I don't own Tenchi Muyo or any related characters ect ect. Plot IS mine though! No takies! --------------------
"Finish! Finish! Why can't you cook through for once?"
Ryoko was sitting in the 'living room' of the little space travel ship she had bought with some of her paycheck. Inside a small microwave, a cup of Ramen twirled as it was heated. This was the fourth time Ryoko had cooked this particular cup, which was slightly stale and very unwilling to soften. She was dressed casually in a red skirt and matching tank top, her hair pulled into a braid.
The buzzer of the microwave rang, and Ryoko, who had been sitting on the couch watching the cup of Ramen with frustration, got up. She picked her chopsticks up off a side table and in the same motion walked over to peer into the glass window, calculating whether it was ready or if another few minutes were in order. Pressing the button that sprung the door open Ryoko removed the cup and poured seasoning into it. She then returned to her seat and ate the cup of mostly-cooked Ramen in silence, observing the ship.
It wasn't a very eye appealing vessel, floored with old tiling and an off-blue paint job on all the walls. But, it had been the best ship she could have bought that was within her price range.
It's times like this I wish I still had Soja...or even Ryo-ohki Ryoko thought, swirling her chopsticks around in the soup and remembering how Ryo-Ohki had left with Sasami. Geez, I miss them
From behind a closed door in the corner of the room Ryoko heard an indicator start to chime. She placed her half eaten meal down on the side table and pushed herself off the couch. Opening the door with a feather light swipe of her fingers over a touch pad she walked into the control room, which she had left on auto pilot.
"Japan has come into view from the south side of the vessel," A mechanical voice informed Ryoko. She stopped in mid act of sitting down into her seat and jumped back up, once again opening the control room door and running through the living room to a door on the opposite side and opening that one as well. This door lead to Ryoko's bedroom.
"Earth." Ryoko's amber eyes were fixed, half lidded in memory, on the large window she faced. A slice of the shimmering blue orb was visible in the left corner. Below the island of Japan small and obscured from view by a layer of clouds, with exception of a land mass which Ryoko assumed was the northern most island Hokkaido.
"It's almost like coming home," She whispered. Ryoko turned away from the view of the planet and returning to the control room to help with the landing.
As she flew over the lake, Ryoko looked down at the sparkling waters that glimmered with late spring sunshine. The sun dipped behind the horizon. She lifted her eyes from the sight and continued to land the ship. It took an hour of effort to land the tiny space ship in the woods north of where Ryoko remembered the Masaki shrine to be.
Once they were landed and everything was secure, Ryoko left through the loading hatch. She left a DNA force field over the open hatch. It looked like a dozen moving lasers. Only she could pass though the lasers without being effected, so that way she could turn off the security device if she wanted any one else to join her on the ship.
The air outside the ship was warm, but a cool breeze rustled the young leaves of the trees above her head. Ryoko made her way down the hill. Suddenly though, she couldn't contain her excitement and she increased her slow amble to a jog, and then a run, and then a sprint, flashing between the trees as she transported for the first time in years down the hill.
She threw up her hands and laughed, the sound echoing through the trees. She jumped and transported the furthest she had yet, almost to the bottom of the hill. She could see the water below her, sparkling still with the feeble rays of sun. Ryoko leaped out over the water, for one moment in her minds eye in a blissful suspension over the waves before she glided above the surface, using her flying power for the first time in what seemed like ages.
The wind's hands pulled the elastic from her braided hair. The strands of hair untwined and waved behind her. She grinned, and laughed, lowering her fingers to the water's surface.
I'm home! I'm home! Ryoko's mind kept crying excitedly, and she knew deep in her heart that to her, it really was like returning home. She continued across the lake, landing heavily on the dock. Ryoko stood there, observing the house, the same as when she left, down to the last shingle on the roof. She could see a single star in the violet-blue sky above the house and covered her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then, she walked towards the front door.
She reached to push the doorbell and then stopped in mid action, her finger suspended before the glowing button. Her hand started to tremble, thoughts pouring into her mind, a torrent of insecurity. But, before she could turn away, she forced her hand forward and pressed the button, hearing the chime.
Ryoko waited, shifting from foot to foot. She then crossed her arms, decided against it moments later and placed them on her hips. She then moved them to be clasped behind her back as she looked anxiously at the ground. She could hear heavy foot steps in the hall and the door opened, flooding light onto her figure.
"Hello?" She recognized the voice; it was the same as the one on the transmission. All the greetings she had worked out in her mind suddenly evaporated and she found herself at a loss for words, her mouth slightly open.
"H-Hi Tenchi," she managed finally, her voice higher than normal in her nervousness. He did not reply. There was an awkward silence. Neither said anything. Ryoko looked up into Tenchi's chocolate colored eyes and gave a weak smile, seeing herself reflected in his eyes with her tall, slender figure and long wind-swept hair, tied into elf-knots.
"Ryoko?" He finally said, sounding unsure of himself. She nodded sheepishly and then there was another silence. She felt a blush across her cheeks and saw the same blush tinting Tenchi's. He finally said after a moment, "Come in."
Tenchi stepped aside for Ryoko and she stepped up into the entrance hall, looking around cautiously. It was still the same. Everything seemed the same except a few small paintings on the wall. She turned to look at Tenchi, who had a look of shock and amazement on his face.
"Tenchi?"
"You've changed Ryoko." She stared him full in the face, her eyes searching for fault in his face, trying to pin point the emotion in his statement. There was only surprise. Surprise and delight.
"You've changed too," she said simply. Then she laughed aloud, and Tenchi echoed her laugh. "I was so surprised to see you grew out your rat- tail!" She smiled at him, pointing to his long hair which was unbound and hanging over his shoulders. He smiled back and picked up a lock to observe it.
"You don't think it is too long?" he asked her, dropping it back onto his shoulder. Ryoko shook her head.
"No. I mean, look at mine," She motioned to her own hair. "Yours is nothing." He smiled at her.
"Come into the dinning room then Ryoko, I was just sitting down to dinner. There's plenty for you, too." He motioned for her to follow him, and lead the way into the dinning room. Ryoko followed after removing her shoes. The table still sat there in the same place, one spot set at the head of the table.
"Where is your father?" Ryoko asked him quietly. Tenchi seemed unperturbed but his voice was empty.
"Dad's on a business trip. He works a lot more now."
"Ah." She walked cautiously over to the table as Tenchi disappeared into the kitchen, returning a minute later with another plate, cup, napkin and set of chopsticks. He laid it out opposite of where he was sitting and then started to dish stir-fried vegetables and rice onto her plate.
"Tenchi! It's OK!" She smiled and took the serving spoon and her plate from him. "I'll dish us up tonight." Tenchi just kind of looked at her, his face unsure.
"But you're my –"
"Your guest? I know." She smiled again and ladled another spoonful of vegetables onto her plate before placing it down and reaching for Tenchi's plate, which he handed to her. "I took advantage of being your guest last time Tenchi." She kept her eyes lowered, watching the steam rising off the food.
"That's enough vegetables Ryoko." She handed his the plate back and looked up. He was still looking at her.
"What?" She laughed aloud to cover her insecurities. "Geez, I appreciate Sasami's work a whole lot more now. She ladled us up every night."
"Yea," Tenchi smiled at her "Nothing I can make is as good as Sasami's, but I'm getting better."
Ryoko sat down and picked up her chopsticks. "Tastes fine to me Tenchi!" she said as she swallowed her first bite of food. He thanked her and took a bite off his plate as well. The rest of the dinner was fairly quiet, with the two of them lapsing into reminiscent conversation.
That night Ryoko offered to do the dishes. When she was done drying the plates and putting them away, she went to find Tenchi.
He was standing out on the dock, one hand on his hip and the other hanging limply at his side. His face was turned up to the navy blue sky, watching the silver pin pricks of stars. She went to stand beside him, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the water instead.
"Nice night," she commented softly. Tenchi nodded in agreement. Silence fell and Ryoko scuffed her slippered foot against the wood of the dock. She looked up again just in time to see Tenchi look away. She felt anger spike suddenly.
"Tenchi, WHAT is the matter?" She asked him exasperatedly, turning to face him and clenching her fists. "You haven't stopped looking at me all night!"
He tilted his face away from her. "Ryoko, I can't get over how much you've changed." He said simply.
"Is it a problem?" Her voice sounded angrier than she meant it to. She almost sounded anguished. At this tone he turned to her and the two stared at each other.
This isn't supposed to be like this. . .we're suppose to be happy now. Ryoko bit her lip and lowered her face; tears were absent from her countenance though her eyes burned.
"Ryoko, I'm sorry." Suddenly Tenchi was standing with her, his arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders. She stopped biting her lip and suddenly two tears were flowing down her cheeks, one from each eye. She reached up and grabbed the fabric of his t-shirt, holding onto him and placing her forehead on his chest.
"I can't get over how much you've changed. You have this gentle beauty now, and I'm unsure how to treat you. It's almost like I'm afraid you'll break. I was so used to your flashiness, but now. . . Ryoko. . .I just don't know."
Ryoko looked up to Tenchi, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to sound sappy or childish or stupid. She wanted Tenchi to know exactly how she felt and what she had felt since she left. She opened her mouth, the words forming across her tongue.
"I don't want to leave this again."
Tenchi's embrace tightened and she once again rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. She released his t-shirt from her grasp and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, finding this was all she needed. The stars seemed to swirl above their heads and only when the moon started its creep over the hills in the distance did Tenchi pull away.
"I'll go get your bedroom ready," he said quietly, walking away. Ryoko watched him go, and only when he'd disappeared into the house did she make a noise. It was a low chuckling of giddy amusement.
"He still doesn't understand women." She smiled though, looking to the shining face of the full moon, and decided that for the time being, things were good.
-------------------- END CHAPTER 3
"Finish! Finish! Why can't you cook through for once?"
Ryoko was sitting in the 'living room' of the little space travel ship she had bought with some of her paycheck. Inside a small microwave, a cup of Ramen twirled as it was heated. This was the fourth time Ryoko had cooked this particular cup, which was slightly stale and very unwilling to soften. She was dressed casually in a red skirt and matching tank top, her hair pulled into a braid.
The buzzer of the microwave rang, and Ryoko, who had been sitting on the couch watching the cup of Ramen with frustration, got up. She picked her chopsticks up off a side table and in the same motion walked over to peer into the glass window, calculating whether it was ready or if another few minutes were in order. Pressing the button that sprung the door open Ryoko removed the cup and poured seasoning into it. She then returned to her seat and ate the cup of mostly-cooked Ramen in silence, observing the ship.
It wasn't a very eye appealing vessel, floored with old tiling and an off-blue paint job on all the walls. But, it had been the best ship she could have bought that was within her price range.
It's times like this I wish I still had Soja...or even Ryo-ohki Ryoko thought, swirling her chopsticks around in the soup and remembering how Ryo-Ohki had left with Sasami. Geez, I miss them
From behind a closed door in the corner of the room Ryoko heard an indicator start to chime. She placed her half eaten meal down on the side table and pushed herself off the couch. Opening the door with a feather light swipe of her fingers over a touch pad she walked into the control room, which she had left on auto pilot.
"Japan has come into view from the south side of the vessel," A mechanical voice informed Ryoko. She stopped in mid act of sitting down into her seat and jumped back up, once again opening the control room door and running through the living room to a door on the opposite side and opening that one as well. This door lead to Ryoko's bedroom.
"Earth." Ryoko's amber eyes were fixed, half lidded in memory, on the large window she faced. A slice of the shimmering blue orb was visible in the left corner. Below the island of Japan small and obscured from view by a layer of clouds, with exception of a land mass which Ryoko assumed was the northern most island Hokkaido.
"It's almost like coming home," She whispered. Ryoko turned away from the view of the planet and returning to the control room to help with the landing.
As she flew over the lake, Ryoko looked down at the sparkling waters that glimmered with late spring sunshine. The sun dipped behind the horizon. She lifted her eyes from the sight and continued to land the ship. It took an hour of effort to land the tiny space ship in the woods north of where Ryoko remembered the Masaki shrine to be.
Once they were landed and everything was secure, Ryoko left through the loading hatch. She left a DNA force field over the open hatch. It looked like a dozen moving lasers. Only she could pass though the lasers without being effected, so that way she could turn off the security device if she wanted any one else to join her on the ship.
The air outside the ship was warm, but a cool breeze rustled the young leaves of the trees above her head. Ryoko made her way down the hill. Suddenly though, she couldn't contain her excitement and she increased her slow amble to a jog, and then a run, and then a sprint, flashing between the trees as she transported for the first time in years down the hill.
She threw up her hands and laughed, the sound echoing through the trees. She jumped and transported the furthest she had yet, almost to the bottom of the hill. She could see the water below her, sparkling still with the feeble rays of sun. Ryoko leaped out over the water, for one moment in her minds eye in a blissful suspension over the waves before she glided above the surface, using her flying power for the first time in what seemed like ages.
The wind's hands pulled the elastic from her braided hair. The strands of hair untwined and waved behind her. She grinned, and laughed, lowering her fingers to the water's surface.
I'm home! I'm home! Ryoko's mind kept crying excitedly, and she knew deep in her heart that to her, it really was like returning home. She continued across the lake, landing heavily on the dock. Ryoko stood there, observing the house, the same as when she left, down to the last shingle on the roof. She could see a single star in the violet-blue sky above the house and covered her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then, she walked towards the front door.
She reached to push the doorbell and then stopped in mid action, her finger suspended before the glowing button. Her hand started to tremble, thoughts pouring into her mind, a torrent of insecurity. But, before she could turn away, she forced her hand forward and pressed the button, hearing the chime.
Ryoko waited, shifting from foot to foot. She then crossed her arms, decided against it moments later and placed them on her hips. She then moved them to be clasped behind her back as she looked anxiously at the ground. She could hear heavy foot steps in the hall and the door opened, flooding light onto her figure.
"Hello?" She recognized the voice; it was the same as the one on the transmission. All the greetings she had worked out in her mind suddenly evaporated and she found herself at a loss for words, her mouth slightly open.
"H-Hi Tenchi," she managed finally, her voice higher than normal in her nervousness. He did not reply. There was an awkward silence. Neither said anything. Ryoko looked up into Tenchi's chocolate colored eyes and gave a weak smile, seeing herself reflected in his eyes with her tall, slender figure and long wind-swept hair, tied into elf-knots.
"Ryoko?" He finally said, sounding unsure of himself. She nodded sheepishly and then there was another silence. She felt a blush across her cheeks and saw the same blush tinting Tenchi's. He finally said after a moment, "Come in."
Tenchi stepped aside for Ryoko and she stepped up into the entrance hall, looking around cautiously. It was still the same. Everything seemed the same except a few small paintings on the wall. She turned to look at Tenchi, who had a look of shock and amazement on his face.
"Tenchi?"
"You've changed Ryoko." She stared him full in the face, her eyes searching for fault in his face, trying to pin point the emotion in his statement. There was only surprise. Surprise and delight.
"You've changed too," she said simply. Then she laughed aloud, and Tenchi echoed her laugh. "I was so surprised to see you grew out your rat- tail!" She smiled at him, pointing to his long hair which was unbound and hanging over his shoulders. He smiled back and picked up a lock to observe it.
"You don't think it is too long?" he asked her, dropping it back onto his shoulder. Ryoko shook her head.
"No. I mean, look at mine," She motioned to her own hair. "Yours is nothing." He smiled at her.
"Come into the dinning room then Ryoko, I was just sitting down to dinner. There's plenty for you, too." He motioned for her to follow him, and lead the way into the dinning room. Ryoko followed after removing her shoes. The table still sat there in the same place, one spot set at the head of the table.
"Where is your father?" Ryoko asked him quietly. Tenchi seemed unperturbed but his voice was empty.
"Dad's on a business trip. He works a lot more now."
"Ah." She walked cautiously over to the table as Tenchi disappeared into the kitchen, returning a minute later with another plate, cup, napkin and set of chopsticks. He laid it out opposite of where he was sitting and then started to dish stir-fried vegetables and rice onto her plate.
"Tenchi! It's OK!" She smiled and took the serving spoon and her plate from him. "I'll dish us up tonight." Tenchi just kind of looked at her, his face unsure.
"But you're my –"
"Your guest? I know." She smiled again and ladled another spoonful of vegetables onto her plate before placing it down and reaching for Tenchi's plate, which he handed to her. "I took advantage of being your guest last time Tenchi." She kept her eyes lowered, watching the steam rising off the food.
"That's enough vegetables Ryoko." She handed his the plate back and looked up. He was still looking at her.
"What?" She laughed aloud to cover her insecurities. "Geez, I appreciate Sasami's work a whole lot more now. She ladled us up every night."
"Yea," Tenchi smiled at her "Nothing I can make is as good as Sasami's, but I'm getting better."
Ryoko sat down and picked up her chopsticks. "Tastes fine to me Tenchi!" she said as she swallowed her first bite of food. He thanked her and took a bite off his plate as well. The rest of the dinner was fairly quiet, with the two of them lapsing into reminiscent conversation.
That night Ryoko offered to do the dishes. When she was done drying the plates and putting them away, she went to find Tenchi.
He was standing out on the dock, one hand on his hip and the other hanging limply at his side. His face was turned up to the navy blue sky, watching the silver pin pricks of stars. She went to stand beside him, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the water instead.
"Nice night," she commented softly. Tenchi nodded in agreement. Silence fell and Ryoko scuffed her slippered foot against the wood of the dock. She looked up again just in time to see Tenchi look away. She felt anger spike suddenly.
"Tenchi, WHAT is the matter?" She asked him exasperatedly, turning to face him and clenching her fists. "You haven't stopped looking at me all night!"
He tilted his face away from her. "Ryoko, I can't get over how much you've changed." He said simply.
"Is it a problem?" Her voice sounded angrier than she meant it to. She almost sounded anguished. At this tone he turned to her and the two stared at each other.
This isn't supposed to be like this. . .we're suppose to be happy now. Ryoko bit her lip and lowered her face; tears were absent from her countenance though her eyes burned.
"Ryoko, I'm sorry." Suddenly Tenchi was standing with her, his arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders. She stopped biting her lip and suddenly two tears were flowing down her cheeks, one from each eye. She reached up and grabbed the fabric of his t-shirt, holding onto him and placing her forehead on his chest.
"I can't get over how much you've changed. You have this gentle beauty now, and I'm unsure how to treat you. It's almost like I'm afraid you'll break. I was so used to your flashiness, but now. . . Ryoko. . .I just don't know."
Ryoko looked up to Tenchi, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to sound sappy or childish or stupid. She wanted Tenchi to know exactly how she felt and what she had felt since she left. She opened her mouth, the words forming across her tongue.
"I don't want to leave this again."
Tenchi's embrace tightened and she once again rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. She released his t-shirt from her grasp and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, finding this was all she needed. The stars seemed to swirl above their heads and only when the moon started its creep over the hills in the distance did Tenchi pull away.
"I'll go get your bedroom ready," he said quietly, walking away. Ryoko watched him go, and only when he'd disappeared into the house did she make a noise. It was a low chuckling of giddy amusement.
"He still doesn't understand women." She smiled though, looking to the shining face of the full moon, and decided that for the time being, things were good.
-------------------- END CHAPTER 3