A Life Fulfilled

Chapter 8

Realization and Apology

Washu and Tenchi walked out of the lab and were nearly hit by a flying blast. Ryoko and Ayeka stood in front of each other with the look "I'm gonna rip your head off" on their faces. Taro was out of Ryoko's hands and was in the middle of the fight, on the ground and helpless was his position. Tenchi ran to intervene; he couldn't stand it when the two fought.

" That's enough, both of you!" Tenchi spread his arms between the two girls.

" Tenchi..." Ryoko started.

" I'm sick of all this fighting, grow up!"

" Lord Tenchi..."

The girls were only focusing on Tenchi and Washu saw this opportunity to take Taro into safekeeping. She knelt down and stretched her arms out, ready for the boy when he came. Taro was only a few inches from Washu when an orange sword came down between the two.

" Don't even think about it Washu!" Ryoko yelled.

" Ryoko, why are you being so cruel to her? You tell her you accept her and then you bully her and treat her like shit? What's wrong with you?" Tenchi's anger rose to its boiling point.

" Tenchi…" Ryoko spoke, on the verge of tears.

She extinguished her sword and Washu grabbed the small boy on the ground. She held him close to her and looked on, watching what Tenchi intended to do with the two girls.

" And you!" Tenchi turned to Ayeka. " Why are you all of sudden jealous of Washu? You always tell everyone to be kind and have manners; maybe you should take your own advice! I can't believe you would act like this!"

" Lord Tenchi..." Ayeka couldn't finish; she was so ashamed of herself.

Ryoko and Ayeka were both heart broken, never in their entire lives had they heard Tenchi be this angry, and all the anger was directed at them. The both chose to leave and Ryoko did it via teleportation and Ayeka ran off crying.

Washu sat there, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Never had Tenchi yelled in such a manner, why now? Was it all because of what they had done to her? Why would that be so important to him, what made her so special? Washu was taken out of her trance when she felt a soft hand rest on her shoulder.

" Why, why did you do that?" Washu stared at the ground as tears spilled from her eyes.

" I had to tell them how I felt, I hate it when they fight over something so stupid!" Tenchi said through clenched teeth.

" That's not a very nice thing to call yourself," Washu laughed.

" What?"

" They were fighting over you, do you really think they were fighting over someone stupid? You know that would mean your dumb, right?"

Tenchi let out a laugh, " Washu, I didn't mean it that way! I just can't stand their bickering and when I learned about how they mistreated you in an act of pure jealousy, I couldn't take it anymore."

" What makes me so special?" Washu sounded a little cheerful.

Tenchi started to blush, " You're...a....a friend of mine Washu."

" Only a friend?"

" WASHU!"

" It was a joke!"

Mihoshi and Sasami entered the living room from the kitchen and saw both Washu and Tenchi on the ground.

" Are you two okay?" Sasami ran toward them.

" Oh my, oh my!" Mihoshi wailed.

" Were fine, Sasami," Tenchi reassured the samll princess.

" What was all the yelling about, did Ryoko do something?" Mihoshi asked stupidly, like always.

" What happened? Was it Ryoko?" Sasami begged to know.

' Why is it all Ryoko did this and Ryoko did that?' Washu thought angrily. ' Why is it that the blame is never set on Ayeka, or even both of them? It takes two to start a fight, one has to say something the other has to fire the comeback.'

Tenchi realized the angry expression that had formed on Washu's face. He was going to ask her what was wrong, but Washu spoke before he got the chance.

" Why is it always Ryoko's fault?!" Washu practically yelled.

" What do you mean Washu?" Sasami asked.

" Whenever something goes wrong, it's always Ryoko's fault, what about Ayeka, ever think of that?"

" But Ayeka is a princess!" Mihoshi said matter-of-factly.

" What does that have to do with anything?" Washu screamed.

" We never meant to always blame Ryoko, Little Washu," Tenchi began. " She did contribute to this, so she is one of the two who must take the blame."

" Yes, but is the other person ever mentioned? NO!" Washu shouted back.

Everyone was stunned, they had never seen Washu act like this. No one dared to speak, they were too afraid. The only sound that was made was by Taro, that was only the sound of his hand touching Washu's face. Tenchi finally found the courage to speak.

" Washu, Sasami and Mihoshi just made an assumption, they had no idea. They probably saw the energy blast and knew that, besides you, Ryoko is the only one capable of such an attack. You and I are the only ones who know about the event that took place and you saw me yell at both of them."

Washu's eyes went wide with realization and then were filled with sadness as she hung her head.

" I'm sorry," Washu said softy.

"It's okay Washu, we forgive you," Mihoshi spoke in a happy voice.

" Mihoshi's right Washu, and so are you. We do have a habit of blaming Ryoko for things she might not have done, we're sorry," Sasami said sadly.

" Apology accepted by all of us, unless you have anything against it Washu," Tenchi smiled.

" Apology accepted."

Everyone in the living room of the Masaki household had forgiven each other, but when it came to the upstairs, Ryoko and Ayeka sat sulking in their rooms, thinking about the way they had acted.

" I tell her I believe her story and then I just throw everything away? What went through my head? I have to find a way to make it up to her!" Ryoko basically yelled at herself.

" Lord Tenchi is right, I did act in a horrible way toward Miss Washu. Perhaps an apology is needed right away. I still can't believe what I did!" Ayeka walked out of her room and nearly ran into Ryoko.

" Humph!" the two said at the same time.

" Watch where you're going pirate!" Ayeka said in her snobbish voice.

" Just shut-up for once will you?" Ryoko faded away.

" No good space pirate," Ayeka said under her breath as she walked don the stairs.

Ryoko and Ayeka met again at the bottom of the stairs and looked at the scene before them. Washu was leaning her head on Tenchi's shoulder, while holding Taro, and from the look on her face, she was asleep. Mihoshi and Sasami were walking back into the kitchen and Tenchi was watching Washu the entire time.

" Tenchi..." Ryoko spoke just above a whisper.

" Shhh, Washu's asleep," Tenchi turned to face them.

" Lord Tenchi, we want to talk with Miss Washu, to apologize for the horrible thing we did," Ayeka found the courage to say.

Tenchi nodded in approval and whispered in to Washu's ear, " Washu, wake up."

Washu stirred and slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust her eyes to lighting in the room. She looked up at Tenchi, who only smiled, and allowed her gaze to fall upon the two figures moving toward her.

Ryoko spoke softly to her mother, " Washu, can we speak to you, alone?"