Tenchi Muyo: Ryo-ohki OVA4
Episode 23: Responsibility
By Galaxy1001D
Chapter Five: Ryoko Takes Charge
Ayeka was in the room she shared with her sister Sasami. Her futon was unrolled and she was lying on it facedown. Ayeka stilled her quiet sobs when the door slid unceremoniously open.
"Ayeka, you've got to get up," Sasami's voice told her. "You can't stay in bed all day you know."
"Let me die," she muttered.
"You know I can't do that," her little sister sighed. "Come on, Ayeka, get up. There are chores to do and I can't do them alone. I need your help."
"Get Ryoko to do it," Ayeka muttered through her pillow.
"Ryoko's taking care of the baby," Sasami retorted, "and I can't find Mihoshi. I don't know if she went to work or what. Noike is in the lab trying to find a way to bring Washu back to normal. That leaves Tenchi, you and me. Ryo-ohki is pitching in as best she can but she really can't do very much."
"Nobody wants me," Ayeka said miserably.
"No, I want you to get out of bed." Sasami put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "Come on, Ayeka, get up already. You haven't acted like this since we first got here. I'm not going to wait another two weeks for you to get over this."
"All right," Ayeka moaned. "Give me a minute." When her sister left she added "Maybe I'll be dead by then," in a quiet voice.
Sasami came back in with a stern look on her face and grabbed her sister by the ankles. She then pulled with all of her might and slid her sister off her futon. "Get up, Ayeka! Do I have to dress you too?"
"Please let me die," Ayeka moaned with her face in her pillow that had been dragged off her bed with her. "I don't care anymore."
"Come on, you can't do this again!" Sasami pleaded. "There's too much to do and I need your help! If you won't get up I'll just have to get you up!"
Ayeka's reply was lost in her pillow.
Sasami let out a breath and then called to the doorway. "Azaka! Kamadake! I'm going to need your help to dress Ayeka!"
The door slid open and in entered two massive cylinders composed of worked wood float into the room one at a time. The one on the left had a red glyph printed on hit and the one on the right had a blue glyph printed on it.
"Very well," said the one with the red glyph as a red light three quarters of the way up its body flashed in time with its words. "Time to get her up." A red beam of light shone out of the log and bathed Ayeka in its crimson light. The princess floated above her futon before pivoting to an upright position.
The log with the blue glyph floated towards her and Ayeka was swallowed up by the wooden cylinder as if she was as insubstantial as a ghost. "Selecting wardrobe," the log with the blue glyph said as a blue light flashed in time with its words. "Wardrobe selected. The princess is now dressed." It floated backwards exposing Princess Ayeka wearing a red and purple kimono. The red beam of light from the log with the red glyph caught her and gently lowered her onto her futon.
The two logs impassively waited in the room for a minute before the log with the blue glyph spoke. "The situation hasn't really changed, has it Azaka?" it said in a high pitched voice.
"No it hasn't Kamadake," the log called 'Azaka' agreed as its red lamp flashed with its words. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that we got her dressed for nothing."
"Go away," Ayeka muttered.
"Yes ma'am!" the two logs chorused.
"Wait!" Sasami protested. "You can't just leave her in bed like this!"
"We're sorry Princess Sasami," Azaka apologized. "We're her guardians."
"You know we can't refuse a direct order from your sister," Kamadake added.
"I know," Sasami pouted. "I just didn't want her to spend a week up here like last time. I don't know what happened but I want everything to go back to normal. I want us to be a family again."
"Well, we might have to obey Princess Ayeka's orders," Kamadake squeaked, "but technically, you can do what you want, your highness."
"Hey!" Azaka rumbled. "That's a great idea!"
"That's right!" Sasami snapped her fingers. "I can do what I want! I'll get her up even if it kills me!"
"Now-now, princess!" Azaka backpedaled.
"You don't have to go that far," Kamadake pleaded.
"Ayeka has always taken care of me and now it's time for me to take care of her!" the second princess of Jurai declared. "I may not be the greatest fighter of the team but if there's one thing I can do is tend the grove! Ryoko!" the little princess said as she dashed off.
Soon the little princess found Ryoko sitting in the living room on the L shaped couch, bouncing baby Washu in her lap. Ryo-oki in toddler form was on the couch also playing with Washu teaching her how to play patty-cake.
"Ryoko! Ryoko!" Sasami called as she made her way down the stairs. "Ayeka won't get up! She missed breakfast and none of her chores are done! I can't find Mihoshi and Noike is in the lab. Tenchi's out in the fields. I can't do all the chores by myself you've got to help me!"
"Hey!" Ryoko protested. "Since when am I the responsible one? You act like I made love and had a kid!"
Baby Washu and little Ryo-ohki looked at Ryoko. Ryo-ohki pointed at Washu.
"Oh yeah, that's right, I did," the space pirate muttered.
"Made love?" Sasami repeated. "What does that mean?"
"Er, uh, I made some love letters," Ryoko blushed. "You know me. Always the romantic type. Um," she looked at baby Washu, who looked uneasily back. "You know I'm trying not to get excited, Sasami. Got to think of my telepathic mommy-baby. If I get upset, she gets upset."
"Oh yeah, that's right," the little princess sighed.
"Tell you what: I'll go in and see if Noike has fixed her happy helmet yet."
"Okay."
Carrying her infant mother, Ryoko entered the interdimensional lab that was the creation of the mewling baby in her arms. It was surreal when she thought about it, so most of the time she didn't.
"There it is!" the former pirate cried when she saw a little white helmet on a table. "Let's try it out," she said as she put her tiny mother down on the table and placed the little visorless white helmet on her head.
The effect on baby Washu was immediate. She glanced around fearfully and started crying while reaching frantically in Ryoko's direction.
"How do you like that you little smartypants?" Ryoko snarled. "Don't think I haven't forgotten about the time you chained me up and left me alone in the dark just so you could film me crying for my mommy! You know I can't stand being left alone in the dark! At least you can still see me you little stinker! I ought to put you on the floor and turn off the lights just to give you the whole treatment, shouldn't I?"
Baby's Washu's face was as red as an apple as she cried. From a certain angle she appeared to be all mouth.
"Who am I kidding?" Ryoko sighed as she took the helmet off. "I can't stay mad at you. Now that you're a baby I love you too much." She picked her infant mother and hugged her. "There, there, mommy still loves you. It's all right. I'm here," she cooed. She set Washu back down on the table and dried her tears. "Man, revenge doesn't feel good at all. No wonder I stopped being evil. There's no personal reward in it anymore."
"What's going on here?" the emerald haired Noike asked as she entered the room from a door that led further into the transdimensional lab complex. "Ryoko, I thought I told you that I need absolute privacy if I want to find a way to get your mother back to normal. What are you doing here?"
"Hey, what's with the attitude?" Ryoko snorted. "Look lady, now that I'm a single mother you're not in charge of the house anymore. You've been messing around in here for over a week and all you got to show for it is a baby helmet that doesn't even work. Are you even trying to get Washu back to normal? What are you doing, trying to crack Washu's encryptions so you can get ahold of the secrets of the universe or something?"
Noike gasped and fixed Ryoko with an evil look.
"Oh ho," Ryoko sneered. "What's the matter? Did I strike a nerve there? That is what you're doing isn't it? Don't think for a moment that I've forgotten that Lady Seto sent you here to spy on us. What's the big idea? Jurai wants to build a fleet of Ryo-ohkis? That won't work, honey. You got to have mojo," she sneered as she held her hand out palm up to expose the red gem on her wrist. "Otherwise you're just breeding a bunch of carrot munchers."
Noike's eyes narrowed in hostility.
"Oh that cold look won't work anymore," Ryoko growled. "Yeah it scares me, but now that I've got a baby to take care of I'll fight back if I have to, so don't start something you can't finish. You make me think of Kagato when you do that. Oh yeah. I haven't forgotten that you've got that sadist's DNA merged with yours and that the spirit of his female half is in there too. Well I'm not alone either. You add Zero, and I'm twice the Ryoko I used to be so don't forget it!"
The emerald haired enchantress' eyes widened in fear.
"Oh, now you're scared aren't you?" Ryoko smiled evilly. "You know who the big dog is now, don't you? I got you all figured out, and the shoe is on the other foot isn't it? That's why you look so nervous, isn't it?"
"No, it's because baby Washu's about to fall off the table!" Noike shrieked.
"Huh?" Ryoko turned her head to see her infant mother crawling on the edge. "Mom!" The pirate vanished and reappeared with an electronic hum on the other side of the table just in time. "Got 'cha ya little rugrat!" She blushed and looked back at Noike. "Get something done in here or else come out and pitch in with the chores with the rest of us. We aren't waiting anymore."
Noike saluted, but the look on her face was so angry it was hard to tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
Ryoko met her gaze with an equally sour look before smirking in satisfaction and saluting lazily back. She then turned on her heel and carried her infant mother back into normal space and the Masaki house.
When she emerged from the door under the stairs, she spied the missing Mihoshi on the couch watching a soap opera and eating chocolate ice cream right out of the cardboard tub it came in. It was a stupid immature bonehead move that… Ryoko would do! And the blonde wasn't having any fun either. Ryoko could tell from the tears trickling down her cheeks.
Sasami was there, pleading with her and wasn't getting through. "Mihoshi!" the princess chirped. "You've got to stop eating; you'll be too full for lunch! All that ice cream isn't good for you!"
"I'm… fine…" Mihoshi sniveled. "Don't worry about me, Sasami. I'm fine."
"It's okay Sasami, I got this," Ryoko said as she handed Washu to the little princess. "Hold the baby for me, will you? Just a second." She then slapped the blonde right in the face and snatched the ice cream out of her hands.
"Ow!" Mihoshi winced as she clutched her face. "Ryoko! What did you do that for?"
"Listen up, will you?" the pirate shouted. "Sasami's telling you to stop eating ice cream and help out with the chores! Get with it already!"
"I-I understand," the blonde sniffed as she rose shakily to her feet. "Now that Tenchi has chosen you you're now the mistress of the house. I'm sorry, Ryoko, I'll try to pitch in around here. Con… congratulations by the way."
"Hey!" Ryoko barked. "What are you talking about? Tenchi didn't choose me; he had no choice at all! Computer Washu's mad science backfired and our hormones took over that's it! Nothing's changed and you certainly don't have to congratulate me. You're making me self-conscious."
"Th-thanks for trying to spare my feelings b-but we both know what's happening here," Mihoshi smiled bravely as the tears tricked out of her eyes. "E-ever since you've been taking care of little Washu you've pulled way ahead in the race to Tenchi's heart. I guess I should be a good loser and get out of your way."
"Get out of my way?" Ryoko snorted. "Are you talking about leaving? Why would you do that?"
"W-well it's obvious that you and Tenchi want to be alone," the blonde continued. "I suppose I really should give you your privacy and let you two start your lives together. D-don't worry! I'll be sure to visit."
"You're talking crazy!" Ryoko shuddered. "I don't want you to leave! I don't have any friends! The only people who like me are living right here!"
"A-and we love you very m-much and are happy for you Miss Ryoko," Mihoshi smiled through her tears. "After all, you've led a hard life and deserve every happiness the universe can give you."
"I don't deserve nothin'!" the pirate shouted. "I'm Ryoko the space pirate the destroyer of worlds and I deserve to be buried in a dark pit!"
"You've been buried in a dark pit," Mihoshi nodded, "for seven hundred years."
"Damn it, Mihoshi!" Ryoko snarled. "You are angry and jealous and you aren't going to stand for this! You're going to stand up for yourself and fight for what you deserve! Come on Mihoshi! Grow a backbone why don't you?"
"You're right," Mihoshi frowned and nodded. "I'm a g-galaxy police officer and I d-deserve respect. Now listen here Ryoko. You've bossed me around long enough, and I'm not going to take it anymore." Blushing, the blonde giggled nervously and backed away from the pirate. "Oh Ryoko! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have blown up like that. I didn't mean it."
"Unh," Ryoko groaned. "How do you catch any crooks if you don't have any fighting spirit? Look, if you can't make yourself useful, look after Washu while Sasami takes charge okay? I gotta get the lazy princess up."
"Okay Ryoko," Mihoshi nodded and saluted before taking the baby from Sasami.
"Just don't lose her or I'll skin you alive," Ryoko mumbled as she floated up the steps. "Now for Miss Whiney." She stopped outside the door to Ayeka's and Sasami's room. "Okay, time to get into character." She took a breath and brushed her hair back and squinted before she laughed cruelly. "I got it!" she snapped her fingers as she phased though the door with an electronic hum.
Ayeka was lying face down on her futon right where Sasami left her. Ryoko sidled up to her and laid down where Sasami usually slept and assumed a pose appropriate for a swimsuit model. "Hey Ayeka, got a minute?"
"Emph," the princess grunted from her pillow.
"I understand that girls on Jurai get this special training on how they please their men on their wedding nights," Ryoko said innocently, "and you know, my time with Tenchi was magical, but I'm not sure how to please him the second time around. I mean, I won't have a hormone imbalance to carry me through this time. I guess I got what they call 'repeat performance anxiety.' I was wondering if you'd give me some pointers to help me out. You know, something that would take Tenchi to the point of ecstasy and get him to bark like a dog."
The murderous look that Ayeka gave Ryoko was truly frightening. Apparently one of the alien powers that Jurian royalty was the ability to transform their faces from fetching young fashion models to an expression that would frighten the Grinch.
"Whoa!" Ryoko blinked as she sat up and slid backwards away from Ayeka. "That's scary! You really look bad in the morning Princess!"
"Bark like a DOG…!" Ayeka screamed as she lunged at the pirate.
"Ha!" Ryoko caught Ayeka, rolled on her back and used the princess' momentum to fling her through the door. Fortunately it was a sliding paper door, so Ayeka wasn't hurt when she hurled herself through the door. "You'll have to be faster than that princess! You'll never get me if you don't get up and get some exercise you crybaby! You gotta – yikes!"
"Aaaaah!" Ayeka cried as she flew through the air tackled Ryoko and sent both of them through the window. Ryoko activated her power so the two of them soared through the window. Ayeka was still grappling and kicking as the duo flew through the air. "Hah! Uh! Heyeh! Ooh!"
Ryoko blocked and countered but she was surprised by the princess' ferocity. She was confident that she could handle a malnourished groggy princess until a blow to the jaw sent both of them into lake.
"They're fighting again," Sasami announced sadly as she looked out the sliding glass door in the living room.
"Well look on the bright side," Mihoshi shrugged. "At least she got your sister up."
"Mew," Ryo-ohki sighed.
Baby Washu jerked and twitched as if she was being attacked by an invisible flyswatter. Finally she let out a cry before passing out.
"I think the baby might have gas," Mihoshi guessed.
Next: Clearing the Air