Chapter One: Faith
"Sasami-chan, come see this flower!" I called to my sister. She ran back over to me, giggling, to see the flower I was look at.
"Oooh, pretty," she whispered. "Tenchi-onnichan, what kind of flower is this?"
Tenchi stopped where he was, and set down the backpack. He was probably relieved to get rid of all that weight; Sasami had packed a three course lunch for us, and Mihoshi had packed three changes of clothes, not realizing that we weren't staying in the woods overnight. A soft breeze tickled the grass in front of us as Tenchi walked over.
"That's a lily, Sasami-chan, and a particularly pretty one at that."
"Lily. Even the name's pretty!" Sasami giggled.
I sighed. Sasami was starting to annoy me with how happy she was. She skipped ahead with Tenchi when we were walking, and laughed and giggled and chattered when we weren't. It was almost making me ill. Mihoshi was almost as bad, because even though she wasn't as chatty she kept tripping over stray branches and walking into spider webs. Sobs would echo through the forest, and Tenchi would race over to her to comfort the blonde ditz.
I kept a cheerful smile on my face. It wasn't overwhelmingly difficult: just pretend nothing's changed, and you don't act any different. Nothing was different between Tenchi and I. I still loved him, and, deep down, he still truly loved me, right? He was still partly mine, right?
"Aeka-" I jumped at Tenchi's voice. "Hey, are you all right?"
"Yeah, Aeka-onnichan, are you OK?" Sasami's face poked up next to mine.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then nodded and smiled, patting Sasami on the head. "Yes, Sasami-chan. Everything's fine."
***
Washuu stuffed the last of her sandwich in her mouth as she eyed the monitors in front of her. She brushed several crumbs off the keyboard, then started to type, making her routine check of the space around Earth. A small beeping noise suddenly came from one of the screens to her left. Casually, Washuu pointed a remote control at it. "Must be some kind of meteorite," she mumbled to herself through her mouthful of lunch. The screen changed pictures to a large green diagram.
"SPPPPPPTT!" Washuu spit out her sandwich in shock, staring at the spaceship in front of her. "This can't be! How could I have missed this?" She started typing rapidly, and many more screens appeared. "Uh-oh, this'll be big trouble." She leapt off the levitating chair, and raced for the door back to Tenchi's house. "I've got to warn Ryoko!"
***
"FAMILY MEETING!" The cry rang through the Masaki house, amplified by a hundredfold by Washuu's newest PA system. I pinched my ears shut as Washuu's voice echoed again, "IN THE DINING ROOM IMMEDIATELY!"
I sighed, heavily. I had just been writing a letter to my mother for Kiyone to send for me the next time she was on her patrol ship. Kiyone was the only one I trusted to copy my letters into the computer bank and send to the Royal Family of Juraii. The letter was one asking for advice about the situation with Tenchi. Of course, it was to my father's other wife, not my biological mother. While I loved her, I wouldn't trust her to advise me how to jump in a lake.
"GET YOUR FAT FANNY DOWN HERE AEKA!" Washuu's voice ran out again. I do NOT have a fat- oh, never mind. Clenching my fists, I stood up and stormed through the hall, down the stairs and into the living room.
Everyone was waiting for me, including a grinning Washuu. I resisted the urge to punch her cheerful face inside out, and instead sat quietly down on the couch next to Mihoshi. Ryoko was sitting by Tenchi's side on the floor; apparently, she had decided that her chances with him were still good. Sasami and Ryo-ohki sat, the latter on the former's lap, next to Kiyone on the loveseat, and Washuu stood by Ryoko's side.
"I have some important news, which will affect everyone in the house," Washuu said, and everyone sighed in annoyance.
"Not another invention," Ryoko sighed. But I saw that the smile had disappeared off of Washuu's deceivingly young face. She was now looking very serious. That scared me. A serious Washuu is almost never a good thing. Then again, a grinning-like-a-maniac-whilst-running-about-with-strange-control-panels-in-her-hands Washuu isn't a good thing either. I was almost sure I had the better of the two on my hands right now.
Almost.
"What's wrong, Washuu?" Tenchi, ever the level-headed of us, asked politely.
Washuu cut right to the chase, which scared me even more. "There is a spaceship approaching the Earth right now. When it arrives, everyone in this house will be in terrible danger."
"Why?" Kiyone, ever the dedicated cop, stood up. Then, crisply, "Is this danger criminal in nature?" I could almost see the gears turning in her head. If she brought in a highly dangerous criminal, perhaps she could get a partner transfer! Or even a promotion. Or both. She licked her lips in anticipation.
"Not yet it isn't." Washuu shook her head. "No. Long ago, when I was in the science academy, I had a rival. We were both searching for a way to create life energy, which would power a machine ten times greater than my measly laboratory here." Everyone rolled their eyes. "Such a life energy as I used to create Ryoko." Ryoko scoffed; I don't think she ever quite completely believed that Washuu was her creator. I believed it though. Insanity begets insanity and all that.
"So, this rival of yours is the one coming?" I asked.
"Yes. She's never figured out my secret, which means that she will be trying to take hold of it forcefully." She pointed at Ryoko. "You, young lady, are in the most danger. To be blunt, she'll rip you apart trying to discover your secret."
Ryoko muttered, "I'd like to see her try."
"Why would you want to do that?" Mihoshi piped up in wonder. The rest of us ignored her question. "But I don't understand!" She wiped tears from her eyes.
Washuu's finger pointed to herself. "I'm the one in the second most danger. Which means," she put on a supplicating, pity-me expression, "everyone needs to be on the watch for me!"
Ryoko folded her arms, rolling her eyes. Then, I saw her eyes widen with joy. "Teeeennn-chiii," she whined, welding herself to his side, "I'm frightened! You'll protect me from the big bad scientist, won't you Tenchi?"
"Uh…" Tenchi stuttered. I pitied him for a moment. He couldn't exactly say no, and if he said yes Ryoko would be all over him. I grimaced at the weird mental pictures that brought on, then turned my grimace into a look of surprise as Washuu turned her finger on me.
"You," she said, then pointed to Tenchi, "and you, will both be in enough trouble without having to protect my delinquent daughter. My rival has never, ever seen my creation, and with all the Juraiian Life Energy in you two, she make mistake you as my creations, if not the original, then a new and improved version."
"Like anyone could ever mistake Aeka for an improved version of me," Ryoko said loudly.
"Washuu-san," I called, raising my hand as if in school again. "I think your old model has worn out. Isn't it time to replace her circuitry?"
"Are you implying that I'm a piece of machinery?"
"No, of course not." I smiled demurely. "I'm stating it directly."
"You-" and she lunged at me, hands stretched like claws. I screamed, and ducked.
There was a whoosh of air as Washuu snatched the errant Ryoko out of the air, and spanked her firmly on the petoot. Then, after tossing her onto a free chair, "We should be preparing ourselves for the arrival. I'm going to be working on a way to disguise the three of you. You three should be training for battle."
"Washuu-san," Kiyone interrupted again, "what exactly is my-" Mihoshi whimpered. "- our role in this?"
"You need to be ready to make an arrest the moment she tries something. Also, I'd appreciate your taking some scanning equipment into space for me."
"Yes, ma'am!" Kiyone snapped a salute.
I watched Tenchi. His eyes were so beautiful when he was resolved like that. I could tell that he was already considering the battle ahead, and the only thing on his mind was keeping us safe. My mind no longer followed the train of thought that he'd only try to keep me safe, and that perhaps if Ryoko died in the battle, then- But I wasn't going to think like that.
I tried to concentrate on what was to come. But I couldn't help thinking that Tenchi would protect me no matter what came. Tenchi always protected me! And everyone else, the sensible part of my mind added. Tenchi protected all of us. Even if it wasn't out of love, it was comfortable knowing I had that protection.
***
Sasami sighed as she sat down by the lake with Ryo-Ohki. The starlight was reflecting in the pool like the diamond pins in Sasami's velvet black pincushion. Sasami's special tree, the tree which housed Tsunami, was only a few hundred yards away, which comforted the young princess. It was nice to know that Tsunami's power rested only moments away. It wasn't nice looking into the water and seeing that her reflection was only years away.
"What do you think will happen when I look like Tsunami, Ryo-ohki?" The girl asked, slipping a gentle hand over the cabbit's soft head.
"Miau!" The cabbit replied, rubbing against her mistress' soft shirt.
"Maybe then someone will notice me."
"Miau?"
"I have the Juraiian power too! But nobody told me to watch out, or to train. And ever since that robot tried to kill Tenchi, Ryoko and Aeka haven't been talking to me at all. I've walked in to find both of them crying, and I don't understand." Now Sasami was crying too, softly. "Do you understand, Ryo-ohki?"
She waited for a "miau" in response, but there was none. She looked down to find the animal asleep in her arms. Sighing, she leaned gently over the water again, to see Tsunami's tearful face staring back at her.
"Are you crying just because I'm crying, like a reflection?" Sasami whispered.
"No, my dear Sasami. I'm crying because I love you, and I know you're hurting." Tsunami's spirit appeared on top of the water, almost another reflection. "Ryoko and Aeka are going through hard times."
"So am I!" Sasami snapped. Then, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry. There's just so much that's happening to me."
"I understand. You're changing, and there's too much going on around you for anyone to realize it." Tsunami smiled, though tears still traced paths down her cheeks. "I'm here, Sasami. And I promise you, if you need time, Ryoko and Aeka, and even Tenchi, will be there when you ask."
Sasami blushed. "I don't think I want to talk to Tenchi about stuff like this."
Tsunami laughed knowingly and, weakly at first, Sasami laughed too. Then, "I suppose you're right, Tsunami." Then, more hesitatingly, "Tsunami? If the evil scientist guy that's coming tries to hurt me, will I be all right?"
Tsunami watched her younger self for a moment, then nodded wisely. 'You have the power, Sasami."
"Thank you."
***
I was walking up the steps again, trying not to think about how Tenchi and I had stood on these steps just a day ago, and how my life had been changed forever. As the threat of Washuu's rival, who she said was about three days from arriving, drew closer, I kept wondering why I was still on Earth. Wouldn't it be much safer to take Sasami and leave? Two less people in the way and in danger would surely be better. But that would mean leaving Tenchi alone with Ryoko and Mihoshi and Kiyone and Washuu, and while I trusted them - er, well, MOST of them- with my life, I didn't want to abandon my love.
I closed my eyes, deciding to block out all thoughts of Tenchi. So, of course, all I could think of were his big toffee-brown eyes, his dark hair, his wonderful expressive brow, his strong shoulders which had supported me through many a crisis- and living here we had experienced many crises- and of course, his wonderful lips. Lips that formed words I never wanted to hear, lips that spoke to me, that used words to comfort me when what I most longed for was their touch-
THWAK! I yelped in pain as a large rod came down hard on my head. When my vision cleared up, I saw Ryoko standing over me looking hungry for battle, holding a long oak staff that was almost taller than her.
"C'mon, princess, quit your daydreaming and let's start training!"
"What do you mean?" I asked, standing up. I was wary of that thirst for blood in the pirate's eyes.
"We've gotta get ready for that scientist dude, who, by the way, Washuu told me was called Dr. Durivers, and that's like duh-rivers, by the way, and we are going to train for battle!" Her voiced hissed dangerously on the last word, and she tossed me a thick rod like the one she held. I barely caught it in time.
"How will using these things help us?" I asked, as Ryoko dragged me by the arm off of the steps and into the woods. I could barely keep up with her as I was forced over bramble and nearly into treetrunk, trying to see where we were going. Finally, we reached a small clearing.
"Now," Ryoko said firmly, releasing me at one end of the clearing and teleporting to the other. "Attack me!" Her gold eyes gleamed red for a moment.
I stared at the rod in my hand in wonder. "Why not use energy like we usually do?"
"Durivers will be expecting that!" Ryoko snapped. "We need to get ready to attack her physically as well as… as…" She stopped. "Well, whatever you'd call what we normally do." Then, with a wicked smile, "Besides, we need to get your weak royal muscles out of atrophy and into some excuse for fitness!"
"But-"
"If you don't attack me, I'll come after you!" There was madness of some kind in her glare, and I knew that I was the target of all her Tenchi-related aggravation. Hesitantly, I imitated her pose, holding my rod as she did, and then jerked it around to swing it at her.
WHAP! I opened my eyes, surprised I had struck something.
A tree. Ryoko had teleported. I tried to turn around, but the butt of her rod was already being driven into my side. I fell to the ground, and cried out.
"Get UP!" Ryoko snarled. Then, as if to continue the act, "You'll never be ready for Durivers this way! GET UP!"
I propped myself up with the pole, and tried to rush her again, but tripped over a rock. I caught myself, but was off balance, and so when Ryoko slammed my back, I flew forward. This time, I took a moment to catch my breath and make my head stop spinning before I attacked.
I ran straight for her, then as she teleported like I knew she would, swung my pole in a circle. There was a resounding THWACK as my pole hit the astounded Ryoko in the head. She had appeared straight behind me, right in the way of my swing.
I started to laugh proudly, but then she raised her hand and produced a beam sword. She eyed me, gold eyes still gleaming, and then flew straight up into the air and disappeared. I tried to call up my shield, but it was too late. She reappeared and slammed me to the ground.
I saw her sword pointed at my throat as I lay on the ground, then the world went midnight black, with two golden eyes shining like double moons into my unconsciousness, and the red of a beam sword like a deadly scarlet star.
***
Washuu was back in her lab, having just sent Kiyone on her way with several pieces of scanning equipment. Hopefully none of the Earth Space programs would pick her stuff up this time. She had sworn to Tenchi the last time NASA had come banging on his door that she wouldn't do something like this again unless she was absolutely positive that the cloaking devices were working. And she was positive they were working this time. Reasonably positive. Anyway, what was the erased memory of a few American astronomers to the well-being of not only the entire planet but also the greatest scientific mind in the universe!
And that thought brought Washuu back to Durivers. Durivers had been her classmate for several years. Both of them always handed in their homework at the same time. They both always got better than perfect grades, though Washuu preferred to think that hers counted for more because Durivers was the granddaughter of the vice-president of the Academy.
And yes, Durivers was a female. And not only female, but also much, much younger than Washuu. The girl had only been eight when they were in the university together. An untoward remark about the girl's age had been the start of the animosity between them. Durivers had even been the one to report Washuu's misdoings to the board at the Academy, getting the greatest scientific mind in the universe kicked out of the greatest school in the universe.
Washuu stopped typing for a moment, and pressed a single gold button. Then, she settled back in her seat as a photograph of her class appeared. There she was. Some practical joke of fate had made them the same height, which meant that they were next to each other in a row. She stared at Durivers bright golden eyes, cat eyes which had been the inspiration for Ryoko's. They were gleaming brightly, and happily, which was rare for Durivers. She never looked tat truly happy, unless she was ruining something for Washuu….
Wait a minute! Who was putting bunny ears on the greatest scientist in the universe! Washuu stared closely at the picture. Yep, Durivers had gotten yet another revenge on Washuu.
Washuu growled for a minute more, then, as a flashing button appeared on her console, stopped growling and pressed the button. Kiyone's face appeared in the screen.
"Washuu-san, everything's set up."
"Great job!" Washuu grinned. "Now, when do you think you can get back here?"
Kiyone sighed. "Mihoshi wants to go back immediately, but I've sent a message to HQ asking for Durivers' record, and I want to wait for their reply."
Washuu nodded. "Fair enough. And also helpful, because I have something else I need you to do."
"Sure, what-" There was a very loud crash, and the screen fizzled for a moment. "MIHOSH---" Ssssssssssssssssssssss. The screen went completely static-y.
Washuu turned away, chuckling. Poor Kiyone. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who had had to deal with Mihoshi's extreme ineptness- everyone in the house had at one point wanted to strangle the blonde- but Kiyone had to live with her on a regular basis.
Beep beep beep! A small alarm went off. Washuu looked over and gave another heavy sigh. Ryoko's powers had just been activated, and apparently Aeka was within ten yards, which was why the alarm had gone off on her "TGMS," or the "Tenchi's Girls Monitoring System."
Washuu reached to turn the alarm off, when suddenly a louder alarm sounded. Raising her eyebrows, she pushed a few keys, and then saw the display.
"Aeka's power signature has just disappeared!"
"Sasami-chan, come see this flower!" I called to my sister. She ran back over to me, giggling, to see the flower I was look at.
"Oooh, pretty," she whispered. "Tenchi-onnichan, what kind of flower is this?"
Tenchi stopped where he was, and set down the backpack. He was probably relieved to get rid of all that weight; Sasami had packed a three course lunch for us, and Mihoshi had packed three changes of clothes, not realizing that we weren't staying in the woods overnight. A soft breeze tickled the grass in front of us as Tenchi walked over.
"That's a lily, Sasami-chan, and a particularly pretty one at that."
"Lily. Even the name's pretty!" Sasami giggled.
I sighed. Sasami was starting to annoy me with how happy she was. She skipped ahead with Tenchi when we were walking, and laughed and giggled and chattered when we weren't. It was almost making me ill. Mihoshi was almost as bad, because even though she wasn't as chatty she kept tripping over stray branches and walking into spider webs. Sobs would echo through the forest, and Tenchi would race over to her to comfort the blonde ditz.
I kept a cheerful smile on my face. It wasn't overwhelmingly difficult: just pretend nothing's changed, and you don't act any different. Nothing was different between Tenchi and I. I still loved him, and, deep down, he still truly loved me, right? He was still partly mine, right?
"Aeka-" I jumped at Tenchi's voice. "Hey, are you all right?"
"Yeah, Aeka-onnichan, are you OK?" Sasami's face poked up next to mine.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then nodded and smiled, patting Sasami on the head. "Yes, Sasami-chan. Everything's fine."
***
Washuu stuffed the last of her sandwich in her mouth as she eyed the monitors in front of her. She brushed several crumbs off the keyboard, then started to type, making her routine check of the space around Earth. A small beeping noise suddenly came from one of the screens to her left. Casually, Washuu pointed a remote control at it. "Must be some kind of meteorite," she mumbled to herself through her mouthful of lunch. The screen changed pictures to a large green diagram.
"SPPPPPPTT!" Washuu spit out her sandwich in shock, staring at the spaceship in front of her. "This can't be! How could I have missed this?" She started typing rapidly, and many more screens appeared. "Uh-oh, this'll be big trouble." She leapt off the levitating chair, and raced for the door back to Tenchi's house. "I've got to warn Ryoko!"
***
"FAMILY MEETING!" The cry rang through the Masaki house, amplified by a hundredfold by Washuu's newest PA system. I pinched my ears shut as Washuu's voice echoed again, "IN THE DINING ROOM IMMEDIATELY!"
I sighed, heavily. I had just been writing a letter to my mother for Kiyone to send for me the next time she was on her patrol ship. Kiyone was the only one I trusted to copy my letters into the computer bank and send to the Royal Family of Juraii. The letter was one asking for advice about the situation with Tenchi. Of course, it was to my father's other wife, not my biological mother. While I loved her, I wouldn't trust her to advise me how to jump in a lake.
"GET YOUR FAT FANNY DOWN HERE AEKA!" Washuu's voice ran out again. I do NOT have a fat- oh, never mind. Clenching my fists, I stood up and stormed through the hall, down the stairs and into the living room.
Everyone was waiting for me, including a grinning Washuu. I resisted the urge to punch her cheerful face inside out, and instead sat quietly down on the couch next to Mihoshi. Ryoko was sitting by Tenchi's side on the floor; apparently, she had decided that her chances with him were still good. Sasami and Ryo-ohki sat, the latter on the former's lap, next to Kiyone on the loveseat, and Washuu stood by Ryoko's side.
"I have some important news, which will affect everyone in the house," Washuu said, and everyone sighed in annoyance.
"Not another invention," Ryoko sighed. But I saw that the smile had disappeared off of Washuu's deceivingly young face. She was now looking very serious. That scared me. A serious Washuu is almost never a good thing. Then again, a grinning-like-a-maniac-whilst-running-about-with-strange-control-panels-in-her-hands Washuu isn't a good thing either. I was almost sure I had the better of the two on my hands right now.
Almost.
"What's wrong, Washuu?" Tenchi, ever the level-headed of us, asked politely.
Washuu cut right to the chase, which scared me even more. "There is a spaceship approaching the Earth right now. When it arrives, everyone in this house will be in terrible danger."
"Why?" Kiyone, ever the dedicated cop, stood up. Then, crisply, "Is this danger criminal in nature?" I could almost see the gears turning in her head. If she brought in a highly dangerous criminal, perhaps she could get a partner transfer! Or even a promotion. Or both. She licked her lips in anticipation.
"Not yet it isn't." Washuu shook her head. "No. Long ago, when I was in the science academy, I had a rival. We were both searching for a way to create life energy, which would power a machine ten times greater than my measly laboratory here." Everyone rolled their eyes. "Such a life energy as I used to create Ryoko." Ryoko scoffed; I don't think she ever quite completely believed that Washuu was her creator. I believed it though. Insanity begets insanity and all that.
"So, this rival of yours is the one coming?" I asked.
"Yes. She's never figured out my secret, which means that she will be trying to take hold of it forcefully." She pointed at Ryoko. "You, young lady, are in the most danger. To be blunt, she'll rip you apart trying to discover your secret."
Ryoko muttered, "I'd like to see her try."
"Why would you want to do that?" Mihoshi piped up in wonder. The rest of us ignored her question. "But I don't understand!" She wiped tears from her eyes.
Washuu's finger pointed to herself. "I'm the one in the second most danger. Which means," she put on a supplicating, pity-me expression, "everyone needs to be on the watch for me!"
Ryoko folded her arms, rolling her eyes. Then, I saw her eyes widen with joy. "Teeeennn-chiii," she whined, welding herself to his side, "I'm frightened! You'll protect me from the big bad scientist, won't you Tenchi?"
"Uh…" Tenchi stuttered. I pitied him for a moment. He couldn't exactly say no, and if he said yes Ryoko would be all over him. I grimaced at the weird mental pictures that brought on, then turned my grimace into a look of surprise as Washuu turned her finger on me.
"You," she said, then pointed to Tenchi, "and you, will both be in enough trouble without having to protect my delinquent daughter. My rival has never, ever seen my creation, and with all the Juraiian Life Energy in you two, she make mistake you as my creations, if not the original, then a new and improved version."
"Like anyone could ever mistake Aeka for an improved version of me," Ryoko said loudly.
"Washuu-san," I called, raising my hand as if in school again. "I think your old model has worn out. Isn't it time to replace her circuitry?"
"Are you implying that I'm a piece of machinery?"
"No, of course not." I smiled demurely. "I'm stating it directly."
"You-" and she lunged at me, hands stretched like claws. I screamed, and ducked.
There was a whoosh of air as Washuu snatched the errant Ryoko out of the air, and spanked her firmly on the petoot. Then, after tossing her onto a free chair, "We should be preparing ourselves for the arrival. I'm going to be working on a way to disguise the three of you. You three should be training for battle."
"Washuu-san," Kiyone interrupted again, "what exactly is my-" Mihoshi whimpered. "- our role in this?"
"You need to be ready to make an arrest the moment she tries something. Also, I'd appreciate your taking some scanning equipment into space for me."
"Yes, ma'am!" Kiyone snapped a salute.
I watched Tenchi. His eyes were so beautiful when he was resolved like that. I could tell that he was already considering the battle ahead, and the only thing on his mind was keeping us safe. My mind no longer followed the train of thought that he'd only try to keep me safe, and that perhaps if Ryoko died in the battle, then- But I wasn't going to think like that.
I tried to concentrate on what was to come. But I couldn't help thinking that Tenchi would protect me no matter what came. Tenchi always protected me! And everyone else, the sensible part of my mind added. Tenchi protected all of us. Even if it wasn't out of love, it was comfortable knowing I had that protection.
***
Sasami sighed as she sat down by the lake with Ryo-Ohki. The starlight was reflecting in the pool like the diamond pins in Sasami's velvet black pincushion. Sasami's special tree, the tree which housed Tsunami, was only a few hundred yards away, which comforted the young princess. It was nice to know that Tsunami's power rested only moments away. It wasn't nice looking into the water and seeing that her reflection was only years away.
"What do you think will happen when I look like Tsunami, Ryo-ohki?" The girl asked, slipping a gentle hand over the cabbit's soft head.
"Miau!" The cabbit replied, rubbing against her mistress' soft shirt.
"Maybe then someone will notice me."
"Miau?"
"I have the Juraiian power too! But nobody told me to watch out, or to train. And ever since that robot tried to kill Tenchi, Ryoko and Aeka haven't been talking to me at all. I've walked in to find both of them crying, and I don't understand." Now Sasami was crying too, softly. "Do you understand, Ryo-ohki?"
She waited for a "miau" in response, but there was none. She looked down to find the animal asleep in her arms. Sighing, she leaned gently over the water again, to see Tsunami's tearful face staring back at her.
"Are you crying just because I'm crying, like a reflection?" Sasami whispered.
"No, my dear Sasami. I'm crying because I love you, and I know you're hurting." Tsunami's spirit appeared on top of the water, almost another reflection. "Ryoko and Aeka are going through hard times."
"So am I!" Sasami snapped. Then, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry. There's just so much that's happening to me."
"I understand. You're changing, and there's too much going on around you for anyone to realize it." Tsunami smiled, though tears still traced paths down her cheeks. "I'm here, Sasami. And I promise you, if you need time, Ryoko and Aeka, and even Tenchi, will be there when you ask."
Sasami blushed. "I don't think I want to talk to Tenchi about stuff like this."
Tsunami laughed knowingly and, weakly at first, Sasami laughed too. Then, "I suppose you're right, Tsunami." Then, more hesitatingly, "Tsunami? If the evil scientist guy that's coming tries to hurt me, will I be all right?"
Tsunami watched her younger self for a moment, then nodded wisely. 'You have the power, Sasami."
"Thank you."
***
I was walking up the steps again, trying not to think about how Tenchi and I had stood on these steps just a day ago, and how my life had been changed forever. As the threat of Washuu's rival, who she said was about three days from arriving, drew closer, I kept wondering why I was still on Earth. Wouldn't it be much safer to take Sasami and leave? Two less people in the way and in danger would surely be better. But that would mean leaving Tenchi alone with Ryoko and Mihoshi and Kiyone and Washuu, and while I trusted them - er, well, MOST of them- with my life, I didn't want to abandon my love.
I closed my eyes, deciding to block out all thoughts of Tenchi. So, of course, all I could think of were his big toffee-brown eyes, his dark hair, his wonderful expressive brow, his strong shoulders which had supported me through many a crisis- and living here we had experienced many crises- and of course, his wonderful lips. Lips that formed words I never wanted to hear, lips that spoke to me, that used words to comfort me when what I most longed for was their touch-
THWAK! I yelped in pain as a large rod came down hard on my head. When my vision cleared up, I saw Ryoko standing over me looking hungry for battle, holding a long oak staff that was almost taller than her.
"C'mon, princess, quit your daydreaming and let's start training!"
"What do you mean?" I asked, standing up. I was wary of that thirst for blood in the pirate's eyes.
"We've gotta get ready for that scientist dude, who, by the way, Washuu told me was called Dr. Durivers, and that's like duh-rivers, by the way, and we are going to train for battle!" Her voiced hissed dangerously on the last word, and she tossed me a thick rod like the one she held. I barely caught it in time.
"How will using these things help us?" I asked, as Ryoko dragged me by the arm off of the steps and into the woods. I could barely keep up with her as I was forced over bramble and nearly into treetrunk, trying to see where we were going. Finally, we reached a small clearing.
"Now," Ryoko said firmly, releasing me at one end of the clearing and teleporting to the other. "Attack me!" Her gold eyes gleamed red for a moment.
I stared at the rod in my hand in wonder. "Why not use energy like we usually do?"
"Durivers will be expecting that!" Ryoko snapped. "We need to get ready to attack her physically as well as… as…" She stopped. "Well, whatever you'd call what we normally do." Then, with a wicked smile, "Besides, we need to get your weak royal muscles out of atrophy and into some excuse for fitness!"
"But-"
"If you don't attack me, I'll come after you!" There was madness of some kind in her glare, and I knew that I was the target of all her Tenchi-related aggravation. Hesitantly, I imitated her pose, holding my rod as she did, and then jerked it around to swing it at her.
WHAP! I opened my eyes, surprised I had struck something.
A tree. Ryoko had teleported. I tried to turn around, but the butt of her rod was already being driven into my side. I fell to the ground, and cried out.
"Get UP!" Ryoko snarled. Then, as if to continue the act, "You'll never be ready for Durivers this way! GET UP!"
I propped myself up with the pole, and tried to rush her again, but tripped over a rock. I caught myself, but was off balance, and so when Ryoko slammed my back, I flew forward. This time, I took a moment to catch my breath and make my head stop spinning before I attacked.
I ran straight for her, then as she teleported like I knew she would, swung my pole in a circle. There was a resounding THWACK as my pole hit the astounded Ryoko in the head. She had appeared straight behind me, right in the way of my swing.
I started to laugh proudly, but then she raised her hand and produced a beam sword. She eyed me, gold eyes still gleaming, and then flew straight up into the air and disappeared. I tried to call up my shield, but it was too late. She reappeared and slammed me to the ground.
I saw her sword pointed at my throat as I lay on the ground, then the world went midnight black, with two golden eyes shining like double moons into my unconsciousness, and the red of a beam sword like a deadly scarlet star.
***
Washuu was back in her lab, having just sent Kiyone on her way with several pieces of scanning equipment. Hopefully none of the Earth Space programs would pick her stuff up this time. She had sworn to Tenchi the last time NASA had come banging on his door that she wouldn't do something like this again unless she was absolutely positive that the cloaking devices were working. And she was positive they were working this time. Reasonably positive. Anyway, what was the erased memory of a few American astronomers to the well-being of not only the entire planet but also the greatest scientific mind in the universe!
And that thought brought Washuu back to Durivers. Durivers had been her classmate for several years. Both of them always handed in their homework at the same time. They both always got better than perfect grades, though Washuu preferred to think that hers counted for more because Durivers was the granddaughter of the vice-president of the Academy.
And yes, Durivers was a female. And not only female, but also much, much younger than Washuu. The girl had only been eight when they were in the university together. An untoward remark about the girl's age had been the start of the animosity between them. Durivers had even been the one to report Washuu's misdoings to the board at the Academy, getting the greatest scientific mind in the universe kicked out of the greatest school in the universe.
Washuu stopped typing for a moment, and pressed a single gold button. Then, she settled back in her seat as a photograph of her class appeared. There she was. Some practical joke of fate had made them the same height, which meant that they were next to each other in a row. She stared at Durivers bright golden eyes, cat eyes which had been the inspiration for Ryoko's. They were gleaming brightly, and happily, which was rare for Durivers. She never looked tat truly happy, unless she was ruining something for Washuu….
Wait a minute! Who was putting bunny ears on the greatest scientist in the universe! Washuu stared closely at the picture. Yep, Durivers had gotten yet another revenge on Washuu.
Washuu growled for a minute more, then, as a flashing button appeared on her console, stopped growling and pressed the button. Kiyone's face appeared in the screen.
"Washuu-san, everything's set up."
"Great job!" Washuu grinned. "Now, when do you think you can get back here?"
Kiyone sighed. "Mihoshi wants to go back immediately, but I've sent a message to HQ asking for Durivers' record, and I want to wait for their reply."
Washuu nodded. "Fair enough. And also helpful, because I have something else I need you to do."
"Sure, what-" There was a very loud crash, and the screen fizzled for a moment. "MIHOSH---" Ssssssssssssssssssssss. The screen went completely static-y.
Washuu turned away, chuckling. Poor Kiyone. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who had had to deal with Mihoshi's extreme ineptness- everyone in the house had at one point wanted to strangle the blonde- but Kiyone had to live with her on a regular basis.
Beep beep beep! A small alarm went off. Washuu looked over and gave another heavy sigh. Ryoko's powers had just been activated, and apparently Aeka was within ten yards, which was why the alarm had gone off on her "TGMS," or the "Tenchi's Girls Monitoring System."
Washuu reached to turn the alarm off, when suddenly a louder alarm sounded. Raising her eyebrows, she pushed a few keys, and then saw the display.
"Aeka's power signature has just disappeared!"