It was hard, really. Especially for a rebellious and headstrong space
pirate like Ryoko to be the daughter of a scientific genius like Washu.
She couldn't stand the way Washu always treated her like a child and saw
through her every scheme. One day, Ryoko just couldn't take it anymore
and decided to put her foot down.

  "I'm sick of you always getting in my way, Mother," she said. "Why
can't you accept the fact that I'm my own woman and I can do whatever I
want, especially fight that prissy Princess Ayeka for Tenchi's
affections?"

  "Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young lady," said Washu,
obviously not approving of her daughter's attitude. "Just bear in mind
that as long as you live under my roof, you'll obey my rules! Is that
understood, Ryoko?"

  "No, I'm afraid it's not understood," said Ryoko. "Listen, you
overrated excuse for a scientist, I've lived on my own just fine until I
found out that you were my mother! Well, I didn't quite take the news
very well, as you probably could detect! And just for the record, I'll
take whatever tone I want!"

  "Ryoko Hakubi," said Washu. "I will not tolerate this! Either you
apologize to me immediately, or I'll be forced to do something I won't
be proud of!"

  "I will do no such thing," said Ryoko. "Besides, why should I
apologize to somebody who cares about her work too much to ever care
about me?"

  Washu then did what she said she wouldn't be proud of; she slapped
Ryoko clear across her face. For a moment, there was a bitter silence
between them. Then, finally, Ryoko burst into tears and teleported
herself up to her room. Tenchi then came in from doing garden work and
was quite curious about the goings-on.

  "Hey, Washu," he said. "Where's Ryoko? Normally, she's the first to
greet me!"

  "If you want Ryoko, she's in her room," said Washu. "You see, Tenchi,
we had a bit of a mother-daughter tiff and she's kind of upset about it
right now! I think you'd better talk to her!"

  "Me?" said Tenchi. "Why me?"

  "You obviously love my daughter, right?"

  "Well," said Tenchi. "She's a bit rowdy, but I guess I do like her in
a sense!"

  "Go up there and talk to her," said Washu. "Maybe you can settle this!
If you need me, I'll be in my lab doing some experiments!"

  Tenchi smiled. "Whatever you say, Washu!"

  Then, he went upstairs and heard faint sobbing coming from Ryoko's
room (well, it wasn't really hers because she shared it with Mihoshi and
Sasami, but it was better than nothing). Carefully, he knocked on the
door.

  "Ryoko? Are you in there? It's Tenchi!"

  "Tenchi?" said Ryoko. "Come on in!"

  Tenchi entered the room and saw that Ryoko was indeed upset, not just
about her tiff with Washu, but also about how she acted earlier.

  "Tenchi, I feel just terrible," she said. "I did something I know that
I'll regret for the rest of my life, if not longer!"

  "Washu told me about the tiff you two had before," said Tenchi.
"Ryoko, could you explain why you would just go off on your mother like
that? I know I wouldn't do that to my mother if she were alive!"

  "You don't understand, Tenchi," said Ryoko. "She doesn't know what
it's like to be me! In fact, I didn't even know that I had a mother
until I met her after Mihoshi set her free aboard Kagato's ship! If only
she knew what pain I suffered throughout my life!"

  "Don't you think she's trying to, Ryoko?" said Tenchi. "I mean, you
may not like it, but Washu is a good mother! That is, if you let her!"

  Ryoko sniffled slightly. "I want to, Tenchi, really, I do! But, I've
got issues, you know! Not just with Ayeka or the Royal Family of Jurai!
It's mostly with myself! The only life I know is the life of a space
pirate! How can I give my own mother a chance when I can't even get
myself in check first?"

  "You can try to apologize to her," said Tenchi. "That would be a
start, don't you agree?"

  "You have a point there," said Ryoko. "And as hard as it's going to
be, I'll give my mother a chance! Hopefully, she'll accept my apology
and not butt in as much!"

  "You never know unless you try," said Tenchi. "Hey, it might even
work! Go on, Ryoko, give it a shot!"

  "I will," said Ryoko. "Thanks for the help, Tenchi! Oh, I love you ten
times more than I did before you released me from that cave! You're such
a darling!"

  Then, she threw her arms around him, kissed him tenderly (much to his
dismay), and teleported herself to Washu's lab, where she found her in
the middle of something important.

  "Mother? Are you busy?"

  "Well," said Washu, turning around to face her daughter. "Look who's
come crawling to me asking for forgiveness! I was wondering when you'd
finally grow a conscience!"

  "I'm sorry for before," said Ryoko. "And I'm willing to give you a
second chance! That is, if you're willing to accept me for who I am, and
not for what I am!"

  "Of course, Ryoko," said Washu. "Besides, you know I'd never stay mad
at my own daughter for very long! Come here! Let me hug you!"

  Then, Ryoko and Washu made up for their tiff. Hopefully, things would
get back to normal. THE END

  Written by Erin L. Baliya

  E-mail: febrose82@home.com

  Tenchi Muyo is a trademark of Pioneer and AIC