Chapter 13 - Analysis
It was late evening in Japan when Yukinojo established a parking orbit around Earth and Mihoshi detached the shuttle. In moments, she'd placed it perfectly in the air over the Okayama house. She and Ryoko and their things were deposited on the grass and Mihoshi tucked the shuttle into the subspace pocket Washu had created for her.
They had gone through station lab thoroughly. The lab itself was sterile, although it did contain the equipment Washu said must be there. The lab's computer core was completely scrambled; having been protected with a dead man's switch that executed once Tsimech failed to reset it at the correct interval. Other than the body and the glasses, the station revealed no clues as to who had murdered the scientist.
"I'll take these glasses to Washu," Mihoshi said. "Thanks for all your help, Ryoko. It was nice having a partner; and nice to have you as a partner."
Ryoko smiled. "Yeah, you too," she said. "I'm going to take a bath and then I'm going to sleep." She yawned.
"I think I'll skip the bath," Mihoshi said, also yawning. "Have fun!"
Ryoko dragged herself into the onsen, stripped off her clothes and washed tiredly. Once she was done, she floated a tray of sake and slipped into the steaming water with a sigh. Even though there hadn't been any real physical exertion on the trip, the stress of not knowing and the need to accomplish something made it exhausting. It was good to be home and it was good to be in the bath.
After a little while and some sake, Ryoko was feeling much more relaxed and a little sleepy. She heard the door to the onsen slide open and then shut. "Hey, who's that?" she called.
"It's me, Ryoko," she heard Tenchi say.
Ryoko smiled and perked a little hearing Tenchi's voice. "Well, I'm in the tub, Tenchi; and I'm completely naked. Why don't you join me?"
"In a minute," he said.
Ryoko wasn't sure she'd heard him, so she raised up out of the water enough to see Tenchi getting his bath bucket and taking off his clothes. 'Wow!' she thought. 'He's actually going to do it!'
It wasn't that they hadn't bathed together before; Tenchi had become more comfortable with them - and himself - as time went by and he would occasionally join them for a soak. But it was by no means an everyday event; so Ryoko was happily surprised and she intended to enjoy herself.
'A little teasing, a little splashing, a little sake and a little glimpse of the goodies and who knows where this might end up?' she thought hopefully.
Ryoko sipped sake and waited, listening to Tenchi wash. A few moments later, he walked over to the edge of the pool wearing a towel and stepped into the water. Ryoko watched him and couldn't help but be shocked at how thin he was. The poison was begin to take its toll.
As he settled, he set the towel on the edge and sat near Ryoko. He looked over at her and smiled, "Hi."
"Hi yourself, handsome," she said. "Sake?" she pushed the floating tray over toward him.
"Sure, but just a little," he said. He poured himself some sake and held it up, Ryoko did the same. "Cheers," they said together and drank.
Tenchi sighed appreciatively and Ryoko smacked her lips. He lay back in the water and closed his eyes. Ryoko snagged the tray of sake. "More?" she asked Tenchi.
He languidly waved a hand at her, rippling the water. "No, I don't feel up to it. You go ahead."
"Trying to get me drunk, Tenchi Masaki?" she asked playfully and poured herself another drink.
Tenchi opened one eye. "Maybe..." he said, smiling mischievously.
Ryoko snickered and drank, then set the cup down and settled into the water, closing her eyes; enjoying the water and being with Tenchi.
After a few moments, she dozed, waking when she felt a hand touch her face. She opened her eyes to find Tenchi very near, his kind brown eyes looking into hers. "Ryoko," he said.
"Tenchi?"
Tenchi moved closer and kissed her. Ryoko enjoyed the kiss, and kissed back; but otherwise didn't move. When the kiss broke Tenchi moved back a little.
"Oh, Tenchi," Ryoko said sadly, a tear running down the side of her face.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi said, his voice full of concern. "What's wrong? I'm sorry, I thought you'd like that."
Ryoko swallowed heavily. "I did. But why now?"
"Why now?" Tenchi said, sounding confused.
"Yes," Ryoko said quietly. "Why now? Why not before?"
Tenchi shrugged, smiling sadly. "Because now is all we have; all we'll ever have," he said.
Ryoko sobbed out loud and lunged for Tenchi, holding him desperately, weeping piteously. Tenchi held her, stroking her back and hair softly; whispering in her ear, calming her.
And when her crying was done, their lovemaking began and for the two of them 'now' was all they needed.
They lay together afterward on the wooden deck atop some towels, Tenchi spooned up against Ryoko. He idly blew strands of her wild cyan hair back out of his face, making her giggle.
"I've wait a long time to..." she began. "To be with you, Tenchi."
Tenchi smiled. "I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you to wait for me, for anything."
Ryoko snorted. "I've been waiting for you my entire life. I've waited thousands of years for you, and I'd wait thousands more."
"Ryoko, it's just me: just Tenchi. I'm nobody special. I'm not worth an entire life's worth of waiting."
Ryoko shook her head and turned in his arms until she was face-to- face with him. Her golden eyes very close, her expression very earnest. "No, Tenchi. You don't understand. There is no one else for me but you. I can feel that you and I were meant to be together."
She looked down, struggling to put her thoughts into words. "I've always known that there was someone I was meant to be with. I can't really explain it, but I know it's true. When I was sealed into the cave I felt someone calling. I didn't know who and I couldn't answer. But when you came everything changed. You... Your soul... Your... I don't know what, but it woke me up and ever since then the only time I'm whole is when I'm with you.
"You complete me, Tenchi," she said, looking deep into his eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do when you... When you're..." And she burst into tears, her head dropping down onto his chest.
Tenchi put his arms around her and held her close, stroking her hair until she'd quieted.
"I'm sorry, Ryoko. I wish there was something I could do," he said sadly.
They were silent for a few moments. Then Tenchi said, "I really don't want to die yet. But as bad as that is, the thought of leaving everyone I care about is worse."
He looked down at Ryoko.
"And thinking about how you all will feel when I'm gone."
He sighed.
"Oh, Tenchi," Ryoko said, beginning to cry again.
"Oh, hell!" they heard Washu say.
Tenchi and Ryoko turned in surprise and saw Washu standing in the doorway of the onsen. Tenchi grabbed a towel and began to cover Ryoko.
"Don't bother, Tenchi," Washu said. "I made that girl; I know every millimeter of her, inside and out."
"Oh, right," Tenchi said. Then he started to wrap the towel around his waist.
"More wasted effort!" Washu said.
"Even so," Tenchi said. In a moment, he had fastened the towel around himself and found another for Ryoko, who was by now standing next to him.
"Uh, hi Washu," Tenchi said.
"Yeah, hi, uhh... Mom," Ryoko said.
Washu looked at them narrowly. "I know I didn't mention it before, Tenchi, but the nano-poison can certainly be passed to others via body fluids."
"Oh no!" Tenchi said, he looked stricken.
"Washu!" Ryoko said, a note of fear in her voice.
Washu waved her hand. "Don't worry," she said. "Ryoko, your cellular structure can't be affected by this type of agent. Even if it could," she continued, "your body would repair the damage as fast as the poison could make it; and eventually, your system would beat the little monster."
Tenchi still looked very upset.
"Tenchi!" Washu said, an urgent note in her voice. "Tell me!"
Tenchi glanced at Ryoko, then back at Washu. He was clearly struggling.
"Tenchi! This is too important to worry about people's feelings! Say it!"
Tenchi's face fell and he looked at the floor. "Ryoko wasn't..."
Ryoko looked at him, realizing what he didn't want to say. "Oh, no," she said quietly. "Oh, no!" Tenchi looked at her and she smacked him hard across the face. "You bastard," she said quietly. "How could you do that to me?"
"Ryoko, stop that!" Washu commanded. "This isn't about you. Tell me, Tenchi; who?"
"Mihoshi and Ayeka," Tenchi said, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Ryoko," he said to her.
"Go to hell," Ryoko replied and she disappeared, teleporting out of the onsen.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi yelled.
"Oh crap, Tenchi," Washu said. "What the hell have you done?"
"I'm sorry, Washu. I didn't mean to hurt her."
"Forget that," she said. "For now, anyway. Let's get going." She grabbed Tenchi by the wrist and pulled him behind her, dragging him out of the onsen and into the house. "You go get Mihoshi. I'll get Ayeka. We have to go to my lab."
Tenchi nodded. He stopped in his own room to pull on a pair of trousers and a shirt and then went to Mihoshi's room. He let himself in and leaned down next to her as she slept and shook her gently.
"Mihoshi? Mihoshi?"
Mihoshi rolled onto her back and her eyes opened. "What is it, Tenchi?"
"Mihoshi, Washu needs us in her lab right away."
Mihoshi yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Okay, sure," she said. She got up, put on a pair of slippers and followed Tenchi down into the lab. Washu was already there with Ayeka.
"Good, you're all here. Let me get my instruments calibrated and we can get started," Washu said.
"Washu, what is this about?" Ayeka asked.
"Yeah, Washu. What's going on?" Mihoshi echoed.
Washu looked at Tenchi, "Tell them."
"Washu says that the nano-poison can be spread by body fluids," he said. "You'll both need to be checked. I'm sorry, I didn't know; I didn't mean to put you in danger."
Ayeka and Mihoshi looked at each other as they understood what Tenchi meant.
"Oh!" Mihoshi said. "Oh, Ayeka! I hope you're okay."
Ayeka nodded, her face coloring with embarrassment. "What do you need us to do, Washu?"
"Well, I might as well go in the same order you people went in," she said. "Tenchi?"
Tenchi looked at Washu, then at Ayeka. "Mihoshi," he said. "Check Mihoshi, Washu."
Washu nodded and gestured Mihoshi toward a large machine with an upright, man-shaped surface in the center. Mihoshi nodded and stepped in, placing her back against it. "This will only take a minute, Mihoshi."
"Okay, Washu."
The machine hummed and several scanning heads of different shapes and sizes began moving over Mihoshi.
"Ayeka," Tenchi said. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry about what, Tenchi?"
"Uh... Sorry that you weren't the only one, and that you had to find out this way. And... And about exposing you to this."
Ayeka smiled sadly. "It is all right," she said. "I never assumed I was the only one. If you remember, you told me I was not when we were together. Of course, I would never have imagined you meant Mihoshi."
"Um, well, it sort of just..." Tenchi said. "She fell and knocked me- "
"That is no matter, Tenchi." She stepped close and put her hands on his shoulders. "And if the nano-poison is going to take me too; well, that is something that I will deal with when I find out. In the meantime, I will still always treasure our time together." She leaned close and kissed him on the lips.
They stood together while Washu's machine examined Mihoshi. After a few more moments, the scanning heads all retracted and Washu gestured for Mihoshi to step out.
Washu studied her displays for a few moments and then announced, "Well, Mihoshi, you had the nano-poison, but it looks like your immune system defeated it or that it simply didn't work right. I'll need to do more analysis to be sure why; but you are healthy."
Mihoshi smiled. "Thank you, Washu."
"Don't thank me," she said. "This was your doing, somehow. I've got all I need for now. Ayeka, could you step in, please?"
Ayeka nodded and stood against the machine. The scan began and Mihoshi said to Tenchi, "Tenchi, I feel the same way Ayeka does. I'm glad I don't have it, but if I did I wouldn't regret it." Tenchi nodded.
They stood and watched the machine scan Ayeka. After a few moments, it stopped but the scanners didn't retract. Washu stepped back from her displays and scratched her head. "Well, you're free of the nano-poison too; although I'm not sure why. Do you mind if I run a couple more tests?"
"No, Washu, please do. Especially if it might help Tenchi."
"Right," Washu said. She stared into the displays again and the scan resumed.
Mihoshi tuned to Tenchi. "I'm sorry," she said, yawning, "but I'm really tired. Would you mind if I went back to bed?"
"No, Mihoshi. Good night."
"Good night, Tenchi. Good night, Ayeka."
"Good night, Mihoshi," Ayeka said.
Mihoshi left the lab and walked back to her room. As she passed Ayeka and Sasami's room, the door opened and Sasami peered out. "Mihoshi," she said.
"Oh, hi Sasami."
"Mihoshi, what's going on? Where are Ayeka and Tenchi?" she asked.
Mihoshi yawned again. "Washu wanted to run some tests on Ayeka and me."
"Why?"
"Because the nano-poison can be passed from person to person by sex. She needed to make sure we were okay; but don't worry, we are."
"By sex..?" Sasami said.
"Uh huh. I'm sure Washu can tell you all about it. I'm going back to bed now, okay?" Sasami nodded. "Okay, good night," Mihoshi said. Then she continued up the hall, leaving Sasami standing in the doorway of her room.
"Okay, Ayeka, I'm through."
Ayeka stepped out and stood next to Tenchi looking over Washu's shoulder.
"As near as I can tell, you were infected, but the nano-poison simply stopped working."
"Isn't that what you told Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked.
"Not quite. I told Mihoshi the poison didn't work. In Ayeka it stopped working. I'm going to have to do more analysis. You can go back to bed, Ayeka; thank you. Tenchi, I still need you."
"Thank you, Miss Washu," Ayeka said.
"You're going back to sleep?" Tenchi asked.
"No, I am going to look for Ryoko," she said. Tenchi started, looking surprised. Ayeka sighed. "Tenchi, it does not take the greatest scientific genius in the universe to figure out why Washu would take a sudden interest in our sex lives. Mihoshi, Sasami and I were asleep and you have a hand mark on your cheek."
Tenchi's hand rose to his face. "You were with Ryoko and Washu found out; then Ryoko found out that she was not the only one you had been with, right?"
Tenchi nodded. "But, I should go," he said. "It's my fault."
"No," Ayeka said, shaking her head. "Washu needs you here. And I think it might be better if I talked to her. What do you think, Washu?"
"You're a wonderful friend to Ryoko, Ayeka," Washu said. "Would you please go talk to her?"
Ayeka nodded, smiled at Tenchi and left.
"Okay, Romeo," Washu said, "into the machine. And I need a tight scan, so clothes off."
Sasami lay sleepless in her room. The brief conversation with Mihoshi had bothered her more than she could have imagined. She wouldn't have thought that who Tenchi slept with would keep her awake; after all, once she wanted more than anything for Tenchi to fall in love with Ayeka. But that hadn't happened and then she'd grown up and now...
And now, she was jealous.
It took her a little while to understand how she felt; to be able to put a label on it. When Mihoshi had first wandered off down the hall, already half asleep, Sasami had stepped back into her room and closed the door. She lay down on her futon and thought, 'Tenchi slept with Mihoshi and Ayeka.'
She turned the idea over in her mind, testing it from different angles. She thought about how Mihoshi and Ayeka had both been very much infatuated with Tenchi for so long, with no reward - until now. She considered the fact that Mihoshi and Ayeka were much closer to Tenchi's age than she. She even thought about Ryoko and wondered if Tenchi and she would sleep together; and how happy that would make Ryoko.
But in the end, no matter how understanding or charitable she tried to be; the jealousy returned. She realized she didn't really care about the others, that she wanted to be with Tenchi.
She very much wanted to be with Tenchi.
Sasami knew that when Ayeka was her age she'd had very different attitudes about sex and dating. Sasami was also very different from her friends at school; most of them were still dating in groups and many hadn't even kissed a boy. She'd actually had trouble finding a boyfriend who wasn't afraid of her.
Why was she different? Was it just the normal differences between people, or was it something else; something external? Perhaps being around Ryoko and Washu - who were quite openly sexually interested in Tenchi? Or maybe watching those soap operas that Washu pulled in from halfway across the galaxy; some were pretty racy. And, while she normally read girls' manga, she had occasionally stolen a peak at Nobiyuki's large collection of more adult-oriented fare.
Sasami felt strongly that the merge with Tsunami had something to do with it as well. She'd told Washu that Tsunami liked Tenchi and it was true. Sasami thought Tsunami sometimes acted more like a school girl than a higher-dimensional being, but it seemed Tsunami was surprised by the power of her own emotions. As she and Sasami became closer, Tsunami was bound more tightly into her human form. This made her feelings stronger and Sasami noticed them more often. They were never exactly like her feelings, but they were a lot like her feelings.
But it didn't really matter what it was that made Sasami as interested - and ready - as she was for a serious, adult relationship. She was. And that relationship would be with Tenchi.
She was decided: Tenchi would be hers.
Now it was a matter of how to make that happen.
"Sasami."
Sasami turned without really having to. "Hi, Tsunami," she said. Without even thinking about it, they reached for each other's hands.
"You're in love with him, too," Tsunami said.
Sasami nodded. "More than anything," she said. "He's the one then, isn't he? My true love."
"Oh, yes," Tsunami sighed.
"But is it me? Or is it because of you?" Sasami asked.
Tsunami smiled. "It's not me," she said. "You know how I feel sometimes, but that doesn't make you feel that way. Your feelings for Tenchi are all your own."
"That makes sense, I guess." Sasami's face fell. "But he's so sick, Tsunami. What if he..."
Tsunami shook her head. "You have to trust that it will be okay, Sasami. Everyone is doing everything they can."
"Are you sure, Tsunami?"
Tsunami nodded. "But if we're serious about Tenchi, you have to be ready to make Ryoko sad."
Sasami nodded unhappily. "Yes, Tsunami, I know. I wish we didn't have to."
"Me either, but I don't think we can help it," Tsunami said. "But, in the end I think she'll be okay. So, do you have a plan?"
"A plan for what?"
"A plan to win Tenchi's love," Tsunami said.
"Oh," Sasami said. "Well, sort of, yes."
Tsunami smiled. "Tell me what you were thinking."
Sasami and Tsunami spent the next hours talking about Tenchi: how to get his attention, how to win his affection and - when they were feeling especially hopeful - what it would be like to be with him all the time.
Much later, Sasami looked at the clock and the gathering light out the window. "I guess I might as well start breakfast," she said. "I'll need a nap later, though," she yawned.
Ryoko sat on the floor in her room in the dark.
There was a knock.
Ryoko did nothing.
There was another knock.
"Go away," she said.
"Ryoko," Ayeka's voice came gently through the door. "Ryoko, can we talk?"
"Go away," Ryoko repeated.
The door slid open and Ayeka stepped in. She closed it behind her and knelt on the floor facing Ryoko. "Ryoko," she said.
Ryoko looked at Ayeka briefly, her brow furrowed and angry, her eyes watery with unshed tears. Ayeka reached out and put a hand on Ryoko's knee.
"Ryoko," Ayeka said again.
"I was last, Ayeka. Last!" Ryoko said bitterly. "He chose me last."
"This is not a contest, Ryoko. This is about losing someone we all care about very much. We should all be happy that we could share a little of our lives and love with him."
"Easy for you to say," Ryoko spat. "You weren't last. If I'd known that when he showed up in the onsen, I'd have sent him packing!"
"You most certainly would not have-" Ayeka stopped, surprise on her face. "Did you say he showed up in the onsen? He came to you?"
"Yeah, so?"
"I knew it all along," Ayeka said, sadly. "It was always you."
Ryoko looked confused. "Ayeka, what? I don't understand."
"Mihoshi and I were with Tenchi by chance; Mihoshi fell on him and I went to be near him while he slept. You he sought out. You were not his last choice, you were his first choice; his only choice."
"Still..." Ryoko said.
"Still nothing, Ryoko. You are being foolish," Ayeka said. "Now, you listen to me: Tenchi made love with Mihoshi and me because he was fond of us and we went to him. It was simply luck. But you," Ayeka now looked sad, "you, Ryoko, he was with because of love and desire."
"I... I didn't think of that," Ryoko said. "I'm sorry, Ayeka."
"Do not pity me, Ryoko. I had already decided that Tenchi and I would never share a life, or a bed. That we did even this one time is bounty beyond measure and I will treasure the memory of my time with him always."
"I know what you mean!" Ryoko said. "He's dynamite in the sack!" Ryoko threw her head back and laughed at her own joke, Ayeka giggled behind her hand.
"Especially when you consider that he has already lost some strength. One wonders what he would be like if he were fully healthy," Ayeka said.
"Wow!" Ryoko said, and they both laughed again. Then, Ryoko stopped suddenly. "Oh..!" she said in a small voice, looking stricken.
"Ryoko, what is it?" Ayeka asked her.
"I... Uh..." Ryoko's expression became sad. "He's been with Mihoshi, you and me."
"Leaving Washu and..." Ayeka trailed off.
"...and Sasami," Ryoko finished for her. "I really don't think he'll have it in him to make a pass at Washu. Do you? "
"Hmm... Perhaps he would," Ayeka said.
"I think he's still pretty intimidated by Washu. But Sasami... I don't know; he's pretty conflicted about her I think. Sure, she's a grown woman and all, but I think in the back of Tenchi's mind she's still 'Little Sasami'."
Ayeka looked thoughtful. "You are right," she said. "Tenchi does not think of her as a grown woman. But you and I know better, true?"
"And if he doesn't come after her, she'll go after him. Damn." Ryoko sighed. "I know it's wrong to want to keep them apart, but I can't help it," she said.
"You can not help your thoughts and feelings, Ryoko. But it is your actions that make you who you are," Ayeka said.
Ryoko smiled and said, "Well, I've always been an action kind of girl. I know I need to mind my own business and stay out of the way where they're concerned. It's hard, but I'll try."
Ayeka nodded, patting Ryoko on the hand. "Good," she said. "I doubt there is anything you could do anyway."
Ryoko nodded her agreement. "It's just that I don't want to lose him to Sasami," she said.
Ayeka sighed heavily. "It is really not the time to worry about losing Tenchi to a rival, is it?"
Ryoko looked at Ayeka sharply. "You're giving up on Tenchi," she said. It was an accusation.
"No, Ryoko," Ayeka replied. "I am not giving up. I will keep doing everything I can to help and I will keep hoping that this thing will not win. But I have to be practical; to try to prepare myself for the worst."
"I can't believe you, Ayeka! This is Tenchi we're talking about! How many times has he saved us both? How many times has he done the impossible? How can you even imagine Tenchi losing? Or not being here with us... With me...?" Then, Ryoko's face fell and she buried her head in her arms. "Oh, crap," she sobbed. "Oh, Tenchi!"
Crying herself, Ayeka embraced her friend and together they waited for the dawn and the start of another of their last days with Tenchi.
"Well, that's about it, Tenchi." Washu dismissed her terminal and turned off the instruments. "You can get dressed now." Tenchi stepped away from the machine and she handed him his clothes.
"Umm, Miss Washu..." Tenchi said.
"What is it?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Well... Uh... This..." Tenchi said. He took Washu's face in his hands and kissed her.
If Washu was surprised, she didn't show it; she responded with enthusiasm and a great deal of skill. After a moment, they broke the kiss and Washu said, "Thanks! Now get dressed, I've got to analyze these scans."
Tenchi's face twisted in confusion. "But I thought..."
"Tenchi," Washu said softly, putting a hand on his cheek. "I don't need to sleep with you to know how you feel about me."
"I'm confused, then," he said. "What was all that stuff with the nurse's outfit and the lion tamer's outfit and the astronaut's outfit..?"
Washu laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh, Tenchi! You're so cute!" She considered briefly, then said, "I would have done it, once upon a time. But now there's no need. You needed a tutor, someone to broaden your horizons, and I'd been trapped onboard Soja for so long. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"And now?" Tenchi asked.
"And now, things are different; you're different," she said with a shrug.
"So, you don't need that sample any more?"
Washu laughed again. "Nope. I never really did." She winked at him, "But you knew that anyway, didn't you Tenchi?"
Tenchi smiled, "Yeah, I guess I did."
"I thought so. Now, be a good little guinea pig and get dressed and head out. The others are probably waiting breakfast on you."
"Aren't you coming too, Little Washu?" He asked, putting on his clothes.
"I'll be there in a few minutes. Run along now!"
Tenchi trotted off, pulling his shirt over his head. Washu watched him go, then said absent-mindedly, "Oh, Tenchi. You really are something special, aren't you. But, as special as you are, this damn poison is still eating you alive."
Washu sat on her pillow and began working on her terminal. She was comparing some of the details of the infections and the iterations of the nano-poison in Tenchi, Mihoshi and Ayeka. She had already determined that Mihoshi was unaffected simply because the nano-poison wasn't tuned to her: it didn't recognize her DNA as a target. This meant that the nano-poison didn't propagate quickly and it didn't morph. It was quickly detected and defeated by Mihoshi's immune system.
Washu then began running an analysis of the DNA strands that activated the nano-poison and compared the results with her records of the members of the family. She found that Katsuhito, Ayeka, Sasami and Tenchi were all susceptible; they had the key DNA sequence the nano-poison was looking for.
"Wow. This stuff could have wiped out the entire royal family. It's good thing it didn't get further."
Washu still didn't understand what was different between Ayeka and Tenchi. So far as she could see, Ayeka should also be badly infected, yet she was healthy and the nano-poison was neutralized. Washu needed to observe the effects of the poison and how it behaved once inside the body. Knowing that she didn't possess the DNA sequence it was looking for, she decided that it would be safe for her to use herself for the experiment.
She needed a baseline reading, so she stepped into her machine and scanned herself. When the scan was complete, Washu sat back down and began working on her analysis. After a moment, she froze; her emerald eyes widened with surprise at the results she was seeing.
"That's odd," she said. Then she cried "Oh, no!" and with a rising panic, leaped off her pillow and headed for the door.
They wandered downstairs in ones and twos. First Tenchi, emerging from Washu's lab; then Ayeka and Ryoko from upstairs, looking wrung out; Nobiyuki, red-eyed with no-sleep and worry, but ready to go to work; and finally Mihoshi, still yawning in a pair of pajamas, her hair a modern art masterpiece.
They sat quietly, drinking tea from the service that Sasami had set out before any of them arrived, watching the news on TV. Tenchi looked at Ryoko, trying to gauge her mood from her face. He decided that all he could see was exhaustion and sadness.
Finally, Ayeka looked at him and pointedly cut her eyes at Ryoko with a 'go ahead' expression. Tenchi nodded and said, "Ryoko, can we talk?"
Ryoko looked at Tenchi, then at Ayeka, who nodded with a small smile. "Sure, Tenchi," Ryoko said. Tenchi stood and offered Ryoko his hand. She took it and stood up. He led her into the entryway to the house.
"Ryoko," Tenchi said. "Ryoko, I'm more sorry than I can say. I never intended for you to find out that way."
Ryoko nodded. "It's all right," she said. "Ayeka talked to me.
"What did she say?"
"Did you come to the onsen just to find me; to be with me?" Ryoko asked.
Tenchi nodded. "Yes," he said, softly.
"Why?" she asked.
Tenchi took Ryoko's hands in his. "Ryoko," he said, looking into her eyes. "I'm not sure how I feel about you, but I know how you feel about me. I thought this would be something we could share... Sort of as a token for all the things we didn't share and won't be able to share. I care about you, Ryoko, and I thought that I could make you happy; if only for a little while."
Ryoko nodded, unable to speak. Finally, she managed to say, "Thank you," in a tiny voice.
Tenchi smiled. "You're welcome, Ryoko." He reached up and wiped away a tear that trickled down her cheek. "Let's get breakfast," he said. They turned and started back toward the group. "And, please don't be mad at Ayeka or Mihoshi," Tenchi said.
"I'm not," Ryoko said. "How could blame them for surrendering to your charms? Just stay away from Sasami, Tenchi." Tenchi stopped, surprised at the warning in Ryoko's tone.
"What's that supposed to mean," Tenchi asked.
"I've seen you with her Tenchi. She's just a kid, you know."
Tenchi sighed. "She's not a kid, Ryoko," Tenchi replied. "She's a grown woman."
"No, Tenchi, she's not. Mihoshi, Ayeka, me; we've all had our hearts broken and lost people important to us. But Sasami..." Ryoko paused, "I don't know if she could handle it," she said, shaking her head.
Tenchi looked away, then back. "I don't know about that, Ryoko; but it doesn't really matter anyway. Sasami isn't like that; she's never been that way toward me."
"I'm just thinking about her, Tenchi. Okay?"
Tenchi nodded.
"Good! Let's get breakfast," Ryoko said. Smiling, she took Tenchi's arm and led him back.
Everyone was just sitting to breakfast when there was a clatter of footsteps and the door to Washu's lab slammed open. Washu stood in the doorway, panting heavily, her expression concerned and a little scared. The family turned toward her in surprise at the noise.
"Washu!" Tenchi said in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"I think I may have made a serious mistake. Sasami! Everybody sit still for a moment."
Sasami came in from the kitchen as Washu walked around the room and waved a small device over each of them. After scanning all of them, she summoned her terminal and began working. "Okay, hang on for a sec while I check these readings," she said.
They waited without moving, barely breathing, while Washu finished. After a few moments, she sat heavily, putting a hand to her forehead. "Hell!" she said.
"What is it, Washu?" Tenchi asked in a quiet voice.
"Tenchi, Sasami," Washu said firmly. "Have you two slept together? It's important that you be honest."
Tenchi and Sasami exchanged glances and both looked a little embarrassed. "No, Washu," they replied.
"Hmm. Well," she said, "except for Nobiyuki, we've all got traces of the nano-poison; including me, and I haven't slept with Tenchi either - although I appreciated the offer." Washu winked at Tenchi, who looked chagrinned; Ayeka and Ryoko exchanged surprised looks. "We've been assuming that Tenchi was the only one who'd been poisoned, since he was the only one sick; but we were all poisoned."
"All of us?" Ayeka asked. The looked at each other. "When? How?"
"That's a good question," Washu said, hand to her chin in thought. "It has to be when we were all together and someone else was preparing the food."
"Well, there were only two places I can think of recently," Mihoshi said. "Letin and the banquet on Jurai."
"I think we can eliminate Letin," Washu said.
Mihoshi nodded. "They didn't have motive or the technology. And my investigation points to Jurai."
"Washu? Is anyone else sick?" Tenchi asked.
"No, Tenchi. Everyone but you is healthy. It never really got stared in me and Sasami shows the same sort of symptoms as Ayeka; it got going in her and then just stopped."
"But if everyone at the banquet was poisoned," Ayeka said. "Then that means that father, mother and Funaho would have been poisoned as well."
"Yes," Washu agreed.
"Oh, Washu! We have to go there and make sure they're okay!" Sasami cried out.
Washu nodded. "I suspect that they're fine and it'll be easy enough to confirm with a call, but you're right: we need to go back to Jurai."
"Ryo-Ohki can be ready to go in a few minutes," Ryoko said. "How soon can everyone else be ready?"
"No need for that," Washu said. "Just get Ryo-Ohki ready and come see me before you leave."
After breakfast was cleared and everyone else was gone, Mihoshi paced back and forth in the living room. Something was bothering her; tickling her conscious mind like a stray hair tickles the face. There was something she was missing, something that would make separate pieces come together. She knew it was there, if she could just pull it out.
After worrying over it for a while, she decided to think about something else and to let it come forward naturally. She sat down on the couch and turned on the video. She flipped through the channels for a moment, settling on a variety show from halfway across the galaxy. But it only took a few moments before she realized that it wasn't going to work and she turned the video off.
She sighed and picked up a girls' comic that Sasami had left on the table. She wasn't far into it when she realized that she'd read the same page four times and still hadn't absorbed the meaning. She put the comic back where she picked it up and sighed again.
She considered the things she had done before to help her focus; the things taught by the Academy. Mihoshi remembered a martial art designed to strengthen, increase flexibility and clear the mind. She had been very good at it at one time. With a small smile, she decided to try it again and went to find some loose clothes to change into.
A short time later, she was beginning the stretching and warm-up routine outside in the grass. She found out very quickly that she wasn't as limber as she used to be. She promised herself that she wouldn't let her training lapse again, and gritted her way through.
Stretching done, she began a series of basic forms; struggling to remember the sequence. Each of the steps in the form had an accompanying verse. She found that if she concentrated on remembering the verse that the muscle memory was still there; her body knew the moves and that it would come naturally if she simply allowed it to happen. She also found that going through the form helped her to remember the verses. Encouraged and happy, she relaxed and it came back to her.
(Block right, strike right.) Sun rising through trees, With long branches and roots. Vapors rising, vital spirit returning.
(Block front, block right.) Birds fly up toward the sky. Plants reach up from earth. What they have in common?
(Strike left, strike left.) The knife slashes downward on a tree, Topping it, removing branches and bark. Its life blood drips away as from a spoon.
(Block rear, strike right, block right.) The heart and the constant moon. Does the heart sail through life Like a boat between shores?
The form continued for several moments; executed in the slow, meditative mode rather than the fast conditioning mode. Mihoshi seemed to flow back and forth across the yard with catlike grace; her eyes focused on opponents only she could see, her breathing regular, her movements sure.
(Strike rear, strike right, block left.) Making a great effort To overcome great problems. Things that linger for a lifetime.
(Strike left, strike left, block right). A bowl of water Suddenly overflowing. A Cornucopia of memories.
(Strike left, strike right, block upward.) Rains fall from the sky above. Sun and stars herald the seasons. Moments of recognition
(Ending position.)
Mihoshi finished the form; her muscles humming and a light sheen of sweat covering her. She smiled happily at having done so well when she had neglected her training for so long. She again promised herself that she wouldn't be so lax in the future.
And the idea she had been struggling with came into focus.
It was late evening in Japan when Yukinojo established a parking orbit around Earth and Mihoshi detached the shuttle. In moments, she'd placed it perfectly in the air over the Okayama house. She and Ryoko and their things were deposited on the grass and Mihoshi tucked the shuttle into the subspace pocket Washu had created for her.
They had gone through station lab thoroughly. The lab itself was sterile, although it did contain the equipment Washu said must be there. The lab's computer core was completely scrambled; having been protected with a dead man's switch that executed once Tsimech failed to reset it at the correct interval. Other than the body and the glasses, the station revealed no clues as to who had murdered the scientist.
"I'll take these glasses to Washu," Mihoshi said. "Thanks for all your help, Ryoko. It was nice having a partner; and nice to have you as a partner."
Ryoko smiled. "Yeah, you too," she said. "I'm going to take a bath and then I'm going to sleep." She yawned.
"I think I'll skip the bath," Mihoshi said, also yawning. "Have fun!"
Ryoko dragged herself into the onsen, stripped off her clothes and washed tiredly. Once she was done, she floated a tray of sake and slipped into the steaming water with a sigh. Even though there hadn't been any real physical exertion on the trip, the stress of not knowing and the need to accomplish something made it exhausting. It was good to be home and it was good to be in the bath.
After a little while and some sake, Ryoko was feeling much more relaxed and a little sleepy. She heard the door to the onsen slide open and then shut. "Hey, who's that?" she called.
"It's me, Ryoko," she heard Tenchi say.
Ryoko smiled and perked a little hearing Tenchi's voice. "Well, I'm in the tub, Tenchi; and I'm completely naked. Why don't you join me?"
"In a minute," he said.
Ryoko wasn't sure she'd heard him, so she raised up out of the water enough to see Tenchi getting his bath bucket and taking off his clothes. 'Wow!' she thought. 'He's actually going to do it!'
It wasn't that they hadn't bathed together before; Tenchi had become more comfortable with them - and himself - as time went by and he would occasionally join them for a soak. But it was by no means an everyday event; so Ryoko was happily surprised and she intended to enjoy herself.
'A little teasing, a little splashing, a little sake and a little glimpse of the goodies and who knows where this might end up?' she thought hopefully.
Ryoko sipped sake and waited, listening to Tenchi wash. A few moments later, he walked over to the edge of the pool wearing a towel and stepped into the water. Ryoko watched him and couldn't help but be shocked at how thin he was. The poison was begin to take its toll.
As he settled, he set the towel on the edge and sat near Ryoko. He looked over at her and smiled, "Hi."
"Hi yourself, handsome," she said. "Sake?" she pushed the floating tray over toward him.
"Sure, but just a little," he said. He poured himself some sake and held it up, Ryoko did the same. "Cheers," they said together and drank.
Tenchi sighed appreciatively and Ryoko smacked her lips. He lay back in the water and closed his eyes. Ryoko snagged the tray of sake. "More?" she asked Tenchi.
He languidly waved a hand at her, rippling the water. "No, I don't feel up to it. You go ahead."
"Trying to get me drunk, Tenchi Masaki?" she asked playfully and poured herself another drink.
Tenchi opened one eye. "Maybe..." he said, smiling mischievously.
Ryoko snickered and drank, then set the cup down and settled into the water, closing her eyes; enjoying the water and being with Tenchi.
After a few moments, she dozed, waking when she felt a hand touch her face. She opened her eyes to find Tenchi very near, his kind brown eyes looking into hers. "Ryoko," he said.
"Tenchi?"
Tenchi moved closer and kissed her. Ryoko enjoyed the kiss, and kissed back; but otherwise didn't move. When the kiss broke Tenchi moved back a little.
"Oh, Tenchi," Ryoko said sadly, a tear running down the side of her face.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi said, his voice full of concern. "What's wrong? I'm sorry, I thought you'd like that."
Ryoko swallowed heavily. "I did. But why now?"
"Why now?" Tenchi said, sounding confused.
"Yes," Ryoko said quietly. "Why now? Why not before?"
Tenchi shrugged, smiling sadly. "Because now is all we have; all we'll ever have," he said.
Ryoko sobbed out loud and lunged for Tenchi, holding him desperately, weeping piteously. Tenchi held her, stroking her back and hair softly; whispering in her ear, calming her.
And when her crying was done, their lovemaking began and for the two of them 'now' was all they needed.
They lay together afterward on the wooden deck atop some towels, Tenchi spooned up against Ryoko. He idly blew strands of her wild cyan hair back out of his face, making her giggle.
"I've wait a long time to..." she began. "To be with you, Tenchi."
Tenchi smiled. "I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you to wait for me, for anything."
Ryoko snorted. "I've been waiting for you my entire life. I've waited thousands of years for you, and I'd wait thousands more."
"Ryoko, it's just me: just Tenchi. I'm nobody special. I'm not worth an entire life's worth of waiting."
Ryoko shook her head and turned in his arms until she was face-to- face with him. Her golden eyes very close, her expression very earnest. "No, Tenchi. You don't understand. There is no one else for me but you. I can feel that you and I were meant to be together."
She looked down, struggling to put her thoughts into words. "I've always known that there was someone I was meant to be with. I can't really explain it, but I know it's true. When I was sealed into the cave I felt someone calling. I didn't know who and I couldn't answer. But when you came everything changed. You... Your soul... Your... I don't know what, but it woke me up and ever since then the only time I'm whole is when I'm with you.
"You complete me, Tenchi," she said, looking deep into his eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do when you... When you're..." And she burst into tears, her head dropping down onto his chest.
Tenchi put his arms around her and held her close, stroking her hair until she'd quieted.
"I'm sorry, Ryoko. I wish there was something I could do," he said sadly.
They were silent for a few moments. Then Tenchi said, "I really don't want to die yet. But as bad as that is, the thought of leaving everyone I care about is worse."
He looked down at Ryoko.
"And thinking about how you all will feel when I'm gone."
He sighed.
"Oh, Tenchi," Ryoko said, beginning to cry again.
"Oh, hell!" they heard Washu say.
Tenchi and Ryoko turned in surprise and saw Washu standing in the doorway of the onsen. Tenchi grabbed a towel and began to cover Ryoko.
"Don't bother, Tenchi," Washu said. "I made that girl; I know every millimeter of her, inside and out."
"Oh, right," Tenchi said. Then he started to wrap the towel around his waist.
"More wasted effort!" Washu said.
"Even so," Tenchi said. In a moment, he had fastened the towel around himself and found another for Ryoko, who was by now standing next to him.
"Uh, hi Washu," Tenchi said.
"Yeah, hi, uhh... Mom," Ryoko said.
Washu looked at them narrowly. "I know I didn't mention it before, Tenchi, but the nano-poison can certainly be passed to others via body fluids."
"Oh no!" Tenchi said, he looked stricken.
"Washu!" Ryoko said, a note of fear in her voice.
Washu waved her hand. "Don't worry," she said. "Ryoko, your cellular structure can't be affected by this type of agent. Even if it could," she continued, "your body would repair the damage as fast as the poison could make it; and eventually, your system would beat the little monster."
Tenchi still looked very upset.
"Tenchi!" Washu said, an urgent note in her voice. "Tell me!"
Tenchi glanced at Ryoko, then back at Washu. He was clearly struggling.
"Tenchi! This is too important to worry about people's feelings! Say it!"
Tenchi's face fell and he looked at the floor. "Ryoko wasn't..."
Ryoko looked at him, realizing what he didn't want to say. "Oh, no," she said quietly. "Oh, no!" Tenchi looked at her and she smacked him hard across the face. "You bastard," she said quietly. "How could you do that to me?"
"Ryoko, stop that!" Washu commanded. "This isn't about you. Tell me, Tenchi; who?"
"Mihoshi and Ayeka," Tenchi said, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Ryoko," he said to her.
"Go to hell," Ryoko replied and she disappeared, teleporting out of the onsen.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi yelled.
"Oh crap, Tenchi," Washu said. "What the hell have you done?"
"I'm sorry, Washu. I didn't mean to hurt her."
"Forget that," she said. "For now, anyway. Let's get going." She grabbed Tenchi by the wrist and pulled him behind her, dragging him out of the onsen and into the house. "You go get Mihoshi. I'll get Ayeka. We have to go to my lab."
Tenchi nodded. He stopped in his own room to pull on a pair of trousers and a shirt and then went to Mihoshi's room. He let himself in and leaned down next to her as she slept and shook her gently.
"Mihoshi? Mihoshi?"
Mihoshi rolled onto her back and her eyes opened. "What is it, Tenchi?"
"Mihoshi, Washu needs us in her lab right away."
Mihoshi yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Okay, sure," she said. She got up, put on a pair of slippers and followed Tenchi down into the lab. Washu was already there with Ayeka.
"Good, you're all here. Let me get my instruments calibrated and we can get started," Washu said.
"Washu, what is this about?" Ayeka asked.
"Yeah, Washu. What's going on?" Mihoshi echoed.
Washu looked at Tenchi, "Tell them."
"Washu says that the nano-poison can be spread by body fluids," he said. "You'll both need to be checked. I'm sorry, I didn't know; I didn't mean to put you in danger."
Ayeka and Mihoshi looked at each other as they understood what Tenchi meant.
"Oh!" Mihoshi said. "Oh, Ayeka! I hope you're okay."
Ayeka nodded, her face coloring with embarrassment. "What do you need us to do, Washu?"
"Well, I might as well go in the same order you people went in," she said. "Tenchi?"
Tenchi looked at Washu, then at Ayeka. "Mihoshi," he said. "Check Mihoshi, Washu."
Washu nodded and gestured Mihoshi toward a large machine with an upright, man-shaped surface in the center. Mihoshi nodded and stepped in, placing her back against it. "This will only take a minute, Mihoshi."
"Okay, Washu."
The machine hummed and several scanning heads of different shapes and sizes began moving over Mihoshi.
"Ayeka," Tenchi said. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry about what, Tenchi?"
"Uh... Sorry that you weren't the only one, and that you had to find out this way. And... And about exposing you to this."
Ayeka smiled sadly. "It is all right," she said. "I never assumed I was the only one. If you remember, you told me I was not when we were together. Of course, I would never have imagined you meant Mihoshi."
"Um, well, it sort of just..." Tenchi said. "She fell and knocked me- "
"That is no matter, Tenchi." She stepped close and put her hands on his shoulders. "And if the nano-poison is going to take me too; well, that is something that I will deal with when I find out. In the meantime, I will still always treasure our time together." She leaned close and kissed him on the lips.
They stood together while Washu's machine examined Mihoshi. After a few more moments, the scanning heads all retracted and Washu gestured for Mihoshi to step out.
Washu studied her displays for a few moments and then announced, "Well, Mihoshi, you had the nano-poison, but it looks like your immune system defeated it or that it simply didn't work right. I'll need to do more analysis to be sure why; but you are healthy."
Mihoshi smiled. "Thank you, Washu."
"Don't thank me," she said. "This was your doing, somehow. I've got all I need for now. Ayeka, could you step in, please?"
Ayeka nodded and stood against the machine. The scan began and Mihoshi said to Tenchi, "Tenchi, I feel the same way Ayeka does. I'm glad I don't have it, but if I did I wouldn't regret it." Tenchi nodded.
They stood and watched the machine scan Ayeka. After a few moments, it stopped but the scanners didn't retract. Washu stepped back from her displays and scratched her head. "Well, you're free of the nano-poison too; although I'm not sure why. Do you mind if I run a couple more tests?"
"No, Washu, please do. Especially if it might help Tenchi."
"Right," Washu said. She stared into the displays again and the scan resumed.
Mihoshi tuned to Tenchi. "I'm sorry," she said, yawning, "but I'm really tired. Would you mind if I went back to bed?"
"No, Mihoshi. Good night."
"Good night, Tenchi. Good night, Ayeka."
"Good night, Mihoshi," Ayeka said.
Mihoshi left the lab and walked back to her room. As she passed Ayeka and Sasami's room, the door opened and Sasami peered out. "Mihoshi," she said.
"Oh, hi Sasami."
"Mihoshi, what's going on? Where are Ayeka and Tenchi?" she asked.
Mihoshi yawned again. "Washu wanted to run some tests on Ayeka and me."
"Why?"
"Because the nano-poison can be passed from person to person by sex. She needed to make sure we were okay; but don't worry, we are."
"By sex..?" Sasami said.
"Uh huh. I'm sure Washu can tell you all about it. I'm going back to bed now, okay?" Sasami nodded. "Okay, good night," Mihoshi said. Then she continued up the hall, leaving Sasami standing in the doorway of her room.
"Okay, Ayeka, I'm through."
Ayeka stepped out and stood next to Tenchi looking over Washu's shoulder.
"As near as I can tell, you were infected, but the nano-poison simply stopped working."
"Isn't that what you told Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked.
"Not quite. I told Mihoshi the poison didn't work. In Ayeka it stopped working. I'm going to have to do more analysis. You can go back to bed, Ayeka; thank you. Tenchi, I still need you."
"Thank you, Miss Washu," Ayeka said.
"You're going back to sleep?" Tenchi asked.
"No, I am going to look for Ryoko," she said. Tenchi started, looking surprised. Ayeka sighed. "Tenchi, it does not take the greatest scientific genius in the universe to figure out why Washu would take a sudden interest in our sex lives. Mihoshi, Sasami and I were asleep and you have a hand mark on your cheek."
Tenchi's hand rose to his face. "You were with Ryoko and Washu found out; then Ryoko found out that she was not the only one you had been with, right?"
Tenchi nodded. "But, I should go," he said. "It's my fault."
"No," Ayeka said, shaking her head. "Washu needs you here. And I think it might be better if I talked to her. What do you think, Washu?"
"You're a wonderful friend to Ryoko, Ayeka," Washu said. "Would you please go talk to her?"
Ayeka nodded, smiled at Tenchi and left.
"Okay, Romeo," Washu said, "into the machine. And I need a tight scan, so clothes off."
Sasami lay sleepless in her room. The brief conversation with Mihoshi had bothered her more than she could have imagined. She wouldn't have thought that who Tenchi slept with would keep her awake; after all, once she wanted more than anything for Tenchi to fall in love with Ayeka. But that hadn't happened and then she'd grown up and now...
And now, she was jealous.
It took her a little while to understand how she felt; to be able to put a label on it. When Mihoshi had first wandered off down the hall, already half asleep, Sasami had stepped back into her room and closed the door. She lay down on her futon and thought, 'Tenchi slept with Mihoshi and Ayeka.'
She turned the idea over in her mind, testing it from different angles. She thought about how Mihoshi and Ayeka had both been very much infatuated with Tenchi for so long, with no reward - until now. She considered the fact that Mihoshi and Ayeka were much closer to Tenchi's age than she. She even thought about Ryoko and wondered if Tenchi and she would sleep together; and how happy that would make Ryoko.
But in the end, no matter how understanding or charitable she tried to be; the jealousy returned. She realized she didn't really care about the others, that she wanted to be with Tenchi.
She very much wanted to be with Tenchi.
Sasami knew that when Ayeka was her age she'd had very different attitudes about sex and dating. Sasami was also very different from her friends at school; most of them were still dating in groups and many hadn't even kissed a boy. She'd actually had trouble finding a boyfriend who wasn't afraid of her.
Why was she different? Was it just the normal differences between people, or was it something else; something external? Perhaps being around Ryoko and Washu - who were quite openly sexually interested in Tenchi? Or maybe watching those soap operas that Washu pulled in from halfway across the galaxy; some were pretty racy. And, while she normally read girls' manga, she had occasionally stolen a peak at Nobiyuki's large collection of more adult-oriented fare.
Sasami felt strongly that the merge with Tsunami had something to do with it as well. She'd told Washu that Tsunami liked Tenchi and it was true. Sasami thought Tsunami sometimes acted more like a school girl than a higher-dimensional being, but it seemed Tsunami was surprised by the power of her own emotions. As she and Sasami became closer, Tsunami was bound more tightly into her human form. This made her feelings stronger and Sasami noticed them more often. They were never exactly like her feelings, but they were a lot like her feelings.
But it didn't really matter what it was that made Sasami as interested - and ready - as she was for a serious, adult relationship. She was. And that relationship would be with Tenchi.
She was decided: Tenchi would be hers.
Now it was a matter of how to make that happen.
"Sasami."
Sasami turned without really having to. "Hi, Tsunami," she said. Without even thinking about it, they reached for each other's hands.
"You're in love with him, too," Tsunami said.
Sasami nodded. "More than anything," she said. "He's the one then, isn't he? My true love."
"Oh, yes," Tsunami sighed.
"But is it me? Or is it because of you?" Sasami asked.
Tsunami smiled. "It's not me," she said. "You know how I feel sometimes, but that doesn't make you feel that way. Your feelings for Tenchi are all your own."
"That makes sense, I guess." Sasami's face fell. "But he's so sick, Tsunami. What if he..."
Tsunami shook her head. "You have to trust that it will be okay, Sasami. Everyone is doing everything they can."
"Are you sure, Tsunami?"
Tsunami nodded. "But if we're serious about Tenchi, you have to be ready to make Ryoko sad."
Sasami nodded unhappily. "Yes, Tsunami, I know. I wish we didn't have to."
"Me either, but I don't think we can help it," Tsunami said. "But, in the end I think she'll be okay. So, do you have a plan?"
"A plan for what?"
"A plan to win Tenchi's love," Tsunami said.
"Oh," Sasami said. "Well, sort of, yes."
Tsunami smiled. "Tell me what you were thinking."
Sasami and Tsunami spent the next hours talking about Tenchi: how to get his attention, how to win his affection and - when they were feeling especially hopeful - what it would be like to be with him all the time.
Much later, Sasami looked at the clock and the gathering light out the window. "I guess I might as well start breakfast," she said. "I'll need a nap later, though," she yawned.
Ryoko sat on the floor in her room in the dark.
There was a knock.
Ryoko did nothing.
There was another knock.
"Go away," she said.
"Ryoko," Ayeka's voice came gently through the door. "Ryoko, can we talk?"
"Go away," Ryoko repeated.
The door slid open and Ayeka stepped in. She closed it behind her and knelt on the floor facing Ryoko. "Ryoko," she said.
Ryoko looked at Ayeka briefly, her brow furrowed and angry, her eyes watery with unshed tears. Ayeka reached out and put a hand on Ryoko's knee.
"Ryoko," Ayeka said again.
"I was last, Ayeka. Last!" Ryoko said bitterly. "He chose me last."
"This is not a contest, Ryoko. This is about losing someone we all care about very much. We should all be happy that we could share a little of our lives and love with him."
"Easy for you to say," Ryoko spat. "You weren't last. If I'd known that when he showed up in the onsen, I'd have sent him packing!"
"You most certainly would not have-" Ayeka stopped, surprise on her face. "Did you say he showed up in the onsen? He came to you?"
"Yeah, so?"
"I knew it all along," Ayeka said, sadly. "It was always you."
Ryoko looked confused. "Ayeka, what? I don't understand."
"Mihoshi and I were with Tenchi by chance; Mihoshi fell on him and I went to be near him while he slept. You he sought out. You were not his last choice, you were his first choice; his only choice."
"Still..." Ryoko said.
"Still nothing, Ryoko. You are being foolish," Ayeka said. "Now, you listen to me: Tenchi made love with Mihoshi and me because he was fond of us and we went to him. It was simply luck. But you," Ayeka now looked sad, "you, Ryoko, he was with because of love and desire."
"I... I didn't think of that," Ryoko said. "I'm sorry, Ayeka."
"Do not pity me, Ryoko. I had already decided that Tenchi and I would never share a life, or a bed. That we did even this one time is bounty beyond measure and I will treasure the memory of my time with him always."
"I know what you mean!" Ryoko said. "He's dynamite in the sack!" Ryoko threw her head back and laughed at her own joke, Ayeka giggled behind her hand.
"Especially when you consider that he has already lost some strength. One wonders what he would be like if he were fully healthy," Ayeka said.
"Wow!" Ryoko said, and they both laughed again. Then, Ryoko stopped suddenly. "Oh..!" she said in a small voice, looking stricken.
"Ryoko, what is it?" Ayeka asked her.
"I... Uh..." Ryoko's expression became sad. "He's been with Mihoshi, you and me."
"Leaving Washu and..." Ayeka trailed off.
"...and Sasami," Ryoko finished for her. "I really don't think he'll have it in him to make a pass at Washu. Do you? "
"Hmm... Perhaps he would," Ayeka said.
"I think he's still pretty intimidated by Washu. But Sasami... I don't know; he's pretty conflicted about her I think. Sure, she's a grown woman and all, but I think in the back of Tenchi's mind she's still 'Little Sasami'."
Ayeka looked thoughtful. "You are right," she said. "Tenchi does not think of her as a grown woman. But you and I know better, true?"
"And if he doesn't come after her, she'll go after him. Damn." Ryoko sighed. "I know it's wrong to want to keep them apart, but I can't help it," she said.
"You can not help your thoughts and feelings, Ryoko. But it is your actions that make you who you are," Ayeka said.
Ryoko smiled and said, "Well, I've always been an action kind of girl. I know I need to mind my own business and stay out of the way where they're concerned. It's hard, but I'll try."
Ayeka nodded, patting Ryoko on the hand. "Good," she said. "I doubt there is anything you could do anyway."
Ryoko nodded her agreement. "It's just that I don't want to lose him to Sasami," she said.
Ayeka sighed heavily. "It is really not the time to worry about losing Tenchi to a rival, is it?"
Ryoko looked at Ayeka sharply. "You're giving up on Tenchi," she said. It was an accusation.
"No, Ryoko," Ayeka replied. "I am not giving up. I will keep doing everything I can to help and I will keep hoping that this thing will not win. But I have to be practical; to try to prepare myself for the worst."
"I can't believe you, Ayeka! This is Tenchi we're talking about! How many times has he saved us both? How many times has he done the impossible? How can you even imagine Tenchi losing? Or not being here with us... With me...?" Then, Ryoko's face fell and she buried her head in her arms. "Oh, crap," she sobbed. "Oh, Tenchi!"
Crying herself, Ayeka embraced her friend and together they waited for the dawn and the start of another of their last days with Tenchi.
"Well, that's about it, Tenchi." Washu dismissed her terminal and turned off the instruments. "You can get dressed now." Tenchi stepped away from the machine and she handed him his clothes.
"Umm, Miss Washu..." Tenchi said.
"What is it?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Well... Uh... This..." Tenchi said. He took Washu's face in his hands and kissed her.
If Washu was surprised, she didn't show it; she responded with enthusiasm and a great deal of skill. After a moment, they broke the kiss and Washu said, "Thanks! Now get dressed, I've got to analyze these scans."
Tenchi's face twisted in confusion. "But I thought..."
"Tenchi," Washu said softly, putting a hand on his cheek. "I don't need to sleep with you to know how you feel about me."
"I'm confused, then," he said. "What was all that stuff with the nurse's outfit and the lion tamer's outfit and the astronaut's outfit..?"
Washu laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh, Tenchi! You're so cute!" She considered briefly, then said, "I would have done it, once upon a time. But now there's no need. You needed a tutor, someone to broaden your horizons, and I'd been trapped onboard Soja for so long. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"And now?" Tenchi asked.
"And now, things are different; you're different," she said with a shrug.
"So, you don't need that sample any more?"
Washu laughed again. "Nope. I never really did." She winked at him, "But you knew that anyway, didn't you Tenchi?"
Tenchi smiled, "Yeah, I guess I did."
"I thought so. Now, be a good little guinea pig and get dressed and head out. The others are probably waiting breakfast on you."
"Aren't you coming too, Little Washu?" He asked, putting on his clothes.
"I'll be there in a few minutes. Run along now!"
Tenchi trotted off, pulling his shirt over his head. Washu watched him go, then said absent-mindedly, "Oh, Tenchi. You really are something special, aren't you. But, as special as you are, this damn poison is still eating you alive."
Washu sat on her pillow and began working on her terminal. She was comparing some of the details of the infections and the iterations of the nano-poison in Tenchi, Mihoshi and Ayeka. She had already determined that Mihoshi was unaffected simply because the nano-poison wasn't tuned to her: it didn't recognize her DNA as a target. This meant that the nano-poison didn't propagate quickly and it didn't morph. It was quickly detected and defeated by Mihoshi's immune system.
Washu then began running an analysis of the DNA strands that activated the nano-poison and compared the results with her records of the members of the family. She found that Katsuhito, Ayeka, Sasami and Tenchi were all susceptible; they had the key DNA sequence the nano-poison was looking for.
"Wow. This stuff could have wiped out the entire royal family. It's good thing it didn't get further."
Washu still didn't understand what was different between Ayeka and Tenchi. So far as she could see, Ayeka should also be badly infected, yet she was healthy and the nano-poison was neutralized. Washu needed to observe the effects of the poison and how it behaved once inside the body. Knowing that she didn't possess the DNA sequence it was looking for, she decided that it would be safe for her to use herself for the experiment.
She needed a baseline reading, so she stepped into her machine and scanned herself. When the scan was complete, Washu sat back down and began working on her analysis. After a moment, she froze; her emerald eyes widened with surprise at the results she was seeing.
"That's odd," she said. Then she cried "Oh, no!" and with a rising panic, leaped off her pillow and headed for the door.
They wandered downstairs in ones and twos. First Tenchi, emerging from Washu's lab; then Ayeka and Ryoko from upstairs, looking wrung out; Nobiyuki, red-eyed with no-sleep and worry, but ready to go to work; and finally Mihoshi, still yawning in a pair of pajamas, her hair a modern art masterpiece.
They sat quietly, drinking tea from the service that Sasami had set out before any of them arrived, watching the news on TV. Tenchi looked at Ryoko, trying to gauge her mood from her face. He decided that all he could see was exhaustion and sadness.
Finally, Ayeka looked at him and pointedly cut her eyes at Ryoko with a 'go ahead' expression. Tenchi nodded and said, "Ryoko, can we talk?"
Ryoko looked at Tenchi, then at Ayeka, who nodded with a small smile. "Sure, Tenchi," Ryoko said. Tenchi stood and offered Ryoko his hand. She took it and stood up. He led her into the entryway to the house.
"Ryoko," Tenchi said. "Ryoko, I'm more sorry than I can say. I never intended for you to find out that way."
Ryoko nodded. "It's all right," she said. "Ayeka talked to me.
"What did she say?"
"Did you come to the onsen just to find me; to be with me?" Ryoko asked.
Tenchi nodded. "Yes," he said, softly.
"Why?" she asked.
Tenchi took Ryoko's hands in his. "Ryoko," he said, looking into her eyes. "I'm not sure how I feel about you, but I know how you feel about me. I thought this would be something we could share... Sort of as a token for all the things we didn't share and won't be able to share. I care about you, Ryoko, and I thought that I could make you happy; if only for a little while."
Ryoko nodded, unable to speak. Finally, she managed to say, "Thank you," in a tiny voice.
Tenchi smiled. "You're welcome, Ryoko." He reached up and wiped away a tear that trickled down her cheek. "Let's get breakfast," he said. They turned and started back toward the group. "And, please don't be mad at Ayeka or Mihoshi," Tenchi said.
"I'm not," Ryoko said. "How could blame them for surrendering to your charms? Just stay away from Sasami, Tenchi." Tenchi stopped, surprised at the warning in Ryoko's tone.
"What's that supposed to mean," Tenchi asked.
"I've seen you with her Tenchi. She's just a kid, you know."
Tenchi sighed. "She's not a kid, Ryoko," Tenchi replied. "She's a grown woman."
"No, Tenchi, she's not. Mihoshi, Ayeka, me; we've all had our hearts broken and lost people important to us. But Sasami..." Ryoko paused, "I don't know if she could handle it," she said, shaking her head.
Tenchi looked away, then back. "I don't know about that, Ryoko; but it doesn't really matter anyway. Sasami isn't like that; she's never been that way toward me."
"I'm just thinking about her, Tenchi. Okay?"
Tenchi nodded.
"Good! Let's get breakfast," Ryoko said. Smiling, she took Tenchi's arm and led him back.
Everyone was just sitting to breakfast when there was a clatter of footsteps and the door to Washu's lab slammed open. Washu stood in the doorway, panting heavily, her expression concerned and a little scared. The family turned toward her in surprise at the noise.
"Washu!" Tenchi said in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"I think I may have made a serious mistake. Sasami! Everybody sit still for a moment."
Sasami came in from the kitchen as Washu walked around the room and waved a small device over each of them. After scanning all of them, she summoned her terminal and began working. "Okay, hang on for a sec while I check these readings," she said.
They waited without moving, barely breathing, while Washu finished. After a few moments, she sat heavily, putting a hand to her forehead. "Hell!" she said.
"What is it, Washu?" Tenchi asked in a quiet voice.
"Tenchi, Sasami," Washu said firmly. "Have you two slept together? It's important that you be honest."
Tenchi and Sasami exchanged glances and both looked a little embarrassed. "No, Washu," they replied.
"Hmm. Well," she said, "except for Nobiyuki, we've all got traces of the nano-poison; including me, and I haven't slept with Tenchi either - although I appreciated the offer." Washu winked at Tenchi, who looked chagrinned; Ayeka and Ryoko exchanged surprised looks. "We've been assuming that Tenchi was the only one who'd been poisoned, since he was the only one sick; but we were all poisoned."
"All of us?" Ayeka asked. The looked at each other. "When? How?"
"That's a good question," Washu said, hand to her chin in thought. "It has to be when we were all together and someone else was preparing the food."
"Well, there were only two places I can think of recently," Mihoshi said. "Letin and the banquet on Jurai."
"I think we can eliminate Letin," Washu said.
Mihoshi nodded. "They didn't have motive or the technology. And my investigation points to Jurai."
"Washu? Is anyone else sick?" Tenchi asked.
"No, Tenchi. Everyone but you is healthy. It never really got stared in me and Sasami shows the same sort of symptoms as Ayeka; it got going in her and then just stopped."
"But if everyone at the banquet was poisoned," Ayeka said. "Then that means that father, mother and Funaho would have been poisoned as well."
"Yes," Washu agreed.
"Oh, Washu! We have to go there and make sure they're okay!" Sasami cried out.
Washu nodded. "I suspect that they're fine and it'll be easy enough to confirm with a call, but you're right: we need to go back to Jurai."
"Ryo-Ohki can be ready to go in a few minutes," Ryoko said. "How soon can everyone else be ready?"
"No need for that," Washu said. "Just get Ryo-Ohki ready and come see me before you leave."
After breakfast was cleared and everyone else was gone, Mihoshi paced back and forth in the living room. Something was bothering her; tickling her conscious mind like a stray hair tickles the face. There was something she was missing, something that would make separate pieces come together. She knew it was there, if she could just pull it out.
After worrying over it for a while, she decided to think about something else and to let it come forward naturally. She sat down on the couch and turned on the video. She flipped through the channels for a moment, settling on a variety show from halfway across the galaxy. But it only took a few moments before she realized that it wasn't going to work and she turned the video off.
She sighed and picked up a girls' comic that Sasami had left on the table. She wasn't far into it when she realized that she'd read the same page four times and still hadn't absorbed the meaning. She put the comic back where she picked it up and sighed again.
She considered the things she had done before to help her focus; the things taught by the Academy. Mihoshi remembered a martial art designed to strengthen, increase flexibility and clear the mind. She had been very good at it at one time. With a small smile, she decided to try it again and went to find some loose clothes to change into.
A short time later, she was beginning the stretching and warm-up routine outside in the grass. She found out very quickly that she wasn't as limber as she used to be. She promised herself that she wouldn't let her training lapse again, and gritted her way through.
Stretching done, she began a series of basic forms; struggling to remember the sequence. Each of the steps in the form had an accompanying verse. She found that if she concentrated on remembering the verse that the muscle memory was still there; her body knew the moves and that it would come naturally if she simply allowed it to happen. She also found that going through the form helped her to remember the verses. Encouraged and happy, she relaxed and it came back to her.
(Block right, strike right.) Sun rising through trees, With long branches and roots. Vapors rising, vital spirit returning.
(Block front, block right.) Birds fly up toward the sky. Plants reach up from earth. What they have in common?
(Strike left, strike left.) The knife slashes downward on a tree, Topping it, removing branches and bark. Its life blood drips away as from a spoon.
(Block rear, strike right, block right.) The heart and the constant moon. Does the heart sail through life Like a boat between shores?
The form continued for several moments; executed in the slow, meditative mode rather than the fast conditioning mode. Mihoshi seemed to flow back and forth across the yard with catlike grace; her eyes focused on opponents only she could see, her breathing regular, her movements sure.
(Strike rear, strike right, block left.) Making a great effort To overcome great problems. Things that linger for a lifetime.
(Strike left, strike left, block right). A bowl of water Suddenly overflowing. A Cornucopia of memories.
(Strike left, strike right, block upward.) Rains fall from the sky above. Sun and stars herald the seasons. Moments of recognition
(Ending position.)
Mihoshi finished the form; her muscles humming and a light sheen of sweat covering her. She smiled happily at having done so well when she had neglected her training for so long. She again promised herself that she wouldn't be so lax in the future.
And the idea she had been struggling with came into focus.