Hypnosis For Idiots, Part Three: Obscuring Mist

DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyo! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to it. However, this story is entirely of my own imagination. Please, no plagiarism or altering without permission from the author, me.

FOREWORD: This is definitely the last chapter of this story.

AUTHOR: Dreamr
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LAST REVISION:

BEGIN.

Between the two of them, Sasami and Washu should have been able to get Ryoko out of Washu's lab and into the house to sit down for dinner. But Ryoko was still being stubborn. She held her arms locked on either side of the inside of the lab's door-frame, preventing them from getting her through. Even with both of them pushing on her, she still wouldn't budge.
"Come on, Ryoko!" Sasami groaned as she tried harder. "Everybody's waiting!"
"Forget it!"
"Your Mother is getting upset with you, Little Ryoko!" Washu grunted as she pushed on Ryoko's back.
"I don't wanna!"
"Well, you're gonna!"
"I won't! I won't! I won't!" Ryoko shook her head furiously, refusing to budge no matter how hard they pushed.
"Miss Ryoko!"
The contest paused at the sound of Katsuhito's voice calling to Ryoko from his place at the head of the table.
"Come have dinner with the rest of your family, won't you?"
The older man's words hit her in a tender spot. For a moment, Ryoko's will wavered. Washu, sensing that the time was ripe, gave her a good shove, sending her through the doorway and into view. Afraid to meet the stares of the others, Ryoko stood in the hallway with her eyes on the floor. Mihoshi would be there. So would Tenchi and Aeka. She looked up just enough so she could see who was present and where. Everyone was at the table, waiting for her. Katsuhito was smiling supportively. Opposite from him, at the other end of the table, was Tenchi. He had yet to speak. But he was looking at her expectantly. Sitting next to Tenchi on the far side of the table, Mihoshi was skittishly staring into the empty bowl that sat on the table in front of her.
"Come on, Ryoko." Sasami took her hand and started pulling her towards the table. "I even made your noodles Thai-style so you can taste them."
Ryoko knew that to be the truth. The noodles were so spicy-hot she could smell them from the hallway. She'd once convinced Mihoshi to try them. The poor girl had farted fireballs for three days. Reluctantly, Ryoko followed Sasami to the table. Washu followed them, taking a place between her and Aeka, who was sitting next to Tenchi on the near side of the table. Nobuyuki was sitting on Mihoshi's other side, between her and where Sasami would take her place. Sitting down at the table, Ryoko easily sensed the uneasiness from three different places at the table: Aeka to her far right, Nobuyuki across in the middle, and especially Mihoshi diagonally across. Ryo-o-ki, in her child-form, was sitting kitty-corner between her and Katsuhito.
"Well, Tenchi." Katsuhito started. "Why don't we start?"
Tenchi wasn't one for an actual prayer at meal-time. But he still had one small thing he wanted to say before they ate.
"I'm glad that everyone's here tonight."
His statement brought smiles of agreement from the girls, although no one could see Ryoko's face because her head was hanging so far down. The men nodded in approval.
"Let's eat!"
With a sigh, Ryoko silently went through the motions. She had no need to eat. It was only a social thing she did to fit in. An immense bowl of incredibly spicy noodles was sitting on the table right under her nose. Considering the fact that Sasami had made these noodles especially for her, Ryoko decided she should at least eat them. Just as she was taking the chop-sticks in her right hand, someone thrust a carrot right in her face.
"Mya!"
Ryoko traced the orange tuber back to it's owner, Ryo-o-ki. The little girl was smiling and holding the carrot to her. Ryoko shook her head with a rueful smile.
"No, thanks. You eat it."
Ryo-o-ki didn't offer again. She retracted the carrot and happily bit off the top third.
"It sure is quiet tonight." Nobuyuki remarked about the lack of speech. The only sounds to be heard were those of utensils clicking on plates, and Ryo-o-ki's teeth crushing carrot.
"Yes." Aeka agreed. "It's quite nice, really."
Mihoshi's bracelet began to beep. No one could tell whether her sigh was of regret or relief.
"Sorry. I have to go."
Tenchi also sighed aloud as Mihoshi dug through her pockets for her cube.
"Well, I guess it was too good to last."
"Now what did I do with my cube?" Various non-GP articles began to pile up on the dining table as Mihoshi emptied her pockets in search of her GP issue cube. With a deafening clank, the gold and silver medallion hit the table. Everyone in attendance gasped. Unfortunately for Washu, she also inhaled a large chunk of fish. She immediately set to coughing. Without warning, the formerly silent Ryoko suddenly leapt to her feet and lunged for the medallion.
"Gimme that!"
Mihoshi dodged behind Tenchi, screeching in fright.
"Don't let her get me!"
Taken by surprise at Mihoshi's sudden move, Tenchi dropped an entire bowl of hot fish chowder in his lap.
"Tenchi!" Aeka immediately grabbed every napkin and towel she could find to help wipe up the mess.
Tenchi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so as not to cry out at the pain. The last thing everyone needed this evening was more yelling. As the pain slowly dulled, he let out the breath that he had not realized he had been holding.
"Ow."
Nobuyuki leaned across the table and began smacking Washu on the back to assist her in coughing up the food she had inhaled.
"Come on now. Hack it up!"
On the third smack, a large chunk of chowdered fish finally came loose, along with the attendant liquid broth. The chunk of food splashed into the large serving bowl of chowder sitting in the middle of the table, ruining the entire meal.
"My chowder..." Sasami stared at the contaminated food. Tears began to gather in her eyes as she thought of all the hard work she had put into it.
All at once, several voices yelled in annoyance at the same time.
"Ryoko!"
Looking around the table, Ryoko saw that nearly everyone was angrily glaring at her, except for Mihoshi, who peeked out from behind Tenchi. The blonde quickly hid her face again. Nobuyuki, for ruining his quiet dinner, Sasami, for ruining her food, Aeka, since when did Aeka need an excuse to glare at her, and Washu, for causing her to nearly choke to death. Suddenly confronted by all these negative emotions, Ryoko began to panic.
"I..."
Forgetting that Ryo-o-ki was sitting right next to her, she took a frightened step back and tripped over the little girl. Ryoko fell back on her rear with a thud. Ryo-o-ki rolled backwards, reverting to her animal form.
"Sorry..." Ryoko tried to apologize. But if there was one thing Ryo-o-ki really hated, it was being disturbed while eating her carrots. The fuzzy creature sat up and glared at her along with the others.
"MYA! Ryeow ya myan mya!"
Although the others couldn't understand Ryo-o-ki, she could. What she had said was not very supportive. Ryoko bit her lower lip to keep it from quivering. Directly in front of her, Katsuhito seemed to have ignored the entire incident. That was good to see. Tenchi was also acting very calm.
"Ryoko..."
"I didn't mean it!" Ryoko blurted out, hoping Tenchi would understand.
"I understand that." Tenchi looked up, revealing her angry expression. "But do you have any idea how much that hurt!?"
Ryoko scrambled back into the corner. Her chest felt like it was going to implode, despite how fast her heart was racing. She curled up into a ball and hid her face behind her raised knees.
Aeka took the napkins she had gathered and tried to help Tenchi by mopping up some of the mess.
"Here. Let me --"
"OW!" Tenchi immediately yelled at the pain of the unexpected contact on his fried nerve endings. "Don't touch me!"
Aeka recoiled at Tenchi's objection. Although she intended to apologize, Ryoko beat her to it.
"I'm sorry... Tenchi."
Everyone looked at her again when they heard the pain in her voice.
"I'm sorry for being such a monster."
The annoyance faded from Washu's face like water. In her mind, she could feel the walls Ryoko normally kept around her mind crumbling. It was normal for Ryoko to do her best to keep Washu out of her mind. The scientist likened the girl's barriers to a wall. Over the past months, the wall had been slowly getting shorter and thinner, coming down one brick at a time. After yesterday, the wall had gone up so strong that it resembled the Great Wall of China, keeping anyone and everything out. But now it was crumbling disastrously, like a mud-brick high-rise during an eight-point earthquake.
"Hey, now..."
But before she or anyone else could say more, Ryoko faded through the floor like a ghost. Everyone was silent, except for Katsuhito, who set his bowl down, then rose to his feet.
"Thank you for the meal, Sasami. It was delicious."
"Well, your welcome."
"Miss Mihoshi?"
"Yes?" Mihoshi replied, still using Tenchi for cover.
"Ryoko has left. You need not hide any further."
Mihoshi looked around Tenchi's head again to verify the priest's account. Seeing the former pirate was no longer in attendance, she sighed with relief.
"I hate to say it, but, sometimes... Ryoko really frightens me!"
"Me, too." Tenchi agreed, along with Aeka and his father. Sasami and Washu kept silent.
Normally, Katsuhito would not get involved in the family politics, so to speak. But hearing that, he couldn't help a snort of disgust.
"When was the last time someone at this table offered Ryoko a kind word of support, or thanked her for something she has done?"
No one spoke. They only looked around at each other, hoping someone else would answer.
"I see. Tenchi, I expect you for practice tomorrow morning at six o'clock, sharp."
"Six!? But tomorrow's Sunday!"
Katsuhito fixed his grandson within his stony gaze. Although it would be considered inappropriate to punish the house-guests, he could still use Tenchi as an example. His discomfort would transfer onto them.
"Indeed. Perhaps five would be better."
Tenchi knew when to shut-up.
"No, Grandpa. Six is fine."
"Very well. Little Washu?"
Washu looked up at the elder man with a thoughtful reply.
"Yes?"
"Would you be so kind as to see that Tenchi is fit for training tomorrow morning?"
Washu's face lit up.
"You mean I get to play doctor with Tenchi?"
Tenchi whimpered at the thought of Washu's preferred forms of medical attention.

The Masaki Shrine, even before it began to be known by that name seven hundred years ago, had always been a place of quiet beauty. That peace was one of the reasons Yosho had decided to stay in this place back then. Well, that and the pretty young lady by the name of Kasumi. Getting involved with her had not been intentional. But the poor girl had practically clung to him after he'd rescued her from Ryoko. Katsuhito sighed aloud as he approached the door to the shrine. The poor girl just couldn't keep out of trouble. Even in what was likely the most forgiving household in the galaxy, she still managed to draw a great deal of negative attention. She just didn't seem to have the skills necessary to co-exist with others. It wasn't her fault that she had not had he opportunity to develop those skills. But it was difficult for him to feel sympathy for someone who wasn't trying very hard.
As he reached for the door, the priest heard something from within. Listening carefully, he thought it sounded like a girl sobbing. It didn't take a detective to figure out who it was. He hesitated to open the door. If Ryoko wished to be alone, this was not the place for solitude. The Masaki shrine had no less than three guardian kami. Either they were sleeping on the job or they wished for her to enter. Perhaps Tsunami had interceded on Ryoko's behalf. No matter which it was, who was he to question the will of the Gods?
Katsuhito slid the rice-paper door open with deliberate slowness. Ryoko was not in the main room where important ceremonies took place. However, the sobbing quickly subsided. He quickly deduced that Ryoko was in the office and had heard him enter. Closing the door behind him, the priest made his way to the office and then slid that door open as well. Ryoko was slouched over his office desk with her arms wrapped about her head like it would keep out the rest of the world. Again, with smooth deliberate motions so as not to alarm her, Katsuhito closed the office door and walked to the other side of the desk opposite Ryoko. He sat cross-legged in front of her. Neither of them said a word for well over a minute. Then, Ryoko lifted a hand from her head and held it out over the desk. She opened her hand, and a translucent red bead fell to the table. It bounced a couple times, then rolled to a stop in a small crack in the table. Any normal person might have thought it was glass, or perhaps a ruby. But Katsuhito knew it to be one of Ryoko's gems.
"Put me back in the cave."
Katsuhito's eyebrows shot up.
"You can't be serious."
"They hate me."
"No, they don't."
"It doesn't matter. I can't stay."
"Self-pity does not become you."
"I hurt Tenchi today."
"It was an accident."
"I ruined Sasami's dinner again."
"And this is different how?"
"I tried to kill everyone, yesterday."
"No. Not everyone was present."
Ryoko growled at him from behind her arms.
"Fine. I tried to destroy your tree, kill you and Tenchi's father, dismember Mihoshi, and... I don't know what I was trying to do to Aeka."
"I believe the phrase you're looking for is sexual assault. There would have to be actual penetration for it to be rape."
"Big difference."
"I often think the same thing."
"Who gave you all the answers?"
"I'm a Shinto priest and a grandfather. I'm supposed to have all the answers."
"So, then. Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"
Katsuhito had to actually think about how to best answer that.
"I had my reasons."
"Shit. You should'a just killed me."
"No."
Ryoko finally had had enough. She lifted her head and shouted in the priest's face.
"Then why do I have to go through all this!? Why did you spare me knowing something like this could happen?"
"Come now. Even Washu can't predict the future."
"Maybe I should tell her you said that."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't."
Ryoko sat back and set her chin in her hands on the table. By her pained expression, she looked like she was settling in for a good long sulk. Katsuhito leaned over to a small wooden cabinet and opened the simple doors of it's body, revealing the sake he had hidden inside. Pulling out the bottle and two cups, he set them on the table.
"Have a drink."
Ryoko glared at him as he unstoppered the bottle.
"You tryin' to liquor me up?"
"No." Katsuhito chuckled aloud pouring a drink for each of them. "Just have a drink and try to relax."
"How can I when every time I close my eyes I see people screaming?"
"Perhaps its just a residual effect of the hypnosis?"
With a sigh, Ryoko reached down and took one of the cups.
"Maybe." She grumbled, swishing the liquid around in the cup to see how far up the side she could make it go without spilling.
Katsuhito raised his cup to propose a toast.
"To family. May they always be at our side."
The statement shocked Ryoko so badly her fingers went numb. The cup slipped away and fell to the table, spilling good sake everywhere. Tears welled-up in her eyes as self-control began to flee like cockroaches before an exterminator.
"What's wrong, Miss Ryoko?"
"I... I... tried... to kill them. How can they even stand to look at me?"
"Because that is what family is about. They care for you, Ryoko. Much more than you are willing to admit."
"Then... put me back, or finish me off. Either one, I don't care. I just... I..." Ryoko looked up at Katsuhito, finally meeting his gaze. "I don't want to hurt people who care about me."
Katsuhito set his sake down.
"And how would those people feel if I did as you ask?"
Ryoko looked away.
"Besides, Tenchi possess the Master Key, now. I could do neither of those even if I wanted."
"I see." Ryoko slowly stood up. "Then, I guess I don't have much choice."
"What are you thinking, Ryoko?"
"I'm leaving."
"Where will you go?"
"Someplace else."
"I see. And just how do you plan on getting there?"
"You sure are nosy today. I'll take Ryo-o-ki."
"You think she's willing to leave everyone behind?"
"It doesn't matter if she's willing or not. I can control her with... uh... oh, yeah!"
Ryoko dropped to her knees in front of Katsuhito while he held up her gem between his thumb and forefinger.
"Can I please have my gem back?"
"No, I think I'll hold on to this for the time being."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
Veins under the skin of Ryoko's forehead began to pulse with irritation.
"Lord Yosho..."
"I can see you are decided on this matter. However, before you leave, I would like to ask a small favor of you."
Ryoko looked away, pouting in child-like irritation with her arms folded across her chest.
"You won't give me my gem. So why should I?"
"How did it make you feel to be controlled by Kagato?"
Ryoko quieted down considerably.
"Ah... well..."
"Mmm. Well, then. I have a message that I would like delivered to a certain person at the Galaxy Academy. I assume you know where that is."
"Yes."
"That should give you a starting direction. From there, your journey is up to you."
"But my gems..."
"... give you too much power for the Jurai Royal Family to ignore. Besides, you don't need them for everyday life, do you?"
"Not... really."
"Perhaps, when you return..."
"The Royal Family feels safer, and I have a reason to come back, is that it?"
"It is."
Seeing the wisdom behind Katsuhito's plan, Ryoko slowly nodded.
"All right." She held out her hand to receive the message. "Who's it going to?"
Katsuhito smiled innocently at her.
"Actually, I haven't written it yet."
"What!?"

Everyone sat or stood quietly, unsure of how to break the uneasy silence now that Katsuhito had left. Washu was thinking of what experiments she could conduct on Tenchi without him realizing it, when Mihoshi's bracelet went off again. The tone was much louder this time. She looked at the stridently sounding object to reconfirm what she already knew.
"I guess I'd better go."
Holding up her other hand, Mihoshi looked at the medallion with a grimace.
"I never realized hypnotizing someone could cause so much trouble."
Mihoshi's statement brought Washu back to the present scene.
"By the way, Mihoshi. Would you mind of I borrowed that for a bit? I'd like to examine it."
"Um, okay. I don't see why not. I can come pick it up when I get done with whatever it is Yukinojo wants me to do."
Mihoshi held the precious device out to Washu who snatched it out of her hand.
"Well, see you all later."
Mihoshi gave her cube a twist, and she disappeared into thin air.
Washu stared at the medallion for a second. Her eyelids immediately began to droop. Sensing what was happening, she shook her head to clear the blurry sensation from her mind. With the medallion in hand, she got up and took a step closer to Tenchi.
"All right, Tenchi. Come with me if you want to live."
"Eh? I don't think it's that bad."
"I was talking about your grandfather."
"Oh, right." Tenchi stood up with a grimace as the cloth of his trousers rubbed against his tender-burned skin. Following along behind the genius scientist, Tenchi tentatively followed her through the portal into her domain. As soon as the door closed behind him, Washu snapped her fingers, bringing a pair of familiar mechanical octopus-looking droids to hold him.
"Hey! Washu!" Tenchi's voice was quickly stifled by a large wad of cloth that one of the robots stuffed into his mouth. It was a good thing, too. The robots quickly pulled off all of his clothes without so much as a "May I".
"Mrm-mrrm!"
"Hush, now." Washu told him. "The doctor will be right with you."
Washu headed off to another area of her lab, leaving Tenchi at the mercy of the mechanical contraptions. She strode quickly to the Containment Lab. Here, she could work on devices and inventions that had potentially harmful or wide-reaching effects without fear of them getting out of control. If the medallion she had in her hand was what she thought, it needed to be in a contained area, where even Mihoshi, especially Mihoshi, could not get at it. The Containment Lab was basically a central lab table with surrounding shields that kept negative effects from escaping. Once Washu reached the table she spoke the verbal commands to activate the shields she required.
"Energy containment shields on."
A brief orange shimmering effect surrounded the top of the lab table. It quickly turned invisible as the energy barrier oscillation frequency rose to something beyond that which could be seen by the naked eye. If this device were what she thought, then the field was probably unnecessary. But it was better to err on the side of safety. In any event, the barrier was only a boundary to strong forms of energy, not physical movement. She could work on the device in relative safety. However, there was still a patient in the next room that she had to look after.
Walking back out of the lab to where she had left Tenchi, Washu looked over her shoulder at the silly gag-gift that she had given to her husband so many thousands of years ago.
"Unbelievable..."

"Sister Aeka?"
Aeka looked up from the dinner plate that she was drying with a hand-cloth to see what her sister wanted. Sasami was washing the plates by hand, a task that Aeka considered very bad for the skin, especially considering that the household possessed an automatic dishwasher. Aeka put the dry plate up in a cabinet with the others that she had already finished.
"Yes, Sasami?"
"Do you think we were a little hard on Ryoko earlier?"
"Of course not." Aeka quickly answered.
"I don't know. She seemed awfully upset."
"Ryoko brings such things down upon herself."
"But you're the one who insisted on trying to hypnotize her."
Aeka cringed at the reminder.
"Well, if Miss Mihoshi hadn't brought that silly medallion in, none of this would have happened in the first place."
"True." Sasami handed the plate that she was working on to her sister without rinsing it. "But still..."
"This one's not done." Aeka handed the plate she had just received back to Sasami.
"Huh?" Sasami stared at the plate like it was from her grandmother's fine table set. "Oh. Sorry." She took it back and set it in the right side of the sink for rinsing.
"It's just that... I don't know. Maybe Grandfather's right. Maybe we should try to be more supportive of her."
"Well, I don't know how. I make every effort to correct Miss Ryoko when she does something wrong. But she just won't have it. She gets frustrated too easily at even the simplest tasks, like washing the dishes for instance. Is not tonight her night for it?"
"You can't expect her to try something like this tonight."
"That's exactly my point! She's completely unreliable. Even the simplest tasks are beyond her ability."
"That's not true!" Sasami turned on her sister with a scowl. "Ryoko's not good at this sort of thing because she never had to do it before."
"I understand that. But she doesn't even try! Most of the time she runs-off to get drunk! She dirties enough of these dishes that she should at least do her part. Is it really too much to ask of her?"
"Okay, so she's not good at doing the dishes. But she does do her other chores."
"Oh, yes. If Lord Tenchi asks her to. And ONLY if HE asks. Ridiculous."
"That's because Ryoko loves Tenchi! She'd do anything if he asked her to."
"Lord Tenchi should not have to ask her! Frankly, I'll wager he would be more impressed if she simply did them when she was supposed to. Of course, we've already been through that. Can you imagine her trying to maintain his household?" Aeka actually shivered at the thought. "I get chills just thinking about it. And never mind children. We've both seen her with little Taro. I would sooner trust her with the crown jewels. Lord Tenchi deserves far better than her."
A sniffle from the girl at the sink caught Aeka's attention.
"Sasami?"
"When did my sister become so hateful?"
The question was obviously rhetorical. But to Aeka's surprise, an answer was easy to obtain.
"When someone tried to kill my brother and sister."
Moving quickly, Aeka put her arms around Sasami and held her close.
"It's not that I really hate Ryoko. I just can't trust her. Especially after what happened yesterday. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you, Sasami. You're my one and only little sister. And imagine how mother and father would feel?"
Sasami wrapped her arms around Aeka's waist.
"I love my sister."
A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Aeka's lips.
"I love my sister, as well."
"But I love Ryoko, too. Even when she causes trouble."
A large drop of sweat rolled down Aeka's face.
"I... see."

An event had occurred within the Masaki house that Nobuyuki considered a true miracle. He had the television to himself on a Saturday night. It was completely unprecedented. Mihoshi was on patrol, Washu and Tenchi were in the lab, Sasami and Aeka were in the kitchen doing the dishes, Ryoko was off gallivanting around doing whatever it is she likes to do, Ryo-o-ki was upstairs taking a post-meal nap, and his Father-in-law was up at the shrine. Totally and completely unprecedented. Even better, he had a cold beer in one hand and the remote in the other. What luxury! Nobuyuki slouched down in the cushions, even setting his feet up on the coffee table. Nothing could spoil this evening, absolutely nothing!
BRINGG!!
Nobuyuki sighed loudly. Nothing except the telephone. He just prayed to his dear wife in heaven that it wasn't the office. Getting back to his stocking feet, Nobuyuki reluctantly went to answer it.
"Yes, Masaki residence. Oh, Dad. Eh? Washu? In her lab with Tenchi, last time I checked. Send her up? Sure. I can do that. Yup."
Nobuyuki hung up the phone with a sigh of relief. A little request from Dad was easy to fulfill. Looking surreptitiously around, Nobuyuki took the receiver back off the hook and set it on the table top so that no other calls could come in. Walking to the red door, he pulled it open and stuck his head inside to call the resident super-genius. An ear-splitting howl assaulted his senses.
"Dad! Help me!"
"Tenchi?"
"Hiya!"
Washu waved to Nobuyuki with one hand. In the other she held a syringe with a very long needle.
"Washu, you're not intending to use that on my son, are you?"
"On Tenchi?" Washu had the good sense to blush as she tossed the wicked looking instrument of medical mal-practice away. "No! Of course not, Mister Masaki! We were just playing Doctor!"
"Yeah, isn't that nice? Dad wants to see you up in the shrine when you get a chance."
"Me?"
Washu looked up at her playmate with an evil smile.
"Sure. This can wait."
"You can't leave me like this!"
Washu waved at Nobuyuki to close the door.
"I'll be right there. Just make sure to close the door on your way out. Wouldn't want the screams... er, uh... bugs! yeah... to get out."
"Yeah..." Nobuyuki took one more look around. Some of the implements of Washu's technique more closely resembled those of medieval medicine than something he would expect of a modern medical wizard. He closed the door on the weird scene.
"Man, my son sure has strange tastes in women."

"Well, you made me come all the way up here to see you, so it had better be important. I was tending to Tenchi, you know."
"Indeed. And I thank you for it. But something has come up."
"Yeah, me!"
Sitting down across from Katsuhito, Washu spied the extra cup and open bottle of sake.
"May I?"
"Be my guest."
Katsuhito continued to look out the window into the darkening sky as Washu helped herself to the sake.
"I just had an interesting discussion with Ryoko."
"Really? What did she want to talk about?"
"She asked me to seal her back in the cave."
Washu froze in shock. But she soon dismissed the comment as an ill-conceived jest.
"Yeah, right." Washu slurped down her first cup and went for more. "She's terrified of the dark. Ryoko'd rather die than go back in there."
"Since you happen to mention that, when I refused, she then asked me to finish her off."
Shock upon shock. The feel of liquid pouring over her fingers reminded Washu that she was supposed to be filling her cup. She quickly righted the bottle, but not before spilling a good measure on the table.
"Damn. You're not kidding, are you?"
"No."
Being careful not to set her elbow in the small puddle of sake she had spilled, Washu set her arms up on the table and swirled her sake around in the cup, seeing how far she could get the liquid to ride the sides of the cup before it went over the top.
"Considering that this mountain is still standing, it's obvious that didn't happen."
"Of course. However, it seems she is more terrified of hurting her friends than going back into isolation."
Washu drained the cup before slamming it down in the table. The bottle jumped from the force of it.
"Damn! I should have seen it! She wasn't afraid of facing the others, she was afraid of something more happening. But why that? Why would she ask for that, unless... Wait! If she were afraid of hurting us, and you wouldn't do as she asked... Where is she?"
"Gone."
Washu stared blankly at Katsuhito.
"What?"
"Ryoko is determined to keep as far away from this family as possible in order to protect us from herself."
"That's crazy! She needs the support of a family group!"
"I would agree. Except Ryoko has a personality that most people find, at the least, objectionable. She has gone on a journey to find her true self."
"And you just let her waltz off into the galaxy?"
"It was not my choice to make. If you makes you feel any better, I did manage to convince her to perform a small errand for me. Perhaps in the conduct of that errand, she will find a path that appeals to her."
Washu flopped down on her haunches like an under-stuffed rag-doll. It was happening all over again. The first time had nearly broken her. Losing a child to the vastness of the universe was bad enough, even when there was the knowledge that that child was being taken care of. This time there was no one her child could rely on. Ryoko was alone. Or was she?
"She took Ryo-o-ki?"
"Unless she happens to possess another ship somewhere around here. Although, she did leave something for you."
"For me?"
Katsuhito turned from the window and sat square to Washu. There was a small wooden box in front of him. He pushed the box across the table to her. Limply, Washu lifted the cover. Ryoko's gem lay inside. A red gem inside a red cherry-wood box. Closing the lid, Washu pushed the box back to Katsuhito.
"I don't want it."
"Eh?" Katsuhito raised an eyebrow at that.
"I want my Ryoko to come home."
"Miss Washu..."
Something within Washu begged for release. Anger, frustration, pain... all of those and more. She knew in her heart that she could change everything to the way she wanted it. The power was there for her, if she could only find the strength of will to reclaim it. But, like when she had learned that her husband had taken their son back to his planet, the voice was present again.
"Don't do it. Don't repeat the past. It will happen again."
"It has repeated!"
"Don't do it."
Washu tried to restrain herself. But she needed a reason to hold back. What was so important that she should not embrace the power that lay just beyond the fringes of her mind? She wanted to change things, to erase the pain, and make things good again.
"It will be repeated."
"I don't care!"
"It will be repeated."
"Go away!"
"It WILL be repeated."
Washu slumped in on herself.
"I want my little girl back."
"Don't touch it."
Katsuhito could hear Washu verbal pleading. But he was unaware of the internal struggle raging within.
"She will return someday."
"I want my little Mikumo back."
"What's done is done."
"I want my husband back."
Katsuhito sensed anger creeping in to Washu's tortured voice. There was only so much loss a person could take in one lifetime before the pain became too much to bear. This, he knew very well.
"Miss Washu, perhaps..."
Washu lifted her tear-filled eyes. She inhaled deeply, then shouted her inner-most desire to the heavens.
"I WANT MY FAMILY BACK!"

Sasami dropped an entire stack of dishes on the floor. As clear as day she had heard the pain-filled scream in her mind.
"Sasami!" Aeka grasped her by the shoulders and looked her in the face. "What's wrong?"
"I... I heard Washu's voice... in my mind."
"What? How is that possible?"
A tear fell from Sasami's eye.
"She's lost someone very important to her."
"Who could that be?" Aeka wondered aloud. Her eyes widened as she came to the correct answer. "Ryoko! What has that woman done this time!?"
"We should go see Washu!"
"But the dishes..."
Sasami's lip quivered as she gave Aeka her best sad little girl look. When Aeka saw her little sister near tears, she decided the dishes could wait.
"All right. I believe I heard her grumbling something about going up to see Brother Yosho at the shrine."

The Crown Prince of Jurai saw something within Washu that was truly frightening. He felt a power emanating from her fully-grown form that dwarfed even the Tsunami-bred space-trees of Jurai. It was so great and all-encompassing that he could not even begin to understand it. She was magnificent and terrifying all at the same time. It occurred to him that it might not be such a good idea for Washu to gain possession of such power in her current frame of mind. He leapt over the table and embraced the woman, holding her tightly in his arms.
"Your family is here, Washu."
The presence faded as quickly as it appeared. For a split-second, Washu had felt what true power was. It was everything, yet nothing. She could have anything she wanted. But it would be meaningless. Down the quick and easy path lay nothing but self-destruction.
There was a warmth about her. A warm presence that reminded her of something good. It was less than the all of absolute power. It was more than oblivion. This simple feeling held meaning.
"Don't repeat the mistakes of the past."
The warmth seemed better than the power. Feeling was what she wanted, not power. Washu relaxed, allowing the force that normally lay beyond her mind to recede back into the darkness once again. With a start, she realized she was in a man's arms.
"Welcome back."
His voice was deep and sonorous. Looking at the man's face, she realized she was looking at Prince Yosho Masaki, rather than Tenchi's grandfather, Katsuhito. She looked away from his dark eyes, uncertain of how to react. It had been so long since she had allowed a man to hold her that she had nearly forgotten what it felt like. A number of witty remarks came to mind. But none of them conveyed how she really felt at this moment. Science was the love of her life. But science couldn't love her back. Slowly, so as not to give him the impression that she wanted out, Washu slid her arms around Yosho's neck. She looked into his eyes and spoke.
"Thanks."

Hearing the sound of breaking dishes was nothing new to Nobuyuki. He likened it to the sound of a child's piggy-bank being shattered. Buying new dishes certainly reminded him of it. He was just getting up to check on the girls in the kitchen when Aeka and Sasami came rushing out. They weren't running, but they were definitely in a hurry.
"Something up, girls?"
"We're about to find out." Aeka answered as she swept by Nobuyuki with hardly a glance.
"O-o-o-kay." Nobuyuki scratched at his scalp as they left. Curious, he went to the kitchen door and took a peek in. His jaw dropped at the huge pile of shattered dishes.
"Good God!"

Since Sasami seemed to be certain that some tragedy had befallen Washu, Aeka took the shrine stairs two at a time to reach the top faster. She quickly left her sister behind. Once she arrived at the top, she spent only the space of a single breath to rest. She went straight to the shrine itself and opened the door. No one was in sight. But the office door was closed. Moving quickly, she stepped up to the door and flung it open.
"Brother, have you seen..."
The significance of seeing Washu and her brother, her youthful, handsome brother, making out on the floor was not lost on Aeka.
"Miss Washu!"
The tall redhead pushed herself up so that she was looking down at Yosho from her place straddled across his hips. It wasn't like they had their clothes off or anything. But she had been enjoying herself.
"It's been a while since someone walked-in on me."
Yosho sighed aloud. The situation was completely compromised.
"Yes, Aeka?"
Aeka averted her eyes.
"Ah, well, you see, um... Sasami! There was Sasami, in the kitchen, and... uh... I didn't mean to interrupt. But, I can see that I did, even though, um, there likely wasn't anything to interrupt, of course. But, Washu lost something, and..."
"Aeka!"
The princess bowed at the waist.
"Yes!"
"Close the door."
"Yes, Brother."
Aeka slid the rice-paper door shut just in time to prevent her young, sweet, and above all, innocent little sister from getting the biggest shock of her life.
"Aeka, you run too fast!" Sasami trotted over to her sister's side. "Did you find Little Washu?"
"Little Washu?" Aeka blankly repeated, trying to think through the haze of white shock that still enveloped her mind. "No, no little Washu."
"Oh. Well have you looked in here?" Sasami reached for the office door.
"No! I mean, yes! I mean..." Aeka grabbed Sasami's shoulder and turned her towards the door. "LITTLE Washu is not here. There, I mean. Not in any way. No LITTLE Washus in this shrine. Let's go look someplace else."
"Okay..."

Suspended in the air by several robotic arms, Tenchi whimpered in the darkness.
"Please. Somebody help me..."

END.

AFTERWORD: That's it for now. I think I may at some time make a pair of sequels to this story. I think the first sequel would be Ryoko out on her own in space. I also think that if she were to team-up with a good business partner, she could make a lot of money as a legitimate trader. I have someone in mind, but I won't say who. I think the second sequel (part 3) would be her return home. It might be very interesting to see how things have changed while she was gone.