Tenchi Muyo: Thursday: Tsunami and Fate

Tenchi Muyo: Thursday: Tsunami and Fate

Breakfast was pretty quiet at the Masaki house this day, as it only included Ayeka and Sasami. Nobuyuki had gone to work shortly after they had started cooking and Mihoshi was still asleep on the couch. Neither had heard a word from Tenchi or Ryoko and for some reason the broom closet was not connected to the house. And so after a quiet breakfast the two princesses went about their chores for the day waiting for any minute to be interrupted by some great catastrophe or something to shake them out of such a quiet day.

Yosho had shown up a few hours later looking for Tenchi, but no one had seen him since yesterday. Nor had they seen Ryoko, Ryo-Ohki or Washu since yesterday. Sasami told them that they were all ok since Tsunami could find them. "Tsunami says that they are ok, Washu is in her lab and doesn't want to be disturbed, and Tenchi, Ryoko & Ryo-Ohki are by the moon." Sasami did not know what they were doing there as Tsunami had not said, but she knew that they were OK.

"Well, when Tenchi returns tell him he may have the day off but he will be doing double the work tomorrow." He let out a sly smile and headed back to the shrine for now. The old man had a hunch what would keep his grandson from returning so soon, but he had to wonder if it was Ryoko that forced it or did he go along willingly. Katsuhito had been there when his father had offered the throne to Tenchi, and he had been nearby when Tsunami had said that Tenchi could help a lot of people on Jurai. Yet, now he seamed a bit sad, as he knew his time was numbered now. Since Tenchi had given Ryoko back her gems it meant that his tree Funaho was dying and so was he. But he had hoped that Tenchi might be able to take over the shrine for him.

On the way to the shrine he stopped at his tree and asked it, "Funaho, do you know how much time we have left on this planet?" Several points of light dropped down from the tree onto the water and back up. As he listened to the melody of the rays he soon noticed that it seamed to be a sad tune. He watched as his tree bounced several rays off the water then stopped. As the last one disappeared the air above the pool began to shimmer and Tsunami appeared before him.

"Lord Yosho." He bowed to her. "Funaho, the Royal Tree, has asked me to intercede on this question. While she may live for yet another hundred years your body will not."

"Please, when will I be with my wife again?"

"She waits for you as does your daughter. They know you will not join them for another twenty or so years." He looked up at her, his face a mix of joy and fear. For once the prince felt a twinge of fear over his own death. "Do not fear. I say twenty or so as there are still many choices that may influence it."

"Will my grandson take over the shrine from me or will he take the throne?" He wanted to get off that topic soon as he thought too much knowledge about his own death would not be good.

"That is up to him, and her. They do love each other, but as I told them while he may help some here more would be affected on Jurai. And as for her, she has lived with hate for too long."

"Do you wish them to go to Jurai then?"

She smiled at him, "Yosho that should not be told. However, think on this if she becomes Queen of Jurai what place will Ayeka have and will that truly set her free?" Before her last word was spoken her image was fading so that at the last word he was left there alone again.

Thinking of her words he chuckled and walked back to his shrine. "Indeed if he took over Jurai then her plan for Ayeka may not come to pass, and Ryoko would still be hated." He felt better with the knowledge, now to get Tenchi to agree to it, and prepare him for taking over the shrine. Upon arriving at his shrine he began planning on teaching Tenchi the most important aspects of taking over.

Since the house got a late start Sasami thought it best to server lunch a little late as well. Just as expected as she was fixing lunch Mihoshi woke up. She seemed a bit disoriented at first but soon got her bearings. Seeing the time she jumped up and rushed into the kitchen; however, upon entering she discovered that Sasami was not putting dishes away but just starting on lunch. "Um, did I miss something?"

The younger princess just smiled at her, "No not yet. We got a late start on the day so Lunch is a bit late in starting."

"Ah, OK. Um, do you need any help?"

"Sure." And with that the two started work on a small lunch, just enough for three and maybe four. The three of them had a quiet lunch, and then went about their normal business. Sasami had asked Mihoshi to take some to Katsuhito so that he would have a good lunch as well. However she was starting to wonder about Washu, as she had not seen the little scientist for quite some time. Not two hours after lunch Sasami was getting very concerned about Washu. Not only had she not come out since yesterday, but also the closet no longer opened up into her lab. Tentatively she called out, "Tsunami?"

"I am here." Came a voice in her head.

"I'm worried about Washu, can you go check on her? You did say she was your sister." Sasami was puzzled about that last part, but Tsunami had said it so it must be true.

"Yes, she is. I will go check on her. However, my sister does not remember being my sister." Sasami could hear the regret in the goddesses' voice. She wondered if it was possible for a goddess to experience grief and regret, but even though Tsunami did not seam to feel regret her voice sounded like it. Again the princess felt the communication close, but as always Tsunami felt like she was still there.

Deep in Washu's lab she was still in silent thought over the past days events, and even though it seemed to point to her as the sister she just could not accept it and was no closer to an answer than she was this morning. Siting quietly she had her eyes closed contemplating things when she felt a breeze, but before she could move a voice was heard. "Washu." She sat up abruptly and turned around to see who had managed to sneak in when she came face to face with Tsunami. "Hello Washu."

"Oh, it's only you. Well what can I do for you?"

"You can come out of here, Sasami is worried about you." She did not want to say that she was worried as well because that is not an emotion she is supposed to have.

"Well I guess I could come out. But you are the reason I'm in here!" Washu was pointing a finger accusingly at Tsunami as she spoke. She wanted this goddess to understand her frustration.

"What do you mean?" Although she could just try to look into Washu's mind it seemed better this way.

Letting out a growl Washu went on in her explanation. "Well it seems as though you have caused a lot of trouble, first you say openly that one of the people here is your sister. Sasami calls me sister and to top it off you say that Ryoko's gems are holding the powers of your goddess sister! What gives! I have had those since before joining the academy, I am not a goddess, hell I don't even have any powers like you do!" With each thing her voice got louder and louder till she was near screaming at the goddess.

For her part Tsunami let out a quick laugh behind her hand and then addressed the small scientist. "Tell me about your life before the academy?" Her face contorted and she raised a finger up to say something to her then stopped. She could not remember anything before the academy. Bringing her finger to rest on her chin she thought hard over it. But nothing came to her; no memories, not even a feeling of what was before then. She remembered talking to her husband about that and he found it strange too, but they never tried hard to discover her past. "Well sister?"

Washu herd Tsunami's voice but not the words as she was in silent thought. "Give me a minute."

"The reason you cannot remember is because you whipped your memories, placed them in the gems with your powers." She stated everything in such a matter-of-fact way that even Washu thought she was serious.

"Oh come on, that sounds so corny, how can I be a goddess, I am the number one scientific genius in the universe, but a goddess?" For her scientific mind Washu found that to be the one thing that seamed totally impossible.

"Test me on this, have Ryoko return your gems, and see if what I have spoken is true. For now you need lunch and Sasami has some waiting for you." Tsunami was then gone and left Washu there with even more to think about. Namely how was she going to get Ryoko to give her back all the gems now that she had finally gotten them from Tenchi?