See the author's notes on chapter one for a formatting explanation.
Quietly she snuck, opening the treasure chest steadily while those who guarded it were away. She carefully used her instruments and training to remove what she desired, hoping that the small peace would not be noticed until she had made her escape.
"Ryoko? What are you doing?" Tenchi asked as he entered the kitchen.
Ryoko tensed, she was caught. Her plan thwarted, she shut the refrigerator door with her hip. "Nuthin." She replied, keeping her face turned from him.
He smiled, at her muffled reply. "Nothing?" He walked closer and looked over her shoulder.
"Yeah, nothing see." She spun around and opened her mouth, moving her tongue side to side showing that it was empty.
"Ryoko…" He asked, that same pleading tone that he was forced to use all the time.
"Alright!" She threw her arms in the air. "I was just having a snack."
Tenchi opened the refrigerator and saw an uncovered steak with a cut missing. "Raw?" He asked as he looked up to face her. "Doesn't it taste horrible?"
"No, it's good. Just soft and cool."
"But the taste?"
"Doesn't matter, I can't taste anything."
Tenchi stood dumbfounded as he shut the door to the refrigerator. "But you always complement Sasami's cooking, and you always want to try new things?"
"I can tell if it's warm or cold, and I like feeling the different textures." She stated, walking around the little counter island.
"That's horrible, Ryoko I had no idea."
"I don't see what the big deal is." She sat on a stool, absently flipping through some of the cookbooks Sasami had strewn about the room as she twirled her fork in her fingers, still licking her lips.
"That's the point, you've never been able to taste?" Tenchi asked, determined not to play this down like Ryoko was trying to do.
"No, I guess Kagato kidnapped me before Washu was able to finish working out the bugs."
"What else, is their anything else that you can't do?"
Ryoko looked up from a picture of salmon sushi. "Really Tenchi, I don't think that's any of your business. I really don't like talking about it, it just makes me realize that not a normal human," Ryoko chuckled. "I really am a monster woman."
"Don't say that Ryoko, you're not a monster." Tenchi sighed, hating Ayeka's nickname for her. "Have you talked to Washu, maybe she could fix it, you know work out the bugs?"
"I don't really want to bother her with it." Ryoko threw her fork into the sink from across the room with a satisfying 'clank'. "Besides, I've gotten used to it by now." She started to float out of the kitchen and through the back door.
"Ryoko wait!" Tenchi called running to follow her into the yard. "I'm sorry; I guess I was just surprised."
"That's okay."
"Any way, I wanted to give you something." He said, holding his arms to his chest as his breath puffed out in the cold air.
"What?" She asked, stopping her flying and floating to the ground.
"You're Gems." He replied, removing the Master Key from his coat and holding it in the palm of his hand. "I'm sorry; I haven't touched the sword since Washu found it in that crater. Truth be told, I haven't wanted to pick it up since..." Tenchi trailed off.
"Yea, I know what you mean." Ryoko crossed her arms, not liking the memories that this conversation was beginning to conjure up.
"Anyway, I guess I just forgot about them. I'm sorry Ryoko, I should have given them back sooner, I had no right to keep them."
"Don't be silly, you didn't know if I was a mummy out to destroy the world or what when you decided to keep those two."
"No, but I should have given them back sooner. They don't do me any good and I can't help but think if I had given them back, maybe you would have been powerful enough to…"
"Stop it Tenchi!" Tenchi snapped to attention as she barked. "It doesn't help anything." She softened her tone.
"I'm sorry." He looked at the ground. "Are you ready?"
Ryoko nodded and moved her fake gem out of her wrist and to her palm where she dropped it on the ground. "Ready, just point the sword and pray." Both Tenchi and Ryoko closed their eyes. After a moment of silence, the two gems on the hilt of the Master Key disappeared, one reappearing on Ryoko's left wrist and the other on her neck. "Ahhh, feels good." Ryoko flexed her arm.
"What can you do now that you have all three?" Tenchi asked before he could fear a demonstration.
"Well, remember that demon I called at the onsen? I can control him now, want to see?" She asked, a little too eagerly for Tenchi's liking, grinning as her gems began to glow.
"No No No that's all right Ryoko!" Tenchi stammered, holding his arms out and waving for her to stop.
Ryoko grinned. "Okay, but anytime you need a demon…"
"Got it."
"Well, I get a lot more power, but I don't know how to control it yet. Crap, guess this means I'm going to spend more time with Washu to learn how to control this."
Tenchi laughed. "It can't be that bad."
"It can't?" Ryoko asked, her eyes cutting over at him with a very serious look.
"Okay, maybe it can." He sighed, remembering all of her attempts for that 'sample',
"That's a good boy!" She exclaimed, patting him on the head a few times for good measure.
"Sorry Ryoko, but I've got to scarf down some breakfast and get up to the shrine. Grandpa and I were going to start sparring again today." He started to walk back into the house, but turned when he noticed Ryoko was still standing in the yard alone. "Aren't you coming?"
"No, I'm not hungry anymore."
"Okay." He started back in the house.
"Tenchi."
"Yes?" He turned back around.
"Thank you." She said, gently rubbing the gem in her neck.
"You're welcome Ryoko."
~~~:*:~~~
In sleep, we often relive the past.
~~~:*:~~~
"Working late again Professor?"
Washu looked up from her lab table at her student assistant. "No, just trying to stop the compounds from deregulating so quickly."
The young Kagato chuckled and removed his coat from the hook on the wall. "Just don't stays up too late, the dean will get suspicious if I have to teach another one of your classes because you are asleep again in that dimension of yours."
"Thanks Kagato."
"Don't mention it." He said, running a free hand through his shoulder length silver hair.
"No, I mean it really." Washu turned on her seat to face him. "I know most of this isn't scheduled in the school budget, and the last thing I need is a committee looking into where my grants are going. Just thanks for helping."
"Professor?" Kagato asked setting his books and coat back onto a desk and approaching her. "Why are you doing this, it is a great risk just for science."
"For the first time in my life, it's not the science. I feel like it's in my head, the plans for her." She said looking at the chamber of mass before her. "For some reason I know what to do, and when I finish it, I instantly know what to do next." Washu smiled for a moment before she went back to the table of chemicals before her.
Kagato stepped back, picking up his books and coat before slipping out the door, leaving his teacher to her work.
~~~:*:~~~
"Ready?" Katsuhito asked as he laid his wooden practice sword on his grandson's shoulder.
"Hi!" Tenchi replied quickly, doing the same.
They ran past one another, and turned, both making elegant sweeps and strikes that 1seemed like a ritual dance, a dance that could prove fatal. Their swordplay stiles were similar to the untrained eye, but to the master, they were as different as day and night. Tenchi struck rapidly, with as much power as his youthful body would allow. He was fearless, choosing to attack when he needed to defend, putting his body at risk, but gaining much ground in the process. Katsuhito was calm, deflecting blows and poking at weak points when they became obvious. He was not toying with Tenchi by any means, but trying to gauge his younger counterpart's reactions and formulate the best combinations of attacks that would give him the upper hand. While he did not have his grandson's youth, the old man had cunning beyond belief.
Nearly as quickly as it started, it was over, the young heir to the Jurian throne lying on the ground, with a sword tip at his neck.
"That was good." Katsuhito said removing the sword and extending his hand, helping Tenchi up. "It's been so long since we trained I thought you would have fallen behind."
"Same here, either I'm getting better or you're slipping Grandpa." Tenchi chuckled but stopped abruptly upon noticing the older man's scowl.
"Experienced cunning will thwart youthful exuberance any day." Katsuhito wiped his face with a towel. "But I am impressed, there is something weighing your heart down, but you were able to put it behind you and focus entirely on the match." He held out a towel for him.
Tenchi said nothing, just retrieved his towel and wiping the now cool sweat from his face and neck as they started down the shrine steps together. Katsuhito waited longer than he expected for his grandson's reply. Usually when he led him to an opportunity to open up he would take it. No matter, silence was uncomfortable to the young.
The walk continued, purposely slowed by Katsuhito's pace. A few flakes of snow began to fall, each drifting down to the green earth, only to melt instantly when they found purchase.
"Sometimes I wish I could just turn back time." The silence was broken, and Katsuhito listened to his grandson's words. "Before all this with Tokimi and Han started."
"And, what would you do with that time?" Katsuhito asked.
"Tell her."
"I see." He looked over at his grandson. "So, you have decided then?"
"No, not now, not anymore." Tenchi's eyes stayed glued to the stone steps.
"Himm." They continued to walk for a while. "Our lives are filled with missed opportunities that we regret Tenchi. But the real question is, if you went back to before all this happened, would you really tell her?"
He let out a halfhearted chuckle. "Your right, I'd probably chicken out."
"I cannot help but notice that you seem to be paying Ryoko a little more attention since she almost got away."
Tenchi looked over at his grandfather. "You make it sound like I was grateful Hanshin died."
"You know I do not think that, I just believe you have seen what she feared would happen, someone taking the one you love away from you."
"Grandpa?" Tenchi gulped, mustering up the courage to confront his grandfather. "Why did you leave Miss. Ayeka?"
"Ryoko attacked my home; it was my duty to track her down." He replied steadily.
"Uh hu." Tenchi looked back down the path. "Why did you really?"
"It was my destiny, which is all you need to know."
"Figures."
"If I'm not mistaken, you still haven't finished replacing the missing shingles from the shrine roof have you?"
Tenchi gulped. "Yea, well, you know. After that workout I think I'm a little weak to be climbing up on the roof. Don't you think?"
His question was answered with a bonk on the head from Katsuhito's sword.
~~~:*:~~~
Ryoko lay in her bed, watching as the snow trickled down from the heavens and began to slowly collect on the cooling ground. She was still rubbing the gem on her neck, wondering. *Would it have made a difference?* It was stupid, she knew. Whether it would have or wouldn't didn't matter now did it? She didn't blame Tenchi, he kept the gems when they first met and not even she remembered them afterwards. Other than the demon-calling she didn't even remember what they allowed her to do. Her years with Kagato gave her clouded memories at best, most just instances designed to keep her loyal.
The snow continued to fall as a soft knock sounded. At first she thought it was Ayeka, because nobody else was that proper. Sasami would have called into the room. Tenchi always knocked three times, not two. Mihoshi and Kiyone were still gone. Noboyuki would have just barged in with a camcorder. Katsuhito had no reason to come see her.
"Come in." She said, still looking out the window and desperately trying to get back into her mode of thought,
The door squeaked open, and Ryo-ohki stepped in. She smiled seeing her sister, and walked to the bed she was laying on.
"What's up?" She asked patting the bed next to her. Ryo-ohki grabbed the blanket and pulled her small body up and next to Ryoko's. Ryoko drew her sister closer, until she leaned her head against the Space Pirate's chest.
"Hi." She said looking up at her.
Ryoko smiled. "Hi." She replied and ran her fingers through Ryo-ohki's silver and brawn hair. "Whatcha want?"
"Where man?" Ryo-ohki asked, her golden eyes finding her sister's.
"Who do you mean?"
"Man I left on earth when Tenchi hurt."
Ryoko smiled in remembrance. "His name was Hanshin. He helped us win against Tokimi."
"I liked him." Ryo-ohki looked down at her hands while she played with a strand of her sister's hair.
"You liked him?" Ryoko asked. "How?"
"Felt good when he was near." Then Ryo-ohki asked the question Ryoko feared. "Where Han?"
Ryoko sighed, placing her hand on the top of her sister's hair. "He died."
"Died?" She looked back up at her.
Ryoko stumbled, cautiously searching for the right words. "He went away so Tokimi wouldn't bother us anymore."
"Mommy can't bring back?"
"No," She said. "Mommy can't bring him back."
…Please read and review chapter two of "Where Angel's Feet do Tread" if you haven't done so already.
Quietly she snuck, opening the treasure chest steadily while those who guarded it were away. She carefully used her instruments and training to remove what she desired, hoping that the small peace would not be noticed until she had made her escape.
"Ryoko? What are you doing?" Tenchi asked as he entered the kitchen.
Ryoko tensed, she was caught. Her plan thwarted, she shut the refrigerator door with her hip. "Nuthin." She replied, keeping her face turned from him.
He smiled, at her muffled reply. "Nothing?" He walked closer and looked over her shoulder.
"Yeah, nothing see." She spun around and opened her mouth, moving her tongue side to side showing that it was empty.
"Ryoko…" He asked, that same pleading tone that he was forced to use all the time.
"Alright!" She threw her arms in the air. "I was just having a snack."
Tenchi opened the refrigerator and saw an uncovered steak with a cut missing. "Raw?" He asked as he looked up to face her. "Doesn't it taste horrible?"
"No, it's good. Just soft and cool."
"But the taste?"
"Doesn't matter, I can't taste anything."
Tenchi stood dumbfounded as he shut the door to the refrigerator. "But you always complement Sasami's cooking, and you always want to try new things?"
"I can tell if it's warm or cold, and I like feeling the different textures." She stated, walking around the little counter island.
"That's horrible, Ryoko I had no idea."
"I don't see what the big deal is." She sat on a stool, absently flipping through some of the cookbooks Sasami had strewn about the room as she twirled her fork in her fingers, still licking her lips.
"That's the point, you've never been able to taste?" Tenchi asked, determined not to play this down like Ryoko was trying to do.
"No, I guess Kagato kidnapped me before Washu was able to finish working out the bugs."
"What else, is their anything else that you can't do?"
Ryoko looked up from a picture of salmon sushi. "Really Tenchi, I don't think that's any of your business. I really don't like talking about it, it just makes me realize that not a normal human," Ryoko chuckled. "I really am a monster woman."
"Don't say that Ryoko, you're not a monster." Tenchi sighed, hating Ayeka's nickname for her. "Have you talked to Washu, maybe she could fix it, you know work out the bugs?"
"I don't really want to bother her with it." Ryoko threw her fork into the sink from across the room with a satisfying 'clank'. "Besides, I've gotten used to it by now." She started to float out of the kitchen and through the back door.
"Ryoko wait!" Tenchi called running to follow her into the yard. "I'm sorry; I guess I was just surprised."
"That's okay."
"Any way, I wanted to give you something." He said, holding his arms to his chest as his breath puffed out in the cold air.
"What?" She asked, stopping her flying and floating to the ground.
"You're Gems." He replied, removing the Master Key from his coat and holding it in the palm of his hand. "I'm sorry; I haven't touched the sword since Washu found it in that crater. Truth be told, I haven't wanted to pick it up since..." Tenchi trailed off.
"Yea, I know what you mean." Ryoko crossed her arms, not liking the memories that this conversation was beginning to conjure up.
"Anyway, I guess I just forgot about them. I'm sorry Ryoko, I should have given them back sooner, I had no right to keep them."
"Don't be silly, you didn't know if I was a mummy out to destroy the world or what when you decided to keep those two."
"No, but I should have given them back sooner. They don't do me any good and I can't help but think if I had given them back, maybe you would have been powerful enough to…"
"Stop it Tenchi!" Tenchi snapped to attention as she barked. "It doesn't help anything." She softened her tone.
"I'm sorry." He looked at the ground. "Are you ready?"
Ryoko nodded and moved her fake gem out of her wrist and to her palm where she dropped it on the ground. "Ready, just point the sword and pray." Both Tenchi and Ryoko closed their eyes. After a moment of silence, the two gems on the hilt of the Master Key disappeared, one reappearing on Ryoko's left wrist and the other on her neck. "Ahhh, feels good." Ryoko flexed her arm.
"What can you do now that you have all three?" Tenchi asked before he could fear a demonstration.
"Well, remember that demon I called at the onsen? I can control him now, want to see?" She asked, a little too eagerly for Tenchi's liking, grinning as her gems began to glow.
"No No No that's all right Ryoko!" Tenchi stammered, holding his arms out and waving for her to stop.
Ryoko grinned. "Okay, but anytime you need a demon…"
"Got it."
"Well, I get a lot more power, but I don't know how to control it yet. Crap, guess this means I'm going to spend more time with Washu to learn how to control this."
Tenchi laughed. "It can't be that bad."
"It can't?" Ryoko asked, her eyes cutting over at him with a very serious look.
"Okay, maybe it can." He sighed, remembering all of her attempts for that 'sample',
"That's a good boy!" She exclaimed, patting him on the head a few times for good measure.
"Sorry Ryoko, but I've got to scarf down some breakfast and get up to the shrine. Grandpa and I were going to start sparring again today." He started to walk back into the house, but turned when he noticed Ryoko was still standing in the yard alone. "Aren't you coming?"
"No, I'm not hungry anymore."
"Okay." He started back in the house.
"Tenchi."
"Yes?" He turned back around.
"Thank you." She said, gently rubbing the gem in her neck.
"You're welcome Ryoko."
~~~:*:~~~
In sleep, we often relive the past.
~~~:*:~~~
"Working late again Professor?"
Washu looked up from her lab table at her student assistant. "No, just trying to stop the compounds from deregulating so quickly."
The young Kagato chuckled and removed his coat from the hook on the wall. "Just don't stays up too late, the dean will get suspicious if I have to teach another one of your classes because you are asleep again in that dimension of yours."
"Thanks Kagato."
"Don't mention it." He said, running a free hand through his shoulder length silver hair.
"No, I mean it really." Washu turned on her seat to face him. "I know most of this isn't scheduled in the school budget, and the last thing I need is a committee looking into where my grants are going. Just thanks for helping."
"Professor?" Kagato asked setting his books and coat back onto a desk and approaching her. "Why are you doing this, it is a great risk just for science."
"For the first time in my life, it's not the science. I feel like it's in my head, the plans for her." She said looking at the chamber of mass before her. "For some reason I know what to do, and when I finish it, I instantly know what to do next." Washu smiled for a moment before she went back to the table of chemicals before her.
Kagato stepped back, picking up his books and coat before slipping out the door, leaving his teacher to her work.
~~~:*:~~~
"Ready?" Katsuhito asked as he laid his wooden practice sword on his grandson's shoulder.
"Hi!" Tenchi replied quickly, doing the same.
They ran past one another, and turned, both making elegant sweeps and strikes that 1seemed like a ritual dance, a dance that could prove fatal. Their swordplay stiles were similar to the untrained eye, but to the master, they were as different as day and night. Tenchi struck rapidly, with as much power as his youthful body would allow. He was fearless, choosing to attack when he needed to defend, putting his body at risk, but gaining much ground in the process. Katsuhito was calm, deflecting blows and poking at weak points when they became obvious. He was not toying with Tenchi by any means, but trying to gauge his younger counterpart's reactions and formulate the best combinations of attacks that would give him the upper hand. While he did not have his grandson's youth, the old man had cunning beyond belief.
Nearly as quickly as it started, it was over, the young heir to the Jurian throne lying on the ground, with a sword tip at his neck.
"That was good." Katsuhito said removing the sword and extending his hand, helping Tenchi up. "It's been so long since we trained I thought you would have fallen behind."
"Same here, either I'm getting better or you're slipping Grandpa." Tenchi chuckled but stopped abruptly upon noticing the older man's scowl.
"Experienced cunning will thwart youthful exuberance any day." Katsuhito wiped his face with a towel. "But I am impressed, there is something weighing your heart down, but you were able to put it behind you and focus entirely on the match." He held out a towel for him.
Tenchi said nothing, just retrieved his towel and wiping the now cool sweat from his face and neck as they started down the shrine steps together. Katsuhito waited longer than he expected for his grandson's reply. Usually when he led him to an opportunity to open up he would take it. No matter, silence was uncomfortable to the young.
The walk continued, purposely slowed by Katsuhito's pace. A few flakes of snow began to fall, each drifting down to the green earth, only to melt instantly when they found purchase.
"Sometimes I wish I could just turn back time." The silence was broken, and Katsuhito listened to his grandson's words. "Before all this with Tokimi and Han started."
"And, what would you do with that time?" Katsuhito asked.
"Tell her."
"I see." He looked over at his grandson. "So, you have decided then?"
"No, not now, not anymore." Tenchi's eyes stayed glued to the stone steps.
"Himm." They continued to walk for a while. "Our lives are filled with missed opportunities that we regret Tenchi. But the real question is, if you went back to before all this happened, would you really tell her?"
He let out a halfhearted chuckle. "Your right, I'd probably chicken out."
"I cannot help but notice that you seem to be paying Ryoko a little more attention since she almost got away."
Tenchi looked over at his grandfather. "You make it sound like I was grateful Hanshin died."
"You know I do not think that, I just believe you have seen what she feared would happen, someone taking the one you love away from you."
"Grandpa?" Tenchi gulped, mustering up the courage to confront his grandfather. "Why did you leave Miss. Ayeka?"
"Ryoko attacked my home; it was my duty to track her down." He replied steadily.
"Uh hu." Tenchi looked back down the path. "Why did you really?"
"It was my destiny, which is all you need to know."
"Figures."
"If I'm not mistaken, you still haven't finished replacing the missing shingles from the shrine roof have you?"
Tenchi gulped. "Yea, well, you know. After that workout I think I'm a little weak to be climbing up on the roof. Don't you think?"
His question was answered with a bonk on the head from Katsuhito's sword.
~~~:*:~~~
Ryoko lay in her bed, watching as the snow trickled down from the heavens and began to slowly collect on the cooling ground. She was still rubbing the gem on her neck, wondering. *Would it have made a difference?* It was stupid, she knew. Whether it would have or wouldn't didn't matter now did it? She didn't blame Tenchi, he kept the gems when they first met and not even she remembered them afterwards. Other than the demon-calling she didn't even remember what they allowed her to do. Her years with Kagato gave her clouded memories at best, most just instances designed to keep her loyal.
The snow continued to fall as a soft knock sounded. At first she thought it was Ayeka, because nobody else was that proper. Sasami would have called into the room. Tenchi always knocked three times, not two. Mihoshi and Kiyone were still gone. Noboyuki would have just barged in with a camcorder. Katsuhito had no reason to come see her.
"Come in." She said, still looking out the window and desperately trying to get back into her mode of thought,
The door squeaked open, and Ryo-ohki stepped in. She smiled seeing her sister, and walked to the bed she was laying on.
"What's up?" She asked patting the bed next to her. Ryo-ohki grabbed the blanket and pulled her small body up and next to Ryoko's. Ryoko drew her sister closer, until she leaned her head against the Space Pirate's chest.
"Hi." She said looking up at her.
Ryoko smiled. "Hi." She replied and ran her fingers through Ryo-ohki's silver and brawn hair. "Whatcha want?"
"Where man?" Ryo-ohki asked, her golden eyes finding her sister's.
"Who do you mean?"
"Man I left on earth when Tenchi hurt."
Ryoko smiled in remembrance. "His name was Hanshin. He helped us win against Tokimi."
"I liked him." Ryo-ohki looked down at her hands while she played with a strand of her sister's hair.
"You liked him?" Ryoko asked. "How?"
"Felt good when he was near." Then Ryo-ohki asked the question Ryoko feared. "Where Han?"
Ryoko sighed, placing her hand on the top of her sister's hair. "He died."
"Died?" She looked back up at her.
Ryoko stumbled, cautiously searching for the right words. "He went away so Tokimi wouldn't bother us anymore."
"Mommy can't bring back?"
"No," She said. "Mommy can't bring him back."
…Please read and review chapter two of "Where Angel's Feet do Tread" if you haven't done so already.