====================
Flowering Potential.
====================
C&C can be sent to cobalt@elhazard.net Flames can be taken to the
nearest charity so they can be distributed to children in Third World
Countries to keep them warm.
Disclaimer: I do not own the series depicted within, but go buy it anyway.
Conventions:
~ ~ are used for thoughts and Telepathic communication.
The series is archived at http://www.lum.co.uk/cobalt/
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Chapter 11
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"You wished to speak to me Washu?" Funaho asked as she walked up to the console
Washu was working at.
"Yes I did." Washu replied in a slightly cuter voice than normal. "I have some good news.
Well, reasonably good news."
"What is it?"
"Tenchi's natural personality is reasserting its self. She found a way to effectively let off
the stress."
"That is good news." Funaho smiled.
"Don't relax too much." Washu warned. "Her psychological base is still unstable. Unless
we find a way to stabilise it, we run the risk of Tenchi going mad. Changing her back to
normal would help considerably."
"Since we can't do that at the moment, we will have to be careful."
***
Yukinojo was puzzled when Kiyone teleported in with an unknown woman dressed all in
black.
"Detective Kiyone, who is this?" The computer asked.
"You'll see." Kiyone replied. She turned to her companion. "Put your hand on the scanner
plate."
The woman sighed and walked up to the console, putting her hand down on the scanner.
"Scanning." Yukinojo announced. "Subject search error: Processing mistake... Data
inconsistent."
"Who does the scan say she is?" Kiyone asked.
"The scan matches precisely the readings of Tenchi Masaki."
"Which happens to be correct." The woman in black replied. "Happy now?" She sighed.
Yukinojo did a voiceprint analysis.
"Voiceprint 97.78% match to Tenchi Masaki. Lord Tenchi, is that you?"
Tenchi winced at the 'Lord' bit. "Yes. It's me Yukinojo. How many times do I have to ask
you not to call me 'Lord'?"
"But how did this happen? It corresponds to no known phenomena in databases I have
access to."
"Have you tried theoretical?" Kiyone asked sitting down.
Yukinojo paused as he ran the theoretical algorithms.
"Theoretical has no matches. Even extrapolation cannot match known data."
"Washu is having the same luck." Tenchi admitted.
"Yukinojo, open an local amend file for Tenchi's current data." Kiyone told the computer.
"It is not for transmission to base."
"Understood."
"Would you care to explain why we went through this?" Tenchi asked.
"I wanted to make sure you could access everything you should be able to. Now, Yukinojo
came up with an error but only due to the fact he could see you."
"Based on your data," Yukinojo said, "You will have no trouble accessing systems.
However, ship computers like myself may have problems. I have added to your normal file
that, due to your physiology, data inconsistency errors may appear."
"Good thinking Yukinojo."
***
"Now, what shall we have for dinner?" Sasami muttered.
"Carrot!" Ryo-Ohki exclaimed.
"We can't have carrots all the time Ryo-Ohki." Sasami told the catgirl.
"Sasami." Ryo-Ohki complained.
"I know you might be able to, but you can have too much of a good thing."
"Marooow?"
"Even the nicest things become bland after you've had them continuously for a time."
"Listen to her Ryo-Ohki." Funaho's voice said.
The Queen walked into the kitchen.
"When did our little Sasami become all grown up?" She asked.
Sasami snorted. "Someone had to in this house. Washu, Minagi and Kiyone have helped
but it was either me or Tenchi. And Tenchi had too many problems then."
Funaho walked over and warmly embraced her niece.
"You're so sweet. Isn't she Ryo-Ohki?"
"Funaho." The little catgirl agreed.
Mihoshi called Ryo-Ohki's name.
"Go ahead Ryo-Ohki." Sasami smiled. "She probably wants to play."
"Miya." Ryo-Ohki said and wandered off towards the sound.
Funaho smiled down on her niece.
"I'm going to make sure you marry Tenchi."
Sasami blushed. "Auntie Funaho." She complained.
Funaho chuckled, then sighed sadly.
"Sasami, I have to ask about that little incident with the stairs when we arrived. Do you
know what happened?"
"Hey Sasami!" Tenchi called as she came in. "You should see what Mihoshi and Ryo-Ohki
are doing." She caught the princess's eye with a look that told her everything she needed to
know.
"Ooo let me see!" She laughed as she ran out of the kitchen. Tenchi closed the door behind
her.
"I wouldn't bother asking the question again." Tenchi told the Queen. "She won't tell
you."
"Why not?" Funaho was annoyed.
"Because I ordered her not to."
"You...ordered her not to?" This was a new side to Tenchi she hadn't seen.
"All of them actually." Tenchi admitted sadly. "I didn't want to, but it was the best way.
*We* found out by accident. And don't ask me, it's not my place to tell you." Tenchi sighed.
"She will probably tell you sometime, but not now. She is not ready. After this visit, all of
us have agreed not to say anything to anyone else without Sasami's express permission. It's
her problem and she will deal with it." Those last words rang with a deathly finality.
"That doesn't sound very kind."
Suddenly Tenchi was there, staring into her eyes.
"It would be even less kind to have her face her problems before she was ready." Tenchi
growled. "I will *NOT* let her be hurt that way."
Funaho actually stepped back at the ferocity of the tone.
"I understand." She said. There was some hope for Tenchi after all. "I'll tell Misaki."
"Good." Tenchi said simply. "I consider the matter closed."
"Except for one thing." Funaho told her. She stepped up and kissed Tenchi on the cheek.
"That was for caring about her so much." She said.
"We all do." Tenchi replied. "It's the way she is."
***
"OK Washu." Ryoko said as she and Ayeka walked up to her. "Time for the antidote."
"I need to run some tes..scans first." Washu told them.
"Can you hurry up please?" Ayeka asked.
Washu got on and typed.
"Hum..."
"What?" Ryoko groaned.
"Your aura's are not completely separate yet. The process has slowed down considerably.
If I give you the antidote, it very likely the process will stop."
"How long?" Ayeka wanted to know, looking darkly at the scientist.
"Five days to a week. There is good news though, your effective maximum separation
range is now back to normal."
"At least that's a relief." Ryoko shuddered.
"Is it?" Washu asked, switching to her adult form.
Ryoko looked away. Smiling, Washu got up and walked to a position in front of her.
"Something wrong my dear?" She asked.
"Stop teasing Washu." Ayeka asked, carefully holding her position.
"There, there. Don't be afraid of your mom." Washu said, patting Ryoko on the shoulder.
Ryoko leapt on her and kissed her mother so hard that Washu fell back in surprise.
"Would you two like to be left alone?" Ayeka asked archly.
"Mumph!" Washu tried to respond.
"I'll take that as a yes." She said and slowly walked away.
Ryoko finally broke the kiss.
"Can't you do anything to help?" She asked, unable to leave the hug she had started.
"Sorry Ryoko." Washu said, catching her breath. "Besides, I like an affectionate daughter."
***
The headache started just before dinner and continued to get worse as the meal went on.
Tenchi was careful enough not to show it as they ate, but its sudden onset worried her. With
everything that had happened over the past week, her healthy and probably accurate paranoia
told her something was amiss.
Most of the meal was taken up with Funaho filling Ayeka and Sasami in on the past 700
years worth of court history and current rumour. There was surprisingly little history.
Tenchi put that down to the fact that, although the court was probably rife with dissension, no
one dared challenge Azusa. Also, with the all the heirs gone, there was no way of
progressing through marriage or sibling rivalry.
"It's Serio I'm worried about." Funaho concluded. "I know he's up to something after the
duel with Tenchi which caused him to fall from grace. He took it pretty well, which was
surprising."
Tenchi felt her headache get considerably worse and some detached state fall over her. She
recognised the last as her 'understanding' coming through.
"Serio has allied himself with a being of great power." She spoke in a dry, emotionless and
almost robotic tone. She was sure of this; as sure as her eyes had gone blank. "He is quite
politically astute and has several plans with which to regain the influence he has lost."
Seeing Tenchi start to recover Funaho quickly asked a question.
"Do you know who he has allied with?"
"No. But the ally would have to have much the same influence as the king. Also, the ally
must gain something from their relationship with Serio. They would likely hide themselves
behind intermediaries." With that the feeling was gone and Tenchi slumped, most of the
headache going as well.
"Thank you Tenchi." Funaho said. "I will have to look into that."
"We don't even know if it's true." Kiyone protested.
"I believe it is. Serio, despite all appearances to the contrary, is politically astute. He's
been one step ahead in his dealings for the past 300 years. I had not yet told anybody this."
"You could have a rare form of combat sense." Misaki told Tenchi. "Now and again I've
heard of people who can pick up everything about an opponent. You were going to fight
Serio at one point."
"My life's getting more complicated every day." Tenchi muttered.
"Oh, you get used to it." Kiyone ruefully told her, sparing a glance at her partner.
***
Tenchi wandered into the lab with her headache working its way back up to full strength.
"Washu! Are you in here?" She called out.
A flashing ball of red light appeared in mid-air.
"I'm sorry," Came a voice, "the scientist you are looking for is not available. Please leave
your message after the beep."
~ Great. ~ Tenchi thought sourly. ~ An answering machine for the lab. ~
A blue circle started to glow faintly at her feet. Tenchi shrugged and stepped into it. A
beep sounded and the circle turned green.
"OK Washu. I hope you get this quickly, we need to talk."
Tenchi stepped out of the circle and wandered back into the house, almost bumping into
Misaki for the second time that day.
"Oh. My apologies Your Majesty." Tenchi said on reflex. "I have to be more careful."
Misaki was having none of it.
"Tenchi. What have we said about using our titles?"
"Yes Your Majesty."
Misaki settled for giving her a dark look.
"What did you want Washu for?" The blue-hared royalty asked.
"I keep meaning to have talks about some appliances to save Sasami, and us all, some work.
But something else keeps taking precedence; me getting squashed for example." Well, it was
one of the things she wanted Washu for.
"You still owe me an apology." Misaki told her.
"Misaki," Tenchi sighed, "if Funaho hasn't told you that I'm paranoid, then I just have.
Ever since my...change, everybody including yourself has had some plan for me. My
paranoia has been correct about all these things so far, so I see no reason to ignore it. I'm
sorry if that offends her majesty, but that's how I am at the moment."
"Oh." Misaki sounded a bit dejected. "So you didn't enjoy..."
"No I didn't." Tenchi admitted. "I was terrified about what you might do if I wasn't
concentrating. I barely slept."
"We wouldn't have hurt you Tenchi."
"It's what you might have done that scares me." Tenchi shuddered.
Misaki's cheerful look returned, accompanied by a predatory gleam in her eyes.
"You owe me a bath." She said innocently.
Tenchi's face had a look of pure terror plastered all over it.
"I'd be in so much trouble it doesn't bear thinking about!" Tenchi started to carefully move
away.
Misaki began stalking her prey. "My Sister wouldn't mind."
"That's something I'm worried about." Tenchi admitted.
There was a sigh from the kitchen door. Tenchi, careful to keep her eyes on Misaki, saw
Funaho and Sasami watching the proceedings.
"Mom!" Sasami complained. "I don't think Tenchi needs another bath."
Misaki was stunned; betrayed by her own daughter.
Funaho had a thoughtful expression.
"I think I can allay Tenchi's fears Sister." The first Queen said. "However I will need to
discuss it with you first."
Misaki gave Tenchi a 'I'll find you if you run' look and walked into the kitchen after
Funaho.
Tenchi stared after them until she felt a portal open behind her. Washu popped out, and
Tenchi had never been so glad to see her.
"OK Tenchi, I'm free now."
***
Kiyone had just finished her workout and was walking back to the room she shared with her
partner when she bumped into Ryoko.
"What's up?" The detective asked, seeing the far away look in Ryoko's eyes.
"Hum...?" Ryoko came out of her daze. "Kiyone?"
"Anything the matter?"
"Oh just... thinking. How having a female Tenchi has changed things around here."
"It has certainly been more intense since the change."
"Kiyone, I've got to know. How do you feel about Tenchi?"
"You do know that frying a Galaxy Police officer is a serious offence?" Kiyone reminded
her.
"Just answer the question." Ryoko sighed.
"I don't care as much as you and Ayeka do about Tenchi. She's a nice person, but I never
saw what drives you to chase Tenchi. Maybe it's because I've had so many boyfriends." She
shrugged.
"Would you...? If Tenchi asked?"
"I've thought long and hard about that, and I believe the answer is no. But then, I think
Tenchi just considers me a friend and nothing more. I don't think of Tenchi as anything more
than that."
"Really?" Ryoko's stare bored into her.
"Well... Maybe a little brother." Kiyone admitted a little sheepishly. The slow, mysterious
smile that formed on Ryoko's face at that worried her.
"Don't you mean little sister?" She asked.
"Isn't Tenchi still technically male?"
"You've kissed her. What's your opinion?"
Kiyone looked very worried.
"Minagi told me all about it." Ryoko grinned as explanation.
"Tenchi is still male in mind, if not in body." Kiyone leaned forward to whisper in Ryoko's
ear. "She could be a very good kisser."
Ryoko drew back, shocked.
"Talk to you later." Kiyone smiled and walked on.
***
"So this headache faded a bit when you finished telling Funaho what you could?"
Tenchi sighed. "Yes Washu."
The young woman was wearing the ring of lights around her head, making her look like a
Christmas decoration. However, Washu now didn't dare try to tie Tenchi up or do anything
but the least invasive probes. The former due to her knowledge of Tenchi's temper, the latter
due to her knowledge of Tenchi's nature. Tenchi was sat on one of Washu's floating
cushions.
"Well, according to this your neural pathways have begun restructuring themselves. The
activity in there is beating my own."
"So my 'understanding' ability was using most of my brain?" Tenchi asked.
"I'd say so, yes." Washu admitted.
Tenchi's progress was amazing. Washu was getting slightly worried about how much
Tenchi would be able to achieve before and after the change back. She didn't want to worry
the young woman about the synaptic growth, the neural effectiveness boosts or rocketing IQ
figures she was getting.
"In fact," Washu continued, "the activity has reached a plateau. It won't get any worse.
Can't do anything to cure the headache without upsetting your delicate system."
"Washu, if you are worried about me being a transcendent being, I've been one since I first
created the Lighthawk wings. At least, according to Tsunami."
"Then I'm lucky I didn't destroy us all. But it's worse now as your powers come into
fruition."
"I've got a scratch..."
"WHERE?" Washu jumped out of her seat.
Tenchi laughed. "You're worrying too much Washu. I've overcome both Kagato's and
Yakage's swords." Tenchi didn't like to think about what had happened to her opponents.
"Tenchi," Washu growled, "take this seriously. You were in full Lighthawk Armour mode,
as you put it. I'm almost convinced you could walk through a stellar core like that. Right
now you aren't, so take care."
"Yeash! And I thought I was worried about my life."
"Until this period of your life is over, which could be as long as a year, you have to be very
careful."
"I know I'm not invincible Washu," Tenchi complained, "but you are worrying about
insignificant injuries. A scratch or a cold is not going to threaten my life. Just treat me as
you normally would." She got up and took off the ring. "I'll go see if we've got any
paracetamol."
When she was gone Washu shook her head in disgust. Why did everything about Tenchi
have to be so complicated?
***
Tenchi had barely got out the door when she was pounced on by the two Queens.
"There you are!" Misaki exclaimed.
"Come with us young lady." Funaho said more calmly.
The two of them literally picked Tenchi up and carried her up the stairs.
"Help?" Tenchi suggested as they passed Ryoko and Ayeka.
"Can we watch Mother?" Ayeka asked. This was not the response Tenchi was looking for.
"Let us have our little fun." Misaki told her daughter. "You'll have her all to yourselves
after tomorrow."
~ Mental note, ~ Tenchi thought to herself, ~ run at earliest opportunity. ~
Dragged through the first floor, Tenchi could just guess where they were headed. The baths.
Boy, was she in trouble.
They set her down, but kept a firm grip.
"Now Tenchi," Funaho said, "I know you are worried..."
~ That's an understatement. ~ Tenchi thought sourly.
"...But nothing bad will happen."
"I think our definitions of 'bad' are different. No matter what you have arranged, I'll just
get into trouble." Tenchi kept fighting the urge to flash into full power and see if she could
break the sound barrier. Hell, even light speed was an option.
Misaki reached over and put her hand against Tenchi's forehead.
"You feel a little warm." She noted.
"Um... Maybe it's because I'm sweating with fear and I have a headache. I don't think this
is a good time."
"You would say that about any time though." Misaki pointed out.
"Why don't you let us mother you?" Funaho suggested.
"I'm more than capable of looking after myself." It came out a little more sharply than she
had expected. "Thanks for the offer. Now if you will excuse me..." She said as she tried to
walk away. She didn't get very far.
"Now Tenchi. Is this any way to treat your guests?" Misaki asked.
"I think my guests should have their privacy." Tenchi tried.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Funaho warned.
"I'd rather we didn't do it at all." Tenchi told them. "Yes you are both quite beautiful, but
you are also married women. I on the other hand AM male, despite all appearances to the
contrary. It would bad manners, ethically wrong and socially unacceptable for me to even
contemplate bathing with you. Oh, and I missed out politically and legally wrong." Tenchi
tried again to leave the Queens to themselves.
"You are still shy around us after last night?"
"Last night?!? I haven't been that scared since the time Kagato almost killed me. Can you
imagine what staring as a massive beam of energy comes roaring down upon you feels like?
It almost matched the worry I had for everyone else."
"Then let us look after you." Funaho asked. "We care for you almost as much as our girls
do."
"Which just worries me even more."
"Your shyness is killing your relationship with the girls." Misaki told her.
"I can't help it if I'm shy. It has saved me from being fried too many times to count, and
kept me out of trouble." ~ Like its trying to do now. ~ She added silently.
"Maybe we should have let Ayeka and Ryoko come along." Funaho told her Sister.
Both the Queens felt the surge from Tenchi. The symbol of her power formed on her
forehead and glowed.
"Please let me go." Tenchi asked quietly.
Funaho and Misaki did so. They had never felt so much power from one person.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not ready. Please leave it at that." Tenchi apologised, backing away
ever faster. She turned the corner and dashed upstairs, power and symbol fading as she
entered her room.
Misaki slumped. "At this rate it will take Tenchi years to get confident enough to ask the
girls."
Funaho put her arm over Misaki's shoulder.
"I know. It seems that Tsunami's little addition is being overcome by Tenchi's shyness, or
her fear about what might happen."
"Centuries of work." Misaki sighed.
"I don't think we can wait that long." Funaho pointed out.
"Plan B then." Misaki acknowledged.
***
Minagi was watching the news. Not the Galactic news, but the planetary news. It wasn't
hard to understand what they said, as Washu's latest upgrade had been an Earth language
module.
"And the main news again. The international community has deplored the live test
detonation of a neutron device by the Chinese. Washington has called it a 'politically
dangerous' action. London, in a joint statement with Brussels and Moscow, has said the
event has 'profound implications'."
Minagi shook her head in disbelief. Neutron weapons? What were they thinking?
"What are you watching Minagi?" Sasami asked as she came into the room.
"This planet going insane." Minagi muttered darkly.
Washu appeared out of nowhere. "What did you say?"
"A nearby country has just detonated a neutron weapon. Are they insane?"
"If they are going round setting off neutron devices, they probably are." Washu shuddered.
"I'm going to have to watch the local news more often."
"That's crazy!" Sasami exclaimed. "Don't they know how dangerous those things are?"
"No they don't." Kiyone said as she walked out of the lab. "They've just finished playing
around with nuclear weapons. They've even used them in battle."
"They've used nuclear weapons?" Washu was aghast.
"Check the data yourself. It's on the planetary net."
Minagi changed channels in an attempt to find something to take their minds off it.
"Wait. Go back one." Sasami asked.
A show with three men and three women appeared. It wasn't long before they were all
giggling.
"What's this one?" Kiyone asked.
Minagi hit a button and a second window came up.
"Friends."
"Looks good. Can someone make some room? Thanks."
***
Tenchi crept downstairs. She needn't have bothered, since all the women were devoutly
watching that American show she'd heard about. In fact they were chasing it around the
globe, as soon as the show they were watching finished, they'd quickly run through the
channels looking for the next one. She went into the kitchen for a drink, her headache having
subsided. Washu soon followed after some snacks.
"Why didn't you tell us there were shows like that on this world?" She asked.
"You seemed happy enough with the shows you knew about. If you like it so much, why
don't you look it up on the Net? I'm sure there will be schedules on there as well. It's
supposedly quite popular." She'd never seen the point.
Washu filled a large bowl with assorted treats. "I'll do that."
Left alone, Tenchi sighed and poured herself a glass of lemonade.
"Having problems Tenchi?" Her Grandfather asked as he came in through the back door.
"Don't I always? Funaho and Misaki are trying to get me to bathe with them."
Yosho chuckled. "I think you'll find resisting them a bad idea."
"Come on Grandpa! They're married women, but they are acting like a pair of schoolgirls.
I'm in enough trouble with the king already."
"Ah. I'll think you will find that Mother and Misaki will do what they feel is right."
"Whatever it takes eh? My life just gets worse." She grumbled.
"Do you know specifically what they want?"
"Me, less shy apparently." Tenchi shrugged, then shuddered. "I get the feeling they are
playing matchmakers. They just have to sort me out first." She downed the rest of her drink.
"I would suggest hiding somewhere." Yosho said.
"I can try."
***
"That was the last one for tonight." Washu announced. She received a series of catcalls and
boos of disapproval.
"That was fun." Ryoko stretched.
"An interesting series." Funaho admitted.
"You have a gift for understatement Sister." Misaki noted dryly.
"Has anyone seen Tenchi?" Ayeka asked.
"I saw her a while ago in the kitchen getting a drink." Washu shrugged.
"It's late, so she probably went to bed." Minagi added.
Sasami stifled a yawn. "I'd better be heading to bed. I'm never usually up this late."
"Don't worry." Misaki smiled. "I won't tell you off."
"I'll check on Tenchi." Kiyone volunteered, taking Sasami upstairs with her.
It wasn't long until the two of them came back down.
"She's not in her room." Kiyone reported.
"How do you know?" Funaho asked.
"The door was open." Sasami replied.
Washu sighed and brought up her subspace computer. The keystrokes got progressively
faster.
"That's very weird. Tenchi's power signature should stick out like a sore thumb, but I can't
find it. I mean, I should be able to detect it through any number of dimensions."
"She can't just disappear." Ryoko scoffed.
"Well, she has. I hope we find her so I can ask her how she did it."
A portal opened and deposited several flashlights on the table.
"It's not like Tenchi to go off like this without leaving a note." Ayeka said.
As though those words were a trigger, a note appeared in mid-air. Funaho was the first to it.
"What's it say?" Sasami asked.
"To All, gone out. Be back tomorrow. Tenchi." Funaho read.
"Why do that?" The question came from around the room.
***
Tenchi ignored the mental barrage she was under. It stopped when the source realised she
wasn't paying attention.
"Thank you." Tenchi said. "Can I go to sleep now?"
~ Funaho: You weren't listening to a thing I said were you. ~ The Tree complained.
"I've already had a tirade from your namesake today."
~ Funaho: The way you are acting you probably earned it. ~
"You and Grandfather must have had very long talks then." Tenchi realised.
~ Funaho: Yes we did, but even he wasn't this stubborn. This is a bad idea Tenchi. Did
Yosho suggest it? ~
"You can tell huh?"
~ Funaho: It is the sort of thing he would suggest. Did he suggest here? ~
"No. I thought of it myself. It hid Ryoko for seven hundred years."
Tenchi was in the lower half of the cave, with a waterproof sleeping bag, an area light and a
small stove for heat. Although there was no longer any water running down the Jurai style
water channels there was still a large pool in the centre that just glowed these days.
~ Funaho: With my help. ~ The tree pointed out.
"Funny, I thought it was you who told Ayeka where Ryoko was." Tenchi blurted out the
knowledge as soon as it came into her mind.
There was a mental gasp from Funaho. ~ Funaho: How did you know that? ~
"So Grandpa did set the whole thing up." Tenchi concluded.
~ Funaho: Yosho set you up to free Ryoko? ~
"Like mother, like son I suppose. I doubt Tsunami tries to set two trees up for whatever it is
you do. I don't want to know personally."
~ Funaho: The Mistress was right that things around here were weird. Fun but weird. ~
"You must see a lot. I probably wasn't very interesting as a kid."
~ Funaho: Well I don't get about as much as I used to. ~ The tree said wryly.
"Ayeka did mention that you couldn't become a spaceship anymore since you had taken
root."
~ Funaho: The princess was right. ~
"I'm sorry. It must have been hard to accept life here after all that freedom."
~ Funaho: It was. But I welcomed the quiet. Watching the other trees grow around Ryo-
Ohki's and my crash site. They made me welcome. ~
"I will never get used to all this." Tenchi wryly admitted.
~ Funaho: You will learn in time. ~
***
While the beings below her slept (some worrying, some joyfully and some obliviously),
Tsunami watched from the higher dimensional pocket she could call home if it had needed a
designation. Tenchi was not going well. As the Queens had realised, the attempt to draw
Tenchi out of her hole had been foiled due to Tenchi's fear. Tsunami longed to know the
thoughts and decisions that led Tenchi from the happy life that she could have. Most of the
ladies, herself included, would willingly give themselves to Tenchi out of their love. But, as
she was beginning to realise, Tenchi couldn't or wouldn't let that sort of happiness enter her
life. She worried about things that would easily be fixed if she let those that cared for her
express themselves. Now, on top of this, Tenchi was denying her birthright, her feelings and
her future because none of them had seen this. The further and faster they ran to catch up, the
more Tenchi seemed out of their reach. She knew where Tenchi was, but understood
Tenchi's wish to be alone even if she did not agree with it. She let Sasami dream peacefully,
unknowing of Tenchi's position.
She turned her attention to the others of the house. The Queens were lovingly curled up
against one another, sleeping in the blissful love of each other. Tsunami dreaded the day
when they would find out about her and the little girl that they loved as their daughter. Of
course, it might be better that Sasami was not schooled in the ways of Jurai women. Tenchi
had enough to worry about with Ayeka. Speaking of whom...
The Purple-hared princess was not in the room she shared with her sister. She was in a
hidden section of the floating baths, wrapped in a passionate embrace with Ryoko. They
were both asleep, yet even unconscious they moved in an exquisite dance to hold each other
most comfortably and intimately. Tsunami knew that their bodies were being guided by their
entangled auras, and smiled. They, at least, were coming along nicely.
Minagi's sleep, on the other hand, was troubled. Tsunami sadly wished she could reach into
the young woman's mind and see, perhaps guide the dream away from pain she that was
feeling. The pirate was sleeping aboard Hinase, as she more often did. The ball of crystal
that was the manifest personality of the ship was floating nearby. For some unknown reason
it was wearing a long night-cap. It even was complete with a fluffy ball at the end.
Thus, Sasami's only companion in the room was Ryo-Ohki, curled up on Sasami's chest
purring contentedly. The little twitches told of the happy dreams, chasing carrots and helping
Tenchi.
Mihoshi seemed able to fall asleep at anytime, if she wanted to. She never had troubled
dreams. Many would say that was because she didn't have the brains for it, but the potential
was there Tsunami knew. The blond detective's observational skills were quite astounding, a
fact that Tsunami knew led Funaho's interest in the detective's relationship with Tenchi. It
could prove very useful at Court. Mihoshi had cried herself to sleep when Kiyone had
arrived, but they were tears of joy not sadness.
Kiyone, in the short time she had been in the house, had become a much-needed rock of
stability. Tenchi had welcomed her as s/he had welcomed the other girls and it was quite
obvious that Mihoshi absolutely adored her partner. But she loved Tenchi. Kiyone had been
puzzled by the behaviour of the ladies, even the way that two of the most important women in
the galaxy deferred to Tenchi. It had become painfully apparent that her briefing had been
empty of the facts, and her skills as an investigator had come to the fore. Tsunami saw how
well Mihoshi and Kiyone complimented each other as she had discovered the facts quickly.
It wasn't as though they were hiding them though. Her chat with Ryoko had brought out her
feelings for Tenchi, which Sasami had commented were sweet when she found out.
Washu did sleep, now and again. She practically lived in her lab, and had taken in recent
months to building her room in her lab. Of course she had realised that only by building it
right by the main door would she actually sleep in it. Of course she knew that it would mean
a little restructuring of the lab, but it would make things easier for everybody else. She was
in her room right now, asleep and dreaming of wonders that she would perform when she
woke up.
Yosho had a room in the house, which he only used when it was too uncomfortable to sleep
in the shrine. Now was one of those rare times, and his sleep was calm and measured.
Tsunami thought back to seven centuries ago, when he had called on her after sealing Ryoko
away. The argument had been long and emotional, but Yosho won. Tsunami had planned to
try and talk him out of it but Ayeka had initiated the time freeze onboard Ryu-Oh, which had
disrupted her existence. Yosho had come closest to tapping the power Tenchi wielded out of
all those she had 'guided' from the Royal Family, and the loss had upset her. Now she
needed his help to deal with Tenchi.
In her higher dimensional hidey-hole, Tsunami sighed. Up until Tenchi's transformation,
Sasami's interest had been one that little girls traditionally had for older boys. Since she had
no experience of boys other than Yosho and her father due to her upbringing, Sasami had
been curious. That, coupled with Tenchi's kindness and similarity in her memory of Yosho,
had led her to consider Tenchi a surrogate big brother. Tsunami had been the one to feel the
attraction Tenchi held for the girls.
But after the transformation, Sasami had seen all the qualities that attracted the others in a
form she could understand and fallen for the woman. That had led Sasami to understanding
who and what she was, but the understanding went both ways and Tsunami had been hit not
by an abstract love but a full, unreasoning attraction to the woman who was Tenchi. She now
not only wanted Tenchi for the battle to come, she wanted Tenchi because... She loved
him/her. There, she had admitted it to herself. She loved Tenchi.
***
Something was feeling pleased with itself, if it had feelings. It was working better than it
had expected, if it had expectations. It was totally alien, and how and why it was were
unknown. But it had a goal, and that was all that mattered.
***
There was a place in the universe where the laws of reality do not apply; not even as
guidelines. The probability curve flat-lined, got tied in complicated knots of modular forms
or was joined together in a m"bius loop. Sometimes all three at once. This was the
singularity that led to a realm beyond the normal four dimensions most beings occupied.
This was where Tokimi existed.
She (for lack of a better term) was not evil per say; she just had goals and plans for this
reality. And this reality was important.
This reality was special in that it was a nexus, a crossroads between that which can and that
which cannot, that which should and that which should not. They were rare, and the last time
the Sisters had come across one they had fought. Tokimi had lost, but with a terrible cost to
the victors in that the reality had been destroyed and they had almost ceased to exist. Another
cost was the rarity of all three being in the same reality, a one-in-a-million chance as they had
left to wander. The Sisters had different methods for guiding realities, and sometimes they
didn't agree. They knew this was the way of things, so didn't bare each other malice as
goddesses.
And even goddesses feel the pain of loneliness. Without her Sisters, Tokimi spent aeon
after aeon alone in her realm. To combat this she split a part of herself off to become the
entity known as D3. This did not satisfy the longing to be with her Sisters again, or the
fascination she had with one word.
Dominion.
This was what caused the split, and without their influence Tokimi moved through realities
exploring it. She would take a being, elevate them to the higher dimensions and assign them
a reality to be responsible for. Even D3 gained a reality to watch over, and it was he who had
alerted his Lady to the presence of her Sisters in the reality he watched.
Time means nothing to Tokimi, so she waited. And watched.
"Sisters. Why are you there?..."
***
At GP Station 12, the chief of Patrol Section 5 had just got in to find a message was waiting.
Sighing, he settled down and got himself a cup of coffee to drink.
"Computer. Play message."
A screen opened to play the message.
"Sir." A tired looking Officer Makishi saluted. "Patrol ship 992574 reporting. Sorry to
take so long. They invited us to a card game and it took five rounds before we won enough
to get them to tell us what we wanted. The cargo was a state-of-the-art A-class level-7
computer junction point. A large one too. We couldn't get the client though. The files were
the standard information load, updated last week, and their encrypted financial records. All
in all a small crime, nothing really useful. We are now escorting them to the nearest facility
for repairs. Hopefully we won't loose too much in the rematch. Patrol ship 992574 out."
The message finished and the window blinked out. It was replaced by the analysis of the
data, and it didn't look good. Fortunately the Kagato report hadn't been included in the last
update, its strange limbo like top-secret state keeping it out. The chief went to work to secure
it, but with the knowledge that all the necessary information about Mihoshi's position was in
there. He quickly secured the report and any other data about Earth's Alpha group.
~ I'll release an update, saying that Mihoshi has been reassigned to HQ. ~ He thought. The
next update was due tomorrow. If the Black Star gang had all the data from the courier, they
would have it's alert about the update. Couriers needed up to date information, and they had
a subspace download program for updates. He thanked his lucky stars bureaucracy had
slowed down the release of information.
Flowering Potential.
====================
C&C can be sent to cobalt@elhazard.net Flames can be taken to the
nearest charity so they can be distributed to children in Third World
Countries to keep them warm.
Disclaimer: I do not own the series depicted within, but go buy it anyway.
Conventions:
~ ~ are used for thoughts and Telepathic communication.
The series is archived at http://www.lum.co.uk/cobalt/
##########
Chapter 11
##########
"You wished to speak to me Washu?" Funaho asked as she walked up to the console
Washu was working at.
"Yes I did." Washu replied in a slightly cuter voice than normal. "I have some good news.
Well, reasonably good news."
"What is it?"
"Tenchi's natural personality is reasserting its self. She found a way to effectively let off
the stress."
"That is good news." Funaho smiled.
"Don't relax too much." Washu warned. "Her psychological base is still unstable. Unless
we find a way to stabilise it, we run the risk of Tenchi going mad. Changing her back to
normal would help considerably."
"Since we can't do that at the moment, we will have to be careful."
***
Yukinojo was puzzled when Kiyone teleported in with an unknown woman dressed all in
black.
"Detective Kiyone, who is this?" The computer asked.
"You'll see." Kiyone replied. She turned to her companion. "Put your hand on the scanner
plate."
The woman sighed and walked up to the console, putting her hand down on the scanner.
"Scanning." Yukinojo announced. "Subject search error: Processing mistake... Data
inconsistent."
"Who does the scan say she is?" Kiyone asked.
"The scan matches precisely the readings of Tenchi Masaki."
"Which happens to be correct." The woman in black replied. "Happy now?" She sighed.
Yukinojo did a voiceprint analysis.
"Voiceprint 97.78% match to Tenchi Masaki. Lord Tenchi, is that you?"
Tenchi winced at the 'Lord' bit. "Yes. It's me Yukinojo. How many times do I have to ask
you not to call me 'Lord'?"
"But how did this happen? It corresponds to no known phenomena in databases I have
access to."
"Have you tried theoretical?" Kiyone asked sitting down.
Yukinojo paused as he ran the theoretical algorithms.
"Theoretical has no matches. Even extrapolation cannot match known data."
"Washu is having the same luck." Tenchi admitted.
"Yukinojo, open an local amend file for Tenchi's current data." Kiyone told the computer.
"It is not for transmission to base."
"Understood."
"Would you care to explain why we went through this?" Tenchi asked.
"I wanted to make sure you could access everything you should be able to. Now, Yukinojo
came up with an error but only due to the fact he could see you."
"Based on your data," Yukinojo said, "You will have no trouble accessing systems.
However, ship computers like myself may have problems. I have added to your normal file
that, due to your physiology, data inconsistency errors may appear."
"Good thinking Yukinojo."
***
"Now, what shall we have for dinner?" Sasami muttered.
"Carrot!" Ryo-Ohki exclaimed.
"We can't have carrots all the time Ryo-Ohki." Sasami told the catgirl.
"Sasami." Ryo-Ohki complained.
"I know you might be able to, but you can have too much of a good thing."
"Marooow?"
"Even the nicest things become bland after you've had them continuously for a time."
"Listen to her Ryo-Ohki." Funaho's voice said.
The Queen walked into the kitchen.
"When did our little Sasami become all grown up?" She asked.
Sasami snorted. "Someone had to in this house. Washu, Minagi and Kiyone have helped
but it was either me or Tenchi. And Tenchi had too many problems then."
Funaho walked over and warmly embraced her niece.
"You're so sweet. Isn't she Ryo-Ohki?"
"Funaho." The little catgirl agreed.
Mihoshi called Ryo-Ohki's name.
"Go ahead Ryo-Ohki." Sasami smiled. "She probably wants to play."
"Miya." Ryo-Ohki said and wandered off towards the sound.
Funaho smiled down on her niece.
"I'm going to make sure you marry Tenchi."
Sasami blushed. "Auntie Funaho." She complained.
Funaho chuckled, then sighed sadly.
"Sasami, I have to ask about that little incident with the stairs when we arrived. Do you
know what happened?"
"Hey Sasami!" Tenchi called as she came in. "You should see what Mihoshi and Ryo-Ohki
are doing." She caught the princess's eye with a look that told her everything she needed to
know.
"Ooo let me see!" She laughed as she ran out of the kitchen. Tenchi closed the door behind
her.
"I wouldn't bother asking the question again." Tenchi told the Queen. "She won't tell
you."
"Why not?" Funaho was annoyed.
"Because I ordered her not to."
"You...ordered her not to?" This was a new side to Tenchi she hadn't seen.
"All of them actually." Tenchi admitted sadly. "I didn't want to, but it was the best way.
*We* found out by accident. And don't ask me, it's not my place to tell you." Tenchi sighed.
"She will probably tell you sometime, but not now. She is not ready. After this visit, all of
us have agreed not to say anything to anyone else without Sasami's express permission. It's
her problem and she will deal with it." Those last words rang with a deathly finality.
"That doesn't sound very kind."
Suddenly Tenchi was there, staring into her eyes.
"It would be even less kind to have her face her problems before she was ready." Tenchi
growled. "I will *NOT* let her be hurt that way."
Funaho actually stepped back at the ferocity of the tone.
"I understand." She said. There was some hope for Tenchi after all. "I'll tell Misaki."
"Good." Tenchi said simply. "I consider the matter closed."
"Except for one thing." Funaho told her. She stepped up and kissed Tenchi on the cheek.
"That was for caring about her so much." She said.
"We all do." Tenchi replied. "It's the way she is."
***
"OK Washu." Ryoko said as she and Ayeka walked up to her. "Time for the antidote."
"I need to run some tes..scans first." Washu told them.
"Can you hurry up please?" Ayeka asked.
Washu got on and typed.
"Hum..."
"What?" Ryoko groaned.
"Your aura's are not completely separate yet. The process has slowed down considerably.
If I give you the antidote, it very likely the process will stop."
"How long?" Ayeka wanted to know, looking darkly at the scientist.
"Five days to a week. There is good news though, your effective maximum separation
range is now back to normal."
"At least that's a relief." Ryoko shuddered.
"Is it?" Washu asked, switching to her adult form.
Ryoko looked away. Smiling, Washu got up and walked to a position in front of her.
"Something wrong my dear?" She asked.
"Stop teasing Washu." Ayeka asked, carefully holding her position.
"There, there. Don't be afraid of your mom." Washu said, patting Ryoko on the shoulder.
Ryoko leapt on her and kissed her mother so hard that Washu fell back in surprise.
"Would you two like to be left alone?" Ayeka asked archly.
"Mumph!" Washu tried to respond.
"I'll take that as a yes." She said and slowly walked away.
Ryoko finally broke the kiss.
"Can't you do anything to help?" She asked, unable to leave the hug she had started.
"Sorry Ryoko." Washu said, catching her breath. "Besides, I like an affectionate daughter."
***
The headache started just before dinner and continued to get worse as the meal went on.
Tenchi was careful enough not to show it as they ate, but its sudden onset worried her. With
everything that had happened over the past week, her healthy and probably accurate paranoia
told her something was amiss.
Most of the meal was taken up with Funaho filling Ayeka and Sasami in on the past 700
years worth of court history and current rumour. There was surprisingly little history.
Tenchi put that down to the fact that, although the court was probably rife with dissension, no
one dared challenge Azusa. Also, with the all the heirs gone, there was no way of
progressing through marriage or sibling rivalry.
"It's Serio I'm worried about." Funaho concluded. "I know he's up to something after the
duel with Tenchi which caused him to fall from grace. He took it pretty well, which was
surprising."
Tenchi felt her headache get considerably worse and some detached state fall over her. She
recognised the last as her 'understanding' coming through.
"Serio has allied himself with a being of great power." She spoke in a dry, emotionless and
almost robotic tone. She was sure of this; as sure as her eyes had gone blank. "He is quite
politically astute and has several plans with which to regain the influence he has lost."
Seeing Tenchi start to recover Funaho quickly asked a question.
"Do you know who he has allied with?"
"No. But the ally would have to have much the same influence as the king. Also, the ally
must gain something from their relationship with Serio. They would likely hide themselves
behind intermediaries." With that the feeling was gone and Tenchi slumped, most of the
headache going as well.
"Thank you Tenchi." Funaho said. "I will have to look into that."
"We don't even know if it's true." Kiyone protested.
"I believe it is. Serio, despite all appearances to the contrary, is politically astute. He's
been one step ahead in his dealings for the past 300 years. I had not yet told anybody this."
"You could have a rare form of combat sense." Misaki told Tenchi. "Now and again I've
heard of people who can pick up everything about an opponent. You were going to fight
Serio at one point."
"My life's getting more complicated every day." Tenchi muttered.
"Oh, you get used to it." Kiyone ruefully told her, sparing a glance at her partner.
***
Tenchi wandered into the lab with her headache working its way back up to full strength.
"Washu! Are you in here?" She called out.
A flashing ball of red light appeared in mid-air.
"I'm sorry," Came a voice, "the scientist you are looking for is not available. Please leave
your message after the beep."
~ Great. ~ Tenchi thought sourly. ~ An answering machine for the lab. ~
A blue circle started to glow faintly at her feet. Tenchi shrugged and stepped into it. A
beep sounded and the circle turned green.
"OK Washu. I hope you get this quickly, we need to talk."
Tenchi stepped out of the circle and wandered back into the house, almost bumping into
Misaki for the second time that day.
"Oh. My apologies Your Majesty." Tenchi said on reflex. "I have to be more careful."
Misaki was having none of it.
"Tenchi. What have we said about using our titles?"
"Yes Your Majesty."
Misaki settled for giving her a dark look.
"What did you want Washu for?" The blue-hared royalty asked.
"I keep meaning to have talks about some appliances to save Sasami, and us all, some work.
But something else keeps taking precedence; me getting squashed for example." Well, it was
one of the things she wanted Washu for.
"You still owe me an apology." Misaki told her.
"Misaki," Tenchi sighed, "if Funaho hasn't told you that I'm paranoid, then I just have.
Ever since my...change, everybody including yourself has had some plan for me. My
paranoia has been correct about all these things so far, so I see no reason to ignore it. I'm
sorry if that offends her majesty, but that's how I am at the moment."
"Oh." Misaki sounded a bit dejected. "So you didn't enjoy..."
"No I didn't." Tenchi admitted. "I was terrified about what you might do if I wasn't
concentrating. I barely slept."
"We wouldn't have hurt you Tenchi."
"It's what you might have done that scares me." Tenchi shuddered.
Misaki's cheerful look returned, accompanied by a predatory gleam in her eyes.
"You owe me a bath." She said innocently.
Tenchi's face had a look of pure terror plastered all over it.
"I'd be in so much trouble it doesn't bear thinking about!" Tenchi started to carefully move
away.
Misaki began stalking her prey. "My Sister wouldn't mind."
"That's something I'm worried about." Tenchi admitted.
There was a sigh from the kitchen door. Tenchi, careful to keep her eyes on Misaki, saw
Funaho and Sasami watching the proceedings.
"Mom!" Sasami complained. "I don't think Tenchi needs another bath."
Misaki was stunned; betrayed by her own daughter.
Funaho had a thoughtful expression.
"I think I can allay Tenchi's fears Sister." The first Queen said. "However I will need to
discuss it with you first."
Misaki gave Tenchi a 'I'll find you if you run' look and walked into the kitchen after
Funaho.
Tenchi stared after them until she felt a portal open behind her. Washu popped out, and
Tenchi had never been so glad to see her.
"OK Tenchi, I'm free now."
***
Kiyone had just finished her workout and was walking back to the room she shared with her
partner when she bumped into Ryoko.
"What's up?" The detective asked, seeing the far away look in Ryoko's eyes.
"Hum...?" Ryoko came out of her daze. "Kiyone?"
"Anything the matter?"
"Oh just... thinking. How having a female Tenchi has changed things around here."
"It has certainly been more intense since the change."
"Kiyone, I've got to know. How do you feel about Tenchi?"
"You do know that frying a Galaxy Police officer is a serious offence?" Kiyone reminded
her.
"Just answer the question." Ryoko sighed.
"I don't care as much as you and Ayeka do about Tenchi. She's a nice person, but I never
saw what drives you to chase Tenchi. Maybe it's because I've had so many boyfriends." She
shrugged.
"Would you...? If Tenchi asked?"
"I've thought long and hard about that, and I believe the answer is no. But then, I think
Tenchi just considers me a friend and nothing more. I don't think of Tenchi as anything more
than that."
"Really?" Ryoko's stare bored into her.
"Well... Maybe a little brother." Kiyone admitted a little sheepishly. The slow, mysterious
smile that formed on Ryoko's face at that worried her.
"Don't you mean little sister?" She asked.
"Isn't Tenchi still technically male?"
"You've kissed her. What's your opinion?"
Kiyone looked very worried.
"Minagi told me all about it." Ryoko grinned as explanation.
"Tenchi is still male in mind, if not in body." Kiyone leaned forward to whisper in Ryoko's
ear. "She could be a very good kisser."
Ryoko drew back, shocked.
"Talk to you later." Kiyone smiled and walked on.
***
"So this headache faded a bit when you finished telling Funaho what you could?"
Tenchi sighed. "Yes Washu."
The young woman was wearing the ring of lights around her head, making her look like a
Christmas decoration. However, Washu now didn't dare try to tie Tenchi up or do anything
but the least invasive probes. The former due to her knowledge of Tenchi's temper, the latter
due to her knowledge of Tenchi's nature. Tenchi was sat on one of Washu's floating
cushions.
"Well, according to this your neural pathways have begun restructuring themselves. The
activity in there is beating my own."
"So my 'understanding' ability was using most of my brain?" Tenchi asked.
"I'd say so, yes." Washu admitted.
Tenchi's progress was amazing. Washu was getting slightly worried about how much
Tenchi would be able to achieve before and after the change back. She didn't want to worry
the young woman about the synaptic growth, the neural effectiveness boosts or rocketing IQ
figures she was getting.
"In fact," Washu continued, "the activity has reached a plateau. It won't get any worse.
Can't do anything to cure the headache without upsetting your delicate system."
"Washu, if you are worried about me being a transcendent being, I've been one since I first
created the Lighthawk wings. At least, according to Tsunami."
"Then I'm lucky I didn't destroy us all. But it's worse now as your powers come into
fruition."
"I've got a scratch..."
"WHERE?" Washu jumped out of her seat.
Tenchi laughed. "You're worrying too much Washu. I've overcome both Kagato's and
Yakage's swords." Tenchi didn't like to think about what had happened to her opponents.
"Tenchi," Washu growled, "take this seriously. You were in full Lighthawk Armour mode,
as you put it. I'm almost convinced you could walk through a stellar core like that. Right
now you aren't, so take care."
"Yeash! And I thought I was worried about my life."
"Until this period of your life is over, which could be as long as a year, you have to be very
careful."
"I know I'm not invincible Washu," Tenchi complained, "but you are worrying about
insignificant injuries. A scratch or a cold is not going to threaten my life. Just treat me as
you normally would." She got up and took off the ring. "I'll go see if we've got any
paracetamol."
When she was gone Washu shook her head in disgust. Why did everything about Tenchi
have to be so complicated?
***
Tenchi had barely got out the door when she was pounced on by the two Queens.
"There you are!" Misaki exclaimed.
"Come with us young lady." Funaho said more calmly.
The two of them literally picked Tenchi up and carried her up the stairs.
"Help?" Tenchi suggested as they passed Ryoko and Ayeka.
"Can we watch Mother?" Ayeka asked. This was not the response Tenchi was looking for.
"Let us have our little fun." Misaki told her daughter. "You'll have her all to yourselves
after tomorrow."
~ Mental note, ~ Tenchi thought to herself, ~ run at earliest opportunity. ~
Dragged through the first floor, Tenchi could just guess where they were headed. The baths.
Boy, was she in trouble.
They set her down, but kept a firm grip.
"Now Tenchi," Funaho said, "I know you are worried..."
~ That's an understatement. ~ Tenchi thought sourly.
"...But nothing bad will happen."
"I think our definitions of 'bad' are different. No matter what you have arranged, I'll just
get into trouble." Tenchi kept fighting the urge to flash into full power and see if she could
break the sound barrier. Hell, even light speed was an option.
Misaki reached over and put her hand against Tenchi's forehead.
"You feel a little warm." She noted.
"Um... Maybe it's because I'm sweating with fear and I have a headache. I don't think this
is a good time."
"You would say that about any time though." Misaki pointed out.
"Why don't you let us mother you?" Funaho suggested.
"I'm more than capable of looking after myself." It came out a little more sharply than she
had expected. "Thanks for the offer. Now if you will excuse me..." She said as she tried to
walk away. She didn't get very far.
"Now Tenchi. Is this any way to treat your guests?" Misaki asked.
"I think my guests should have their privacy." Tenchi tried.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Funaho warned.
"I'd rather we didn't do it at all." Tenchi told them. "Yes you are both quite beautiful, but
you are also married women. I on the other hand AM male, despite all appearances to the
contrary. It would bad manners, ethically wrong and socially unacceptable for me to even
contemplate bathing with you. Oh, and I missed out politically and legally wrong." Tenchi
tried again to leave the Queens to themselves.
"You are still shy around us after last night?"
"Last night?!? I haven't been that scared since the time Kagato almost killed me. Can you
imagine what staring as a massive beam of energy comes roaring down upon you feels like?
It almost matched the worry I had for everyone else."
"Then let us look after you." Funaho asked. "We care for you almost as much as our girls
do."
"Which just worries me even more."
"Your shyness is killing your relationship with the girls." Misaki told her.
"I can't help it if I'm shy. It has saved me from being fried too many times to count, and
kept me out of trouble." ~ Like its trying to do now. ~ She added silently.
"Maybe we should have let Ayeka and Ryoko come along." Funaho told her Sister.
Both the Queens felt the surge from Tenchi. The symbol of her power formed on her
forehead and glowed.
"Please let me go." Tenchi asked quietly.
Funaho and Misaki did so. They had never felt so much power from one person.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not ready. Please leave it at that." Tenchi apologised, backing away
ever faster. She turned the corner and dashed upstairs, power and symbol fading as she
entered her room.
Misaki slumped. "At this rate it will take Tenchi years to get confident enough to ask the
girls."
Funaho put her arm over Misaki's shoulder.
"I know. It seems that Tsunami's little addition is being overcome by Tenchi's shyness, or
her fear about what might happen."
"Centuries of work." Misaki sighed.
"I don't think we can wait that long." Funaho pointed out.
"Plan B then." Misaki acknowledged.
***
Minagi was watching the news. Not the Galactic news, but the planetary news. It wasn't
hard to understand what they said, as Washu's latest upgrade had been an Earth language
module.
"And the main news again. The international community has deplored the live test
detonation of a neutron device by the Chinese. Washington has called it a 'politically
dangerous' action. London, in a joint statement with Brussels and Moscow, has said the
event has 'profound implications'."
Minagi shook her head in disbelief. Neutron weapons? What were they thinking?
"What are you watching Minagi?" Sasami asked as she came into the room.
"This planet going insane." Minagi muttered darkly.
Washu appeared out of nowhere. "What did you say?"
"A nearby country has just detonated a neutron weapon. Are they insane?"
"If they are going round setting off neutron devices, they probably are." Washu shuddered.
"I'm going to have to watch the local news more often."
"That's crazy!" Sasami exclaimed. "Don't they know how dangerous those things are?"
"No they don't." Kiyone said as she walked out of the lab. "They've just finished playing
around with nuclear weapons. They've even used them in battle."
"They've used nuclear weapons?" Washu was aghast.
"Check the data yourself. It's on the planetary net."
Minagi changed channels in an attempt to find something to take their minds off it.
"Wait. Go back one." Sasami asked.
A show with three men and three women appeared. It wasn't long before they were all
giggling.
"What's this one?" Kiyone asked.
Minagi hit a button and a second window came up.
"Friends."
"Looks good. Can someone make some room? Thanks."
***
Tenchi crept downstairs. She needn't have bothered, since all the women were devoutly
watching that American show she'd heard about. In fact they were chasing it around the
globe, as soon as the show they were watching finished, they'd quickly run through the
channels looking for the next one. She went into the kitchen for a drink, her headache having
subsided. Washu soon followed after some snacks.
"Why didn't you tell us there were shows like that on this world?" She asked.
"You seemed happy enough with the shows you knew about. If you like it so much, why
don't you look it up on the Net? I'm sure there will be schedules on there as well. It's
supposedly quite popular." She'd never seen the point.
Washu filled a large bowl with assorted treats. "I'll do that."
Left alone, Tenchi sighed and poured herself a glass of lemonade.
"Having problems Tenchi?" Her Grandfather asked as he came in through the back door.
"Don't I always? Funaho and Misaki are trying to get me to bathe with them."
Yosho chuckled. "I think you'll find resisting them a bad idea."
"Come on Grandpa! They're married women, but they are acting like a pair of schoolgirls.
I'm in enough trouble with the king already."
"Ah. I'll think you will find that Mother and Misaki will do what they feel is right."
"Whatever it takes eh? My life just gets worse." She grumbled.
"Do you know specifically what they want?"
"Me, less shy apparently." Tenchi shrugged, then shuddered. "I get the feeling they are
playing matchmakers. They just have to sort me out first." She downed the rest of her drink.
"I would suggest hiding somewhere." Yosho said.
"I can try."
***
"That was the last one for tonight." Washu announced. She received a series of catcalls and
boos of disapproval.
"That was fun." Ryoko stretched.
"An interesting series." Funaho admitted.
"You have a gift for understatement Sister." Misaki noted dryly.
"Has anyone seen Tenchi?" Ayeka asked.
"I saw her a while ago in the kitchen getting a drink." Washu shrugged.
"It's late, so she probably went to bed." Minagi added.
Sasami stifled a yawn. "I'd better be heading to bed. I'm never usually up this late."
"Don't worry." Misaki smiled. "I won't tell you off."
"I'll check on Tenchi." Kiyone volunteered, taking Sasami upstairs with her.
It wasn't long until the two of them came back down.
"She's not in her room." Kiyone reported.
"How do you know?" Funaho asked.
"The door was open." Sasami replied.
Washu sighed and brought up her subspace computer. The keystrokes got progressively
faster.
"That's very weird. Tenchi's power signature should stick out like a sore thumb, but I can't
find it. I mean, I should be able to detect it through any number of dimensions."
"She can't just disappear." Ryoko scoffed.
"Well, she has. I hope we find her so I can ask her how she did it."
A portal opened and deposited several flashlights on the table.
"It's not like Tenchi to go off like this without leaving a note." Ayeka said.
As though those words were a trigger, a note appeared in mid-air. Funaho was the first to it.
"What's it say?" Sasami asked.
"To All, gone out. Be back tomorrow. Tenchi." Funaho read.
"Why do that?" The question came from around the room.
***
Tenchi ignored the mental barrage she was under. It stopped when the source realised she
wasn't paying attention.
"Thank you." Tenchi said. "Can I go to sleep now?"
~ Funaho: You weren't listening to a thing I said were you. ~ The Tree complained.
"I've already had a tirade from your namesake today."
~ Funaho: The way you are acting you probably earned it. ~
"You and Grandfather must have had very long talks then." Tenchi realised.
~ Funaho: Yes we did, but even he wasn't this stubborn. This is a bad idea Tenchi. Did
Yosho suggest it? ~
"You can tell huh?"
~ Funaho: It is the sort of thing he would suggest. Did he suggest here? ~
"No. I thought of it myself. It hid Ryoko for seven hundred years."
Tenchi was in the lower half of the cave, with a waterproof sleeping bag, an area light and a
small stove for heat. Although there was no longer any water running down the Jurai style
water channels there was still a large pool in the centre that just glowed these days.
~ Funaho: With my help. ~ The tree pointed out.
"Funny, I thought it was you who told Ayeka where Ryoko was." Tenchi blurted out the
knowledge as soon as it came into her mind.
There was a mental gasp from Funaho. ~ Funaho: How did you know that? ~
"So Grandpa did set the whole thing up." Tenchi concluded.
~ Funaho: Yosho set you up to free Ryoko? ~
"Like mother, like son I suppose. I doubt Tsunami tries to set two trees up for whatever it is
you do. I don't want to know personally."
~ Funaho: The Mistress was right that things around here were weird. Fun but weird. ~
"You must see a lot. I probably wasn't very interesting as a kid."
~ Funaho: Well I don't get about as much as I used to. ~ The tree said wryly.
"Ayeka did mention that you couldn't become a spaceship anymore since you had taken
root."
~ Funaho: The princess was right. ~
"I'm sorry. It must have been hard to accept life here after all that freedom."
~ Funaho: It was. But I welcomed the quiet. Watching the other trees grow around Ryo-
Ohki's and my crash site. They made me welcome. ~
"I will never get used to all this." Tenchi wryly admitted.
~ Funaho: You will learn in time. ~
***
While the beings below her slept (some worrying, some joyfully and some obliviously),
Tsunami watched from the higher dimensional pocket she could call home if it had needed a
designation. Tenchi was not going well. As the Queens had realised, the attempt to draw
Tenchi out of her hole had been foiled due to Tenchi's fear. Tsunami longed to know the
thoughts and decisions that led Tenchi from the happy life that she could have. Most of the
ladies, herself included, would willingly give themselves to Tenchi out of their love. But, as
she was beginning to realise, Tenchi couldn't or wouldn't let that sort of happiness enter her
life. She worried about things that would easily be fixed if she let those that cared for her
express themselves. Now, on top of this, Tenchi was denying her birthright, her feelings and
her future because none of them had seen this. The further and faster they ran to catch up, the
more Tenchi seemed out of their reach. She knew where Tenchi was, but understood
Tenchi's wish to be alone even if she did not agree with it. She let Sasami dream peacefully,
unknowing of Tenchi's position.
She turned her attention to the others of the house. The Queens were lovingly curled up
against one another, sleeping in the blissful love of each other. Tsunami dreaded the day
when they would find out about her and the little girl that they loved as their daughter. Of
course, it might be better that Sasami was not schooled in the ways of Jurai women. Tenchi
had enough to worry about with Ayeka. Speaking of whom...
The Purple-hared princess was not in the room she shared with her sister. She was in a
hidden section of the floating baths, wrapped in a passionate embrace with Ryoko. They
were both asleep, yet even unconscious they moved in an exquisite dance to hold each other
most comfortably and intimately. Tsunami knew that their bodies were being guided by their
entangled auras, and smiled. They, at least, were coming along nicely.
Minagi's sleep, on the other hand, was troubled. Tsunami sadly wished she could reach into
the young woman's mind and see, perhaps guide the dream away from pain she that was
feeling. The pirate was sleeping aboard Hinase, as she more often did. The ball of crystal
that was the manifest personality of the ship was floating nearby. For some unknown reason
it was wearing a long night-cap. It even was complete with a fluffy ball at the end.
Thus, Sasami's only companion in the room was Ryo-Ohki, curled up on Sasami's chest
purring contentedly. The little twitches told of the happy dreams, chasing carrots and helping
Tenchi.
Mihoshi seemed able to fall asleep at anytime, if she wanted to. She never had troubled
dreams. Many would say that was because she didn't have the brains for it, but the potential
was there Tsunami knew. The blond detective's observational skills were quite astounding, a
fact that Tsunami knew led Funaho's interest in the detective's relationship with Tenchi. It
could prove very useful at Court. Mihoshi had cried herself to sleep when Kiyone had
arrived, but they were tears of joy not sadness.
Kiyone, in the short time she had been in the house, had become a much-needed rock of
stability. Tenchi had welcomed her as s/he had welcomed the other girls and it was quite
obvious that Mihoshi absolutely adored her partner. But she loved Tenchi. Kiyone had been
puzzled by the behaviour of the ladies, even the way that two of the most important women in
the galaxy deferred to Tenchi. It had become painfully apparent that her briefing had been
empty of the facts, and her skills as an investigator had come to the fore. Tsunami saw how
well Mihoshi and Kiyone complimented each other as she had discovered the facts quickly.
It wasn't as though they were hiding them though. Her chat with Ryoko had brought out her
feelings for Tenchi, which Sasami had commented were sweet when she found out.
Washu did sleep, now and again. She practically lived in her lab, and had taken in recent
months to building her room in her lab. Of course she had realised that only by building it
right by the main door would she actually sleep in it. Of course she knew that it would mean
a little restructuring of the lab, but it would make things easier for everybody else. She was
in her room right now, asleep and dreaming of wonders that she would perform when she
woke up.
Yosho had a room in the house, which he only used when it was too uncomfortable to sleep
in the shrine. Now was one of those rare times, and his sleep was calm and measured.
Tsunami thought back to seven centuries ago, when he had called on her after sealing Ryoko
away. The argument had been long and emotional, but Yosho won. Tsunami had planned to
try and talk him out of it but Ayeka had initiated the time freeze onboard Ryu-Oh, which had
disrupted her existence. Yosho had come closest to tapping the power Tenchi wielded out of
all those she had 'guided' from the Royal Family, and the loss had upset her. Now she
needed his help to deal with Tenchi.
In her higher dimensional hidey-hole, Tsunami sighed. Up until Tenchi's transformation,
Sasami's interest had been one that little girls traditionally had for older boys. Since she had
no experience of boys other than Yosho and her father due to her upbringing, Sasami had
been curious. That, coupled with Tenchi's kindness and similarity in her memory of Yosho,
had led her to consider Tenchi a surrogate big brother. Tsunami had been the one to feel the
attraction Tenchi held for the girls.
But after the transformation, Sasami had seen all the qualities that attracted the others in a
form she could understand and fallen for the woman. That had led Sasami to understanding
who and what she was, but the understanding went both ways and Tsunami had been hit not
by an abstract love but a full, unreasoning attraction to the woman who was Tenchi. She now
not only wanted Tenchi for the battle to come, she wanted Tenchi because... She loved
him/her. There, she had admitted it to herself. She loved Tenchi.
***
Something was feeling pleased with itself, if it had feelings. It was working better than it
had expected, if it had expectations. It was totally alien, and how and why it was were
unknown. But it had a goal, and that was all that mattered.
***
There was a place in the universe where the laws of reality do not apply; not even as
guidelines. The probability curve flat-lined, got tied in complicated knots of modular forms
or was joined together in a m"bius loop. Sometimes all three at once. This was the
singularity that led to a realm beyond the normal four dimensions most beings occupied.
This was where Tokimi existed.
She (for lack of a better term) was not evil per say; she just had goals and plans for this
reality. And this reality was important.
This reality was special in that it was a nexus, a crossroads between that which can and that
which cannot, that which should and that which should not. They were rare, and the last time
the Sisters had come across one they had fought. Tokimi had lost, but with a terrible cost to
the victors in that the reality had been destroyed and they had almost ceased to exist. Another
cost was the rarity of all three being in the same reality, a one-in-a-million chance as they had
left to wander. The Sisters had different methods for guiding realities, and sometimes they
didn't agree. They knew this was the way of things, so didn't bare each other malice as
goddesses.
And even goddesses feel the pain of loneliness. Without her Sisters, Tokimi spent aeon
after aeon alone in her realm. To combat this she split a part of herself off to become the
entity known as D3. This did not satisfy the longing to be with her Sisters again, or the
fascination she had with one word.
Dominion.
This was what caused the split, and without their influence Tokimi moved through realities
exploring it. She would take a being, elevate them to the higher dimensions and assign them
a reality to be responsible for. Even D3 gained a reality to watch over, and it was he who had
alerted his Lady to the presence of her Sisters in the reality he watched.
Time means nothing to Tokimi, so she waited. And watched.
"Sisters. Why are you there?..."
***
At GP Station 12, the chief of Patrol Section 5 had just got in to find a message was waiting.
Sighing, he settled down and got himself a cup of coffee to drink.
"Computer. Play message."
A screen opened to play the message.
"Sir." A tired looking Officer Makishi saluted. "Patrol ship 992574 reporting. Sorry to
take so long. They invited us to a card game and it took five rounds before we won enough
to get them to tell us what we wanted. The cargo was a state-of-the-art A-class level-7
computer junction point. A large one too. We couldn't get the client though. The files were
the standard information load, updated last week, and their encrypted financial records. All
in all a small crime, nothing really useful. We are now escorting them to the nearest facility
for repairs. Hopefully we won't loose too much in the rematch. Patrol ship 992574 out."
The message finished and the window blinked out. It was replaced by the analysis of the
data, and it didn't look good. Fortunately the Kagato report hadn't been included in the last
update, its strange limbo like top-secret state keeping it out. The chief went to work to secure
it, but with the knowledge that all the necessary information about Mihoshi's position was in
there. He quickly secured the report and any other data about Earth's Alpha group.
~ I'll release an update, saying that Mihoshi has been reassigned to HQ. ~ He thought. The
next update was due tomorrow. If the Black Star gang had all the data from the courier, they
would have it's alert about the update. Couriers needed up to date information, and they had
a subspace download program for updates. He thanked his lucky stars bureaucracy had
slowed down the release of information.