Previously on Supplement DB:
A future version of Tenchi came to the Masaki house, calling himself Neo. Neo told everyone a little about their future, and then later told Tenchi privately the shocking truth: everyone but him was going to die. Washu has finished searching for the wizard of Auze, and now Tenchi is taking them there.
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Supplement DB, Part VII – Me, Myself and I
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The air shook, and seven figures appeared in the dank metal room. Tenchi, Aki and the girls had all gone to the planet Auze in search of the wizard. Sasami, despite being told to stay behind, had grabbed hold of the jumping group, and so had appeared with them. Ryo-Ohki was there also, as transportation might be needed.
They looked around. They were apparently in some high-tech facility, in one of the storage bays. The wizard was most likely in the control room, for whatever reason only he knew. They walked out of the bay and down the corridor to where the signs said there was a control room, not meeting resistance.
"I would have thought there'd be more security," Aki noted.
"Maybe he's just not expecting company," Ryoko said.
"Just stay alert, everyone," Tenchi called.
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Unknown to them, a silent alarm had been triggered, alerting the person in the control room.
"So they've arrived," Neo said. "Good for them. Now we'll see who wins."
The hidden security cameras were monitoring the progress of the group. They were now fairly close to the control room.
"Well, here they come," Neo said. "I hope you're ready for this."
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"Do you think this is it?" Mihoshi asked.
"Well, the door kind of says 'Control Room', Mihoshi," Ryoko said. "That is where we're going."
"I'm just saying, maybe the wizard isn't here," Mihoshi said.
"No, he is here," Washu said. "My latest scans from a few minutes ago say he's in this room."
"Let's go," Tenchi said. "Everyone, ready yourself. I don't know what this wizard is going to do, but just be careful."
They burst in.
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"Ah, hey, guys," Neo greeted.
"Neo? What're you doing here?" Tenchi gasped. "Are you Neo?"
"Yes, I am Neo," Neo replied. "Why am I here? I'm here to sort something out. Want to know why the security is off?"
"What? Why?"
"I turned it off. I knew you would come, so I decided to help you here. Unfortunately, the wizard seems to have gone."
"Where to?" Ayeka asked.
"Not where, but when," Neo replied. "He's back on Earth, seven and a bit years ago. I'm going to help you back there, but I can't come with you. I'm needed now on Earth."
"But how did the wizard travel back in time?" Aki asked.
"He used his magic," Neo replied. "I was confronting him just now, but he suddenly went just before you came in. Anyway, you need to go."
Neo ascended to his God form, and raised his hand towards the group. "See you soon," he said, before sending them through time and space.
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The room blurred and was replaced by a garden. To their side was a house, a large one with blue tiles. It was their house.
"Hey, we're home!" Sasami exclaimed.
"But not when we should be," Tenchi replied. "See that tree over there?" He pointed towards a half-dead tree with no leaves. "One of the first things I did when I came here was to cut down that tree. It's still there, so I must not have come here yet."
"Someone's coming outside," Aki alerted.
Everyone hurried behind the nearest bush, as a woman emerged from the house. She was a beautiful woman, just showing the signs of age. She was perhaps forty. She held up a parasol to shade her from the sun's glare.
Tenchi knew instantly who she was. She was his mother.
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Tenchi rose slowly from behind the bush he was crouched next to, despite the frantic signals from the others.
"Mom?" Tenchi asked quietly.
His mother looked at him, a questioning look on her face.
"Tenchi!" Washu hissed at him. "She doesn't know who you are, remember? You came here after she died."
Tenchi completely ignored her, instead staring at the woman in front of him.
"Mommy?"
His mother, Achika, smiled.
"Tenchi," she replied warmly. She held her arms open for Tenchi to run up and hug her tightly. They stayed together for several moments, and then parted.
"Tenchi dear, introduce me to your friends behind that bush," Achika said.
"Huh?" Tenchi was taken aback. "Um, sure. Guys, come here, will you?"
The group slowly stood up, unsure about what to do.
"Mummy, this is Ayeka," Tenchi announced, gesturing towards Ayeka. Ayeka just bowed slightly and uncertainly. "She's grandpa's half-sister. That's her sister, Sasami." Sasami waved. "The others are Ryoko, Mihoshi and Washu. And the guy over there who looks like me is my clone. We call him Aki."
"Um, hey," Aki said hesitantly.
"I am very glad to meet you all," Achika said. "I knew you would come."
"But how?" Washu asked.
"Tenchi told me," Achika replied. "At least, your future self, Tenchi."
There was a pause, as everyone tried to think of something to say. Achika won.
"Tenchi, I'm so very proud of you," Achika said. "Not only do you have incredible power, but you also have very good friends. Even though I've only just met them, I love them all, and I am happy that you love them all too."
"How do you...?" Tenchi started, but Achika shushed him.
"I love you, Tenchi," she whispered. "I could not have hoped for a better son. You make me proud, every single day."
"Mommy..." Tenchi started, but couldn't finish. He hugged his mother tightly, burying his face into her shoulder. "I missed you."
"And I'm sorry I never got to know you, dear," Achika replied. "I know you'll make me proud, whoever you decide to marry."
Tenchi didn't argue with this. He just continued the hug, trying hard to hold back the tears. But they just wouldn't disappear. Tenchi began to cry. The others just looked on tentatively.
Eventually, Tenchi released his mother.
"You have to go now, Tenchi," Achika said. "Don't worry. I will always be with you, no matter what."
"Mummy, I don't want to," Tenchi sniffed. "I want to stay here and get to know you."
"Darling, you know you can't," Achika smiled kindly.
"Doesn't mean I can't try."
Achika smiled again. "I love you, Tenchi, and I always will," she said. "Will you be alright, love?"
"I don't know what's going to happen to me," Tenchi replied. "But the others..."
"The others will be fine," his mother said gently. "I know I can't guarantee it, but I promise they will be. Just don't think about it. You have a mission to do, a very important one. Go and save the universe, Tenchi, like you always have done. Be brave. Go now."
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There was a disturbance some distance away, and Tenchi appeared. This Tenchi was considerably older than Neo, the first of the future selves. He looked about thirty years old, but he could have been any age, given that he could control his appearance. He nodded to himself and started walking towards the Masaki house.
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The group had left the house, and was now walking towards the forest nearby. Tenchi was guiding them towards the newest Tenchi, whom he had sensed when he arrived, but he didn't tell the others. Aki could also feel him, but didn't say anything either.
Tenchi was finishing drying his eyes when Sasami pulled his arm. Tenchi looked down at the little princess.
"Tenchi, who is it we're going to?" she asked.
"What do you mean, Sasami-chan?"
"There's a person in front of us," Sasami said. "Are we going to him? Why?"
"Sasami, this man is the next future version of me," Tenchi replied. "He's going to tell us what to do next."
"What do you mean, next future self?" Ryoko asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Aki said.
"He's an older version of Neo, from before," Mihoshi said. "Right?"
"That's right, Mihoshi," Tenchi replied. "And I'm glad to see that your abilities are developing fast, Sasami. You can already sense other people's energy signals."
"Well, I've been practising," Sasami blushed.
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They met the next future Tenchi as they were walking through the forest. Not in a clearing, but between the trees.
"Hey, you guys," the next Tenchi said. "Call me Future Tenchi. I guess the name could even stretch to Futen. Still, it's only a temporary name, isn't it?"
Tenchi noticed the flicker in Futen's expression as he looked at his friends. Of course, to Futen, they had all died however long ago it was, but judging from his physical appearance, it had been a long time.
"So what do we do now?" Tenchi asked.
"You do nothing," Futen replied. "I send you back in time about sixty-five years ago."
"Why then?" Ayeka asked.
"That's when the wizard is now," Futen said. "Get ready to slice."
Slicing time was what Tenchi liked to call time travel, so it would only be right that Futen called it that as well. Everyone stood in a huddle, touching each other, just in case.
"See you earlier," Futen said, before sending them on their way. After they had gone, Futen proceeded to the Masaki house, to rendezvous with the temporal split.
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The group appeared in a field. Obviously they had moved location as well as through time, because the trees would still have been there otherwise, despite being much younger. Two cows near them looked up, weren't startled by them and went back to eating grass.
There was a town nearby. The group advanced.
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They had appeared in the Thirties, as Futen had said. Around them new buildings were being constructed, which would have been knocked down and built over several times back in the future. It was mid-afternoon, so some people were around, but most of them were at work.
"You know, what I'm wondering is why this wizard is going through so much trouble," Washu said. "It doesn't make any sense for him to be doing any of this."
"Travelling through time, you mean," Aki replied. "I was thinking that too. I guess if he wants to kill Tenchi, he has to have a few screws missing."
"Several people have tried to kill me in the past, you know," Tenchi replied. "Although I managed. I suppose he's just trying to throw us off. He wasn't really expecting us to follow him so far."
"Tenchi, the wizard is here," Sasami said, tugging at his arm.
"You're right, Sasami," Tenchi replied, sensing him too. "You really are developing your powers fast."
"Hey, Tenchi, what about me?" Ryoko asked. "I already have lots of powers. Why don't you give me that much attention?"
"Where do your powers come from, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked evenly.
Ryoko hesitated, and then looked at the jewel on the inside of her wrist.
"They're not really your powers, are they?" Tenchi asked. "They're Washu's, but they're only some of her deity powers."
"Hey, everyone," Aki interrupted. "I hate to break this up, but the wizard is actually quite close by."
"He's probably in disguise, so look out," Tenchi told the group.
"I think he's actually in dhat guise," Aki replied, pointing to a man across the road. He looked like an elderly man, with a white beard stretching down to mid-chest level. His wrinkled face was even more so due to the frown of concentration upon his face. He wore what at first appeared to be normal clothing, but they were normal back in the future, when he left. He appeared to be looking for something.
"Let's go," Tenchi said. "Be careful. Don't do anything until you have to. Remember, what you may do now could affect the future in untold ways."
They crossed the road, as two young women passed the wizard. The wizard grabbed them and said something quietly. The two women each gasped something, as well as for breath, as the wizard was paralysing them.
"Hey, let them go!" Tenchi shouted. He and the others started running towards the helpless women.
The women collapsed to the ground, dead. Tenchi was the first to arrive, and knelt down and tried to see if there was anything he could do. He looked up at the wizard, who was laughing slightly.
"Why did you kill them?" Tenchi demanded.
"Why?" the wizard replied, a more high-pitched voice than would be expected of someone with his form. "Why do you think? Do you have any idea who these women are?"
The others arrived. Ryoko was going to form an energy attack, but a restraining hand from Ayeka stopped her. If she did anything like that it could affect the future immeasurably.
"Who are they?" Mihoshi asked.
"They're you grandmothers, Masaki," the wizard said. "Now that they're dead, you won't exist."
"Paradoxes don't work like that," Tenchi replied.
"True. All the effects you've created will still happen, but you, as a person won't. And that makes all the difference."
"Why?" Aki asked.
"Do you remember about seven years ago? You created a huge energy beam that destroyed my planet."
"I did?" Tenchi asked. Then he remembered. His fight with Sel. Forming the largest kameya-meya ever created, and shooting it at Sel from beneath him. The blast continued through space, smashing asteroids to atoms, before impacting something large enough to disperse its energy into. A planet.
Tenchi sagged his head, thinking about what he had unwittingly done. Around the group, the onlookers had scattered. It was a combination of the fact that two people had just been killed, and the appearance of these strangers with the unusual hair colours.
"That was my planet you destroyed, Masaki," the wizard said. "I was lucky. I was on a nearby planet when it happened. A huge blue burst of light shot through space and hit it. Over half of my planet was inside the blast area, and the rest of it collapsed and shattered when the moon was sucked in. You killed billions of my people, Masaki. I hope you can live with that, for as long as you have left, because as much as I try, I can't bring myself to believe that one person could possibly do so much damage. You."
"We don't need to take this," Ryoko said. "It's time to fight!"
Ayeka stopped her again, more forcefully this time.
"Ayeka, let go," Ryoko growled. "Don't you remember? This guy nearly killed Tenchi by bringing back that Sel!"
"Wait until we know what Tenchi says," Ayeka said.
"I've spent the last seven years coming to grips with the end of my race, and coming up with some way to get my revenge," the wizard said. "Revenge for every life you destroyed. And in all those years, I could only come up with one thing. Your demise. That's right. Even though your death will be little compensation for the annihilation of my home, it's the best and most fitting thing I can think of."
"Shut up," Aki said coldly, resting his hand on Tenchi's shoulder. Tenchi was still staring at the ground.
"It was supposed to be a humiliating experience," the wizard continued. "Stripped of your powers, and destroyed by your first and weakest enemy. But then you came along, clone, and you too, demon," he said, staring at Aki and Ryoko. "You two messed everything up. It's because of you two that you're all going to die. All this messing up time. Don't you think it has repercussions? Cause and effect. There's going to be some sort of collapse somewhere, and you're all going to get sucked up into it. You're the ones that are causing the most damage, you see. It's all your fault, Masaki, and your so-called friends. Wherever you go, you always manage to destroy everything. And now, with your fate in your own hands, you still manage to destroy it. Enjoy yourselves, everyone. You're already dead."
The wizard stepped back and the air around him shimmered. It bent itself around him and stretched back out, revealing nothing but space. The wizard had jumped through time again.
"Tenchi, he's gone!" Sasami said. "What are we going to do?"
Tenchi was still in shock. He had killed billions of people with that attack, and he never knew. He began to wonder if he had killed anyone else similarly.
"Tenchi, we need to go back," Washu said softly, shaking his shoulder.
"That's right," a newcomer said. "You need to do a bit more slicing."
Tenchi jerked his head up and turned around. He came face to face with an old man. The facial features had changed somewhat, and wrinkles had developed under his eyes and across his cheeks, but Tenchi recognised him. It wasn't just the slicing comment that gave him away.
"You're the next Tenchi?" Tenchi asked.
"That's right," the man said, nodding. "I'm from a lot further in your future than you would care to think about. Needless to say, I'm here to help you back to the past."
"When are we going now?" Tenchi asked.
"One hundred million years ago," the old man replied. "You're going to meet the dinosaurs. Remember what Neo said earlier, about being in trouble? That's about to become relevant."
"And what should we call you?" Aki asked.
"Mirai God should be fine," the old man said. "Mirai would also do."
"Mirai, I killed billions of people," Tenchi whispered.
"No you didn't. Rytel just heard differently. He was mistaken."
"Rytel?"
"That's the wizard. It's his name."
"So I didn't destroy a planet?"
"No. When you'll become God in the future, you'll go back in time and stop that kameya-meya just outside Earth's atmosphere. Anyway, ready to slice?"
Tenchi nodded, thankful for this news. It was a great relief to know that there weren't an extra several billion people on his death list. The others moved towards him.
"See you later," Mirai said, before him and everything around the time travellers warped into blackness, and was replaced by a jungle.
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"Where are we?" Mihoshi asked, before tripping up over the nearest available root.
"It appears to be a jungle," Ryoko said.
"No kidding," Ayeka replied.
"This must be what Okayama was like when the dinosaurs were around," Tenchi said.
"What dinosaurs?" Sasami asked.
As if on cue, the ground began to vibrate, then stopped. A bigger vibration then happened, and another.
"Oh, we're in big trouble," Tenchi said to himself, his annoying attribute of irony still with him. "Trust me, you don't want to be around when that thing gets here. Go. Go now!"
Tenchi began running through the trees, closely followed by the others.
"Tenchi, I think you should know something," Washu called as she ran. "I've detected a destabilising field around this entire area. We can't use any of our powers."
"That explains why Ryoko's running," Tenchi called back, looking at the space pirate. Ryoko was running as fast as she could, gasping for breath, as was everyone else.
They suddenly came to a clearing, a large expanse of flat grassy land.
"That's good," Mihoshi said. "At least there are no more roots to trip over."
"No, Mihoshi, this is completely the opposite," Tenchi said slowly, the fear apparent in his voice. "The open land is where the big dinosaurs live. It's only the smaller ones that can find their ways through the trees."
They started to walk slowly though the tall grass, growing as it was to about knee-height. They spread out, as is customary for a group to do upon discovering an open area.
A large crashing sound came from behind them. A large dark green reptilian head appeared out of the trees and roared. It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It burst out of the trees and straight towards them.
Mihoshi and Ayeka started to scream, but Tenchi quickly clamped his hands over their mouths. Aki had done the same with Sasami.
"Everyone, shut up!" Tenchi ordered. "Don't move! It can't see us if we don't move."
The Rex leaned down and began to sniff the area the people were in. Its face came dangerously close to Tenchi and the girls he was keeping quiet. Tenchi just clamped them harder, struggling to keep them still.
The Rex leaned back up and moved forward. It proceeded to pace around where they were. The group moved slowly together.
"What do we do?" Washu whispered. "We can't find the wizard if we can't move."
"Right," Aki agreed. "Why don't we just kill it?"
"Three very important reasons," Tenchi replied. "One, we can't use our powers. Two, it could change the future in ways we can't imagine. And three, we can't use our powers. Now, I realise that I repeated myself, but I thought it was such an important point, it was worth mentioning twice."
"Good point," Aki whispered. "Well made."
"But what can we do?" Sasami asked.
"I'm going to have to distract it," Tenchi said.
"You? Why not me?" Aki asked.
"Because my future selves said I've already done this. Washu, where's the centre of this distortion field?"
"Some hundreds of metres over there," Washu pointed, roughly back towards where they came from.
"Right," Tenchi said. "If I distract the Rex and get it to go over there..." He pointed towards the large clear expanse. "...You should be able to get to the wizard. It's most likely he'll be back there, at the centre of this field."
"Tenchi, wait!" Ayeka said. "You could die."
"Possibly," Tenchi replied. "I could have died many times before, but I managed."
"But that was when you had your powers," Ryoko said. "Now you don't. Let me go instead."
"Yes, let her go instead," Ayeka agreed. "Ryoko, you know I didn't mean it like that," she added as Ryoko looked at her.
"You wouldn't do much better against this thing," Tenchi said. "Look, I'm going. I'll be fine, because my future selves exist. Just go to the wizard and get him to give me my God powers back, or at least remove this distortion field."
Tenchi stood up, and ran away from the group. "Hey, Rex!" he yelled. "Over here! Come and get me!"
The Rex spotted him, roared and turned to give chase.
"You, go now!" Tenchi shouted at the others. "Just go!"
Tenchi turned away from them and ran like death was after him, which it actually was. This death had big teeth.
"Let's go," Aki said, standing up. He hoisted Sasami onto his back and started moving towards the trees. "Everyone, come with me."
But they didn't.
"That Rex is so much faster than him," Ryoko noted. "It's going to kill him." She stood up, only to be pulled towards the trees by Washu. "Hey, what's the idea? I need to help Tenchi!"
"And just what good are you going to be?" Washu asked. "Tenchi's the only one we know will survive. We don't know about us. We should go now, and try to help Tenchi by removing this destabilising field. Don't make me do anything you'll regret."
Grudgingly, Ryoko and the others went, searching for the centre of the field and Rytel, the wizard of Auze.
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After stumbling through the trees for a couple of minutes, they came to the wizard. Rytel was sitting on the ground in front of a tree. He appeared to be relaxing.
Ryoko grabbed him and thrust him back against the tree.
"You," she demanded. "Give Tenchi his God powers back now."
"Why should I?" Rytel asked, his voice calm and steady.
"So that he can create the Universe, and so you," Washu said evenly.
"A good reason, but not good enough," Rytel replied. "You're going to have to kill me."
"Your choice," Ryoko said, as she grasped the wizard's head with both hands.
"Ryoko, no!" Sasami shouted. "Don't kill him!"
"She's right," Ayeka said. "You, disperse this energy suppressing field at once."
"Already done," Rytel said. "I knew this was going to happen, and I'm not trying to escape my destiny. Just kill me."
Aki's mouth opened slightly, and his eyes flickered momentarily. Then he frowned.
"But why were you trying to kill Tenchi in the first place?" Mihoshi asked. "He didn't blow up your planet."
"He did!" Rytel said violently. "He single-handedly destroyed every single life form on my planet. And this is my revenge," he said calmly. "Right now, your beloved Tenchi is in the stomach of a dinosaur in no less than three pieces. Kill me all you want; I'll at least die knowing some kind of justice was done."
Most of the group went pale.
"But once he dies, the magic stopping his God evolution will fade, right?" Washu asked.
"Wrong," the wizard smiled. "The magic affects his mind, restricts it. As long his mind continues on, he'll never become God again."
Ryoko summoned her energy sword and held it to Rytel's neck.
"Any last requests?" she asked slowly and quietly.
"Can you get off me?" the wizard asked, smiling slightly.
"I'm afraid not," Ryoko said, narrowing her eyes.
Space around the two began to warp, twisting around them and enveloping them. The wizard was trying to jump through time again. They vanished almost completely, leaving only vague impressions in the air, and then they suddenly reappeared. Ryoko dropped the wizard to the floor. Rytel was dead.
Aki quickly grabbed Sasami and turned her around, not letting her see too much of the body. He held her while she began to cry.
"Tenchi," she sniffed quietly.
Aki looked up at the others. As soon as he had heard that the field was down, he had tried sensing Tenchi, but he couldn't. He was either dead or somewhere far away. And he knew Tenchi wouldn't have found out he could use his powers again the instant he could. He bowed his head and closed his eyes in remembrance.
"Washu, take us home," Aki said quietly.
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In the next episode of Supplement DB:
The rest of the group return home, thanks to Washu. Once back, they find they have no time for grieving over Tenchi, as something vitally important is happening in the front garden back home. It's the meeting of the Gods, and the destruction of everything around, in "Back to the Past". And this isn't spoiling anything, as you've been told this already, but Tenchi hasn't actually been eaten alive. He's fine. Just so you know.