Tenchi Muyo: Ryoko's Love
Prologue Chapter 2: Nightmare, Memory, and Revelation
By Long T. Tran
Revised By Navaash
Revised by Anthiena (3-30-08) (1-29-10)
Disclaimer:
I don't own these characters, AIC/Pioneer owns them. I'm just writing this because I have no life and I have a huge ego problem. I don't intend to make money off this because I don't want to get a lawsuit. I'm too poor for that.
Ask my friends if you don't believe me.
Editor's Note:
Well, some confusion may have arised and thus: I DID NOT WRITE THIS STORY. I only EDITED it and loaded it up on FFdotNet. I also ask that when you read it, reveiw it! Three people have story alerted this, but only two people reviewed! Memories, criticisms, adoring fandom, just type it down, it's not hard! (teehee)
Nightmare
April 25 2005
Yui awoke to find herself lying on her stomach. Barely conscious, all she could hear were loud explosions. She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by hazed vision; all she could feel was smoldering heat and the vibrations of a violently moving floor. She wanted to stand and find out what was happening, but only perceived pain. In time, her vision returned to her, and she could see.
There were two combatants ahead, engaged in mortal combat as they leapt at and charged at each other. One of them was in a magnificent red-and-black striped bodysuit and appeared to be projecting Light Hawk Wings; Yui finally recognized this to be her mother when she noticed the red gems, one in each wrist and one in the base of her neck. As her vision cleared, she saw that the wings befitted an angel; her mother was also wielding an incredibly wicked-looking red lightning bolt.
Satisfied, Yui glanced at the other combatant and was instantly intimidated by her appearance. This woman wore a peculiar black-and-white battlesuit, had short mid-trimmed red hair, bright green eyes, and wielded an unmistakably dark energy sword in her hands. She shot a glance at Yui, and a surge of pain wracked the young one's body.
Too much hurt! Too much to bear! Yui thought... then she screamed.
"Yui!" yelled Ryoko, looking over at her screaming four year-old daughter while trying to fend off her enemy's blade. Horrified at seeing Yui being tortured by high-voltage electricity, Ryoko became gravely worried about her daughter's health.
"Onimaru!" Ryoko screamed at her foe, face to face, sword to sword. "You'll pay for what you've done... Why? Why Yui and not me?! Yui didn't deserve that! I'm going to kill you, Onimaru!" Tears of rage fell down Ryoko's face.
"Not until you pay your price from our last battle, Ryoko!" scowled the green-eyed woman. "Your bearing of this child is to my advantage and will be the contributing factor to your own death!"
"Shut up, you bitch!" Ryoko swung her sword in pure rage at Onimaru, scoring a direct hit on Onimaru's arm. Onimaru stepped back in pain-then suddenly, to Ryoko's surprise, she proceeded to regenerate the wound there, wiping it from existence in little more than a few seconds. Onimaru then threw out a dark energy wave from her sword at Ryoko; Ryoko put up her Light Hawk Wings just in time to shield herself from the blast.
Yui could only guess what was going on; she was confused through the pain. Suddenly, she was lifted off the ground; somebody was picking her up! She looked up and saw her father, Tenchi. He was using his Light Hawk Wings, shining brightly in all his splendor. A sense of profound relief swept over Yui.
"D-daddy?" She felt her father's healing aura, her pain beginning to subside a little.
"I'm here, Yui," he said soothingly, holding the fragile girl in his arms.
"D-daddy...I want t-to g-go home," Yui said, resisting the urge to shiver lest she lose more blood. "I'm s-scared."
"Don't worry, your mommy and I will get you home." Tenchi held Yui closer, trying to keep her from shivering, keeping her warm and secure. He looked up to see Ryoko locked in battle with Onimaru. From an initial glance, Ryoko was holding out well, but she was obviously injured; a stream of blood poured from her forehead. The sudden sound of footsteps from behind caused Tenchi to instinctively turn; it was Aeka, wearing her full Jurian battle suit.
"I've arrived, Tenchi-domo!" Aeka yelled out. She noticed a bloodied Yui in Tenchi's arms, then looked across the chamber to see Ryoko fighting Onimaru. Aeka watched the battle with great concern for Ryoko's safety, unable to help due to the unstable energy in the air.
"Aeka! Take Yui back to Mihoshi's shuttle!" Tenchi said, carefully handing Yui over to the Juraian queen. "And head back to Earth as soon as possible! Now!"
"I will Tenchi, but what are you going to do?" Aeka asked.
"I have to help Ryoko. But don't worry about us-get Yui off this godforsaken ship!"
"I understand, Tenchi. Good luck," she said, holding on to Yui with care.
"Daddy? Where are you going?" Yui asked, scared at what she felt was about to occur.
"I'm going to go help your mother. We'll meet you back home, I promise." He kissed Yui on her forehead, turned, and charged into the battle.
Aeka dashed back towards Mihoshi's shuttle, carrying a bloodied Yui in her arms. As they made their way out, Yui watched the struggle over Aeka's shoulders, her father trying to get to the heated battle between Ryoko and Onimaru.
Tenchi ran as fast as he could, trying to reach Ryoko in time to head off the collapse of her Light Hawk Wings. A few moments passed, it seemed they were miles away, and he saw that Ryoko was now clearly losing her focus on holding her wings; they seemed to flicker on and off as if a dying light bulb.
"Oh no, I'm too late!" Tenchi cried aloud in horror.
Onimaru, confident that she held the advantage, threw out another energy wave at Ryoko, pushing the Light Hawk Wings aside and enveloping Ryoko within. Grasping her dark blade, she charged into the envelope, poised to strike.
"I've waited for this, Avatar." Onimaru said with evil confidence. "Prepare to die!"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" A horrifying, bloodcurdling scream came from inside the energy envelope. It was Ryoko's voice.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi screamed, hoping to hear any response from her. Nothing. Suddenly his instincts kicked in as he turned and shielded himself from an attacker from behind. He turned and found himself facing Onimaru's shadow.
"You won't kill me that easily!" Tenchi yelled at the shadow. I must get to Ryoko before Onimaru overpowers her!
Then with a loud hiss, the energy envelope fluctuated and dissipated. Ryoko was still alive, her face showing immense pain as she held on to Onimaru's dark blade, holding it inches from her abdomen. Her hands began to bleed from the searing darkness... then her gems began to glow with an angelic brightness. She channeled the energy of the gems, generating an energy discharge to attempt to nullify the dark blade.
Ryoko let out a battle cry-Onimaru's blade started to react to Ryoko's energy discharge-then a huge explosion occurred.
The force of the explosion sent a piece of shrapnel into Aeka's side, causing her to fall over with Yui in her arms, Aeka yelping in pain. As Aeka tried to regain her bearings, Yui painfully crept out of Aeka's arms and back to the battlefield. Having heard her mother's scream before the explosion, she did not want to leave her parents behind.
"Yui! Come back!" Aeka yelled out, struggling to stand up, doing her best to ignore the intense pain. "You can't go back there! You must come home with me!"
Yui ignored Aeka; she didn't want to run away while her parents were in danger. She finally reached the doorway to the chamber; the first thing she saw was Tenchi fighting Onimaru's shadow.
Tenchi turned around to find Yui standing in the doorway; an expression of horror went across his face. "Yui! What are you doing here? I told you to go back home! It's too dangerous!"
Yui didn't respond. Tenchi continued to fight the shadow with his Light Hawk Sword.
Suddenly, an unmistakably evil voice rang out. "So, the 'Miracle Child' has returned to witness her mother's death!"
Yui looked over to where the true Onimaru stood. She could only watch in horror as her mother was being beaten down to the floor, pummeled into the ground by Onimaru's fists and stomped on by the green-eyed woman's boots. Ryoko continued to endure the beating unwilling to give up. She tried to stand, but was knocked back down by a punch to the face; she vomited blood from the gag reflex and collapsed backwards. As Ryoko struggled to get up from her position, Onimaru bended down and picked her up by the neck.
"This time you've lost, Ryoko!" Onimaru said proudly. "How does it feel to be the one receiving all the damage?"
"I've had worse," Ryoko replied, her voice struggling from the pain.
Ryoko was held up in the air like a twisted trophy; her suit was torn, she was cut and blemished, and there was blood everywhere. She futilely tried to free herself from the red-haired woman's grasp.
Not wanting to look into her enemy's face any longer, Ryoko turned her head, only to see something worse: her daughter standing in the far doorway. The look of unadulterated terror on Yui's face caused Ryoko to break into tears.
"Yui..." Ryoko begged, her voice giving out. "Please...don't watch..."
Yui stood paralyzed, not knowing what to do.
"You should've listened to your mother, little girl." Onimaru said, hefting Ryoko into the air as far as she could go with a triumphant smile.
"Please don't kill her!" Yui begged from afar, watching helplessly as Onimaru materialized a sword in her free hand. The dark sword was shining fresh and glorious, darker than the depths of night. She pulled it back, preparing to strike...
Yui forced herself to wake up; she was sweating hard, eyes wide open, trying to forget the re-occurring nightmare. And she hyperventilated, she tried to forget the memory that haunted her for most of her life. Why did it keep reoccurring? Why must she have this same nightmare? She knew that it was a memory - but couldn't remember anything beyond that.
She finally calmed down and looked over at the clock. 10:30 AM. Time for breakfast. She got up from bed, and changed out of her pajamas into her casual wear, a pair of black close-fitting shorts and a short-sleeved shirt that said 'hello'. She tied her long cyan hair back into a ponytail, then looked over to a picture attached to the wall mirror she was looking into. It was a picture of her mother. In the picture, her mother was wearing a light blue colored dress with a black bow tie; it was one of her favorite casual outfits, according to her father. Yui stared at the picture for a while, focusing on her mother's smile; her mother was a very beautiful woman. She then looked at herself in the mirror and studied her resemblance to Ryoko.
Meanwhile, Aeka and Sasami had already arrived downstairs; they'd been at the house since dawn. Tenchi was also already awake, sitting in the living room on the couch across from Aeka. Sasami was in the kitchen, happily cooking up some breakfast with Ryo-ohki on her usual spot on the top of Sasami's head. Aeka sipped her tea, enjoying her conversation with Tenchi.
"So that's all that happened at the meeting?" Tenchi asked.
"Yes; the representatives were all happy about passing the bill." Aeka said. "In fact, they were so happy that they all decided to proclaim a new holiday."
"What? Another new holiday?!" Tenchi exclaimed.
"Yes. It's called, 'Hooray, We Finally Passed the Bill Day!' Shoji named the holiday himself."
"Only Shoji would have the sense of humor and charisma to give a name like that to a new holiday."
"Yes, he would," Aeka replied.
"Very interesting. I guess I can't blame him for being so happy; after all, the bill took at least two years of deliberation," Tenchi noted.
"Yes, two very long years." She smiled.
"So, how's the Empress of Jurai business been coming along?" he asked. "And how's Shoji? How long has it been now, seventeen years?"
"Yes, seventeen years..." she replied, "...since I took his hand in marriage."
"My, how time flies."
Eighteen years have passed since you married Ryoko as well, thought Aeka to herself. She felt a little depressed, naturally; it was supposed to have been her who would marry Tenchi, not Ryoko...
How selfish of me to even think of that! she thought, getting upset at her own thoughts. She greatly admired the display of love the Masaki men showed for their deceased wives: Yosho and his wife; Nobuyuki and Achika; and, of course, Tenchi and Ryoko.
Aeka started thinking about how nave she used to be, hoping to win Tenchi's love in the old days; it took her a while after the wedding to finally accept the reality that she was never going to have him. Ever since Shoji came along, though, winning Tenchi's heart didn't matter all that much to Aeka anymore; she was still fond of Tenchi, but not as much as before. After all, she'd been happily married all these years.
Another thought flew across Aeka's mind. She started thinking about the state of the family since Ryoko's death; Aeka felt fortunate that she had been able to help Tenchi raise his daughter. After the funeral, Yui didn't speak to anybody for eleven months. What would've happened if she hadn't ever been there to help? It was her duty - and her right - to help Tenchi. Now, fourteen years later, instead of being Tenchi's second wife, she was something else...something a little better. She was Yui's godmother, and still a close friend to Tenchi. Aeka felt more like a guardian angel than a friend or family member, watching over the two throughout the years with a protective eye. She smiled at the thought.
Tenchi looked over at the wall clock. 11:00 AM.
"Well, it's time to visit Ryoko," he said, getting up from the sofa and heading out the back door.
"Let me accompany you, Tenchi," Aeka said, standing and following Tenchi out towards the lake.
"By all means," Tenchi replied.
Sasami stepped out of the kitchen, clad in cooking apron and cabbit on her head. "Breakfast is ready!" She looked around and realized she was alone. "Where are Tenchi and Aeka? ...Right. They must be out at the lake visiting Ryoko's
grave."
Washu emerged from her lab, stretching her arms and yawning. She looked very tired from working the whole night.
"Good morning, sister Washu," greeted Sasami.
"Oh, good morning, Tsunami." Washu took great care to seal the lab door shut.
Sasami groaned a little bit at the sound of her other name. She didn't hate the name Tsunami; she was just too used to the name Sasami.
"Oh...sorry, Sasami."
"It's ok, Washu," Sasami smiled. Her smile was quickly replaced by a serious expression. "I know that you were up all last night working on her."
"So you know about Ryoko," replied Washu.
"Yes. I've known about everything for quite some time now," Sasami said. Ever since Sasami had fully assimilated with Tsunami eight years ago, her perspective on the universe had changed and increased exponentially. She was able to see different dimensions, different time periods, and different lives, all intermingling with each other in one unified continuity. Sasami would sometimes get headaches from looking at so many things all at once; fortunately for her, she could turn her high-dimensional perspective on and off at will.
"Really?" said Washu.
"Yes. Really," Sasami replied.
"How long has it been since I got your attention?" Washu asked. "I'm assuming two weeks ago..."
"Yes, that's right. Of course, I have no objections of her coming back," Sasami said with a smile, "even though you're breaking that cardinal rule of life and death." The dormancy of the gems could be attributed to Ryoko's death; now, though, Sasami could feel the gems' active algorithms.
"I knew you wouldn't object, Sasami. ...And I'm not breaking that cardinal rule at all," Washu said with a grin. "It's more like cleaning Ryoko up and putting her back together again. Only at a very sub-atomic level-" Washu frowned. "-and I don't plan to do that ever again."
"Well, if that's how it really is, then I won't think about it any further," Sasami said. "By the way, when is she going to be reunited with us? ...her family?"
"Well, the regeneration process has already been underway for quite some time now; it won't be finished until tomorrow. That's the easy part!"
"What's the hard part?"
"The hard part... is getting her memory back intact."
"I see." Sasami's smile faltered.
"Which is a no big deal for a genius scientist like myself. That is, unless..." Washu began, dropping a hint.
"...unless I help?"
"Yes. To help speed things up a little bit," she said, trying to maintain her proud facade.
Sasami paused and thought about Washu's offer, then smiled. "I'll be more than happy to help you out, sister Washu."
"Thank you, Sasami."
"Don't even thank me. I'm just returning the favor."
"Thanks anyways," Washu said gratuitously.
"Ryoko did save the universe on two separate occasions. Otherwise..."
"Yes, she did." Washu beamed with maternal pride. "The universe and the fate of all life that exists in it fell to her, and she performed well."
"When do we start?"
"First thing tomorrow morning. I just need to get the basic schematics down before we can start anything."
"Alright. Does this mean you'll be using the bridge of the Tsunami?"
"Yes. The bridge is an absolutely essential element in restoring Ryoko back her memories." Washu started back into the lab, but before she could fully step through the door, Sasami called out her name.
"Washu."
"Yes, Sasami?"
"Aren't you going to have breakfast? The food is still fresh and warm!" she said, smiling the way only she could smile.
"Looks like I'm going to have to pass on your offer. Sorry... I'll wait until lunch." Washu walked back in to the lab, the door closing tight behind her.
"I'd better go get Yui before the food starts to get cold." Sasami began to make her way upstairs.
Meanwhile, Tenchi and Aeka stood in front of Ryoko's gravestone at the shore of the lake. Aeka was already deep in the middle of her silent prayer; Tenchi was about to start his when he noticed a bundle of yellow flowers lying at the base of the grave. Tenchi smiled softly; he instantly knew that Yui had placed them there, being her favorite flower. The very sight of them brought back an old memory...
Early 2003
It was another beautiful day at the Masaki household; the sun was out and the weather was nice and warm. Tenchi was out in the carrot fields, plowing the ground, when suddenly he felt a rush of air beat up against his legs. THOOP! Startled a bit, Tenchi realized that something had latched onto his legs. Looking down, he saw his 4 year-old daughter, Yui, hugging him and giving him a big smile.
"Hello, daddy!" Yui said.
"What's daddy's little miracle trying to do? Give him a heart attack?" he said, laughing and picking up Yui and holding her in his arms.
"No, silly daddy!" laughed Yui in return. "I just want to say hi! ...Hello dad!" Yui hugged her father tighter, putting her head on his shoulders.
"Well, I'm touched," Tenchi said, his smile shining. "Hello to you, too," he whispered in her ears, holding Yui tightly in his arms.
Then Yui held her head up, looking into her father's eyes. "Oh!"
"What is it, Yui?" he asked.
"I want to give you something." She reached into her pocket.
"What? You want to give daddy a gift?"
"Uh huh!" she said affirmatively. "Hold out your hand and close your eyes."
"Alright," he said, following his daughter's instructions.
"No cheating OK?" Yui said, reaching into her pocket.
"Don't worry, I won't," Tenchi reassured her, waiting patiently.
"OK! Open your eyes."
Tenchi complied, and saw a yellow flower in Yui's hand.
"This is for you, dad," Yui said, trying to place the flower onto her father's earlobe.
"Thank you, Yui." Tenchi leaned his head over to make it easier for Yui to place the flower onto his ear, and she did so.
"Don't thank me," she said.
"What?" Tenchi asked, a little surprised. "Why not?"
"Because it's mommy's gift to you."
"Oh really?" he said, smiling.
"Uh huh. And she has a message for you."
"What message?" Tenchi asked curiously.
"Um...let me see..." Yui was thinking hard, trying to remember the set of instructions her mother had given her.
Tenchi waited patiently for a few minutes.
"OH! I remember!" Yui exclaimed. "Mommy wants me to tell you to scream out her name out loud. Then mom will tell you the message."
"OK," Tenchi said. "You want to help daddy?"
"Um, OK!"
"On three, OK?"
"OK." Yui said, beaming with enthusiasm.
"One... two... three!" he counted.
"MOMMY!" "RYOKO!" they yelled at the same time.
Tenchi and Yui waited a few moments. Tenchi then felt a breeze of air behind him; he turned around to sees Ryoko standing there smiling at himself and his daughter. Ryoko walked up to Tenchi and Yui, putting her mouth close to Tenchi's right ear and whispering, "I love you, my Tenchi."
Tenchi smiled and faced Ryoko. Ryoko turned and looked at him, then gave him a small but sensual kiss on his lips. Tenchi was still holding Yui in his arms; she was staring at them kissing.
"Ooh!" Yui said teasingly. "Shame! Shame! Shame!"
"Oh, you little tease!" Ryoko said, smiling and patting her daughter's head.
All three of them began to laugh... then everything disappeared but the flowers.
"Tenchi, are you alright?" Aeka asked, noticing Tenchi's flower-induced hypnotic trance.
"Huh?" Tenchi said dumbly, realizing he was back in the present day. "Oh! Uhh...sorry," he said with a tinge of embarrassment.
"It's alright. No need to apologize," Aeka assured him.
Tenchi and Aeka were silent. A few minutes passed by before Aeka decided to speak up.
"It's been thirteen years since she died."
"Yes... it has," he said with sadness, trying to repress the memory of the last few painful moments he had spent with Ryoko.
Aeka noticed Tenchi's expression. Great, now I made him sad. I really put my foot in my mouth this time. Aeka decided to leave him alone for a moment,looking down at the engraved gravestone:
Ryoko Masaki
Died 25th April, 2005
She began thinking about the cruel irony of it all, to see the gravestone placed here at the shore of the lake. This had been the very location where Ryoko had taken Tenchi's hand in marriage; several years later, she'd died in his arms here.
Tenchi picked up the yellow flowers and sniffed them, taking in their aroma. His sad expression disappeared, replaced with a soft smile. After a minute, he began to pray with the flowers clasped in his hands.
Aeka stood there, watching him pray; she admired his devotion for Ryoko.
Unveiling
Meanwhile, back at the house, Yui was still staring at herself in the mirror, finding many ways to compare her own looks to her mother. She was also thinking about how she resembled her father as well.
I have the color of her eyes, except they look more human than feline; I have my father's ears, my mother's nose; hmm...I also have her hair color, Yui thought to herself and smiled.
"Admiring yourself, Yui?" Sasami asked jokingly, walking into Yui's room.
"Aunt Sasami! I didn't know you were here!" Yui said, turning and running over to Sasami. She gave the blue-haired goddess a big hug.
"Hello, Yui," Sasami said, returning Yui's affection and smiling warmly.
"Why didn't you wake me up when you arrived?" Yui asked.
"I was about to, but decided against it," Sasami answered. "Besides, you were sleeping so peacefully."
"Thank you for your consideration," Yui said, her mood changing. "Although I can't say much about the way I woke up." She looked to the floor.
Sasami was puzzled at the last remark, before intuitively figuring out what Yui was talking about.
"Oh... I see," Sasami said. "You had that nightmare again, didn't you?"
Yui nodded yes, still looking down in depression. Sasami decided to give Yui another hug, her warmth lifting Yui's spirits. She smiled, glad that Aunt Sasami was here to make her feel better. What would Yui ever do without her?
"OK, let's go have breakfast!" said Sasami. "You know how much I hate it when the food gets cold."
"Sure," Yui said. "I hate it when I see you frown. ...Makes you look older," she added fiendishly.
"Oh, is that it?" Sasami said loudly. "Well, let's see if you can beat me in a race downstairs!"
"OK! Fine, you're on!" Yui said with excitement. I've never raced her before, hmm... she does run a little slow... I'll beat her like it was nothing!
"Are you ready?" asked Sasami.
"Ready when you are!"
"On your mark..."
Yui knelt down.
"Get set..."
Yui was preparing herself mentally.
"And Yui?"
"Yes?" Yui asked.
"Don't hesitate to use your abilities."
"Are you sure?" Yui asked, making sure Sasami wasn't going crazy on her.
Sasami nodded.
Oh man! I'm really going to beat her in no time flat! Yui thought, giddy.
"Alright..." Sasami finished her countdown. "GO!"
Yui stormed out of her bedroom at lightning speed, zipping through the hallways and growing overconfident as she got to the stairway. Using her flying abilities up to this point, she didn't dare plant her feet on the ground, lest the friction slow her down. In a snap she was down the stairs, mere feet from the dining room where Sasami's delicious food was waiting, when suddenly she came to a dead stop.
"Huh? What the...?" Yui's surprise was natural, she couldn't move an inch.
Suspended in mid-air, she could feel a forcefield of some sort around her. "Hey! I can't move!"
Of course! How could I be so forgetful! she angrily thought to herself. Yui turned her head and saw Sasami floating down the steps; she realized that Sasami was using her goddess powers.
"Hey, not fair! You're using your omnipotent abilities!"
Sasami giggled, floating down beside Yui and touching down on the floor of the dining room. She looks back at Yui and happily said, "I win!"
The force field around Yui disappeared, setting her free. She looked at Sasami and frowned.
"Ah, look! Now who's the one who's frowning and looking old?" Sasami said, pointing a finger at Yui and trying her best to keep from busting her gut.
Yui's frown disappeared as she realized that her Aunt Sasami, the goddess, had just played a practical joke on her. I can't believe I fell for it!
Sasami couldn't hold it in any longer, bursting out into laughter; the unreadable look on Yui's face was just too hilarious to her.
Yui watched Sasami laughing and rolling on the floor; it was a funny sight for her to see, a grown-up laughing like a frolicking hyena. Yui started to laugh with Sasami; soon enough, the only sound heard in the house was the two of them laughing.
Ryo-ohki walked into the room from the kitchen, finding Sasami and Yui rolling on the floor laughing at each other. The two of them suddenly stopped upon noticing Ryo-ohki, moments later, they started to laugh at her.
"Miya?" said Ryo-ohki, wondering what had gotten into them. A bead of sweat formed on her humanoid head.
Tenchi finished his prayer, placing the yellow flowers back at the base of the gravestone. Aeka smiled, placing her hand on Tenchi's shoulder. He looked over to Aeka and softly smiled.
"Thank you for being here, Aeka."
"No need to thank me, Tenchi. I do what I do."
Tenchi grinned at her remark. "Come on, let's go eat; I'm starving."
As they proceeded to walk back towards the house, Tenchi decided to chatter a bit with his once-pursuer.
"So, Aeka..." he began.
"Yes, Tenchi?" she asked.
"When is Shoji coming over?"
"Hopefully he'll be here by next Monday."
"Really!" Tenchi said, excited to see him again.
"Yes," Aeka confirmed.
"Great! I can't wait! Yui will love to hear this, as soon I can tell her," he said joyously. "She just adores being around him."
"By the way, Tenchi, I've been meaning to tell you some good news."
"Really? What is it?"
Aeka blushed a little bit.
"What? What is it?" Tenchi asked, his curiosity overwhelming him.
"I'm pregnant."
"What?! Really?! Wow!" Tenchi exclaimed. "Congratulations, Aeka!"
"Thank you, Tenchi."
"So how long have you been pregnant?" he asked.
"About a month and a half now. I wanted to tell you personally, but Shoji wanted me to wait until he arrived. He wanted to be here to share in on the celebration."
"Don't worry; your secret is safe with me," he assured her.
"Thank you, Tenchi."
"I knew you were putting on a little bit of weight," he added mischievously.
"What?! Am I already getting large?" she exclaimed, checking her figure.
"Just kidding," Tenchi said, smiling. Aeka returned the same.
Tenchi and Aeka eventually reached the house; Yui noticed Aeka walking through the doorway.
"Aunt Aeka!" greeted Yui, walking over to Aeka and hugging her.
"How are you doing, Yui?" asked Aeka.
"I'm doing fine," Yui said, "and yourself?"
"I'm fit and healthy."
"Come on! Let's eat!" Yui said with excitement, walking over to the table. Sasami was already eating her bowl of rice; Ryo-ohki was eating her carrots in humanoid form. Aeka sat down next to Yui; Tenchi sat down next to Ryo-ohki.
"Your father tells me that you were doing very well at practice yesterday," said Aeka.
"Oh... he did, did he?" Yui said, smiling at her father.
"He also said that you almost got the upper hand over him."
"Well..." Yui said, trying to be modest. "I didn't exactly - you know he still has the advantage..." Yui was cut off by her father.
"On the contrary, Yui," Tenchi said with pride. "I think you've learned almost everything you need to learn. Now all you have to do is master your techniques!"
"But, dad!" Yui began, trying to head off her father's next statement. I better think of something to say, before he makes his speech; I better stop him before... Yui was too late. "Oh no," she whispered to herself.
"Ever since she was six, I've trained her to be the best sword fighter! She learned things faster than I ever did, when I was young!" Tenchi said, standing up and curling his fist into a ball. Tears of joy streamed down his cheeks. "Now, eleven years later, she almost bested me! She's grown quicker and stronger! Nobody will ever be able to beat her now! You're going to be the greatest and bravest sword fighter of all time! I'm so proud of you, Yui! SO PROOUD!" he finished with a yell.
Tenchi exhaled and looked at everybody sitting at the table. Yui held her face in her hands, extremely embarrassed. Everybody else had stopped eating, staring at Tenchi wide-eyed; beads of sweat loomed on their heads.
"What?" he asked. "Why's everybody looking at me like that?" Tenchi heard Yui sigh in the background; he cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. "By the way, your uncle Shoji is going to come by and visit."
"Really?! Uncle Shoji? When?" Yui replied, looking up at her father with great enthusiasm.
"I think he'll arrive on Monday."
"Alright!" Yui exclaimed. "I can't wait! It's been two years since the last time he came by to visit. I wonder if he's interested in seeing me practice? He'll be so amazed to see my new abilities!"
"Abilities? What new abilities?" Aeka asked Yui, bemused.
"You mean Dad didn't tell you?" Yui said to Aeka, giving Tenchi a curious look. Aeka nodded no.
"Well, I was thinking that it would be better if you told your aunt first." Tenchi said to Yui.
"Oh," Yui said, understanding what her father meant. She looked over to Aeka and the group around the table, outstretching her hand in a showy way. "Well, here it is!" She formed a blue energy ball on her hands, then turned it into an energy sword.
"Oh my! You can form your own energy sword!" Aeka said with amazement. "That's really interesting... like mother, like daughter."
"You really think so?" asked Yui.
Aeka nodded.
"Well, why not? I guess I really am turning out like mother!" Yui said happily.
"Maybe you can ask Shoji to practice with you," suggested Aeka.
"Gee, you think he'll be willing enough to volunteer?" Yui asked with a glint in her eye.
"I'm sure he's willing, Yui," replied Aeka with a smile. "After all, Shoji used to serve as a Juraian Royal Knight."
"I'll ask him as soon as he arrives," Yui said, proceeding to eat up her rice bowl.
Washu walked out of her lab, tightly closing the door for the last time, and sat down next to Sasami. The blue-haired goddess looked to Washu and smiled.
"Changed your mind?" Sasami asked.
"Yep," Washu said, picking up her bowl of rice and tearing into it. "I realized that I haven't eaten a thing in two weeks!"
"You have got to be kidding!" Yui said with concern. "What have you been doing in that lab??"
"Yes, Washu. Please tell us," Tenchi continued. "What have you been doing in there for the past thirteen years?"
"Let me finish eating, will ya!" Washu barked out between bites . "I'll tell all of you as soon as I stop starving!"
"Does this mean that we'll be finally be able to go in to your lab?" Yui asked Washu, trepidation and excitement mixed in her voice.
Washu nodded yes, continuing to demolish her rice bowl. She was quiet and had a slight looked of concern on her face.
"Oh, wow! This is going to be interesting!" exclaimed Yui. "I've never stepped into your lab before!" Yui smiled, her anticipation growing. "I wonder what's inside it?"
Tenchi observed his daughter's growing anticipation. Yui's desire to enter Washu's lab brought back memories of himself exploring Ryoko's cave when he was younger. Like her father, Yui was forbidden from stepping inside the lab; like
her father, she was curious.
Like father, like daughter, Tenchi thought to himself, sipping his tea.
While Yui continued to grow excited, Sasami and Ryo-ohki observed her with great concern.
Half an hour later, after Washu had finished eating, everybody gathered in front of the once-closet door. Washu opened the door carefully, allowing the group to walk in. Being her first time in here, Yui was amazed to see the huge open spaces of Washu's lab. How can something so big possibly fit in a space so small? Yui wandered off to explore the lab, Aeka close in tow.
"It's so amazing! What do you think of it, Aunt Aeka?"
"It's amazing, although it's not the first time I've been in here."
"That's right!" Yui said in realization. "I was so excited to be here that I almost forgot that you used to come here before I was even born!" Yui looked at a huge tank to her side; a giant alien whale swam inside it. Aeka looked over across the room to sees Tenchi walking towards a black cylinder.
To Tenchi, the lab still looked the same thirteen years after he'd last set foot in it. The lab still had its aquariums, its creatures, and its glass tubes; there was really only one difference: a black glass cylinder in the center of the lab. It had several computers and monitoring systems attached to it, the contents hidden due to the glass being black, obscuring its contents. He didn't remember it, and was compelled to get closer to it for some reason he couldn't explain. As he strained to get a glimpse at its contents, Washu and Sasami walked up behind him.
"Washu, what's in this cylinder? A new invention?" asked Tenchi.
"Not exactly," said Washu. She pushed a sequence of buttons on the cylinder's control board.
Yui was still looking at the alien whale, baffled to see something so huge kept inside a small tank yet remain so happy. Aeka was still by Yui's side; however, the Juraian empress was monitoring the activity across the room. I wonder why they're all gathered around that black tube? Sensing the need to be there, she tugged at Yui's arm.
"What is it, Aunt Aeka?" Yui asked, turning to face her.
"Let's go over there; we need to see why they're all gathered around that tube."
"Alright," Yui said. They began walking towards the black cylinder where Tenchi, Washu, Sasami, and Ryo-ohki were standing.
Washu was entering some more commands into the control panel when she noticed that Yui and Aeka were coming to the scene. She stopped and turned to Tenchi.
"Tenchi, what I'm about to show you is very important. I'm only expecting two types of reactions from you. Positive... or negative."
"What? What is it, Washu?" Tenchi asked, now really wanting to know what was within.
Washu pushed a button; the black glass on the tube became transparent and everybody except Sasami and Ryo-ohki gasped.
A familiar woman floated in the tube, wearing a blue spandex suit in equally blue water; she was in suspended animation, not twitching in the slightest.
"M-mother?" Yui's shock was the greatest; never in her life had she ever expected to see her mother Ryoko again! She stepped up to the glass tube, placing her hand on the glass; that action released a flood of buried memories to her consciousness unbidden. As tears began to well up in her eyes, she could say nothing as she simply stared at her mother. Sasami, feeling the need to act, walked up to Yui and put her hand on the youth's shoulder.
Tenchi and I were at Ryoko's grave today... If Ryoko's here... then who's in the grave? thought Aeka. She hesitantly looked over to Tenchi.
Tenchi just stared at Ryoko, having no idea how to react. Could he be overjoyed that he was looking upon his wife's beautiful visage once more... and still be upset with Washu?
"Is this the real Ryoko?" he asked after an uneasy pause. "...Or is she a clone?"
"She's the real Ryoko; the genuine article," answered Washu as neutrally as she could.
Tenchi's voice turned serious. "Washu... how long have you had Ryoko here?"
"Since the day she died."
Those words caused Tenchi's temper to break. "You mean to tell me that you've been working on her for all these years, and didn't bother to tell me or anybody else? Not to mention the fact that we performed a sacred funeral for her and her body wasn't even present!"
Hearing her father's yelling, Yui took her attention from the glass tube's contents and looked to her father and Washu, listening to her father's words. This was the boldest thing Washu'd ever done that Yui was aware of; she now needed to hear a good reason from the scientist to justify her actions. Why all the secrecy, and why was her mother here now? Those two questions took up all of Yui's mind as she listened.
"Let me explain myself to you clearly, Tenchi; it won't do either of us any good if you scold me further," interrupted Washu.
"Fine... go ahead. This had better be good." Tenchi was visibly strained in his effort to keep himself calm.
Washu's voice was assuring yet stern. "I always have my reasons, Tenchi. I rarely make my decisions out of pure emotion; the very moment that Ryoko died, I had to switch her body with a double and instantaneously place her here in the this unit."
"Why?"
"Because of the residual energy that was left by Onimaru's sword. If she was ever buried here on Earth, without my intervention, there could've been a worldwide catastrophe." Washu's expression turned intensely grim for a moment. "The dark matter radiation left on Ryoko's wounds was concentrated enough to burst into massive fallout."
"Then why wasn't I affected by this radiation? I was the closest person to her. In fact, she was in my arms!" Tenchi retorted, his anger bubbling for a moment.
"Because at that time, she was still alive."
"You mean she was turned into a time bomb?" he asked.
"In a manner of speaking, yes, she was. Ryoko was used by Onimaru as her last-ditch effort to inflict some kind of damage to this universe. If she'd died before I'd done something... every biological organism on this planet would be dead right now."
"OK, OK, we get what you're saying!" Yui interjected, deciding to resolve one of her questions. "Then why the big secret? Why did it take you so long to finally tell this to us?"
"'Why the big secret'? Allow me to explain. I wanted absolutely no risks at all that would hinder Ryoko's regeneration. The moment I teleported Ryoko into this unit, her body exploded."
"E-exploded?" Yui shivered, not liking the mental picture of that description.
"I'm sorry to frighten you, Yui. I'm laying down the facts to you straight."
"It's alright, Washu." Yui said, clearing her mind. "I understand; I should've expected an answer like that sooner. Please continue."
"When Ryoko's body exploded, it was reduced to atomic particles," continued Washu without a break. "I could've regenerated her body within two weeks, if not for the problem of the dark matter radiation. So for the past thirteen years, I had to tediously examine and pick off any radioactive particles attached to Ryoko's sub-atomic matter. It required a lot of patience and a lot of peace and quiet."
"But Washu, why weren't we allowed into the lab?" said Yui, satisfied that her first question had been answered.
"This unit's parts are so delicate that even a few decibels of sound waves can cause it to malfunction. I'm the only one here with enough physical discipline to slow my heart and breathing rate to the lowest possible working conditions. That is why I had to lock everybody out of the lab and why I've kept silent for the last thirteen years. If I told anyone, you probably would have tried to get into the lab... and potentially cause the unit to malfunction, which would have..." Washu paused. "...lost Ryoko at an atomic level.
"Only two weeks ago, the machine was able to expel the last of the dark matter radiation from Ryoko's atoms. It was at that time that the regenerative process began. Now that she's almost fully put together again, I deemed it safe for you all to step inside."
"What is Ryoko's status right now?" Tenchi asked, calm and collected now that he had heard Washu's response.
"She's 97 percent fully restored."
"What happens after she's fully restored?"
"W-ell, even though she will be restored, she isn't quite fully restored yet."
"What do you mean?" Yui asked.
As Yui and Washu spoke, Tenchi took a quiet step backwards, attempting to remain unnoticed.
"She will be completely restored in every way except one: her memory."
"She's going to forget who we are?" Aeka said in surprise.
"Yes, but don't worry," Sasami assured the group. "Washu and I are thinking of a solution. We'll start on her as soon as her regeneration is complete."
Washu stepped in front of Yui, placing her hands on her granddaughter's shoulders and looking at her with sincerity. "We'll all be reunited with your mother soon, Yui. We can forget these past years now."
Yui looked away from Washu's eyes, not knowing how to react. Things were happening too quickly right now... a few minutes ago, her mother was dead; now she was here in the lab, floating in stasis. Alive.
Suddenly, the women heard the lab door slam shut behind them. They all knew the same thing: Tenchi had deliberately left them.
"I'll go talk to him," Aeka volunteered, stepping towards the door. Yui quickly tugged at Aeka's sleeve, motioning her to stop.
"Wait, let me talk to him. It'll be better if I go and speak to him myself."
"I understand, Yui," Aeka said, stepping aside. "Only you and your father could truly discuss this matter."
"Thank you, Aunt Aeka!" Yui hugged her aunt, then ran out of the lab.
Sasami watched Yui fly out of the lab; Washu signaled for Ryo-ohki to quietly follow suit. The humanoid nodded, turning into a cabbit in a poof before departing the lab. Aeka stepped to Washu's side in silence, not knowing how to react to this sudden turn of events.
"Why are you sending Ryo-ohki after them?" she asked.
"I'm sending her because I'm very concerned for Tenchi. He was angry that one minute, then all of a sudden he was very quiet the next."
"What did you expect, Washu?" said Sasami in a uncharacteristically accusatory tone. "After all, you did keep his wife a secret for years, letting him believe that Ryoko was dead-"
"I know that, Sasami!" Washu barked in frustration. "I didn't do this on a whim, you know... you thought that I would do this without consideration for Tenchi's feelings? I'm not that cold-hearted! I was absolutely prepared to bring Ryoko back but I wasn't prepared to know how Tenchi would react. I don't expect him to forgive me right off the bat; but knowing Tenchi, I'm sure he'll find a way to re-evaluate and adjust to this revelation... like he always does."
Sasami was stern. "Let's just hope you're right, Washu, because if he doesn't... the one person who you should worry about more is Yui."
Washu didn't flinch at Sasami's words, though realizing that Yui would be even more hurt if Tenchi didn't find a way to adjust to this sudden situation. Right now, the only thing Washu could do was to watch the events unfold through Ryo-ohki, and hope for the best... while preparing for the worst.
Yui floated out of the lab, hovering around the house in search of her father without success. Then as she doubled back through the hallway, she heard a peculiar thumping sound coming from outside, near the lake. Yui flew out of a nearby window and landed close to her father in stunned silence.
Tenchi had pulled out a sledgehammer from the tool shed; with it, he was destroying the monument representing the biggest lie of his life. In the most poignant thing Yui had ever seen him do, he was destroying and renewing his perspective on life. With each jolting sensation of the hammer's impact to its target, a piece of his soul burned away and resurrected itself at once. This gut reaction was the only way he could purge away a lie that he was led to believe for the past thirteen years.
THOOMP! THOOMP! THOOMP! was the sound after each time he swung, more rock falling away.
"Father, stop!" Yui cried out. It was painful to watch him do this, but her sentiments were exactly like his. She was concerned for her father more than the marker; he looked so angry yet so liberated with each swing.
THOOMP! THOOMP! THOOMP!
"Father, please stop!" Yui yelled out, tears welling up in her eyes. No response; he kept banging away at the marker.
THOOMP! THOOMP! THOOMP!
Yui couldn't take it anymore; she ran over to Tenchi and held him, preventing him from taking any more swings.
"Father! It's gone now! It's destroyed! You don't need to smash it any more!" said Yui, crying on her father's shoulder and hugging him tight.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Yui. It was the only way I could free myself," he said to her quietly. "I mean, the both of us... I'm sorry..." He silently wept with Yui. Holding her tighter, both fell to their knees and catharitically let it all out. Tenchi dropped the sledgehammer, the implement of destruction landing next to the shattered remnants of Ryoko's gravestone. A few feet away from the rubble, the bundle of yellow flowers that had been picked by Yui the previous day laid in the sun unharmed.
The Lonely Moon
I am lonely like the moon
You are faraway as the earth
Now you say I light your thoughts
Night After night
Soon you forget
We are drifting in this dance
I can feel you circle my thoughts
Keeping such a graceful distance
So close but somehow apart
Sometimes I cry for you
Knowing you don't want me to
Sometimes I whisper to the stars up in the sky
That I want to find the way to your soul
Kiss in the sun when morning comes you don't seem to count the hours
When we are not together
I've seen a tender fire in your eyes
Yet when I'm gone you carry on
I float in this emptiness
Till at last love returns
With the night and the lonely moon
Author's notes:
I would also like to give special thanks to my pre-readers, Navaash, Random and Lord Talon. We went through many trials together (especially deciding the ending!) but hey, we pulled it off!
Editor's note:
You may have noticed that there is considerably less editing than the previous chapter. The only thing I can say about that is that between the two chapters, Mr. Tran grew in ability and was able to let his idea breathe. So... please review!
Next: Ryoko's Return
Ryoko's body has been restored. Can her memory follow?