1 November
Dear Diary,
It has been five months since my outbreak with Ryoko. Five months since Washuu and I found a solution to the problem at hand. The passage of time has been hard. At times, it's been almost unbearable. But I have lived. And, even better, Washuu said that I seem to be gaining control of myself! How great is that? I pray she is right.
Ryoko's dreams are getting worse. She says she knows the person killing her, but she can't place them. I pray it's not me.
Hmm, I pray. I've been doing that a lot lately. I have no religion at all, yet I still consult a higher being. Is that okay? Will He listen to me? Is "He" even there? Questions. I have so many any more. Why me? Why Ryoko? Why anyone?
What's going on?
Answers I want so terribly. I keep asking Washuu everyday if she's finished inventing everything we need. Every time the answer's the same.
"No, Kyoko, I have not yet finished. Rome wasn't built in a day."
Her and her Roman quotes. If Rome were built in a day, that would've been damn peachy for the Romans. But, no, it wasn't, and now Washuu annoys me with that saying. Of course, it's an even trade. She's annoyed at me for asking about her progress everyday. I just asked her that this morning, and she finally said, "Kyoko, I'll TELL you when I'm done." I think that's her nice way of saying, "Please shut up and stop pestering me!"
So, now I wait. I wait for the day when the family genius finishes the entire gang's way out of hell. I can't wait any longer. Any day I could fully lose what little sanity I have left and try to bury a machete into Ryoko-san's chest.
On that note, I'm out.
~Kyoko
Silently, Kyoko placed the medieval style quill in her little red diary and set it on the oak nightstand by her futon. She turned to look at the cloudy November night sky outside her open window. It used to be that writing in her diary would provide her with a sense of relief. It was like she was releasing her burden in the form of words to paper. But no more. Now, nothing could relieve her, and her heavy load of feelings began to show on her face.
Her skin had become ghostly white, and she no longer had her sparkling seventeen-year-old eyes. No, she was always tired now, and she seemed to age five years every day. She stopped eating as much as she used to, and was down to one meager meal a day. She'd lost so much weight and had become so skinny. In fact, the only thing that remained the same was her two-tone hair and the scar. At least she kept her childish sense and sense of humor. But even that was beginning to slowly disappear.
The broom closet door opened, and Washuu stepped out of her lab, the largest smile anyone had ever seen plastered on her face. She had been working all day and half the night, putting the finishing touches on her dimensional tuner, and she was finally finished. But that's not why she was smiling.
She walked up the stairs, tall and proud, knowing full well that Kyoko was wide-awake. The pirate usually didn't get much sleep anymore, though she spent much of her time locked up in her room. When Washuu reached the final door in the hallway, she knocked three times before opening it a crack. Sticking her head in, she saw the red head looking out the window.
Kyoko turned her tired eyes to see Washuu staring at her, grinning broadly, and she immediately knew why.
"You're finished?" she asked, a smile spreading across her own face. It was the first time she had smiled in days.
The genius scientist opened the door all the way and stepped into the room. Kyoko leaped off the bed and ran over to Washuu, locking her in a death embrace.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said hysterically. "You're the greatest, Washuu-chan!"
The magenta hared girl nodded as best as she could, regardless of the fact that her head was trapped in a breathtaking grip (literally breathtaking). She was extremely relieved when Kyoko let go of her.
"Follow me," Washuu ordered, and she led them to her lab.
When the two reached the lab, Washuu tossed Kyoko a tiny plastic bottle. Kyoko caught it in her frail, pasty hands and looked at it questioningly.
"Washuu, what…?" she began, but stopped when the genius raised her hand.
"I will explain each object as I give them to you, but I will begin by telling you my plan," Washuu said, and Kyoko had the feeling she was going to be hearing a lot of lecturing tonight. "I have invented a pill that will erase the memories of everyone as far back as I want it to. So, I will erase their knowledge of your life. So, in other words, you will once again be dead to Ryoko, all right?"
Kyoko nodded sadly. She had been feeling pretty much dead to the entire family lately, so it wouldn't be that big of a change.
"However, the pill has one major drawback. The slightest thing could deactivate it, which is why we must change your identity. Totally. That little bottle in your hands is full of eye drops that will temporarily change your eye color. You must put them in every four hours, understand?"
Once again, Kyoko nodded. She didn't like the idea of changing who she was, but as long as it saved everyone from her, she'd do it, no matter how ludicrous it was or how much she hated it.
"All right, I have a few things that I will explain in a moment, but please go try those out. There's a room through that door right there you could use," Washuu said, pointing right behind the girl's shoulder. Kyoko turned around and found herself nose to metal with a tall, uninviting-looking door. She walked cautiously through it, and as soon as she closed it behind her, it disappeared.
The space pirate was standing in a room of vast nothingness. Nothing behind her, nothing in front of her, nothing above or below her, nothing but emptiness. Like the shell of a once lively place, thrown into the ashes of despair. Much like Kyoko herself.
Suddenly, a tall, two-story high screen appeared in front of her, allowing Washuu to look in.
"Place three drops in each eye, and then look into the mirror that will replace this screen. Your eyes should turn acid green. Call me if they don't."
Kyoko moved her head up and down in response, and the reflective lens of a mirror replaced the screen. Slowly, she walked up to it, and what she saw scared her. She really had become a shell of her former self. She looked like she had aged thirty years in just five months. She raised her hand to the glass, placing her fingertips to its cool surface. Her face looked so different, and she hated it. She had changed. She felt a surge of unforgiving hatred to the force causing her to lose sight of who she was. Or, at least, who she used to be. Then, remembering why she was there, she raised the liquid filled bottle to her face and unscrewed the top. Carefully, she placed three drops in each eye and looked to the mirror.
Her eyes, like magic, faded slowly from the deep purple that they naturally were to, as Washuu had said, a venomous, acid green. Her new eye color gave her once dead-looking eyes back a faint glimmer of the sparkle that they once held.
"Washuu?" she croaked, as though she hadn't used her voice in a long time.
The screen reappeared, and Washuu smiled with satisfaction when she saw her invention had worked.
"Excellent," the mad scientist said, more to herself than Kyoko. "Now, the microchip."
A robotic arm came out of the darkness to the guinea pig's side, holding between two of it's claw-like fingers a needle containing a curious looking watery aquamarine substance and a small computer chip.
"Oh, no, Washuu!" Kyoko said, backing away. "I don't do well with needles."
"You will this one!"
Before the red head could do anything, the computerized arm moved behind her neck and jabbed the sharp object through her skin and tissue, ejecting its contents.
"SHIT!" she screamed, pulling away from the arm, rubbing just below her hairline.
"This microchip will enable communication with me simply by speaking into midair," Washuu explained, ignoring the furious girl's death glare. "My voice will come to you through your mind, so it will sound like a voice inside your head."
"I've had a few of those in my day," Kyoko mumbled, still rubbing her neck.
"Say what?"
"Nothing, Washuu-chan, please continue," she replied.
"Now, as for your hair, we can die that totally black. And you will have to think of a new name. I think that's all."
"What of my scar?" Kyoko questioned, running her fingers over the left side of her face and neck.
"I figured we could leave that. The Kyoko Ryoko will know after the pill will never have had that scar."
"Is that all?"
Washuu's image nodded, and Kyoko smiled to herself.
"So heaven has chosen my heart to be free, and control of this moment has been given to me," she whispered. "There is a way out. Thank you, Washuu."
The genius smiled. The Kyoko everyone once knew and loved was coming out, and now there was a solution to everything, even Ryoko's dreams. Things were beginning to look up for the Masaki family.
~*~
Morning dawned cold and gray, but that didn't stop Ryoko's good mood. She opened her eyes to the still life around her, and she moved closer to Tenchi, who was still sound asleep beside her.
The cyan beauty couldn't explain the sudden increase in her positive attitude. All she knew was something that was wrong before was going to change. Something that had brought everyone down was going to die, and what should be in its place was going to show its face for the first time in a long time. She was going to try to perk up her friend again. And though all her previous attempts had failed, she knew she could do it.
Unable to lie in bed any longer, Ryoko rose onto her elbows and scooted closer to her beloved's face. Leaning into his ear, she breathed his name softly and watched as his eyes fluttered open.
Tenchi turned his face to see a pair of amber eyes staring at him. He smiled at their owner and reached his hand up to caress her cheek.
"What a beautiful sight to wake up to," he told Ryoko, bringing her face in and kissing her forehead. She in return giggled madly, embracing him with her love. "'You gonna try Kyoko again?"
She nodded happily in response, and he laughed. Ryoko felt it rumble through his muscular chest, and she lay her head down upon it. She loved to listen to his beating heart. It soothed her, which is why she had begun to sleep with him on occasion (NO, ALL YOU HENTAI MINDED PEOPLE, I DON'T MEAN SEX!). If she awoke from one of her dreams in the middle of the night, all she had to do was lay her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat, and she'd fall right back to sleep. And he never minded. He actually enjoyed being by her side, especially at night. Her presence calmed his fears, and he loved to watch her sleep. She always looked so innocent, and he could never stop himself from running his fingers through her hair.
He loved her hair, always so soft and gentle. When he woke up in the middle of the night and she was nuzzled against his neck, he'd bury his face among the cyan strands and enjoy its silky feeling and beautiful scent. There were just so many things he loved about her, all to precious to be formed by words. Just emotions and feelings. Feelings of lust for her body, and feelings of love for her. The happiness and contentment of being next to her, holding her, talking to her, and kissing her. All too powerful and beautiful to explain. No one else could comprehend the love they shared. Only they understood it, and they liked it that way.
Ryoko began to rise from the bed, but Tenchi grabbed her arms and pulled her down, flipping so he was on top of her, straddling her waist, pinning her wrists to the mattress. The green and blue blanket his mother had given him fell from their bodies, and the successor began to tickle his love. She tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but was unsuccessful. She couldn't stop laughing.
Finally, she managed to gasp out, "Stop!"
Tenchi smiled maliciously, saying, "What's the magic word?"
"Come on!" she squeaked as he ran his fingers playfully over her tickle spot right above her hip joint.
"Sorry! Wrong answer! That's two words!" he teased.
Ryoko tried everything she could think of, even the puppy dog eyes. And when that failed, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to surrender to him. "Fine! Fine! You win! Please?"
"There you go!" he laughed, ceasing his tickling game.
Ryoko continued to lie beneath Tenchi, trying to regain her breath. The tickling game had become tradition now. When Ryoko and Tenchi would wake up in the morning, and she would least expect it, he would pin her beneath himself, and tickle her until she admitted defeat, usually in the form of "Please".
When the pirate had caught her breath, she gave Tenchi a wicked smile.
"Next time, boy," was all she said before she teleported downstairs for breakfast.
~*~
"OOH! YOU ARE SUCH A DEMON!!!" Aeka screamed, outraged.
"Um…yeeeaaah," Ryoko replied, nodding her head. "And you're a snotty little princess, it's just the way things work."
The remainder of the family sat and watched the fight, totally frozen. Sasami, Mihoshi, and Tenchi had food halfway to their mouths, which were hanging wide open, ready to receive it. No one really knew how the fight had broken out, but it had something to do with Aeka's cooking. Ryoko had made an un-called for (and rather sly) comment about the princess's food, and Aeka had blown up. Seriously. There was a big bang that issued from under her hair, causing it to stand on end, and there was smoke coming out from her ears. Ryoko found it to be quite comical, and she teased her about it.
"Man, Aeka, you sure get angry easily. I mean, wow. I've never seen an explosion so big. KABOOM!" With that, the savage pirate began to laugh hysterically, holding her sides and doubling over.
"They will never change," Kiyone mumbled to Tenchi, who was cowering beside Ryoko.
"God help us," he whispered back.
"Um, excuse me," everyone's attention was drawn to a quiet voice behind them. There stood Kyoko, her clothes loose on her body, looking down to the ground. When she looked up, Washuu hoped no one would notice the faint tinge of green in her eyes. "May I join you?"
The gangs' jaws fell through the floor. She wanted to join them? She hadn't eaten a meal with the family in almost a month and a half!
Though surprised, Sasami immediately began to make her friend an extra large plate filled with noodles, fish, and a large bowl of meso soup. Kyoko gladly sat down by the little princess and accepted the food she offered her. And within five minutes, she had devoured the entire thing.
"More?" Sasami asked, and slowly, the babble broke out once again around the table.
As soon as breakfast was over, Washuu stood up and cleared her throat.
"I have an announcement to make," she said. "I will be conducting another experiment, and I'm sending the entire family (with the exception of Lord Katsuhito and Nobuyuki) into an alter-dimension future Tokyo. It will be only for a few days, and it's for…*ahem*…scientific research. You will be leaving tomorrow."
"Washuu! I have school tomorrow!" Tenchi protested.
Washuu leaned over the table until her face was mere inches from his, and he could feel her hot breath against his skin. He knew he had made a mistake arguing with her. She said, "It's either that or I wring Mr. Winkie out. And, trust me, he won't like it."
No one understood this except Tenchi, who went bright red and quickly agreed to be a part of the experiment.
"Washuu, why do you need all of us?" Ryoko asked.
"Well, the more the merrier. Besides, if you don't…" the scientist leaned over to her daughter's ear and whispered something. Ryoko's eyes widened when Washuu finished, and she began to turn the darkest crimson anyone had ever seen.
"Damn it, Washuu," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and bringing her knees up, glaring at her mother.
"I knew you'd see things my way," Washuu said, grinning evilly. "Now, I don't think there's anything else I need to tell you, except that before you leave, I will need to give you a pill. I will study the affects of the pill on your systems while you are in this dimension."
"Why do we need to go to an alter dimension for this, Washuu-chan?" asked Kiyone, who was clearly not happy about this sudden family arrangement.
"Don't ask questions, Kiyone. It's for science."
"Washuu-chan?" Mihoshi chimed in her childish voice. Everyone looked at the blonde detective, eyebrow raised. "Who's Mr. Winkie?"
The group stared at her. Mihoshi always had a way of making multiple peoples' trains of thought crash and burn at any particular point in time. She looked innocently at her audience, her head cocked to one side.
Washuu, realizing her mouth was open, quickly shut it, shaking her head jerkily in attempt to board another train.
"So, um, that's tomorrow, first thing, all right?"
"Fine," Tenchi said reluctantly.
Ryoko mumbled something incomprehensible, but it sounded something like "You touch me, you die, Washuu."
Sasami nodded quickly, not wanting to give Washuu any reason to threaten her.
Kiyone and Aeka agreed as well, scared of what might become of them if they argue.
Mihoshi? Well, she just sat there, blabbing happily about what fun it would be to go to future Tokyo, and wondering if Mr. Winkie would be there. She truly had no idea what was going on. Nor did she have any idea what "Mr. Winkie" was.
Maybe it's better this way, Washuu thought to herself.
~*~
A seventeen year old girl stood alone, staring out of a pair of shockingly green eyes to the tall, brick building about ten meters in front of her. It was uninviting, but her presence inside could not be avoided. The breeze played with the long, black hair that cascaded down her back and the sides of her face. Along the side of her ghostly pale neck and face ran a large, black scar shaped like fire.
She shifted her large, brown briefcase from her left hand to her right hand and adjusted her plaid, knee length skirt and dark green vest. The red bow tied around her neck was choking her, so she loosened it, recalling the events of the day.
Daybreak. Washuu's intent rapping on her door brought Kyoko out of her deep slumber.
"Whuduyuwan?" she said groggily, refusing to open her eyes. Her bed felt so warm and soothing, like heaven, and she didn't want to leave it.
Washuu stuck her head in the door, smiling broadly. "What did you say?" she asked, obviously in an annoyingly good mood.
Kyoko groaned and sat up, looking as angry as she could at six in the morning. "I said, what do you want?"
"Aaww, my dear space pirate, today is the day that you pay a visit to Tokyo," the genius said, making her tired guinea pig want to smack the smile off her face.
"At this time of day?" Kyoko asked, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"Well, we have a few last minute things to cover, you and I," Washuu chirped. "So, come on! Get up! Let's go!"
Grumbling many incoherent statements (which Washuu was very glad she couldn't understand), the young redhead followed the little scientist down to the lab.
When the two reached the lab, Washuu began briefing Kyoko on the day's plans, but Kyoko paid her no attention. She was more focused on getting her body and her mind to work on the same level. She had no coordination at this time of day.
Washuu, on the other hand, continued to talk until she heard a large crash and a strangled cry come from behind her. She began to snicker as she turned around to find the space pirate tangled up in a mass of wires and invention failures. Apparently, she had tripped headfirst into the genius's junk pile. Shaking with inside laughter, Washuu walked over to Kyoko and offered her hand. Kyoko took it, and slowly stood, stumbling.
"Not a morning person, are you?" the magenta hared girl asked.
"It took you six months to figure this one out, Washuu?" was all Kyoko said.
Still laughing, Washuu lead the unfocused woman deeper into the lab.
"Has anyone seen Washuu?"
Breakfast was soon to begin, and the Masaki family's table was, as usual, full of chattering people looking forward to another meal of Sasami's cooking.
"Has anyone seen Washuu?" the little princess asked as she brought in the last dish (meso soup).
"She's probably down in her lab, thinking about tests she can run on us without our knowing," Ryoko replied, being only half-sarcastic.
"Well, Ryoko, if that's what you want, I'm sure I could come up with something," Washuu said, coming up behind her daughter.
"Washuu-chan! There you are!" Sasami piped happily, setting down the pot she held. Then she noticed someone else was missing. "Where's Kyoko?"
For the first time in a long time, Washuu was stuck as to what to say. She had to do some fast thinking because everyone was staring at her. But they didn't call her the greatest scientific genius in the universe for nothing. When someone asked her a question, she always had an answer. Now she just had to think of one.
"Kyoko is…um…she's…er…" the pink hared girl began, her mind spinning. She heard an almost silent cough come from behind her, and she smiled. "….sick. I've been tending to her, but I don't think she'll be up to going on my little 'scientific adventure'." Washuu's face gave off a look of fake sadness, yet on the inside, she was thankful to the one who gave off the cough.
Completely out of the room, Kyoko stood on the stairs, listening to Washuu's explanation. She had given off the false cough, hoping the scientist would catch on to her idea, and it had obviously worked. She batted her now totally black hair out of her bright green eyes and crept silently up the stairs, but when she heard Ryoko she stopped.
"Hey Washuu," the summoner said, giving a forced look of nausea, "I think I'm getting sick, too."
"Aww, my dear widdle gurl is getting sick? Let me see." Washuu leaned over to Ryoko and looked into her eyes. She grabbed the pirate by the ear and brought her face into the table. "Nice try, Ryoko, but you're still going."
"Damn!" Ryoko said, rubbing her nose where it collided with the wood.
Snickering, Kyoko continued up to her room where she would hide out until it was time for her to go.
~*~
Kyoko stood in front of the school reflecting on the events of the morning. She couldn't help but laugh again at the memory of that moment when Ryoko's mother slammed her face into the table.
The annoying and loud tone of the bell signaling the beginning of the school day brought the pirate out of her thoughts back to what she now called reality. In this reality, she was no longer a once thought dead space pirate. No, here she was nothing more than a black hared, green-eyed schoolgirl who was new to her surroundings. Shifting her plaid skirt once again, Kyoko walked through the large oak doors leading into the main hallway. The commotion increased as many students swarmed their lockers in attempt to get to class on time.
Kyoko tried to avoid drawing attention to herself, but she proved to be unsuccessful. Everyone seemed to know she was the new girl in school. Of course, one thing that helped give her away was the fact no one had ever seen a girl so pale with such a large and noticeable scar on her face. Murmurs followed the girl wherever she went, and Kyoko really wished they wouldn't. She tried to keep her eyes down and find her way around. Instead, she wound up walking headlong into someone. She fell to the ground while she heard the other person slam into the lockers.
"I'm sorry," Kyoko said quietly. When she looked up to see who she had run into, she was horrified.
Ryoko was standing above her rubbing the back of her head. She seemed to have acquired a sense of shock when she had hit the metal doors. She was staring at her old partner through furious eyes. She didn't recognize Kyoko at all. Though this was good, Kyoko couldn't help but feel sad.
"Watch where you're going!" the summoner sneered.
Everyone in the hall stopped what he or she was doing to look at the two. To them, the new girl was in deep shit. Ryoko was the school's juvenile delinquent, and she had a major attitude. Messing with her was the equivalent of a death wish. Her only known weakness was a certain black hared, brown-eyed young man who also attended the school. Only he could control her.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't…" Kyoko began, but Ryoko cut her off.
"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked, offering her hand (much to everyone's surprise).
Taking it, Kyoko allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.
"What's your name, girl?" the oni pressured. This took the pirate off guard. She had a name chosen, but now she couldn't remember it. Inside her head she could hear Washuu saying "Smooth, Kyoko-san. Very smooth." This didn't help much.
"I…uh…" Kyoko stuttered, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She was relieved when the next bell signaling the beginning of class went off, and the crowd that had gathered disappeared into their first classes.
"Well?" Ryoko said impatiently.
Kyoko just stared at the ground until a sharp, piercing voice echoed down the hallway.
"Miss Ryoko! How many times must I tell you to be in class on time?"
A short, squat woman in her mid forties appeared beside the two girls. She looked like she had lost her metabolism early and didn't realize it until after she had devoured the entire bakery. Her thick, brown hair was pulled back into an almost skin-ripping tight bun, and her eyes were small, watery, and emotionless. She shooed Ryoko off to her class and turned to Kyoko.
"So, you're the new girl, eh?" she asked, not giving the girl a chance to answer. "I've been looking for you. Follow me."
And with that, the two marched down the hall after Ryoko to the very last room.
"Could I get your name?" the teacher asked before she opened the door.
"Uhhh…" Kyoko mumbled. She tried to remember, but couldn't. So, she took the alternative route. She thought of the very last book that she had read, Shizuko's Daughter. "Okuda."
"Okuda? Okuda what?"
The pirate was trying to think of a first name when a voice echoed inside her brain.
"It was Ayanami! That was Ayanami's A.T. Field!" Washuu screamed. She seemed to be watching Kyoko's Evangelion movies again. But, for once, Kyoko wasn't angry at the moment. In fact, she secretly thanked the genius. This had to be one of those situations people in stupid American television shows experienced.
"Okuda Rei."
"Well, Miss Okuda, my name is Karamorita Mariko. Are you ready to meet the class?"
"Yes, Miss Karamorita."
"Sensei," she corrected. "I'm your teacher."
The portly woman opened the door to reveal a very noisy and out of control class. At least, that's how it first appeared. But when Kyoko got a better look at the inside, she saw that the entire class was huddled in the corner, and electricity was bouncing from ceiling to floor and everywhere in between. In the center of the room, standing on two different desks, two girls stood shouting very rude and obscene remarks at each other (in which the author has so evilly deleted. Hey, little kids might be reading this!).
Kyoko began to laugh when she realized it was Ryoko and Aeka, but she immediately stopped when the teacher glared at her.
"Hakubi! Jurai!" Mariko boomed, telling the girls they were rolling in a load of crap. The two quarreling females stopped shouting (and electrocuting everyone and everything in sight), and slowly turned their heads to face their teacher. "What is going on?"
"Sensei, Miss Ryoko said some rather offensive comments (which I shall not repeat!) and I…" Aeka was cut off by the fuming leader.
"You continued the fight! I would expect actions like this from Hakubi ("Why must I go by Washuu's name?"), but never from our student body chairman! Now sit down, all of you!"
As the class sat down, they could catch various comments coming from their teacher. Comments such as, "You are seniors in high school, not grade schoolers!" and "Never in my life…!"
Memo to me, Kyoko thought, beware of Karamorita Mariko!
When the class was settled, Kyoko began to feel the heat rise in her face again as all eyes turned to her. She once again attempted to avoid their eyes, but did not look down. The last thing she needed was to show more weakness than she already had.
"We have a new student today," Mariko said, an edge remaining in her voice. "Her name is Okuda Rei."
Kyoko gave a small bow.
"Rei, you may take a seat next to Miss Hakubi."
This got a rise out of the class. Many of the guys began to snicker as the girl walked to the back of the room and took the seat between Ryoko and the window. The delinquent glanced sideways at her old friend and scowled.
"What's with the black make up?" she asked.
Out of habit, Kyoko's hand reached up to her face and along the mark.
"It's a scar," she said simply, not really wanting to discuss the topic at that point in time.
"A scar?" Ryoko whistled in amazement. "Damn, how'd you get it?"
"My best friend blew up a building while I was inside," the one now known as Rei growled.
"Say what?"
Kyoko jerked her head and looked at Ryoko's face. She had started to lose it again. That hadn't happened for a couple of days. "I said I was caught in a fire."
"Ooh, that sucks."
The black hared girl was about to reply, but her teacher spoke first.
"Okuda? Hakubi? Do you have something to add to our discussion?" she snapped.
"No, Karamorita-Sensei," Kyoko replied.
Ryoko just snorted. "Why would I want to?"
The two girls turned their eyes to the front of the room, but neither paid any attention to the lecture on physics that was boring the rest of the class into stupor. Ryoko seemed to go into a trance, so Kyoko had nothing better to do than stare out the window.
Her view was of the courtyard, its lush green grass dying slowly, and the leaves of the trees being pulled away by the breeze. There were at least five wooden benches, all wet and decaying from the rain of the previous night. The clouds above were large and puffy, telling of another shower in the near future.
Kyoko's green eyes focused on the reflection of the blackboard in the front of the room. Though the writing was small, she still was able to make some of it out. In the center there were some notes to take down, in the upper right hand corner there was the assignment due for tomorrow, and right above that was the date.
On a usual basis, the date meant nothing to the girl, but for some reason it caught her off guard this time. It read November 5.
"Washuu, I thought I left on the second!" Kyoko asked silently, so she wouldn't look too stupid talking to herself.
"Oh, I was hoping you wouldn't notice that," Washuu said.
"So, why have three days passed in one morning?"
"I accidentally made a typo and I couldn't reverse it in time. Sorry."
Rei just shook her head. She wasn't mad, no matter what impression she gave off. She actually found it funny, but she wasn't in the mood for humor. She had begun to develop a headache that throbbed in her temples, and she didn't know why.
Covering her eyes with her hand, the pirate tried to overcome the pain. Her teachers blabbing didn't help much.
"Hey, Okuda?" Ryoko whispered. "Something wrong with your head?"
Kyoko ignored her, forgetting she no longer went by her real name.
"Okuda! Hey! Earth to Rei!"
"Kyoko!"
"What?!" Kyoko screamed, startled.
The entire class, including Mariko, looked at the newcomer, shocked.
"Miss Okuda," the teacher said sternly. She was on the verge of exploding. "You may believe that because it's your first day you can do whatever you want and you won't get in trouble! Well, let me tell you," she began to make her way over to Rei, who looked at the top of her desk, "you are no exception to the rules. We don't need anymore troublemakers in my classroom, one is enough!" Mariko was mere inches from her student's face, breathing heavily on her skin. "And believe you me, I am not a person to cross, do you understand me?"
Kyoko mouthed incoherently.
"What was that?"
"I said I would appreciate it if you wouldn't get so close, your breath stinks."
Two girls and three guys around in front of her burst out in uncontrollable snickers. Aeka looked at Kyoko through un-approving eyes.
"May I recommend Altoids?" she continued. This just sent even more people into fits of laughter.
"Oh, a class clown, are we? I'd like to see you after school, Rei."
Great, fifteen minutes into my first day and I'm already in trouble, Kyoko thought. Oh well, I guess I deserved that one.
"Just can't stay out of trouble, can you Kyoko?" Washuu's voice cackled.
"Shut up, Washuu."
~*~
Karamorita's classes turned out to be "let's all sit and drool in stupor" hours, and even Aeka, yes, respectable chairman (and the first person on Ryoko's hit list) Aeka had trouble staying awake. Kyoko swore that when she looked over at her, she was dead asleep (and obviously dreaming, considering she kept twitching. But, maybe that had something to do with the boy behind her who was continuously poking her in the back with his pencil.). But when the teacher passed her desk, she lifted her head and acted like she was listening. That is, until the teacher passed. Then, she just fell right back to sleep.
In fact, the only person who seemed to be paying attention and taking notes was…Ryoko?
Tenchi, who sat right in front of Ryoko, heard the sound of lead against paper, and turned around in disbelief.
"There's no way you could be taki…oh," his face faltered when he looked at her paper. "I think the rope is a little too big for Aeka's neck, don't you?" His voice was full of disgust. Apparently she was drawing a picture of the princess hanging by her neck from a rope.
After what seemed like hours unending, the bell signaling lunch sounded, and the entire class scrambled out into the hallway to get their lunches. Those who had them moved around the room to where they usually sat.
Ryoko, Aeka, and Tenchi gathered in the farthest corner and took out the lunches Sasami had made for them that morning.
"Okay, girls, can we get along today, please?" Tenchi asked, taking a large bite out of a rice cake.
"Oh, come on!" Ryoko giggled, punching the boy playfully on the arm. "Don't you like it when the classroom catches on fire?"
"And who's the one who always starts the fire, MISS Ryoko?" Aeka spat. "I will not let you accuse me of such obscene actions!"
"I never accused you of anything, Oh Honorable Prissy Princess!"
"Stop!" Tenchi intervened. "We've had this conversation everyday that we've been here!"
"Exactly! Which is how I knew that DEMON would accuse me!" The purple hared princess was bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet as she screeched words that wouldn't even reach her rival's brain. Her hands were balled up into fists, and her eyes were narrowed dangerously. She had a furious glow about her that made it seem as though anything she stared at would explode. So, naturally, she was staring at the cyan summoner.
"Stop it," Tenchi mumbled.
"Admit it, you were going to accuse me! You were going to blame the…"
"Oh, and since when did you become a psychic?" Ryoko yelled.
By now the entire class was watching. This had become an hour of, food, entertainment, and electrocution for them ever since the two feuding girls had joined their class. Hell, they even had a traditional class poll going around ("Who Will Win Today? The choices are as follows: Jurai Aeka the Student Body Chairman, Hakubi Ryoko the Juvenile Delinquent, Masaki Tenchi the poor guy stuck in the middle, or Karamorita Mariko the seriously pissed off teacher. So far, most people believe it will be Mariko.)
"Ohhh! I can't stand you!"
"And you think that I have good records with you? Ha!"
Both girls were standing as tall as they could, trying to stare down the other. Aeka's logs appeared as she tensed up with anger. Seeing the wooden defense, Ryoko called forth her sword (making its production as showy as possible). The class watched in awe and fear. It was getting to their favorite part: combat. In unison, the teens stood up and sat behind their chairs. All but Rei, that is. She seemed to be asleep, but no one dared to leave the protection of behind his or her seats to wake her up.
"Settle down, both of you!" Tenchi ordered. He was pissed now. They were making a huge scene, and they hadn't even noticed everyone else knew what was coming.
"STOP IT!"
Every glass object, even down to the light bulbs, exploded and shards sliced through the air until they found a place to land. Some collided with the wall; some found their target in students. The temperature fell to an incredibly cold point, and the room was thrown into total darkness. All light seemed to be filtered out.
Girls screamed, guys looked frantically around for the cause, Ryoko called out "What the hell?", and the entire class became overwhelmed by panic.
Suddenly, Aeka screamed out, "Oh my God, look!" and everyone's attention was drawn to a pair of burning red infernos. Eyes. They hovered above the ground as their owner stood amidst the blackness and terror.
"Dammit!" Ryoko hissed, grabbing her head and stumbling sideways into Tenchi. He held her shoulders her and helped her to the ground, taking notice that her gem was glowing a deep and bloody crimson.
"Your gem!" he whispered.
"I know, and I'm not doing it!" The pirate's eyes were clenched shut as she tried to overcome the feeling she had that she was no longer in control.
Tenchi was about to question what was wrong, but the door to the classroom crashed against the wall as it was thrown open, and Karamorita's short, squat, yet powerful figure stood in the center of it. Light flooded into the room from the hallway and outside as the filtering darkness quickly faded. The two hating eyes disappeared, and a pair of greenish-purple eyes replaced them.
Kyoko stood in the center, not knowing why the room looked like a disaster area. But when she noticed everyone staring at her in horror, she knew she had lost control again. But how could that be? All she knew was she had fallen asleep. She didn't even hear the bell. What happened?
"I…I…I'm sorry," she mumbled, fearing her own presence. And with that, she darted out the room, almost knocking over her teacher in her rush.
The class just watched her retreating back; all eyes triple their normal size.
"I guess," a small voice came from a frightened girl huddled in the corner, tending to the glass in her side, "that Rei won."
~Notes from Minagi~
Hey all, I'm back after an extremely long break. Summer vacation is halfway over (;-;) *Tear* Oh well, my goal is to have this story finished by the first day of school.
Well, on to more *Ahem!* pressing matters, I have come to the conclusion that I am a helpless romantic. This story was supposed to be Action/Adventure with Romance as the Secondary theme, not the other way around! Waaah! Someone tell me I haven't gone over the edge, back, and over again! Tell me there is still hope for this cause (even if you have to lie, I'd be too stupid to notice the difference)!
Regardless of the fact that this chapter took forever and I need serious help (anyone know a psychiatrist? My last one jumped out the window last Tuesday during our session. I still haven't figured out why.), I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was fun to write, and I hope it was just as much fun to read. Please review, your feedback is always welcome! Well, not always, but I have yet to see a comment that was unwelcome, so…yeah…I'm blabbing again, so I'm gonna shut up now, kay? Hey, you weren't supposed to applaud at that. Yes, I know who you are, and you know whom you are, so stop.
Well, I think that's all I wanted to say, so I'll see ya'll next chapter, and hopefully I won't be so annoying. Ja ne! (^-^)"/"
PS. Don't worry all you Nagi fans, I haven't forgotten about her! That fight was more than just an excuse to put her in.
PPS. Is anyone else's story being killed? I can't fix it, so now it looks like crap! I'm SO SORRY!
Dear Diary,
It has been five months since my outbreak with Ryoko. Five months since Washuu and I found a solution to the problem at hand. The passage of time has been hard. At times, it's been almost unbearable. But I have lived. And, even better, Washuu said that I seem to be gaining control of myself! How great is that? I pray she is right.
Ryoko's dreams are getting worse. She says she knows the person killing her, but she can't place them. I pray it's not me.
Hmm, I pray. I've been doing that a lot lately. I have no religion at all, yet I still consult a higher being. Is that okay? Will He listen to me? Is "He" even there? Questions. I have so many any more. Why me? Why Ryoko? Why anyone?
What's going on?
Answers I want so terribly. I keep asking Washuu everyday if she's finished inventing everything we need. Every time the answer's the same.
"No, Kyoko, I have not yet finished. Rome wasn't built in a day."
Her and her Roman quotes. If Rome were built in a day, that would've been damn peachy for the Romans. But, no, it wasn't, and now Washuu annoys me with that saying. Of course, it's an even trade. She's annoyed at me for asking about her progress everyday. I just asked her that this morning, and she finally said, "Kyoko, I'll TELL you when I'm done." I think that's her nice way of saying, "Please shut up and stop pestering me!"
So, now I wait. I wait for the day when the family genius finishes the entire gang's way out of hell. I can't wait any longer. Any day I could fully lose what little sanity I have left and try to bury a machete into Ryoko-san's chest.
On that note, I'm out.
~Kyoko
Silently, Kyoko placed the medieval style quill in her little red diary and set it on the oak nightstand by her futon. She turned to look at the cloudy November night sky outside her open window. It used to be that writing in her diary would provide her with a sense of relief. It was like she was releasing her burden in the form of words to paper. But no more. Now, nothing could relieve her, and her heavy load of feelings began to show on her face.
Her skin had become ghostly white, and she no longer had her sparkling seventeen-year-old eyes. No, she was always tired now, and she seemed to age five years every day. She stopped eating as much as she used to, and was down to one meager meal a day. She'd lost so much weight and had become so skinny. In fact, the only thing that remained the same was her two-tone hair and the scar. At least she kept her childish sense and sense of humor. But even that was beginning to slowly disappear.
The broom closet door opened, and Washuu stepped out of her lab, the largest smile anyone had ever seen plastered on her face. She had been working all day and half the night, putting the finishing touches on her dimensional tuner, and she was finally finished. But that's not why she was smiling.
She walked up the stairs, tall and proud, knowing full well that Kyoko was wide-awake. The pirate usually didn't get much sleep anymore, though she spent much of her time locked up in her room. When Washuu reached the final door in the hallway, she knocked three times before opening it a crack. Sticking her head in, she saw the red head looking out the window.
Kyoko turned her tired eyes to see Washuu staring at her, grinning broadly, and she immediately knew why.
"You're finished?" she asked, a smile spreading across her own face. It was the first time she had smiled in days.
The genius scientist opened the door all the way and stepped into the room. Kyoko leaped off the bed and ran over to Washuu, locking her in a death embrace.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said hysterically. "You're the greatest, Washuu-chan!"
The magenta hared girl nodded as best as she could, regardless of the fact that her head was trapped in a breathtaking grip (literally breathtaking). She was extremely relieved when Kyoko let go of her.
"Follow me," Washuu ordered, and she led them to her lab.
When the two reached the lab, Washuu tossed Kyoko a tiny plastic bottle. Kyoko caught it in her frail, pasty hands and looked at it questioningly.
"Washuu, what…?" she began, but stopped when the genius raised her hand.
"I will explain each object as I give them to you, but I will begin by telling you my plan," Washuu said, and Kyoko had the feeling she was going to be hearing a lot of lecturing tonight. "I have invented a pill that will erase the memories of everyone as far back as I want it to. So, I will erase their knowledge of your life. So, in other words, you will once again be dead to Ryoko, all right?"
Kyoko nodded sadly. She had been feeling pretty much dead to the entire family lately, so it wouldn't be that big of a change.
"However, the pill has one major drawback. The slightest thing could deactivate it, which is why we must change your identity. Totally. That little bottle in your hands is full of eye drops that will temporarily change your eye color. You must put them in every four hours, understand?"
Once again, Kyoko nodded. She didn't like the idea of changing who she was, but as long as it saved everyone from her, she'd do it, no matter how ludicrous it was or how much she hated it.
"All right, I have a few things that I will explain in a moment, but please go try those out. There's a room through that door right there you could use," Washuu said, pointing right behind the girl's shoulder. Kyoko turned around and found herself nose to metal with a tall, uninviting-looking door. She walked cautiously through it, and as soon as she closed it behind her, it disappeared.
The space pirate was standing in a room of vast nothingness. Nothing behind her, nothing in front of her, nothing above or below her, nothing but emptiness. Like the shell of a once lively place, thrown into the ashes of despair. Much like Kyoko herself.
Suddenly, a tall, two-story high screen appeared in front of her, allowing Washuu to look in.
"Place three drops in each eye, and then look into the mirror that will replace this screen. Your eyes should turn acid green. Call me if they don't."
Kyoko moved her head up and down in response, and the reflective lens of a mirror replaced the screen. Slowly, she walked up to it, and what she saw scared her. She really had become a shell of her former self. She looked like she had aged thirty years in just five months. She raised her hand to the glass, placing her fingertips to its cool surface. Her face looked so different, and she hated it. She had changed. She felt a surge of unforgiving hatred to the force causing her to lose sight of who she was. Or, at least, who she used to be. Then, remembering why she was there, she raised the liquid filled bottle to her face and unscrewed the top. Carefully, she placed three drops in each eye and looked to the mirror.
Her eyes, like magic, faded slowly from the deep purple that they naturally were to, as Washuu had said, a venomous, acid green. Her new eye color gave her once dead-looking eyes back a faint glimmer of the sparkle that they once held.
"Washuu?" she croaked, as though she hadn't used her voice in a long time.
The screen reappeared, and Washuu smiled with satisfaction when she saw her invention had worked.
"Excellent," the mad scientist said, more to herself than Kyoko. "Now, the microchip."
A robotic arm came out of the darkness to the guinea pig's side, holding between two of it's claw-like fingers a needle containing a curious looking watery aquamarine substance and a small computer chip.
"Oh, no, Washuu!" Kyoko said, backing away. "I don't do well with needles."
"You will this one!"
Before the red head could do anything, the computerized arm moved behind her neck and jabbed the sharp object through her skin and tissue, ejecting its contents.
"SHIT!" she screamed, pulling away from the arm, rubbing just below her hairline.
"This microchip will enable communication with me simply by speaking into midair," Washuu explained, ignoring the furious girl's death glare. "My voice will come to you through your mind, so it will sound like a voice inside your head."
"I've had a few of those in my day," Kyoko mumbled, still rubbing her neck.
"Say what?"
"Nothing, Washuu-chan, please continue," she replied.
"Now, as for your hair, we can die that totally black. And you will have to think of a new name. I think that's all."
"What of my scar?" Kyoko questioned, running her fingers over the left side of her face and neck.
"I figured we could leave that. The Kyoko Ryoko will know after the pill will never have had that scar."
"Is that all?"
Washuu's image nodded, and Kyoko smiled to herself.
"So heaven has chosen my heart to be free, and control of this moment has been given to me," she whispered. "There is a way out. Thank you, Washuu."
The genius smiled. The Kyoko everyone once knew and loved was coming out, and now there was a solution to everything, even Ryoko's dreams. Things were beginning to look up for the Masaki family.
~*~
Morning dawned cold and gray, but that didn't stop Ryoko's good mood. She opened her eyes to the still life around her, and she moved closer to Tenchi, who was still sound asleep beside her.
The cyan beauty couldn't explain the sudden increase in her positive attitude. All she knew was something that was wrong before was going to change. Something that had brought everyone down was going to die, and what should be in its place was going to show its face for the first time in a long time. She was going to try to perk up her friend again. And though all her previous attempts had failed, she knew she could do it.
Unable to lie in bed any longer, Ryoko rose onto her elbows and scooted closer to her beloved's face. Leaning into his ear, she breathed his name softly and watched as his eyes fluttered open.
Tenchi turned his face to see a pair of amber eyes staring at him. He smiled at their owner and reached his hand up to caress her cheek.
"What a beautiful sight to wake up to," he told Ryoko, bringing her face in and kissing her forehead. She in return giggled madly, embracing him with her love. "'You gonna try Kyoko again?"
She nodded happily in response, and he laughed. Ryoko felt it rumble through his muscular chest, and she lay her head down upon it. She loved to listen to his beating heart. It soothed her, which is why she had begun to sleep with him on occasion (NO, ALL YOU HENTAI MINDED PEOPLE, I DON'T MEAN SEX!). If she awoke from one of her dreams in the middle of the night, all she had to do was lay her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat, and she'd fall right back to sleep. And he never minded. He actually enjoyed being by her side, especially at night. Her presence calmed his fears, and he loved to watch her sleep. She always looked so innocent, and he could never stop himself from running his fingers through her hair.
He loved her hair, always so soft and gentle. When he woke up in the middle of the night and she was nuzzled against his neck, he'd bury his face among the cyan strands and enjoy its silky feeling and beautiful scent. There were just so many things he loved about her, all to precious to be formed by words. Just emotions and feelings. Feelings of lust for her body, and feelings of love for her. The happiness and contentment of being next to her, holding her, talking to her, and kissing her. All too powerful and beautiful to explain. No one else could comprehend the love they shared. Only they understood it, and they liked it that way.
Ryoko began to rise from the bed, but Tenchi grabbed her arms and pulled her down, flipping so he was on top of her, straddling her waist, pinning her wrists to the mattress. The green and blue blanket his mother had given him fell from their bodies, and the successor began to tickle his love. She tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but was unsuccessful. She couldn't stop laughing.
Finally, she managed to gasp out, "Stop!"
Tenchi smiled maliciously, saying, "What's the magic word?"
"Come on!" she squeaked as he ran his fingers playfully over her tickle spot right above her hip joint.
"Sorry! Wrong answer! That's two words!" he teased.
Ryoko tried everything she could think of, even the puppy dog eyes. And when that failed, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to surrender to him. "Fine! Fine! You win! Please?"
"There you go!" he laughed, ceasing his tickling game.
Ryoko continued to lie beneath Tenchi, trying to regain her breath. The tickling game had become tradition now. When Ryoko and Tenchi would wake up in the morning, and she would least expect it, he would pin her beneath himself, and tickle her until she admitted defeat, usually in the form of "Please".
When the pirate had caught her breath, she gave Tenchi a wicked smile.
"Next time, boy," was all she said before she teleported downstairs for breakfast.
~*~
"OOH! YOU ARE SUCH A DEMON!!!" Aeka screamed, outraged.
"Um…yeeeaaah," Ryoko replied, nodding her head. "And you're a snotty little princess, it's just the way things work."
The remainder of the family sat and watched the fight, totally frozen. Sasami, Mihoshi, and Tenchi had food halfway to their mouths, which were hanging wide open, ready to receive it. No one really knew how the fight had broken out, but it had something to do with Aeka's cooking. Ryoko had made an un-called for (and rather sly) comment about the princess's food, and Aeka had blown up. Seriously. There was a big bang that issued from under her hair, causing it to stand on end, and there was smoke coming out from her ears. Ryoko found it to be quite comical, and she teased her about it.
"Man, Aeka, you sure get angry easily. I mean, wow. I've never seen an explosion so big. KABOOM!" With that, the savage pirate began to laugh hysterically, holding her sides and doubling over.
"They will never change," Kiyone mumbled to Tenchi, who was cowering beside Ryoko.
"God help us," he whispered back.
"Um, excuse me," everyone's attention was drawn to a quiet voice behind them. There stood Kyoko, her clothes loose on her body, looking down to the ground. When she looked up, Washuu hoped no one would notice the faint tinge of green in her eyes. "May I join you?"
The gangs' jaws fell through the floor. She wanted to join them? She hadn't eaten a meal with the family in almost a month and a half!
Though surprised, Sasami immediately began to make her friend an extra large plate filled with noodles, fish, and a large bowl of meso soup. Kyoko gladly sat down by the little princess and accepted the food she offered her. And within five minutes, she had devoured the entire thing.
"More?" Sasami asked, and slowly, the babble broke out once again around the table.
As soon as breakfast was over, Washuu stood up and cleared her throat.
"I have an announcement to make," she said. "I will be conducting another experiment, and I'm sending the entire family (with the exception of Lord Katsuhito and Nobuyuki) into an alter-dimension future Tokyo. It will be only for a few days, and it's for…*ahem*…scientific research. You will be leaving tomorrow."
"Washuu! I have school tomorrow!" Tenchi protested.
Washuu leaned over the table until her face was mere inches from his, and he could feel her hot breath against his skin. He knew he had made a mistake arguing with her. She said, "It's either that or I wring Mr. Winkie out. And, trust me, he won't like it."
No one understood this except Tenchi, who went bright red and quickly agreed to be a part of the experiment.
"Washuu, why do you need all of us?" Ryoko asked.
"Well, the more the merrier. Besides, if you don't…" the scientist leaned over to her daughter's ear and whispered something. Ryoko's eyes widened when Washuu finished, and she began to turn the darkest crimson anyone had ever seen.
"Damn it, Washuu," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and bringing her knees up, glaring at her mother.
"I knew you'd see things my way," Washuu said, grinning evilly. "Now, I don't think there's anything else I need to tell you, except that before you leave, I will need to give you a pill. I will study the affects of the pill on your systems while you are in this dimension."
"Why do we need to go to an alter dimension for this, Washuu-chan?" asked Kiyone, who was clearly not happy about this sudden family arrangement.
"Don't ask questions, Kiyone. It's for science."
"Washuu-chan?" Mihoshi chimed in her childish voice. Everyone looked at the blonde detective, eyebrow raised. "Who's Mr. Winkie?"
The group stared at her. Mihoshi always had a way of making multiple peoples' trains of thought crash and burn at any particular point in time. She looked innocently at her audience, her head cocked to one side.
Washuu, realizing her mouth was open, quickly shut it, shaking her head jerkily in attempt to board another train.
"So, um, that's tomorrow, first thing, all right?"
"Fine," Tenchi said reluctantly.
Ryoko mumbled something incomprehensible, but it sounded something like "You touch me, you die, Washuu."
Sasami nodded quickly, not wanting to give Washuu any reason to threaten her.
Kiyone and Aeka agreed as well, scared of what might become of them if they argue.
Mihoshi? Well, she just sat there, blabbing happily about what fun it would be to go to future Tokyo, and wondering if Mr. Winkie would be there. She truly had no idea what was going on. Nor did she have any idea what "Mr. Winkie" was.
Maybe it's better this way, Washuu thought to herself.
~*~
A seventeen year old girl stood alone, staring out of a pair of shockingly green eyes to the tall, brick building about ten meters in front of her. It was uninviting, but her presence inside could not be avoided. The breeze played with the long, black hair that cascaded down her back and the sides of her face. Along the side of her ghostly pale neck and face ran a large, black scar shaped like fire.
She shifted her large, brown briefcase from her left hand to her right hand and adjusted her plaid, knee length skirt and dark green vest. The red bow tied around her neck was choking her, so she loosened it, recalling the events of the day.
Daybreak. Washuu's intent rapping on her door brought Kyoko out of her deep slumber.
"Whuduyuwan?" she said groggily, refusing to open her eyes. Her bed felt so warm and soothing, like heaven, and she didn't want to leave it.
Washuu stuck her head in the door, smiling broadly. "What did you say?" she asked, obviously in an annoyingly good mood.
Kyoko groaned and sat up, looking as angry as she could at six in the morning. "I said, what do you want?"
"Aaww, my dear space pirate, today is the day that you pay a visit to Tokyo," the genius said, making her tired guinea pig want to smack the smile off her face.
"At this time of day?" Kyoko asked, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"Well, we have a few last minute things to cover, you and I," Washuu chirped. "So, come on! Get up! Let's go!"
Grumbling many incoherent statements (which Washuu was very glad she couldn't understand), the young redhead followed the little scientist down to the lab.
When the two reached the lab, Washuu began briefing Kyoko on the day's plans, but Kyoko paid her no attention. She was more focused on getting her body and her mind to work on the same level. She had no coordination at this time of day.
Washuu, on the other hand, continued to talk until she heard a large crash and a strangled cry come from behind her. She began to snicker as she turned around to find the space pirate tangled up in a mass of wires and invention failures. Apparently, she had tripped headfirst into the genius's junk pile. Shaking with inside laughter, Washuu walked over to Kyoko and offered her hand. Kyoko took it, and slowly stood, stumbling.
"Not a morning person, are you?" the magenta hared girl asked.
"It took you six months to figure this one out, Washuu?" was all Kyoko said.
Still laughing, Washuu lead the unfocused woman deeper into the lab.
"Has anyone seen Washuu?"
Breakfast was soon to begin, and the Masaki family's table was, as usual, full of chattering people looking forward to another meal of Sasami's cooking.
"Has anyone seen Washuu?" the little princess asked as she brought in the last dish (meso soup).
"She's probably down in her lab, thinking about tests she can run on us without our knowing," Ryoko replied, being only half-sarcastic.
"Well, Ryoko, if that's what you want, I'm sure I could come up with something," Washuu said, coming up behind her daughter.
"Washuu-chan! There you are!" Sasami piped happily, setting down the pot she held. Then she noticed someone else was missing. "Where's Kyoko?"
For the first time in a long time, Washuu was stuck as to what to say. She had to do some fast thinking because everyone was staring at her. But they didn't call her the greatest scientific genius in the universe for nothing. When someone asked her a question, she always had an answer. Now she just had to think of one.
"Kyoko is…um…she's…er…" the pink hared girl began, her mind spinning. She heard an almost silent cough come from behind her, and she smiled. "….sick. I've been tending to her, but I don't think she'll be up to going on my little 'scientific adventure'." Washuu's face gave off a look of fake sadness, yet on the inside, she was thankful to the one who gave off the cough.
Completely out of the room, Kyoko stood on the stairs, listening to Washuu's explanation. She had given off the false cough, hoping the scientist would catch on to her idea, and it had obviously worked. She batted her now totally black hair out of her bright green eyes and crept silently up the stairs, but when she heard Ryoko she stopped.
"Hey Washuu," the summoner said, giving a forced look of nausea, "I think I'm getting sick, too."
"Aww, my dear widdle gurl is getting sick? Let me see." Washuu leaned over to Ryoko and looked into her eyes. She grabbed the pirate by the ear and brought her face into the table. "Nice try, Ryoko, but you're still going."
"Damn!" Ryoko said, rubbing her nose where it collided with the wood.
Snickering, Kyoko continued up to her room where she would hide out until it was time for her to go.
~*~
Kyoko stood in front of the school reflecting on the events of the morning. She couldn't help but laugh again at the memory of that moment when Ryoko's mother slammed her face into the table.
The annoying and loud tone of the bell signaling the beginning of the school day brought the pirate out of her thoughts back to what she now called reality. In this reality, she was no longer a once thought dead space pirate. No, here she was nothing more than a black hared, green-eyed schoolgirl who was new to her surroundings. Shifting her plaid skirt once again, Kyoko walked through the large oak doors leading into the main hallway. The commotion increased as many students swarmed their lockers in attempt to get to class on time.
Kyoko tried to avoid drawing attention to herself, but she proved to be unsuccessful. Everyone seemed to know she was the new girl in school. Of course, one thing that helped give her away was the fact no one had ever seen a girl so pale with such a large and noticeable scar on her face. Murmurs followed the girl wherever she went, and Kyoko really wished they wouldn't. She tried to keep her eyes down and find her way around. Instead, she wound up walking headlong into someone. She fell to the ground while she heard the other person slam into the lockers.
"I'm sorry," Kyoko said quietly. When she looked up to see who she had run into, she was horrified.
Ryoko was standing above her rubbing the back of her head. She seemed to have acquired a sense of shock when she had hit the metal doors. She was staring at her old partner through furious eyes. She didn't recognize Kyoko at all. Though this was good, Kyoko couldn't help but feel sad.
"Watch where you're going!" the summoner sneered.
Everyone in the hall stopped what he or she was doing to look at the two. To them, the new girl was in deep shit. Ryoko was the school's juvenile delinquent, and she had a major attitude. Messing with her was the equivalent of a death wish. Her only known weakness was a certain black hared, brown-eyed young man who also attended the school. Only he could control her.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't…" Kyoko began, but Ryoko cut her off.
"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked, offering her hand (much to everyone's surprise).
Taking it, Kyoko allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.
"What's your name, girl?" the oni pressured. This took the pirate off guard. She had a name chosen, but now she couldn't remember it. Inside her head she could hear Washuu saying "Smooth, Kyoko-san. Very smooth." This didn't help much.
"I…uh…" Kyoko stuttered, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She was relieved when the next bell signaling the beginning of class went off, and the crowd that had gathered disappeared into their first classes.
"Well?" Ryoko said impatiently.
Kyoko just stared at the ground until a sharp, piercing voice echoed down the hallway.
"Miss Ryoko! How many times must I tell you to be in class on time?"
A short, squat woman in her mid forties appeared beside the two girls. She looked like she had lost her metabolism early and didn't realize it until after she had devoured the entire bakery. Her thick, brown hair was pulled back into an almost skin-ripping tight bun, and her eyes were small, watery, and emotionless. She shooed Ryoko off to her class and turned to Kyoko.
"So, you're the new girl, eh?" she asked, not giving the girl a chance to answer. "I've been looking for you. Follow me."
And with that, the two marched down the hall after Ryoko to the very last room.
"Could I get your name?" the teacher asked before she opened the door.
"Uhhh…" Kyoko mumbled. She tried to remember, but couldn't. So, she took the alternative route. She thought of the very last book that she had read, Shizuko's Daughter. "Okuda."
"Okuda? Okuda what?"
The pirate was trying to think of a first name when a voice echoed inside her brain.
"It was Ayanami! That was Ayanami's A.T. Field!" Washuu screamed. She seemed to be watching Kyoko's Evangelion movies again. But, for once, Kyoko wasn't angry at the moment. In fact, she secretly thanked the genius. This had to be one of those situations people in stupid American television shows experienced.
"Okuda Rei."
"Well, Miss Okuda, my name is Karamorita Mariko. Are you ready to meet the class?"
"Yes, Miss Karamorita."
"Sensei," she corrected. "I'm your teacher."
The portly woman opened the door to reveal a very noisy and out of control class. At least, that's how it first appeared. But when Kyoko got a better look at the inside, she saw that the entire class was huddled in the corner, and electricity was bouncing from ceiling to floor and everywhere in between. In the center of the room, standing on two different desks, two girls stood shouting very rude and obscene remarks at each other (in which the author has so evilly deleted. Hey, little kids might be reading this!).
Kyoko began to laugh when she realized it was Ryoko and Aeka, but she immediately stopped when the teacher glared at her.
"Hakubi! Jurai!" Mariko boomed, telling the girls they were rolling in a load of crap. The two quarreling females stopped shouting (and electrocuting everyone and everything in sight), and slowly turned their heads to face their teacher. "What is going on?"
"Sensei, Miss Ryoko said some rather offensive comments (which I shall not repeat!) and I…" Aeka was cut off by the fuming leader.
"You continued the fight! I would expect actions like this from Hakubi ("Why must I go by Washuu's name?"), but never from our student body chairman! Now sit down, all of you!"
As the class sat down, they could catch various comments coming from their teacher. Comments such as, "You are seniors in high school, not grade schoolers!" and "Never in my life…!"
Memo to me, Kyoko thought, beware of Karamorita Mariko!
When the class was settled, Kyoko began to feel the heat rise in her face again as all eyes turned to her. She once again attempted to avoid their eyes, but did not look down. The last thing she needed was to show more weakness than she already had.
"We have a new student today," Mariko said, an edge remaining in her voice. "Her name is Okuda Rei."
Kyoko gave a small bow.
"Rei, you may take a seat next to Miss Hakubi."
This got a rise out of the class. Many of the guys began to snicker as the girl walked to the back of the room and took the seat between Ryoko and the window. The delinquent glanced sideways at her old friend and scowled.
"What's with the black make up?" she asked.
Out of habit, Kyoko's hand reached up to her face and along the mark.
"It's a scar," she said simply, not really wanting to discuss the topic at that point in time.
"A scar?" Ryoko whistled in amazement. "Damn, how'd you get it?"
"My best friend blew up a building while I was inside," the one now known as Rei growled.
"Say what?"
Kyoko jerked her head and looked at Ryoko's face. She had started to lose it again. That hadn't happened for a couple of days. "I said I was caught in a fire."
"Ooh, that sucks."
The black hared girl was about to reply, but her teacher spoke first.
"Okuda? Hakubi? Do you have something to add to our discussion?" she snapped.
"No, Karamorita-Sensei," Kyoko replied.
Ryoko just snorted. "Why would I want to?"
The two girls turned their eyes to the front of the room, but neither paid any attention to the lecture on physics that was boring the rest of the class into stupor. Ryoko seemed to go into a trance, so Kyoko had nothing better to do than stare out the window.
Her view was of the courtyard, its lush green grass dying slowly, and the leaves of the trees being pulled away by the breeze. There were at least five wooden benches, all wet and decaying from the rain of the previous night. The clouds above were large and puffy, telling of another shower in the near future.
Kyoko's green eyes focused on the reflection of the blackboard in the front of the room. Though the writing was small, she still was able to make some of it out. In the center there were some notes to take down, in the upper right hand corner there was the assignment due for tomorrow, and right above that was the date.
On a usual basis, the date meant nothing to the girl, but for some reason it caught her off guard this time. It read November 5.
"Washuu, I thought I left on the second!" Kyoko asked silently, so she wouldn't look too stupid talking to herself.
"Oh, I was hoping you wouldn't notice that," Washuu said.
"So, why have three days passed in one morning?"
"I accidentally made a typo and I couldn't reverse it in time. Sorry."
Rei just shook her head. She wasn't mad, no matter what impression she gave off. She actually found it funny, but she wasn't in the mood for humor. She had begun to develop a headache that throbbed in her temples, and she didn't know why.
Covering her eyes with her hand, the pirate tried to overcome the pain. Her teachers blabbing didn't help much.
"Hey, Okuda?" Ryoko whispered. "Something wrong with your head?"
Kyoko ignored her, forgetting she no longer went by her real name.
"Okuda! Hey! Earth to Rei!"
"Kyoko!"
"What?!" Kyoko screamed, startled.
The entire class, including Mariko, looked at the newcomer, shocked.
"Miss Okuda," the teacher said sternly. She was on the verge of exploding. "You may believe that because it's your first day you can do whatever you want and you won't get in trouble! Well, let me tell you," she began to make her way over to Rei, who looked at the top of her desk, "you are no exception to the rules. We don't need anymore troublemakers in my classroom, one is enough!" Mariko was mere inches from her student's face, breathing heavily on her skin. "And believe you me, I am not a person to cross, do you understand me?"
Kyoko mouthed incoherently.
"What was that?"
"I said I would appreciate it if you wouldn't get so close, your breath stinks."
Two girls and three guys around in front of her burst out in uncontrollable snickers. Aeka looked at Kyoko through un-approving eyes.
"May I recommend Altoids?" she continued. This just sent even more people into fits of laughter.
"Oh, a class clown, are we? I'd like to see you after school, Rei."
Great, fifteen minutes into my first day and I'm already in trouble, Kyoko thought. Oh well, I guess I deserved that one.
"Just can't stay out of trouble, can you Kyoko?" Washuu's voice cackled.
"Shut up, Washuu."
~*~
Karamorita's classes turned out to be "let's all sit and drool in stupor" hours, and even Aeka, yes, respectable chairman (and the first person on Ryoko's hit list) Aeka had trouble staying awake. Kyoko swore that when she looked over at her, she was dead asleep (and obviously dreaming, considering she kept twitching. But, maybe that had something to do with the boy behind her who was continuously poking her in the back with his pencil.). But when the teacher passed her desk, she lifted her head and acted like she was listening. That is, until the teacher passed. Then, she just fell right back to sleep.
In fact, the only person who seemed to be paying attention and taking notes was…Ryoko?
Tenchi, who sat right in front of Ryoko, heard the sound of lead against paper, and turned around in disbelief.
"There's no way you could be taki…oh," his face faltered when he looked at her paper. "I think the rope is a little too big for Aeka's neck, don't you?" His voice was full of disgust. Apparently she was drawing a picture of the princess hanging by her neck from a rope.
After what seemed like hours unending, the bell signaling lunch sounded, and the entire class scrambled out into the hallway to get their lunches. Those who had them moved around the room to where they usually sat.
Ryoko, Aeka, and Tenchi gathered in the farthest corner and took out the lunches Sasami had made for them that morning.
"Okay, girls, can we get along today, please?" Tenchi asked, taking a large bite out of a rice cake.
"Oh, come on!" Ryoko giggled, punching the boy playfully on the arm. "Don't you like it when the classroom catches on fire?"
"And who's the one who always starts the fire, MISS Ryoko?" Aeka spat. "I will not let you accuse me of such obscene actions!"
"I never accused you of anything, Oh Honorable Prissy Princess!"
"Stop!" Tenchi intervened. "We've had this conversation everyday that we've been here!"
"Exactly! Which is how I knew that DEMON would accuse me!" The purple hared princess was bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet as she screeched words that wouldn't even reach her rival's brain. Her hands were balled up into fists, and her eyes were narrowed dangerously. She had a furious glow about her that made it seem as though anything she stared at would explode. So, naturally, she was staring at the cyan summoner.
"Stop it," Tenchi mumbled.
"Admit it, you were going to accuse me! You were going to blame the…"
"Oh, and since when did you become a psychic?" Ryoko yelled.
By now the entire class was watching. This had become an hour of, food, entertainment, and electrocution for them ever since the two feuding girls had joined their class. Hell, they even had a traditional class poll going around ("Who Will Win Today? The choices are as follows: Jurai Aeka the Student Body Chairman, Hakubi Ryoko the Juvenile Delinquent, Masaki Tenchi the poor guy stuck in the middle, or Karamorita Mariko the seriously pissed off teacher. So far, most people believe it will be Mariko.)
"Ohhh! I can't stand you!"
"And you think that I have good records with you? Ha!"
Both girls were standing as tall as they could, trying to stare down the other. Aeka's logs appeared as she tensed up with anger. Seeing the wooden defense, Ryoko called forth her sword (making its production as showy as possible). The class watched in awe and fear. It was getting to their favorite part: combat. In unison, the teens stood up and sat behind their chairs. All but Rei, that is. She seemed to be asleep, but no one dared to leave the protection of behind his or her seats to wake her up.
"Settle down, both of you!" Tenchi ordered. He was pissed now. They were making a huge scene, and they hadn't even noticed everyone else knew what was coming.
"STOP IT!"
Every glass object, even down to the light bulbs, exploded and shards sliced through the air until they found a place to land. Some collided with the wall; some found their target in students. The temperature fell to an incredibly cold point, and the room was thrown into total darkness. All light seemed to be filtered out.
Girls screamed, guys looked frantically around for the cause, Ryoko called out "What the hell?", and the entire class became overwhelmed by panic.
Suddenly, Aeka screamed out, "Oh my God, look!" and everyone's attention was drawn to a pair of burning red infernos. Eyes. They hovered above the ground as their owner stood amidst the blackness and terror.
"Dammit!" Ryoko hissed, grabbing her head and stumbling sideways into Tenchi. He held her shoulders her and helped her to the ground, taking notice that her gem was glowing a deep and bloody crimson.
"Your gem!" he whispered.
"I know, and I'm not doing it!" The pirate's eyes were clenched shut as she tried to overcome the feeling she had that she was no longer in control.
Tenchi was about to question what was wrong, but the door to the classroom crashed against the wall as it was thrown open, and Karamorita's short, squat, yet powerful figure stood in the center of it. Light flooded into the room from the hallway and outside as the filtering darkness quickly faded. The two hating eyes disappeared, and a pair of greenish-purple eyes replaced them.
Kyoko stood in the center, not knowing why the room looked like a disaster area. But when she noticed everyone staring at her in horror, she knew she had lost control again. But how could that be? All she knew was she had fallen asleep. She didn't even hear the bell. What happened?
"I…I…I'm sorry," she mumbled, fearing her own presence. And with that, she darted out the room, almost knocking over her teacher in her rush.
The class just watched her retreating back; all eyes triple their normal size.
"I guess," a small voice came from a frightened girl huddled in the corner, tending to the glass in her side, "that Rei won."
~Notes from Minagi~
Hey all, I'm back after an extremely long break. Summer vacation is halfway over (;-;) *Tear* Oh well, my goal is to have this story finished by the first day of school.
Well, on to more *Ahem!* pressing matters, I have come to the conclusion that I am a helpless romantic. This story was supposed to be Action/Adventure with Romance as the Secondary theme, not the other way around! Waaah! Someone tell me I haven't gone over the edge, back, and over again! Tell me there is still hope for this cause (even if you have to lie, I'd be too stupid to notice the difference)!
Regardless of the fact that this chapter took forever and I need serious help (anyone know a psychiatrist? My last one jumped out the window last Tuesday during our session. I still haven't figured out why.), I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was fun to write, and I hope it was just as much fun to read. Please review, your feedback is always welcome! Well, not always, but I have yet to see a comment that was unwelcome, so…yeah…I'm blabbing again, so I'm gonna shut up now, kay? Hey, you weren't supposed to applaud at that. Yes, I know who you are, and you know whom you are, so stop.
Well, I think that's all I wanted to say, so I'll see ya'll next chapter, and hopefully I won't be so annoying. Ja ne! (^-^)"/"
PS. Don't worry all you Nagi fans, I haven't forgotten about her! That fight was more than just an excuse to put her in.
PPS. Is anyone else's story being killed? I can't fix it, so now it looks like crap! I'm SO SORRY!