Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Sayoko Saga ❯ Book One: Death, Part II ( Chapter 2 )

The Sayoko Saga

Book One: Death

Part II

by Devon Masterson

aoi37@hotmail.com

 

A hooded figure stood in a large planetarium and kneeled before the darkness. “My lady,” the voice called, “I've been watching her as you have asked. What are your instructions?”

The room began to illuminate with the soft light of stars as Tokimi appeared before her hooded servant and smiled knowingly. “I have been pleased with your progress thus far, you know what you should do…infiltrate.”

“Yes, my lady,” the servant nodded.

“You are dismissed until our next meeting,” Tokimi commented as she waved the figure off. After the figure left, Tokimi looked to the shadowy figure on her left. “What's wrong, Tsunami, you looked displeased?”

Tsunami narrowed her eyes as she appeared in her corporeal form. “I will stop you,” she remarked as she faded back into the darkness.

“Right,” Tokimi replied sarcastically as she started to laugh. Her plan was impeccable this time. No one could possibly stop her. “Not this time,” she added as she faded from sight.

***

Tenchi sat in the shade by the lake. He sighed gently at the calmness. The fresh air was much better for his hang over than being closed up under the covers the way he imagined Ryoko to be at the time. He looked at the sun setting in the distance and started to worry. He had not seen her all day, usually around noon she would crankily emerge slowly and start the mischief that was indicative of her. “I wonder what she's up to?” he wondered as he stood. He was feeling much better now and he would be as right as rain by the next day.

“Hi, Tenchi,” Washu called as she walked up. “Watcha' doin'?”

“Just enjoying some fresh air. It's so quiet out here,” he answered as he stretched comfortably and looked out into the lake. He bowed his head slightly as a sad memory flitted across his mind.

Washu put a hand on his shoulder as though she read his thoughts. She knew he was thinking of Sasami. They had only been married a year after all why would he not miss her after seeing her grow and mature. She used to be like a little sister then one day she was all grown up and his feelings toward her changed. “We miss her too,” she commented softly.

“Thank you,” Tenchi sighed as he stood and looked at Washu. “Knowing you girls are there for me helps a lot.” He picked up a basket of vegetables that he brought from the storage shed. He had harvested them earlier that week. “Is Ryoko still sleeping this late?”

Washu grinned secretly. “Oh, that slacker, she went into the city to see what mischief she could get into early this morning.”

Tenchi shook his head and smiled. “I thought she'd be hung over after last night, but she always could hold her liquor better than me. At least she brought me home before she left. I don't remember anything from last night and I'd hate to wake up in the woods or something.”

“She'll come back when she gets hungry,” Washu added as she started to pull Tenchi towards the house. “Dinner's ready. Kyone and Mihoshi are staying for dinner.”

“It's always nice to have everybody over,” Tenchi remarked. He was glad to have some sort of normalcy to his life with it feeling so empty these days.

The two walked into the house, Washu walked into the dining room to check on the guests. Tenchi set the basket down in the kitchen and Ryo-ohki jumped on his head. “Hi, Ryo-ohki, I haven't seen you all day either,” he commented as he hugged her and stroked the top of her head. She meowed in pleasure and then ran off into the dining room. The sounds of voices drifted into the cozy kitchen, her kitchen. “I miss her so much, why couldn't…things be different.” He started to wish that Sasami hadn't made her sacrafice, but bit his tongue inwardly. Losing Ryoko would not have made him feel any better either. He could not start placing values on his loves ones lives. Even though he hurt inside, he knew that Sasami did what she thought was best. She knew so many things that he did not since she completely bonded in mind and body with Tsunami. She saved Ryoko for a reason, besides if were anyone's fault it was his, he should have protected her.

“Are you coming, Tenchi?” Mihoshi asked as she stood in the doorway.

Tenchi was shaken from his guilt trip and smiled slightly at his long time friend. “Yes, I am,” he answered as he joined her in the dining room. He knelt down on the cushion and looked at his family. His father, grandfather, and friends, they were all there for him supporting him and counting on him “…just like Sasami was…”

“I'm here,” Ryoko sang as she appeared through the ceiling and floated into her place.

“About time, Ryoko-chan,” Washu scolded as she pointed to her watch. “You're late and the food's getting cold.”

“Sorry, Mom,” she replied sarcastically.

“Just like old times,” Tenchi thought as he smiled. Ryoko always knew how to make things easier.

 

***

Ryoko stood in front of her mirror and looked at the beginnings of her stomach starting to form. She sighed as she thought about how big she was going to get. How was she going to explain this to Tenchi? He had to know something was up. She had been working for Andy for five months now. Though she did not tell anyone that she had a job, Tenchi had to be wondering what she did with her time now. She had to tell him the truth, she had held off long enough. In seven months she was going to have his baby and then what would she do? True she could support herself with her legit dream job, but her baby needed a father. She would tell him now!

“Tenchi,” Ryoko called as she sunk through the ceiling and into the living room.

“Ryoko, can I talk to you about something?” Tenchi asked.

“Sure,” she replied as she sat beside him. “What is it?”

“I'm hurting,” he answered. He had been holding his feelings in long enough and now was the time to get them out. “I miss Sasami and I don't know if I'll ever be happy again. I lost her because I couldn't protect her.”

Ryoko's heart sank and she swallowed her own emotions. “Tenchi, there's nothing you could have done. Tokimi caught us off guard…”

“I know but it still hurts,” he replied as he stood and went to the window. He looked out onto the lake and imagined his dear wife smiling back him.

“I know,” Ryoko said softly. “It hurts me too, but I know she would want me to honor her sacrifice by living and I can't live as long as I blame myself and neither can you.”

Tenchi turned around and looked at Ryoko. “You're right,” he whispered. He walked over to her and hugged her. For a moment he felt a weird connection but then it passed. “Thank you, Ryoko.”

“Anytime, Tenchi,” she sighed as she playfully punched him in the shoulder.

“I'm sorry for cutting you off earlier, what was it that you wanted to say?”

“I'm…pr..obably going to miss you guys, though I'll be so close,” she replied as she chickened out.

“Miss us?”

“I'm moving out. It's time I get out on my own,” Ryoko answered. “I can't mooch off of you the rest of my life and there's plenty of adventure in the city.”

“I see,” he said sadly.

Ryoko took a deep breath. “Cheer up, Tenchi. I'll still drop by to bother you,” she winked as she poked him playfully. “Besides, I'm going to get hungry eventually.”

Tenchi chuckled at her last statement and nodded. “I'll have to make sure that I keep the kitchen stocked,” he teased gently as he touched her cheek gently. “You know you can always come home.”

Ryoko flushed but not enough for him to notice. “Thanks, Tenchi,” she replied softly. “I have to run some errands. I'll see you later.”

Tenchi waved to her as she walked through the wall and flew off towards the city. He opened the patio door and sat down thoughtfully.

“What's wrong, Tenchi?” Washu asked as she placed an hand on his shoulder and sat beside him.

He was used to her suddenly popping up on him so he did not think to jump in surprise. “I was just thinking how weird it's going to be without Ryoko. I never thought she'd leave….I wonder if…”

“If there's a man in her life?”

Tenchi flushed slightly. “She's looked after me every since we've met and now it's my turn to look after her. She's never been on her own here.”

“Ah, I see,” Washu smiled. “That's true.”

“I wonder why she is leaving so soon…”

Washu's face became serious as she moved closer to him. “Tenchi…the reason she is leaving is because…she's pregnant. She met a young man before the attack and fell in love, now she's pregnant.”

“What about the father?”

“He's not ready right now. He would only hate her,” Washu answered. She was dancing around the truth like a seasoned prima ballerina. It was all true but carefully selected in a way that would stir his emotions as she desired.

Tenchi balled his fists in anger. “Why would he string her along…”

“I'm sure he didn't mean too…but you know Ryoko. She'd rather do things on her own than hurt him.”

“Who is this guy! I'm going to talk to him!”

Washu shook her head in disapproval. “Right now talking to him is like talking to yourself, foolish and meaningless.”

“What can I do for her, Washu?”

“Be there for her, Tenchi, and let her know that you support her,” Washu replied wistfully. “She only trusts me but so much and that's my fault. There's so much about her past that she doesn't know.”
“Washu…”

“Do you remember the day we met?”

“Aboard Kagato's ship,” Tenchi answered. A small wave of sadness washed over him. That was when he met Tsunami.

“Yes, you might have noticed that he has some of the same features as Ryoko.”

“Now that you mention it…don't tell me…”

“Yes,” Washu answered. “He is her biological father. He was the first to see my true form after I took this one. It had been after I had left the academy and decided to go freelance. He had heard of me from my academy days and sought me out. After spending days with him, he started to earn my trust and respect as a scientist. I showed him my true form and some of my secrets, one of which was the split dimension on Soja. I started to have feelings for him and shared myself with him in an intimate way. I became pregnant the third time. It seems that everything happens to me in threes. I was so happy at the thought of being a mother again. I went to the lab to tell him and he was gone along with Soja and a few other inventions. He accessed and downloaded fifteen percent of my mainframe into Soja's system. He would have gotten more if I hadn't come back in time. Which is a good thing or he would have been difficult to beat. You're lucky…”

“Washu-chan,” Tenchi urged.

Washu cleared her throat in embarrassment. “I decided to cut my losses and increase security. I changed all my passwords and security locks. That's how I passed the time as Ryoko grew within me. One day Kagato showed up, he contacted me and I agreed to meet him. I met him as I look now, a child. I didn't want him to see how far along I was. I knew he knew of my pregnancy. I kept having weird carvings that kept me out of the lab and he had apparently been keeping tabs on me. He told me I was not going to keep an heir that could be made in his image away from him. There was no way I was going to let someone take my baby from me again! I escaped to the planet Jurai. I knew with so many energy signatures he would have difficulty tracking me and I was about to give birth at any time. I gave birth to Ryoko that summer. I was so proud of her, but she looked to much like Kagato for him to leave her alone. I engineered her cells with the mast and gave her unique powers. I created Ryo-ohki to be a playmate for her and placed her in time acceleration. In her mind she grew up at a normal pace while her body matured in a matter of hours. I implanted images of myself throughout her life but it did not go as planned. She has only a vague recollection of me before Mihoshi freed me on Soja.”

“How did Kagato get control of Ryoko?” Tenchi asked.

“If you'd listen to the story…” Washu commented annoyed then cleared her throat again. “I gave Ryoko the gems she wears. They reacted to her whenever she got near them as a baby. So I put two on her wrist and gave the other to Ryo-ohki. I was about to release her from the time acceleration chamber when Kagato broke through my force field. He used the Soja to beam me into alternate space and imprison me with the silicon serpents. He confused Ryoko and sent her after Tsunami. You know the rest…”

“Why did you tell her that you sacrificed for her?” Tenchi asked.

“She doesn't trust me. Better to believe that I created her and care for her than to know she was involved in a sick custody battle that resulted in her gene alteration, her childhood is falsified, and that she should be the equivalent of twelve year old earth girl. Besides at least she knows that I am her biological mother and I can admire her from a friend stand point at least.”

“I can tell you want a mother/daughter relationship with her…”

Washu sniffed and changed the subject. “I told you that story so you'd understand I don't want her to be like me, alone.”

“You're not alone, Washu-chan.”

Washu smiled and kissed him on the forehead. “Of course not, I'm so cute and smart,” she laughed as she opened a door way and stepped through. She waved and the pocket closed. “Not like that Tenchi…not like that.”

 

© 2000 Devon Masterson.

I think we know who belongs to who, Tenchi characters belong to the wonderful creators, who let me borrow the characters for fun and imagination. Everybody else is a figment of my wonderful imagination.