The night has a thousand eyes
Arriving at his house Tenchi looked up at the building. This. The house where his family, as strange as it was, lived meant more to him at that moment than anything on the planet. Entering through the front door Tenchi made his way through the house to his bedroom. Yawning Tenchi entered his room and changed for bed. Flopping on to his bed Tenchi fell asleep before he managed to get under the covers.
That night Tenchi had the same dream he had well over a month before, dreams of nightmare and daydream fantasy. Future and past, real and imagined combined once again, revealing to him his heart's true love. Tenchi languished in her arms and wept at her deathbed. Tenchi lived through the happiest and the most tragic moments of his burgeoning future. For what felt like lifetime after progressive lifetime, Tenchi experience everything possible. Again and again Tenchi lived his life with his true love, but unlike before he could see her face, with its mischievous golden feline eyes and dangerously seductive lips.
With a smile on his face Tenchi gladly dreamt the night away feeling secure in the knowledge that this dream brought him. He hadn't lost her yet; there was still hope to win her back. With a contented sigh Tenchi continued on with his dreams feeling a little more expectant about the next day.
Unable to sleep herself, Ryoko decided to return to her old pastime of watching Tenchi sleep. With the exuberance of the old Ryoko yet with the restraint of the new Ryoko, the young woman hesitantly flew to Tenchi's room. Just outside his door Ryoko debated about what to do next. Unwilling to return to her old habits but yearning to see Tenchi just once more, Ryoko stood torn between instinct and necessity. Finally with more strength of determination than she thought she possessed Ryoko turned on her heel with a yawn she went to her room, denying herself the one thing she wanted to do more than anything in the world… Be close to Tenchi.
Meanwhile, Tenchi despite his sleeping had felt Ryoko's presence close to him. Like a bottle being carried out to sea by the tide Tenchi could feel her emotions and thoughts hovering just outside of his grasp. He knew that if he could just touch them he would know where he stood with her and she with him. Straining and stretching with all his might Tenchi tried to grasp the intangible mist that see always just out of reach but strangely just up ahead.
The rest of the night's dream was spent with Tenchi constantly extending and struggling to reach the mist. Finally by morning Tenchi had given up hope and stop reaching leaving his hands to tiredly fall at his sides. And then by its own accord the mist wrapped itself around him and bound him indelibly to Ryoko heart, mind and soul.
In the silence of her lab Washu sat in amazement at the nearly overwhelming flood of information about Tenchi that suddenly started flowing onto her screens and into her mind. After a moments confusion Washu realized the implications of the deluge of information to her database.
"They've bonded, but how?"
"Simple, he let it happen."
"Tsunami, I thought that this wasn't suppose to happen for another couple of years? I thought he was suppose to be free to go off to college without the bond?"
"You thought correctly Washu, but unfortunately as you well know, Tenchi is his own man so to speak and his decisions do not necessarily follow his destined path."
"So what are you telling me Tsunami?"
"I'm telling you that Tenchi makes his own destiny."
"I can understand that Tenchi follows his own path, but why should that affect his bonding with my daughter? Ryoko wasn't pushing for it and I honestly don't think that she's all that preoccupied with Tenchi being her end-all-be-all. It just doesn't make sense, wouldn't Ryoko have to actively want to bond with Tenchi first?"
"Well, yes Washu she would. Unless…." Tsunami finished coyly.
"Unless what Tsunami?" Washu asked with mild annoyance.
"Unless any one of the Chousin decided that now would be as good a time as any."
"Meaning what Tsunami?" Washu was getting tired of her cryptic answers. Suddenly where Yosho derived his manner of answering questions made complete sense to Washu.
"Meaning," Tsunami said with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "I think its about time Ryoko received her reward for never becoming Kagato's ally. I think she deserves it. Don't you?" Tsunami's question was meant to raise Washu's defenses.
"Of course I think she deserves to be happy. Of course I think she deserves to be love by the kindest man this planet has to offer. She deserves that and much more, what I don't understand is why? And don't give me any of that crap about thinking that she deserves it, or that it's about time someone lighted a fire under Tenchi's ass! I know enough about the whole situation to know better than to think that it's simply a matter of you being compassionate to Ryoko's cause! Now tell me why dammit!?!" By the end of her speech Washu was fairly screaming.
"Because sister you need to remember your past and you won't be able to do that unless Tenchi feels confident enough to give Ryoko back the gems."
"What does my memory have to do with any of this?" Washu was now hopelessly confused.
"Washu you are one of the three Chousin. Long ago the Chousin each chose their individual paths to follow. Eventually as is the way of all such things the Chousin will return to meet again and decide their paths again. I have found you and soon we will meet our sister Tokimi. On that day the fate of our family and maybe even the universe will be decided. I thought it a prudent idea if the whole Ryoko+Tenchi+Ayeka triangle was settled before then."
"Yes, but by bonding Tenchi to Ryoko haven't you created an artificial situation? Did Tenchi honestly choose Ryoko or did he simply fall in love with a person that he is bonded to on a spiritual and mental level? By bonding them how could Tenchi possibly make his decision without being biased in favor of Ryoko?"
"I thought you would be happy Washu?"
"I am but don't you see, he will always doubt whether or not he honestly loves her. As long as he is bonded to her, he will never be able to choose between Ayeka and Ryoko, his judgment is just too clouded."
"Washu would it help any if I told you he chose this?" Tsunami said the honest compassion and understanding relieving some of Washu's anxieties.
"No, not really!"
"Fine. If you will not believe me than will you believe your machines?"
"Yes, I know there's no way for you to completely tamper with them without some sort of alarm going off."
"Well then, with your new insight into Tenchi why don't you question him with your computer?"
"What? You mean runt around in his brain like a pig searching for a truffle?"
"Why not? You do it to Ryoko all the time!"
"Yeah, well that's different. Ryoko's use to it!" Washu staunchly defended herself.
"Please, pray tell how one gets use to someone else rummaging through their mind?" Tsunami said with a victorious grin as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Fine you have a point." Washu sheepishly admitted with a childish pout.
"Why thank you 'Little Washu'." Tsunami was enjoying annoying Washu.
"Please don't call me that when I look like this I told Sasami that I would have thought you would have gotten the message at some point." Washu returned snappishly.
"Yes, well why don't you get back to what you were doing?"
"Fine, I just use my link to Ryoko as a link to Tenchi."
"Yes, that would seem to be the most logical route to pursue." Tsunami said, deliberately antagonizing Washu.
"Look if you want me to do this so that I'll believe you I strongly suggest that you …CAN IT!" Washu was now irate with the ghostly apparition of a goddess.
"Okay, I'll will be silent while you perform the necessary investigations."
Using her link with Ryoko, Washu connected to Tenchi and gently mentally probed through his memories and dreams. Washu watched a replay of Tenchi straining to reach an intangible mist. From Washu's outside perspective of the dream the seemingly intangible mist had a discernable shape and form… Ryoko. Washu continued to watch as Tenchi continued to stretch and strain struggling to reach the ghost-like apparition of Ryoko, which constantly seemed just outside of his reach. Tauntingly the diaphanous material that the apparition of Ryoko wore floated behind her to sweetly caress Tenchi's face. Amazed, Washu continued to watch as Tenchi closed his eyes seduced by the gentle touch of the flimsy material. After what seem like forever Tenchi opened his eyes and again began reaching for the teasing form of Ryoko. Finally Tenchi's seemingly endless stamina gave out and he tiredly dropped his arms to his side, stopped chasing the ghost and gave a great sigh of exhaustion and melancholy.
And in a surprising move the ghost turned at the sound of Tenchi's sigh as if it just now discovered Tenchi existence. For a split second the ghost appraised the tired young man then with an approving nod drifted to him as if drawn by his will alone. Then with a seductive smile, that only Ryoko could bestow, the apparition wrapped itself around him and soon disappeared leaving a smugly contented Tenchi in its wake.
Washu slowly detached herself from Tenchi's mind and then removed herself from Ryoko's. Washu had to agree with Tsunami, Tenchi had chosen to be bonded to Ryoko, and even desired it more than her now returned daughter.
"Fine Tsunami, he did want the bonding to happen, but did Ryoko is the next question?" Washu noticed the slight almost imperceptible fidgeting of the goddess.
"Well of course she did Washu. You know you can do the same thing to her to find out the answer."
"What are you soo nervous about Tsunami?" Washu asked with a chuckle to her voice.
"Nothing." The goddess replied almost too quickly.
"Well, rather than invading my daughter's mental privacy like I did Tenchi's how's about we ask her? Huh? What do ya' think?" Washu pointedly questioned as she raised an eyebrow.
"As you wish Washu." Tsunami replied having recovered her stoic façade.