Disclaimer: I do not own Tenchi Muyo, also you have the right to remain silent, and anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law… or something like that.

Underneath it All

By Ovrboost

Create me, make me real.

Show me what it's like to feel.

Rise up from the below, left without a place to go

The shackles bind me to this wall, (cutting; scratching)

What have I become? I feel so numb.

Chapter 3: And all that could have been

The sun started to make its descent, casting the room into twilight. Ryoko sat quietly, her face angled up slightly, seemingly staring into space. A strip of orange light found its way into the room through the trees outside, gracing her, forming a sort of odd, orange halo around her profile. To Yosho, it seemed faintly angelic, yet foreboding. The two had sat on his bed in silence for a good while alternating between hesitantly looking at each other, and staring off into space. Finally, Ryoko broke the silence.

"I guess I should start at the beginning…" she said softly, glancing at Yosho before examining her hands which lay still in her lap. " I've always been like this, for as long as I can remember… I mean, I was never physically a child, at least not that I know of…" Upon hearing her start her story, Yosho turned on the bed to face her fully, content on absorbing every detail.

"I guess it all started about 5000 years ago, I woke up not knowing where I was, or who I was, all I knew was that… that I was naked and chained to the floor…"

The room was shrouded in darkness, completely devoid of furnishings, sterile. Constructed out of a dull silver metal, the room's only features were the shackles in the center, and the outline of a doorway on the far wall. Lying on her side, curled into a loose ball, Ryoko slowly raised her head from the floor to take in the surroundings. Completely confused, she noticed that she was naked, and attempted to cover herself, but the chains that bound her arms were too short to allow it. Before she could scream out for help, the doorway behind her slide open with a soft hydraulic sound.

"Good, you're finally awake." said the figure which seemed to glide in through the door, with an elegant voice. "Perhaps now we can begin." Ryoko craned her neck around her body to get a look at the man, following him around her with her eyes. Finally coming to a stop to her front, he nonchalantly waved his hand before him, causing the chains to release from her wrists. "Disobey me and you will suffer my wrath." he warned, dropping his voice a few octaves into something more dangerous. A smirk crossed his face, as her fear became tangible, he could smell her fear. The lights fade out, and a scream pierces the darkness. 'How glorious.'

The sun had by now fully set outside of Yosho's room, the long cast shadows now gone, the only light in the room emanated from the soft accent lighting framing the ceiling. Somewhere along the line, the color had left Yosho's face. He listened to her words but something inside of him wished he hadn't. Ryoko had kept her voice monotone throughout, even when the story came to her recollections of the 'medical' experiments, past acquaintances, the closest things to friends, or lovers she had ever had, killed by her forced hand. The only time her voice wavered was when she talked of how she was used to physically persuade men of power to further the monster's goals, or of when she was simply used. No tears came, but Yosho could clearly tell they were close, whether or not they came from her, did not seem to matter.

He was at a total loss for words, but Yosho's inner thoughts raged, a strange mix of pity, hatred for the man who caused it, disgust for what she was forced to become, want, and… lust. His eyes widened with the realization; he wanted her, but the consequences of that had yet to register. Without thinking, as if he was observing his body from the far corner, Yosho slowly reached out and caressed Ryoko's jaw line, pulling her head up and towards him, as his fingers gently traced the way to her chin. He was lost to the moment, in a far corner of his brain, something told him to convey his… love?

"Yosho…" Ryoko began, emotionally depleted after having relayed her life story for the first time in her existence, to the one person she almost as if she could trust. 'What is he doing?' she thought to herself as he leaned in towards her. 'Oh no… no…n. nnnno no no no no no no no no' She felt his lips make contact with her own. She did not resist. After a few moments, they both came up for air, Yosho moved his head back far enough so that she could finally get her words out; "Yosho… Please… Donnnmmm" cut short by another assault from his tongue. His arms started pulling her into a tighter embrace, casually, if not somewhat hungrily roaming her back.

…trust

'WHAT IS HE DOING!' a grunt and a soft moan accompany the thought. '….this isn't happening… no… I'm dreaming… that's it! I'm asleep…' her top falls from around her shoulders. 'Just a dream…just a dream…. Just a dream…. Just a dream…' she feels his hands caress her breasts. 'Not again….' a hand moves lower, as he helps himself to her mouth. 'He's just like all the others!' his tongue moves deeper. 'NO! …He's not like that!' her face is the portrait of agony '…Then why?'

…click

Yosho is taken aback, as the once unmoving Ryoko, suddenly pushes him hard back into the bed, climbing atop him straddling him around the waist, as she starts returning his advances. 'Animalistic… this is… lust' his visage turns dark as he looks into her eyes. 'Dead… her eyes are dead…' something inside of him instantly told him that something was wrong, but it was far too late. 'I have to stop… this…' his thought was greeted by a wave of pleasure as she had indeed taken the initiative concerning his more sensitive area. Whatever rational thoughts that remained in his head quickly vanished as the sensations and pleasures overtook him.

Almost as quickly as it had begun, it was finished. The room was silent aside from the soft sounds of breathing in the night. Yosho lay asleep upon the huge bed, on the covers that reminded Ryoko so much of blood. Unblinking, she stared at the ceiling for well over an hour, her face blank, and her body limp. Slowly turning her head, she took in the sleeping Yosho's face; her now dull yellow eyes drank in his features. 'Just like all the others…' her face twisted into a pained, maniacal smile '…yes master'

A/N: please don't crucify me for this chapter, but it was the only way I could come up with to get this story back on track. Of course it doesn't help that I'm losing interest in the series. I promise to finish this fic with the next chapter, whether or not there is a spin off is another matter. Once again I'd like to thank those of you who took the time to review this story, without you guys this poor soldier probably would have abandoned it. Thank you.