This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has reviewed so far. Your kind words fueled my writing while I was stuck in a writers block. Snaps for you all! -snap snap- Thank you for waiting so long for this chapter.
I don't own Tenchi Muyo or any related characters ect ect. Plot IS mine though! No takies! --------------------
"Teeeenchiii. Wake up Tenchi."
Tenchi opened his eyes and stared ahead of him, seeing darkness before his eyes. He shifted slightly with a groan and squeezed his eyes shut. He then opened them fully and a face swam in front of m, long magenta locks falling around him.
"Washu?"
"Hello Tenchi." Washu chirped with a smile "Glad to see you're awake!" Washu's face then disappeared from his view, leaving him to gaze once more at the darkness above him.
"Washu. . . What are you doing in my closet?" Tenchi asked, turning his head slowly to look at her. She was sitting Indian style on a floating cushion, her fingers dancing across the black see-through keyboard that he'd seen her work at before. She looked up at him and smiled.
"You mean why you are in my laboratory?" She corrected as she continued typing. Tenchi opened his mouth, shut it, and then opened it. But he didn't have time to say anything because she got up and walked over to him, bending down to look him directly in the eyes.
"Tenchi, I am here to help you get Ryoko back."
"You are?!" Tenchi cried delightedly, sitting up and gazing at her.
"Well, I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't!" Washu replied, standing up and shrugging. "I mean, I WAS her partner in crime at one time! Besides, this is exactly what the worlds greatest scientist is best at!" Washu laughed loudly, placing her hands on her hips. She then was recaptured by her silence and returned to her floating cushion to type.
Tenchi took this moment to look around the room that he was in. It was fairly small, and circular, but had doors all around the walls. Each one was the same size with a rounded top and a small circular window of thick tinted glass near the top. The ceiling could not be seen, for it was shadowed and where it ended was indistinguishable. The walls were off white, with splotches of forest green.
Tenchi slowly eased himself off of what he had been laying on and placed his feet on the hard warm floor, looking behind him and finding that he'd been on what looked like a slender black floating futon.
Leaning against the bed Tenchi lifted his left leg cautiously and observed the bottom of his foot. There seemed to be no signs of the splinters of wood and glass that had cut him when the soldiers had shown up. Had those officers been Juraian or Galaxy Police?
"Juraian." Washu said aloud. Tenchi looked up, bewildered.
"You were talking aloud Tenchi." Washu informed him with a grin that seemed to spread across her whole face and lighten her entire aura. Her expression became somber instantly as she spoke again, "They were Juraian ships. There were four of them, sent on special order by Lady Ayeka and Lord Kibishii."
Tenchi looked seriously at Washu, a small frown tugging at his lips. "The man who came in; the leader. . . He said he was arresting her for . . . for. . ."
Tenchi struggled with the word on his tongue. He was tearing and small droplets appeared on his eyelashes that blurred his vision. "He arrested Ryoko for mur-murdering Sasami . . ."
Washu lowered jade colored eyes to the floor and heaved a breath. She then looked back up at Tenchi who was vigorously rubbing away the tears in his eyes.
"Yes, she was arrested for the murder of Lady Sasami." Tenchi lowered his arm and gazed at his toes, struggling with the next question.
"Is. . . Is Sasami. . ." he choked on the word, and as he said it he tasted bile in the back of his throat "dead?"
Washu glanced seriously at Tenchi, her face pinched into a calculating expression. She tilted her head slightly and then lowered her face to her computer so that strands of her magenta hair fell into her eyes.
"Yes Tenchi." Tenchi mimicked Washu and lowered his face to the ground, his eyebrows knit together. There were tears forming on his lower lashes again, and he was thankful for unbound strands of his dark hair that was hiding his distressed expression.
To think of Sasami gone . . . it was frightening as well as upsetting. When she had been living with him, she had been so sweet, and so mature. Sometimes, it was hard to remember that she was still a child. For a moment, he recalled the last time he had seen Sasami in person. That fateful night when Ayeka and Sasami were summoned back to Jurai.
Since a marriage for Ayeka and Sasami had been put into place while they were on Earth, they hadn't any say on when it would be. That day the royal fleet had arrived on earth with formality and gravity. Over 30 soldiers were standing outside his door in the chill of early spring, the ground cold as ice and their breath coming as puffs from their mouths.
The commander at the door was an old man. He started to explain the situation to Tenchi seconds after a hasty greeting to him. The commander, who made sure he remained nameless throughout the entire ordeal, talked very fast using long words. When he was done, only his final sentence rang in Tenchi's ears confusing him even more.
'Therefore, to the highest degree of anguish of the imperial flotilla, we are obligated to convey Lady Ayeka and Lady Sasami back to Jurai for their nuptials.'
The man then had moved Tenchi to the side and about 5 men entered the house. He could hear the protests of Ayeka, Ryoko and Sasami from the kitchen as the soldiers entered. He followed the militia to stand in the door frame and saw Ayeka talking to the man who Tenchi had greeted at the door. Ayeka looked solemn and Sasami frightened as she clung to the back of her sisters dress. Ryoko was frowning and looking disrupted and angry.
"What is going on here?" Tenchi had asked from the doorway. Ayeka turned saddened burgundy eyes towards him and attempted a limp smile.
"They want us to return to Jurai Lord Tenchi . . . It seems that there has been a marriage planned for Sasami and I." Ryoko had made a low noise of disapproval and he had stood stunned. To everyone's surprise Sasami broke out in tears
"I'm not going with them!" She'd wailed, bowing forward to hide her eyes in Ayeka's hair. "I'm too young for a marriage! I want to stay here! I want to stay with Tenchi! I am not ready to grow up yet." The assembly watched as Ayeka turned to Sasami and embraced the small girl in her arms.
"Shhhhh Sasami . . . we must . . ." Ayeka heaved a defeated sigh "We must go with them . . ."
Tenchi heaved a sigh similar to Ayeka's way back then and shut the memory away, the bewildered look that had painted Sasami's face too much of an anguish.
As the silence between the two of them stretched Washu looked up to Tenchi. Her face was drawn, and serious, but she was obviously putting on airs, since her emerald eyes were unusually moist. She watched Tenchi as he got lost in his own thoughts, pondering her own. Tenchi cleared his throat to grab Washu's attention.
"Washu . . . How do you plan on getting Ryoko back?"
"I'm not quite sure how I am going to do it Tenchi. I have only been assessing the situation for about 16 hours."
"16 hours?" Tenchi echoed. "16 hours since Ryoko was imprisoned?" He was obviously frustrated by this. What were the chances of catching up with the Jurian ship now?
"Tenchi," Washu began, as if she was trying to calm a child about to have a tantrum, "I had to take care of you, plot the path the ships were taking back to Jurai, find the ship Ryoko took here, call Kiyone, decode-"
"Kiyone?"
"Yes. Kiyone and Mihoshi are on their way." On the keyboard in front of Washu a light started to flicker and bleep. She seemed pleased at that.
"Ah. They'll be here soon! Follow me Tenchi, I'll show you the way out!" Washu climbed off of her cushion and walked past Tenchi casually to one of the many identical doors. Turning the knob it swung open. Inside was an escalator heading up into the darkness of the room beyond it.
"Follow me please Tenchi." She stepped onto the moving stairs and started to disappear into the dusk of the room. Tenchi follow, anything up enthusiastic. He stepped onto the escalator and looked around at the ever present duck around them, seeing only the outlines of the large cylinders and tubes around him.
"I don't remember you ever having a place like this in your lab Washu . . ." Tenchi commented quietly, his voice echoing in the strange silence of the room as the escalator moved them noiselessly upwards.
"That is because I never had anything like this in my lab five years ago Tenchi. Last year I re-vamped during spring cleaning. It is now 22% easier for a person who knows where they are going to get there and 34% harder for intruders to find their way around! Also I cleaned out a room I had totally forgotten about and have 45% more storage space!" She turned around to look at Tenchi, beaming with her accomplishments. Tenchi smiled back, her mood rubbing off on him, even if only slightly.
"Is Yugi in here?" He had to ask. Sakuya had been a big part of his life for a long time and Yugi was directly tied into that. Washu smiled at him, though what emotion had caused the smile was hidden.
"Yes, she is here." The conversation was left at that.
They traveled in silence after that, each to their own thoughts. Washu eventually broke the silence.
"Here we are Tenchi! Watch your step!" She skipped up the last few of the rotating steps and jumped onto a small platform. Tenchi followed suit, landing heavily on both feet. Before the two of them was a door. It was simple and wooden, an exact replica of his closet door. Washu walked over and opened the door, motioning for Tenchi to go ahead of her.
Tenchi hesitated for a moment. Beyond the door, everything seemed quiet. But he still didn't want to go out there. He was afraid of what he might find. But it was obvious to Tenchi that Washu was not going to lead the way. With a slight shudder Tenchi walked out the door.
If it wasn't for the shattered glass and his bloody footprints Tenchi would say the house looked almost normal. The past evening had dawned into a beautiful day. The sky was empty of clouds and the wind whistled softly through the windows and the still open door. Sunlight glinted off the sharp glass splinters that were scattered across the rooms.
Behind him, Tenchi heard Washu close the door to her lab. She looked around at the hallway, her eyes lingering on the broken window panes and the copper colored footprints across the floor and up the stairs.
"Isn't it funny?" Tenchi mumbled as Washu stood beside him "My whole world just came crashing down around my head, and the sun is still shining and the day is gorgeous. Why?"
Washu bowed her head and said nothing. Tenchi smiled a little lopsidedly and looked around again. For a long while he studied a piece of glass at his foot. But something sticking out of his pocket pulled his attention away from that. It was a celluloid corner that was sticking out of his pocket.
Tenchi took a moment and eased the picture out of his pocket, being careful not to rip any corners. One it was free of his pocket he smoothed the wrinkles out with his thumbs and then stared at the image. It was the picture of Ryoko he had picked up from his floor right after the soldiers had left.
The picture in his hand didn't bring him comfort, or make him feel any more upset. He was feeling about as low as he thought possible at that moment, and seeing Ryoko's smile and the rays of sun caught in the picture reminded him of the fact that Ryoko had been taken prisoner and unjustly charged. But the picture did bring a certain determination to Tenchi. Now he wanted to find her, to clear the record and get her back.
Slipping the picture back into his pocket Tenchi gazed around the main hall once more. Washu seemed to be done giving Tenchi time to reflect because she instantly started to usher him towards the main door.
"Careful of the glass Tenchi!"
Tenchi stepped as cautiously as he could around the room, surprisingly not cutting his feet again though he did get poked several times and had to stop to brush away the things that had stabbed him. Once Washu and Tenchi were clear of the mess in the house Washu took the lead and brought the two of them to stand in front of the lake.
"Washu?"
"Keep you eyes on the sky Tenchi. They should be here soon!"
Tenchi blinked in confusion to this and looked up at the sky of blue and the few fluffy clouds that drifted along idly. He scanned the horizon and looked around him in a 360 circle, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then Washu pointed to something and Tenchi looked up, staring at a small moving dot.
"What is that?" Tenchi shielded the sun from his eyes with his hand and squinted at the speck.
"That is Kiyone and Mihoshi's space ship! Once they're here we can leave for Jurai."
"You really have this planned out, don't you?" Tenchi asked, a little surprised.
"Noooo, not really!"
Tenchi shook his head a small smile on his lips.
"But just because I'm not planning doesn't mean I am not ready Tenchi." Washu said in a rather serious voice. Tenchi attempted a wider smile, knowing Washu was right. The speck in the sky started to get larger, turning from black to the gray of metal. Soon a dull roar filled the air, becoming louder. Tenchi frowned slightly, backing up and sincerely hoping that Kiyone was the one in the driver's seat.
Above head, the space ship soared, swirling dust around the two people below. Tenchi covered his face and Washu shielded her eyes.
With skill the spacecraft, rather small when it was up close, made a landing on the far side of the house, smoothly setting down on the edge of the woods. The engines cut and a silence void of even the sounds of nature was left. A door on the side of the ship creaked and lowered down. With professional seriousness two women marched out of the ship and across the space to stand in front of them. They snapped to attention and saluted.
The two figures who stood before Tenchi and Washu smiled as they broke their salute. Tenchi had seen both officers recently, but Washu hadn't, and was obviously happy to see them. Kiyone grinned and Mihoshi's eyes got watery. For a moment no one moved, which Tenchi found awkward. But the moment passed and Washu was tackled by Mihoshi and greeted by Kiyone.
"MISS WASHU! MISS WASHU!" Mihoshi wailed as they went crashing into the ground. Kiyone's eyes widened and she jumped at her partner in an attempt to get the girl off Washu.
"Mihoshi! You're such an embarrassment! Get off Washu!"
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Mihoshi crawled up off of Washu and stood above the scientist scratching her head in humiliation. Kiyone offered her hands to Washu and helped her up and then the two embraced quickly.
"It's been a while Washu." Kiyone said with a smile. Washu smiled back and stepped away.
"Indeed it has."
"Are you ready to go?" Kiyone asked, looked between Tenchi and Washu. Mihoshi fidgeted behind her partner, obviously wanting to ignore her trained duties.
"Yes we are." Washu replied. Tenchi frowned as he looked at her.
"Washu, I need to pack and clean the house and let Dad know I am going. I'd like to leave as soon as possible but I really can't leave all these loose ends."
Washu laughed, snapping her fingers. Behind her two suitcases flickered into focus and then became solid. Around the house 4 basketball sizes robots appeared.
"I have it under control Tenchi. Everything is packed, these droids will clean the house and fix the windows, and there is a hologram in the entrance hall that will activate when your father gets home explaining the basics." Washu grinned, pleased with herself "No less from the greatest scientific genius in the universe! So I'll leave you to get your luggage!" Washu then walked away. Kiyone started to help Tenchi but Washu grabbed her arm and tugged her away, the suitcase she had been about to pick up falling to its side.
"I need to show you travel plans Kiyone!"
"Oh, I'll take this one Tenchi." Mihoshi said, reaching for the suitcase. Tenchi picked up the other one and the two fell into step behind Kiyone and Washu.
"Wow Tenchi, this is almost like old times, isn't it?" Mihoshi bubbled, awkwardly clutching the suitcase to her chest. Tenchi smiled.
"Almost." He agreed, lowering his eyes.
"Tenchi, we will get Ryoko back."
Tenchi looked up to meet Mihoshi's baby blue eyes. She gave him a small smile and looked ahead.
"We'll get her back Tenchi. Till then there is no use sitting around being sad, it won't help any one. We're all worried, but we need to be strong for one another! We've done this before, and we'll do it again!"
Tenchi smiled and took a deep breath.
"Tenchi, Mihoshi, come on!" Kiyone called over her shoulder as Washu lead her onto the little ship. "The main ship is waiting for us and once we get there we can get going!"
"Come on Tenchi!" Mihoshi called, running for the ship. Tenchi smiled again, wider and feeling how nice it really did feel to be reunited with these three.
"I'm coming Ryoko..." He murmured, pausing for a moment. Then with a smile he shook his head.
"No. WE'RE coming."
-------------------- END CHAPTER 5
Wow, that was a long and difficult chapter for me. When I started this fic I was so familiar with the Tenchi in Tokyo series but now I can barely remember the series other than my sincere dislike of Sakuya. ; Please excuse any problems with the setting or the writing
I don't own Tenchi Muyo or any related characters ect ect. Plot IS mine though! No takies! --------------------
"Teeeenchiii. Wake up Tenchi."
Tenchi opened his eyes and stared ahead of him, seeing darkness before his eyes. He shifted slightly with a groan and squeezed his eyes shut. He then opened them fully and a face swam in front of m, long magenta locks falling around him.
"Washu?"
"Hello Tenchi." Washu chirped with a smile "Glad to see you're awake!" Washu's face then disappeared from his view, leaving him to gaze once more at the darkness above him.
"Washu. . . What are you doing in my closet?" Tenchi asked, turning his head slowly to look at her. She was sitting Indian style on a floating cushion, her fingers dancing across the black see-through keyboard that he'd seen her work at before. She looked up at him and smiled.
"You mean why you are in my laboratory?" She corrected as she continued typing. Tenchi opened his mouth, shut it, and then opened it. But he didn't have time to say anything because she got up and walked over to him, bending down to look him directly in the eyes.
"Tenchi, I am here to help you get Ryoko back."
"You are?!" Tenchi cried delightedly, sitting up and gazing at her.
"Well, I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't!" Washu replied, standing up and shrugging. "I mean, I WAS her partner in crime at one time! Besides, this is exactly what the worlds greatest scientist is best at!" Washu laughed loudly, placing her hands on her hips. She then was recaptured by her silence and returned to her floating cushion to type.
Tenchi took this moment to look around the room that he was in. It was fairly small, and circular, but had doors all around the walls. Each one was the same size with a rounded top and a small circular window of thick tinted glass near the top. The ceiling could not be seen, for it was shadowed and where it ended was indistinguishable. The walls were off white, with splotches of forest green.
Tenchi slowly eased himself off of what he had been laying on and placed his feet on the hard warm floor, looking behind him and finding that he'd been on what looked like a slender black floating futon.
Leaning against the bed Tenchi lifted his left leg cautiously and observed the bottom of his foot. There seemed to be no signs of the splinters of wood and glass that had cut him when the soldiers had shown up. Had those officers been Juraian or Galaxy Police?
"Juraian." Washu said aloud. Tenchi looked up, bewildered.
"You were talking aloud Tenchi." Washu informed him with a grin that seemed to spread across her whole face and lighten her entire aura. Her expression became somber instantly as she spoke again, "They were Juraian ships. There were four of them, sent on special order by Lady Ayeka and Lord Kibishii."
Tenchi looked seriously at Washu, a small frown tugging at his lips. "The man who came in; the leader. . . He said he was arresting her for . . . for. . ."
Tenchi struggled with the word on his tongue. He was tearing and small droplets appeared on his eyelashes that blurred his vision. "He arrested Ryoko for mur-murdering Sasami . . ."
Washu lowered jade colored eyes to the floor and heaved a breath. She then looked back up at Tenchi who was vigorously rubbing away the tears in his eyes.
"Yes, she was arrested for the murder of Lady Sasami." Tenchi lowered his arm and gazed at his toes, struggling with the next question.
"Is. . . Is Sasami. . ." he choked on the word, and as he said it he tasted bile in the back of his throat "dead?"
Washu glanced seriously at Tenchi, her face pinched into a calculating expression. She tilted her head slightly and then lowered her face to her computer so that strands of her magenta hair fell into her eyes.
"Yes Tenchi." Tenchi mimicked Washu and lowered his face to the ground, his eyebrows knit together. There were tears forming on his lower lashes again, and he was thankful for unbound strands of his dark hair that was hiding his distressed expression.
To think of Sasami gone . . . it was frightening as well as upsetting. When she had been living with him, she had been so sweet, and so mature. Sometimes, it was hard to remember that she was still a child. For a moment, he recalled the last time he had seen Sasami in person. That fateful night when Ayeka and Sasami were summoned back to Jurai.
Since a marriage for Ayeka and Sasami had been put into place while they were on Earth, they hadn't any say on when it would be. That day the royal fleet had arrived on earth with formality and gravity. Over 30 soldiers were standing outside his door in the chill of early spring, the ground cold as ice and their breath coming as puffs from their mouths.
The commander at the door was an old man. He started to explain the situation to Tenchi seconds after a hasty greeting to him. The commander, who made sure he remained nameless throughout the entire ordeal, talked very fast using long words. When he was done, only his final sentence rang in Tenchi's ears confusing him even more.
'Therefore, to the highest degree of anguish of the imperial flotilla, we are obligated to convey Lady Ayeka and Lady Sasami back to Jurai for their nuptials.'
The man then had moved Tenchi to the side and about 5 men entered the house. He could hear the protests of Ayeka, Ryoko and Sasami from the kitchen as the soldiers entered. He followed the militia to stand in the door frame and saw Ayeka talking to the man who Tenchi had greeted at the door. Ayeka looked solemn and Sasami frightened as she clung to the back of her sisters dress. Ryoko was frowning and looking disrupted and angry.
"What is going on here?" Tenchi had asked from the doorway. Ayeka turned saddened burgundy eyes towards him and attempted a limp smile.
"They want us to return to Jurai Lord Tenchi . . . It seems that there has been a marriage planned for Sasami and I." Ryoko had made a low noise of disapproval and he had stood stunned. To everyone's surprise Sasami broke out in tears
"I'm not going with them!" She'd wailed, bowing forward to hide her eyes in Ayeka's hair. "I'm too young for a marriage! I want to stay here! I want to stay with Tenchi! I am not ready to grow up yet." The assembly watched as Ayeka turned to Sasami and embraced the small girl in her arms.
"Shhhhh Sasami . . . we must . . ." Ayeka heaved a defeated sigh "We must go with them . . ."
Tenchi heaved a sigh similar to Ayeka's way back then and shut the memory away, the bewildered look that had painted Sasami's face too much of an anguish.
As the silence between the two of them stretched Washu looked up to Tenchi. Her face was drawn, and serious, but she was obviously putting on airs, since her emerald eyes were unusually moist. She watched Tenchi as he got lost in his own thoughts, pondering her own. Tenchi cleared his throat to grab Washu's attention.
"Washu . . . How do you plan on getting Ryoko back?"
"I'm not quite sure how I am going to do it Tenchi. I have only been assessing the situation for about 16 hours."
"16 hours?" Tenchi echoed. "16 hours since Ryoko was imprisoned?" He was obviously frustrated by this. What were the chances of catching up with the Jurian ship now?
"Tenchi," Washu began, as if she was trying to calm a child about to have a tantrum, "I had to take care of you, plot the path the ships were taking back to Jurai, find the ship Ryoko took here, call Kiyone, decode-"
"Kiyone?"
"Yes. Kiyone and Mihoshi are on their way." On the keyboard in front of Washu a light started to flicker and bleep. She seemed pleased at that.
"Ah. They'll be here soon! Follow me Tenchi, I'll show you the way out!" Washu climbed off of her cushion and walked past Tenchi casually to one of the many identical doors. Turning the knob it swung open. Inside was an escalator heading up into the darkness of the room beyond it.
"Follow me please Tenchi." She stepped onto the moving stairs and started to disappear into the dusk of the room. Tenchi follow, anything up enthusiastic. He stepped onto the escalator and looked around at the ever present duck around them, seeing only the outlines of the large cylinders and tubes around him.
"I don't remember you ever having a place like this in your lab Washu . . ." Tenchi commented quietly, his voice echoing in the strange silence of the room as the escalator moved them noiselessly upwards.
"That is because I never had anything like this in my lab five years ago Tenchi. Last year I re-vamped during spring cleaning. It is now 22% easier for a person who knows where they are going to get there and 34% harder for intruders to find their way around! Also I cleaned out a room I had totally forgotten about and have 45% more storage space!" She turned around to look at Tenchi, beaming with her accomplishments. Tenchi smiled back, her mood rubbing off on him, even if only slightly.
"Is Yugi in here?" He had to ask. Sakuya had been a big part of his life for a long time and Yugi was directly tied into that. Washu smiled at him, though what emotion had caused the smile was hidden.
"Yes, she is here." The conversation was left at that.
They traveled in silence after that, each to their own thoughts. Washu eventually broke the silence.
"Here we are Tenchi! Watch your step!" She skipped up the last few of the rotating steps and jumped onto a small platform. Tenchi followed suit, landing heavily on both feet. Before the two of them was a door. It was simple and wooden, an exact replica of his closet door. Washu walked over and opened the door, motioning for Tenchi to go ahead of her.
Tenchi hesitated for a moment. Beyond the door, everything seemed quiet. But he still didn't want to go out there. He was afraid of what he might find. But it was obvious to Tenchi that Washu was not going to lead the way. With a slight shudder Tenchi walked out the door.
If it wasn't for the shattered glass and his bloody footprints Tenchi would say the house looked almost normal. The past evening had dawned into a beautiful day. The sky was empty of clouds and the wind whistled softly through the windows and the still open door. Sunlight glinted off the sharp glass splinters that were scattered across the rooms.
Behind him, Tenchi heard Washu close the door to her lab. She looked around at the hallway, her eyes lingering on the broken window panes and the copper colored footprints across the floor and up the stairs.
"Isn't it funny?" Tenchi mumbled as Washu stood beside him "My whole world just came crashing down around my head, and the sun is still shining and the day is gorgeous. Why?"
Washu bowed her head and said nothing. Tenchi smiled a little lopsidedly and looked around again. For a long while he studied a piece of glass at his foot. But something sticking out of his pocket pulled his attention away from that. It was a celluloid corner that was sticking out of his pocket.
Tenchi took a moment and eased the picture out of his pocket, being careful not to rip any corners. One it was free of his pocket he smoothed the wrinkles out with his thumbs and then stared at the image. It was the picture of Ryoko he had picked up from his floor right after the soldiers had left.
The picture in his hand didn't bring him comfort, or make him feel any more upset. He was feeling about as low as he thought possible at that moment, and seeing Ryoko's smile and the rays of sun caught in the picture reminded him of the fact that Ryoko had been taken prisoner and unjustly charged. But the picture did bring a certain determination to Tenchi. Now he wanted to find her, to clear the record and get her back.
Slipping the picture back into his pocket Tenchi gazed around the main hall once more. Washu seemed to be done giving Tenchi time to reflect because she instantly started to usher him towards the main door.
"Careful of the glass Tenchi!"
Tenchi stepped as cautiously as he could around the room, surprisingly not cutting his feet again though he did get poked several times and had to stop to brush away the things that had stabbed him. Once Washu and Tenchi were clear of the mess in the house Washu took the lead and brought the two of them to stand in front of the lake.
"Washu?"
"Keep you eyes on the sky Tenchi. They should be here soon!"
Tenchi blinked in confusion to this and looked up at the sky of blue and the few fluffy clouds that drifted along idly. He scanned the horizon and looked around him in a 360 circle, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then Washu pointed to something and Tenchi looked up, staring at a small moving dot.
"What is that?" Tenchi shielded the sun from his eyes with his hand and squinted at the speck.
"That is Kiyone and Mihoshi's space ship! Once they're here we can leave for Jurai."
"You really have this planned out, don't you?" Tenchi asked, a little surprised.
"Noooo, not really!"
Tenchi shook his head a small smile on his lips.
"But just because I'm not planning doesn't mean I am not ready Tenchi." Washu said in a rather serious voice. Tenchi attempted a wider smile, knowing Washu was right. The speck in the sky started to get larger, turning from black to the gray of metal. Soon a dull roar filled the air, becoming louder. Tenchi frowned slightly, backing up and sincerely hoping that Kiyone was the one in the driver's seat.
Above head, the space ship soared, swirling dust around the two people below. Tenchi covered his face and Washu shielded her eyes.
With skill the spacecraft, rather small when it was up close, made a landing on the far side of the house, smoothly setting down on the edge of the woods. The engines cut and a silence void of even the sounds of nature was left. A door on the side of the ship creaked and lowered down. With professional seriousness two women marched out of the ship and across the space to stand in front of them. They snapped to attention and saluted.
The two figures who stood before Tenchi and Washu smiled as they broke their salute. Tenchi had seen both officers recently, but Washu hadn't, and was obviously happy to see them. Kiyone grinned and Mihoshi's eyes got watery. For a moment no one moved, which Tenchi found awkward. But the moment passed and Washu was tackled by Mihoshi and greeted by Kiyone.
"MISS WASHU! MISS WASHU!" Mihoshi wailed as they went crashing into the ground. Kiyone's eyes widened and she jumped at her partner in an attempt to get the girl off Washu.
"Mihoshi! You're such an embarrassment! Get off Washu!"
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Mihoshi crawled up off of Washu and stood above the scientist scratching her head in humiliation. Kiyone offered her hands to Washu and helped her up and then the two embraced quickly.
"It's been a while Washu." Kiyone said with a smile. Washu smiled back and stepped away.
"Indeed it has."
"Are you ready to go?" Kiyone asked, looked between Tenchi and Washu. Mihoshi fidgeted behind her partner, obviously wanting to ignore her trained duties.
"Yes we are." Washu replied. Tenchi frowned as he looked at her.
"Washu, I need to pack and clean the house and let Dad know I am going. I'd like to leave as soon as possible but I really can't leave all these loose ends."
Washu laughed, snapping her fingers. Behind her two suitcases flickered into focus and then became solid. Around the house 4 basketball sizes robots appeared.
"I have it under control Tenchi. Everything is packed, these droids will clean the house and fix the windows, and there is a hologram in the entrance hall that will activate when your father gets home explaining the basics." Washu grinned, pleased with herself "No less from the greatest scientific genius in the universe! So I'll leave you to get your luggage!" Washu then walked away. Kiyone started to help Tenchi but Washu grabbed her arm and tugged her away, the suitcase she had been about to pick up falling to its side.
"I need to show you travel plans Kiyone!"
"Oh, I'll take this one Tenchi." Mihoshi said, reaching for the suitcase. Tenchi picked up the other one and the two fell into step behind Kiyone and Washu.
"Wow Tenchi, this is almost like old times, isn't it?" Mihoshi bubbled, awkwardly clutching the suitcase to her chest. Tenchi smiled.
"Almost." He agreed, lowering his eyes.
"Tenchi, we will get Ryoko back."
Tenchi looked up to meet Mihoshi's baby blue eyes. She gave him a small smile and looked ahead.
"We'll get her back Tenchi. Till then there is no use sitting around being sad, it won't help any one. We're all worried, but we need to be strong for one another! We've done this before, and we'll do it again!"
Tenchi smiled and took a deep breath.
"Tenchi, Mihoshi, come on!" Kiyone called over her shoulder as Washu lead her onto the little ship. "The main ship is waiting for us and once we get there we can get going!"
"Come on Tenchi!" Mihoshi called, running for the ship. Tenchi smiled again, wider and feeling how nice it really did feel to be reunited with these three.
"I'm coming Ryoko..." He murmured, pausing for a moment. Then with a smile he shook his head.
"No. WE'RE coming."
-------------------- END CHAPTER 5
Wow, that was a long and difficult chapter for me. When I started this fic I was so familiar with the Tenchi in Tokyo series but now I can barely remember the series other than my sincere dislike of Sakuya. ; Please excuse any problems with the setting or the writing