and feeding of
him is quite easy. Don't forget to cuddle him frequently, as this character
seems to miss out on the fans' love all too often. ;)
Anyhow the next chapter, Into the Light, should tie up everything that's left.
I've had this all planned since last December, and I'm very excited to finally
be into a section where I've passed the series end of Shin. It gives me more
room to breathe, so to speak. It felt kinda funny to finally get to write all
the other Tenchi characters again. I was really having fun with the vibe
between Ayeka and Ryoko here, as I view them as being best friends despite
themselves. Ayeka and Ryoko often are there for each other emotionally in
Tenchi movies, and I felt it was most natural for her to be the main support for
Ryoko here. I really love writing the entire ensemble cast, and I have done
them before in other fics, so it felt great to pick them up in this continuity
at last. I hope I can give each of them a good scene before I'm finished with
the story.
The first time I heard "Wherever You Will Go" I knew that it had to go into this
chapter. Because I didn't want to get too songficcy, I decided to use it in
snippets and skip some of the refrains. I concentrated on the strongest lyrics
that would support this story, because that was the song's purpose--to suit the
story. It expresses Hotsuma's longings and concerns for Ryoko, in a way he
wouldn't be able to put into words. I planned this chapter as a mirror to the
scene where Kiyone drew the story about Tenchi out of Ryoko as well as a mirror
to the way Hotsuma admits his feelings for her to himself in chapter one.
Ryoko's total preoccupation with Tenchi could only be shaken by something
momentous, which was another reason for Hotsuma's apparent death in the previous
chapter. Because of the musical aspect, the title seemed appropriate on several
levels, as it is a reprise. The title also hails the shadowy and hidden
feelings in Ryoko's heart.