Chapter Thirty-four: Warping with Washu

Washu had changed the look of her lab. Where once it had been a huge space filled with machines and strange devices, now it was… luxurious. A place of flowing fountains was all around Tenchi. He was sitting on a red cushioned stool while Washu sat across a table from him.

She was in her adult form; she'd been like that for weeks. Her outfit was a lowcut school uniform that only had four buttons clasped. The others were loose, giving Tenchi a clear look at her ample breasts and the edge of her bra. She was leaning back in her seat, long legs crossed in front of her as she typed. She wore a brown and orange skirt and long black stockings up to her thighs.

Tenchi wondered if she had forgotten he was here. He'd gotten up at four in the morning for this? Especially since he'd meant to cook Ryoko breakfast after last nights fun.

Finally, Washu closed her console and looked up. "All right Tenchi, I think it's about time we got started on teaching you to warp reality."

"No offense, but this doesn't exactly seem like something you can teach a class on." said Tenchi.

"It may not seem that way, but you shouldn't underestimate me Tenchi." said Washu, smiling at him. Tenchi suppressed a blush as she stood up and walked past him with swaying hips. As she passed him, she brought around one hand to turn his face. This time he did blush as she snapped her fingers and created a dry erase board.

Was she trying to teach him or seduce him?

Washu made her way over to the dry erase board and drew out a marker. She began to write out incomprehensible diagrams. "Now, there are two things you've got to keep in mind when warping reality. First, you have to keep in mind power." More incomprehensible gibberish. "It's a little-known fact, but your average person warps reality every day just by looking at things. What you expect, where to gaze, what you think about. These things all form together to change the universe a little every day.

"It's just so gradual that you don't notice." She turned around and leaned down toward him, giving him a cleave view of her cleavage. He could see all the way down to her navel. Her lips were inches from his face. "Now what you have, young man is the power to change the world according to your whims. You can do it far more than the average person. You have much more raw power which means the potential of your strength is far greater.

"Unfortunately this comes with a catch." She brought up a hand and pushed his face up, so their eyes were facing each other. "Do you know what a counter actor is?"

Tenchi tried to control himself. He'd done far more than this with Ryoko, so why was Washu able to have this kind of effect on her? "No."

Washu stepped back and twirled around. The motion sent her skirts flowing up around her. He got a brief glimpse at her underwear as she approached the dry erase board. "A counter actor is the equal and opposite reaction to an event. For instance, if you throw a ball into that pool of water, it sets in motion a chain of events — one which eventually results in the ball being pushed back to the surface.

"It's the same here. Except with high-level reality warpers, it's much more pronounced."

Why couldn't all teachers be like this? "What form does it take?"

"Well, when it's reality you are playing with it can take almost any form." said Washu. "An object. A person. A place. The thing about counter actors though, is that if you keep on pulling at reality, you are sure to run into one.

"Now the thing about counter actors is that they are by their nature a reaction. An equal and opposite reaction against your reality warping. Which means that your reality warping will be useless against them."

"So how have you avoided a counteractor?" asked Tenchi.

Washu stretched out and leaned against the boar, batting her eyelashes at him. "Simple enough. I factor my reality warping into existing machines I invent. It sort of dulls the edge, so to speak. You did the same thing with Zero. She was a shapeshifter, so altering her body had very little effect on reality. The counteractor for that, if one even formed, would be tiny. Hardly noticeable.

"On the other hand, if you'd done it to, say, Ayeka, your warping would have had to do all the changes itself. She isn't a shapeshifter. Which means that the counteractor will be much more powerful."

"So how do I learn to control this?" asked Tenchi.

Washu walked forward with a strut and put one long leg on his stool, between his legs. She was wearing high heeled black shoes. She raised a hand and snapped her finger. Out of the floor emerged a huge birdfeeder. Yet the water was all frozen. "Simple enough. I want you to melt this ice."

Tenchi blinked. "That's it?"

"Of course," said Washu. "the ice is melting anyway. All you need to do is speed up the process."

Tenchi reached forward with his mind. He tried to remember how he'd changed Zero. He felt the ice. Closing his eyes he focused on it, demanding that the molecules change to water. Little by little they did change, melting into water. It had worked. "Done."

"Good." said Washu, before putting her leg over his shoulder. Before Tenchi knew what was happening she had rolled over him and got behind. Her legs wrapped around his stomach. Tenchi looked down where he was fully erect.

Washu reached around and into his shirt, feeling up his chest as he felt her lips against her ear. "Now Tenchi," she whispered, "I want you to freeze it again."

Tenchi gulped and tried to ignore his distraction. He willed the water to harden and freeze. But it was hard to do with Washu around him. Finally, he did it; it was frozen solid. "Done."

"Good." said Washu. She swung around his body like a pole so their lips were inches apart and her body pressed against his. "Now keep melting and freezing it until I tell you to stop. When you've finished for the day… I'll have an extra special reward for you."

Tenchi was not going to be cowed into submission this easily even if he wanted to be. "How does this help?"

Washu stepped back. "I'm just giving you practice. It's not all fun and games. You need to practice this stuff if you're going to be able to do anything big." She paused. "Oh, and how are you feeling?"

Tenchi thought about that. He was tired. Very tired. "Really tired."

"Oh yeah, I should have mentioned." said Washu. "Reality warping is like a muscle. You have to practice it. If your mind is experienced at it you won't get tired all that easily. And doing it while distracted is even harder. Thus the schoolgirl outfit."

"It didn't happen with Zero." noted Tenchi.

"You probably didn't notice what with the other things you were doing." said Washu. "Also, you only changed Zero once. With this, you are changing the ice to water and back over and over again. You'll need to build up endurance, kiddo."

At that moment a door opened, and Sasami entered. "Washu, Tenchi, breakfast is ready."

"Right, thanks Sasami." said Tenchi. "We'll be right there."

Breakfast was delicious as always. More delicious than usual. Sasami seemed to have been experimenting, and Tenchi wondered at the recipe. He noted that Ayeka was reading the copy of Lord of the Rings he had given her months ago. She looked very interested and had barely touched her food.

And then Ryoko wrapped her arms around him. "Hey Tenchi, I heard you've been practicing reality warping with Washu? Want to do some practice with me?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Ryoko." said Tenchi.

"Oh come on." said Ryoko. "Why should Zero get all the fun?"

"Not at the breakfast table, Ryoko." said Tenchi.

"Right, sorry." said Ryoko, before floating back to her place. "Really Ryoko, must you be such a bore?" asked Ayeka, putting down her book.

Here they went. Just like that Ryoko was back to hugging Tenchi. "Oh, but it's only natural for lovers to cuddle."

"Lovers?" asked Ayeka.

"Well it's no secret." said Ryoko. "I guess you're just in denial about him not wanting you."

Ayeka stood, struggling to speak. "Why… why… I'll have you know that Lord Tenchi is far too honorable to act in such a way to a Princess! He acts that way with you because you're just a common harlot!"

Ryoko's eyes narrowed, and she stood. "Care to repeat the Princess!" "Here we go." said Tenchi, closing his eyes.

"Gladly." said Ayeka. "I will not have you pretending as if your status makes you anything more than a Mistress."

"Well, that still makes me more than you!" snarled Ryoko. "Silence!" cried Ayeka. "Could both of you please stop it-" began Tenchi.

"I won't tolerate this! This has to be settled once and for all!" cried Ayeka. "Now prepare yourself to die, Ryoko!"

"Bring it on, Princess Ayeka!"

Tenchi said nothing and opened his eyes. They were powering up now. Pretty soon the table would be dust and Washu would be sciencing up repairs. This time the fight went outdoors, and he watched as their powers clashed. "Well this is a fairly standard Tuesday." said Zero.

"Yep." said Tenchi, closing his eyes and imagining how he would prefer these to go. He conjured up a mental image as real as day in an instant.

He imagined walking out to watch the battle as Zero and Washu walked with him. "The likelihood of this event occurring at least once a week is near one hundred percent." said Tenchi.

"On a separate note, I've got a new plan which might just speed up the process of bringing Kiyone back." said Washu.

"Really, what is it Washu?" asked Tenchi. This was odd for a daydream.

"Well I thought that with all the data I had to process, two heads would be better than one." said Washu. "But no head is a match for mine. Which brought me to the newest idea I'd had yet."

"And what is that?" asked Tenchi, turning his focus from the battle between Ryoko and Ayeka.

"You'll just have to wait and see." said Washu.

"Zero, you've been awfully quiet lately." Tenchi imagined himself saying. "Is something wrong?"

"Ayeka is under a great deal of stress." noted Zero. "Her fighting style has a greater level of aggression and anger than it did before."

"You don't mean that she's trying to hurt Ryoko are you?" asked Sasami.

Zero shook her head. "Ryoko is far more powerful than Ayeka. Even if Ayeka did fight to kill, Ryoko could easily glance off any attempt to hurt her. This is more an entertainment for Ryoko, and Ayeka as well.

"Similar to a mating dance."

"Mating dance?" asked Tenchi, turning his imagination to the point. "That's reading into things a bit aren't you?"

"No." said Zero. "After due analysis, I have concluded that Ryoko and Ayeka are both attracted to one another. Ryoko has hardly made a secret of the fact. While Ayeka seems to be in denial of this concept."

He imagined himself turning to see Ryoko knock aside Ayeka's guard and press her lips against Ayeka's. There was a kiss, and in a moment Ayeka grasped Ryoko and kissed back. "…I wouldn't call that denial, Zero."

"All right, break it up you two!" said Tenchi, walking forward. "I think that's going little far!"

They did break it up. Ayeka was blushing, speechless, while Ryoko was smirking. "Ryoko you…"

"Hey, we've been edging toward it for a long time." said Ryoko. "What say we share Tenchi?"

"I… I… demon woman." said Ayeka, before kissing her again. Ryoko held her close and looked up. "What do you say Tenchi? Want to have that threesome?"

"I… if Ayeka is all right with it." Tenchi would say.

"Lord Tenchi, I live for you…" began Ayeka.

Something slapped his hand, and he opened his eyes. Everything was grayed out and frozen around him. Had Washu stopped time? "What is it?"

"You're manipulating reality." said Washu.

"I'm daydreaming." said Tenchi. "I'm changing what I see and hear. Not what actually is."

"You're doing both." said Washu, closing her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" asked Tenchi.

"What you perceive effects reality?" asked Washu. "Just then you pulled at possible threads of the universe to create a scenario. It's similar to what I do with the dimension tuner, but is much more dangerous."

"What do you mean?" asked Tenchi.

"When I alter something with a dimension tuner you can cancel it easily. All someone has to do to leave is reject the scenario they created." said Washu. "That's because it has a built-in escape clause — basic safety. On the other hand, if you alter one chain of events, it could result in numerous other chains of events. The resulting reaction could be too great for you to reverse."

Tenchi sighed. "I'll be careful."

"That's not good enough!" said Washu. "This is really serious Tenchi. Reality warping is one of the greatest powers imaginable to beings of this dimension. Power like that corrupts.

"Look, what if you decided one day to change every girl in the house's cup size. Just make them all a bit bigger for a sense of fun. But you figure you don't want them to get angry, so you make it, so they don't notice anything.

"Right there you've screwed with their minds."

"I'd never do anything like that." said Tenchi. "And anyway what's the harm in them not noticing something."

"You just did. Or do you think Ayeka would ever actually admit to being attracted to Ryoko?" asked Washu. "For that matter, do you think Ryoko would endanger their friendship by crossing that line?"

Tenchi considered it. "…No?"

"Exactly. Now, of course, none of them will remember what happened." said Washu. "It is now a potential timeline which never occurred and will only become more distant with time. All you did was lower some of their inhibitions. It was more like a roleplay than mind control.

"But once you start manipulating minds when does it stop? Why does it matter if you can alter the minds of lesser beings if you can just change them back later? And once it doesn't matter what you do to people why not experiment by killing someone."

"I am not a murderer!" said Tenchi.

"But you wouldn't have to be!" said Washu. "You could stab someone to death and then make it, so it never happened! The only thing which would change would be you, Tenchi!

"If you misuse reality warping and you are powerful enough, nobody can stop you. Nobody will even know you need stopping. But it can twist you into a monster.

"That's why I have an ironclad rule. I never hurt anyone with reality warping. And I never alter minds. Not even to the smallest degree. Because the moment I break either of those rules all bets are off."

Tenchi blinked as he heard what she said. "…Wait, so this power, it can control time?"

Washu sighed. "Time isn't linear Tenchi. There exist an infinite number of possible universes. But there is only one actual universe that is real. Most people think as you walk down the path of life doors close and open. But in reality, doors are opening and closing all along the path for an infinite number of people. Some of whom don't exist.

"Mere perception changes reality. Sometimes the pasts shifts behind us, and we just don't notice because it's always been that way. With your powers, you could probably alter the course of history, if you really put your mind to it."

"You mean like killing Hitler." guessed Tenchi.

"Well you could." said Washu. "But it wouldn't change all that much. Germany didn't go bad because of Hitler. It went bad because of a huge web of issues with your world's politics that were going to spiral out of control. It was only a matter of when.

"With proper use of past alterations, you could, theoretically speaking, change the timeline. But in the grand scheme of things very little would be different. Certain people might be born at different times. The names of the factions and who was in charge of them might be different. But the powers in charge of your world are very good at making things come out alright."

"So I couldn't butterfly myself out of existence?" guessed Tenchi.

"Of course not." said Washu. "People are souls in machines of flesh and blood. Your soul would be incarnated at some point. Things would just be a bit different."

"So changing the past isn't impossible." guessed Tenchi. "It's just pointless."

"And dangerous." said Washu. "Just because things work out in the grand scheme of things doesn't mean they work out in the short term. Maybe instead of being defeated, Nazi Germany conquers Europe. Then collapses under the weight of its own depravity a few decades — the blink of an eye for a god, but more than enough time for an entire generation to suffer. And for the Holocaust to be made that much worse.

"But I wouldn't even use time travel for minor, selfish things. To use my earlier example, suppose you want to mod the universe to make all the girls a bit sexier. But you don't want to screw with their minds, so instead, you make it, so it was always that way.

"You've just changed the past — a change that could result in numerous other, very small changes. The thing is, you won't be aware of them. You'll only know that you made one small change to the past and everything else will seem natural.

"So maybe when Mihoshi was in school she developed early and found she could use her assets to get boys to like her. Maybe she became a completely different person as a result. Maybe she never entered the Galaxy Police."

"But then I'd never be able to make the change." noted Tenchi.

"But the timetable doesn't matter, Tenchi." said Washu. "You'd have already made the change. And your status as a reality warper exists outside of time and space.

"Which means that you would be shouldering a much higher burden. You would be warping reality to make sure that Mihoshi developed the same way she did in this reality. And there are other alterations. Alterations lead to other alterations.

"Pretty soon you find yourself having to do more and more warping to keep your timeline in existence. And the more you do it, the more likely that a counter actor will be created.

"Then, bam. The counter actor kills you. Reality as you know it ceases to be and the new universe you created asserts itself. You'll still exist. But the new you is different. You're entire personality, everything which makes you who you are could be gone. And if the universe has to write you back into existence, it will take your powers. So you can't get your old universe back. That's another rule, by the way."

Tenchi shuddered. "…I think we'd better stick with melting ice."

"Good idea." said Washu. "Now I'll unfreeze them now. Halting time is hard stuff." She pressed a button, and the fight concluded with the usual explosive result.

"So what did everyone think of the breakfast?" asked Sasami when it was over.

"It was great Sasami. Thanks." said Tenchi.

"…Very nice Sasami…" said a rather dazed Ayeka.

"Yeah… it was… fine…" said Ryoko.

"Excellent." said Zero.

"Tenchi, could you help me with something in my lab?" asked Washu. "We need to do some more practice."

"Of course." said Tenchi.

The two of them walked back into the lab where the ice was beginning to melt. Washu restored it. Then something occurred to Tenchi. "Washu, I just thought of something."

"What is it?" asked Washu.

"I was altering Kiyone for a while before I even knew reality warping was a thing." said Tenchi. "Do you think I might have-"

"Don't worry Tenchi. The counter actor is a response to conscious decisions." said Washu, turning around. "Plus, Kiyone was an avatar of Tsunami. Heck, for all we know Kiyone was put here to absorb your errant thoughts while your powers awakened. She is borderline omnipotent, you know.

"I'm going to keep working on my newest invention." Then she leaned in and kissed him, hands wrapping around him. Tenchi returned the embrace and felt up her behind with his hands. Finally, they broke apart, and Washu cupped his chin. "You work on the ice. You've still got to earn that reward."

She turned and walked away. "Yes ma'am." said Tenchi, wiping sweat from his brow. Best not to disappoint the teacher.

Within the shadows of a Juraian Throne room, a member of the Royal Household sat veiled in shadow. Her hands were clasped and kneeled before her was a woman clad all in white. She had long green hair to beneath her back and one of the largest busts on record. She was a master of cooking and cleaning, unparalleled. She graduated first in her class from the Galaxy Police University. She had been Mihoshi's partner before anyone else. She was also a more senior Princess than Ayeka.

Her name was Princess Noike Kamiki Jurai, and she was perfect. "Do you understand the instructions I've given you, my dear Noike?" asked the woman.

"Of course Mother." said Noike. "I'll see to them personally."

Author's Note:

This chapter was very important. And not just for the ending. See, I just established that Tenchi can do basically anything with his reality warping. Which means that unless I set some limits, there would be absolutely nothing that could challenge him. Unfortunately establishing those limits takes a lot of work.

So I figured I'd take the idea of a counter actor from the OVA and turn it into a universal law.

Then I realized it was an entire episode of exposition. And I thought to myself; "How am I supposed to make THIS interesting?"

The answer; fanservice. Also, I could add Washu to the formal harem at last. So I've actually advanced the plot.

Also, I'm aware that a lot of people have been begging me not to include Noike Kamiki Jurai in the story. They are justified in their hatred of the character. She is probably the worst character in the franchise. And she is introduced in the worst episode of the franchise. Which introduces a lot of other characters. Who give Noike a run for her money as the worst character.

Some might regard her character as unsalvageable.

I take that as a challenge. I'm going to try and write Noike Kamiki Jurai into the plot in a way that gives her a purpose. And since Kiyone has been written out of the show, this is the perfect chance. And I'm going to do one better. I'm going to try and make Noike into a GOOD character.

Wish me luck. We who are about to die salute you.