IMPORTANT:
1: This is the continuation of "Another Like Me" So, if you haven't already, you will need to read that first to know what has happened up to this point.
2: This sequel is in fact two separate stories, "Where Angel's feet do Tread" and "Where Broken hearts do Wait". "Where Angel's feet do Tread" follows what happened to Hanshin after the battle with Tokimi. While "Where Broken hearts do Wait" follows the rest of the Tenchi household in that same period of time. Both stories will be updated at the same times (expect updates every Tuesday in December) and are meant to be read together, meaning that when you finish this chapter of "Where Broken hearts do Wait" move on to the corresponding chapter of "Where Angel's feet do Tread" if you haven't read that one already.
I know it's kind of confusing, but I felt mixing the two stories together into one just didn't feel right. If you have any questions you can leave a review or e-mail me at: eixid_@hotmail.com anytime you wish.
Where Broken hearts do Wait…
The rising sun lit up the countryside as it always did, no matter what the people of the planet Earth feared, believed or expected. Falling in the edge of Jurian space, Earth had been watched over before the native inhabitance could even fathom their existence. Much like modern politicians write laws to protect natural habitats, the Jurian royal family had long since decreed that Earth was to be left alone, with no development that would alter its cultural course. But now, this little planet that many Jurians don't even know exist harbors four members of their royal family. Not to mention the key to the universe's very survival.
Tenchi Masaki pulled the last carrot out of the nearly frozen ground. The crop had long since gone to waste, but he felt it was his duty to finish the harvest that he had planted so long ago. It had almost been a year now, two weeks after new years he had come into their lives. It was now the first of December, with most of the household preparing for Christmas as a way to forget the upcoming anniversary. Really, the eleven months did little to answer the question that filled their heads. Who was Hanshin?
One would think that between the greatest scientific genus of the universe and the Royal Family of Jurai answers would be found. But the harder they looked, the more clouded the waters became. So, now fully healed from his injuries Tenchi Masaki plucked the rotten carrots from the ground and placed them into his basket.
But Tenchi's mind was not fully on the origins of the man called Hanshin of Jurai, or Kagato for that matter. But the thoughts fell on her, and the fact that this was her second Christmas with the family. The entire household was excited, the majority not for Christmas, but rather the fact that it reminded them of the Jurian holiday of Startica.
But the fact remained that he hated for this to be her second Christmas. He had seen a change in her the past year, granted that they all changed after the Tokimi incident as it came to be called. Some locked themselves away from others to avoid it, some worked harder at their jobs, some watched cartoons, some cried, and some blew things up all in attempts to deal with the loss. But it was her that he noticed the most, how much that man's short presence had changed the light of the household.
"Lord Tenchi?"
Tenchi jumped at the newcomer's voice, and as a result tripped over a field rut and landed on the ground with feet wailing in the air. Ayeka laughed her reserved chuckle and stepped into the field to help him.
"Miss. Ayeka, I didn't see you come up here." He began, while struggling to remove the straps that held the heavy basket to his back, keeping him pinned to the cold ground.
"Well yes, you seemed deep in thought." She helped the straps off his shoulders and blushed when he looked up at her. "I have been standing there for ten minutes."
Tenchi rose, pulling his shirt and coat back down across his tanned chest. As he did, she caught a glimpse of the scar that he wore on his stomach.
"Tenchi, why didn't you let Washu remove that scar for you?"
He looked at her a moment before raising his shirt back up and looking at the line of discolored flesh on his chest. It was hard to believe that that little spot had kept him bedridden for nearly three months. It had been a fatal wound, fatal at least if he hadn't known Washu, the second time he was killed by the man known as Kagato. "I don't know Miss. Ayeka, it just seems wrong to."
"She could have cleaned up this field also," Ayeka looked at the little plot. "I don't see any reason for you to do it by hand."
"Sometimes Miss. Ayeka, we just need to work." Tenchi looked back over at the newly cleaned field. "It helps me think. But right now," He turned back to her with a smile on his face. "I just think I'll enjoy resting on the couch."
Ayeka sighed. "I'm not sure if you will be getting that in the living room, Sasami is making photo albums for the New Year."
"Oh yeah," Tenchi smiled remembering Sasami's habit of documenting the past year, and the walls of shoeboxes she was pulling out of the closet when he left.
"Are you about finished?" Ayeka continued, breaking the silence. "I would enjoy your company on the walk back down to the house."
Tenchi nodded while re-shouldering the load on his back, and the two started down the stone steps.
~~~:*:~~~
The Cyan hared demon relaxed on the low branch of a small cherry tree by the lake; her trusses cascading off the edge and almost reaching the ground where the frozen dew collected. Ryoko groggily opened her eyes to the feeling of someone tugging on her Kimono's sleeve. Looking over she was met with a pair of amber eyes. "What is it Ryo-ohki?" She asked sitting up and stretching her back.
The child form of Ryo-ohki stood in silence a minute rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands behind her back. "Sis…" Ryoko leaned forward to hear her better. "Sister…" Ryo-ohki finished and held her arms out to Ryoko.
Ryoko blinked a second before releasing a genuinely beautiful smile. "Ryo-ohki! I'm so proud of you." Ryoko picked her up into a hug swinging her around the yard a few feet off the ground. "When did you learn to speak so good?"
"She's been practicing it all week in mommy's lab."
Ryoko looked over to see a crop of red hair protruding from a larger than life coat.
Washu walked over and rubbed Ryo-ohki's head who still sat in Ryoko's arms. "She's already learned to walk so well I may advance her age back to her teenager form."
Ryoko looked at her 'Mother'. "Nice to see you again, it's been about three weeks since you came out of your lab." She punctuated her statement by quickly turning her nose up in the air.
Washu sighed. "Can we not start this now, I've been busy lately and I wanted to make sure Ryo-ohki got the chance to show you what she learned." An evil grin crept across her face. "Besides, with that nose way up there in the air you're starting to look like Ayeka."
Surprisingly, Ryoko did not come back with a retort or threat. "So how long before she can talk like a normal kid?" She asked, backing down and setting Ryo-ohki on the ground.
"The first words are the hardest; the rest should come easy to her." "Washu shivered and patted the Cabbit girl on the head. "Let's go inside Ryo-ohki, I bet Sasami has some carrots in the kitchen."
The little girl smiled and exclaimed: "Carrots!" while holding her mother's hand and walking towards the house. Leaving Ryoko standing back at the lake.
~~~:*:~~~
A small red ship tore through the open space around Pluto. Its engines glowing with thrust as it used the planet's gravity to pick up additional speed. The metallic red hull was adorned with black flames that swirled and wove intricate patterns sweeping back towards the rear.
"PULL IT OVER!!!!"
Some say that sound cannot travel through space, but the driver of that small ship would beg to differ. Either through some new GXP technology or by the sheer force behind the woman's voice he had defiantly heard it.
The pursuing ship used the gravity of Pluto as well, surprisingly gaining on the smaller vessel. As the two straitened out, the GXP ship Ykinojo unleashed two missiles, witch impacted on either side on the flamed cruiser.
The driver of the small craft gritted his teeth as he was thrown about in the cockpit. "Damn lady, watch it with that shit!" The driver of the red cruiser yelled into the comm. channel. "I'm pullin over, just cool it!"
Ten minutes later, the small red ship was impounded in Yukinojo's cargo bay; and the driver getting a stern lecture from the green-hared officer in charge.
"You are under arrest on four counts of violations to standard Galaxy Law. Violating the speed requirements in sub-warp space, evading arrest, entering a strict no-fly solar system under Jurian jurisdiction, and using foul language over open communication channels. If you say another word it will be recorded and used as evidence against you at your trial, so my suggestion to you is to SHUT UP!" She stated the last two words while yelling in the man's ear as the handcuffs clicked around his wrists.
"Umm, that's not on the little card Kiyone." Her blond partner stated, looking at the script every officer used to inform an individual of their rights.
"Kiss my ass!" The man growled as he was led to an open cell.
"You know, I bet the boys at the motor pool would love to take a look at that ship of yours. You know, help themselves to a few choice parts?" Kiyone smiled, sliding her keycard and opening one of Yukinojo's holding cells.
"NO, not my baby!" The man screamed as the woman tossed his bulky form, with surprising strength, into the back of his cell.
"Kiyone…" Mihoshi whined. "Can we please go back to Earth?"
"Mihoshi!" Kiyone barked. "We have been issued a warrant for the arrest of an art smuggler believed to be in this system. And I'm not reporting in until we get him."
"But it was just a general warming sent out to every patrol."
"I don't care. We have got to start getting serious about our jobs here." She threw her arms in the air while walking back to the bridge.
"But… but…" Her partner followed.
"No buts Mihoshi!"
"According to the Police manual on laws and ethics," Mihoshi started wile poking her index fingers together. "We are required to turn anyone arrested over to a sanctioned Galaxy Police station within 48 hours of arrest. And seeing as how we would go right by Earth on our way back I thought…"
Kiyone sighed, thudding her head against the wall and toning out Mihoshi's ranting. They hadn't been back to Earth for three months. She wanted that art smuggler bad, but she was using it as an excuse to avoid returning. She wondered how Tenchi was doing. When they left he was just beginning to be able to walk without a cane or any support. She hated seeing him like that, although she knew she was never a practical choice for the boy, he was still a center for the family to form around. "Alright Mihoshi, I guess we can stop by once we drop him off."
"YAAAAAY!!!! I sure hope Sasami taped Space Police Policemen while I was gone!!!!"
"Oh God." Kiyone muttered.
~~~:*:~~~
Washu jerked up from her cushion, sweat matting the mane of red hair to her face. She didn't even remember falling asleep; all she did was walk into her lab after getting Ryo-ohki a carrot and plop down on her cushion. The nightmares were coming more often now, causing the scientist to forsake sleep as much as possible. But not even she had a substitute that could make up for the downtime the mortal body needed.
Her keyboard appeared before her, and with a few keystrokes a wet rag fell out of sub-space. She massaged her face with the cool cloth, letting it ease the pressure of the bags under her eyes. She prided herself in being able to work through anything, but this was something that even she couldn't solve.
"Why was Tokimi so intent on destroying Tenchi?" She asked no one in particular. The Light Hawk Wings of course, but why was she afraid of Tenchi using them against her? Had it not been for Dr. Clay, the entire household would have remained oblivious to her existence. Washu refused to take the situation at face value, not even the power-hungry Goddess would be that careless.
Tokimi aside, there was still Kagato. Apparently, the same man who was her student, the same man who imprisoned her and kidnapped her daughter had teamed up with Lady Tokimi to take the Jurai power. As Tenchi pointed out, Kagato was not one to be sidelined, and he would have certainly turned on Tokimi for his own benefit as soon as he had full control over the wings of the Light Hawk.
Hanshin, the supposed memory implanted into Kagato with the mission to infiltrate and spy on the family, had been able to beat Kagato in his own mind and sacrifice himself to save them all. But how could the incomplete data of Hanshin override Kagato's will, someone who had iron determination in his quest for power. The memory transplant process was nothing new. Washu had experimented with it, and Dr. Clay had nearly perfected it, as with the case of Zero and Ryoko. But Ryoko's memory had fought to control Zero, turning her against Dr. Clay. But then again, Zero was a robot and made a copy of Ryoko, not an entirely new person.
None of this made sense, there were too many careless holes left. She was missing something, some part of the equation that only Tokimi or Kagato knew. Unfortunately, they were the two people in the universe who could never tell her. She pinched the bridge of her nose and felt like screaming out of frustration. Something had scared Tokimi enough to risk everything by attacking them. Perhaps she feared someone or something could have used Tenchi to destroy her? But what could scare a Goddess that much?
~~~:*:~~~
"Anybody here?" Ryoko floated down from the roof and into the living room of the Masaki home. It looked like a war zone. Boxes of photographs covered the floor and furniture with several open photo albums nearing completion.
Ryoko looked at the jumbled piles of photographs covering the sofa, sighing she swiped several off into the floor to make room to sit. *At least its quiet.* She thought leaning back. Ryoko had begun to cherish the silence of the Masaki house when everyone was gone; perhaps Katsuhito's reasons for staying up at the shrine weren't as devout as everyone believed.
Propping her feet on the coffee table she inadvertently knocked a few more photographs and a full shoebox to the floor; one photo being a beautiful landscape of the cherry trees blooming at the shrine gates. Then she saw him. Just the right side of his face was visible from under the edge of a photograph of Kiyone being accosted by Noboyuki last Christmas.
Leaning forward she pulled it out carefully; treating it like the slightest bump would shatter it into a million pieces. He was in the background, just coming in the front door and into the shot as Noboyuki had flashed the shutter. Ryoko smiled, his face showed a little play of confusion as he looked at the household all staring in the opposite direction.
She thought back to that day. It must have been just after he arrived. They had all been lounging in the living room, her and Ayeka engaged in their favorite game, who would get to Tenchi first? The second Tenchi's foot hit the rug Ryoko was hanging around his neck, an advantage of her ability to teleport. Ayeka was standing defeated, gritting her teeth with the vein on her forehead sticking out a good inch or two.
Before the incident had broken out into world war three, Noboyuki had popped his head in from the kitchen, camera at the ready to catch his son in the act. With the announcement of "Cheese!" they all struck a pose. Sasami excitedly threw her hands in the air, Kiyone and Mihoshi gave 'peace' signs. Washu crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, while Tenchi just put an arm behind his head and smiled. Ayeka tried her best to look proper and regal, but the effect was lost as she continued to glare daggers at Ryoko, who all the while just rubbed her cheek to Tenchi's with her arms still draped around his neck.
After the picture when she had noticed Hanshin, or rather Kagato at the time, she remembered putting her hands on her hips and teleporting out of the house. All he had wanted to do was go see Washu in the lab.
Still holding the picture, Ryoko teleported to Mihoshi's and Kiyone's old room, which still held some of Noboyuki's old drafting supplies in the corner. Grabbing a few items she disappeared again, this time to her own room. She retreated here more often now, it was her sanctuary. No one ever came here looking for her; it was always to the rafter or the roof, but never the room given to her by Tenchi.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she spread her haul out before her like a kid looking at his Halloween stash. Picking up the sharp scissors she went to work. Carefully cutting him out of the picture and placing him to the side, next she started on herself. She worked slowly; tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth and eye squinting as she carefully went around each lock of her hair, separating herself from Tenchi. After all, she already had plenty of pictures of herself 'clobbering' the poor boy.
Next was the background picture of the blooming cherry blossom trees at the shrine. She carefully pasted Hanshin's picture onto the background of pink leaves blossoms. Next was herself, placing her picture around Hanshin's shoulders in nearly the same position as she had been with Tenchi.
She was a lot larger than him, and the lighting was all wrong, but she had what she wanted. Slipping the homemade portrait into a frame she sat it on the shelf that faced eye level with her small bed. Now she had something to wake up to every morning.
Please review and read chapter one of "Where Angel's feet do Tread" if you haven't already.
1: This is the continuation of "Another Like Me" So, if you haven't already, you will need to read that first to know what has happened up to this point.
2: This sequel is in fact two separate stories, "Where Angel's feet do Tread" and "Where Broken hearts do Wait". "Where Angel's feet do Tread" follows what happened to Hanshin after the battle with Tokimi. While "Where Broken hearts do Wait" follows the rest of the Tenchi household in that same period of time. Both stories will be updated at the same times (expect updates every Tuesday in December) and are meant to be read together, meaning that when you finish this chapter of "Where Broken hearts do Wait" move on to the corresponding chapter of "Where Angel's feet do Tread" if you haven't read that one already.
I know it's kind of confusing, but I felt mixing the two stories together into one just didn't feel right. If you have any questions you can leave a review or e-mail me at: eixid_@hotmail.com anytime you wish.
Where Broken hearts do Wait…
The rising sun lit up the countryside as it always did, no matter what the people of the planet Earth feared, believed or expected. Falling in the edge of Jurian space, Earth had been watched over before the native inhabitance could even fathom their existence. Much like modern politicians write laws to protect natural habitats, the Jurian royal family had long since decreed that Earth was to be left alone, with no development that would alter its cultural course. But now, this little planet that many Jurians don't even know exist harbors four members of their royal family. Not to mention the key to the universe's very survival.
Tenchi Masaki pulled the last carrot out of the nearly frozen ground. The crop had long since gone to waste, but he felt it was his duty to finish the harvest that he had planted so long ago. It had almost been a year now, two weeks after new years he had come into their lives. It was now the first of December, with most of the household preparing for Christmas as a way to forget the upcoming anniversary. Really, the eleven months did little to answer the question that filled their heads. Who was Hanshin?
One would think that between the greatest scientific genus of the universe and the Royal Family of Jurai answers would be found. But the harder they looked, the more clouded the waters became. So, now fully healed from his injuries Tenchi Masaki plucked the rotten carrots from the ground and placed them into his basket.
But Tenchi's mind was not fully on the origins of the man called Hanshin of Jurai, or Kagato for that matter. But the thoughts fell on her, and the fact that this was her second Christmas with the family. The entire household was excited, the majority not for Christmas, but rather the fact that it reminded them of the Jurian holiday of Startica.
But the fact remained that he hated for this to be her second Christmas. He had seen a change in her the past year, granted that they all changed after the Tokimi incident as it came to be called. Some locked themselves away from others to avoid it, some worked harder at their jobs, some watched cartoons, some cried, and some blew things up all in attempts to deal with the loss. But it was her that he noticed the most, how much that man's short presence had changed the light of the household.
"Lord Tenchi?"
Tenchi jumped at the newcomer's voice, and as a result tripped over a field rut and landed on the ground with feet wailing in the air. Ayeka laughed her reserved chuckle and stepped into the field to help him.
"Miss. Ayeka, I didn't see you come up here." He began, while struggling to remove the straps that held the heavy basket to his back, keeping him pinned to the cold ground.
"Well yes, you seemed deep in thought." She helped the straps off his shoulders and blushed when he looked up at her. "I have been standing there for ten minutes."
Tenchi rose, pulling his shirt and coat back down across his tanned chest. As he did, she caught a glimpse of the scar that he wore on his stomach.
"Tenchi, why didn't you let Washu remove that scar for you?"
He looked at her a moment before raising his shirt back up and looking at the line of discolored flesh on his chest. It was hard to believe that that little spot had kept him bedridden for nearly three months. It had been a fatal wound, fatal at least if he hadn't known Washu, the second time he was killed by the man known as Kagato. "I don't know Miss. Ayeka, it just seems wrong to."
"She could have cleaned up this field also," Ayeka looked at the little plot. "I don't see any reason for you to do it by hand."
"Sometimes Miss. Ayeka, we just need to work." Tenchi looked back over at the newly cleaned field. "It helps me think. But right now," He turned back to her with a smile on his face. "I just think I'll enjoy resting on the couch."
Ayeka sighed. "I'm not sure if you will be getting that in the living room, Sasami is making photo albums for the New Year."
"Oh yeah," Tenchi smiled remembering Sasami's habit of documenting the past year, and the walls of shoeboxes she was pulling out of the closet when he left.
"Are you about finished?" Ayeka continued, breaking the silence. "I would enjoy your company on the walk back down to the house."
Tenchi nodded while re-shouldering the load on his back, and the two started down the stone steps.
~~~:*:~~~
The Cyan hared demon relaxed on the low branch of a small cherry tree by the lake; her trusses cascading off the edge and almost reaching the ground where the frozen dew collected. Ryoko groggily opened her eyes to the feeling of someone tugging on her Kimono's sleeve. Looking over she was met with a pair of amber eyes. "What is it Ryo-ohki?" She asked sitting up and stretching her back.
The child form of Ryo-ohki stood in silence a minute rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands behind her back. "Sis…" Ryoko leaned forward to hear her better. "Sister…" Ryo-ohki finished and held her arms out to Ryoko.
Ryoko blinked a second before releasing a genuinely beautiful smile. "Ryo-ohki! I'm so proud of you." Ryoko picked her up into a hug swinging her around the yard a few feet off the ground. "When did you learn to speak so good?"
"She's been practicing it all week in mommy's lab."
Ryoko looked over to see a crop of red hair protruding from a larger than life coat.
Washu walked over and rubbed Ryo-ohki's head who still sat in Ryoko's arms. "She's already learned to walk so well I may advance her age back to her teenager form."
Ryoko looked at her 'Mother'. "Nice to see you again, it's been about three weeks since you came out of your lab." She punctuated her statement by quickly turning her nose up in the air.
Washu sighed. "Can we not start this now, I've been busy lately and I wanted to make sure Ryo-ohki got the chance to show you what she learned." An evil grin crept across her face. "Besides, with that nose way up there in the air you're starting to look like Ayeka."
Surprisingly, Ryoko did not come back with a retort or threat. "So how long before she can talk like a normal kid?" She asked, backing down and setting Ryo-ohki on the ground.
"The first words are the hardest; the rest should come easy to her." "Washu shivered and patted the Cabbit girl on the head. "Let's go inside Ryo-ohki, I bet Sasami has some carrots in the kitchen."
The little girl smiled and exclaimed: "Carrots!" while holding her mother's hand and walking towards the house. Leaving Ryoko standing back at the lake.
~~~:*:~~~
A small red ship tore through the open space around Pluto. Its engines glowing with thrust as it used the planet's gravity to pick up additional speed. The metallic red hull was adorned with black flames that swirled and wove intricate patterns sweeping back towards the rear.
"PULL IT OVER!!!!"
Some say that sound cannot travel through space, but the driver of that small ship would beg to differ. Either through some new GXP technology or by the sheer force behind the woman's voice he had defiantly heard it.
The pursuing ship used the gravity of Pluto as well, surprisingly gaining on the smaller vessel. As the two straitened out, the GXP ship Ykinojo unleashed two missiles, witch impacted on either side on the flamed cruiser.
The driver of the small craft gritted his teeth as he was thrown about in the cockpit. "Damn lady, watch it with that shit!" The driver of the red cruiser yelled into the comm. channel. "I'm pullin over, just cool it!"
Ten minutes later, the small red ship was impounded in Yukinojo's cargo bay; and the driver getting a stern lecture from the green-hared officer in charge.
"You are under arrest on four counts of violations to standard Galaxy Law. Violating the speed requirements in sub-warp space, evading arrest, entering a strict no-fly solar system under Jurian jurisdiction, and using foul language over open communication channels. If you say another word it will be recorded and used as evidence against you at your trial, so my suggestion to you is to SHUT UP!" She stated the last two words while yelling in the man's ear as the handcuffs clicked around his wrists.
"Umm, that's not on the little card Kiyone." Her blond partner stated, looking at the script every officer used to inform an individual of their rights.
"Kiss my ass!" The man growled as he was led to an open cell.
"You know, I bet the boys at the motor pool would love to take a look at that ship of yours. You know, help themselves to a few choice parts?" Kiyone smiled, sliding her keycard and opening one of Yukinojo's holding cells.
"NO, not my baby!" The man screamed as the woman tossed his bulky form, with surprising strength, into the back of his cell.
"Kiyone…" Mihoshi whined. "Can we please go back to Earth?"
"Mihoshi!" Kiyone barked. "We have been issued a warrant for the arrest of an art smuggler believed to be in this system. And I'm not reporting in until we get him."
"But it was just a general warming sent out to every patrol."
"I don't care. We have got to start getting serious about our jobs here." She threw her arms in the air while walking back to the bridge.
"But… but…" Her partner followed.
"No buts Mihoshi!"
"According to the Police manual on laws and ethics," Mihoshi started wile poking her index fingers together. "We are required to turn anyone arrested over to a sanctioned Galaxy Police station within 48 hours of arrest. And seeing as how we would go right by Earth on our way back I thought…"
Kiyone sighed, thudding her head against the wall and toning out Mihoshi's ranting. They hadn't been back to Earth for three months. She wanted that art smuggler bad, but she was using it as an excuse to avoid returning. She wondered how Tenchi was doing. When they left he was just beginning to be able to walk without a cane or any support. She hated seeing him like that, although she knew she was never a practical choice for the boy, he was still a center for the family to form around. "Alright Mihoshi, I guess we can stop by once we drop him off."
"YAAAAAY!!!! I sure hope Sasami taped Space Police Policemen while I was gone!!!!"
"Oh God." Kiyone muttered.
~~~:*:~~~
Washu jerked up from her cushion, sweat matting the mane of red hair to her face. She didn't even remember falling asleep; all she did was walk into her lab after getting Ryo-ohki a carrot and plop down on her cushion. The nightmares were coming more often now, causing the scientist to forsake sleep as much as possible. But not even she had a substitute that could make up for the downtime the mortal body needed.
Her keyboard appeared before her, and with a few keystrokes a wet rag fell out of sub-space. She massaged her face with the cool cloth, letting it ease the pressure of the bags under her eyes. She prided herself in being able to work through anything, but this was something that even she couldn't solve.
"Why was Tokimi so intent on destroying Tenchi?" She asked no one in particular. The Light Hawk Wings of course, but why was she afraid of Tenchi using them against her? Had it not been for Dr. Clay, the entire household would have remained oblivious to her existence. Washu refused to take the situation at face value, not even the power-hungry Goddess would be that careless.
Tokimi aside, there was still Kagato. Apparently, the same man who was her student, the same man who imprisoned her and kidnapped her daughter had teamed up with Lady Tokimi to take the Jurai power. As Tenchi pointed out, Kagato was not one to be sidelined, and he would have certainly turned on Tokimi for his own benefit as soon as he had full control over the wings of the Light Hawk.
Hanshin, the supposed memory implanted into Kagato with the mission to infiltrate and spy on the family, had been able to beat Kagato in his own mind and sacrifice himself to save them all. But how could the incomplete data of Hanshin override Kagato's will, someone who had iron determination in his quest for power. The memory transplant process was nothing new. Washu had experimented with it, and Dr. Clay had nearly perfected it, as with the case of Zero and Ryoko. But Ryoko's memory had fought to control Zero, turning her against Dr. Clay. But then again, Zero was a robot and made a copy of Ryoko, not an entirely new person.
None of this made sense, there were too many careless holes left. She was missing something, some part of the equation that only Tokimi or Kagato knew. Unfortunately, they were the two people in the universe who could never tell her. She pinched the bridge of her nose and felt like screaming out of frustration. Something had scared Tokimi enough to risk everything by attacking them. Perhaps she feared someone or something could have used Tenchi to destroy her? But what could scare a Goddess that much?
~~~:*:~~~
"Anybody here?" Ryoko floated down from the roof and into the living room of the Masaki home. It looked like a war zone. Boxes of photographs covered the floor and furniture with several open photo albums nearing completion.
Ryoko looked at the jumbled piles of photographs covering the sofa, sighing she swiped several off into the floor to make room to sit. *At least its quiet.* She thought leaning back. Ryoko had begun to cherish the silence of the Masaki house when everyone was gone; perhaps Katsuhito's reasons for staying up at the shrine weren't as devout as everyone believed.
Propping her feet on the coffee table she inadvertently knocked a few more photographs and a full shoebox to the floor; one photo being a beautiful landscape of the cherry trees blooming at the shrine gates. Then she saw him. Just the right side of his face was visible from under the edge of a photograph of Kiyone being accosted by Noboyuki last Christmas.
Leaning forward she pulled it out carefully; treating it like the slightest bump would shatter it into a million pieces. He was in the background, just coming in the front door and into the shot as Noboyuki had flashed the shutter. Ryoko smiled, his face showed a little play of confusion as he looked at the household all staring in the opposite direction.
She thought back to that day. It must have been just after he arrived. They had all been lounging in the living room, her and Ayeka engaged in their favorite game, who would get to Tenchi first? The second Tenchi's foot hit the rug Ryoko was hanging around his neck, an advantage of her ability to teleport. Ayeka was standing defeated, gritting her teeth with the vein on her forehead sticking out a good inch or two.
Before the incident had broken out into world war three, Noboyuki had popped his head in from the kitchen, camera at the ready to catch his son in the act. With the announcement of "Cheese!" they all struck a pose. Sasami excitedly threw her hands in the air, Kiyone and Mihoshi gave 'peace' signs. Washu crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, while Tenchi just put an arm behind his head and smiled. Ayeka tried her best to look proper and regal, but the effect was lost as she continued to glare daggers at Ryoko, who all the while just rubbed her cheek to Tenchi's with her arms still draped around his neck.
After the picture when she had noticed Hanshin, or rather Kagato at the time, she remembered putting her hands on her hips and teleporting out of the house. All he had wanted to do was go see Washu in the lab.
Still holding the picture, Ryoko teleported to Mihoshi's and Kiyone's old room, which still held some of Noboyuki's old drafting supplies in the corner. Grabbing a few items she disappeared again, this time to her own room. She retreated here more often now, it was her sanctuary. No one ever came here looking for her; it was always to the rafter or the roof, but never the room given to her by Tenchi.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she spread her haul out before her like a kid looking at his Halloween stash. Picking up the sharp scissors she went to work. Carefully cutting him out of the picture and placing him to the side, next she started on herself. She worked slowly; tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth and eye squinting as she carefully went around each lock of her hair, separating herself from Tenchi. After all, she already had plenty of pictures of herself 'clobbering' the poor boy.
Next was the background picture of the blooming cherry blossom trees at the shrine. She carefully pasted Hanshin's picture onto the background of pink leaves blossoms. Next was herself, placing her picture around Hanshin's shoulders in nearly the same position as she had been with Tenchi.
She was a lot larger than him, and the lighting was all wrong, but she had what she wanted. Slipping the homemade portrait into a frame she sat it on the shelf that faced eye level with her small bed. Now she had something to wake up to every morning.
Please review and read chapter one of "Where Angel's feet do Tread" if you haven't already.