Ryoko's Choice: Aftermath

/Shhhhh-Thunk/

Till the soil.
Till the soil.

/Shhhhh-Thunk/

    Rain would be good soon. The carrots could use a bit more
water. Washu might be able to do something about that. A good
idea-- must remember to ask her, later.

/Shhhhh-Thunk/

    Tenchi.

    Someone's voice, not a thought. Ryoko was there, hovering a few
feet in the air.

    "Tenchi," she repeated.

    Look up at her, see her face. Strange, Ryoko, but not.
Different feel to her now. Not as fierce, perhaps. Determined, yes,
just as determined as ever-- moreso, even. Different intensity-- a
stillness, a solitude, a completeness.

    "I need to tell everyone something," she said, voice as quiet
and strong as her face.

    Nod. Walk back to the house, hoe over the shoulder. Ryoko
shimmers and disappears, most likely reappearing in the house
somewhere.
    The house is the usual chaos-- is there any wonder why the
fields are so inviting?

    Everyone is gathered by the time the jacket is off and the face
is washed. A light lime-green muscle shirt was under the jacket,
and it remains on.

    "What is this about?" Ayeka asked, shrill, as she often was
when she suspected Ryoko was up to something.

    Ryoko, who had been looking negligently into a corner, facing
away from everyone else, now turned her head to respond to Ayeka in
one fluid, careless, easy gesture. Everyone stepped back. Her face
was inscrutable, more alien than whatever blood coursed within her
veins. A strange calm and acceptance or resignation or contentment
unknown and foreign to this house occupied her face.

    "I'm leaving," Ryoko replied simply.

    Strange, the profound effect a few words could have on so many.
Confusion warred with disbelief on the other faces present-- they
were not in the fields, did not see her face there-- how could they
not be surprised?

    "Are you serious?" asked Washu, while Sasami asked, "Why are
you leaving?" she was truly going to miss Ryoko and Ryo-oh-ki, of
course.
    "Then finally lord Tenchi and I will be free of you!" Ayeka
announced at the same time as her sister and Washu spoke, almost
gloating. That was what Ayeka said, what she meant was: why are you
leaving me, friend? So easy to see, but Ayeka, like many, like
Ryoko herself, could not admit this friendship to anyone.


    "I've never been more sure of myself in my life, mother," Ryoko
invested the word 'mother' with only a slightly sarcastic tone--
much less than what she usually used whenever referring to Washu
that way. Hard to blame her for that, though.

    She turned to Ayeka. "Perhaps," she said, enigmatically. "I
don't know when I'll be back, or even if I'll be back. It's
something I need to do for myself." Ryoko turned to Sasami and
continued, "We might come back sometime, Sasami, to visit or to
stay. I don't know. I need to do this."

     Ryoko looked towards Tenchi. "I want something back Tenchi,
something which was mine a long time ago. My... birthright, I
suppose," Ryoko quirked a smile. "Do you have the sword with you,
Tenchi?"

    A dumb nod. This was suspected, and prepared for. Bring the
sword out, base pointed towards Ryoko. Obvious what she will ask
for, now.

    Ryoko held out her arms, wrists up. "I want my gems back,
Tenchi," she said simply. Not a demand, not a request, just a
statement. "Give me my gems back," she continued in the same tone.

    A look to grandfather Yosho, who was somewhat perturbed by this
request-- he nods. "But--" Tenchi began.

    "They are mine, Tenchi, not yours. They were taken from me and
I want them back," Ryoko explained, as if to a child.

    "They are the rightful property of Jurai now!" Ayeka protested,
using this as perhaps an excuse to keep Ryoko here. "They are the
spoils of war!"

    Ryoko shook her head. "And what of what I did to Jurai back
then, over seven hundred years ago under Kagato's control? Your
mother seemed to think that I should pay for that, as well.
Wouldn't the loss of my gems cover that? More than cover that, in
fact? No, you will give me back what belongs to me."

    "What if we don't?" Ayeka challenged.

    "Do you know," Ryoko said with wonderment, "that I never even
considered that possibility?"

    Walk up to Ryoko, his head at the same height as her
collarbone and ask her a question. "Why?"

    "Because, I might need them, and they are my right."

    That's not what was being asked, however. Shake head to
indicate this.

    "Oh," she understands, now. "Because I was Kagato's slave, and
then I was trapped in the cave. Then, after you rescued me, there
was a time where there was nothing I would not do for you, did you
know that?" Ryoko whispered. "And now I need to go and be myself.
More than that, I need to go and find out _how_ to be myself, who I
really am. I need to know what freedom really means. Can you
understand that I need to do this?"

    What else was there to be said? nothing. No need to nod to
indicate acceptance, only to accept and demonstrate. Just hold the
sword _just so_ and concentrate, thinking _just so_ and it would
happen. Ryoko gained her other two gems, on her other wrist and in
her neck.

    A small symbol appeared on her forehead, three small dots
similar to the two which adorned Sasami's face. Ryoko burst out
laughing, all joy and mirth and wonderment afterwards, feeling the
changes, and she smiled, with just as much feeling and depth as was
in her laugh.

    "I feel, I feel--," she said, happy and already somewhat
distant from us. A small frown of concentration and just how
distant from us would be answered. Light Hawk Wings, ten of them.

    Gasps could be heard all around, except for Washu, who merely
nodded absently, as if this were something she half-suspected. Who
knows? it probably was.

    "Come, Ryo-oh-ki. The universe is vast and wonderful, and now
we'll see it with our own eyes," she said, speaking to her pet,
her spaceship, her friend.

    Sasami summed it up best, when she merely waved and said:
"We'll miss you. Come back soon."

    Ryoko nodded and then she was off on her journey. As for the
rest of us? We stood in shock, or something akin to it, not sure
what to do next.

    Get my work jacket again, and begin to put it on. "I'm going
back to the fields now."

    "What?" Ayeka asked, perplexed by such an action. "You're just
going to go back to work, just like that?"

    A shrug. "What else is there for me to do?"

/Shhhhh-Thunk/

Till the soil.
Till the soil.

/Shhhh-Thunk/

Without the gems in the sword, grandfather will get old now.
I've known about his illusion for a little bit.

/Shhh-Thunk/

I could extend my power a bit, to keep Funaho and him alive.
I can do that, now, though it's best not to let Washu know that.

/Shh-Thunk/

Ten Light Hawk Wings, as much as Tsunami.
I have three, which I can use when I want; best not let Washu know.

/Sh-Thunk/

I wonder how many I'll have when I finish growing?
Maybe I'll join Ryoko that day.

/Thunk/

Only one thing to do until then, though.
Till the soil.

Matthew "Maybeso" Lewis is:
InDefinitelyso on IRC
Sojiro_Seta on Kawaiimuck
        maybeso@ican.net
prone to exaggeration, 150% of the time