Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! And all its' characters belong to Pioneer.
How countlessly they congregateO'er our tumultuous snow,
Which flows in shapes as tall as trees
When wintry winds do blow! -
As if with keenness for our fate,
Our faltering few steps on
To white rest, and a place of rest
Invisible at dawn-
And yet with neither love nor hate
These stars like some snow-white
Minerva's snow-white marble eyes
Without a gift in sight.
(Stars, by Robert Frost)
Our knowledge is, ourselves to know.
(Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man)
This my son was dead,
and is alive again;
he was lost, and is found.
(Luke, 15:45)
Twilight
Fear… it is a human thing, like so many other things gods aren't allowed to experience. Are we allowed? She thought not, her father, the one who created all, would not stand for such atrocity. She often wondered. Wondering… that is also a human thing, and yet here she was, wondering. Fear, love, hate… Every one of them, they were all human emotions. She sought to kick the wondering out of her system. Goddess's do not feel these emotions… she thought. Yes, goddess's are allowed to think, otherwise they'd be stupid compared to humans. Though none of my sisters would thank me for that comment! She thought, smiling as she watched over the universe with care. Her vibrant red hair was spiky, jutting out in odd directions, though it just added to her intricate form. It was a human form, a form she often chose to be in when no one was around to see her. The Goddess's were spirits, nothing more. Their very existence was impossible to place, ephemeral, yet not ephemeral, physical, and yet not physical. They could choose whatever form they chose, whenever they wanted. She chose a human form because she loved the emotions that rolled over her like a steamroller. Every once in a while she would answer people's prayers, making a swift appearance in a human form, to give them confidence that she was real, not just a tale.
Her sisters were out, wandering the universe, quarreling. That was all they did, being so different. Like human sisters… she thought, and laughed at it, putting her hands on her hips and laughing so loud it rang in her ears when she finally stopped. Wiping her eyes and laughing like a schoolgirl, she examined a planet called Kanemitsu. If I were human, that would be the planet I'd choose to stay on. She was surprised at the thought, and folding her arms in curiosity. She wasn't exactly evil, though she had, had her moments of frustration with a few planets, Jurai the most, the inhabitants so primitive and weak and yet they still thought themselves to be gods. She had let Tsunami have her way with them, but got a chance to take a few humans back and asked them questions. Tokimi would laugh if she found out… she thought, smiling in remembrance of how frightened her captives had been when she asked them questions in her human form. She hadn't meant to scare them, well, not that much anyway. The primitive's answered her questions in stutters before foaming at their mouth with fear.
She had put them back on their planet, and had her fun watching the other primitive's think them to be insane, leaving them in the streets to spread their condemned tale around like wildfire. She was not exactly good, either, though she had, had her time spending short periods as a human and seeing how it was down there. She had visited Kanemitsu; it was a beautiful planet, green in color with two moons, and lush vegetation wherever she had looked. The humans there weren't half-bad either, they honored the gods and gave them the respect expected from primitive's. They all treated each other with kindness, and let her alone when she passed through a village. The thieves were thoroughly punished, the homeless were allowed to stay at ones house for a time. None of them were treated with higher respect than anyone else; they had all settled their differences. She was happy to note that they didn't bother with money, as to not be tempted by greedy people, and all was traded, fairly.
It had been centuries since she was last on the planet, so she didn't know what had changed. She knew a lot, of course, but she didn't know everything, no one except their father knew everything; and he had passed away because of the making of the gems he had given the three, having put all his power into making them. But to know everything was a human ambition, so the sisters had not sought to know. She had never been a child, just a person created by their father. Tokimi was the oldest, but by far not the strongest, she herself was second, created but a few seconds after Tokimi, Tsunami soon after.
They were all just spirits then, purple, red, and blue puffs of air that were proudly watched on by their father. A few centuries later, when they all had the ability to form into physical form, their father had started in the work of making gems. Tokimi was most eager, she being one of power thought she had to have more so she could rule her dimension properly. Tsunami had been most reluctant in taking them, she not wanting people to fear her because of her power. The woman watching Kanemitsu, however, was neutral, not taking in any emotion whatsoever to make their father neither happy nor angry. Happiness, anger… Those too were human emotions, yet all three of them felt it. Their father had been the only one who was not cursed or blessed with the emotions that erupted curiosity in the three of them. She had been given three gems, being the most powerful and the one that didn't succumb to evil or good, she simply was.
Tokimi was given two gems, for her to rule an entire dimension all her own. Tsunami was granted one gem, for she wanted everyone to be treated equal, and not trick them into obeying her out of fear. Kanemitsu shifted, turning it's shifting course abruptly. She had seen this happen only once before, the planet stops in it's turning for a whole month, and then starts to jerk in the opposite direction it had before. This rare event happened only every two billion years, so everyone on the planet never remembers the tale. Though the planet two billion years ago had been nothing more than a mass of rock with vegetation growing and monkey-looking animals along with a few others traveled around. It was hard to say when exactly the monkeys lost their fur and turned human, the only one who knew that was their father, and he had died with the knowledge.
She still recalled the day they received the gems, Tokimi had been trying to get her to join forces and help rule her dimension in fear. She had refused, not wanting any part in either side. She was. Tsunami had asked her to help her let the humans know that she was only there to help, not to destroy. She had quietly refused also, for the same reason. She simply was. Their father had favored her for that factor, and that was why he claimed her the Goddess of Chaos and given her the three gems. She was called that because she would never help when a war was waging, only watch. She would never consist in anything good, or bad. She just, was. Chaos because she would do nothing in favor of humans, or the gods, not even herself. She wasn't evil, she wasn't caring, was.
Their father had then named Tokimi the Goddess of Power, which she made crystal clear in her dimension. He had then named Tsunami Goddess of Nature, and she smiled to him. Their father passed away soon after that, and his Divine body disintegrated into the air. The making of the gems was all of his power, all of it; he put forth all he could muster into the magical round gems. It was the reason he died, having no more Divine power left in his soul.
She fingered the three green dots on her forehead, they had appeared gradually when their father let the gem into her wrists and throat, new power flowing through her being. Their father had said the power was within the all along, but the gems had been the key. So, in other words, father's power was the key.
'Here again?' A voice echoed in her head, startling her and swiftly turning around to see Tsunami staring at her with those dark red eyes.
'Fighting again?' She asked in the same tone, turning around and watching Kanemitsu once more. They were in the Divine dimension, more commonly known as Heaven to the humans. Many long dead spirits roamed around freely in there, for the first time knowing true happiness, questioning their stupid fear of dying while the time they were alive. Hell also existed, though it was on the other side of the universe completely, very few spirits roamed in agony there yet, yet all three of them knew that one day there will be one time when Hell had more spirits that Heaven.
'Yes, fighting again,' Tsunami muttered, walking over to the woman and watching the planet with her, also in human form. 'I see you do this very often, Washu,' she said into Washu's mind, also in human form. 'You see correctly, then,' she returned, not bothering to see her with her own eyes. A silence passed, they both knew Tokimi watched them that very moment, but they both also knew she was probably too busy to watch them.
'You're jealous.' Tsunami suddenly said, staring straight into Washu's clouded eyes.
'Jealous of what, might I ask, Tsunami? Humans?' She spat; trying to put all the venom she could into the word, humans.
'Yes. I have seen you stand there for days now; I see a sudden flare of sadness in your eyes when a child dies. I see a flash of anger at a thief! Washu, Sister, you are acquiring human emotions by the day. Each day you think more along the lines of a human, every hour you try to fight the fact that you want to be human!'
Washu struck Tsunami.
Tsunami ignored the gesture and stared right into Washu's pools of emerald, a stern gaze, one of which the other had never seen before. Washu realized her flaw a mere five seconds after she slapped her, and ogled at her palm, which by now was tinting red. "Oh, no…" Washu spoke aloud, using her tongue instead of her mind.
The cyan haired goddess felt no pain in the blow to her cheek, expecting it when she confronted her sister with her observations. She was surprised to see, however, that Washu's hand was turning red with the power in the strike. 'Do you deny it now?' she asked deftly, seeing Washu's saddened face stare disbelievingly at her hand.
The red head was puzzled. 'Goddess's shouldn't be feeling pain!' she screamed at herself, so utterly confused.
Confusion…"I'm turning human!" she shrieked, staring at her sisters' eyes with angst. Tsunami continued to watch while Washu went through wave after wave of emotion, all different, all human emotions. She hadn't meant to be like a hammer striking a nail into wood, but she knew human emotions well enough that if her sister had gone on like this, Washu, Goddess of Chaos, would finally choose a side. There were no sides with her, which was the way it was supposed to be. It was startling to note that mere human emotions could have such an effect on a being that wasn't supposed to choose. She never chose. Tsunami had come up with the answer for her sister's behavior hours ago, and was relieved that she had been the first to get to her before Tokimi could warp her confused mind.
She never chose, and now it was confusing her.
Tsunami was not intent on getting her to choose sides, only to help jog her into the knowledge that she was acquiring emotions. Washu had denied the knowledge long enough, and now it was frightening her.
"Sister, I mean no ill harm when I say these things. I merely say them because I have noticed the change in your actions over the past millennia. Now that you have been among mortals more than a couple times, you've come to know their ways and have become accustomed to watching them. I say these things only in the help that you will not choose sides, and so that you are aware of what is happening. I myself know what emotions feel like, though I do not feel them as strongly as you do. Tokimi feels them as well, yet as you do, she denies their existence. I am not one who has full knowledge of emotions, only a short briefing by traveling once among mortals as you have. I can only support my help, and hope that you will get through this pickle you're apparently stuck in," Tsunami said aloud, in the most sincere voice she had, which was not far from her normal one. She watched as her physical words had a drastic effect on her sister.
"No change!" Washu shouted, staring once again at her hand, "I'm turning human, Tsunami! I need help!"
Tsunami watched in disbelief at the next moment.
Washu was crying.
Crying…**************************************************************************
Three million years have passed, and Washu's emotions are sharper than ever. Tsunami had kept what was happening to her a secret from Tokimi, knowing that she would use her and warp her mind into choosing at last. Washu had walked among humans more often than not, but still kept a steady rhythm in knowing that it was time to go back up before Tokimi noticed her disappearance. Sometimes Chaos stayed years at a time, mere blinks to a being that has lived as long as she. Tsunami kept close watch on her the entire time, only breaking to deal with the people of Jurai, whom still had the knack of feeling like they were the all Supreme.
Washu spent no time anymore as her original form of a spirit, always in her human form, letting people know that she could feel! It was joyous to her to see the people of the village respect her because of her outward ness, not bothering to hide anything except nudity. Tsunami had once teased her about a couple men who bobbled after her here and then, though she always shooed them off with a diss or two. Tokimi hadn't been seen by either of them for centuries, having been claiming she had fun doing what cruelty she was doing in her dimension. More and more, however, Washu was starting to choose, a fact that Tsunami reluctantly admitted to be her fault, having been there and talked to her many times.
Many times she almost turned back the clock and undid what she had said to Washu, she knew she had the power to do that. The risk was that Tokimi might sometime in the time she might change warp her mind like Tsunami had predicted. Kanemitsu still happened to be Washu's favorite planet, and the people hadn't changed much, though they did start the use of paper money, and they had built an academy, a science one at that.
Washu had immediately taken a liking to science, she'd always been interested in the subject, but the primitive's weren't advanced enough to do it with her. When they built the academy, she had helped build a large amount of it. It took the better part of ten years to build, Washu enjoying the physical exertion she was getting from working day after day. She never got tired of it.
For the first time in her life, Chaos was truly happy.
Tsunami was glad for her, noticing that she herself was receiving more emotions everyday she watched Washu have her time with the humans. Father would've never allowed it, though he never voiced what he said, the first words were the titles he had gave them, and those had been his last. Even now she could feel his spirit in the Divine world glaring at the two of them, especially at Washu for living among mortals.
Tsunami ignored it; he couldn't do anything now, and grinned in remembrance of the proud day the academy was finished. Yes, that had been a very bright day indeed throughout the universe. Washu and the thousands of other men had cheered and drank all the beer they could lay their hands on. Washu had won over all of the men; drinking more than five hundred bottles while all the others were blacked-out on the ground. It was then that she had decided to come back to Tsunami, and they laughed upon the baffled faces of the men when they tried to search for her after days of being totally zonked. Most of the men who woke up had hangover's that lasted a day, and many of them lost memory of the past few weeks for a while.
Everything was at peace, no one was warring, though the Jurains still thought they ruled the universe, though they now highly respected Tsunami, and worshipped her like no other. Tsunami had smacked some sense into their thick heads that they were not all supreme, by scaring them with a fraction of her power. Of that Washu was thankful of, because they kept raiding Kanemitsu for their goods. Washu was at the moment back at her old spot in space, looking down on the planet with every positive emotion on her face.
'So…you have chosen, at long last, you have chosen, Median.' A sly voice said mentally, startling Washu from her thoughts, she hadn't heard mental talk in millennia's. "Tokimi?" she asked aloud, and the sound of a laugh was returned. 'You even speak like a human. So, Father was right.' The statement startled her even more, "What do you mean, Sister?" she asked flatly, turning around to face Tokimi in the face.
'I mean that you are no longer neutral! You have chosen to be on that wench Tsunami's side! That woman doesn't even know how to rule her own planet let alone help her sister! Look what she's done to you!' Tokimi snapped, the words meant as whips. "She hasn't done anything! If something, she's helped me beyond thankfulness! You would've warped my confused mind if I had stayed like I was any longer!" she argued, glowering at her cruel relative. 'Confused? You were confused? Humans are the ones confused! Washu, you're becoming human! I can prevent that from happening, join with me and we'll rule together, I'll give you back your Goddess nature! I can-'
"You can do nothing! Even if you could I wouldn't let you warp my mind, Tokimi! You can't touch my mind; you just want my gems! I love the way I feel! I love humans! They're simple and don't have to worry about ruling the entire universe! If you would just listen to your emotions you would at least feel some of the way I do!" Washu spoke to her, voicing all of her emotions in her eyes, "I don't care if I lose my title, Median or Chaos, nothing! All of it means nothing to me anymore!" the words were frightening even to her, and Tokimi's eyes were as large as barrels.
'Well, Father? Is what she says true?' Tokimi mentally asked to her shoulder, where a gray spirit sat.
Washu was stunned, "You brought a spirit out of the Divine! What have you done? What have you done, Tokimi?" she muttered to herself, receiving a malicious grin from her sister while whispers were sent through the air. The whispers were chilling to the bone; Washu swore that she was freezing. Tokimi looked back from the gray cloud and whispered to Washu herself, 'Father says your actions are unforgivable, and what you say is true. If that is so, you will live eternally among mortals! That's your wish, isn't it? To be a human?' she said the word in disgust.
Out of the air, Tsunami appeared.
"Stop this at once!" she shouted, whipping Tokimi mentally with the words. "You cannot force Washu to choose! You will be sealed forever in another dimension until she comes back to release you!"
Tokimi muttered three words and then Tsunami was as still as stone.
No, she was as still as a tree.
The elder sister garbled another word and the tree was flung towards Jurai.
'No that the garbage is gone, let's deal with the mouse. Will you join me, or live forever among humans?'
Washu was speechless, "You killed her!"
'She is sealed into a tree, that is all, she will be imprisoned for a time before you free her. That is, if you remember of course.'
"Father!" Washu shouted, flying at top speed toward the gray cloud, "Father! Listen to me!"
'Send her to Kanemitsu, she will not join us, daughter,' a silent voice said, though Washu could hear it crystal clear.
Tokimi agreed and muttered a few words and soon the Median was still.
"Father!" she tried to shout, but was hurled away at the speed of light.
Thus, Washu Hakubi was born.
Author's Notes: Okay, that went better than expected. I've decided to write Washu's Journal over again, since I wasn't getting anywhere with the Deltan stuff. I'll try to do as much research as I can so I can make an accurate story, you see, I want to try and make it like Hitoshi Okuda planned it out. The next chapter Washu is a little girl with nothing more than the knowledge of her name, and the ability to fly. But I do want you opinions so please give me some! Um, well, since I'm going to be replacing Washu's Journal with Twilight, Puppet on a String is going to be put on hold until I have the first four chapters of this up. I'm sorry if Tsunami's Goddess name is wrong, but I don't have the Internet working right now so I'll just say that she's nature, okey-dokey? (Smile) I hope you enjoy my story, Twilight! Oh yeah, I edited the whole thing myself, and there are no mistakes! Even save it and check it on Microsoft Word!