Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic they belong to either Pioneer & AIC or someone else, but I do own the man,woman,and kids in Ryoko's dream. I have no wish to use my cheap skate lawyer (and don't ask why I still have him for I can't explain why either.)so please don't even think about a lawsuit. If it does cross your mind, it would be no use, considering that I'm not very wealthy and barely can pay internet bill.But hey, this is for entertainment only. Notes: Well there's the legalities and now a quick overview. Ryoko begins having dreams that reflect everything about her and so she does a little thinking. This is my first fic so I'm not going to be the best fanfic writer in the whole world but I'm trying and you know what they say "Practice makes perfect" So alot of practice and I'll survive my fanfic writing.Well, enough about me and my inexperience in the art of fanfic writing, let's go on to the fic. Ryoko sat up quickly and found herself on the floor in the living room. She rubbed the spot on her head that was now forming into a knot caused by hitting it on the corner of the coffee table ,and she grimaced from the pain the slightest touch caused. "What kind of dream was that anyway?" she mumbled trying to get her mind back in order. She shrugged it off and decided to think about it in the morning. She floated up to the rafter she used as a bed and laid down and fell asleep. The next morning, Sasami was in the kitchen making breakfast, Ryo-oki was on her usual spot on Sasami's head, Ayeka was cleaning up after her little sister, Mihoshi was summoned by Galaxy Police Head Quaters, Nobuyuki left for work early, Katsuhito, formally known as Yosho, was at the shrine, Washu in her lab, and Tenchi was getting ready for school. Ryoko woke up from a dreamless sleep, hell, if you could call it sleep, and was sleepily trying to get off her rafter and ended up falling off, again, but landed on her butt. She groaned before heading to the kitchen, Sasami saw her and cheerfully greeted her "Good morning, Ryoko." Ryoko winced but smiled "Not so loud, but good morning Sasami. Can you give me some ice please?" she asked sweetly "Sure thing , Ryoko" Sasami said giving her ice wrapped in a rag. Ayeka,who was running an errand for Sasami, came into the kitchen, and saw her rival holding an ice pack to her head and remarked "Had a little too much sake last night did we?" she torted. "Wouldn't you like to know." Ryoko replied "But for your information, a dream caused me to fall off the beam and I had hit my head on the coffee table in the process." Ayeka just grinned mischieviously "A dream? And may I ask what kind of dream, Miss Ryoko?" Ryoko shook her head and sipped some tea Sasami laid out for her and simply stated "Wouldn't we like to know." Tenchi Masaki was getting his uniform on , and was ready for his last day of school and the start of summer break he sighed. "Well, today might not be so bad since I didn't find Ryoko in bed with me or hear explosions because of her and Ayeka." If anyone was to stop by his house in the morning and saw how a typical Masaki morning went, they would have probally been sent to an instintution, or had a heart attack, or one. He went downstairs to have breakfast, and found a scowling Ayeka and a grimacing Ryoko, sitting at the table holding an ice pack to her head while Ayeka was mumbling something about Ryoko's smart mouth and Ryoko,who looked like she didn't care what Ayeka said but winced and said "Hey Princess, how many times do I have to tell you to keep the volume down. How about you fall off a beam in the middle of the night because of some dream, and hit your head on a damn coffee table." Sasami shook her head and gave Tenchi his breakfast "Good morning, Tenchi." "Good morning Sasami." Ayeka looked up and greeted him with a "Good morning, Lord Tenchi." while an ill Ryoko, who was in too much pain to greet him her regular way just smiled and a "Good morning, Tenchi." "Good morning, Ayeka and Ryoko. I trust that you slept well." That was answered by a "Yes,wonderfully" from Ayeka and a groan from Ryoko. Tenchi was at school and the girls were doing their chores, well except Ryoko who was pondering that dream she had last night. *********************************************************************** * Ryoko's Dream * Ryoko was walking down a corridor, wearing a lavender sun dress,made of some sort of flowing material, and the corridor was narrow. On both sides of the corridor, there were doors going all the way down into the emptiness. Curious, she opened the second door on her left and walked in and she saw the Masaki family sitting around the table eating dinner as they always did, except someone was missing but someone new sat in that person's place. Ryoko so happened to be the missing person, but the new guest was a woman with light brown hair and blue eyes, and she was sitting in Ryoko's spot by Tenchi. Ryoko went to grab the woman, but her hand went through the person, and no one seemed to notice she was in the room, so she just floated into a sitting position and listened to the conversation. Ayeka: It has been awhile hasn't it, Lord Tenchi?" Tenchi: Yeah it has been a year at least, since you moved back to Jurai. So how's your family?" Ayeka: They are fine. I hear that Ryoko has disappeared without a trace. Is that true?" Tenchi: I'm afraid so. She took my engagement to Ani really hard, and since then Washu seemed to be withdrawn from everyone. She hasn't ever came out of her lab unless she needed something to eat and that's rare. Ani: She hasn't even performed any experiments on him since Ryoko disappeared. Katsuhito: I'm sure they are fine where ever they are, so let's get on another subject , gloomy ones just make things worse. Ryoko was shocked She ran out of the room and opened another door and saw a run down room with old furniture and the paint peeling off the walls. She floated to a broken window and looked outside and saw the slummiest allies she would ever see and she turned and saw a man with black hair, obsidian eyes and a beer belly sitting down in an old chair, holding a bottle of beer in his left hand and remote control in the other. He drunk the last of the beer and then yelled good for naught man:RYOKO! Dream Ryoko: (Walks in with a slightly swollen stomach, and holding a baby girl in her arms)You bellowed dear? Asshole in chair: Give me another beer! Dream Ryoko: That was your last one,dear. Asshole in chair: (Throws beer bottle at Ryoko, who despite having NO gems, acted pretty fast and dodged the bottle) Don't you ever mock me again,GOT IT! Dream Ryoko: (Stands up straight putting baby, who's now crying, into crib,and glares at her husband) Yes sir. *Asshole* Ryoko closes her eyes and finds herself in the same room but different time. She sees her dream self kneeling beside the crib looking upon the cyan haired baby and rubs her swollen stomach Dream Ryoko: I'm sorry my babies but someday, mommy will go back to Okayama to get her Ryo-oki, and her gems back, so we can go fly away into the stars, where daddy could never hurt me or you ever again. Tears appear into Ryoko's eyes as she watches her dream self get up and sit in the chair her husband sat in. Dream Ryoko: Okayama sounds nice. When I get my courage to leave asshole , I will earn enough money to leave Tokyo, and go back to Okayama.Tenchi... Why,why did you choose someone else over me? I was prepared if it was Ayeka or the other girls but some one from school? Washu. I would have rather admit that you could have been the best as you can be at being my mother,in which I'm admitting it now. Mom, I love you. Ryoko lowered her head it was true, Washu may not seem like she was a very good mother but she was a lot more to Ryoko than she would realize. Ryoko went out to the corridor and opened another door, and again, she was in the Masaki house, but in the lab. She saw the red haired scientist at work on her holo-top computer, typing away , her eyes never lifting from the screen. Ryoko sat down in an empty chair and watched her mother work.When Washu did take a break , her eyes started to water, not from the long hours on the computer, but of pent up feelings from over the years. Washu: Why do I have to have a terrible life? Ryoko got up and stood beside her mother Washu: My sisters, Tokimi, and Tsunami. We have broken apart, I had lost my memory and regained it thanks to Tsunami, who is assimulated with Sasami, and closer to me than what we were Ryoko lowered her head. Washu: (tears welled up and rushed down her face) Then later on when life get's enjoyable , I fall in love, got married, had a son, and thought I would live happily ever after, BUT... Ryoko winced knowing what she going to say. Washu: because of his damn social status and mine, he was tooken away with my baby and I never saw them again. And years later, I go on with my life but I felt empty so with the help of my apprentice, Kagato I create Ryoko. Ryoko knows this tale, for she had lived trough it, and had no wish to do so again. Washu: But Kagato kidnapped me and Ryoko, locking me up in a stasis field in another dimension, he put my Little Ryoko under mind control, and made her kill people and destroy planets, and did God knows what to her. Ryoko knew all too well and still had nightmares Washu: And Prince Yosho of Jurai chased her down to Earth, fought her, defeated her, and locked her up in a cave.And now she has that fear of dark and cold places. Ryoko shuddered from the memory of those long 700 years. Washu: Well, the last few years that she was in there weren't that bad after she saw Tenchi, and she went and fell in love. After he released her, she ended up ' playing with him ' as she put it, and scared him while destroying his school in the process, ( She chuckled sadly ) No matter how much she denies it, she does take after me in some ways. (She smiles sadly ) Ryoko smiled and despite the fact that Washu wouldn't be able to hear her , she says " Yeah, I suppose do take after you." She remembers that same look he gets on his face if Washu or herself gave Tenchi "The Grin" and how he'll try to find an excuse to get the hell out of there, before Washu wanted a ' sample ' or Ryoko would want something that would include a lot of privacy. Washu: Then he proposed to Ani, and herworld came down. Ayeka left for Jurai with a broken heart while you stayed here, moping around, and not eating.Then after the wedding, she disappeared, leaving everyone to wonder if she grieved to nothingness or if she just ran away. Ryoko saw tears rush down her mother's eyes, and felt powerless. Washu looked up into the nothingness. Washu: WHY RYOKO?! Why did you leave me like this? You could of came to me and I would welcome you with open arms and give you my shoulder to cry on. Sure I was never there for you in the past, but that was Kagato's fault and if I can turn the clock around and prevented any of this from happening, I would, but that would mean that I will decide not to create you, and even if we were never close, you were the best thing that came into my life. Dammit Ryoko, if I haven't created you I would never be pulling my hair out right now by relating how much of a terrible mother I make, and how much I would improve in the future. Sometimes I even wonder if I should have created you in the first place. Ryoko was shocked at what Washu said. " Why should you feel that way? Sure I'm not a great daughter, but the way you treat me, I would have to see you improve being a REAL mother to me instead of acting like somesort of deranged person, performing experiments on me.Then maybe I'll be a better daughter. " Washu got up Washu: Well I better go and get something to eat, It has been 3 weeks since I ate. Washu leaves and Ryoko finds herself in a black void. She looks around into the darkness and finds nothing, but when she turns around, she is looking at herself, who was grinning evily. Ryoko: Who are you? Pseudo Ryoko: You of course, but only the exterior. Your interior is locked up, and you won't free her because you are scared. Ryoko: My interior...What do you mean? Pseudo Ryoko: The real you, babe. Your true feelings, your true being. Ryoko: And what do you mean ' locked up' ? Pseudo Ryoko: You won't show your true feelings, when you come close, you manage to quickly cover up with that damned mask you wear, but hopefully you will remove it permanently after this dream. Ryoko: What does this dream have to do with my interior self? Pseudo Ryoko: It reflects your feelings towards Tenchi, Washu, and yourself. This dream also includes how you will feel about the other members of the Masaki house hold. Ryoko: I don't get the part about that beer guzzling asshole. What does that reflect? Pseudo Ryoko: Your dreams. The drunk is represensenting all your negative feelings, along with every thing else. In your point of view, a world without Tenchi, isn't a world at all. The dinner scene is when he chose another woman, which you would never be prepared to accept because you were worried about Ayeka or the other women, but that shows you not to count the chickens before they hatch. Ryoko: So your saying that this is mostly based on how I feel about Tenchi, and how it affects the world around me? Pseudo Ryoko: Wow! Give this girl a prize she actually hit the right button! Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. But you still have some thinking to do, I'll let you wake up, but I have some advice. Ryoko: And? Pseudo Ryoko: When you set your interior free, please think about a constructive future instead of a future with Tenchi, because you will never know his choice. And if he does choose and you can't handle it, you will have something to take up your time and will stay too busy for depression, and you won't have to put up with a beer guzzling asshole. Ryoko: I will remember that. Ok "Beam me up Scottie! No more intelligent life forms here!" (Star Trek) *********************************************************************** * Reality * Ryoko woke up and found herself by her favorite spot, underneath a cherry blossom. < That dream again> she thought < well at least I have some answers> She started to think, despite that damn ache in her head, she is getting somewhere. She thought about her feelings towards Katsuhito/Yosho and Nobuyuki, and despite her animosity against Yosho, she has to thank him, even if he put her in that damn cave, but if he didn't ,she would never have met Tenchi. Nobuyuki, she would always think of him as a father figure, even though if he is perverted, but if you catch him in the right moment, he seems just like a respectable person. Mihoshi, can't help but like the blonde, even if she is clueless and a ditz, her ,always, cheerful attitude can make someone's day even if she has it to ruin 5 minutes later. Ayeka and Sasami, she liked the young princess Sasami from the start, with her smile chasing away all the gloom anyone is feeling , but Ayeka is a blank. Ayeka can be a snobby, stuck-up, and benedictive bitch at times, but somewhere underneath the snootiness is a kind person. Ayeka and herself may have fought over the tiniest things, but whenever Ryoko was kidnapped,TWICE!, Ayeka came to help rescue her, even if the bitch didn't like her, she cared enough to pull through, and help a demoness like herself. So, ok, she liked Ayeka. Washu and Tenchi, Washu, in Ryoko's dream she heard all of Washu's pleas and and cries, of her admitting being a terrible mother. Ryoko realized that Washu did care, in her strange, but special way. Tenchi... Her heart's desire and first love. What is there to not like about him? He was kind hearted, and hated to hate anyone, and depending on who a person was, he's trusting. Sure maybe he's shy, and blushes when he gets near a female, and gets a nosebleed whenever she shows some of her attributes to him, but he looks soooo cute. She thought about how she shows her affection and decides to just ask for a friendly hug, or for a walk, instead of harassing him, like always. She thought about her goal, which was to get Tenchi, but she knew that won' t get her anywhere except disappointment if she doesn't get him, or a drunk asshole if she ever gets depressed and turns the wrong way. She walked to the spot where she always met Tenchi when he came home from school, and spotted him getting off the bus and walking up the path. She teleported 1 foot from him, startling him into losing his balance but he caught himself before landing on the ground " Uhh, it's only you...uh...Ryoko" he said nervously "Sorry for scaring you Tenchi, but I thought I could walk home with you like always." This caused Tenchi to turn red when he heard that 'like always'. "I just wanted to talk to you if you don't mind, and don't worry, I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to do." Tenchi thought for a moment, and he knew he could trust her if she promised so he agreed. " Ok since you just want to talk." So they walked and Ryoko had an idea for her new goal "Tenchi, what does it take to go to school?" Tenchi shocked by the question answered while she was trying to get the info in that aching head of hers. Tenchi was through answering "...and that about wraps it up. Why do you ask, anyway?" she shrugged "Oh, nothing really. I just wanted to enroll into highschool and set goals for myself like ordinary girls here." he thought for a moment "Hmm, good decision, Ryoko. I'll be glad to help you out." Her face lit up "Oh, really Tenchi? Thankyou!" she tried not to glomp onto him. He was prepared for the unwanted glomp, but shocked that he didn't feel the posessive arms wrap around him. She just stood there beaming ear to ear. "Hey, what gave you the idea for setting goals?" he asked. She smiled " I guess from deep within my heart." and nothing more was said. They were walking to the house and Ryoko spotted Washu working on something outside and Ryoko thought about her dream "Hello, Mom." she said walking into the house leaving a puzzled Tenchi and Washu. *********************************************************************** *Epilogue* Ryoko finally entered highschool, and made top student in her grade. She made really good grades, and was advanced up two grades making her closer to graduating. She graduated along with Tenchi, and entered the best college she could find, then 2 years later she enters medical school to become a pediatrician. Ryoko and Washu are closer together than before and Washu gives her daughter 'advice' in the medical field. Ayeka and Ryoko are the best of friends and get into 'small' disagreements from time to time, but pull trough for each other anyway. Tenchi has proposed to Ryoko and they married. 1 year later, they have a baby girl named Achika, and with Ryoko working as a pediatrician, and Tenchi carrying on with his father's career as an archiatect, they get by pretty well. Everyone in this story ended up living happy and healthy there fore making them live , well, "Happily ever after" *The End* So much for my first fic, hope you you enjoyed it.Please send me any C&C, love notes, hate notes, anything to let me know how my fic went. Maybe if I'm not staying up at 2:00am on a school night I can do better but, with all these projects, It's a wonder I'm on the net anyway. Oh yeah, my thanks. I would like to thank my mom, dad, and bestfriend for pre-reading and proof reading my work .