Voodo and Moon Babies.

"Why?" Asked Ryoko. She sat up on the table that was so thoughtfully placed
in the doctor's office. "Why now? Why me? I---"
"Well, Ms. Ryoko, you should have thought of that before you went and got
pregnated." The doctor had a sour look on his own browned wrinkled face. The
doctor washed his hands for the fourth time. "You have an unusual anotomy
and inner body structure, if you were'nt with child, I'd prompt a whole
series of experiments, just to take a closer look at what makes you tick.
Because of this oddness, though with normal human sperm it was created, the
baby, will grow at a rapid rate, and will be born by next month. Supposedly,
from the test's replys, the baby will be perfectly healthy with all working
parts."
"You mean my baby will be alright?"
"It should be." He wiped off his hands with a dry paper cloth and threw it
in a metal waste basket with the "toxic" sign on it. "If you'll let me, I'd
really like if you'd let me experiment on you further, after the baby is
born..."
"No, not even if you paid me..." Ryoko walked out of the doctor's examining
room and on to the waiting room. The doctor quickly and feircly raced after
her. "Please...we could even find a cure for AIDS with your---"
"No..." Ryoko slammed the glass door in the still walking doctor's face.

       "Aeyeka, could you help me?" Sasami was too short to reach up in the
cabinet and get the last box of powdered food. "I hate to cook this stuff, I
prefer fresh, but until Mr. Masaki gets his next pay check, were stuck
eating it..." Sasami grunted as Aeyeka picked her up and let her get the
box. Then she set her back down with a clank of Sasami's little house shoes.
Aeyeka then sat back down at ther end of the table and finished reading a
new sultry romance novel that made her blush with every sentence. Of course
every few moments, Sasami wanted to read some, but Aeyeka kept it out of the
little girl's hands. Mihoshi popped her head in the room. "Ryoko's home from
the doctor...she won't tell me what's wrong...you think she caught GrandPa's
cold?" Aeyeka giggled. "that'd be the day. The woman has an imune system
that even I have to be impressed by. But, it shows she's more manly then
womanly, which, of course, every one knows, TENCHI wants a woman for a
bride---" Aeyeka was cut off by seeing the look in Ryoko's dark gold eyes.
Her gold eyes were a mixture of hate and pain, her eyebrows twitched and her
small lips were white. Ryoko leaned up against the frame of the kitchen door
then fell to the ground. Every one gasped. "Maybe it's something worse!"
Shouted Mihoshi. She tried to fan Ryoko's face with a small peice of paper
from the table, but nothing would wake her. Even Sasami started splashing
cold water from the tap on her face. Aeyeka stared at Ryoko's face, it was
scrunched up, white, and cold looking, as if she was nearing death. How
could that be? She was just fine yesterday! The girls lugged her up to the
guest room at the end of the hall, and Aeyeka, who was faithful to keep
family and friends close, stayed and watched after her with bowl of water,
wash cloth, and bottled water mixed with medicine for a head ache for Ryoko
if she should awaken. Ryoko was holding her stomach in her sleep. Aeyeka
did'nt think anything of it, as she dripped water over the woman's forehead.
She stayed like that for a week, no one knowing what was wrong. Ryoko would
take meals, but kept her eyes closed at all times. She only ate healthy
wholesome things, and would'nt dare take any medicine. "What's wrong?"
Aeyeka finally asked one day, while watching Ryoko shift around her blanket.
Tenchi had just now walked in the room with little Ryo-ohki.

          Tenchi himself could'nt help but drift into a flashback from a
week or so ago. Back when he and Ryoko were sitting across the small lake,
throwing twigs in the water. Ryoko had asked him if he had ever had any kind
of physical relationship with a girl. Tenchi shook his head, Ryoko smiled at
him. They kissed, then then.....

           Tenchi smiled at Aeyeka. "May I see her alone, Aeyeka?" Asked
Tenchi. Aeyeka nodded and left the room, door shut behind her. "Were alone
now, Ryoko. What's really the matter?"
"Nothing...just sick. Could you get Washu for me?"
"Sure..." Tenchi walked out the door. As he opend it, Aeyeka fell flat on
her face, from leaning on it, with a cup against the door, trying to amplify
the sounds from with in.

       "Washu, I'm going to have a baby...." Ryoko said quietly, while every
one was gone, except Washu and Ryo-ohki. Washu nodded. "I could feel that. I
did'nt even have to look at you. You know, every pain in your stomach, every
craving for food, every kick from the baby, Ryo-ohki feels too. Many of us
have been watching Ryo-ohki's odd actions. It's confirmed, though the others
won't beleive it, because if they knew, or thought, the father was Tenchi,
they would most defiantly never forgive you or Tenchi. It's like the Earth
Legend of the two lovers who make love in the shrine of a
goddess....remember that one?"
"Yes." Ryoko closed her eyes for a moment then re-opened them. "I don't care
though...but I'm scared, Washu, of what Tenchi would say. I'm a full grown
woman, he's just a teen age boy, a boy who has'nt ever even thought of
having children."
"I know...but you must tell him...or you could talk to Yosho. He seems to
understand..." Washu noted in her mind, of how calm and sweet Ryoko had
became. As if the mother in her had amerged and taken over her traits. Yosho
came in the room. "Ryoko?" he knew too, he just did'nt want to repeat it out
loud, in fear that Ryoko would get upset, and hurt the child with in her.
"Do you wish for me to preform some sort of prayer, to keep it safe?"
"No, that's okay....just tell every one else to keep a distance. If I'm
going to have this child, then it might as well be a surprise..." Ryoko
grunted while the baby jabbed at her womb.

          The night of the babie's coming: Ryoko thought of the sweet time
she first got to touch Tenchi's body in that special way...and how she
wispered things to him. But now, she had to pay the price with pain, but out
of the pleasure, and the cursing, came a blessing. Tenchi's first offspring.
Tenchi, Yosho, Washu, Mishoshi. Sasami, Kiyone, Nabyuki, Ryo-ohki, Aeyeka,
and the two guardians, were bustiling around the house, trying to prepare.
Something was going to happen, they all smelled it in the air. Ryoko's belly
had grown alot, she had become weak, she also had gotten sick to the stomach
alot. Sasami knew it was a baby, but Aeyeka would'nt let Sasami come in
Ryoko's room that night, just in case. Her eyes too tender to watch it,
Aeyeka had told Sasami. Tenchi had been told, so he was stricken to sit in
the chair beside Ryoko, and hold her hand on that night. The air full of
static and verbal violence from people bumping into each other and such.
Sasami boiling water and puting together herbs to help. Yosho praying in the
mini shrine located in the house, in fear that something should happen to
the baby. Mihoshi ran back and fourth wringing her hands, Aeyeka watched
over the room Ryoko was in, in fear of something, something she herself
could'nt even identify. Nabyuki had a small smouldering tear in his eye. "My
first grand child!" He cried out. Aeyeka, still stubborn would make the
comment that no one knew who's child it was yet....but every one knew.
Kiyone helped make the room suitable for a baby delivery, and Washu had her
equipment strung around the room, to monitor the babie's heartbeat and every
breath it took. "have they forgiven me already..." Thought Ryoko. Then a
twinge of violent pain thrust through Ryoko's lower abdomen. Tenchi held on
to her hand even tighter. "Breathe Ryoko..." Tenchi said calmly. Washu
shouted out at the others. "It's TIME!" Ryoko's head and chest was covered
with suctioned wires, so that Washu could monitor every move.

Ryoko's Journal, Tuesday:
My baby was born last night. Oddly I feel fine now. I'm not sore or
anything. My baby is healthy and happy, he looks just like his father. Right
now, Tenchi and Mihoshi are playing with him. I named him Yosho, to honor my
little boys' great grandfather. This whole experiance has given new light
and meaning to my life. I feel so graceful and motherly now that I have my
precious gift. Maybe, it's for the best......

The END