Chapter 3: A fate unfound

The door slid open and there stood Tenchi's father, Mr. Masaki. Ryoko took one look at him and couldn't even fathom that this could be the same person at all. His glasses had grown bigger, his frame had shrunk, and his hearing aid was hid under his gray hair. This couldn't be the same man that loved to drink and enjoyed the women in his company.

"Yes, can I help you?" he muttered while leaning against the door frame. Ryoko could not answer. She was stunned and shocked. Why are you here? Here, of all places? This life is over, you know it is, you just leave right now and say it was a misunderstanding. Yeah, that's what I'll do. She had made up her mind, and there was no turning back. She turned her back and started to walk back to her car when she heard a voice..

"Wait! Don't I know you?" Mr. Masaki took at good, long look at Ryoko at she stood there motionless. Then it hit him. "R…Ry…Ryoko? Is that you there? Why I barely recognized you the moment I saw, but I see it now." Great, he remembers me, now I'm in dip shit. She thought to herself as she turned around to face the house where she once resided. "Well, don't just stand there, come in!" he perked. There was no way out. She had to go in.

The house had changed since she last saw it. The walls had been painted a deep red, the leather furniture had been changed for white cotton, new carpeting, and a young woman dressed in a common manner bustled in the kitchen. Ryoko gave an odd look to Mr. Masaki baffled by the young woman, but of course, he had a reasonable reply. "The doctor ordered that I have a nurse stay and help me for a few weeks while I heal from my hip injury."

Ryoko understood. She saw the limp in him when he walked in, but decided not to bother with it. But how did he get it? "Excuse me, but how did you hurt your hip?" He either didn't hear, or shrugged it off, but Ryoko got the message.

"Please, stay for lunch, Myouki has prepared enough for four people and I'm sure…" But he was cut off before he could finish noticing Ryoko was much more interested in something else. A picture, of the three Tenchi men, at a wedding apparently. But whose, she wondered. "I see you found the picture of the wedding we went to. That was a wonderful day. It was like…"

"Where is Tenchi? I need to speak to him." Ryoko asked sternly, not even lifting her head from the picture.

"He has left. He remained in Tokyo for a computer job or something. I haven't been in touch with him in years. Why do you need to know?"

"I need to see him. Thank you for your time, but I must go." Ryoko bowed to the senior Masaki and dashed out the door. She had to find him. She didn't know why, she didn't know how, but she had to. For some reason, Sasami was at her door, and she felt that he was connected in some way. And why was she there? What had she done wrong? Nothing was going right today.

"Aw, Miss Ryoko, I'm glad you returned. I need to discuss some things with you, about your daughter Maya." Ryoko looked at the older Sasami and ushered in. Typically, she prepared tea for the two of them, brought out crackers, and sat down for a "nice" little talk. But she was in for much more than that.

"Oh thank you. Now, you have 3 children correct? Could you tell me their names?"

Ryoko didn't want to answer anything, only wanted to listen, but she had to. "The youngest, Sammy, 12, Maya, 14, and my oldest, Nagasel, 21, has just started college." She nervously picked up her tea and took up sip. She felt as if she was playing a game of chess with the top player in the world, and while the player is going easy, she was trying to stay in the game as long as she could. She awaited the next move.

"Alright. Thank you. Now, Maya, 14, has been facing some, well, issues as school that have been reported to us. Have you been aware of these? No, well, apparently she has been facing signs of depression and sudden outbursts of violence. But very, very dangerous outbursts."

"What kinds of violence?" One of her knights had just been taken out along with 4 pawns.

"Well, with knives and other harmful objects. The teachers are worried about her, and the effect on the children and their parents. Do you see what I am getting at?"

Of course she understood, she didn't want to but she did. Her bishop had been taken out. "Yes. And what about the depression?"

"Aw, yes, that. Well, the teachers have seen scars on her wrist, from cutting they presume. She hasn't been doing her work, grades are down, attitude is failing, she won't eat sometimes, and…."

"Ok! I understand. I under….I understand," she tried to reply, but her world around had come crashing down around her, and a tear drop rolled down her face, "what are you going to do about it?"

"Unfortunately, we believe the problems have started at home, so I am afraid to say, but, when you daughter returns home, she will pack her belongings, and be taken with us. I'm terribly sorry."

Ryoko couldn't believe what was happening. No, it wasn't happening, it couldn't be. This could not be real, at all! It was all some hoax, it had to be. But it wasn't and this was happening.

Check, and checkmate.

Author- I AM SOOOO SORRRY! I haven't written, in like, a year! But thank you for you reviews. They are appreciated. I'll keep working if you keep replying! Thanks again!