But Here She is Anyway, Still Pissed as All Get Out

Sup! Not dead but kinda feel like I am...

Onward!

"

Tenchi-kama-sama had asked Sylphine to give him some time to speak to his family. Of course, she was ready to demand permission to actually find Gabriel (he had only agreed so far that he SHOULD be found) until...

"Calm yourself child. Gabriel is not going anywhere, I assure you."

With a huff she vanished in a shower of sparkling butterflies. Predictably, Mihoshi clapped in delight while everyone else sighed.

"I assume you have questions."

"Can you actually answer them in present company, Otou-sama?" Tokimi glared.

"Yes musume-chan." his response was a gentle smile.

"Why would you do this to us? You put us all through hell!" Washu fumed. "The things we did to even have in inkling that you existed much less find you-!"

"I apologize, my domain and all within it were nearly wiped out of existence. How dare I panic and literally tear myself apart in order to save it and my still developing daughters." the deadpan delivery seemed so out of character...

Silence.

"Alright then. But you knew who you were after all this happened just now. Were you ever going to tell us?" Aeka looked at him with teary eyes.

"Would it ease your mind at all to know the simple farm boy you came to love could, in fact, wink your grand galactic empire of hundreds of centuries out of existence like it has never been if he so chose? That he could grow bored with the constant chaos around him and simply rewrite reality on a whim? With merely a thought?"

"Uh...well..."

"I have, due to this misfortune, far more control of my reality than nearly ANY guardian in all the realms does. Or even should. I am much closer to the mortal concept of a god than I was ever meant to be. My will is law. I can randomly decide the laws of physics don't apply. I could replace Jurai's atmosphere with gelatin. Decide carbon doesn't exist. Eradicate the barriers between this and higher planes of existence. There would be no consequences that I should care about." the Kami frowned. "And this fact terrifies me."

"Why?" Tokimi.

He observed the growing horror in his loved ones eyes as he spoke. All but hers. True she had felt a spike of fear for her own existence but that passed quickly. This was his realm. Why should he care for anything beyond his own desires for it? Was this not the goal of her and her sisters?

"I should not have such power dear daughter. Even you and your sisters were severely limited in your power to find me. To directly interfere, one of you gave up her divinity and accidentally became another's prisoner. Another bound herself halfway between dimensions and literally got stuck. And you my dear were so disinterested in the consequences as you created anomalies, the discord between you and your sisters grew to hatred. You could not conceive of how they could allow themselves to be changed so drastically by the lower planes. But, you see until 15 years ago, I only existed as the ambience of the lower energy levels. It took eons for my essence to reform as one being. And once I did, I was still too tired to truly awaken. Tenchi Masaki Jurai is, as I said, me. Just with all my awareness as a supreme being bound. However, my powers were not. The random feats Tenchi displayed are the result of this. Honestly, had Z not attacked, it is very possible we could have self destructed. Wiping out the universe as well. Though now, there is no way to be sure."

Tenchi-kama-sama took a sip of his tea, allowing those present to digest what he said.

"And when I did awaken...I knew I too was radically changed by my experience. To the point where the affinity or balance no longer applies to me full stop. I have also been influenced by time as a mere mortal boy. I now care about what happens on a level no Guardian should. It...hurts to know I should be above it all. Functioning as the glue that holds reality together, remaining passive to the actions of mortals unless their actions threaten stability." he looked down into his mug. "But I'm not, nor I can ever be. I have personal investment in everyone present even though most of you, in the big picture so do speak, DO NOT MATTER. But you mean so much to me. The thought of losing any of you, you experiencing pain or hardships scares me. So much so that I chose to remain just Tenchi. Oblivious to what I am. But, as luck would have it, my time as Tenchi has also allowed his luck to carry over too."

"Meaning you had no intention of telling us squat until little miss sunshine showed up." Ryoko groaned. "So what now? We all pretend none of this happened? You erase our memories? In that case why bother to explain?"

"Because have no idea what to do now." the Supreme Deity, creator of their existence...looked so lost at that admission. "I should. But I don't. It's not even a question lacking experience, I could be considered one of the youngest among my siblings. This, ALL of this, DOES NOT HAPPEN. We come into being knowing what we are. Knowing our purpose. Knowing our duty. Knowing even if only vaguely our fellow guardians. There is no learning or training. And that ingrained knowledge tells me I am an abomination. Being as I am is so utterly wrong, this reality should have fractured and completely shattered the instant my bonds were broken."

"Tenchi..." Sasami started to cry.

"Well, it didn't. I don't claim to understand how any of this works mind you. But I do know if there is anyone who can make this situation work it's you." Aeka nodded decisively.

"Yeah impossible seems to be your middle name." Nobuyuki chuckled nervously. Personally he thought he was doing pretty well for a just over middle aged Terran suddenly face to face with the very literal futility of his own existence, thank you very much.

Was he horrendous outclassed by every one in the room? You betcha. But by Kami if there was one thing he learned living through a constant cavalcade of madness was to roll with the punches. Or get rolled. Aeka and Ryoko seemed to be the only ones really able to talk at the moment but one had possibly centuries of diplomatic training to school her thoughts. The other just had no filter.

Seated among broad branches and dense leaves, Sylphine used her tessen to fan herself. Trying to enjoy the lake view and not focus on how much of a time waster this all was-

/You really should relax dear./ A warm motherly voice chidded. The iridescent lines of light bouncing from canopy to the surrounding grass with each word. /Besides, what is time to an immortal?/

"Don't quote the Wyrrd Sisters at me Grandmother Willow." Came the grumbled response.

/For centuries I felt as if I failed Yosho. I did not dissuade him from persuing the pirate as I suspected it was much more about him having an excuse to flee the palace. And I was not strong enough to protect him that battle. Because I had to take root here to recover, we can never return to Jurai. All of his promise as future Emperor ashes in the wind. But it has since become very clear that it was all for the best. Because the end result was Tenchi./ The voice continued, somewhat ignoring her outburst. /I understand your frustration, truly. Your sprout is far from your protective shade and that frightens you. But if I may say so my lady, that is usually where they tend to take root and best mature into strong saplings./

The Lady Sun remained quiet this time. Unable to really respond to Funaho-Ki as tears formed in her eyes.

A little heavy with the feels but necessary. Sylphie misses her baby and is very worried. But now it's very clear there is so much more at stake.