Mari walked down the stairs. She was going to leave again, but not come back this time.
But then she heard a crash.
The light went on and Mari saw Tenchi looking at her, and then over to where the crash had come
from. Mari traced his gaze.
There sat Ryo-ohki in the middle of some broken glass. She wasn't moving.
Then the light upstairs went on and Sasami stood at the top of the stairs.
"Ryo-ohki!" she cried. She raced down the stairs and over to Ryo-ohki. She picked up the body and
cradled it in her arms. She ignored the pain when the peices of glass broke into her skin.
"Oh no..." said Ryoko's voice. She appeared next to Sasami.
Sasami ignored her and kept crying and cradling the cabbit's body.
"What happened?" asked Washu. She too was suddenly in the room. She looked at Ryoko.
"I..." Ryoko said.
Tenchi pushed them away and picked up Sasami.
"What's going on? Is Sasami okay?" asked Ayeka. She ran down the stairs and was immidatly at
Tenchi side. She winced at the blood that falling onto the floor from Sasami's feet.
Tenchi gently laid Sasami on the couch, moving her legs so that her feet would hang off the edge.
No one made a move to take Ryo-ohki away from her. Ayeka sat down on the couch and put
Sasami's feet on her lap. Sasami didn't even aknowledge her when she started to take the peices of
glass out.
"Ryoko, Washu, you're mentally linked with Ryo-ohki. Tell me what was going on." Tenchi said.
"I think you should explain this one Ryoko." Washu said.
Mari felt increasingly uncomfortable. When she tried to use the chaos as a cover for her to leave
Tenchi grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go.
"Well... I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know she would get hurt... I never wanted that..."
"Just tell me what happened." Tenchi said.
"I don't trust her." Ryoko said pointing to Mari. "I remember when you two were growing up. I didn't
trust her then either. So, I sent Ryo-ohki out to keep an eye on her. I didn't think she'd get hurt..."
Mari looked over at Tenchi and he just looked so old and tired...
Sasami was now pulling out the peices of glass in Ryo-ohki's fur and murmuring things like, "It's
okay. Wake up. Don't leave me."
"But what does that have to do with why Ryo-ohki was down here?" asked Tenchi.
"Tenchi, don't you get it? She was leaving." Ryoko said.
He looked at Mari. "Not again... you wouldn't do it again."
Mari couldn't look at his face anymore. She couldn't stay in that room. Ryoko was blamming her.
Everyone was blamming her.
Then, all she saw was Ryoko's face, laughing, right before she slit Mesou's throat.
Mari slowly walked up to Ryoko and slapped her. Ryoko fell to her knees and held her cheek.
"What are you doing?" asked Tenchi. She hit him too.
"Why didn't you save me?" she asked. She lifted up her arm to hit him again but Yosho came up
behind her and grabbed her.
Washu stared at her.
"Now I remember... Funaho's daughter. That's who she is." Washu said.
"Grandpa?" asked Tenchi.
"Yes Tenchi. It's true. Meet your dead great aunt." he said.
Everyone except for Mari and Sasami sat around the table.
"Yosho, why don't I remember her?" asked Ayeka.
"Because you never knew her. She was kept a secret."
"But I knew about her. I found out from some... people I knew. I decided to keep it a secret because
I had nothing against Jurai." Washu said.
"But why was she kept a secret?" asked Tenchi.
"Because mother wanted a daughter. Not a daughter to show around to the public. If anyone had
known about her then she would be a princess. Mother would never see her. They'd never be like
a real mother and daughter. So she decided to keep Mesou-that was her name then- a secret."
"Why did you call her my dead great aunt?" asked Tenchi.
"Because she is dead. Or rather Mesou is. Back when Ryoko was under the control of Kagato, she
attacked Jurai. You remember Ayeka. Ryoko captured Mesou. I had to go after my sister. When we
were far away from Jurai, I showed myself. Ryoko slit Mesou's throat and I had to watch her die.
Mari, as she now calls herself, still remembers that time. She thinks I didn't do enough to try and
save her." Yosho said.
"But then why is she alive now if I killed her before?" asked Ryoko.
"You didn't kill her. Kagato did. He was the one who had control of your actions."
"That doesn't answer the question." Ayeka said.
"When I defeated Ryoko, I took Mesou's body from the ship. Over the many years I was on Earth, she
was slowly getting back her life energy. One day as I walked past the tomb that I had put her in I
heard a baby crying. She ignored her Jurain power as she grew up. Therefore it slowly faded away.
It didn't keep her young. She didn't want to look young. She wanted to grow up with Tenchi. The day
your father brought you and your mother home from the hospital, Tenchi, is the day I found her alive
and well in the tomb. She wanted to protect you. She could sence bad things were going to happen in
your life, and she wanted to keep you away from trouble."
"I never knew I would fall in love." said a voice. There in the doorway stood Sasami.
"Sasami?" Ayeka asked.
They had had Washu put her and Mariko into a deep sleep to calm them down.
"Ryo-ohki!" cried Ryoko. Ryo-ohki had stepped out from behind Sasami's legs.
"She's alive!" said Sasami.
"How?" asked Tenchi.
Sasami froze. "Tenchi, she wanted me to give you this." she said as she held out a peice of paper.
"What's going on?" asked Ayeka.
Tenchi took the letter, but didn't read it. He looked at the letter, then at Sasami. He raced out of the
room and up the stairs.
Everyone in the room followed him except for Yosho, who was wondering if he really had done all he
could have done to save his baby sister the first time.
Ryoko and Washu stopped at the foot of the stairs.
Washu looked at Ryoko.
"I never meant for anyone to get hurt."
"I know." Washu said.
"I was just worried about Tenchi..."
"No you weren't." Washu said. Ryoko couldn't look Washu in the eyes. "You were worried about
yourself."
"T-that's not true." Ryoko replied.
"Yes it is Ryoko. We have a mind link remember? I don't blame you though. I might've done the
same thing, had I not had more respect for his privacy."
"I always knew he'd be with Mariko." Ryoko said.
"No, you always senced he'd be with someone of Jurain blood. Mariko has Jurain blood. I think we
both know who he'll really end up with. And you lay a hand on her, Ayeka will kill you." Washu said.
She turned away from Ryoko and walked up the stairs.
Tenchi stared at Mari's body, laying on the floor of Sasami's room. He knelt by her side and
wrapped his arms around her.
"Why did you leave me again?" he asked.
Sasami gently took the letter from his hand.
"Tenchi, I'm sorry to leave you again. But I think I'm no longer welcomed. Besides, there's no better
way to die then when saving another's life. I do love you Tenchi, which is why I would never stay.
I know you're not meant to be with me, but with another one of the girls. Yes, I do know who, but you
need to find that out for yourself. Just so that no one feels guilty, everything was all my decision.
It's my fault Ryo-ohki died, so I gave her my life. Not litterally, but hey, she's alive. Don't ask
questions. Besides, you don't need me anymore now that you've got all those other girls to protect
you. Tell Yosho it's not his fault I died the last time. Hey, wow, I died twice. More then you can say
about any of your other friends I bet." Sasami read, trying to keep her voice even. Then she wrapped
her arms around Tenchi as he started to cry.
Tenchi couldn't bring himself to look at Ryoko and feel anything but disappointment.
She had been the one he had chosen before, but now he wasn't so sure. How could he ever love
someone who didn't trust him?
But then she heard a crash.
The light went on and Mari saw Tenchi looking at her, and then over to where the crash had come
from. Mari traced his gaze.
There sat Ryo-ohki in the middle of some broken glass. She wasn't moving.
Then the light upstairs went on and Sasami stood at the top of the stairs.
"Ryo-ohki!" she cried. She raced down the stairs and over to Ryo-ohki. She picked up the body and
cradled it in her arms. She ignored the pain when the peices of glass broke into her skin.
"Oh no..." said Ryoko's voice. She appeared next to Sasami.
Sasami ignored her and kept crying and cradling the cabbit's body.
"What happened?" asked Washu. She too was suddenly in the room. She looked at Ryoko.
"I..." Ryoko said.
Tenchi pushed them away and picked up Sasami.
"What's going on? Is Sasami okay?" asked Ayeka. She ran down the stairs and was immidatly at
Tenchi side. She winced at the blood that falling onto the floor from Sasami's feet.
Tenchi gently laid Sasami on the couch, moving her legs so that her feet would hang off the edge.
No one made a move to take Ryo-ohki away from her. Ayeka sat down on the couch and put
Sasami's feet on her lap. Sasami didn't even aknowledge her when she started to take the peices of
glass out.
"Ryoko, Washu, you're mentally linked with Ryo-ohki. Tell me what was going on." Tenchi said.
"I think you should explain this one Ryoko." Washu said.
Mari felt increasingly uncomfortable. When she tried to use the chaos as a cover for her to leave
Tenchi grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go.
"Well... I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know she would get hurt... I never wanted that..."
"Just tell me what happened." Tenchi said.
"I don't trust her." Ryoko said pointing to Mari. "I remember when you two were growing up. I didn't
trust her then either. So, I sent Ryo-ohki out to keep an eye on her. I didn't think she'd get hurt..."
Mari looked over at Tenchi and he just looked so old and tired...
Sasami was now pulling out the peices of glass in Ryo-ohki's fur and murmuring things like, "It's
okay. Wake up. Don't leave me."
"But what does that have to do with why Ryo-ohki was down here?" asked Tenchi.
"Tenchi, don't you get it? She was leaving." Ryoko said.
He looked at Mari. "Not again... you wouldn't do it again."
Mari couldn't look at his face anymore. She couldn't stay in that room. Ryoko was blamming her.
Everyone was blamming her.
Then, all she saw was Ryoko's face, laughing, right before she slit Mesou's throat.
Mari slowly walked up to Ryoko and slapped her. Ryoko fell to her knees and held her cheek.
"What are you doing?" asked Tenchi. She hit him too.
"Why didn't you save me?" she asked. She lifted up her arm to hit him again but Yosho came up
behind her and grabbed her.
Washu stared at her.
"Now I remember... Funaho's daughter. That's who she is." Washu said.
"Grandpa?" asked Tenchi.
"Yes Tenchi. It's true. Meet your dead great aunt." he said.
Everyone except for Mari and Sasami sat around the table.
"Yosho, why don't I remember her?" asked Ayeka.
"Because you never knew her. She was kept a secret."
"But I knew about her. I found out from some... people I knew. I decided to keep it a secret because
I had nothing against Jurai." Washu said.
"But why was she kept a secret?" asked Tenchi.
"Because mother wanted a daughter. Not a daughter to show around to the public. If anyone had
known about her then she would be a princess. Mother would never see her. They'd never be like
a real mother and daughter. So she decided to keep Mesou-that was her name then- a secret."
"Why did you call her my dead great aunt?" asked Tenchi.
"Because she is dead. Or rather Mesou is. Back when Ryoko was under the control of Kagato, she
attacked Jurai. You remember Ayeka. Ryoko captured Mesou. I had to go after my sister. When we
were far away from Jurai, I showed myself. Ryoko slit Mesou's throat and I had to watch her die.
Mari, as she now calls herself, still remembers that time. She thinks I didn't do enough to try and
save her." Yosho said.
"But then why is she alive now if I killed her before?" asked Ryoko.
"You didn't kill her. Kagato did. He was the one who had control of your actions."
"That doesn't answer the question." Ayeka said.
"When I defeated Ryoko, I took Mesou's body from the ship. Over the many years I was on Earth, she
was slowly getting back her life energy. One day as I walked past the tomb that I had put her in I
heard a baby crying. She ignored her Jurain power as she grew up. Therefore it slowly faded away.
It didn't keep her young. She didn't want to look young. She wanted to grow up with Tenchi. The day
your father brought you and your mother home from the hospital, Tenchi, is the day I found her alive
and well in the tomb. She wanted to protect you. She could sence bad things were going to happen in
your life, and she wanted to keep you away from trouble."
"I never knew I would fall in love." said a voice. There in the doorway stood Sasami.
"Sasami?" Ayeka asked.
They had had Washu put her and Mariko into a deep sleep to calm them down.
"Ryo-ohki!" cried Ryoko. Ryo-ohki had stepped out from behind Sasami's legs.
"She's alive!" said Sasami.
"How?" asked Tenchi.
Sasami froze. "Tenchi, she wanted me to give you this." she said as she held out a peice of paper.
"What's going on?" asked Ayeka.
Tenchi took the letter, but didn't read it. He looked at the letter, then at Sasami. He raced out of the
room and up the stairs.
Everyone in the room followed him except for Yosho, who was wondering if he really had done all he
could have done to save his baby sister the first time.
Ryoko and Washu stopped at the foot of the stairs.
Washu looked at Ryoko.
"I never meant for anyone to get hurt."
"I know." Washu said.
"I was just worried about Tenchi..."
"No you weren't." Washu said. Ryoko couldn't look Washu in the eyes. "You were worried about
yourself."
"T-that's not true." Ryoko replied.
"Yes it is Ryoko. We have a mind link remember? I don't blame you though. I might've done the
same thing, had I not had more respect for his privacy."
"I always knew he'd be with Mariko." Ryoko said.
"No, you always senced he'd be with someone of Jurain blood. Mariko has Jurain blood. I think we
both know who he'll really end up with. And you lay a hand on her, Ayeka will kill you." Washu said.
She turned away from Ryoko and walked up the stairs.
Tenchi stared at Mari's body, laying on the floor of Sasami's room. He knelt by her side and
wrapped his arms around her.
"Why did you leave me again?" he asked.
Sasami gently took the letter from his hand.
"Tenchi, I'm sorry to leave you again. But I think I'm no longer welcomed. Besides, there's no better
way to die then when saving another's life. I do love you Tenchi, which is why I would never stay.
I know you're not meant to be with me, but with another one of the girls. Yes, I do know who, but you
need to find that out for yourself. Just so that no one feels guilty, everything was all my decision.
It's my fault Ryo-ohki died, so I gave her my life. Not litterally, but hey, she's alive. Don't ask
questions. Besides, you don't need me anymore now that you've got all those other girls to protect
you. Tell Yosho it's not his fault I died the last time. Hey, wow, I died twice. More then you can say
about any of your other friends I bet." Sasami read, trying to keep her voice even. Then she wrapped
her arms around Tenchi as he started to cry.
Tenchi couldn't bring himself to look at Ryoko and feel anything but disappointment.
She had been the one he had chosen before, but now he wasn't so sure. How could he ever love
someone who didn't trust him?
