Disclaimer: I dun own the characters of Tenchi Muyo.

They were all out with flashlights searching for a good part of the night. They called for her but no answer came. Sasami was in tears by the end of the night. Ryo-ohki was clearly distressed, she didn't know to go to Ryoko through their link or stay with Sasami. Tenchi held off until he went to bed.

It was then that his tears came, like a waterfall. They made his face wet instantly, though he made no sound. He didn't understand why he was so sad. Maybe it was the fact Ryoko might be gone, one of his dearest friends, just gone. Or maybe it was that she ran away. Or maybe, it was because he knew how much she loved him and here she was fighting a sickness to stress her out. He didn't know what it was, but he fell asleep crying.

As he was falling asleep a creature slipped out of the house. Ryo-ohki's fluffy little form made her way towards the cave, in which Ryoko had hidden herself. She meowed feverishly, she knew her master was there. A hand reached out of the dark cave.

"You came for me. I didn't think you would. You came." As Ryo-ohki came forward the hand gently gripped her, drawing her into a hug. As she was hugged she became her little human form, once again crying and clutching Ryoko. She couldn't seem to handle it. "Shhh…It's okay. I know. We have to go somewhere safe or we will both die."

Ryo-ohki backed up and turned her head down, a single tear falling. She didn't want to leave. Not one bit. But what choice did she have? Like Ryoko she was not developed for earth life. Ryoko was going through more than a period Washu had found. That was a sign she was starting to adapt to earth. But in her research, Washu had found that eventually the whole system would break down, unless she found a sort of antidote, Ryoko could not keep going.

The scientist slammed her fist on the table as she watched the two on her computer screen. "Damn! I'm doing all I can! And it's still not enough! For a genius like me this sort of situation should be easier to solve." She banged her head on her desk. "I'm no closer than I was this morning." She closed her computer then, very unlike her. She wanted to keep researching. But the fact her daughter was so sick took a lot out of her. So she laid down. As she did she heard Ryoko wish her goodbye over their mind link. If anyone had been watching, they would have seen Ryo-ohki do some twirls in the sky before leaving the planet.

Tenchi noticed his face was kinda sticky as he woke up. It wasn't surprising, seeing how had fallen asleep. That's right...Ryoko! His immediate reaction was to run out of his door, panting as he ran downstairs. Ayeka stopped him on the way.

"Tenchi, what is the rush?"

"Did you guys find Ryoko? Please tell me! I'm begging you Ayeka!"

She was severely disturbed about how concerned he seemed about Ryoko. She hadn't even relayed the message she had received this morning! And he was concerned about that monster woman! "No we didn't find her! And a good thing too!"

"Ayeka, how can you be so heartless!" Tenchi pushed past her, in even more of a rush now. He opened Washu's door without knocking, closing it swiftly behind him as he noticed something was wrong. Washu was not…working. She always was working. Everytime he came in he could hear the never-ending clicking of the buttons on her computer as she researched this, or created that. Instead, she was laying down in her chair; she didn't look so good. "Washu? Oh my God, what's wrong?"

"Tenchi? I said call me Little Washu…" She didn't put any effort into saying it though, and only sat up rubbing her eyes. "What do you want huh?"

"I…well, I'm worried about Ryoko, surely you must know where she is Little Washu! You two share a link." He began to get kind of a stubborn look. Was she holding the information from him? Why? Didn't he deserve to know? "Please tell me!"

"Shush." She drew herself up with a sigh and headed over to her computer, turning it on and loading files. "Ryoko has left us."

Tenchi found himself falling forward. Like he was falling into a dark void with no way out. Ryoko gone? This soon? He never got to see her…what about her!? Of all the people she would want to see last, it would be him. "No…she…I thought she had time left.

"Oh she has plenty of time left now."

Tenchi just gave her a blank stare.

"Right." She sighed, hating having to talk to him about this. "What I mean is she left earth. Her and Ryo-ohki. They both would be suffering. She has time left now that she has gone, and I will be searching as much as I can for an antidote to help bring her to normal. You think I'd leave my little girl like this?"

"Well no…"

"Have more faith in this genius Tenchi! I'll find a way to help her, then she can come back like you want and live on earth here with you."

"Oh thank you…huh? What do you mean what I want?" He stepped towards the door, lest Washu began to question him again.

"I know you want her back. You're telling me you don't have maybe an inkling of love for Ryoko that isn't just friend powered?"

"Um…please hurry with the anecdote Miss Washu." He closed the door hurriedly as a small crab stuffed animal crashed into it, followed by ranting about the 'Miss" in front of her name.

As he exited he saw Sasami and Ayeka on the couch, both had long faces and looked up at Tenchi. "Oh, Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka looked up at him, but despite a smile she had she looked sad. "I…I have to return to Jurai now. It's a state of emergency because they saw Ryoko flying around."

"So…what do you mean? Jurai is going after Ryoko?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. And I have to be there to command them to do it."

Ayeka:...You have it in for me don't you.

Me: Yup.

Ayeka: Why? I am polite and I have good manners!

Me: Plus you;re a snob.

Ayeka:...Shut up.