"It has been too long, my sisters." Tokimi began as she glided
effortlessly over the smooth floor of the ship. Her translucent body slowly
gained more depth as she brought herself down to face Sasami and Washu, but
her eyes were still glimmering with omnipotent power. Sasami had her head
bowed and her hands crossed about her waist; she was trembling as she stood
before the deity.
"Lady Tokimi.why have you come to Earth?" The small princess asked, her small voice reverberating off of the smooth marble floors.
Lady Tokimi smiled. "I have come to bring you home, Lady Washu.and Lady Tsunami."She turned to Washu gently and walked towards the silent scientist. "Washu.you do not remember.perhaps you would let me give you your memories back.it was over 20,000 years ago, when we, the Three Goddesses of Dominion, ruled over the Universe.Tsunami, Goddess of Nature.I, Tokimi, Goddess of Time.and Washu, Goddess of Chaos." she paused and looked at Sasami, then back to Washu. "The Goddess of Chaos was causing discontent, as she was prone to do, but many felt that she had finally gone overboard this time.so the planets of this galaxy sent their best warriors and bounty hunters to find and trap this troublemaker.but none could stand up against her mighty power. So finally, it was up to Tsunami and I.we overtook the Goddess and sealed her memories and powers into three small round gems. This left her only a child, so we sent her to a small planet and made sure that she was raised with utmost care until the time when we could reunite again. We sent with her the three gems in hopes that one day she would remember.that day has come, Washu."Tokimi then stretched out her hand and placed it gently upon Washu's forehead, closing her eyes as she did so. "Remember." she whispered.
Washu, whose eyes were closed, gasped suddenly and opened her eyes, her face lit with frightened understanding. Tokimi smiled as she withdrew her hand; her eyes gleaming. But it was Sasami who spoke first.
"Bring us home, Lady Tokimi? But.this is our home! We have family here! We belong here.Washu.she has fallen in love with the Crown Prince of Jurai.our friends would grieve terribly if we were to leave."
Tokimi turned to Washu, who looked grim and unsure. "Washu.is this true?"
Washu looked up, her eyes glistening with severe commitment and decisiveness. "I could not love anyone more."
Tokimi was silent for a moment, and then finally smiled. "I understand sisters.you wish to stay here with those who love you.and even I cannot change that. Very well, you may stay.but now I sense that there is more we need to discuss.I have been tricked into believing a royal's evil ploy.and I alone cannot combat his awesome Jurai Power.so I ask of you.will you let me bring forth your powers in order to help save your loved ones?"
"Tricked? But.how?" Washu asked quickly. She looked over to Sasami with determined worry.
"Kagato came with me under the pretense of wanting to reunite the Juraian Royal Family. He skillfully blocked his mind so that even I could not sense his true intentions.he will kill them if we do not intervene."
"We have to save them, Lady Tokimi!" Sasami cried, stepping forward. Washu did the same, and both her and the small Juraian princess bowed their heads. Tokimi outstretched her hand and began to chant a soft incantation. Her sisters were both engulfed by bluish white light as they rose above the marble walkway. Their forms began to change, and within a few minutes, they had been restored, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
"Quickly.we must hurry." Tsunami said in her smooth, velvet voice. "Kagato will waste no time in killing those he wishes to."
"I can't have them lost to me.not again.I won't allow it to happen to me again, not when I know that this time I can stop it." Washu thought as the massive doorway to the ship began to open, showing the rocky bluff upon which Achika Masaki's spirit rested. Shouts echoed over the small area near the shrine where the confrontation of Juraians was taking place, but it was not this that caught Washu's gaze.
"LORD TENCHI! LOOK OUT!" cried the frantic voice of Princess Ayeka. There was a brilliant flash of red and blue light and the sickening sound like that of a fatally wounded soldier from beyond the three Goddesses' sight. Washu and Tsunami watched in abject horror as the Crown Prince of Jurai and their beloved friend was seemingly tossed violently aside by Kagato's sword like a rag doll. He landed a few feet in front of his mother's headstone, his head resting next to a small bouquet of white lilies that Nobayuki had brought up there a while before. He was barely conscious, and a thin trickle of blood ran down from his forehead. He was wearing a tattered version of his Juraian war uniform, and Sword Tenchi lay in his limp hand, it's lightening blue blade still sparking with weak, unused power. The scene played over and over again in Washu's mind, and she felt her enraged fury flow through her veins along with her reborn powers. She whirled around, the tears flowing freely from her jade eyes as she faced the arrogant Juraian who dared to strike.
"KAGATO!" she cried, her fists clenched angrily. He was laughing condescendingly as the three Goddesses faced him, watching as Kiyone and Mihoshi, powerless against his might, ran over to Tenchi. His sword was bared, a black and red juggernaut of killing and pain, and his Juraian robes were waving mercilessly with the rain and blood-scented wind.
"Washu.I cannot intervene.much, but I will help you in his defeat.he deceived me and he shall not get away with it." Tokimi said levelly. Suddenly, her calm demeanor vanished, and she arose into the air, her arms outstretched. "Treacherous, vile betrayer!" she cried, a flash of light blinding the onlookers of her awesome might. When Washu and Tsunami looked, it seemed as though time had stopped. Their surroundings had taken on an antique look; all color had been replaced by a bronzish hue, and all movements other than the three deities had ceased. Washu looked around, and her eyes fell upon the broken form of her beloved, barely conscious and beaten. Her anger boiled over again; her emerald eyes narrowed with vehemence.
"Kagato, I swear that my family will never be taken from me, not by you, or by anyone!" With one last look towards Tenchi's barely conscious form, she outstretched her right hand, a ball of black and blue energy forming in her palm. Images of Tenchi flashed through her mind as the energy increased, and then the picture of him lying cold and nearly dead only a few feet from her. She screamed out incoherently as the power from her body lashed out at her frozen adversary; the tears falling from her angry eyes.
Suddenly, as the ball of chaotic force neared its target, time went back to it's normal flow, and Kagato could only watch in silent horror as he felt it smash into his body, 10 times the force of his own power; and fueled by a Goddess's anger. Without pretense, he fell to the cold earth, barely breathing. Washu dropped her hands to her side, breathing heavily as the rain began to fall. All of the onlookers behind her and Tsunami were in silent awe of these recent events; even as the composed yet angered Goddess of Nature and Jurai stepped towards the fallen traitor.
"You, Kagato.you have abused your divinely given power for your own pursuit of greed and destruction.this power was not made to destroy as you have willed it to.and for this, I must relinquish you of this before you destroy any more lives." Tsunami bowed her head gently, and the small green marks upon her forehead began to glow as she sapped him of his abused strength.
"Washu." came Tenchi's weakened voice from behind. Washu gasped and turned quickly, nearly running over to his side. She knelt and gently pulled his head into her lap as Ayeka, Ryoko, and the others looked on in fear. "Washu.I made you a promise." he paused as he looked up into her green eyes, the cool rain blurring his vision slightly; the rain.or was it her tears? "I made you a promise.I promised you that you would never lose me.and now I'm afraid that I'm going to have to break that promise."
"No, Tenchi." she whispered. He looked from her eyes and over to the frightened and saddened eyes of the rest of his comrades. He took a deep breath and let it out shakily, then smiled sadly.
"Please...take care of my Little Washu for me." he said, his voice deathly weak. He looked around at his friends and family, and then sighed a soft breath as his ebony eyes closed. A clattering sound was made as his sword fell from his hand and onto his mother's headstone. He fell limp in her arms, his last breath escaping from his lips.
Washu leaned down over his body, gripping his clothing tightly as she let a strangled sob escape from her throat. Her tears fell freely as the rain upon his still chest; and she paid no heed of the crimson blood that seeped onto her hands and clothing.
Silence reigned over the spot where Achika lay; and now her son had joined her, victim to the same power that had sapped away her life fifteen years ago.
"Lady Tokimi.why have you come to Earth?" The small princess asked, her small voice reverberating off of the smooth marble floors.
Lady Tokimi smiled. "I have come to bring you home, Lady Washu.and Lady Tsunami."She turned to Washu gently and walked towards the silent scientist. "Washu.you do not remember.perhaps you would let me give you your memories back.it was over 20,000 years ago, when we, the Three Goddesses of Dominion, ruled over the Universe.Tsunami, Goddess of Nature.I, Tokimi, Goddess of Time.and Washu, Goddess of Chaos." she paused and looked at Sasami, then back to Washu. "The Goddess of Chaos was causing discontent, as she was prone to do, but many felt that she had finally gone overboard this time.so the planets of this galaxy sent their best warriors and bounty hunters to find and trap this troublemaker.but none could stand up against her mighty power. So finally, it was up to Tsunami and I.we overtook the Goddess and sealed her memories and powers into three small round gems. This left her only a child, so we sent her to a small planet and made sure that she was raised with utmost care until the time when we could reunite again. We sent with her the three gems in hopes that one day she would remember.that day has come, Washu."Tokimi then stretched out her hand and placed it gently upon Washu's forehead, closing her eyes as she did so. "Remember." she whispered.
Washu, whose eyes were closed, gasped suddenly and opened her eyes, her face lit with frightened understanding. Tokimi smiled as she withdrew her hand; her eyes gleaming. But it was Sasami who spoke first.
"Bring us home, Lady Tokimi? But.this is our home! We have family here! We belong here.Washu.she has fallen in love with the Crown Prince of Jurai.our friends would grieve terribly if we were to leave."
Tokimi turned to Washu, who looked grim and unsure. "Washu.is this true?"
Washu looked up, her eyes glistening with severe commitment and decisiveness. "I could not love anyone more."
Tokimi was silent for a moment, and then finally smiled. "I understand sisters.you wish to stay here with those who love you.and even I cannot change that. Very well, you may stay.but now I sense that there is more we need to discuss.I have been tricked into believing a royal's evil ploy.and I alone cannot combat his awesome Jurai Power.so I ask of you.will you let me bring forth your powers in order to help save your loved ones?"
"Tricked? But.how?" Washu asked quickly. She looked over to Sasami with determined worry.
"Kagato came with me under the pretense of wanting to reunite the Juraian Royal Family. He skillfully blocked his mind so that even I could not sense his true intentions.he will kill them if we do not intervene."
"We have to save them, Lady Tokimi!" Sasami cried, stepping forward. Washu did the same, and both her and the small Juraian princess bowed their heads. Tokimi outstretched her hand and began to chant a soft incantation. Her sisters were both engulfed by bluish white light as they rose above the marble walkway. Their forms began to change, and within a few minutes, they had been restored, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
"Quickly.we must hurry." Tsunami said in her smooth, velvet voice. "Kagato will waste no time in killing those he wishes to."
"I can't have them lost to me.not again.I won't allow it to happen to me again, not when I know that this time I can stop it." Washu thought as the massive doorway to the ship began to open, showing the rocky bluff upon which Achika Masaki's spirit rested. Shouts echoed over the small area near the shrine where the confrontation of Juraians was taking place, but it was not this that caught Washu's gaze.
"LORD TENCHI! LOOK OUT!" cried the frantic voice of Princess Ayeka. There was a brilliant flash of red and blue light and the sickening sound like that of a fatally wounded soldier from beyond the three Goddesses' sight. Washu and Tsunami watched in abject horror as the Crown Prince of Jurai and their beloved friend was seemingly tossed violently aside by Kagato's sword like a rag doll. He landed a few feet in front of his mother's headstone, his head resting next to a small bouquet of white lilies that Nobayuki had brought up there a while before. He was barely conscious, and a thin trickle of blood ran down from his forehead. He was wearing a tattered version of his Juraian war uniform, and Sword Tenchi lay in his limp hand, it's lightening blue blade still sparking with weak, unused power. The scene played over and over again in Washu's mind, and she felt her enraged fury flow through her veins along with her reborn powers. She whirled around, the tears flowing freely from her jade eyes as she faced the arrogant Juraian who dared to strike.
"KAGATO!" she cried, her fists clenched angrily. He was laughing condescendingly as the three Goddesses faced him, watching as Kiyone and Mihoshi, powerless against his might, ran over to Tenchi. His sword was bared, a black and red juggernaut of killing and pain, and his Juraian robes were waving mercilessly with the rain and blood-scented wind.
"Washu.I cannot intervene.much, but I will help you in his defeat.he deceived me and he shall not get away with it." Tokimi said levelly. Suddenly, her calm demeanor vanished, and she arose into the air, her arms outstretched. "Treacherous, vile betrayer!" she cried, a flash of light blinding the onlookers of her awesome might. When Washu and Tsunami looked, it seemed as though time had stopped. Their surroundings had taken on an antique look; all color had been replaced by a bronzish hue, and all movements other than the three deities had ceased. Washu looked around, and her eyes fell upon the broken form of her beloved, barely conscious and beaten. Her anger boiled over again; her emerald eyes narrowed with vehemence.
"Kagato, I swear that my family will never be taken from me, not by you, or by anyone!" With one last look towards Tenchi's barely conscious form, she outstretched her right hand, a ball of black and blue energy forming in her palm. Images of Tenchi flashed through her mind as the energy increased, and then the picture of him lying cold and nearly dead only a few feet from her. She screamed out incoherently as the power from her body lashed out at her frozen adversary; the tears falling from her angry eyes.
Suddenly, as the ball of chaotic force neared its target, time went back to it's normal flow, and Kagato could only watch in silent horror as he felt it smash into his body, 10 times the force of his own power; and fueled by a Goddess's anger. Without pretense, he fell to the cold earth, barely breathing. Washu dropped her hands to her side, breathing heavily as the rain began to fall. All of the onlookers behind her and Tsunami were in silent awe of these recent events; even as the composed yet angered Goddess of Nature and Jurai stepped towards the fallen traitor.
"You, Kagato.you have abused your divinely given power for your own pursuit of greed and destruction.this power was not made to destroy as you have willed it to.and for this, I must relinquish you of this before you destroy any more lives." Tsunami bowed her head gently, and the small green marks upon her forehead began to glow as she sapped him of his abused strength.
"Washu." came Tenchi's weakened voice from behind. Washu gasped and turned quickly, nearly running over to his side. She knelt and gently pulled his head into her lap as Ayeka, Ryoko, and the others looked on in fear. "Washu.I made you a promise." he paused as he looked up into her green eyes, the cool rain blurring his vision slightly; the rain.or was it her tears? "I made you a promise.I promised you that you would never lose me.and now I'm afraid that I'm going to have to break that promise."
"No, Tenchi." she whispered. He looked from her eyes and over to the frightened and saddened eyes of the rest of his comrades. He took a deep breath and let it out shakily, then smiled sadly.
"Please...take care of my Little Washu for me." he said, his voice deathly weak. He looked around at his friends and family, and then sighed a soft breath as his ebony eyes closed. A clattering sound was made as his sword fell from his hand and onto his mother's headstone. He fell limp in her arms, his last breath escaping from his lips.
Washu leaned down over his body, gripping his clothing tightly as she let a strangled sob escape from her throat. Her tears fell freely as the rain upon his still chest; and she paid no heed of the crimson blood that seeped onto her hands and clothing.
Silence reigned over the spot where Achika lay; and now her son had joined her, victim to the same power that had sapped away her life fifteen years ago.
