Chapter 5 Mayuka's Loss
THE LEGEND:
The legend of the two Universes' is an ancient one. These days it is told only to calm children
with nightmares. You see, in one
dimension, called the Universe of Delight, good always triumphs in the
end. Things may not be perfect, yet in
the end justice and right shall never fail.
However, the other universe, The Universe of Torment, is not so
fortunate. It is a realm where evil
reigns supreme. In the end the evils
that roam that plane stand triumphant and those with pure hearts must be
prepared, in the end, to die by these monster's hands.
But, that is not the entirety of the legend. For you see, the old legend states that one
day a being of purest evil will leave The Universe of Torment, and wage a
horrible war with the Universe of Delight.
This monster shall be born from love, yet be the bane of all that have
love inside themselves. His hate and
fury will lay waste entire worlds, and all of time will quake at his
passing. If the demon is defeated, then
the Universe of Torment will forever be free of its curse. The curse that evil shall always
prevail. But if the demon is not
stopped, then the Universe of Delight will fall under the same curse as it's
parallel, and every living thing in both universes shall know unending pain and
suffering for all time.
This is the story of the demon's coming, and how it will
affect the people in both worlds. From
Torment comes a young man imprisoned by a black-hearted monster, called
Blackshire, who may or may not be the demon foretold by legend. The ebon knight may merely be the harbinger
of worse things to come. But this story
takes place in the Universe of Delight, where Tenchi Masaki, as well as all his
family and friends, with the addition of his darling daughter, Mayuka live
happily.
The battle is over Blackshire is no more, killed in
Yosho's mind. Now the Masaki family has
to deal with a greater threat to their happiness than Blackshire, and that
would be the loss of Ryoko, as she has gone back to the Universe of Torment
with her son, Yosho
And now part 5 of 26:
Universe of Torment: 4 am (just after Ryoko and Yosho
arrived)
Washu's Lab:
Inside a massive lab located inside
subspace, Washu typed frantically on her keyboard. Moments ago a tiny window had just appeared. What's going
on? A rupture in time and space… Hmmm,
interesting. It looks just like the
type of distortion made by my gateway, which leads to the Universe of Delight,
but the matter moved to this world is also far too small to be The Yagami. I wonder what's going on?
Typing quickly on her ethereal
keyboard, the diminutive genius began to further investigate the bizarre
occurrence. However all her scans came
back inconclusive. Damn! I can't get
a lock on the astral patterns, there seems to be too much distortion from the
gateway. In order to scan this all
properly I'll need to wait until the residual effects of the portal are
gone. It appears only two objects came
through the gateway. A chill ran
down Washu's spine as she remembered the last time a strange gateway
appeared. It had been the darkest day
in her entire life. No, I'm not
going to wait this time! Last time I waited, Tenchi had already left, and Leech
managed to kill him. There will be no
more monsters like Leech running free, not while I can do something about
it.
A single tear ran down Washu's
cheek as she remembered that horrible night, when the time and space constant
had been altered, and so many of her friends and family's had been killed. Pressing a few more keys, Washu held out a
one hand just in time to catch a blaster as it fell from a portal she had just
summoned. I'd best check it out
myself. According to these readings,
they should be inside the house by now.
Slowly the red-haired genius made
her way to the door in subspace, which led from her lab into the Masaki
house. Knots formed in her stomach as
she slowly opened the door. Seeing
nothing out the ordinary, the emerald-eyed woman relaxed only slightly as she
remembered that her targets could be lurking anywhere.
Even after all the thousands of
years, Washu still felt ill at ease in the dark. She wasn't afraid of it by any means, yet something about it
never sat right with her. Even though
much of her lab wasn't always lit, that was by choice. At any given moment the entire laboratory
could be engulfed in bright light, if she so desired. I suppose my hatred of darkness is why I'm
such a good scientist. I bring light
into the areas of mental darkness. Placing her self-analyses aside, Washu
used extreme stealth to make her way through the dark living room.
The inside of the Masaki home was
dead silent. The loudest thing Washu
could hear was her own breathing and heartbeat. However, her highly trained ears could also detect a faint
shuffling and murmuring coming from the kitchen. Moving like a ninja through the pitch-black room, the red-haired
woman held her gun ready. If anything attacked
her, it would know quickly learn the wrath of the universe's greatest genius.
Standing with her back to the door,
Washu took a long deep breath, as she tried to excise her nervousness. Alright Washu… She told herself. Just throw the door open and take aim,
and don't hesitate to fire, Leech would never give you that chance. If it is more creatures like Leech, then
they are probably onto you by now.
Kicking the door with all her might
the diminutive genius held her blaster with the barrel pointing straight
ahead. "Alright, no one move, and no
one gets blasted!" The two figures who
stood parallel to her spun around from their place by the fridge, panicked
expressions on their face.
One was a black-haired young man,
the other a woman with silver hair.
Each figure had golden eyes, which they used to gaze at her, a startled
expression on their faces.
"Yosho!" Washu blurted surprise
heavy in her voice. The sight of her
grandson, who had left her so long ago, did not cause this emotion, instead it
was directed at the silver-haired newcomer.
"And Ryoko? But how is this possible…?"
"It's a long story, grandmother,"
Yosho sighed, appearing to have regained some of his composure. Despite his defeated stance, a glimmer of
hope sparkled in his golden eyes. "A
very long story. I suggest we all move
into the dining room and have something to eat while I tell you what's been
going on."
A Short Time Later:
Three figures sat at a small dining
room nibbling on the food before them.
"So let me get this straight," Washu said pointing at the two others
with her fork. "You're telling me that
YOU were Blackshire, Yosho?" The tiny
genius shook her head side to side as she chewed on her late night snack. "I'm afraid that is impossible. I met Blackshire before, and that was years
before you were born."
"But Grandmother," the golden-eyed
young man pleaded. "I may not have been
THE Blackshire, but I was A Blackshire.
My own mental anguish and stress caused me to create another
personality, and that was him!"
"I see," turning her attention away
from her grandson, the diminutive scientist glanced over at the silver haired
woman sitting across from her. "And
Ryoko here is from the Universe of Delight?"
"I can answer for myself, Washu." Ryoko snapped sounding slightly agitated at being ignored. "Yes, I'm from The Universe of Delight. I came here to help out my son. Is there a problem with that?"
"No, I'm just trying to make sure I understand all this
correctly. Now you both claim that
Yosho has powers like you, Ryoko, and that you two share a mental connection?"
"That is correct grandmother." Yosho interrupted.
"Although I am afraid I can't use those powers. Blackshire knew how to, but I have yet to
learn."
"That's really no problem, I can show you how." The silver-haired woman declared pride in
her voice.
"And just HOW do you plan on teaching him to use his powers,
Little Ryoko?" Washu asked with a smile, the silver-haired woman snarled as she
heard the pink-haired woman's pet name for her.
Instead of pounding the tiny genius for making such a
statement, the silver-haired woman merely ignored her. "I don't know if you realize it or not,
Washu, but I'm the one who had to show me how to use my powers. I'm sure if anyone could teach him, it would
be me."
Shaking her head the red-haired genius couldn't help but
smile. Ryoko will be Ryoko, no
matter where she's from. "Ok, I
won't argue with you on that point, but it's a little late to start giving
lessons tonight. Maybe we should all
get some sleep, and then you can get a fresh start in the morning."
As if in agreement, Yosho yawned loudly. "I suppose you are right, grandmother." Standing stiffly, the young man stretched
his tired limbs. "Mother, shall I show
you to your room?"
My room… Ryoko was mildly
surprised; she had never really had a room of her own, unless you counted
Ryo-Ohki. Then it dawned on her. That's right, I nearly forgot, in this
universe I'm married to Tenchi. The concept of seeing the room this world's Ryoko had
many nights in with Tenchi filled the silver-haired woman with excitement, it
would be like seeing a dream come to life.
Leaping to her feet she smiled broadly.
"Yes, Yosho. You may show me to
the room where my Tenchi and I stayed."
Poor Ryoko, don't you remember that it wasn't YOUR Tenchi,
but our Tenchi. Washu thought shaking her head.
That may be true Washu, but like it or not, I'm YOUR Ryoko
now. Remember I'm here to help Yosho,
so until the other Ryoko is up and around, I'm her. Ryoko replied mentally as she
prepared to leave the dining area.
Washu's head jerked back slightly as she heard the
silver-haired woman's voice echo in her mind.
It had been over a year since she had talked to anyone mentally. Interesting. I would not have thought it possible for you to read my
thoughts. I guess it doesn't matter
which dimension we're in, you and I are always connected. Right, MY little Ryoko?
Moments Later:
"Here it is, mother.
Your room." Yosho declared throwing open the door to Tenchi and Ryoko's
room as if he was presenting royalty.
The golden-eyed woman stepped into the small room slowly,
turning her head to take in everything.
It appeared to look nearly identical to Tenchi's room in her home
universe, except for a few minor things, like the twin size bed sitting against
the wall, in place of Tenchi's old single size one. With a seductive smile, Ryoko looked at the bed. There really wasn't any need for you to
get a bigger bed, Tenchi dear. After
all, if I know me as well as I think I do, we wouldn't be sleeping much in
bed.
As she laughed mentally to herself, something on Tenchi's
desk caught her attention. Walking over
quickly, the lithe woman gently picked up what appeared to be a golden device,
with a glass bulb on one end. "Is
this…"?
"Yes," Yosho interrupted.
"That is the device I told you about.
It contains a video of mother and father's first kiss. It was recorded, on accident, by grandmother
while she was testing out some of her surveillance equipment." As he spoke, the young man could tell Ryoko
hadn't heard much of what he was saying.
Something about her stance, even though her back was to him, told him
that she wanted to see this video for herself, and it was something she wished
to see alone. Clearing his throat
softly the young man continued. "Well,
I'm going to bed. I will see you
tomorrow, after I get done with my chores.
Goodnight, mother."
"Goodnight, son…" Ryoko said softly, sounding as if it was
an automatic response. So intense was
her focus on the device in her hands, that she had not heard the door slide
shut. Gently pressing the button on the
side of the golden object, Ryoko watched with tears of joy welling in her eyes
as she watched the scene unfold. It
started out with the two of them arguing, yet ended up with them undergoing the
most passionate kiss the golden-eyed woman had ever seen. I can see that this world's Ryoko was
truly lucky. I wish I could have a
night like that with my Tenchi, but I suppose it was never meant to be. The golden-eyed woman wiped a tear from
her cheek. Oh well, I suppose I
might as well go to bed. I'll need my
sleep, something tells me I'm going to have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow. I can't wait to explore this place.
Ryoko leapt into bed, throwing her blue and brown striped
dress in a heap on the floor. I haven't been IN Tenchi's bed since we
first met. She thought recalling that day so long
ago. That sure was quite a while
back. But I'll always remember it as if
it was only a few minutes ago. I'll
never forget the look on your face, Tenchi, when you saw me in your bed. It was priceless. Throwing back the
covers, the slender woman slipped into bed.
She was pleased to note that the bed now had silk sheets, which felt
very soothing against her naked skin. It's
obvious who picked these out. I'm glad
I have such good taste.
With a deep sigh, the lithe young woman closed her eyes,
preparing for a good nights rest in her new bed. I'm home. She
thought with a small smile. After
all these years, I've finally found where I belong. I've finally found a place I can be happy and call home. In only a few moments, the tired
silver-haired space pirate drifted happily off to sleep, thoughts of all the
new adventures she would have floating through her brain.
Washu's Lab:
Washu sat on her floating cushion typing continuously on her
ethereal keyboard. Having just sent a
report to the Galaxy Police telling them that their ship was lost in the trial
run of her inter-universal machine, the little woman paused for a few moments
to let her dexterous fingers rest. As
she did, the super genius looked over at a med tube sitting nearby. Inside the large glass cylinder was a naked
woman, with long cyan hair.
Standing up, the pink-haired woman leaned over the container
looking sadly at the woman inside. "My
Little Ryoko. I'm still working on a
way to get you to wake up, but so far nothing is working. Well, I suppose I should tell you what
happened today. Yosho's back. You should get up, and welcome him
back. Of course he also brought someone
else with him. He brought Ryoko. I know it sounds weird, but it's true. She's from the Universe of Delight. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but
your son had a bit of a break down. It
was bad enough so that he had multiple personalities, and get this, his other
self was called Blackshire!"
A tiny beeping noise above her caused Washu to quickly look
up. In all the time since Ryoko had
fallen into this coma there had never been any change in her condition. However as the small genius had mentioned the
ebon knights name, Ryoko's brain waves had altered slightly. Hmmm… Interesting. Her brainwaves are on the same level as they do when she is
mentally communicating with someone. I wonder whom she could be talking to?
Pushing her analysis aside for the moment, Washu decided to
continue with her daily report to the sleeping woman. However as she continued,
the red-haired woman tried using a bit of reverse psychology on her sleeping
daughter. "That's right, Ryoko. Your son went insane and nearly killed a lot
of people. You'd better get up and put that boy back in his place, unless you
want this other Ryoko to have your life.
I mean she does have quite few advantages over you. For one she seems to be a lot prettier than
you. Then there's the fact that her and
Yosho share a mental link like you and I do.
Oh by the way, she seems to be able to speak to me mentally as well. Not to mention the fact that Yosho really
likes her. I guess you can stay in that
tube if you want, since we have a Ryoko and all." Looking up, Washu had hoped her speech had caused another change
in the lithe woman's status, yet it remained the same. Whoever Ryoko was in contact with, she
continued to speak to. Shaking her
head, the young looking scientist yawned.
"Well, it's good to see you are making some progress my Little
Ryoko. I'm going to bed; I think I'll
have my hands full with Ryoko tomorrow.
Good night…."
Ryoko's Room:
Dream Sequence
A young woman with silver-hair, and a blue and brown striped
dress walked happily up the stairs leading to the Masaki shrine. The sun shined brightly down on her and
everything seemed to be right with the world.
As she strolled up the seemly endless staircase, she hummed a happy tune
from a television show she had recently seen. ** Held delicately in one hand, the woman, known as Ryoko, carried a
picnic basket filled with nourishing foods.
"That Yosho, I sweat he'd forget to get dressed it I wasn't around. Well, lucky for him I AM here." The silver-haired woman seemed to broadcast
joy, her life was as close to perfect as she felt it could ever be, and it was
all thanks to her chance meeting with a boy who was her son.
Looking up at the azure sky, which moments ago had been
clear of all clouds, Ryoko noticed what appeared to storm clouds, coming her
way. "Uh-Oh, looks like rain. I'd better hurry up. I think I left the windows open."
Ryoko prepared to teleport herself, yet stopped when she
noticed someone coming towards her down the staircase. Seeing someone walking down the Shrine
staircase was not something new, but this person was very unique. She wore a sky blue kimono, and to the
former space pirate's shock, this new comer had cyan-hair in the same style as
her own. What truly shocked Ryoko was
that the storm clouds almost seemed to be following this woman, so that she
constantly was walking in shadows.
Increasing her speed, the silver-haired woman was shocked to see that
this new comer was in fact herself, only she was wearing Tenchi's grandmother's
kimono, and had a look about her of intense sadness. The woman who walked in darkness's shoulders seemed to slouch,
and she appeared to always be looking at the distant horizon, as if she hoped something
miraculous was coming from there.
"Who are you?" Ryoko asked the other woman when they reached
each other.
You are Ryoko, from the Universe of Delight…. This new Ryoko said, her voice echoing in
the other's mind, with a tone that was more of a statement than a
question. I am Ryoko Masaki, the
Ryoko of this time and place. Washu
tells me you have come to help my son, and for that I am grateful. I want you to know that I am trying to get
up, but as you can see, darkness is following me constantly, keeping me from
leaving my own mind. Mrs. Masaki held up one hand, gesturing to
the dark clouds above her. I hope to
be able to see him again soon with my own eyes, but for some reason I simply
can't wake up. Since you are taking my
place, I felt I should try and speak to you.
I am not sure how I managed to contact you, only that I somehow
did. Please protect my son, I feel
something bad is coming for him, and I can't be there for him. He is all I have left of Tenchi, and I don't
want to lose him.
"Something bad already came, it was Blackshire, a monster
from your son's own mind." The silver-haired woman stated abruptly. "But don't worry I won't let anything happen
to him. I care for him too much. You have my word that he'll be fine when you
get up."
Ryoko Masaki smiled; I am to trust the word of the dread
space pirate Ryoko?
"Hey, if you can't trust me, then who can you trust?" the
woman in the blue and brown striped dress asked holding her arms open as if
presenting herself.
The woman who was married to Tenchi Masaki nodded looking at
the woman before her. True enough.
Very Well, Ryoko, I place my son's life in your hands. Please protect him….
End Dream
Ryoko sat up quickly in her bed, throwing the covers from
herself. Shaking the sleep from her head, the silver haired woman looked around
the room. "Well after a dream like
that, I don't think I'll be getting any sleep." Glancing at the closet, the former space pirate decided it was
time to begin exploring.
Throwing open the closet, the young woman quickly sorted
through her new outfits, deciding when she would wear each one, mostly each one
was to be worn at a different time throughout the next day. However all these new clothes seemed like
nothing compared to the hidden treasure she found next. "Hello," she said excitedly with a wicked
smile. "What have we here…"
6:30 AM Universe of Delight
Tenchi Masaki slowly rose from his warm bed. Man, I really would like to go back to
bed, he noted as he stretched his tired muscles. I could use a few more hours' sleep. Still if I remember right Yosho will be going back to his realm,
and I should be there to say goodbye. The
sleepy brown-eyed young man slowly looked around his room, noticed something
odd sitting on his desk. Now what's
going on? Picking up the fairly heavy envelope, Tenchi
glanced at the poor handwriting skeptically.
"What is this?" he muttered looking at the handwriting on
the envelope once again. "To Tenchi? I don't recognize the writing, but I'd guess
it was Ryoko's, since she doesn't write much anyway. " Opening the letter, Tenchi prepared to see
what the seductive woman had to say. I
hope this isn't like that girl's comic book episode we went through*. I really don't want to go through that again. Reaching inside, the youngest male Masaki discovered that this
envelope contained not only the letter, but also had the pendant Yosho had said
he was going to give to Ryoko. Holding
the golden heart shaped pendant aloft, Tenchi opened the letter inside with
free hand.
Quickly glancing over the short paper, he was able to
confirm that it was from Ryoko.
Dear Tenchi,
I would like to start off this letter by thanking you,
for everything you've done for me.
Because of you I have known the greatest joys the universe has to
offer. If it weren't for you I would
still be imprisoned in that damn cave.
You've been the best friend a space pirate like me could ever have.
Tenchi paused, looking up from his reading. Something about this note did not sit well
with him. What is she up to this
time? Unsure what to make of this cryptic sounding message, the young man
continued to read with dread in his heart.
Yesterday, you asked me to be Mayuka's mother. I can't remember anything anyone has ever
said making me that happy, but I'm afraid I must turn down your offer. You see there is someone else who needs me
much more than little Mayuka. I am, of
course talking, about my son, Yosho. I
have decided to go back to his world, The Universe of Torment, and try to help
him. Alone I know he would just succumb
to the darkness of his soul, and Blackshire could return, but since I'm from
this universe I may be able to help. I
know it sounds odd that I would rush off to another universe to help someone I
just met, but I just can't abandon him when I can see he is in need of my help,
can I?
Smiling the young reader
recalled a time almost a year ago when he sat upon the roof of their home, and
told Ryoko nearly those same words after they had met Mayuka, who was still
under Yuzuha's control. That memory did
not bring any comfort to the young man; instead it added to the pain he was
starting to feel.
Please don't hate me for leaving. I really don't want to, but I HAVE to. There are so many things I wanted to do and
share with you, Tenchi. Maybe we'll get
a chance to do those things in our dreams, or if Washu was right about the
Universe of Torment, in our nightmares.
Tenchi paused, wondering
if Ryoko had meant her last comment as a joke, or if she had been serious. Pushing back his thoughts, the young man
continued to read his morbid letter.
I suppose an evil creature like myself, who even you once
considered a demon, could never win your heart. Not in The Universe of Delight.
But I must admit it was fun to try.
Try not to forget me too fast.
Well, my dearest Tenchi, I have to go. There is so much I still would like to say,
but I haven't the time to write it all down.
It's almost two in the morning now, and we will be leaving very
soon. By the time you get this letter,
Yosho and I will be gone.
I don't know when
or even IF I'll ever see you again. You
see I'm going to make Washu promise to never open the gateway to the other
world once I am gone. It may sound odd,
but I think it's the only way I can fully help my son. Having said that, there is only one other
thing left TO say…
Goodbye, my Tenchi…
Love forever, Ryoko….
Good-bye…. The words echoed in the young man's mind as his
jaw dropped. Gazing at the pendant in his
hand, Tenchi noticed it sparkled dimly in the early morning light, and the
silver chain almost seemed to emit a very faint green glow. Setting the disheartening letter back on his
desk, Tenchi undid the clasp of the chain, fastening it around his neck.
I always knew one day some of the girls would leave, but
I never figured Ryoko would be the first.
I guess deep down I always felt she would be here forever. That's one of the reasons I wanted her here
to help take care of Mayuka. Noodles
loves her so much, and I thought Ryoko cared for my daughter as well. I can't believe she would just take off on
us like that.
Sighing Tenchi decided to get dressed, and try to figure out
someway to break the news to the others.
Looking around the room for something to put on, the sad young man was
shocked more than he cared to admit, when he noticed his hands slightly
trembling as he reached for a shirt lying on the floor. In truth, he was more angered at his
reaction than anything else. I
shouldn't be surprised to see myself being upset that Ryoko left. Feeling a tear roll down his face,
Tenchi quickly removed it with his sleeve.
I love Ryoko, just like I do
all the others. Pausing the young
man reflected on his own thoughts.
Hey, why am I letting myself get so worked up? Ryoko won't be gone long, he thought
with a timid smile. I'm not lucky
enough to ever get rid of her. Tenchi
sat back down on his bed hard, his head drooping since his own poor attempt at
self-humor had backfired. Placing his
hands on his face, the young-man stopped holding in his emotions. No matter how much he tried to steel his
emotions, Tenchi Masaki knew one thing was certain; Ryoko was gone, and the
chances of her coming back were nearly nonexistent.
The young man had not lost merely a member of his family,
but he had also lost his best friend.
Someone who had been with him, even if he hadn't known it, since he was
born, and who had been at his side since his zany adventures had begun.
Questions, which he felt he might never be able to answer,
sprang up repeatedly in his tortured mind.
Why? Why did this have to
happen, especially now? I just asked
Ryoko to be my daughter's mother. If
this HAD to happen, why couldn't it happen years from now, when Mayuka was all
grown up? It's not that none of the
others are qualified, everyone has been a big help in raising Noodles, it's
just no one else, myself included, shares the same kind of bond with my
daughter that Ryoko does.
These questions and many more echoed in Tenchi's young
brain, and the pain they caused his heart seemed to increase with every
breath. Lying back on his bed, the
young man continued to cover his face, as he allowed his tears to flow freely. It would be some time before he could even
mover from his bed to go tell the others.
Today had gone from being a joyous day, to one of pure trauma. He had hope to spend the day with his
daughter, and Ryoko, pointing out a few minor things he wanted her to remember
when caring from Mayuka. Instead he
would spend it mourning his loss, and trying to help the others deal with this
pain as well….
Breakfast: (8 am)
Tenchi and all the girls sat around the table. Like every morning, the girls chatted about
their plans for the day, talking about shopping trips, things that needed to be
done in the rose garden, and housing issues.
It seemed like any other day, however three of the members at the table
did not join in the festivities.
Tenchi, Washu, and Ryo-Ohki sat staring at their food, each one felt the
pain of Ryoko's leaving, yet none of them wanted to be the one to break it to
the others.
"Hey! Tenchi, Washu,
is something wrong with the food?"
Sasami asked looking at the two figures that sat across the table from
her.
Snapping out of his depression, Tenchi was the first to
reply. "Oh! Nothing is wrong, Sasami.
I just not in the mood to eat, that's all."
Ryo-Ohki meowed sadly from her spot beside Sasami. Currently the little spaceship was in her
humanoid form. The tiny cabbit wanted
to tell Sasami how terribly upset she was, and that her master, Ryoko was gone,
but she also didn't want to sadden her best friend. "Meow…"
"Ryo-Ohki! Are you feeling ok?" Sasami asked noticing the furry creature's odd behavior. "By the way, has anyone seen Ryoko or Yosho?"
Sasami asked setting her chopsticks down.
The young princess simply could not enjoy her meal if she could not
locate all the members of her family.
"I haven't seen them all morning."
"Yosho went back home," Washu said, almost biting her lip, "and
Ryoko went…" The tiny pink-haired woman shook her head, unable to finish her
sentence.
"He went home!" The
blue-haired princess shouted, "without even saying goodbye!"
"Sasami!" Ayeka
snapped. "Mind your manners, Washu
wasn't done speaking. Besides, it isn't
polite to shout, especially at the table."
"Where did Ryoko go, Washu?" Mihoshi asked while slurping
down a mouthful of noodles. "Did she go
to the store?"
Tenchi shook his head as he saw Washu struggling to find the
words to break the terrible news to everyone.
I'd hoped Washu might be able to explain this to everyone, but it looks
like she took this turn of events as bad as I did. Which must mean this entire thing was Ryoko's idea, and not
Washu's.
"No, Ryoko is gone."
Tenchi said flatly staring at his bowl of soup on the table. "Her and Yosho left in the middle of the
night last night. They are probably in
the Universe of Torment right now."
Silence covered the dinner table like a blanket. Besides Washu and Tenchi, the others merely
stared with gaping mouths at those assembled.
"What… Are you certain Lord Tenchi?"
Ayeka declared, almost dropping her cup of tea from the shock.
Reaching into his shirt with a vacant expression on his
face, the young man removed Ryoko's golden pendant, "Yes. I'm sure.
She left me a note last night, saying goodbye. It also said she might never be back."
"I see," Ayeka declared her gaze turning for Tenchi to her
food. Ryoko is gone… That means now Lord Tenchi and I can finally
be together, without her getting in the way. Despite her overwhelming joy at the thought of being free of her
archrival, the Jurain Princess could not help but feel slightly sad. True you were and annoying monster,
Ryoko, but you and I did have a few things in common. The main bond we share is our love for Lord Tenchi. Another thing being that, as I would do
anything to protect Sasami, I know you would do anything, as any of us would, to
protect Mayuka. I will mourn your
leaving today, my friend. Tomorrow,
however, I WILL move on, and in the end Lord Tenchi and I will be…. Ayeka blushed slightly as she began to
fanaticize about spending time with Tenchi, and all the joy they would
experience together.
"NO!" Sasami screamed horrified. "Ryoko can't be gone! She just can't be!" Tears rolled down the young princess's eyes
as she looked around the table.
Standing up, Sasami was visibly trembling. "Why would she leave us?
Doesn't Ryoko care about any of us anymore?" Ayeka gently placed one hand on her sister's shoulder, gently
bringing her back to her seat. The
little princess grabbing the purple haired woman in a vice like hug as she
dried her tears on Ayeka's pink kimono.
"It's not like that Sasami." Washu said, her ability to speak coming back. "Ryoko does love you Sasami, and I know for
a fact she would never do anything willingly to hurt you. However as I told you all before you went to
fight Blackshire, Ryoko has been dealing with a lot of stress lately. She told me that this is her way to prove to
herself that she could be a good mother."
"You almost make it sound like she's on a vacation Washu,"
Mihoshi said, as she wiped tears away from her face. "But Tenchi just said she won't be coming back."
"Don't worry Mihoshi," Kiyone said as she continued eating,
trying her best to sound strong and brave.
"After all since Washu sent Ryoko there, I'm sure she could send us all
there to see Ryoko sometimes, right Washu."
The red-haired scientist shook her head, "No Kiyone, I
can't. You see, Ryoko made me promise
to never send anyone to that Universe again, once the gateway closes."
I knew it!
Kiyone thought an angry expression on her face. I had a feeling that kid was going to be trouble,
and no matter how you look at it in the end it's obvious what's going on
here. He kidnapped Ryoko. Sure she may have went willingly, but I
still think Yosho is just playing her for a fool. I don't like this one bit, I still have this feeling that
something bad is about to happen, and now I'm certain that boy is the cause.
"So then there's now way we can get Ryoko back?" the ditzy
blonde asked looking more confused than ever before.
"Unless she decides to come back on her own, there is nothing
we can do." Washu said folding her arms as she lowered her head. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but
Ryoko is gone. I was specifically told
that we are to forget we ever knew her."
The pink-haired woman rose from her seat. "Now then I have some work to
do in the lab. Sasami, breakfast was
delicious as always." Rising quickly
the short genius left the table making her way to the lab.
As she walked, Washu shook her head, realizing she had just
lied to everyone, about many things. I can't tell them everything, not yet. There is still too much to do before I can be sure if it will
work or not. I should get back to work,
but right now I just want to be alone.
Maybe I can work on my new invention later on….
Tenchi and the girls continued to eat in silence, what had
begun as a wonderful day had now turned into a nightmare.
Universe of Torment
The Day After 10 am
Horror. It was what Yosho Masaki felt right now, as he
looked into the living room. Mere
moments ago he had stepped inside the house, coming back from his duties at the
shrine. His face was beat read, as he
now sat in a chair across from Ryoko and Washu. Although only seconds had passed since he sat down, it had felt
like an eternity. I'd rather face
Blackshire again that this!
Taking a deep breath Yosho looked up at his mother and
grandmother, who were laughing as they looked at the object between them. "Please, I beg of you. Put that away!" The young man's voice was pleading as he spoke, concern heavy on
his voice.
Washu looked up, a humored smile on her face. "These are just your baby pictures,
Yosho. Nothing to get so worked up
over. I mean you were sooooooo
cute!" Quickly moving her arm, the
small genius pointed out another picture to the silver-haired woman beside her.
"Washu's right, Yosho.
You were a cutie pie. Of course
you get your good looks from me." Ryoko
said with a grin. She had been up all
night looking through photo albums, which had been buried in her closet. "But if it makes you feel any better, we can
always look at the wedding album again."
Washu shook her head.
It had been about six in the morning when she had found Ryoko up her
looking through these ancient photo albums, and only recently had the small
genius been able to persuade her daughter to look at any other book. Looking over at Yosho, the red-haired woman
suddenly noticed something. "Yosho,
where is Ryoko's necklace? You didn't
lose it did you?"
"No grandmother," he replied respectfully. "I gave it to Ryoko, to thank her for all
her help."
Turning her head Washu waited for the golden-eyed woman's
reply. After a few moments, Ryoko
glanced up, seeing everyone looking at her.
"Huh? Oh, the necklace. I gave it to Tenchi, as a going away
present."
"You did what!" The emerald-eyed woman roared, leaping to
her feet. "That was my daughter's most
precious possession. How could you
leave it in some other universe!"
"Well, it's not like I left it with a stranger. Remember I gave it to Tenchi. Besides, I wouldn't call it her most
precious gift." Ryoko stated
flatly. "Last night I had a dream, and
I met this universe's Ryoko. She basically
told me that her most cherished thing in the whole world was Yosho." The black-haired man and his grandmother cast
the silver-haired woman confused glances.
"Last night you say," the red-haired woman muttered. "Interesting. Excuse me. I have
something to check in the lab." In a
flash, Little Washu bolted toward the broom closet door. This is starting to get
interesting. I wonder if my Little
Ryoko really was communicating with her.
It seems like a stretch, but still maybe this is the breakthrough I've
been looking for.
"Well," Ryoko declared slamming her book shut. "Shall we go practice, Yosho?"
"Practice what?" The
son of Tenchi asked.
"Why using your powers silly." Placing a hand heavily on his shoulder she grinned. "Do I have to remind you about
everything? Honestly, you're starting
to get as bad a Mihoshi." The two
golden-eyed people rose from their seats, leaving the memories of the past to
be looked at another time, as they went outside to meet the future.
Meanwhile:
Universe of Delight (Early Morning)
Ayeka Jurai sat peacefully, wearing
a white sundress with red dots, at the breakfast table enjoying the quiet
moments of the early morning before the regular noises of daily life filled the
air, a warm cup of green tea sitting before her. It's going to be a rather pleasant day today. She noted looking at the clear blue
sky. I'm glad I decided to wear
something a little less confining. My
royal robes would have made it nearly impossible to do anything today. Ayeka yawned loudly, covering her mouth
properly. My goodness, I guess I
didn't get much sleep last night.
Mayuka kept awaking me. By the
time I could reach her, Lord Tenchi had already arrived. He must have been up half the night trying
to keep her from crying. The poor
child, something must be bothering her.
I imagine it has something to do with that awful man, Blackshire.
A loud yawning from behind interrupted Ayeka's relaxing
morning. Startled, the purple-haired woman nearly spilled her tea as she
attempted to drink it. "Good morning,
Ayeka." Tenchi said sitting across from
her. Swiftly regaining her composure,
the young princess bowed respectfully.
"You're up awful early. Is
something wrong?"
"No, of course not Lord Tenchi." She answered placing her cup back on the table
as she spoke. "I merely wanted to enjoy
the serenity of the morning before everyone else awoke."
"Yeah it is nice here, on these summer mornings." The brown haired youth looked over his
shoulder at the azure sky, taking in its subtle beauty. The two figures sat at the table quietly,
each waiting for the other to say something to break the silence.
Clearing her throat politely Ayeka broke the silence. "If I may Lord Tenchi, why are you up so
early? You usually are not up for at
least another hour." As she spoke, the
young princess noticed bags had formed under the young man's eyes. It was apparent that he had received little
rest the night before.
"Well, I just got Mayuka to stop crying, and decided to come
down here to get a bite to eat. But
when I saw you here, I thought I'd stop and talk for a while. In the past few days, with all that's been
going on, I haven't been very social it seems."
"You have been under a lot of pressure, Lord Tenchi. It is
understandable if you do not have as much free time as you would like." Ayeka
replied. "But I want you to know, that
I will always be here if you need me."
"Thanks, Ayeka." The brown-haired youth replied. "I appreciate that."
Sighing Tenchi rubbed his eyes.
Blinking hard a few times, the first prince of Jurai looked at the young
woman in front of him. "Ayeka, there is
something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh, what is it?"
The red-eyed woman asked, curious what the man she considered her
destiny would ask her.
"Last night, each time I was trying to calm Mayuka down, I
noticed you arriving just after me." The
first princess looked around nervously, wondering where he was going with
this. "First let me thank you for
rushing to help my little girl." Tenchi
paused, clearing his throat. "Now I
have a favor to ask. You see I was
thinking about this while I tried to calm down Mayuka, and I've come to a
decision. There's something I need to
tell you. Last night, right before we
all ran to the shrine, I asked Ryoko to be Mayuka's mom. She never gave me an answer, but I see now
that asking her was a mistake. I
figured she would have been the best choice, since the rest of you all do so
much around the house anyway. I guess I
was wrong…. Anyway Ayeka, as I said I saw you coming to help Mayuka last night,
and I would be deeply honored if you would fill the role as Mayuka's
mother." Tenchi paused letting Ayeka
slowly absorb everything he had just said.
"I realized last night that a child Mayuka's age needs someone like you,
who is gentle and compassionate.
However, I won't blame you if you refuse, you already do so much around
the house as it is."
Lord Tenchi asked Ryoko to be Mayuka's mother… Ayeka thought, feeling slightly hurt, and
now that she's gone, he wishes for me to take that role? Slowly she looked up, her red eyes meeting
Tenchi's. "There is only one thing I
CAN say Lord Tenchi… And that is of course."
In her own mind, Ayeka pictured the way the situation truly had
occurred. Lord Tenchi had pity on
that monster woman, and she couldn't handle the pressure. It only goes to prove how right I was when I
said Tenchi and I were destined to be together.
Tenchi smiled, reaching over the table to give Ayeka a
friendly hug. "Thank you, Ayeka. I knew I could count on you."
The purple-haired woman
blushed. I knew it! I knew if I got that silver-haired
seductress out of the way, that Lord Tenchi would realize how perfect we are
for each other… "You can always
depend on me Lord Tenchi, I will not desert you." It is only a matter of time, and then I am certain we will be
married… The first princess dreamed happily as Tenchi released her from his
friendly embrace.
"Well, Ayeka," he declared rising
to his feet. "I have to get to my
chores. Please look after Noodles while
I'm gone. Okay, mother?" The word made the purple haired woman's
heart flutter frantically. She could
only nod in reply as she watched Tenchi leave.
Outside:
I hope I did the right
thing. Tenchi thought as he put his
shoes. Ayeka is dependable and all,
and I know Mayuka needs some to be her mother, but maybe it was a bad idea to
put that much pressure on her. I just wish Ryoko hadn't run off. With a final shake of his head, the
youngest Masaki male made his way to the shrine, he had a long day ahead of
him, and he was already very tired.
Plus to make matters worse, it seemed his weariness was starting to give
him a headache.
(2 days later)
Middle of the night:
In a tiny room in the Masaki house, a small girl lay tossing
in her sleep, showing that her slumber was not restful. A few moments later, she awoke. Her orange eyes quickly scanned the dark
room. Realizing she was completely
alone, terror over came her tiny heart.
The tiny infant was consumed by a feeling that the evil man in black was
still out to get her.
To her credit, she remained brave for a few moments. However, being only a baby her control was
limited, and soon she responded to her fear the only way she knew how, by
crying. It was a horrible wailing
sound, the kind that could wake the dead.
Yet it was not the dead Mayuka wanted to awaken. Instead she was trying to summon the person
she cared about with her entire heart.
Despite the fact that she was less than a year old, Tenchi's daughter
knew that crying in the middle of the night always summoned her best friend. It seemed like an eternity, but eventually
the tiny blue haired youngster heard the door to her room slide open, and soon
a shadowy figure loomed over her crib.
Hearing the door open, the blue haired baby continued to cry, realizing
her friend never entered the room that way.
"There, there, Mayuka.
It's all right your Mommy Ayeka is here now," the purple haired First
Princess of Jurai yawned, the title still sounding odd to her, as she lifted
Mayuka from the crib. Holding the still wailing child against her silky white
night gown, Ayeka tried her best to be soothing.
Ayeka's brow deepened as she pondered the situation. Three days had passed since their war
against Blackshire, and every night since then Tenchi had come to Mayuka's room
to calm her down. It was taking its
toll on the young man. Of course, Ayeka
and the others had done their best to try and take care of Mayuka, but lately
she only seemed to be responding to Tenchi.
Thus, Tenchi had to be involved in all Mayuka's feedings,
and calming her down. However, Tenchi still
had his work in the field, and training to do, between those three things, the
young man never had a moment to rest.
Tonight, Ayeka had decided to try and calm her wailing niece, yet
nothing she did seemed to be working. I
never thought I'd admit this, but I wish Ryoko were here now. She always seemed to put Mayuka in a good
mood. I'm just not as good at this as
she was. A smile cracked on Ayeka's
face as she realized what she was thinking.
Never in her life did she think she would wish for Ryoko to be anywhere
near her.
Where is my friend!
Mayuka thought angrily as she continued to wail while staring at Ayeka,
wanting desperately to be answered. But
there seemed to be no way of getting anyone to answer her, no matter what she
tried. I don't want you, Mommy
Ayeka! I want the other one! You know, my friend with the long shiny
hair. The tiny young Masaki tried
to think of some other way to describe her friend to the purple-haired woman,
but the only other thing Mayuka could remember was how her friend looked at
her. The golden eyes of her friend were
warm and full of love and always calmed her down, no matter how sad she
became.
Doesn't she love me anymore? I didn't want to go with that scary man, he made me go. But after I went with him, my friend stopped
coming to see me. Tears seemed to
flow down the blue haired youth's face in rivers now, causing Ayeka to release
a defeated groan.
"You don't need to be sad, Noodles." Ayeka said using Mayuka's nickname, which
sounded bizarre coming from her lips.
"You completely safe, now calm down please?" The tiny tot continued to scream her protests.
"What's going on Ayeka?" Sasami murmured rubbing the sleep
from her pink eyes as she stumbled into Mayuka's room, followed closely by
Ryo-Ohki, now in her humanoid form.
Both the newcomers were dressed in matching light pink pajamas. "Is something wrong with Mayuka?"
"I don't know Sasami, I can't seem to get her to stop
crying. We better get Lord Tenchi, he
might know what to do."
"Oh I wish Ryoko was still here. She seemed to have a real knack for getting Mayuka to calm down."
Sasami said shaking her head sadly.
That's the one I want, Auntie Ayeka! Ryoko, could you please bring my friend to
me? I'm scared, and I want my
friend. Mayuka tried to request,
however it only came out as more crying.
"And we can't get Tenchi, he really needs to sleep. After all, you know as well as I do that
Mayuka won't eat anymore unless he feeds her.
Plus she definitely doesn't sleep much anymore unless he's nearby,"
Sasami needlessly reminded her older sister.
"Maybe Mayuka is just hungry, I'm sure we can feed her. I'll go warm a bottle for her. It shouldn't take too long." The first princess of Jurai nodded her
agreement, and in a flash Sasami disappeared down the hallway headed toward the
kitchen.
Seconds seemed to take hours as Ayeka waited for her
sister's return. Finally she could take
it no more.
I know I shouldn't do this, but there really doesn't seem
to be any choice, Ayeka told herself.
"Here Ryo-Ohki. I will be right
back." I know Sasami is right, and
Tenchi needs his rest, but I don't think Mayuka is hungry. She merely wants her father. Handing the screaming child to the
human-like cabbit, the purple-haired woman stormed out into the hall toward
Tenchi's room.
Ryo-Ohki held the screaming infant at arms length, studying
her with eyes wide open. This was
something new to the furry creature, trying to care for a human child. Besides her dreadful experiences with Baby
Taro, Ryo-Ohki had never really been around a baby much. Once Ryoko had let her hold Mayuka, but that
was when Ryo-Ohki was sitting down on the couch, and everyone was there, to
make sure nothing bad happened.
Everything about baby human's confused the cabbit. All she could do was meow sympathetically,
trying to stop herself from crying as well.
Mayuka opened her eyes for a split second, as she gulped in
another breath of air, preparing to continue her protest. It was in that small fraction of time, when
her bright orange-eyes locked with Ryo-Ohki's that the tiny blue haired girl
paused. Ryo-Ohki's eyes were golden,
just like the woman she was crying for.
The cabbit's golden-eyes also reflected the same love and concern that
Mayuka missed so much. "Re..." she
muttered calming down slightly as she sniffed deeply. "Re..."
Two more figures rushed into the room, it was her aunt-e with the long
pretty purple hair, and her daddy.
"Ree..oh..ko...," Mayuka managed to get out. That was the name that her daddy had always called her best
friend. Once again the youngest Masaki
tried to speak. This time her attempts
were well rewarded. "Ry-o-ko..."
When he had arrived at his daughter's room, Tenchi Masaki
had been in almost a daze, his mind and body were so tired from dividing his
time between, his daughter, training, and working in the fields. However, hearing his daughter say her first
words instantly caused him to wake up.
The brown-haired young man stood speechless as he looked at his
daughter.
Quickly snatching her from Ryo-Ohki, looking up timidly at
Tenchi, tears welling in her eyes. The
tiny cabbit was filled with sadness and fear, as she hoped she had not hurt the
delicate tyke. Tenchi's face was a mask
of various emotions. He appeared very
tired, with large bags under his eyes, and also very sad. Tears rolled down the decedent of Jurai's
Royal family's face, but what confused Ryo-Ohki the most was that despite his
tears, Tenchi seemed to be smiling.
"Noodles, you spoke! You said Ryoko!"
"Ry...ok...o," Mayuka said again, her voice sounding happier
now. Seeing her daddy so happy was
beginning cheer her up, not to mention someone seemed to finally understand
what she was trying to tell them.
Tenchi leaned towards his daughter, touching his forehead to her own.
His short hair's tickled her face causing her to sneeze. "Ryoko!" she blurted once again.
Sasami returned with a bottle of milk in her hands. "What's going on now? Tenchi!
What are you doing up? You
should be in bed, getting some sleep."
Tenchi slowly looked up, his eyes looking red from lack of sleep as well
as his recent tears. "Come on," Sasami
said extending one of her smaller hands to take hold of Tenchi's larger
one. The tiny princess's voice was calm
and soothing, just like a mother's should be.
"Mayuka will be alright, but you need your rest or you'll get sick."
Tenchi smiled at the young princess. "Thanks Sasami. But, I'll be all right.
After all, my little Noodles just said her first word!" Sasami's eyes twinkled as she waited to hear
more, everyone had been anxiously waiting for this day, and now it had
arrived. "It was..." Tenchi stopped
chocking on his own words, "It was Ryoko..."
"WOW! That's great, Tenchi!" The blue-haired princess' shouted adding her excitement to that
of those in the room. However the
pink-eyed princess's joy suddenly became sadness, as a depressing thought
crossed her mind.
"Mayuka must really miss Ryoko, to call for her by name,
huh?" Sasami said solemnly gazing at the floor. "We all do. Nothing seems
the same without her here..." Everyone stood in the small room, not sure what
to say. In the end it was Sasami who spoke up.
"Tenchi, please go to bed.
You're very tired. I'll feed
Mayuka. Please, I'm getting worried about
you."
Tenchi sat in a rocker in the corner of the room. "If you don't mind Sasami, I'd like to feed
her," quickly he held up his hand, realizing Sasami was about to object. "I promise I won't stay up too late."
"Sasami let us respect Lord Tenchi's wishes." Ayeka stated
placing her hand on the smaller girls shoulders. With a heavy sigh, Sasami relented.
As they started walking out, the purple haired woman paused,
turning to face the tired man. "Lord
Tenchi, I will come by later, to make sure you are alright. If that is alright with you." Tenchi nodded his agreement, knowing how
much the girls worried about him. He
was glad to see how good of a job Ayeka had been doing helping to raise the
little girl. Despite how Mayuka had
been acting lately, the purple-haired princess continued to do her best. A few moments later, Sasami reluctantly
handed Mayuka's bottle to Tenchi.
The two sisters walked to their room slowly, it was clear
that the younger princess did not like this situation one bit. Tenchi needs his rest, or he could get
very sick. That thought made her
stomach turn, and go into knots, in the past few days she had lost one friend,
and she did not want to lose another.
"Ryo-Ohki," Tenchi said, his voice sounding like he was
asking a question. "Could you come here for a minute?"
The tiny cabbit turned from the door, timidly approaching
Tenchi. She had been afraid of this;
Tenchi was probably going to yell at her for holding Mayuka wrong or
something. Weakly the cabbit meowed,
looking at her feet, awaiting whatever punishment her friend had for her.
"Thank you Ryo-Ohki." the browned-eyed youth said weakly,
his voice betraying how tired he truly was as he patted the little cabbit's
head. "You calmed my little girl
down." Ryo-Ohki looked up with a jerk,
happiness in her eyes. Once again
Ryo-Ohki meowed, this time in joy.
Tenchi laughed as he continued patting the human-like
creature's head. "You did a great
job! Really. Noodles really seems to like you. Now I need to ask you a favor, Ryo-Ohki. Since I am going to be working in the field
all day today, I need you to help the others watch over Mayuka. You know, make sure she eats and stays happy. I've been so tired lately, I could really
use the help."
Ryo-Ohki nodded vigorously, excited that Tenchi was asking
for her help. The little creature
meowed ecstatically before turning and running out the door, to tell Sasami the
good news. "She is one crazy creature,
isn't she, Noodles?" Mayuka made no
reply, having fallen asleep in her daddy's arms. Laughing lightly, Tenchi examined his daughter. For some reason she looked smaller than she
had a few days ago. Setting the empty
bottle down, the tired young man caressed his eyes. I AM tired.
I'm starting to see things. "Well,
I guess I better go to bed myself."
Tenchi's entire body ached in protest as he stood up. Laying Mayuka in her crib, the brown-haired
youth suddenly felt a tremendous pain arch through his brain for a split
second. Ah...I must be real
tired. Now I'm starting to get
headaches. "Well good night,
Noodles. I'll see you tomorrow..."
Shaking his head, the young father slowly made his way to his room.
THE NEXT DAY:
Tenchi sat on the porch holding Mayuka in his arms for a few
minutes saying goodbye, since he would be leaving to the fields soon. Yawning the young prince looked at his
daughter, "well Noodles, I hope you have a good day, cause daddy has to go do
some work." The small child grunted
disapproval, looking angrily at her father.
"Now don't be that way, you know I'll be home soon." Tenchi grinned,
realizing Mayuka probably couldn't understand him, yet talking to her always
made him feel calmer. Dangling from his
neck, as it had been for the past few days, was Ryoko's pendant. It glistened brightly in the morning
sun. Once again, Tenchi felt a
headache starting. Placing one hand on
his head, the browned eyed youth shook his head trying to dispel the throbbing
in his brain.
"Tenchi, are you all right?" Washu asked coming out side. She had been watching the young man from
inside, enjoying seeing him with talking with his daughter.
"I'll be fine Washu.
I think I'm just tired and getting a headache. I...," Tenchi stopped, looking down at Mayuka. Emerald energy leapt from Tenchi's body into
Mayuka's. As this happened, each person
seemed to have entered into a trance.
"Tenchi!" the pink-haired scientist screamed tearing Mayuka
from his grasp. What's going on
here? She stood placing her body
between a scared Mayuka, who now screamed loudly, and Tenchi who appeared to be
in a trance. The young man moaned,
while shaking his head once again.
"What happened Washu?" he asked disoriented. "I feel strange," as he spoke, Tenchi began
to sway back and forth. "What was I
doing…?" Tenchi leaned back, collapsing onto the porch, and promptly lost
consciousness.
"Oh no!" Washu screeched, "Ayeka, Sasami, anyone, get out
here quick, Tenchi's in trouble!" In a
flash, a woman clad in a long pink kimono burst out the door, quickly trying to
take in the situation. "Ayeka, help me
get Tenchi inside, I need to run some quick tests on him, and Mayuka."
"What's wrong with Mayuka?" Kiyone asked, coming around the
corner, breathing hard, having ran as fast as she could, leaving her yard work
when she heard Washu's cry for help.
"I don't know, Tenchi got a headache, and then a surge of
green energy shot between him and Mayuka.
Both appeared to be thrown into a trance by the whole thing. That would be bad enough on it's own, but
what makes it even worse, is it reminded me of something, or should I say
someone..."
"Yuzuha..." the Jurai princess gasped. "Yet Lord Tenchi killed her, I was there
when it happened. He used the Light
Hawk sword!" Ayeka declared kneeling
down to help Kiyone pick up the unconscious young prince.
"I know that Ayeka, but it seems that nightmare may not be
over yet. Now let's hurry, I want to
make sure nothing else is happening to Tenchi and Mayuka." As the young princess and the teal-haired
detective rushed Tenchi to the diminutive scientist's lab, Washu paused. Yuzuha… I thought we were free of her
evil influences. Ayeka's right, that
evil beast is supposed to be dead.
Unless… the Legend! What if this
isn't our Yuzuha, what if she's from the Universe of Torment? I'll definitely have to look into this….
Next Time: Things
are starting to go weird. What is wrong
with Tenchi? Why is he getting these
odd headaches? Is the Yuzuha from the
Universe of Torment involved? It seems
Mayuka is getting harder and harder to take care of. Can Ayeka become the mother Mayuka needs?
For now it seems that life has reversed. Torment is experiencing joy, while Delight
suffers. Also, Blackshire had tried to
take Ryoko from Tenchi and the rest by killing her, yet Yosho achieved this
goal with merely a few tears. Maybe
things will be clearer next time… Both
universes have been affected greatly by Ryoko's decision. The next installment will begin to touch on
the size of these repercussions. Join
me next time for Part 6: Rebellious
Youth
- SSJ4
Broli would like to say that one of those episodes (OVA episode # 7 my
favorite) is nowhere near enough!
It was too cool to be only one episode!
- The
Pioneer Theme song from the OVA
-