I don't own Tenchi Muyo (I wish I did, but sadly….) Well, anyway. Please enjoy my second fic!!!

The Tree

By Shoko-Chan

Chapter 1

It was a calm morning in the Masaki household, mainly because barely anyone was up. The single stirring soul was Sasami, who was merrily chopping vegetables while humming a cheerful tune. Ryo-Ohki yawned lazily and looked at a nearby carrot, looking quickly up at Sasami and back longingly to the vegetable set in front of her. "Go ahead. I think I have enough anyway," Sasami said, a smile playing across her face. As Ryo-Ohki pounced on the carrot, Tenchi walked into the kitchen, dressed in his shrine-tending robe.

"Good morning Sasami. You sure are up early," Tenchi said. He sniffed the air. "Smells delicious…What is it?"

"It's just some stir fry," she said, blushing at Tenchi's complement.

"We sure do appreciate you cooking for us. It must be a hard job. Well, I've got to be off to the shine. I need to do some sweeping. Bye!" Tenchi said, walking out of the room.

Sasami sighed and kept chopping. She had remembered her dream from last night. She'd had many of the same kind, but this one seemed more vivid and real then normal. It scared her…Tsunami, Tenchi, Ayeka, everyone had left her…all alone, she had cried out for help, but no one came. So she sat there, helpless and vulnerable. Then, she was in the Jurian Tree room. She had stopped crying and looked a small girl…herself…wandering through the platforms as the ground shook beneath. She watched on in horror as the young girl fell off the platform, but didn't assimilate with Tsunami. She just lay there, motionless, bleeding…dead…As she looked on, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned and saw a boy about her age. That had jerked Sasami out of sleep in a sweat. She couldn't go back to sleep, so she got up early and cooked.

She realized that she had been chopping a zukini so thin, you could on seen through it and shook her head out of depression.

A loud crash was heard in the living room. "Oh god…why did I have all that sake?" Ryoko moaned from off the railing. Sasami sighed as she dropped the vegetables into the frying pan as she listened to the people in the other room.

"Ryoko, seriously, must you wake us all up? It's not our fault you're a drunken fool," Ayeka's voice said from the next room.

"Well miss goody-goody, some of us walk on the wild side. Beside, Tenchi wouldn't go for girl who can't have a little fun!"

"Well what makes you think he'd go for an overbearing hussy like you?"

Loud crashing reached Sasami's ears. She figured she better break it up before anyone got hurt. "Breakfast is almost ready!" she shouted, walking into the living room. Ryoko had some of Ayeka's hair in her fist and Ayeka had her nails digging in to the demon's arm. "Honestly, I wish you to would stop fighting all the time," Sasami said scolding them. Mihoshi and Washu walked in. Mihoshi was wearing some pajamas with ducks.

"What is all the racket out here? Are you two fighting again?" Washu said angrily. "I swear you two are at each other's throats more often then usual lately. It must be because of the festival tomorrow."

"Oh, I almost forgot! I need to finish my new kimono for tomorrow," Sasami said, smiling. "Oh, breakfast is ready everyone!" she said, remembering her vegetables simmering in the kitchen.

Later that day…

Sasami sat outside, sowing away on a kimono. She sat by the lake, the wind blowing softly against her face. She heard footsteps behind her. "Hello," she said behind her, not looking to see who it was.

"Hello," an unfamiliar voice said back. Sasami whipped her head around and her mouth dropped. "So, you recognise me…"

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave me alone!"

"But how can I? We were ment to be and…"

"No!" Sasami said, leaping up and running off into the woods, her kimono in hand. Tears gushed down her face as she ran.

Meanwhile, Tenchi was cleaning up the shrine, sweeping, scrubing, and other chores. He was scrubing the floors when he heard her coming up behind him. "Sasami, what's wrong?" Sasami wouldn't answer, she just kept crying. Tenchi gave her a confused, sympathetic look and hugged her.

From the shadows, the figure watched smiling…