A Word from our Author: Hey hey! An update! Bet you never thought that would happen ~_* You can all thank Toby-Chan for this, without the little prod I was given, I never would have gotten this updated! Many thanks to you, babe, you definitely saved this fan fic ^_^

"Between Demons and Angels"

Chapter 3: earth angel

"Is that the light?" Tenchi tried to speak, but no words came out. Before him was that famous tunnel, and the light that was promised at the end. "Does it end here?" he wondered. Could his life really have been over? He looked behind him to see the other end of the tunnel. Dark shadows shifted in the abyss. Tenchi could feel the nothingness and the loneliness creeping up toward him as he stared in fear. Then he began to fall. "NO!" he tried to scream, but the dead cannot speak. Terror overtook him as he struggled to rise. "I don't want that…" he whispered in his mind. Tears crept from his eyes. Then he began to rise. He was growing closer and closer to the light. He saw someone inside, a woman. "Is heaven a woman?" Then he saw her, and he knew what his heaven would be. This couldn't be the end.

"Ryoko," he spoke. The sound of his voice relieved him. His pain was real again. He could feel. He could see the beautiful wisps of white that flittered around him. But where was his heaven? Where was Ryoko? A soft glittering light hovered over his heart. He looked beyond himself and saw Ryoko, hunched beside him. Tears glistened on her cheeks and he watched in awe of her beauty. Her tearful eyes were closed as she slowly stood. When she re-opened them, the familiar golden glow had turned to pale silver, and her pupils were lavender. "Love is blind," Tenchi whispered. He knew the cost this was to her. She'd be weaker, yes, but she'd be losing the gems she fought so hard to receive. "You're giving you're ki away, as well." He knew she would give all that she had, and as much as he wanted to dissuade her, he was powerless to stop her.

Strand by strand, her hair turned from spiky cyan to a silvery white, and became soft and flowed around her. Her skin was pale. "Earth Angel," Tenchi whispered. Her kimono began to stretch and tear as her body became light and floated above the ground. When her kimono could no longer contain them, wings burst through the fabric in a flurry of feathers and cloth. Her hands glowed with the same light that was above Tenchi's heart. It was so amazing and so beautiful, that tears ran down Tenchi's cheeks.

Tenchi could feel his pain slowly leaving him as Ryoko's life flowed into his body. His lungs stopped aching and he could breathe. Open wounds sealed themselves, leaving no scars. His wrist, along with other bones, crunched back to where they should have been. He felt that his body had been put back together better than it had been before. He knew he was healed, but his voice couldn't call out to Ryoko. The feel of her energy flowing into him was indescribable. Its pleasant tickle pleased him, but also gave him a rush of energy that he could hardly contain, but while Ryoko fed him her ki, he was paralyzed, no matter how rejuvenated he felt. Ryoko smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant one. She looked so sorrowful and aged, yet her appearance hadn't changed. The smile passed and her beautiful face twisted in pain and her bright life light became dim.

Tenchi struggled to speak, "S…stop… please…" but he could barely choke out the words. Ryoko's body began to quiver in the air. The warmth of her glowing skin became cold, she began to fall. "No…" Tenchi whispered.

She screamed, but her voice was lost over the sound of her ki exploding from her hands. Her body was thrown into a tree, knocking the breath from her lungs. Finally able to move, Tenchi leaped up to catch her fall, but she transported out of his sight. Her body had been a bloody mess.

Tenchi was angered by her proud attempt to save herself from being seen weak. "Did you have to let your damned pride get in the way this time!?" and he punched a tree, which then cracked into splinters. He was amazed by his strength. Ryo-oki crept slowly toward him. "Does she ever show anyone her weaknesses?" he asked the cabbit. Ryo-oki just looked up at him sadly, then out into the forest, undoubtedly looking for traces of her dear friend. Then a cold wind caught him, and he thought he saw a snow flake. "What the hell is going on with this weather?" He thought.

He glanced at Ryo-oki, who was meowing mournfully by Aeka's side. Tenchi picked her up and scratched between her ears. "She's fine, Ryo-oki. Ryoko is the one who may be dying." Ryo-oki struggled to get free from Tenchi's grasp, forcing her way, though still in his grasp, toward the direction she thought Ryoko had gone. "Do you think you're going to go look for her? I can't let you, there's a storm coming. You'll get lost!" Ryo-oki ceased her squirming and looked up fearfully into Tenchi's eyes. "How can a cabbit look so eager?" he sighed, "I'll look for Ryoko. Do you think you can get Miss Aeka home?" The cabbit nodded and jumped from Tenchi's arms and ran to Aeka.

When Tenchi didn't move right away, Ryo-oki began to hiss at him, screaming in her language "Leave! Leave you idiot!"

Tenchi bowed his head to Ryo-oki, who then grasped Aeka by the collar and started the long drag home. Tenchi walked to the tree where he last saw Ryoko. The cloth from her kimono was crumpled on the ground. He gingerly picked it up. He could still feel the warmth of her body on it, and he could smell her sweet scent.

Ryo-oki hissed once more, and left Aeka's side. This time she had moved in to bite at his ankles, but she hadn't needed to. She watched him as he walked off into the forest. Even in her undeveloped mind, she could tell that Tenchi had no idea where he was going.

~*~

Mother, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I never loved you as a child. If I had known you, Mommy, I never would have doubted you. Mama, I'm scared, I'm so scared. I'm sorry I didn't listen… I'm so cold. Tell Tenchi that I'm sorry, too. Tell the whole world that I'm sorry. Please… Please forgive me. I'm just… so…cold.

Washu sat up quickly in her chair. Her computer clicked off. "Ryoko?" she called to her daughter. Ryoko didn't reply. "Ryoko!" she screamed, desperately trying to reach her with her thoughts. "She can't hear me? She should be able to hear me, no matter the situation," Washu's hands shook nervously and her chest began to ache with fear. "Where are you, daughter?" She asked, though knowing she wouldn't be answered.

The door suddenly slammed open and Mihoshi entered, frantically yelling "Miss Washu! Miss Washu! Come quick!" then she ran back out of the lab.

"What the hell?" Washu ran to her door to see what had caused the commotion. When she peeped out of the door she saw that it was snowing outside,it wasn't just snowing, it was a full blown blizzard. Nothing could be seen outside except for the swirling whites. "HOW!?!" she screamed. Her scientific brain couldn't understand the strange change in the weather patterns. This wasn't why she was called. Sasami was running by with a cold compress. Washu followed her and saw Ryo-oki passed out on the floor with twirled eyes. Aeka was on the couch, asleep as well.

"Miss Washu! Miss Washu! I don't know what to do, I mean, Ryo-oki just stumbled in here and passed out and Aeka isn't awake… and I'm so confused! HELP MEEE!!!" Mihoshi stammered then started to cry. Washu threw a pillow in her face.

"Shut up Mihoshi! Thank God you don't work in a hospital… or anywhere important for that matter" Washu massaged her temples trying to suppress an oncoming headache.

Looking at Aeka she could see that the princess was very alive. Ryoko had succeeded. "So Aeka and Tenchi live where my daughter lays dying, maybe even dead. I shouldn't have told her to how to heal." Washu clenched her fists. She would hate herself if she lost her own child again. At least her son was alive, though they were separated. She couldn't say the same about Ryoko.

Sasami touched her hand. "It's ok Miss Washu. Aeka is fine, she's just sleeping." Then the young princess pressed the cold compress to her sister's head. "I wonder what happened?" Sasami glanced outside. "It's really coming down out there. You were right this morning Washu-chan!" Sasami giggled.

Washu smiled to herself. "Ryoko wanted Tenchi and Aeka to live. She would have figured out how to heal them without my guidance. I did the right thing," she thought. She walked back into the kitchen to get a cold compress for Ryo-oki. "Ryo-oki is my daughter too, isn't she?" Washu said in her childish voice. Sasami smiled warmly at her, and Washu began to feel a little better.