Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily express the opinions of AIC/Pioneer, the author, or this website.
Ryoko sat in one of the seats in Minagi's ship. She felt tired and contemplative. What was going to happen from here? Would Washu be able to work out an antidote? How much time did they have before the venom started to take affect?
"Minagi, where's your sleeping bay?" questioned Ryoko.
"It's right over there." She pointed to a door on the left of the captain's chair. "Straight down the hall."
"Thanks." responded Ryoko. She walked down the hall and got into one of the beds. She did nothing but stair up at the ceiling for about half an hour, until falling asleep. She dreamed in a memory, as she often does. She was often plagued with dreams about when she was under Kagato's control. It was on the following days she acted the worst towards everybody.
She was by the lake that they usually drank at on special occasions in the middle of the forest. She had just killed the creature, right in front of Ryuka no less, and destroyed their chances of healing him. A few single tears rolled down her face. Everything had turned out to be for naught. Her recent affections with Tenchi would be void, and his towards her would be meaningless. She hadn't been able to save the boy after all, which destroyed everything that had and was to transpire. Ryuka, the calm boy she had come to care about, was also just going to whither away. That young boy who had come to them and brought her closer to Tenchi was going to die. The boy she cared about, and liked to be around was going to die, and despite her efforts, she couldn't do anything about it. In saving his life a second time, she negated the chance at a lasting affect.
Suddenly, she was in Washu's lab with a new plan. But before anything more had happened, she had woken up. They had landed. Ayeka was barely able to stand after they had Washu contain the Kroshu.
"I'm glad you were all successful." said Washu. "Now please leave me to my work so I can figure this out."
They all left the lab and went to the kitchen. Minagi was going to stay so she could deliver the antidote once Washu had come up with it.
***
Washu came out of the lab two days later, with horrible bags under her eyes, holding a vial.
"Everyone." she said blankly and tiredly. "This-" She took a great, long, and deep yawn, so strong that she almost forgot what she was talking about. "This is the antidote to cure Ryuka of the Krusha venom."
"It's Kroshu." corrected Ryoko.
"Huh? Oh, yes. The Kroshu venom." she said emotionlessly. "I did some-" she yawned again, not as strong this time. "I did some tests, and the venom should be in action by tomorrow, and then we cure Ryuka." she explained.
"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Minagi.
"This had better work, Washu." said Ryoko. She was being her usual self outside, but inside, she had faith in Washu, and was happy. She messed up a lot, but she was never wrong about these kind of things.
"Of course it will. Washu go sleep now, okay?" said a delirious and simple Washu.
"Of course, Lady Washu. You have earned it." answered Ayeka.
Washu, with the vial still in hand, went back into the lab, and slept. She slept like she hadn't slept in a week, even though it was only two days. She felt that this displayed just how hard being a genius was.
Ryoko went out to the fields to be with Tenchi. She felt like his company could brighten her up.
"Hey, Tenchi?" she asked.
"Huh?" What's up, Ryoko?" he rebuttled.
"What's it like? Working out here every day? Doesn't it get boring?" she questioned.
"Well of course, but I have to. I have to help put food on the table and stuff like that. I can't just say I don't want to do something and leave it at that. But to answer your first question, it can get boring, and hot, and sometimes I just really don't want to do it. But I know that it's important. So I do it." he explained.
"Wow.." she breathed out. "Would it help if I helped out more often?" she asked.
"That would be great." he answered kindly.
It really wasn't a big deal. She couldn't get tired doing something as trivial as this, and she would get to spend all her time with Tenchi.
Doing the things she did for Ryuka, who to her, was a symbol of her love for Tenchi, due to the happiness they had shared together in the last few days, she learned to appreciate the things Tenchi did for them at his own expense. She would talk with Ryuka a lot when he got out of bed and had fully recovered. She would see to that.