When I visited Earth it was the first time people didn't try and make me into who they thought I should be. It didn't matter that I wasn't too bright, or that I fell down all the time. Little Washu was the genius and Princess Ayeka was the graceful one. I could just be me.

It wasn't like that anywhere else. Grandpa was always talking about how I was going to be a police officer. When I failed the entrance exam he pulled some strings to get me in and make me a detective. I was never allowed to fail.

But Earth was different. The people were different. Kiyone would get frustrated, and maybe Little Washu hated it when I messed up one of her experiments, but they still loved me. I was still their friend.

I'm sorry I couldn't protect their children. The Orikans aim at us and all of a sudden I hear a scream and a bright red flash. Someone tells me to run and hands me Hana-chan and I move. The little girl cries in my shirt and we turn the corner to what must be hell.

Mr. Masaki and Lady Achika were standing in front of a bunch of armed Orikans. It's like a firing range with them as the targets. One of the Orikans fires at Lady Achika.

Except the bullet doesn't hit her. Mr. Masaki steps in front of her. It goes right into his throat.

I swear I feel like screaming, but there's no sound coming out of my mouth. I shield Hana-chan's eyes and turn her away. Her mother's dead but I still don't think she would appreciate having her daughter see this.

I hear a war cry and look back. Tenchi's found us. His sword is drawn and he's fighting the Orikan warriors. A glance back tells me Ryoko and Kamidake are fighting the rest. I'm paralyzed with the thought that within two minutes we're all going to die.

And I'll never see my husband again. Or my daughters.

Yumi was entering the Galaxy Police Academy this year. She wanted to be a detective.

Eri's paintings were going to be shown at the Intergalactic Arts Festival and I'd promised I would attend. I'd given my word.

"Mama, are you going to take time off to come see my paintings?"

"Eri-chan, you know I have to work that day!"

"Please? I've been waiting all year for this!"

"Fine, fine. I'll take the day off."

"Thank you Mama."

I'm not gonna be able to keep my promise. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die!

Someone grabs my hand and pulls me away from the carnage. Several Orikans are wounded but so is Tenchi and a saying about bringing a knife to a gunfight runs through my brain.

The person dragging me is Prince Yukio. He drags to a back alley with Lady Achika. One we're away from gunfire and energy bolts and whatever else, he clamps his hand over my mouth and begins talking.

"Take Lady Achika and Hana-chan, and run! I don't care where you go, just go!"

"But, you...and..."

"We'll be fine. Just take the girls and go."

The minute he stops speaking there's a scream that I'm pretty sure is Tenchi's. I feel sick to my stomach. Prince Yokio pushes me down a street, yelling for me to run.

I'm run for about two blocks when it hits me.

I'm an adult. I'm supposed to be caring for the kids. I can't leave Prince Yukio, Sakito and Ame alone to fight. They're too young for that.

I hand over Hana-chan to Lady Achika and tell them to head for Ryoko's spaceship. Then I double back to the alley and scan the area for the boys. I see Prince Yukio fighting two full grown men and I run up to him, calling out that he should go.

I don't make it.

There's a hole in my left shoulder the size of a Japanese yen. I can't run anymore. So I do the only thing I can do.

I draw my weapon, turn around, and shoot the bastard behind me. I have better aim than he does and he drops dead at my feet. Once again, I feel sick to my stomach.

I also feel dizzy now and I want to see my husband. I think back to when he proposed and the birth of our daughters. Tenth anniversary, his fortieth birthday, Yumi's martial arts competition, Eri's kickboxing match. It all plays through my mind.

There's a lot of buzzing and I'm not sure where it's coming from. I'm too scared to think of anything else except dieing. I know I'm going to die and the idea is scary, but for some reason I'm not freaking out.

That's new for me. I'm always the first to start crying, to scream. I'm a police officer, but I'm often more scared than the people I'm supposed to help. I can't understand why I'm not hysterical now.

I might have some idea. Death this close up isn't as frightening as it is far away. I'm not hysterical because I'm not afraid.

It's odd. Kiyone was always telling me to grow up. My father and grandfather told me the same thing. Now that I finally have, they're not around to see it.

I'm suddenly angry about that. It's not fair! I tried to do things right, and I never meant to make life difficult for anyone! I tried really hard and now that I've finally become what they wanted they're not here to see it. It's not fair!

I really want to cry right now. It's like everything I've ever worked for is for nothing.

I can't allow myself to think that. That's like saying my life had no purpose. I must have had a purpose for being here!

Mother telling me I was sweet for bringing her flowers.

Third grade teacher thanking me for the painting I did of her cat.

Kiyone telling me life as a Galaxy Police officer would a lot more dull, albeit less hectic, without me.

Sasami asking me to help her with the cooking.

Toshiko asking me to make his life complete by marrying him.

Eri and Yumi calling me 'Mama'.

Queen Ayeka thanking me for coming for the reunion.

I think that's my purpose in life. I may not be the smartest, or the most graceful, but that doesn't mean I'm pointless. I can help people. I have helped people. I smile at that thought and the guns disappear.

Author- I tried to give Mihoshi a little bit more depth than just 'dumb klutz with a heart of gold.' She's got her own trials and writing her view point was an interesting exercise.

Many, many thanks to all reviewers. You guys are the best and are what really drive me to write more. Seriously, thank you.

Special notice to mikethebigW for figuring out that the title of Chapter 4 comes from Star Trek. The actual reference was to a song by the Firm. The song is a parody of Star Trek and is really very funny, however, the point of Ayeka's story was that she can't go back in time, she has to keep going forward. Anyways, mikethebigW gets an invisible, nonexistent cookie for being cool enough to figure out the reference.