Welcome to the latest chapter of "Confess to You"! In case you haven't heard yet, illustrations for this story (along with the rest of my fan fiction and fan art) can be found on my website. The address to the site is in my author profile.
However, I'm not the only one who drew pictures for this fic! Many thanks go to RyokoMR, The Dragoness, Arlene, and Bobert for the lovely illustrations that they contributed! Also, special thanks go to AleeN, K'thardin, and Firebird for prereading this chapter. I'm very grateful for all your kindness!
Legal disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! and its characters are the property of AIC and whoever else owns them. However, this story is mine. Please don't sue me, because I'm just writing this for fun.
Last Chapter: One year after the events of Manatsu no Eve, Ryoko's romantic day with Tenchi was ruined when dark and mysterious forces abducted her beloved. Goddesses awoke, and secrets of the past resurfaced... The day Tsunami prepared for had finally arrived.
Confess to You: Chapter Six - Salvation
by Literary Eagle
An old Juraian story told of a garden belonging to the goddess Tsunami that was breathtaking in its beauty, and life-giving in the healing properties of its flowers.
It was said that the center of this garden was a water fountain surrounded by Royal Teardrops and Startica Bells, the two most famous Juraian flowers... the former for sorrow, and the latter for joy. The reddish-purple of the Royal Teardrops mingled with the pink of the Startica Bells in such a way that if one were to gaze upon the circle of flowers from high above, one would see that the whole display looked almost like a large reddish-pink eye, with the waters of the fountain as its tears.
The story went on to say that a small green sprout appeared in this eye one day, and that the little bud could not decide whether to blossom into a Royal Teardrop or a Startica Bell.
"Be like one of us," the Royal Teardrops told the unopened flower, "We are sincere and disciplined."
"No, be like one of us," the Startica Bells said, "We are playful, and have no worries."
Impressed with the devoutness of the Royal Teardrops, the little green bud decided to join them, and so she made preparations to bloom as one. Alas, as she readied herself, she began to feel unhappy. Despite the sense of duty and purpose that being a Royal Teardrop seemed to provide, she became somewhat envious of how free and merry the Startica Bells were.
Sensing her doubt, the Royal Teardrops and Startica Bells became quite relentless in trying to recruit her, each side earnestly wanting to claim the unopened flower. Indecision and inner conflict nearly caused the young plant to wilt. She rather liked the idea of feeling unfettered and joyous, but she still believed in the importance of duty as well. In despair, she said to herself, "Both flowers have their merits, and yet I must embrace one and forever reject the other! Is this the only choice I have? Is there no other way, no other path to take?" It was quite a dilemma. She told the flowers that she did not want to be spoken to for a little while, so that she could have time to think. The flowers obliged her.
So long and silent was her contemplation that she was the first plant in the garden to actually pay attention to the sounds made by the waters of the fountain. That was when she discovered that the eye of the garden cried for different reasons, from the deepest sadness to the most intense happiness. The bud realized that water did not sing just one note. Water sang many notes, a constantly evolving melody.
Forever changing.
Upon realizing that she wanted to be like this as well, the green bud's sides split open, and what emerged was not a flower at all, but a butterfly! And so, she was free to fly and explore, but she also dutifully spread pollen and helped more flowers to grow. As the butterfly journeyed the rest of the garden, going beyond her little world of Royal Teardrops and Startica Bells, she found new kinds of plants and helped them to flourish as well. Before long, the garden's colors and fragrances were more diverse and beautiful than ever.
This was one of the oldest known Juraian tales, but storytellers have been forbidden from recounting it for well over 700 years now. The exact reason why is uncertain, but a rumor says that while Queen Misaki had been trying to decide on a name for her first child, a lovely baby girl, that she had heard a female voice whisper "Ayekanaru" ("Forever Changing"). Whether by coincidence or not, later that same day Emperor Azusa added the butterfly's tale to the list of forbidden stories, and ordered all written copies to be destroyed. Some say that there was sadness and fear in Azusa's eyes as he made that decree, but many have scoffed at the notion. After all, what could the Emperor of Jurai possibly have to fear?
As the resurrected Ayeka rose from the tank in which Mayuka had been created, vivid images of this lost Juraian story somehow played before her mind's eye, images that seemed as real as the sensation of wetness on her skin. The vision of the butterfly's tale faded, and Ayeka hovered motionlessly in the air, liquid dripping off her glistening form and falling back to the tank below. The bands that usually kept her hair in ponytails were gone just like the rest of her clothing, leaving her wet tresses clinging to her bare back.
However, Ayeka's tiara remained, and she instinctively ran a finger across it. Silver light erupted from the head ornament at her touch. Her long purple hair billowed out behind her as the silver radiance dried it, spreading and rippling like a cloak of amethyst and mercury. The light moved on to other directions, caressing her face and neck, slowly tracing her slender arms and the graceful contours of her body, then descending from her gleaming thighs down to her toes, causing the fluid to evaporate from her skin as it went.
As the dampness left her skin and became scattered to the air, so did Ayeka's newly enhanced senses reach out to her surroundings, like invisible mental fingers scattering to touch the numerous bookshelves in Yuzuha's home, the broken toys, the sagging Christmas decorations, the large tree roots that made up the walls. Without moving from her midair position, Ayeka explored the area, her "mental fingers" probing deeper, feeling not only the surfaces of objects, but also the secrets they held.
This was a place of power, filled with regret and memory. For one who could see with the soul, the impressions left behind would make themselves known. Images began to play out in front of Ayeka, as if from numerous film projectors in different parts of the room. Solemnly, she watched them all... recollections of goddesses, of a family that had been torn apart.
She searched deeper still.
As she investigated, she discerned Tenchi's presence somewhere above her, where the remains of the Tree of Darkness stood. She could sense Tenchi's suffering, his guilt, and his self-loathing. Worse, she could feel the Darkness reaching into him, manipulating and twisting with promises of love, of security, of making everything better.
Ayeka clenched her hands as tears of frustration came to her eyes. How she longed to go to him, to save him right now! But it was Ryoko, the one Tenchi loved most, who had the best chance of getting through to him. If Ayeka were to try to aid Tenchi at this time, there was a very real possibility that she would not only fail, but also ruin Tsunami's plan, and then they would lose everything. The risk was too great.
Sighing again, Ayeka continued to search for what she was supposed to find. Reaching further into her surroundings, she could detect a faint hint of emotional energy diffused throughout the room. Resting... almost hiding. She felt its overwhelming shame... its presence felt so much like Tenchi's did right now, only weaker. The Darkness had broken it quite badly.
But not completely.
"I know you're there," Ayeka whispered to the air, "I can sense a wish to atone for what has happened before. The time has come. Here is a chance to help all of us."
Slowly, bit by bit, the widely separated traces of desperately twisted hopes, manic dreams, and underlying shame began to leave their various hiding places, coming together before Ayeka's eyes. It was like seeing a work of art being sculpted right in front of her, and this masterpiece was in the form of a man made of shadows.
"Lord Tenchi is right above me, and yet I cannot go to him..." Ayeka said softly to the wraithlike being, "Only Miss Ryoko can reach him. With their love for each other, they have a chance... but first, someone must help her. Please, go to her. Comfort Ryoko, so that she may save Tenchi."
The shadowy figure nodded and then vanished, leaving Ayeka alone again. "Thank you," she said anyway. Finally floating down so that her feet touched the floor, Ayeka turned to look at the tank she had just come from. Where her reflection should have been, the image of a lost goddess now stared back. Turning away from the tank again, Ayeka closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, trembling. A brief flicker of doubt entered her mind, and for a moment she certainly didn't feel like a goddess, but a lost little princess alone against the Darkness.
The Voice, the weak but comforting Voice that had guided her this far into the realm was gone, its strength extinguished after Ayeka's rebirth. Yes, she was alone against the Darkness now. But once again her heart intoned its mantra of "Courage, courage, courage..." and she listened to it.
After all, there had been a time when Tsunami had entrusted the care of her entire sacred garden to a single fragile butterfly.
Ryoko could feel herself floating. She couldn't see anything. Where was she? What was happening? Ah, now she remembered... this had to be some kind of dream, because she had fallen asleep. After having her missing two gems returned to her from Tenchiken, she had drifted off, exhausted from the struggle.
Struggle?
There had been a struggle... Tenchi had been taken away, that was it. Tenchi was gone, and she had to find him! She had to wake up!
That train of thought was interrupted when she suddenly felt a strong presence... She was not alone in this strange, dark place. It gave Ryoko the unshakable feeling that this was more than a dream. Something brought on by having all her gems back, combined with the new power Tsunami and Ayeka had given her?
The specter drew closer.
"Ayeka?" Ryoko said cautiously. She concentrated for a moment. No. This... person... felt familiar, but it wasn't Ayeka. This presence was male.
"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, reaching out into the dimness. Let it be him, oh please let it be him! Focusing her "second sight", as she had come to call her new power, she was finally able to see something in the gloom: an even blacker silhouette, as if there was a void cut into the darkness in the shape of a man.
Ryoko willed herself to move closer to him... closer... suddenly she was no longer floating, and it was as if there was an unseen floor beneath her feet. The silhouette stood wordlessly before her. He felt so familiar...
"Tenchi?" said Ryoko, hardly daring to believe it. Had her sleeping mind found him? Was she really that powerful now?
He still looked like nothing more than a shadow, but when he wrapped his arms around her, the embrace was solid and comforting. Ryoko returned the hug, crying with relief. "Tenchi!" she sobbed.
But wait... although she could not lose the feeling that this man seemed familiar, something was not right. Shaking her head, she pulled away from the not-quite-Tenchi. "Who are you?"
In response, he stepped back. Five gray Light Hawk Wings (at least, they looked something like Light Hawk Wings) appeared before him, casting a silvery light and revealing a young man who clearly was not Tenchi, but still seemed strangely reminiscent of him.
"Who are you?" Ryoko repeated, reaching out to him. Whether it was simply to touch him, or to strike at him for impersonating Tenchi, even she didn't know. However, before she could reach him, the five Wings disappeared, and the man was a dark shadow once more.
"I am the heart of she who sought to be heartless," he said in a low voice, "I am the spirit that rejected love yet still craved it, that used hatred and revenge to fill the void within myself... and was finally split apart again and again by my own shame, until I was carried to you on butterfly's wings."
Ryoko sweatdropped. "Gee, I'm sorry I asked," she said wryly, "So, do you have a name, or should I just call you Hazy?"
"Call me whatever you wish," he said, apparently not realizing that she was joking, "We have much to do..."
"Much to do about what?" Ryoko demanded, frowning with suspicion.
"She is filled with Darkness. I remind you of Tenchi, don't I? That is because I reflect the desires in her heart. She is after Tenchi. She wants to claim the son of Tsunami as her own child, and you as well... the daughter of Tsunami's sister, Washu."
"You're not making any sense! Who are you talking about?" Ryoko searched her memory. What was that name she had heard Washu say, before she had fallen asleep and ended up here? Ah yes... "Tokimi? Are you talking about Tokimi?"
"Ayeka will take care of Tokimi," said the shadow, "But your help is needed as well. You must get to Tenchi. Be strong, for you shall also have a role in saving us all."
Ryoko tried to protest as he suddenly took her into another embrace, but subsided when she felt the warm reassurance that radiated from him... It could not compare to Tenchi's love, of course, but it was not unpleasant either.
Still, a bit of skepticism remained. "If you're a reflection of 'her' desires, then why are you trying to help me?" Ryoko queried.
"Because not all of me has been given to the Darkness," was his reply. Then the vague figure became even fainter, and Ryoko realized that he was disappearing.
"Wait!" she shouted, but he was already gone.
...That was when Ryoko woke up. She found herself lying on the grass by the steps of the Masaki shrine. Washu, no longer in the guise of a child, and Sasami, still very much a child, were nearby, speaking quietly to each other. Out of her field of vision, Ryoko could hear Mayuka cooing to herself, and guessed that Nobuyuki was still watching over the infant.
Ryoko tried to sit up, and found that she could not. She then tried to speak, but was unable to make a sound. It seemed that only her eyes could move. Meanwhile, Washu and Sasami were continuing their conversation, unaware that she was awake. Frustrated, Ryoko was about to try her telepathic link with Washu, when suddenly she began to feel a tingling around her sides and back, where the shadowy entity had embraced her.
An intense mental image came to her just then... a warning? There was a woman who looked like Tenchi's mother Achika, except that she had purple claws for hands and blue-tinged eyes that were beautifully alien, and yet as frighteningly familiar as a nightmare returning to haunt one's thoughts. Ryoko saw herself with Tenchi, both kneeling at the woman's feet and looking up at her adoringly, as blood dripped from their hands...
"NO!" Ryoko screamed. The vision shattered, and she found that she could move again... she was thrashing in Washu's arms.
"Ryoko, what is it?" Washu asked frantically.
It took several minutes before Ryoko could calm down enough to stop struggling against her mother's hold. As Sasami and Nobuyuki looked on with concern, Ryoko grabbed Washu's wrist and looked into her mother's eyes with a desperate urgency that she had never felt before. "I have to get to Tenchi, now!" she said.
Aboard the spaceship Masami tTAN, Kiyone hummed to herself as she poured Lesellian iced tea into mugs for each of the ship's current occupants: a mug with yellow stars on it for Mihoshi, an orange one decorated with paw print patterns for Ryo-Ohki, and plain brown ones for Katsuhito and herself. Setting the mugs onto a tray that also held a plate covered with cookies and carrot sticks, Kiyone then exited the ship's kitchen, carefully carrying the snacks into the next room.
"Welcome back, Kiyone!" Mihoshi called cheerfully. She and the humanoid toddler form of Ryo-Ohki were playing with their origami creations at the table, while Katsuhito watched in silence.
"Clear some of that stuff off the table," Kiyone said, smiling, "There's just enough time for a snack before we arrive outside planet Jurai."
"Okay!" Mihoshi said, smiling back and moving the origami to one side of the table. She then turned to Ryo-Ohki and added, "Well, Ryo-Ohki, are you ready to play the message Ayeka put in your memory for her parents?"
The cabbit-girl nodded an affirmative. "Me practiced new dance to show them, too!" she said. As a demonstration, she began to wriggle her hips in such a suggestive manner that it raised several eyebrows in the room.
"Did Ryoko teach that to you, by any chance? Possibly while Tenchi was there to watch?" Katsuhito asked. He said it with a straight face and with his voice sounding as neutral as ever, but everyone laughed anyway.
A buzzer sounded, interrupting the moment. "Have we arrived already?" said Kiyone, surprised at the passage of time. She excused herself from the table and headed for the cockpit, followed by Katsuhito. Sitting in the pilot's seat, Kiyone saw a bright green orb in the star-filled view ahead of her. Planet Jurai.
However, she barely had time to register the sight before another ship unexpectedly flared into existence right in front of the Masami tTAN. Kiyone let out a yelp and yanked at her ship's controls, barely managing to avoid a collision with the strange new vessel.
In size and shape the newcomer resembled a second-generation Juraian treeship, but instead of wood, it appeared as if it had been carved out of an enormous gemstone the color of ebony and midnight. Indigo fire pulsed from deep within the center, while sparkling embers of silver slowly coursed along the ship's seamless outer surfaces. Some of the sparks left behind silver streaks that lingered for a moment like miniature shooting stars frozen in time, before breaking up into smaller and smaller particles until they could no longer be distinguished from the vessel's shiny blackness.
Kiyone felt herself both drawn and repulsed at the same time by the ship's overbearing beauty, and Katsuhito had to gently shake her before she regained enough presence of mind to put a bit more distance between the Masami tTAN and the mysterious craft. Just as she had finished doing so, an orb of energy erupted from the front of the dark ship. For several tense moments the glowing sphere seemed to regard them like a massive unblinking eye, before finally opening like a deadly flower with three bladelike petals.
Light Hawk Wings?!
Kiyone gasped. As far as she knew, the only vehicles capable of such a feat were Juraian ones. But this could not be a Juraian construct... could it? She turned to Katsuhito for his opinion, and a new wave of dread washed over her at the horrified look on his face. "What is it?" she asked.
Katsuhito continued to stare at the dark ship, his eyes showing a fear that few had ever seen in them. "Tenchi..." he said, his voice shaking as the Light Hawk Wings took on a purplish hue, "Tenchi, what are you doing?"
Meanwhile, unaware of the danger, Mihoshi and Ryo-Ohki murmured in dismay at the state of their snacks and origami figures, which had spilled and scattered everywhere due to the Masami tTAN's evasive maneuvers. As Mihoshi bent to pick up her origami creations, she was relieved to find that most of them were all right, except for the little paper Tenchi which unfortunately had landed in a puddle of iced tea. She watched as the paper figure absorbed so much tea that it became completely dark. It was only a paper doll, but something about the sight made her uneasy.
It had been known as the Suzaku, the fastest of Jurai's second-generation ships. In fact, its legendary speed had earned it the affectionate nickname "Birdie", because it reminded people of a hummingbird as it darted amongst the other vessels in the fleet. Tenchi had absorbed this information as he ensnared the ship with his power, and combined his abilities with his new mother's in order to transform the Suzaku into something far greater than it was before.
The craft's base wooden structure had been replaced with glorious crystal, and every inch of it shone with barely restrained energy. It had been reborn as a whole new ship. Most importantly, the Suzaku was finally liberated from Tsunami's influence. The Light Hawk Wings it currently brandished were from Tenchi's power, not hers. Yes, the Suzaku was free of that wretched goddess, and soon the rest of the Juraian fleet, and indeed all of Jurai, would follow.
However, it seemed that Tsunami had caught on to what Tenchi and his new mother were doing, for he could feel her strong will blocking them from transforming the other ships. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before they bested her. Despite the tree spirit's resistance, they had still been able to paralyze all the ships, and had also managed to disarm Jurai's planetary defenses. It would not be much longer now... His body began to tremble with anger, as the very thought of Tsunami filled him with rage.
"Have patience, my child," Mother whispered from behind him, adding more of her power to his, "We'll defeat Tsunami in due time."
"Forgive me," said Tenchi, relaxing a little, "It's just that... I hate Tsunami so much..."
"I know," Mother said soothingly, "But for now, we must continue to use our powers to weaken Tsunami, nothing more. As for the Suzaku's Wings, just hold them in position. The Wings are for Ryoko. She will see them and come to us."
"And then we'll be together," Tenchi said happily, as Mother embraced him tightly, "A family."
Tenchi returned the hug just as tightly, as tears of gratitude came to his eyes. He knew that she was not really Achika, but that didn't matter. She was like a mother to him anyway, because she had loved him enough to open his eyes to the truth. Tsunami had created him, but she had not been anything like a good "mother". Why hadn't she taught him how to use his power to save the real Achika when she had been on her deathbed? Why hadn't she helped him to release Ryoko from her prison earlier? Because Tsunami had not wanted him to discover his power until it was convenient for her, that was why! She had let Kagato kill him first, stalled him from rescuing Ryoko... his beloved Ryoko... Damn you Tsunami, Ryoko had not deserved that!
Oh, how he hated, HATED Tsunami now!
A voice in the back of Tenchi's mind shouted, "No, it's not true!", and he winced and squeezed his eyes shut as he was assailed with indecision for a moment. But as he remained there with his eyes closed, a vision of pools of blood and shattered glass invaded his consciousness. Broken glass figures of Achika, of Ryoko and Ayeka, of Yuzuha...
He remembered what his new mother had said about Tsunami: "All that has happened is her will, part of her scheme for the universe. She and Washu betrayed me centuries ago. Last year, she tricked you into killing my daughter Yuzuha. She has made Sasami, an innocent girl, into her puppet... and now she has similar plans for Ayeka".
Yes, that was it! Tsunami's fault! All... her... damn... fault! Tenchi quivered with fury as an undertone of indecision still dared to flit through his thoughts, but he stopped shaking and opened his eyes when Mother uttered his name. Her beautiful blue-tinged eyes gazed into his, and once again he saw perfect truth in them, felt his mind cleansed of all doubt.
She took him into another embrace, and they combined their powers to prepare another strike at Tsunami. Mother smiled at his devotion to the task. "Oh my child, you make me so proud," she said, stroking his hair.
"Mother... when will we save Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, his voice heavy with longing.
"Soon, Tenchi," she said, smiling, "We shall free her from Washu's control, and you can be together again. She will be my loving daughter, as you are my devoted son."
"And no one will be able to separate us," Tenchi said.
"Nor will anyone be able to stop us," she finished.
Their powers coiled together and sought out Tsunami again. Then, like twin snakes, they struck.
"What are we going to do?" Mihoshi fretted. She and Ryo-Ohki had now joined Kiyone and Katsuhito in the Masami tTAN's cockpit, and were looking in alarm at the dark ship and its amethyst Light Hawk Wings. It had made no move to attack them, but was still a fearsome sight. "Are you sure Tenchi is making those Wings?" Mihoshi continued, "What should we do? That ship won't respond to our calls!"
As if reacting to her friend's agitation, Ryo-Ohki suddenly changed back into cabbit form and began to hop about wildly.
"Hey!" Kiyone exclaimed, "What..."
That was when the little cabbit abruptly phased through the Masami tTAN's front window and switched to ship form. Before anyone could say another word, the cabbit-ship had beamed Mihoshi and Kiyone inside herself.
"Oh my, does Ryo-Ohki want us to attack?" Mihoshi asked nervously.
Kiyone ran to the controls and found Ryo-Ohki's communications station. Once she had successfully established contact with the Masami tTAN, Kiyone began to converse with Katsuhito. They needed to figure out what was going on, and fast.
Meanwhile, Mihoshi began to wander about the ship. "Pretty crystals," she said to herself, noticing that the ship's crystals seemed to be herding her in a certain direction. "Are you trying to tell me something, Ryo-Ohki?" She then noticed that there was a crystal that was larger than all the others, at the very back of the ship.
It was making a knocking sound.
"Um... Kiyone? The crystal is knocking," she said.
"I'll be with you in a minute, Mihoshi," Kiyone called from the front of the ship, before turning back to the communications screen, "Lord Katsuhito, it seems that any messages I try to send to Jurai are being blocked! Something's really wrong. I sure hope we're not going to be needing the Juraian fleet's help, because it doesn't look like we'll be getting it anytime soon..."
As Kiyone continued to talk, Mihoshi stared at the crystal, wondering what she should do. The knocking was getting louder, and the crystal shook with each knock. "Um... hello?" she said to the crystal.
The knocking took on a very insistent tone.
Shrugging, Mihoshi tapped the crystal. No change, except that the crystal knocked again. This time, Mihoshi knocked back. The crystal responded with a loud booming knock. At last, Mihoshi noticed a button on the side of the crystal, and pressed it. One side of the crystal disappeared, and Mihoshi was very startled to see an adult Washu step through the opening.
"It's about time!" Washu exclaimed, "Haven't you people ever answered a door before?"
"W-W-Washu?" Mihoshi stuttered.
From behind Washu, Sasami stepped out of the crystal, carrying Mayuka. Ryoko came out next, carrying a shoebox. The sight reminded Mihoshi of one of those tiny cars at the circus that had dozens of clowns pouring out of it. When no one else emerged, she stuck her head into the crystal and saw the interior of Washu's lab. "Oh, now I get it!" she chirped happily.
"Good for you," Washu muttered, rolling her eyes.
Kiyone finally turned away from the communications screen. "Mihoshi, what's all this noise about... Oh! What are you all doing here?"
Washu turned to Sasami. "Yes, exactly what ARE we doing here?"
Everyone else sweatdropped and turned to look at Sasami.
"Tsunami's instructions," Sasami said apologetically. She was still holding onto Mayuka, so she used her chin to gesture to the shoebox that Ryoko was holding. "Ryoko, could you open my box for me, please?"
Ryoko lifted the lid, and Sasami held Mayuka out. Everyone else blinked in surprise as the baby reached in and took out a sword hilt. It resembled Tenchiken, but the designs were different, and it was silver instead of golden-brown.
"What is that?" asked Mihoshi, "It's pretty."
"Is it safe to let Mayuka hold that thing?" Ryoko said warily, looking about ready to yank the sword hilt away.
"The scary ship out there is Juraian, but has been corrupted so that it won't respond to Tsunami or Tenchiken," Sasami replied, "To take control of it, we need to try using this sword instead. It's a custom-made key, but Mayuka is the only one here who can touch it, so I need her help. This won't be easy, though... That ship is currently being operated with the Tree of Darkness itself."
Ayeka stood silently in the Dimension of Darkness, eyes closed. She could sense Sasami and Mayuka struggling to control the ship with their key... struggling, and failing. Even though the Tree of Darkness had mostly been destroyed when Tenchi had defeated Yuzuha, the Tree was now being renewed, rejuvenated. Tenchi's power was being used to revive the Tree.
She sighed. In her mind's eye she saw the level above her, where the Tree resided. The Tree of Darkness... Tsunami's old tree. It sounded impossible, and yet she knew it was true. Tsunami had told her about it, and with her ability to replay the memories of this place, she could also see it for herself...
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Tsunami materialized in front of her tree and smiled, happy to be back home. She and her sisters visited many realms, but they would always come back to this dimension. This was their home, and this large cavern made from braided wood was her room. Little waves came to the shore and tickled Tsunami's feet in greeting. She loved water, and so she had covered the floor of the cavern with it, and filled it with all manner of aquatic life. The small island on which she stood was the center of her room. It was also where her tree resided. The tree was her real pride and joy. It already looked so big and so beautiful, and it was still growing.
She sang out a greeting to her dear tree, and it responded by emitting beams of rainbow light that surrounded her in a shower of colors. The young goddess giggled and gave its trunk a loving pat, murmuring to it that she was going to leave for just a bit, to tell her sisters that she had returned. Stepping towards the edge of the small island, Tsunami waited until some of the twisted wood that formed the walls unraveled and made itself into a staircase, causing her to giggle again. She had no need for stairs, really, but it was so much fun to make the walls unwind and then curl back up again! Going up the stairs to the next chamber, Tsunami turned around to wave goodbye to her tree. In response, more rainbow lights sprang from the leaves of the tree, scampering up the stairs after her like a puppy trying to follow its master.
Stepping into Washu's room, Tsunami smiled at the familiar sight of her older sister's collection of knickknacks. Washu had an insatiable curiosity, and loved to seek new realms and make new discoveries. In fact, she loved exploration so much that she had developed an odd quirk where sometimes she would erase a part of her memory, just so that she could make a favorite discovery all over again. She liked to collect artifacts too, particularly artifacts from humanoid species. Her room held a particularly large stash of sake bottles that she had collected over the years, because she had found their shape to be charming. (It was only very recently that she learned of the even more fascinating peculiarities of the alcohol from the bottles.) However, she also held some affection for non-humanoid creatures, and every few millennia a new creature would become something of a fad to her... the latest one was some sort of little red crustacean. Plush toys of said crustacean had been placed in random locations on her pyramid of sake bottles.
"Oh, Tsunami!" Washu exclaimed, stepping out from behind the pyramid, "You're home!"
Tsunami excitedly ran up to her older sister and hugged her. "Where is Tokimi?" she asked, peeking behind the sake bottles to see if her oldest sister was hiding back there.
"Over here," said Tokimi, stepping out from behind a... what had Washu said it was called? Oh yes, a curtain. Tokimi stepped out from behind the curtain, and Tsunami saw that she was wearing tight-fitting leather pants and a tank top that showed a generous amount of cleavage. Little silver skull ornaments decorated her light brown hair.
"Hey, not bad," Washu said, nodding her approval.
Tsunami rolled her eyes. "Been collecting more space biker fashions, Washu?" It had been Washu's idea that the three of them take on humanoid forms, so that they could play dress-up with the artifacts she collected.
Tokimi fingered the skull-shaped hair ornaments with one of her clawed purple hands. "Personally, I find this clothing a little too immodest." She stepped back behind the curtain, and reemerged moments later dressed in one of her usual outfits... orange and gold hair ornaments, as well as a skintight green bodysuit and dark robes that showed just as much cleavage as the biker outfit had. It was VERY hard for Tsunami not to facefault at that point.
Tokimi stifled a laugh at her youngest sister's obvious embarrassment. "Do my favorite traveling clothes make you so uncomfortable? Now Tsunami, be good for Washu, okay?" she said, hugging the younger goddess.
"You're leaving?" Tsunami said, dismayed, "But I just got back!"
"I have been staying home far too long," Tokimi said, her blue-tinged eyes showing a yearning for exploration usually seen more often in Washu's eyes.
"But I don't want you to go..." said Tsunami, beginning to cry despite her attempts not to.
Tokimi smiled reassuringly, then took one of Washu's sake bottles and broke it in her clawed hands. Washu sputtered a protest, but Tokimi ignored her and held out one of her hands, palm up. "Look," she said to Tsunami, her hushed tone promising something wonderful.
The young goddess obeyed, looking at the blood appearing in her older sister's palm from the broken glass. To her surprise and delight, the blood became multicolored and began to solidify, taking on the form of a butterfly.
"This butterfly will stay here, so that a part of me will always be with you, alright?" Tokimi whispered to Tsunami. She then kissed her younger sister on the forehead, and left the room.
Washu ran to the doorway, calling out after her, "Hey, while you're out there having a merry old time, don't forget that you now owe me a sake bottle!" She huffed and walked back towards her sake bottle pyramid. Her expression softened when she saw Tsunami cradling her new butterfly friend. "Hey kiddo," Washu said tenderly, "How about we design a new room for Tokimi, so there'll be a nice surprise for her when she comes back?"
Tsunami smiled as Washu took her by the hand. "Can my tree help?" she asked.
"Just what I was thinking, sis!" said Washu, leading the way to Tsunami's room, "Hey there, ya overgrown sprout! How about helping us design a room for Tokimi, huh?"
Tsunami laughed as her tree's leaves appeared to rustle indignantly at Washu's "overgrown sprout" comment. As the two sisters descended the stairs towards the center of Tsunami's room, the tree released several shafts of rainbow light that began to dance through the air. Tsunami's new butterfly friend fluttered over to the colorful beams, guiding them into a circular pattern.
"What are they saying?" Washu asked Tsunami.
"A stained glass window!" Tsunami said excitedly, "They're suggesting that we make a stained glass window for the room!"
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The vision faded, and Ayeka found herself standing in the actual room that Tsunami and Washu had built for their older sister. Whether it was her feet that had carried her there or one of her new powers, she did not know. Her curiosity was soon pulled in another direction, though, as a circle of gray on the room's far wall caught her attention.
Ayeka approached the circle, stopping a short distance to contemplate its grayness, which was in fact a thick layer of dust. So this was the stained glass window. It had been lovingly crafted by Tsunami and Washu to illuminate the room, but had been sleeping in the dusty embrace of neglect for many years now.
Slowly, almost reverently, Ayeka raised her hand and wiped the dust off a small portion of the window, exposing the delicately blushing wings of a butterfly. The stained glass image of the small creature cast a pale pink light onto Ayeka, as if seeking to keep her warm. Tears came to her eyes at the knowledge that Tokimi had never even seen this window, never even used this room her sisters had worked so hard to create. Yes, Tsunami had told Ayeka all about it, but even still, it was hard to accept that such a beautiful and happy realm had become a Dimension of Darkness.
Something stirred in the back of Ayeka's mind, and she raised her slender fingers to the window once more, pressing them against the image of the butterfly. "Fly," she said, her tiara giving off a faint glimmer of silver, "Fly."
The glass grew very warm under Ayeka's fingers...
Ryoko and her companions aboard Ryo-Ohki watched anxiously as Sasami and Mayuka attempted to take control of the dark ship.
Sasami's eyes were closed with concentration, but her hold on Mayuka remained steady. Eventually, though, Mayuka wriggled tiredly in her arms, and she opened her eyes in time to see the silver sword hilt fall from the baby's hands. "This isn't working," Sasami said, her voice sounding as tired as Mayuka looked, "The Tree of Darkness has become too strong... Even with the key, I don't think we can take control of that ship."
"It's because of Tenchi..." said a faint voice. Everyone gasped as the ghostly white figure of Tsunami, the source of the voice, materialized in front of them and then promptly collapsed to the floor. "Tenchi's power is being used to strengthen the Tree..." Tsunami continued, her voice faint and quivering.
"Tsunami!" Sasami cried out, handing Mayuka over to Kiyone and kneeling beside the goddess of Jurai, "Tsunami, it's happening, isn't it? The Dark One and Tenchi... they're weakening you!"
Ryoko noticed that Kiyone was staring at the pale glowing form of Tsunami as if she was trying to remember something, and the air seemed charged with even greater mystery when she noticed Mihoshi beginning to tremble and chant the word "Mizutani" to herself. What did all this mean?
A growl erupted from Ryoko's throat. She had no more patience for all this cryptic nonsense. "Enough!" she shouted, causing Mayuka to cry and startling everyone else into silence. Ryoko calmed down enough to give the baby an apologetic pat on the head, before adding in a lower but still very firm tone of voice, "Do you expect me to just stand here while you wave sword handles at ships? Tenchi's in danger! Please, let me do something!"
Red fire erupted from the gems on Ryoko's wrists and neck, covering her body and replacing her casual clothes with her skintight red and black battle outfit. "Let me do something!" she said again.
Washu grabbed Ryoko in a fierce hug, surprising her. "You will," Washu said to her, "You will. Ryoko, I'm so proud of you..." she broke off as she tried to stop herself from crying.
Baffled but concerned, Ryoko returned the hug and waited for her mother to regain her composure.
Several minutes later, Washu spoke again. "Memories of my earlier life were returned to me today," she said, a faraway look in her eyes, "I had two sisters, a younger one and an older one. Tsunami was one of them." Washu paused as Mihoshi and Kiyone murmured in surprise.
Ryoko simply nodded, silently asking her to proceed with her story. She was still too preoccupied with thoughts of Tenchi to feel much shock, and besides, the wraith in her dream had hinted at this revelation.
"The other sister, the older one, was named Tokimi," Washu continued, "For the most part, we were carefree and happy, enjoying our studies of various realms. One day, Tokimi departed to explore farther than any of us had before. Tsunami and I built a new room for her, as a surprise for when she returned. But Tokimi didn't come back for a very long time.
"On the day that she did return, we found that she had changed drastically. She had become cold, distant. She also had a child with her, claiming that it was hers. She wouldn't give us an explanation, except to say that the child's name was Yuzuha."
Upon hearing this, Ryoko, Mihoshi, and Kiyone all began to talk at once, but Washu raised a hand for silence. "Tokimi would not accept the room Tsunami and I had made for her," Washu went on, "She wouldn't even look at it. She said that she wanted Tsunami's room, because her daughter Yuzuha wanted the tree Tsunami was raising. This angered me, but Tsunami obliged her, and the room we had built for Tokimi became Tsunami's new room instead.
"Tokimi and her daughter rarely came out of the room or spoke to me, although they occasionally let Tsunami in so she could visit her tree. It didn't take long before I became sick of Tokimi and her ungrateful behavior, and decided that I didn't care what she did anymore. I kept departing on longer and longer exploration trips, until one day I returned home to find that Tokimi and Yuzuha were using the tree's power to change the realm, making it suit their desires.
"Ryoko, I want to show you one of my memories. It's very important..."
Images filled Ryoko's mind, pouring in from the mental link she shared with her mother...
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There was a lovely doe-eyed girl with silvery hair. A butterfly rested on the girl's shoulder, folding and unfolding its dainty wings. Colored light from a nearby stained glass window made them look even more beautiful.
("Who's that girl?" Ryoko inquired through the link.
"That's Tsunami. She used that form before she began to assimilate with Sasami. Before she even began the Juraian Empire, in fact," came Washu's response, "Now, watch and listen...")
Young Tsunami was crying, and sent a tearful gaze in Ryoko's direction. Ryoko nearly attempted to reach out and comfort her, but reminded herself that she was simply seeing a past event from Washu's point of view.
"Why? Why must you leave, sister?" Young Tsunami asked, walking closer to Ryoko/Washu. Young Tsunami wrung her hands in desperation as she waited for an answer.
Ryoko heard the voice of a young (but still adult) Washu respond to Young Tsunami. "You know why," said Young Washu, "Our sister has been corrupted! This realm has been corrupted! I suggest that you leave as well, while you still can."
"But... my tree!" Young Tsunami sobbed. Her butterfly companion took to the air and fluttered in front of her face, as if trying to distract her with a game.
"It is not your tree anymore," Young Washu said softly. Her hand came into Ryoko's field of vision, placing itself on Young Tsunami's shoulder. "Leave while you still can, little sister. Start anew. Find another tree. You have lost this one."
Ryoko's viewpoint began to move away from Tsunami, indicating that Young Washu was leaving the room.
"Sister! Do not leave me!"
Ryoko's point of view turned around to see Young Tsunami falling to her knees and crying even harder than before. She was still framed in the light of the window, but neither that nor the butterfly's presence could mask the heavy cloak of despair that appeared to wrap itself around the girl.
"I am sorry," Young Washu said, before Ryoko's point of view began to move away from Young Tsunami again.
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Ryoko blinked her eyes and found that she was looking at present-day Washu once more.
"Do you see what happened?" said Washu, her voice choked with evident self-loathing, "There was a problem, and I ran away from it! I erased my memories to start a new life, allowing our beautiful home to become the Dimension of Darkness... Now Tenchi has been taken by the Darkness, and it's my fault for not doing anything all those centuries ago!"
"Your fault?" Ryoko said tonelessly, as the implications of Washu's words sank in.
"Ryoko, I'm so sorry!" Washu cried, sinking to the floor much like Tsunami had in the memory, "I could have stopped this before it got out of hand, but instead I decided that I didn't care what Tokimi did... and now look! Even in my life as a human, I ran away from my troubles... I retreated and buried my feelings when my husband and son were taken away from me... Ryoko, if I knew that this would happen... that the Darkness would take Tenchi from you... I would have never..."
Overcoming her initial surprise at seeing her normally confident mother looking so broken, Ryoko realized the meaning behind this emotional outburst: The two of them had struggled for the past year to reconcile, and doubtlessly Washu now feared that Ryoko would reject her again. But Ryoko knew that she did not want to lose any more family on this day. "Mom, that's enough," she said gently, kneeling to give her a quick hug, "We'll find a way to fix this, okay? Come on, don't give up on me!"
"Ryoko is right, Washu... Together, we can fix this," said Tsunami, "It's not too late. The sun D3, which exploded years ago and destroyed the planet Amano... the sun D3 has returned..."
Mihoshi gasped, and Kiyone exclaimed, "How can this be?"
Tsunami smiled weakly. "D3 has returned... and it's not the only thing that we're going to bring back to the way it was. Washu, you must go to the D3 system."
Washu held Ryoko tightly. "I can't leave my daughter to clean up this mess alone... a mess that I ran away from."
"You'll see," said Tsunami, "These events are all connected. Please go, Washu. Ryoko is the only one who can do what needs to be done here."
"It's okay, Mom," Ryoko said, "We'll get through this. I'll find Tenchi and bring him back."
Washu nodded, brushed away her tears, and turned to Tsunami. "Sister, I owe you an apology as well. My departure was already painful enough for you back then, but now that you're merging with Sasami and gaining her emotions, the years have added to your pain instead of lessening it... I didn't mean to..."
Tsunami shook her head. "There's no need for regrets, sister. We'll have plenty of opportunities to make up for lost time after this is over. Ayeka told me that we have to believe that we'll succeed, and she's right."
Straightening with renewed determination, Washu nodded again, then took one final look around at her friends and family before disappearing in a flash of light.
"Ryoko..." said Tsunami, her voice slowing with obvious fatigue, "You must try to create Light Hawk Wings. It should be possible, now that you have all your gems. The barrier that prevented Tenchi from using his power in the Dimension of Darkness is gone, but now there is a barrier that prevents us from entering that realm. However, if you can make Light Hawk Wings and pit them against those of the dark ship, the way to that dimension should be opened for you. The Dark One is after you, and will probably let you in if you display a sign of your power. I suspect that is the true purpose of the dark ship's Wings... not to attack, but to call for you. But please remember that Tenchi is the one creating them, so be careful."
Ryoko nodded. "Alright, just tell me what to do."
Tsunami let out a cry of pain, and Sasami clung to her, weeping. Clearly, time was of the essence.
Wordlessly, Tsunami continued, mentally guiding Ryoko to use her powers... since it was Ryoko's first time doing this, they decided that it would be easier for her to project the Wings through Ryo-Ohki. Even still, it was quite evident that this would not be simple. Ryoko had never made Wings before, and on top of that she found herself oddly uncomfortable with having all her gems back. True, she had always said that she wanted the gems returned to her, but at the moment they just seemed to be a nagging reminder of the horrible acts she had committed during her time with Kagato. And now Tsunami was asking her to wield even more power than what she had used while under that man's command.
Her thoughts turned to Tenchi, and what Kagato had done to him. She had been unable to protect her beloved from that fiend. She could not fail this time! What could cause Tenchi to take part in corrupting a Juraian ship? The possibility that someone was controlling Tenchi's mind, just as Kagato had controlled hers, caused a spark of rage to well up in her, and it soon increased a hundredfold.
"How dare you?" Ryoko snapped, gazing at the dark ship and the Wings it projected, "How dare you try to take control of someone else's mind? How dare you make him threaten the very same planet that I was forced to attack all those years ago? HOW DARE YOU MAKE ANYONE GO THROUGH THE SAME HELL THAT I DID?"
Ryoko's three gems flashed with a light that was reflected in the yellow fire of her eyes. Moments later she was enveloped in an aura of blazing fury, causing those around her to take a few cautious steps back. Using her link with Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko soon had the entire ship giving off golden flames of her power. But still no Light Hawk Wings.
Clenching her fists, Ryoko redoubled her efforts. "I can't fail..." she growled, lightning crackling from her eyes. Every hair on her head undulated in perfect rhythm with the tendrils of power that were radiating from her cabbit-ship. "I can't fail..." Ryoko said again, even as her muscles began to tremble and weaken from all the energy she was using. Still no Wings.
"I can't fail," Ryoko whimpered, tears of frustration coming to her eyes. Why wasn't this working?
"Ryoko?" Tsunami's voice called weakly from somewhere behind her, "We believe in you. If Tenchi were here, I know he'd say that he believes in you as well."
Ryoko's heart instantly recognized the truth of Tsunami's words. Yes, if Tenchi were here, he would tell her that he believed in her.
Her.
She who had been called useless waste product by Kagato. Tenchi was the first person who had made her feel as if she was worth something. Not a monster, not someone's machine, but a human being. That was what she had said to Kagato: "I am not your machine anymore! I am a human being!"
Yes, a human being. Who could have seen that beneath her rough exterior was a vulnerable spirit, a loving heart? Tenchi had. Yes, he had helped her to find her true self.
True self?
Ryoko gazed at the dark ship again. The real Tenchi would never create the Wings to lure her into a trap. He summoned the Wings to protect those he cared about. Ryoko thought about what the mysterious shadowy man had said to her, about being given to the Darkness. Obviously, the Darkness was making Tenchi lose his true self. Tenchi had helped her to attain a sense of self-worth. Could it be that now she needed to do the same for him? In times of danger, she wasn't used to achieving things through methods other than brute force. But she had to try.
Ryoko dropped her fiery aura, and the one she had formed around her cabbit-ship. "I won't let you down," she whispered. Closing her eyes, she stretched out her inner senses and pictured herself reaching towards Tenchi, to touch him, to bring light to him...
She opened her eyes in time to see a tiny star seemingly move out of place in the blackness outside Ryo-Ohki, drifting slowly downwards. Focusing on the twinkling object for a moment, she realized that it was in fact not a star, but something much closer. It was... a snowflake?
Ryoko's surroundings faded away, outer space and her ship being replaced by snow falling from the Earth's sky. The floor beneath her feet had been replaced by stone, and Ryoko's eyes widened in recognition, for it was the outside of the cave she had been trapped in for seven hundred years. And there beside her was a little boy. It was a young Tenchi, crying out in anguish over his mother's death.
What was this? Perhaps she had passed out, and was now reliving past memories in a dream? An unbearable lump formed in Ryoko's throat, as she reached out to comfort the grieving child, even though she knew that he could not feel her touch. To her amazement, her hand was as solid as could be, and Young Tenchi glanced up as she touched his shoulder.
Ryoko let out a gasp of surprise as Young Tenchi threw his small arms around her, hugging her as tightly as he could. "You were there for me, on that day..." he said, "I know that now. You were there for me all along..."
Ryoko's shoulders sagged as if she were melting under his touch. "Tenchi... Oh Tenchi..." she cried, not holding back her tears. It was a strange role reversal. One minute she had been trying to comfort Tenchi, and the next she was the one crying her heart out as Young Tenchi held her.
The little boy smiled reassuringly at her as he stepped back and put a hand over his heart. "Deep down, there's still a small part of Tenchi that remembers his real feelings, and believes in you. I know you'll be there for him again. Come save him soon, okay?"
"I will," Ryoko promised, giving a small smile and blinking her tears away.
"Look there," said Young Tenchi, pointing up at one of the falling snowflakes.
Ryoko stared at it in wonder. That snowflake appeared to be glowing. As it floated down closer to her, she realized that it was not really a snowflake at all. It was a feather. A glistening feather of light. Soon more feathers followed, gathering in front of her until they began to form a recognizable shape. Wings.
Suddenly Ryoko's surroundings changed again, and she found herself back on board Ryo-Ohki with Sasami and the others. Her companions were murmuring in surprise and wonder as transparent angel's wings appeared at the cabbit-ship's front, materializing one feather at a time, trembling and spreading out tentatively. Ryoko mentally guided Ryo-Ohki and positioned her so that she was facing the ominous dark ship, allowing their three Light Hawk Wings to meet the dark ship's violet ones. Ryoko's feathery constructs seemed so delicate that it looked as if they might shatter any moment, but it was with calm strength that they touched the other set of Wings.
"I'm coming, Tenchi..." said Ryoko.
The cabbit-ship shuddered violently as the Wings met, then there was a bright flash, and Ryoko disappeared in a flurry of luminous feathers.
"Good luck, Ryoko," Sasami whispered.
Keeping her fingers pressed against the image of the butterfly, Ayeka closed her eyes as the remaining dust suddenly flew off the window. Opening her eyes a few moments later, she saw that the rest of the stained glass artwork had been exposed, the intricate designs bathing the room in multicolored warmth. Specks of dust were scattered throughout the air, sparkling in the light as if new life had been breathed into them.
Strangely enough, it was not the window that held Ayeka's attention, but the dust. Holding out her hand, she blew at the remnants of gray powder that still clung to her fingers from when she had first touched the window. The fine particles left her hand and took to the air, their tangled movements joining the slow dance of the dust already there.
Tangled movements...
More memories of this realm slowly unraveled before Ayeka, but this time the sensation was more powerful than before. Instead of merely seeing the memories, Ayeka felt as if she was a part of them, almost as if the bits of dust had swept her up and were carrying her along in their elaborate dance.
Tangled movements...
Suddenly Ayeka was Tsunami, running into this very room. She was Tsunami's emotions, a jumble of rage and despair caused by Washu's departure, and fear of being left alone with Tokimi. She was Tsunami's hand, flying through the air to strike at the moving shadow that Tsunami thought must be Tokimi, reaching out to harm her...
Pain tore through Ayeka's consciousness, as she suddenly became the butterfly, struck by Tsunami's hand. She was the butterfly's blood, spilling from the tiny insect's corpse and forming a miniscule crimson pool on the floor. She was the butterfly's wings, crushed and broken. She was the shining scales from the wings, turned to powder.
Tangled movements, troubling knots interrupting the once-beautiful tapestry woven by three sister goddesses, a frenzied dance of conflicting emotions and twisted loyalties...
Then Ayeka was Tsunami's eyes, filling with tears at the realization of her mistake, and the knowledge that the beloved butterfly friend, the one that had been created from Tokimi's blood before her corruption, was dead. She was Tsunami's tears, falling to the floor and mixing with the butterfly's red blood, changing it to a soft pink.
She was the sudden thought that awakened in Tsunami's mind... She was the faint glimmer of hope that entered Tsunami's heart because of that thought. She was Tsunami's hand, lovingly and apologetically taking up some of the pink fluid and warming it with power...
She was the droplet, being transformed by Tsunami's power... She was the seed that it transformed into. She was Tsunami's voice, whispering to the seed, whispering that she would escape, telling it her hopes that one day the seed would be planted, and would grow into a green sprout which would then become a new friend and a new hope... Yes, she'd plant a garden somewhere safe, somewhere far away... a pretty garden, perhaps with a water fountain...
She was Tsunami's hand again, taking up the rest of the butterfly's blood and smearing it against the center of the stained glass window. She was the window, growing warm at the caress of Tsunami's hand and Tsunami's power. She was the rosy butterfly-shaped image that suddenly appeared in the center of the window, as Tsunami's power caused the blood to meld with the glass, perhaps to someday be reunited with the blood and tears that had gone into the seed. There was still hope, there was always hope, and it clung to Tsunami like a comforting blanket as she continued her preparations to run away.
Tangled movements...
Suddenly Ayeka was herself again, opening her eyes to the splendor of the stained glass. Its near-blinding radiance was in sharp contrast to the dusty confines of the long-forgotten room, like a fiery rainbow that dared to show its face amongst gray clouds. Moving closer to the window, Ayeka saw that her reflection was the image of the forgotten goddess, just as in the room with the tank of Mayuka's origin. Raising her arm, Ayeka saw that of course the image of the goddess raised hers. It was to be expected, but even still Ayeka asked, "Are you me? Am I home?"
Ayeka moved her finger closer to the window, and her not-quite-reflection moved its finger closer as well. Their fingertips met, coming to rest upon the image of the butterfly. The glass grew warm at Ayeka's touch once more, and this time Ayeka held it until the glass began to liquefy, not spilling, but remaining in place in the window, burning hot but somehow not harming Ayeka's skin.
"Now," said Ayeka, and at that simple word a wave of heat rolled over her, covering every inch of skin all the way to the ends of her hair. When the burst of heat subsided, Ayeka found herself clothed in diaphanous white raiment, with silver ribbons woven into her tresses.
Turning her attention back to the window, Ayeka saw that there was now a butterfly-shaped hole in the center where the pink glass had been. Closing her eyes, Ayeka said a silent prayer in thanks for the gift that had been given to her from Tokimi's blood and Tsunami's tears.
Back on Earth, Ayeka's contact with the very blood of her past life was felt by Ryu-Oh, causing the tree to undergo an insanely fast growth spurt. The devices that monitored Washu's lab were alarmed at this, and with Washu not around to advise them, they decided it was safest to expel the tree from their dimension, sending it into the hall closet of the Masaki home. Naturally, the closet was too small, and the top of the tree ripped through the stairs, and kept going until it nearly broke through the roof of the house. Luckily, at that time Nobuyuki was still outside watching Azaka and Kamidake recharge, and therefore was not hurt.
Needless to say, he was in for a hell of a surprise when he got back.
Still lying on the floor of the ship Ryo-Ohki, Tsunami let out a whimper as another surge of pain ripped through her. Since Ryoko's departure, the intensity of the torture had been growing steadily worse. Through a haze of agony, Tsunami dimly noticed a teary-eyed Sasami begging to bear some of the affliction for her, but she shook her head in adamant refusal.
"Tsunami, you're being unreasonable!" Sasami cried, "I know what you're trying to do! You can't hide it from me... You're using too much power to shelter me from the hurt, and that's why you've been weakened so much!"
Unable to deny the accusation, Tsunami turned away and closed her eyes.
"You can't do this, Tsunami!" Sasami shouted, her voice suddenly filled with uncharacteristic anger, "You have to devote all of your strength to protecting Jurai! You can't place me above millions of Juraians! I won't let you!" She slapped Tsunami, the action sounding unexpectedly loud in the small ship.
The pure shock of it caused Tsunami's concentration to falter, obliterating the shield she had been using to protect Sasami. Moments later the small girl screamed, collapsing beside Tsunami. The air became thick with heavy emotion and unspoken apologies as the two clung to each other and cried quietly, one struggling to regain her concentration, the other struggling to prove that she could endure her share of the anguish.
Kiyone and Mihoshi rushed to their side, but Tsunami gestured for them to stay back. "Sasami, you're so brave," the goddess whispered into the girl's ear, "and I know you'll be angry at me for not letting you help with the next step in our plans, but I just cannot allow you to suffer like this..." Upon saying those words, she pressed her hand against Sasami's forehead, and the young princess immediately fell asleep.
"Tsunami, isn't there anything we can do to help?" asked Mihoshi, clearly on the verge of tears, "Please, you can't expect Kiyone and I to just stand here while our friends have gone off into danger!"
"Fear not, for the both of you shall also have a role in our salvation," said Tsunami, her voice wavering as she had to bear the full brunt of the torment again.
Kiyone's features were set in pure determination. "Then please, tell us how we can help you!"
Tsunami managed to give a small smile. "Why Kiyone, do you not recall what happened shortly before you were rescued from deep space?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Kiyone, before her eyes widened with realization, "Th-the apparition! That was... you?"
"Yes, Kiyone," Tsunami replied, nodding even though it hurt to do so, "I told you certain words, and said that when the time was right, you would remember them and pass them on to Mihoshi. That time has come."
"But..." Kiyone hesitated and looked at Mihoshi, as if worried about what this might do to her friend. But Mihoshi offered her a brave smile, while Mayuka cooed soothingly from her position in Kiyone's arms. All of Ryo-Ohki's crystals seemed to echo Mayuka's sound, and on the ship's communication screen, the image of Katsuhito nodded solemnly at all of them.
"Kiyone, I chose you on that day because I wanted to give you a reason to survive," said Tsunami, "But that's not all. Only the one who utters the words can be Mihoshi's companion in her task, and I have no doubt in my mind that you are the best person to guide her. Please, will you help Mihoshi in her most important mission?"
"Of course," said Kiyone, all traces of hesitation disappearing as she hugged her best friend.
Mihoshi smiled again. "Ready when you are, Kiyone."
Their surroundings shone with an unnatural light, as Kiyone began to speak the fate-laden words. Even the air itself seemed to have caught on fire. Tsunami closed her eyes, in an effort to hide fresh tears. One way or another, this would all be over soon.
"So, you are the reincarnated butterfly of my blood. Welcome home, Ayekanaru."
"Just 'Ayeka', please," Ayeka said as calmly as she could, turning around to see the false Achika standing behind her, "Tell me, why did you choose the path of Darkness?"
"You've seen the memories of this realm, and yet you still do not understand? Poor, naïve little princess," said the dark woman, something akin to pity in her gaze. She dropped her Achika disguise and transformed into Lady Tokimi, although she kept the lavender kimono. "Consider this... Long ago, my sisters and I were sent to this realm, with no instructions except for the decree that we must discover our Great Purpose for ourselves. Do you know what happened next? Do you know how we three goddesses spent our time? You saw the recollections of this place, so you should know the answer."
Apprehensiveness almost made Ayeka take a step back, but she stopped herself in time. She did not want to show fear in front of Tokimi. "The three of you were a family, happily exploring..."
"We were a disgrace!" Tokimi interrupted, her blue-tinged eyes flashing, "We were immortals with power beyond your imagination, but we squandered our abilities by playing dress-up with humanoid fashions and collecting silly trinkets from our favorite worlds! You saw the memories! YOU SAW THEM! Three almighty goddesses acting like foolish teenage girls... do you not find that pathetic? Do you not find that an appalling waste?"
This time Ayeka did take a step back, but Tokimi merely strode forward to close the distance between them.
"So to answer your question, little princess, I chose the path of Darkness for the sake of my sisters," Tokimi continued, squinting at the stained glass window for probably the first time, "When Tsunami realized that I might wage war against her, she built the magnificent Juraian Empire so she could protect her favorite galaxy. And even though Washu's memories had been erased, she retained a subconscious fear of me, causing her to create Ryoko as the ultimate warrior. But if I can defeat them all, it'll force my sisters to create even more powerful ways to fight me, until at last they reach their full potential. Don't you see? I had to choose the Darkness, because it was the only way to push my sisters into the glorious destiny that they deserve. Surely you can understand that. You would do anything for your little sister, wouldn't you? You want what's best for Sasami, right?"
Ayeka swallowed nervously, as her mind scrambled to find something to say in response to Tokimi's words. The dark goddess' imposing figure was surrounded by light from the stained glass, the contrast making her an even more awe-inspiring and terrifying sight. In such a presence, coherent thinking was nearly impossible. How could Ayeka argue with such a wise and powerful goddess? Perhaps Tokimi was in the right after all. Yes, Ayeka had been foolish to think that she could outdo the mother of Yuzuha... Wait a minute. "But Lady Tokimi, what about Yuzuha?" Ayeka asked.
Tokimi tensed visibly, and that was all the answer that was needed.
"That's it, isn't it?" Ayeka said pensively, regaining her resolve as her mind found clarity once more, "Your powers of persuasion are very good, Lady Tokimi. You almost made me forget about Yuzuha, your daughter. Yes, I see it now... I believe that at first you really did set this plan in motion for the sake of your sisters, but you didn't expect your only daughter to be killed."
"How dare you..." Tokimi snarled.
"Since you had to fight your sisters, Yuzuha was the only family you had left, so naturally you were torn apart by her demise," Ayeka went on, her gentle voice strangely overcoming Tokimi's fierce tone, "How sad and ironic, that you had buried your feelings of compassion so you could push your sisters into greatness, and yet after your daughter's death you found yourself aching with human emotions after all... emotions such as grief and the desire for revenge. That's why you turned Lord Tenchi against Tsunami, why you're trying to seize control of the Juraian fleet, and why you're trying to take Miss Ryoko next. You still intend to make your sisters realize their full potential, but at the price of taking their children to replace your own. I'm right, aren't I?"
Silence filled the next few minutes, but Ayeka did not find it unnerving in the least. She moved closer to Tokimi, and this time it was the goddess' turn to take a step back.
"I cannot accept further harm to my friends," Ayeka said quietly. With a smile, she added, "You can understand that, right?"
"Why are you here, little butterfly?" asked Tokimi, flexing her purple claws warningly, "Do you seek to destroy me?"
Ayeka smiled again. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it..."
Ryoko opened her eyes to find herself in complete darkness. "Gee, I guess the Dimension of Darkness decided to live up to its name," she quipped, summoning her second sight in an attempt to figure out Tenchi's exact location. As the power flowed through her, several stars twinkled into existence, shining bravely in the lonely void. Then to her surprise, additional stars began to appear every time she exhaled. It felt as if she was breathing light into the sky. Her other senses blossomed in tandem with her second sight, and soon she could hear a regular pulsing sound accompanying her respiration. It was a comforting beat, and Ryoko marveled at how warm and safe it made her feel.
In a swirl of color, the source of the sound was revealed: It was her mother, floating above a large sun. Washu's heartbeat was audibly pulsing in time with the bright star, each systole and diastole seeming to make the sun's light more dazzling. Gaping in amazement, Ryoko remembered Tsunami mentioning a sun called D3 that had exploded several years ago, but then somehow returned. So Washu was now using her own heartbeat to make the sun stronger? Her mother truly was a goddess...
The vision of Washu dissolved, and Ryoko found herself surrounded by white mist. Soon after, the vapor coalesced into the pale form of Tsunami, who seemed to be growing weaker by the second. Sasami was curled up nearby, apparently in a deep sleep. Ryoko's heart sank as she viewed the distressing scene, until her second sight caught a glimmer of something deep within Tsunami. A hidden reserve of power? Ryoko sighed with relief. They were not beaten yet. There was still hope. As if confirming this thought, Ryoko's expanding senses could feel her faithful ship Ryo-Ohki guarding Tsunami, Sasami, and Mayuka. She could also perceive that Katsuhito's watchful aura was present nearby. Yes, there was still hope. But wait... Where were Mihoshi and Kiyone?
As if her unvoiced question had been heard, this vision also faded, and was replaced with a golden light. It took a few minutes before Ryoko realized that the glow was Mihoshi, and that Kiyone was with her. Could it be that Mihoshi had hidden power as well? Ryoko could not tell where the two friends were, or what they were doing, but she was certain that they were also going to play an important role in what was about to happen.
"And I'll do my part by saving Tenchi," Ryoko said to herself, "That is, if one of these damn images will tell me where he is..."
The glow dissipated, and this time the view changed into a large, round window made of stained glass. It scintillated like a pinwheel of jewels, and Ryoko recognized the style from one of Nobuyuki's books about architecture: it was called a rose window, because its labyrinthine design resembled the petals of an immense flower.
The glass began to ripple, and Ryoko blinked in astonishment as the rose window somehow became a real rose, its gigantic petals unfurling to allow the emergence of an enormous butterfly.
"What's the meaning of that vision?" Ryoko wondered aloud, her gaze following the winged creature's ascent until it soared out of sight.
"It means that the butterfly of blood has made contact with the goddess, and soon Ayeka will explore paths that have never been tread before," said a voice from behind her.
Cursing herself for allowing someone to catch her unawares, Ryoko whirled around, but relaxed upon seeing that it was the shadowy Tenchi-like being, once again surrounded with five gray Light Hawk Wings.
"Everything is falling into place," he continued, "However, Ayeka's task cannot be completed without your help, and the help of all your friends. First and foremost, of course, we need you to save Tenchi. I'm here to guide you."
Ryoko's heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean you know where he is?"
"Follow me," he said, flying ahead into the unfathomable blackness.
"Hang in there, Tenchi," Ryoko whispered as she trailed her enigmatic companion, "I'll be with you soon."
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's notes: Okay, that's it for Chapter 6. There was supposed to be more, but I figured that you folks have been kept waiting long enough, so I decided to post what I had. When the rest is written, it'll be posted as Chapter 7 (it will contain further explanations, so please don't despair if you find things a bit confusing right now). Also, just a quick reminder that this fic uses the first two OAV series and the Mihoshi Special, combined with Manatsu no Eve. It does not use the novels, GXP, or the third OAV series, because I don't have access to them in their entirety (and some of those things didn't exist when I began writing this fic). Sorry about that. If it bothers you that the shadowy figure in this chapter was not "Z", and that I referred to Tenchi's mother as "Achika" instead of "Kiyone" throughout the fic, then just look at this story as an alternate universe tale.
As a final note, I want to acknowledge the members of the Ayeka Fan Club. They treated me with so much kindness, even though I'm primarily a Ryoko fan. Working with them was an incredible learning experience, and I hope that they continue to prosper under their new staff. Best of luck, guys! And don't worry, because I'll still drop by for a visit whenever I can!
Well, thanks for reading, and feedback would be greatly appreciated!
-Literary Eagle, 2003