Hey guys, Faerie Ravyne here. Well if you're here then you must have like the first chapter. I'm glad, so very glad. Well here is chapter two. I hope you like this one also. Please tell me. R&R. Okay, read on.
Diclaimer: I don't own the original cast of Tenchi Muyo. I don't know who does, but good for them. I do own all my original ones though. So, blah!!
On with....
Tenchi Muyo!--Lost Souls Ch. 2
At the Masaki house, Tenchi, his father, and Ryoko sifted through the remains of Aeka's room while Washu, Mihoshi, and Ryo-Ohki comforted a shocked Sasami. A shocked Grandfather stood watching. He had failed.
"Promise me that you will watch over your sister," his father had asked. It had been the only favor he had ever asked for of his son. Everything else was usually an order. If he was asking for something, it had to be important. Of coarse, he answer was an affirmative.
"Of coarse, I will look after her, I will look after both of them father. That goes without saying."
"No," the emperor said, "place close attention to Aeka. She seems different. And now I'm afraid that I pushed her too far. I want to be able to see her again."
"I don't understand father," Yosho said.
"You have had a daughter, you must know that sometimes it can be more difficult for fathers to interact with their daughters, more so than they do with their sons," the emperor explained. "I will tell you this, don't push too far. She's gotten very close to the edge, I don't want her to fall."
Yosho nodded, "I will watch her. I will not push her over that edge."
Ryoko grabbed some burned fabric that she had found when she lifted a fallen rafter. She had teared when she had first seen it, but now that she had it in her hands she was relieved. She called Tenchi over and then told him what it was. "It's her robes, but there is no sign of a body. It's like she took them off and left," she said.
"I think your right, Ryoko. But why? Why did she do that?" Tenchi asked.
"I don't know, maybe she changed her robes and left to go see Ryo-Ohl," was her answer. They left the remains and joined everyone else.
Sasami looked up with hopeful eyes to Tenchi. "We can't find anything there. We think maybe that she went to see Ryo-Ohl. If she were there she wouldn't have heard anything, would she Washu."
"No, she wouldn't," Washu answered. Everyone was hopeful and they quickly left to Washu's laboratory. When they finally made it to the lab, everyone made a mad dash for the pot that held Ryo-Ohl. There was a universal gasped among them when they reached it. Where Ryo-Ohl, a Juraian tree that was unable to move on its own, once stood, there was now nothing but a slip of paper. Grandfather picked it up and read it to himself and paled. Tenchi reached for it and then read it out loud, "I will not be going back. I will not allow him to rule my life. I have made my decision. Goodbye."
"Aeka," Ryoko said under her breath, then she turned and called for Ryo-Ohki. Washu and Tenchi ran after her to help, but stopped when Grandfather yelled, "No, don't. Let her be. Perhaps it is for the best."
"Grandfather," Tenchi asked sadly.
"She must find herself," he answered, then turned and left. Everyone stood there, Sasami with tears strolling down her cheeks. Washu bowed her head down and that is when she saw it, the box where she had put her newest invention. So that is how she did it, she thought. Then it dawned on her. "This is not good," she said out loud.
"What is it, Washu," Mihoshi asked.
Well, she might as well explain it now better than later. "I had been working on this new invention, a super computer that I had assimilated with the Mass.
"Ryoko's dad," Mihoshi asked absentmindedly. Everyone just sweat dropped, anime style, Washu just ignored her and kept on with her explanation.
"All I needed was a subject for the final assimilation, I was hoping to use Ryo-Ohki for this." Ryo-Ohki's eyes widened. "However, it looks like Aeka beat me to it. She must have been listening when I was straightening the lab. Well, now we know how Ryo-Ohl left from the pot." She paused as she thought about what she was about to tell them. "But that isn't what the problem is. The computer that I built has amazing abilities, one of which is a cloaking device that is undetectable. It jams both computer and human senses."
"What?!" was everyone's response.
"Of coarse, I didn't think that it was going to be taken and used against us. Well, I guess that I better get started on making something that IS able to detect it. Of coarse, that will take time, but maybe by that time she would have found herself."
"Get to work on it, Washu. We are going to have to keep this a secret from Grandfather and everyone else. Got it." Tenchi had taken charge of the situation. Everyone nodded in agreement, and then he turned and left to get everything ready for their trip.
In space, far away from Earth and the rest of the family, the newly born Andromeda sat in the command chair of her ship the Olympus. Iris, in her holographic image, was standing beside her. Andromeda still wore Iris's white cloak.
"Where do we go first, your highness," Iris said. Andromeda looked at Iris. She had already told Iris that she was no longer a princess, but Iris could not be dissuaded from calling her princess or your highness or Andromeda-hime. Andromeda didn't mind being called the later name, but the notion of still being called anything reminiscent of royalty still phased her a bit. Well, it couldn't be helped; she was just going to have to get use to it.
"Take me anywhere that is as far away from Jurai as possible," she finally answered.
"We will need supplies, princess," Iris told her.
Andromeda thought about it for awhile, then as an idea came to her head, a slow smile creep up her face. Iris was intrigued by the smile. "I know how we can get them," Andromeda finally admitted. She then began to explain what she needed to do.
A month later, everyone was on Jurai staying in the palace. Since they had gotten there, the emperor was getting worse and worse. Everyone knew the reason why, but no one had said anything out loud . When they first arrived, the emperor was happy to see his son and daughter, but when he was told about Aeka, you could tell that he was extremely sadden but not surprised. Tenchi accepted and was officially crowned as the Crown Prince of Jurai next heir to the throne of Jurai. Sasami seemed to wonder the palace with Ryo-Ohki always in tow in either her animal or humanoid form, not truly happy because she missed her sister. Washu and Ryoko would stay on Jurai, being invited by the prince to stay. Washu, who knew that he wanted her to stay because she was the only one who would be able to find a way to find Aeka, agreed. Ryoko, whom Tenchi truly loved, agreed for her love for him was as great. Only one person was missing, Aeka. Tenchi's other love and Ryoko's--although she would never admit it out loud--best friend and soul sister, Aeka.
One day, the sick emperor called Tenchi into his room.
"You called for me, your majesty," Tenchi could never bring himself to call his great-grandfather anything else, but he did say it with true emotion.
"Yes," the emperor said weakly, "Please come closer, Tenchi." Tenchi did so and sat by his bed. "Aeka," the emperor said with a choked sigh, "has not returned yet." It was a statement not a question. "I don't think she will return in my lifetime."
"Do not say such things, your majesty."
The emperor weakly shook his head. "I know she will not come back. I pushed her away. I thought that I was doing what I thought she needed, maybe I was wrong. I had done that with my son and his family. Yet I didn't learn because now it's happening with my daughter. I should have known that they would be as stubborn as I am. I have just reconciled with him, and it took my failing health to see the errors of my way. I will never get that chance with my daughter," he finished his sad tale.
"Tenchi," he asked pleadingly. Tenchi eyed the emperor. "Tenchi, do you love my daughter?" Tenchi nodded, the emperor didn't need anymore assurance. "Do you love Ryoko also?"
"Yes, I love them both," Tenchi confirmed.
"They remind me of my wives." He stopped talking for awhile to gather his strength, Tenchi waited patiently. The emperor finally begun speaking again, "One day I know you will marry them both." Tenchi was shocked. "It is customary, yet not necessary, for the emperor of Jurai to take two wives. This will come in handy for you because of your love for the two women. However, Tenchi, you must promise me that you will marry Aeka first." Tenchi gasped. "I ask for this promise so that you will not have trouble with the people and the council of Jurai. When she returns, you marry her."
"I promise, your majesty." Tenchi bowed his head and placed his hand over his heart to express his sincerity. The emperor seemed happy with this and he sighed in relief. Tenchi lowered his eyes as he debated with the information he had. Back on Earth he had everyone involve promise not to talk about what Washu was up to. His grandfather didn't wish to search for Aeka, he believed that Aeka would come back on her own. Tenchi believed that Grandfather was wrong about Aeka and knew if he knew what Tenchi was up to, he would put a stop to it. Tenchi loved Aeka too much to do such a thing; he was going to find her. He and Ryoko were not complete without her.
He finally decided. "Your majesty, I must tell you something." He gathered his strength as the emperor gave him his undivided attention. "I have been working with Lady Washu, against my grandfather's wishes, to locate and bring Aeka home. In anyway possible, Aeka will be brought home." He finished with conviction.
"I know that Yosho doesn't wish to find Aeka, his way may be the opposite of my way, but it is still the incorrect way. I am glad that you are doing what you are doing, perhaps you will know what path is the correct path. Please continue, please find her and tell her I'm sorry."
"I will. Now, please rest, it is not my wish to gain the throne just yet," Tenchi said with jest and left his great-grandfather to rest.
Outside Tenchi was approached by one of the generals of the military. "Your Highness, there is some news on the space pirate that has been raiding the Juraian interests.
"What has happened now, General," Tenchi responded with annoyance. Although his grandfather was the regent while the emperor was ill, he was put in charge of the military and then would report back to his grandfather on a regular bases. It was quite peaceful, so all that was reported to him was the escapades of the space pirate Andromeda against Jurai and other trivial things. Grandfather was busy with other affairs of state and thought that this was a good way for Tenchi to learn about the military. Tenchi could not refuse his grandfather's will, so he accepted; however, Tenchi had better things to do than deal with a space pirate like finding Aeka. This was the reason for his annoyance.
The general, however, thought that his annoyance was the fact that the space pirate attacked and robbed Juraian interests and continued to give his report. "In the Delta sector of the Milky Way, Andromeda attacked and robbed the Second Intergalactic Bank of Jurai. There seems to be around six to seven members in Andromeda's gang including her. There are reported to having stolen...," he checked his summarized report to make sure the sum was correct, "one million Juraian emareldes and she seemed to download some vital information about the Juraian defense system that was stored there because of it security system."
"What," Tenchi was amazed at what the pirate could get away with. The pirate had gotten more than one million emareldes before, but what was really disconcerting was that fact that she had gotten a hold of defense secrets; this was not good. He recovered quickly and turned towards the general. "How is that possible?"
"It's not sure how they entered the computer system to steal the information, only someone with Juraian royal blood can cut through all the system checks. The system was full proof," the general answered shaken by the rising anger in the prince. He swallowed.
"Well, obviously not. I want the full report in my office in one hour," Tenchi said walking to his office.
Two and half-hours later, he had finished reading the report and had made his decision. He sighed and got up from his chair and made his way to the secret doorway that led to Washu's laboratory in third space. He entered the door and soon found himself in her lab.
"Hello, Tenchi, I'm afraid that I still haven't managed to find a way to detect through the cloaking device. That computer can learn and so it will take some time before I can catch-up and then surpass it. I think, though, that I will be able to get it in about another six to ten months," Washu's explained immediately upon recognizing who had entered. Ryoko, who had been standing by her side, smiled as she saw Tenchi. They had been working nonstop since Aeka disappeared.
"Washu," Tenchi began solemnly. The way he said her name caused her to stop typing and turn to look at him. Ryoko's smile disappeared and was replaced with a worried look. "I need you to work on something else."
"What?!" was Ryoko's response.
"The space pirate is getting more aggressive. She's going after defense secrets now. I need you to work on something that this pirate can't get through. Only you would be able to come up with something that was really full proof, since your are a genius after all."
Before she could answer, Ryoko spoke up, "And you want her to give up on trying to find Aeka." She wanted to find Aeka as much as, or more than, Tenchi did.
Washu settled Ryoko down, then spoke, "Working on the defense system WILL set me back quite a bit on finding Aeka. Are you sure?"
"I know," he said with a bit of annoyance, "but I have to think about the people of Jurai. That's a whole planet, Aeka is just one person. I can't be selfish. Please, understand."
Ryoko looked into his eyes and saw how much this was hurting him; it was obvious that this decision was hurting him as much as it was hurting her. She took a breath then said, "I'll help Washu. I was a space pirate once; I do know how they think. My insight should help Washu finish it quickly, and then we could get back to finding Aeka." Tenchi looked at her with appreciation and silently thanked her.
"Well, I guess I better get started, so you scoot out of here now," Washu said as she pushed Tenchi out of her lab. When he was out the door, she turned towards Ryoko with obvious pride reflected in her eyes then said with her hands clasped in front of her, "Let's get started." Ryoko nodded with determination.
