Ryoko's Sacrifice-- Part 2
By: MagikOpal (MagikOpal@hotmail.com)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Tenchi Muyo characters.  This fan fic
comes entirely from my imagination.  The real show is property of AIC and
Pioneer, so please, no one sue me... ok?

Author's Note:  When you see an ~_____~, that means that it's a thought
quote, ok, now on to the story!!!

"Tenchi, calm down!I can't understand a word you're telling me.  How am I
supposed to help anyone if I don't understand what happened?" Wasyu said
soothily.
        Tenchi proceeded to explain the events, trying to be as discreet as
possibly.
        "So you simply pictured yourself in my lab?" Tenchi nodded and
glanced at
the girls, who were presently laid on recovery tables in Wasyus lab.
        "Don't worry Tenchi, Aeka and Sasami will wake up soon, they have to
recover from Kagato's spell, I give it a few hours to wear off."
        "But Wasyu, what about Ryouko?" Tenchi glanced at Ryouko, who was
laying
naked on the closest table.  Dried blood still covered her wounds, and she
had fainted from the loss of blood.  Wasyu became stern.
        "Tenchi, I need to make sure that the wounds are only superficial, I
want
you to clean Ryouko of the blood.  Can you do that for me?"
        Tenchi was shocked by the forcefulness in Wasyu's voice and
remembered that
Ryouko was her "daughter".  He nodded and grabbed a damp towel that was in a
bowl.  He walked over to Ryouko and began to clear her face from the blood.
He re-wet the towel and, feeling sheepish, brought it over her breasts and
stomach, past her privates, and down to her legs.  After being cleaned,
Tenchi turned away from Ryouko as to not see her beaten body.

        "How is she?  Will she be alright?  Wasyu?" Tenchi demanded, about
an hour
later.
        "I...I'm not sure Tenchi, she... she lost a lot of blood, an she had
an
extremely bad blow to the head.  Wait," she said, while punching in some
buttons on her computer.  "Wait, I found some blood that will match hers in
my Blood Containment Center, all she needs now is to recover from the
physical damage."
        "How long will that take?"
        "I would say a few days, I made her with an excellent immune and
recovery
system," she replied solemly.  "Tenchi, do you think you can lift Aeka?"
Tenchi nodded.  "Good, I want you to take them back to their room, it will
be more comfortable there.  Ryouko will stay here with me."
        Tenchi gently picked up Aeka and left the room, going to her room,
and
placing her on her bed.  He then returned to get Sasami, careful not to
disturb Wasyu, who seemed to be analyzing to blood she would later be giving
to Ryouko.  He brought Sasami to her bed, and made his way back to Washu's
lab.
        "Tenchi, hello again."
        "Hello Wasyu, how is it coming?"
        "Fine, she took the blood without any problems, and she should be
alright
in a couple days."  ~I hope, she thought to herself, this is the first time
I'm not sure, I know Ryouko can handle physical damage, but there was
emotional damage as well. I don't know how this will affect her.~
        Tenchi left the room, and as he made his way to the door, he heard a
peculier sound coming from behind him.
        "Ryouko, please, you must pull through, please Ryouko.  Your mom
needs you.
  Ryouko... I felt your pain, I know what you are feeling, but please.  It
is your decision whether you want to live or die, but I..."  She began to
cry.   Tenchi turned around to comfort her, but he thought that maybe should
would want time alone with her daughter.
        Instead, he decided to check on Aeka and Sasami.  He entered the
room and
sat down on the floor, he tried to concentrate something other than the
current situation, but his heart wouldn't let him forget the sight of Ryouko
getting beaten by Kagoto.  He held his head in his hands and tried to hold
back the tears that were surfacing on his eyes.
        "Mmm, " moaned Aeka and Sasami in unison as they came to.  "What
happened."
  Tenchi wiped back his tears.  And for the second time, explained what had
happened, leaving out the more gruesome details for Sasami was listening.
Aeka, though, fully understood what had happened.  She stared,
horror-stricken, as Tenchi explained, her head filled with emotions that she
could not sort through.
        "Tenchi, are... are you alright?"  She asked him quietly.  She was
watching
him as he told the story.  He was trying to be strong, but even Sasami could
tell that he was crying on the inside.  He looked up at her.
        "No Aeka, I am not alright."  He turned to leave.
        "Tenchi where are you going?"  Sasami questioned, somewhat hurt.
        "To check on her."
        Aeka rose from her bed and followed him, after telling Sasami to
stay put.
"I'm coming with you Tenchi, I want to see how Wasyu is doing."
        "Alright, come on."  Tenchi replied.  They walked down the stairs,
Aeka
tried to make conversation, but Tenchi ignored every effort.  When they
entered the lab, they saw Wasyu at her computer, scanning Ryouko's body once
again.  When she heard their footsteps, she quickly wiped the tears from her
eyes and turned to face them.
        "Hello Tenchi, Aeka, is Sasami up as well."
        "Yes."  Aeka replied.
        "Good, perhaps I should check on her.  Tenchi, please grab that
basket over
there and follow me.  Aeka, can you stay here and watch Ryouko, we'll only
be a second."  Aeka nodded.  "Thank you, come on Tenchi."  ~Good, this will
give Aeka some time alone to deal with the shock, and I think Tenchi is
uncomfortable being around Roko hurt and naked.~ Wasyu thought to herself.
        When Aeka was sure that they were both gone, she walked over to
Ryouko and
saw her for the first time up close.  She gasped.  Even though there was no
more blood, the bruises and cuts on her body were horrible.  Her body was
pale, and her face was contorted in pain.  ~Well, she had it coming to her,
with that mouth of hers, she never was too polite.  But then again, she did
all of this... for Tenchi, and probably for Sasami and myself as well.  I
could have never done it, I never would have been able to stand the pain.~
"Ryouko, how could you!  You're so stupid... stupid!  Why did you do this to
yourself!  Why did you let him do that to you!  You stupid she-demon."
However her insults were half-hearted, and she knew what Ryouko had given up
for them.  Her insults soon were nothing but light sobs, pitying Ryouko for
all that she had been through, for Tenchi who had to watch it all, and for
herself, for knowing that she could never have done that for him.

        After dinner, "cooked" by one of Wasyuu's computers, for no one, not
even
Sasami felt like cooking, much less anything else, everyone decided to try
to get some rest.  Even Wasyu could not argue with Tenchi when he commented
on the bags beneath her eyes.  Saying goodnight to everyone, Tenchi turned
to his own room, while Aeka and Sasami went to theirs, and Wasyu went to a
sleeping room in the far back of he lab.  Tenchi threw himself onto his bed,
thinking about everything, yet nothing at all.  After ten minutes, he
realized that he simply couldn't deal with it, and, being as quiet as
possible, led himself down to Wasyu's lab.
        When Tenchi opened the door to the lab, Ryo-oh-ki quickly scampered
through
the door and jumped up onto the table where Ryouko was.  Tenchi followed and
found a small chair nearby.  He sat down next to Ryouko, and put her hand in
his.  Her hands were felt cold... lifeless.  if it weren't for the sensor's
of Wasyu's, Tenchi would probably think that Ryouko was dead, but she was
holding on by a thread.
        "Ryouko, I... I don't know, I thought about it all day.  You were so
stupid, didn't you realize?  How could you not have?  He could have killed
you!  He almost did!  But, you... you never faltered, you never even
questioned if you were doing the right thing.  I know you want to protect
me, but really!  You took it so far, Ryouko."  His words then hit him, and
he began to cry, a cry that he was penting up all day.  "My God Ryouko, you
have to pull through! DO YOU HEAR ME!  Ryouko, come on, come on!  I... I
need you here Ryouko.  I can't stand the thought of it.  You just have to
make it... please."