=) enjoy!
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-- Name : RL-02-R.TXT
-- Decode : from quoted-printable...
Tenchi Muyo: Ryoko's Love...
Prologue Chapter 2: Nightmare, Memory, and Revelation
By
Long T. Tran
Revised By Navaash
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Late April 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
the rest
of her body only responded with 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 to my daughter! Why? Why Yui and not me?! Yui
didn't
deserve that! I'm going to kill you, Onimaru!" Tears welled up in her
eyes.
"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. 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, Lord Tenchi!" Aeka yelled out. She noticed 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!
That's
your priority!"
"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 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 thought 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 have you now, 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 con-
tinued 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 were bloodstains 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.
*Why must Yui see this happen to me? WHY?*
"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, 2 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, 17 years?"
"Yes, 17 years..." she replied, "...since I took his hand in marriage."
"My, how time flies."
*18 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 na�ve 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. For 17 years now,
she
had been happily married.
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 11 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, 14
years later,
instead of being Tenchi's 2nd 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 8 years ago, her
perspective on the universe had 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
2 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 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 fa�ade.
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,
Tokimi
would've taken over..."
"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 13 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 on the 25th of April in the year 2005
She began thinking about the 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.
***
Meanwhile, back at the house, Yui was still staring at herself in the
mirror,
finding many ways to compare her resemblance 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 out?" 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 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 6, 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, 11 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 2 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 2 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 13 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 13 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 2
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.
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 the past 13 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 2 weeks,
if not
for the problem of the dark matter radiation. So for the past 13 years,
I had to
tediously examine and pick off any radioactive particles attached to
Ryoko's
bio-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 13 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 2 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 I began the
regenerative
process. 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% 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 the past 13 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.
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 the past 13 years,
betraying him to 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 13 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 swinging any further.
"Father! It's gone now! It's destroyed! There's no need to smash it
any
further!" 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
yards away
from the rubble, the bundle of yellow flowers that had been picked by
Yui the
previous day laid in the sun unharmed.
To be continued...
The Lonely Moon
(tragedy)
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
End of Pt.1 Chapter 2
Author's notes:
Phew! There you have it! Chapter 2! Hope you liked it! Send me your
C&C and
tell me what you think! Stay tuned for chapter 3! It's currently
underway.
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!