Chapter One: Stability
Ryoko found herself alone in a dim room, only a single red light bulb gave off its light on the ceiling a few feet above her head. She looked around her as she took a small step forward deeper into the room.
"Where the hell am I?" She asked herself out loud as she paused to look up at the red bulb hanging from the dark ceiling. After a few moments passed by, a shadow manifested into the red light before her. Ryoko took a small step back and snarled, ready to go on the defensive. "Who are you? What's going on here?!"
The silhouette formed on the ground, crouching over its knees. It remained silent as it began to stand, keeping its head lowered as to hide the identity. However, when the shadow finally straightened up and raised it's head, it was no one other then Ryoko herself.
Ryoko's tough and defensive demeanor faded away as she stared, confused and shocked, at the reflection of herself. The reflection, however, was different somehow... her hair was darker then Ryoko's; almost black. And the eyes which stared back at Ryoko were empty and emotionless; but emotionless as they were, they sent a chill down Ryoko's spine and she felt a sort of fear from them that she couldn't describe.
Ryoko took one more step back away from her disturbing reflection and glared sternly at her, "Tell me who you are. you're not me. You may look it, but you're not me! What's going on?!"
Her reflection didn't bother to respond with words, but only grinned menacingly. She slowly turned her back to Ryoko and began walking away into the darkness.
"RYOKO! WAKE UP!" a voice shouted loudly into Ryoko's ear. Ryoko opened her eyes abruptly and she was woken from her strange dream. She was greeted with the angry face of Ayeka before she shoved a pillow forcefully into her face.
"Hmmf!" Ryoko cried out through the pillow before pulling the pillow away from her face.
"What are you doing sleeping, you lazy bum!" Ayeka scolded as she crossed her arms in protest. Ryoko sat up from the couch in the living room and rubbed her eyes.
"Ayeka, I like to sleep. Besides, how can you blame me for sleeping during the day because your snoring is so loud at night!" Ryoko snapped back sharply as she stood from the couch. Ayeka was left speechless and only responded with a death glare and a twitching eye.
"Listen, you stupid pirate, I woke you up because it's your turn to do the chores today! So get to it before Sasami finishes dinner!" Ayeka barked as she turned around and walked away. Ryoko clenched her fists and tried her hardest to keep control of herself. Ayeka was being more of a bitch then she usually was and was pushing Ryoko to the brink of insanity. All Ryoko wanted to do was slap her around a few times, and then she'd be happy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After around an hour, Ryoko had had her fill of cleaning. She transported to the roof of the house where she usually went to get away from people, and set down the bucket of dirty water where a rag hung off the side. She undid the bandana which she put in her hair and let her wild hair free. With a long sigh, Ryoko stared off into the sky where the sun began to set. She was feeling off somehow, and she didn't know why. She wasn't as sarcastic and sadistic as she usually was anymore.
Tenchi was walking back home from the fields when he looked up and saw Ryoko alone on the roof. He smiled his usual charming smile and set aside his tools and bucket.
"Hey Ryoko!" Tenchi greeted as he climbed up the ladder to the roof. Ryoko quickly turned her head and saw him as he poked his head up from below the top of the roof. A smile which she couldn't contain crossed her face when she saw him.
"Tenchi! What are you doing here?" she asked curiously, trying to hide her enthusiasm to keep him there with her.
Tenchi smiled as he walked across the roof to her side, "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing!" He sat down beside her and looked off towards the setting sun and smiled. Ryoko stared at him for a few moments, not knowing what to say, and then turned her eyes back to the sun.
"You don't seem like yourself lately, Ryoko. You haven't tried to grope me at all in the past week," Tenchi joked as he looked at her.
Ryoko grinned and raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying you miss being groped by me?" She laughed. Tenchi laughed along with her, but noticed that her laugh soon died away.
"Tenchi, I'm just really stressed lately. I don't know why either. Most of it is from Ayeka though; she's been nagging me more then usual lately. It's really eating away at me. I'm just scared that I'm just going to snap one day," Ryoko said as she looked down at the ground far below her, "The only thing really keeping me stable is you."
Tenchi stared at Ryoko for a few moments before placing his arm around her. He leaned forward towards Ryoko and rested his forehead against hers, "Don't worry, things are going to be fine. If Ayeka is getting that bad, just ignore her. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here."
Ryoko blushed when she opened her eyes to see Tenchi smiling at her. She smiled along with him and rested her hand sincerely on his other hand, "Thank you, Tenchi."
After a few moments of Tenchi holding Ryoko, he released her and stood from beside her, "Come on, they're probably waiting for us in the house. You know how Sasami hates it when people are late for dinner!" he said with a smile. Ryoko smiled up at him as she stood to follow him down the ladder and into the house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dinner was uneventful and boring. Ryoko had kept to herself and didn't speak much, while shocked everyone. Ayeka was rambling on about nonsense and flirting with Tenchi, which annoyed Ryoko beyond anything. Mihoshi and Kione were arguing about whether or not Mihoshi had messed up their last case, and Washu was doing work in a notebook as she ate. Ryoko, though, did notice Tenchi looking over at her a few times, sometimes with a worried expression across his face. This, of course, made her blush a bit. She loved him so much, every time he paid attention to her, she was happier then anything.
After dinner was finished, Ayeka helped Tenchi remove the dishes into the kitchen to be washed; it was hers and Tenchi's night to wash them anyway. Ryoko remained on the couch while Ayeka and Tenchi were alone together in the kitchen.
"Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, blushing. Tenchi looked over at her and passed her a dish to be dried.
"What is it, Ayeka?"
"You k-know how I feel about you. I-I know you do-"
Ryoko stood up the couch and walked past the dinner table and noticed a used glass still sitting on a placemat, "Oh, Tenchi forgot one," she said as she bent down to pick it up.
"Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, confused, as he handed her another glass. Tears began falling from Ayeka's eyes as she looked at him.
"I just- I cant hold my emotions in anymore! I'm tired of having to live with you, but without you!" Ayeka cried. Tenchi, still utterly confused, placed a soapy dish down into the sink.
Ryoko lifted the glass from the table and turned to walk towards the kitchen down the hall. She took her time walking down the corridor until she stood outside from the kitchen door.
"Ayeka-" Tenchi began to say, but was interrupted by Ayeka's hand over his mouth. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as she removed her hand from his mouth and replaced them with her lips.
Ryoko slid open the kitchen door and stepped in. But when her eyes were laid upon what she saw, the glass in her hand slipped out and crashed loudly upon the kitchen floor.
Ryoko found herself alone in a dim room, only a single red light bulb gave off its light on the ceiling a few feet above her head. She looked around her as she took a small step forward deeper into the room.
"Where the hell am I?" She asked herself out loud as she paused to look up at the red bulb hanging from the dark ceiling. After a few moments passed by, a shadow manifested into the red light before her. Ryoko took a small step back and snarled, ready to go on the defensive. "Who are you? What's going on here?!"
The silhouette formed on the ground, crouching over its knees. It remained silent as it began to stand, keeping its head lowered as to hide the identity. However, when the shadow finally straightened up and raised it's head, it was no one other then Ryoko herself.
Ryoko's tough and defensive demeanor faded away as she stared, confused and shocked, at the reflection of herself. The reflection, however, was different somehow... her hair was darker then Ryoko's; almost black. And the eyes which stared back at Ryoko were empty and emotionless; but emotionless as they were, they sent a chill down Ryoko's spine and she felt a sort of fear from them that she couldn't describe.
Ryoko took one more step back away from her disturbing reflection and glared sternly at her, "Tell me who you are. you're not me. You may look it, but you're not me! What's going on?!"
Her reflection didn't bother to respond with words, but only grinned menacingly. She slowly turned her back to Ryoko and began walking away into the darkness.
"RYOKO! WAKE UP!" a voice shouted loudly into Ryoko's ear. Ryoko opened her eyes abruptly and she was woken from her strange dream. She was greeted with the angry face of Ayeka before she shoved a pillow forcefully into her face.
"Hmmf!" Ryoko cried out through the pillow before pulling the pillow away from her face.
"What are you doing sleeping, you lazy bum!" Ayeka scolded as she crossed her arms in protest. Ryoko sat up from the couch in the living room and rubbed her eyes.
"Ayeka, I like to sleep. Besides, how can you blame me for sleeping during the day because your snoring is so loud at night!" Ryoko snapped back sharply as she stood from the couch. Ayeka was left speechless and only responded with a death glare and a twitching eye.
"Listen, you stupid pirate, I woke you up because it's your turn to do the chores today! So get to it before Sasami finishes dinner!" Ayeka barked as she turned around and walked away. Ryoko clenched her fists and tried her hardest to keep control of herself. Ayeka was being more of a bitch then she usually was and was pushing Ryoko to the brink of insanity. All Ryoko wanted to do was slap her around a few times, and then she'd be happy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After around an hour, Ryoko had had her fill of cleaning. She transported to the roof of the house where she usually went to get away from people, and set down the bucket of dirty water where a rag hung off the side. She undid the bandana which she put in her hair and let her wild hair free. With a long sigh, Ryoko stared off into the sky where the sun began to set. She was feeling off somehow, and she didn't know why. She wasn't as sarcastic and sadistic as she usually was anymore.
Tenchi was walking back home from the fields when he looked up and saw Ryoko alone on the roof. He smiled his usual charming smile and set aside his tools and bucket.
"Hey Ryoko!" Tenchi greeted as he climbed up the ladder to the roof. Ryoko quickly turned her head and saw him as he poked his head up from below the top of the roof. A smile which she couldn't contain crossed her face when she saw him.
"Tenchi! What are you doing here?" she asked curiously, trying to hide her enthusiasm to keep him there with her.
Tenchi smiled as he walked across the roof to her side, "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing!" He sat down beside her and looked off towards the setting sun and smiled. Ryoko stared at him for a few moments, not knowing what to say, and then turned her eyes back to the sun.
"You don't seem like yourself lately, Ryoko. You haven't tried to grope me at all in the past week," Tenchi joked as he looked at her.
Ryoko grinned and raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying you miss being groped by me?" She laughed. Tenchi laughed along with her, but noticed that her laugh soon died away.
"Tenchi, I'm just really stressed lately. I don't know why either. Most of it is from Ayeka though; she's been nagging me more then usual lately. It's really eating away at me. I'm just scared that I'm just going to snap one day," Ryoko said as she looked down at the ground far below her, "The only thing really keeping me stable is you."
Tenchi stared at Ryoko for a few moments before placing his arm around her. He leaned forward towards Ryoko and rested his forehead against hers, "Don't worry, things are going to be fine. If Ayeka is getting that bad, just ignore her. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here."
Ryoko blushed when she opened her eyes to see Tenchi smiling at her. She smiled along with him and rested her hand sincerely on his other hand, "Thank you, Tenchi."
After a few moments of Tenchi holding Ryoko, he released her and stood from beside her, "Come on, they're probably waiting for us in the house. You know how Sasami hates it when people are late for dinner!" he said with a smile. Ryoko smiled up at him as she stood to follow him down the ladder and into the house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dinner was uneventful and boring. Ryoko had kept to herself and didn't speak much, while shocked everyone. Ayeka was rambling on about nonsense and flirting with Tenchi, which annoyed Ryoko beyond anything. Mihoshi and Kione were arguing about whether or not Mihoshi had messed up their last case, and Washu was doing work in a notebook as she ate. Ryoko, though, did notice Tenchi looking over at her a few times, sometimes with a worried expression across his face. This, of course, made her blush a bit. She loved him so much, every time he paid attention to her, she was happier then anything.
After dinner was finished, Ayeka helped Tenchi remove the dishes into the kitchen to be washed; it was hers and Tenchi's night to wash them anyway. Ryoko remained on the couch while Ayeka and Tenchi were alone together in the kitchen.
"Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, blushing. Tenchi looked over at her and passed her a dish to be dried.
"What is it, Ayeka?"
"You k-know how I feel about you. I-I know you do-"
Ryoko stood up the couch and walked past the dinner table and noticed a used glass still sitting on a placemat, "Oh, Tenchi forgot one," she said as she bent down to pick it up.
"Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, confused, as he handed her another glass. Tears began falling from Ayeka's eyes as she looked at him.
"I just- I cant hold my emotions in anymore! I'm tired of having to live with you, but without you!" Ayeka cried. Tenchi, still utterly confused, placed a soapy dish down into the sink.
Ryoko lifted the glass from the table and turned to walk towards the kitchen down the hall. She took her time walking down the corridor until she stood outside from the kitchen door.
"Ayeka-" Tenchi began to say, but was interrupted by Ayeka's hand over his mouth. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as she removed her hand from his mouth and replaced them with her lips.
Ryoko slid open the kitchen door and stepped in. But when her eyes were laid upon what she saw, the glass in her hand slipped out and crashed loudly upon the kitchen floor.