Chapter 16: No Need for Goddesses


Ash and Pikachu were in shock at seeing the Juraian goddess, Tsunami. It had been some time for the goddess to prepare her arrival. Ash got to his feet after stumbling from Tsunami's first sight. "A… goddess?" he gulped.

("What a sight!") awed Pikachu.

"I can tell that my presence has surprised you,"Tsunami addressed. "I reside within Sasami." Ash and Pikachu awed Tsunami and her connection to Sasami. Pikachu noticed the marking on Tsunami's forehead and looked to Sasami, the markings matching.

("They have the same markings!") he alerted. Ash also looked to Sasami as she was unconscious on the dock.

"Sasami!" he alerted as Ryoko and Ayeka came around.

"Sasami is fine," Tsunami assured. "She is merely asleep as I appear before you." Ryoko and Ayeka arrived as Ayeka found Sasami on the dock and down.

"The goddess of Jurai!?" gawked Ryoko as Ayeka dashed to Sasami. "What the hell is she doing here!?" Ayeka checked Sasami and heard something that made her sigh in relief.

"She's breathing," she smiled. "Thank goodness." Tsunami turned to Ash and Pikachu.

"Princess Ayeka and Miss Ryoko know how I can communicate with her," the goddess asked. Ayeka shook her head. "One day, space pirates attacked my home of Jurai. A war had occurred. A little girl had entered the Royal Arboretum above the Tsunami-no-ki. That was three-year-old Princess Sasami. One attack from the space pirates shook enough of the Royal Arboretum that the toddler fell from the walkway and into a septic, the sea of royal trees near the Tsunami-no-ki. Sasami was fatally injured. Before she took her last breath, I assimilated with her so that she could live." Ash couldn't believe that Sasami virtually died back on Jurai before coming to Earth.

"She's here because of you?" he assumed.

"Yes," Tsunami confirmed. "Sasami and I have a bond that will come together. When Sasami reaches maturity, she and I will become one." Ash irked to the information.

"Wait, you mean that Sasami will be you?" he guessed. "Then, what happens to Sasami?"

"She will still be here, even when the assimilation is complete," Tsunami promised. "Sasami will still love you and the others at the household." Ash and Pikachu smiled as Ryoko and Ayeka sighed in relief. "As for you, Ash… Ever since I met you through Sasami, I had developed feelings that a goddess shouldn't envelop…"

"Don't say that," Ash giggled. Tsunami blinked and looked to Ash with Pikachu on his shoulder. "I would want to understand these feelings you have and know how to help you. It doesn't matter if you're a goddess, anyone can express their feelings in the open if they want." Tsunami smiled in knowing Ash's wishes.

"So, my confession to admiration for you is acceptable," she admitted. Ash and Pikachu suddenly awed Tsunami's feelings.

"Hey, how about that," Ryoko teased. "The Juraian goddess loves you!" Ash giggled before facing Tsunami.

"Goddess, if it means that much to you," he started. "I can more than accept you into my life as well. I'd rather have you happy and helpful than upset." Tsunami nodded, hopes for friendship rendered.

"Thank you, Ash," she praised. "And I can tell that you want to protect Sasami. I will return to Sasami and come out if necessary." Ash nodded to Tsunami's wishes as she vanished.

"So, that space pirate…" muttered Ryoko. "It couldn't have been me, right? I don't remember all that long ago…" Ash and Pikachu reached Ayeka who held Sasami in her arms. "How is she?"

"Asleep, but I think she'll be fine," Aykea replied.

"That's good," Ash sighed. "Let's get back to the resort." Agreeing, everyone returned to the resort. In space, a giant space cruiser drifted in space as a totem shone before it dimmed.

"Lady Funaho, we detected the essence of the Goddess Tsunami!" someone called out. Two women stood in the back. One was a cyan-haired woman bearing two green dots on her forehead while wearing a green cape over a multicolored dress. The other was a raven-haired who wore a bright green cape over a purple and green robe with a pink dress underneath. She had one green dot on her forehead as she stood.

"Location?" she asked.

"Sector 51AL9: Planet Earth!" another person informed. Hearing the location, the cyan-haired turned to the raven-haired.

"Funaho, isn't that where my daughters are?" the cyan-haired wondered.

"I believe so, since they're looking for my son," Funaho replied. "But why would Tsunami be on Earth? It doesn't make sense."

"But if Tsunami's on Earth with Ayeka and Sasami…"

"Are you suggesting we go see them before the king comes, Misaki?"

"It makes sense, and we can learn why the goddess is residing away from Jurai." Misaki's explanation made sense to Funaho.

"It will take us about seven days to reach the sector, but let's move." The spaceship began to move. Back at the resort, everyone gathered and heard about Sasami having Tsunami in herself.

"Wait, Tsunami!?" repeated Kiyone. "As in the Goddess Tsunami!? Inside Sasami!?"

"Just imagine our shock," Ryoko shrugged. "Did you know, Ayeka?" The elder princess gave Ryoko a death glare as Ryo-Ohki pawed Sasami in concern.

"As if you deserve to know," Ayeka snorted before muttering under her breath. "Besides, you might have been the one to murder Sasami in the first place when you attacked Jurai about 700 years ago." Ryoko thought she heard something from the princess.

"Did you say something?" A scoff from Ayeka sounded.

"Maybe…"

"But what's a goddess from Jurai doing here on Earth?" asked Tenchi. "I mean, hearing how she appeared and learning that she's inhabiting Sasami's body… How did you know about it?"

"It didn't at first," Ayeka admitted. "I remember when Sasami wandered off, her forehead was free of any marking. After the initial attack, mother and I found Sasami emerging from the septic room, it never occurred to either of us that Sasami had changed, mainly because I was still so little at the time."

"I'm surprised that something like this discovery went over your head for so long, Princess," Nobuyuki muttered.

"But you heard what she said," Ash defended. "It's not like she'd remember that long ago and at that age." Washu understood with a nod.

"So then, when did you learn that Sasami had Tsunami in her?" she wondered.

"I remember a few years after the attack," Ayeka explained. "She seemed to be talking to herself one day and I questioned her. She said that she's talking to Tsunami, but again, my young mind didn't believe it was true."

"I probably would believe it was just a little girl having a lot of fun," Mihoshi agreed.

"I'd probably would too," Tenchi sided. "Though, knowing Tsunami's the reason that Sasami's still here, we should all be lucky."

("At least,") Pikachu murmured. Suddenly, Sasami started to wake up.

"Oh, Sasami!" gasped Ayeka. A little groggy, Sasami was assisted to a seating position.

"I'm sorry…" she groaned.

"No one is angry at you," Tenchi offered. "We're all just worried that you were hurt in some fashion or another." Ryo-Ohki crawled onto Sasami's lap, confirming Tenchi's claim.

"Ryo-Ohki…" she called. Ryo-Ohki mewed sympathetically as Pikachu climbed onto Sasami's shoulder. "And I guess you were worried yourself?"

("Who wouldn't?") he squeaked.

"Sasami, I'm sorry for doubting about the claim of you and Goddess Tsunami being a part," Ayeka apologized. "And… I'm sorry for not protecting you during the attack. As an older sibling, I should've been looking out for your best interest. If I caught you before you entered the Arboretum, you wouldn't have been seriously hurt." Sasami seemed in awe from Ayeka's confession.

"Ayeka…" she cried as the two embraced in a hug. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused! I promise to be better!" The sisters hugging brought relief to everyone.

"Sasami, you'll always be part of the family," Ryoko assured. "We're also your closest friends." Sasami smiled her teary face to Ryoko.

"We couldn't have had a better cook who taught me and Ash," Tenchi added. Sasami giggled to Tenchi's point. Ash and Sasami met by the eyes where Sasami apologized.

"Ash, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about who I was as a whole," she muttered. "If I did, I don't think you would like me and stay around-"

"Sasami," Ash called. Sasami looked to Ash as he thumbed a tear from her eye. "It's alright. All that matters right now is that you're here, and that you're here with us." Sasami smiled, happy to hear from Ash.

"Thank you…" she sniffled. "And I should get back at you." Ash blinked, not sure what Sasami had in mind.

"Back at me?" he repeated.

"Yep… for this." She tackled Ash and started to kiss his face. Everyone had a laugh at Ash getting a smother of kisses. After a minute, Ash seemed defeated.

"Okay, I deserved that." Ryoko helped Ash back up and everyone headed to bed. During the night, Sasami began to thrash around in her sleep.


Sasami wandered around in a black area. "Tenchi?" she called. "Ayeka!" She spun, looking for somebody to find. Suddenly, one step broke the floor and she fell back first. She struck the back of her head on something, a splash of blood gushing out. She screamed up to that impact, but she fell even further. She fell to rest, blood pooling around her as she looked to have been nearing death. That's when Ash appeared. "Ash?" Ash's mouth moved, but there was no sound as he reached for Sasami. She reached for him as well… but someone took Ash away. Immediately, it was a giant of a man wearing a black cape. The lack of color wasn't enough to depict the man having long dark hair and a goatee with a tie to his beard and strands of hair on each side of his face. "Father?" That's when his face and hair changed, brighter as a light-haired man with tiny glasses appeared. "Who… are you?" The new man squeezed on Ash, causing blood to squirt from his mouth. "Ash… don't die…" Sasami couldn't move a muscle, watching the man squeeze Ash to death.


Sasami thrashed more, tears streaking down her face again. It was so rough, Ryo-Ohki woke up and pawed Sasami's face. It wasn't enough, but the cabbit rammed her head to Sasami's. The soft impact was enough for Sasami to wake up. She turned to the furry transformer. "Ryo-Ohki?" she called. Ryo-Ohki mewed up a storm before Sasami mulled. "That was a nightmare. I thought I saw father take Ash away, but then someone…" She shook her head, not sure what she dreamed about. She couldn't lay down and go through it again. She quietly departed the room with Ayeka and knocked on another room. A few seconds later, Ash emerged.

"Sasami?" he groaned. "What's up? It's the middle of the night."

"I had a nightmare," she admitted. Ash and Pikachu, waking up from the knocking, gawked to the reasoning. "I had fallen like I did in the Royal Arboretum… but then you were there, wanting to help me. That's when father emerged… or at least it was father, and took you away. Then he changed into some person with tiny glasses and started to crush you. I couldn't save you and…" Ash hugged Sasami to stop her and allowed her inside with Ryo-Ohki.

"It's okay. Just relax and remember that I'm here." To Sasami, it didn't feel like it was enough.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? I don't want that nightmare to emerge again."

"Sure. I'm sure Ayeka can understand."

"Thank you." Ash escorted Sasami into bed and snuggled in together. Ash wished that what she experienced didn't happen for real. All that he's worried about is Sasami. They fell asleep, the young princess in the safety of the young trainer's guard.


TO BE CONTINUED...