Tenchi Muyo: Ryoko's Love... Prologue Chapter 1:Introducing, Yui! By Long T. Tran Completed 2/16/98 Revised by Navaash Disclaimer: The characters you are about read are characters created by AIC/Pioneer. Don't sue me. Author's notes: This is the revised and hopefully corrected version of chapter one, you might notice some added changes and different rearrangements. And for those who read the original draft of this chapter a few weeks or days ago, prepare to be surprised a little bit. What you are about to read is a Tenchi FF set in the OVA universe, but it will start 20 years in to the future. As this series progresses the story will be taken on the present day and it will also take place in other different various time periods. I won't be including Kiyone or Mayuka in this FF, sorry fans. I'm going to introduce new characters in this series, Yui, Onimaru and many others. So, without further a do, let the series begin... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ April 24, 2018 It was another typical day for the students at Okayama High School. Everybody sat in their desks, bored and struggling to stay awake while trying to take in Sensei's stale lecture about the Tokugawa Shogunate. One such student, Yui, sat in the second of four rows, a 17-year old girl full of life. Standing at 5'7 with yellow yet human eyes, she was possessed of athletic prowess hidden within the frame of a perfect lady. Her long, soft, cyan hair was tied up in a beautiful ponytail. She stared blankly out the window, watching a beautiful day pass by, envying the birds flying around of their own free will. Lost in her thoughts and daydreams, she hated to waste beautiful days like this at school. *I wish I was out there. I bet it feels nice,* she thought. "Miss Masaki! Will you please turn around and pay attention!" shouted Sensei. "Oh! Uh...Y-Yes, sir," she said, her face turning red. "Sorry." Sensei sighed. "Just like your father, it clearly runs in the family." Yui's classmates started laughing. "Class! Quiet down!" Sensei shouted again. The students immediately quieted down. The old educator calmed down a little. "Ok, now where were we? Ah yes...the Tokugawa government later took control after the war..." *I can't wait until school's over,* Yui thought to herself. Two hours later, school finally ended and Yui was at her locker trying to open it. The door was jammed. She had always had trouble opening her locker. Mainly because of one reason... "Stupid locker! I hate it when this happens!" she said, struggling with the locker door. She finally forced the locker to open, and a tidal wave of love/ secret admirer letters, small gifts, and even a few crushed flowers came pouring out. Burying her knee-deep in to the pile. Yui's best friend, Misato Matsumiya, walked by and stopped in front of Yui. "Looks like the love magnet has her hands full again," Misato joked. "Oh shut up, Misato!" Yui barked. "What are you going to do with all that? Read them or...the usual?" said the silky black-haired girl, with cheerful eyes and a warm smile. "The usual." Yui growled at her predicament, picking up the letters, gifts, and flowers and throwing them in to a nearby trash can. As the letters fell into the trashcan Yui could hear hearts being shattered; athletes, nerds, and even some senseis could be heard crying in the background. "Don't you have any time for love, Yui?" Misato asked. "Nope. Not interested right now." Yui began to make her way towards the main doors. Misato watched Yui walking off, then looked down and noticed a letter on the floor that Yui dropped while putting the rest in the trash. Picking it up, she realized the letter belonged to the biggest jerk in the whole school: the Student Council president, Katsuhiko Jinnai. Misato smiled deviously. "I'm going to have fun with this letter!" Misato laughed, putting the letter into her book bag. After passing through the doors, the next routine was the part that Yui hated the most. She had to try to make her way to the gate without making contact with any of the guys. Nevertheless, her hopes were usually in vain; a freckled boy with lazy eyes, and bad green teeth, walked up to her. "Uh... hello, Yui. Can I walk you home?" he said, nervously. "No," she replied bluntly. The boy became shattered and turned pale; he stood as still as a statue as Yui kept on walking. She was halfway towards the gate when a handsome stud of a jock walked up to her. He had perfect gleaming teeth, nicely combed hair, and a strong athletic build. "Say pretty, you look tired," he said confidently. "Tired from what?" she asked, not looking at him. "Tired from running around in my mind all day." He smiled, and a sparkle shined across his perfect set of teeth. "Why don't you go away and bench-press yourself to death?" she said cruelly. "That is the lamest pick up line I've ever heard!" "B-but...b-but..." The jock all of sudden looked very small. He started to grind his teeth. "Frogs make better sounding mating calls than that!" "I...I..." The jock struggled with his words. "BUT I LOVE YOU!!!" he shouted with tears streaming down his cheeks. The jock ran off crying like a little boy. Yui sighed in exasperation. *Why must I go through with this EVERY single day?* Yui finally reached her bus stop. She waited a few minutes and a bus stopped in front of her. As the doors to the bus opened, she heard a low rumbling, turned around and saw a mob of all the boys in her school running, trying to catch her before she got on the bus. All were shouting for her. "YUI! WE LOVE YOU! WE WANT TO DATE WITH YOU!" "Oh no! Don't they ever give up?" she shouted. Yui hurriedly stepped onto the bus, the driver perturbed to see the mob running towards it. "Jeez...Hurry up, get in! Why must you put me through this every day?" the driver said angrily. Yui quickly took haven within the bus. "Floor it!!" she shouted. The driver quickly put the bus in gear and burned rubber, speeding away from the school grounds. The boys all simultaneously waved good bye. The bus rumbled along through the late afternoon, going towards the country- side, things finally calming down. Yui looked out the window, gazing at the countryside. Yui always wondered why her father didn't want to move out to the city; it could've been more convenient for her, not having to spend so much money on bus passes. On the other hand, she started to think about the countryside's natural beauty throughout the seasons. Serene orange-red autumn days, snowy winter wonderlands, hot green summer days, and of course, her favorite spring time cherry blossoms. *Oh well, the countryside was always beautiful year round. It would be crazy to try to move somewhere else,* Yui sighed. Yui began to think about today's special occasion. Aunt Sasami, Aeka and Mihoshi are all coming back home to visit. It was always fun having them coming by and visit, especially Aunt Sasami. Yui loved her aunt's cooking and even though Sasami was grown up, Yui always had fun being around her. Aunt Sasami always came by to visit at least 3 times a month, staying at her house for days at a time. Her aunt always had a cheerful attitude to keep things going; that was one of the reasons why Yui loved being around her. Sasami had another name she also went by...Tsunami, but she preferred to be called Sasami by her friends and family. Yui has always admired her aunt's tremendous beauty; after all, she was a goddess just like Yui's grandmother Washu. She looked so elegant with her long blue hair, pink colored eyes that always emitted a delightful aura of joy, strong cheerful laugh with healing power, and not to mention she also possessed the universe's most powerful energy! Aeka, however, was a different story. Aeka didn't visit as much as Sasami, mainly because of her duties as the Empress of Jurai. Before her ascension to the throne 17 years ago, her great-great grandparents Azusa, Funaho, and Lady Misaki decided to retire from the throne, leaving it empty to Yosho, Aeka, and her father. Yosho obviously didn't want the throne because he still felt strongly attached to the Earth; he was very adamant about dying on Earth. Although it would take thousands of years before he actually died... *I guess he just doesn't want to get involved with the politics,* Yui thought to herself. Her father was also considered to take the throne, but Azusa was very adamant about keeping her father away from there. The king of Jurai had a tremendous prejudice against her father, the reason being he was an earthling. What pissed her off the most was the way Azusa always looked down at him, as if he were some lowlife commoner. Yui always hated being around Azusa; to her, he was always pouting about something. *As if my father actually cared about taking the stupid throne in the first place!* she thought angrily. *At that time, mother was pregnant with me!* Naturally, Aunt Aeka became the new ruler of the Jurai Empire. When Aeka's husband temporarily stepped in to rule the empire, Aeka would come by to visit about once every 3 months, staying at the house for 2 or 3 days before she had to return home to perform her duties. During those 3 days, Aeka would always teach Yui about the importance of being her own individual, maintaining respect, and teaching responsibility. To Yui, Aeka was the perfect example of being a lady. Aeka was always elegant in every aspect; although Aeka was the Empress of Jurai, she also knew how to have fun. Every time Aeka came by to visit, she would always challenge her to a singing contest on the karaoke machine. She was good at singing and always told Yui that she was a lot like her mother. "You have a good singing voice, Yui!" her aunt always said. "Always remember that this is one of your talents and you have to keep refining your talents in order to insure a full and joyous life." Mihoshi was also expected to visit, but Yui doubted that Mihoshi would be able to, considering the fact that she was always busy at the Galaxy Police Headquarters with her new job as Deputy Commander. Mihoshi was like a big sister to Yui, even though she was a little airheaded. Mihoshi was always there for Yui, especially during her times going through that certain phase called puberty. Her father was at a loss when it came to 'female' growth and development; when Sasami or Aeka weren't around, Mihoshi would be the one to take care of her, making sure that Yui would come out a perfect young lady. When neither Aeka, Mihoshi, or Sasami were around, her grandmother Washu took care of her. In all of Yui's life, Washu had been protecting her since she turned the tender age of 4. Since Yui's mother died, her mother's mother was the perfect choice. It was somewhat strange that her grandmother insisted that she be called little Washu... but Yui didn't mind having a grandmother who looked a lot younger than her. She loved Washu dearly and that was that. Whenever Yui asked a question, Washu was always straightforward with an answer. She never avoided a question. Washu always said that Yui was very much like Ryoko, full of spirit and always strong willed. The only questions that Washu didn't answer concerned how her mother died... and that bothered her. Every time Yui asked, Washu simply replied by telling her that her father would answer that question in due time; what was even more disturbing was the fact that she couldn't recall any memories from her childhood, missing memories from ages 4 to 5. She only remembered bits and pieces. Yui looked at her watch. *It won't be another 10 minutes until I reach home.* She closed her eyes, relaxing her mind and trying to regain one of her early childhood memories. *** In her mind, it was pitch black, but the only thing that kept it from being lonely were voices and sounds from her early past. Gradually, the pitch darkness lifted away and she found herself in the fields of the countryside near her house. Little Yui had mid-length hair; there was a lot of tall grass around her and she was looking at a pink flower with a little yellow butterfly on it. Behind her a woman stood, wearing a pink dress that only a mother could wear, her spiky hair tied back and yellow gentle eyes watching over her like a guardian angel. "What do you think it is, Yui?" asked the soothing voice of her mother, Ryoko. "Mm...Bu-fly?" "That's right Yui! But it's called, But-ter-fly." She kneeled down next to Yui, holding her child close to herself and pointing things out. "But-ter-fly?" "Yes, butterfly," Ryoko said warmly. "Just like you, a butterfly. Always beautiful and always flying." "Oh, Mommy!" Yui blushed and giggled, hugging her kneeling mother. "Mommy will always be with you." She hugged Yui and laughed a healthy laugh. Then the memory faded away and Yui found herself back on the bus. Wish you were here, Mom. Yui looked down and gave out a small sad sigh. *** The bus finally reached Yui's stop. She left with a mute expression on her face, hating the commute between home and school. *The commute always takes too damn long!* she thought to herself, making her way up through the hill. After a minute or so of walking, a thought struck her; she realized that tomorrow would mark the 13th year since her mother's death. She decided to pick up several yellow flowers along her path; after picking up enough yellow flowers, she made her way towards the gravestone. The gravestone was located near the shore of the lake, behind her house. Ryoko Masaki Died 25th of April in the year of 2005 Yui put the bundle of flowers in front of the gravestone and put her hands together, praying for her mother's spiritual well-being. After a minute of silent prayer, she stopped and tried not to shed a tear. *It has been 13 years since you left, Mother. I hope you like the flowers I picked for you. These flowers were our favorite,* she thought to herself. She wiped a tear from her eye and headed back home. She went through the doorway and took off her shoes. "I'm home!" she called out. The house was quiet. "Miya!" Ryo-ohki cried out running down the stairs. "Hello, Ryo-ohki!" Yui said joyfully, letting Ryo-ohki jump on to her shoulder to nestle her cheek. Yui smiled. "And how are you doing today?" "Miya! Miya!" the cabbit answered back. Ryo-ohki was usually a cabbit half the time; the other half she would spend in humanoid form. As a humanoid Ryo-ohki would help Yui with chores around the house; being helpful was in Ryo-ohki's nature, not to mention her overactive playfulness. Ryo-ohki and Yui were the perfect pair when it came to playing games. Usually they played 'chase the cabbit', where Yui and Ryo-ohki would play a game of tag with Ryo-ohki in cabbit form. Whenever the cabbit was in humanoid form, they would dance, play video games, or dress up. Every so often, though, Yui would get the opportunity to pilot Ryo-ohki the spaceship. The fact that Washu insisted on watching her every time she did this was a pain, but a minor one at that. Yui could remember the first time she took Ryo-ohki out for a spin like it was just yesterday, and Washu's compliments about how well she could handle the starship. "I wonder what time it is?" Yui looked over to the wall clock. It read 4:30pm. *That's odd. Where is everybody? Shouldn't they be here by now?* "Oh Yui!" a voice shouted out from the kitchen. It was her grandfather Nobuyuki. "Yes grandfather?" She walked into the kitchen to find him cooking up some food. Nobuyuki had already developed a set of gray hair, but still had that thin mustache. She loved being around her adorable grandfather - even though he was a little nosy at times. Her father, Tenchi, told her that he was much worse when he was young, always getting a camera at a moment's notice hoping to catch her father in some sexual situation. Fortunately for Yui, Nobuyuki had toned down a lot. "Ah Yui! How's my favorite granddaughter doing today?" he said cheerfully. "I'm doing fine grandpa." Yui stepped towards the fridge and opened the door, retrieving a bowl of carrots for Ryo-ohki. "And how's school?" he asked. Yui sat down on a stool at the counter, watching Nobuyuki cook. "Oh the usual, straight A's and all. Where's Washu?" Yui asked, looking around. "Oh she's in the lab, doing her usual research," Nobuyuki replied. "Oh. I see...," Yui said. Throughout most of Yui's life, whenever Washu wasn't taking care of her, she would spend most of the daytime in her laboratory. Yui had never stepped foot in to that dimensional lab, mainly because Washu forbid it. Once in a while, Yui would try to break in to the lab herself but instead of finding the dimensional lab, she would open the door under the stairs and find a closet instead. Just what was it that Washu was hiding from her? "Miya! Miya!" Ryo-ohki jumped off her shoulders and onto the counter to eat the carrots. "So...you talked to any boys lately?" Nobuyuki asked deviously. "Your father tells me that you get thousands and thousands of secret admirer letters everyday." "Oh grandpa!" She said embarrassingly. "Oh what's there to be shy about? All I want to know is how well my granddaughter is doing in her sexu --- uh, life development." Yui pretended to not hear Nobuyuki's last remark. "Well, you know how they are these days." "No, how are they?" "You know...immature and always wanting some weird commitment. The main reason why they want to know me is that they want to get laid." "Oh, I see. That's understandable," he said, cutting up some vegetables then putting them in a frying pan. "So, grandpa..." began Yui, deciding to change the subject. "Yes, Yui?" he asked. "How was your day at the office?" "Oh, you know. Those young architects I just hired were really talented; I'm having a hard time trying to decide which one of their blueprints to approve for the contractors." "Oh really?" "Yeah... and I had to fire an employee today, as well." "Oh really? Did you finally fire that lazy bum you were talking about for the past 2 weeks?" "Yeah, I finally fired that idiot, Kaji. He was really wasting my company's time," he said with satisfaction. "That'll teach him a lesson about eating up the Masaki Firm's finances!" "Isn't it great to be your own boss?" she said with a smile. "Yes indeed!" he exclaimed, while stir-frying some noodles in the frying pan. Yui looked around and frowns a little. "Have my aunts arrived yet?" she asked. "Oh! Forgive me!" he said loudly, "I've been meaning to tell you." "Tell me what?" "They won't be coming until tomorrow, Saturday." "What? Why?" She was clearly disappointed. "A formal meeting came up on the planet Jurai and it required presence of both Aeka and Sasami." "Gee, I hope it's nothing like a crisis or anything serious." "Nah, it's just one of those budget meetings." He said, adding some soy sauce to the noodles. "Oh, well that's good." Yui was relieved. Then her great grandfather Yosho walked in to the kitchen. Throughout Yui's life Yosho always looked old - but oddly enough hadn't aged a bit either, having the same appearance for most of her (relatively short) life. "I see that you've arrived home, Yui." He sat down at the table across from her. "How's your day?" "Just another fine and beautiful day wasted at school," Yui replied, getting up to fetch the teapot for Yosho. "I see...very interesting." Yosho smiled. "Don't worry, Yui. You'll be spending the rest of what's left of daylight outside." "What do you mean by that, grandpa Yosho?" She asked, getting a teacup from a cabinet. "Your father has graciously asked me to call for you." He watched Yui set the teapot and teacup in front of him. "Call for me?" she said quizzically. "Call for me for what?" She poured a cup of tea for Yosho. "For practice. He decided that he wanted to practice with you." Yosho sipped his tea. "What?! Now?!" Yui asked and Yosho nodded. "But I'm so beat!" "He's waiting for you at the training ground. He's expecting you over there by 5 o'clock." "What?! That only gives me 10 minutes to get ready and run up there!" "Then I guess you'd better go." he said, sipping his tea. "Great! I hate it when he does things like this!" Yui stormed out of the kitchen at lightning speed to her room upstairs. Nobuyuki watched in amazement at how swiftly Yui flew out of the kitchen. He walked over to the table where Yosho was sitting and served him a plate of noodles. "Goodness! She's fast! I can barely see her run!" Nobuyuki said in awe. "Indeed." Yosho picked up his chopsticks and set the plate of noodles in front of him. "Very much like her mother." *** Meanwhile, out in the training ground, Tenchi sat on a large, smooth boulder patiently waiting for Yui to come out for practice. With the bokken resting on his right shoulder, he watched the cherry blossoms bloom, noting its resemblance to pink snow falling to the ground. He grinned, never tired of the countryside's natural beauty. Tenchi was in his mid-thirties; though he looked 21, he still had the same short spiky hairdo. Basically he hadn't changed much in years due to the root of his ability to form Light Hawk Wings at will and his connection to the cosmic space trees. Nowadays, he'd taken over his grandfather's duties as a Shinto shrine priest, going by a modest salary. He wasn't worried about paying off the bills because of his father's architectural firm; it was bringing in more than enough money to last another 80+ years. Life was good. "I wonder what's taking her so long?" Tenchi said, looking at his watch. It read 4:59 p.m.; if she didn't make it in time, he was going to have to double her chores, just as he had promised. He stood up from the boulder and stretched. "DAMMIT DAD! I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THIS TO ME!" Yui yelled out. She appeared in front of Tenchi in a blurry flash, wearing her practice outfit and holding her bokken in her right hand. "Jeez! Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Tenchi said, trying to regain his composure. Uh oh, she's pissed at me. Better give her THE SMILE, he thought. Then he smiled. "Yui! I knew you would make it in time!" "I know it's important to practice and all, but you just gotta give me more notice!" Yui noticed her dad's smile and began to calm down. There was just that thing about him every time he smiled. *How does he do that?* Yui found herself completely depleted of anger. "As much as I want to, Yui. I couldn't," he said. "But this is the only way I can train you to expect the unexpected." Admiring his daughter's honesty, it reminded him of all his time spent with Ryoko nearly 14 years ago. Yui acted so much like her mother that it was one of the driving forces that kept him alive and happy. "Yes, I know," she said, beginning to smile. "Besides, the bright side to this is the fact that you don't have to do any chores today!" Tenchi put his hand on her shoulder. "I guess." Even though I'll do them later on, anyways, she thought to herself. "Shall we begin our practice?" "Hai!" she said. "Ok, then. We'll start with a normal exercise and after that we'll spar. We're just having a short practice today." "Ok. Which exercise are we going to do?" "I'm going to test your speed and reflexes. I'll test them by throwing this pebble at you." He held up a small pebble. "This is how your grandfather Yosho taught me how to keen my senses and reflexes." "Ok. How are we going to begin?" she asked. "We'll try it stationary, then we'll go on from there. I want to see how much you've learned so far." As far as Yui could remember, she had been practicing sword fighting for most of her life since she was 6. As she practiced with her father throughout her life, she gradually discovered her hidden abilities, abilities that most normal humans would never be able to do: being able to levitate herself from one foot to 20 feet off the ground; moving at speeds faster than a sprinting cheetah; literally flying; being three times stronger than the world's strongest weightlifter; and quick reflexes that rivaled that of a cat. Most of her abilities were inherited from her mother. Yui placed herself in her Jurian battle-ready stance. "Ok...ready?" Tenchi asked. Holding up the pebble, he prepared to throw it at her. She nodded yes. "Here it comes!" he yelled, immediately throwing the pebble. The rock sped its way towards Yui, who deflected it easily. "How's that?" she said confidently. "Very good," he said. "Not bad for your first time, but can you handle 3?" He suddenly threw 3 more rocks at her, each successfully deflected off Yui's bokken. "Excellent, Yui! Now let's move it up one level." "Alright." She began to float 5 feet off the ground, grasping her bokken in both hands. "Ok, now start flying around me, and at the same time try to deflect these rocks as they come to you." She began to fly around him in a wide circle, exceeding speeds of 25 MPH. "Ok, I'm ready!" she said in mid-flight. "Here they come!" He threw 2 rocks at her, each successfully deflected. Yui smiled, obviously pleased with her progress. "Don't think I'm done yet, Yui." Tenchi grinned and instantly threw a volley of rocks at her. Yui saw the barrage of rocks flying at her, noting that it resembled a swarm of bees. *WHOA! DAMN!* She quickly dodged a good number of rocks and proceeded to deflect the rest. As soon as she'd batted away the last rock, a second barrage came flying at her. Focusing her attention on each rock, she started to swing her bokken, knocking the rocks away. She was becoming pleased with her abilities. She felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her body. These were the feelings she lived for, the rush and the exhilaration! Tenchi was amazed to see his daughter doing very well. He got many feelings of satisfaction, watching the way she skillfully deflected his barrage of rocks. Watching her bokken cut through the air, swiftly and surely, he realized that he was running out of pebbles to throw at her, so he decided to do the next best thing. Without warning, he charged at her with his bokken, ready to do battle. As soon as she'd stopped the last rock from the last wave, Yui realized that the barrage had stopped and quickly spotted her father running straight towards her. She immediately blocked his bokken before it could even touch her. They were bokken-to-bokken to each other, struggling at each other's strength and trying to maintain their balance. "So dad, I see that you have ran out of rocks to throw at me," Yui said with a grin. She jumped back away from him and went on the defensive. "Not really... I was tired of watching you play with rocks, so I decided to go straight to the spar," Tenchi said. He lunged at her and she blocked him with her bokken. *She's very quick. If she keeps this up, she'll be able to beat me and possibly even grandpa,* Tenchi thought to himself. Tenchi was finding it harder to break through her defenses; she was quick enough that he had to try to find a way to outsmart her. Yui was pleased by her ability to block her father's attacks, but he was still quite strong and just as fast as she was. She tried not to think ahead of herself. "You're becoming more and more like your mother, Yui. Strong and quick," said Tenchi as he threw blows and swings at Yui. Although Tenchi had never really practiced sword fighting with Ryoko, there was that one time... "Thanks, it runs in the family," she replied, blocking and deflecting her father's attacks. She found herself bokken-to-bokken again with her father. Trying to maintain her stand against her father's strength, she was surprised at how strong her father was. He's pretty strong for a man of his frame, she thought. Tenchi was feeling the same way about his daughter. She was definitely strong, he thought, barely able to hold up against her. If she were as strong as her mother, his bokken would have splintered by now. Through the rush of the sparring, Yui was struggling against her father's bokken, then she suddenly felt a surge of energy coursing through her body, pulsating up into her left arm. This was something new, a sensation that she had never felt before. She felt the energy coursing through the veins of her left arm, gradually focusing on to one point, her palm, despite the fact she still held a tight grip on her bokken. "Uhh...Dad! Something's happening to my left arm!" she said nervously to her father, pulling away from him to end the spar. "What?" Tenchi noticed his daughter's sudden withdrawal and stepped back. "What's wrong, Yui?" "I don't know," Yui replied. She dropped her bokken and looked at her left palm to the point where the energy was concentrating. With no warning, an energy ball materialized on her left palm. Yui was awestruck. "Dad, what's going on? What is this thing doing on my palm!?" "I'm not sure." He came in for a closer look. "Yui, don't do a thing. Let me see what it is..." He held up her left arm and gazed at the wad of energy. He carefully examined the ball; then with a pop, it disappeared. "What do you think it was, dad?" asked Yui. "I'm not sure but I do have an idea," he said, thinking hard. That energy ball resembled an energy discharge, he thought. Is Yui finally regaining her powers? "Dad? What are you thinking about?" Yui asked again. "Yui, could you by any chance try to recreate that energy ball?" Tenchi asked. "I'm not sure, but I'll try," Yui said. Then with so much as a tiny thought, the energy ball rematerialized. That time it came as a nervous impulse. Tenchi looked at the energy ball again and smiled. "Ah! Looks like Yui finally developed her very own energy discharge!" rang the voice of Washu, who was walking towards Tenchi and Yui. Ryo-ohki followed Washu as well in her humanoid form. Ryo-ohki was carrying a tray holding 2 cups and a pitcher of water. Ryo-ohki sat down on the boulder and set the tray down next to Washu. "Good afternoon, Washu!" Tenchi greeted. "Hello, Tenchi." Washu looked at the energy ball, studying it intensely. "OK, Yui, I'm going to teach you your first lesson about using an energy discharge." "Um...ok," she said. "Tenchi, why don't you go over there and sit with Ryo-ohki? You're done with your lessons with her for today," said Washu. "Sure, ok. Since you're the only person qualified enough to teach her," he said with a smile. Washu's out of her lab, she finally decided to step out, Tenchi thought. He hadn't stepped into the lab for the past 13 years. Ever since the death of Ryoko, Washu had been in that lab almost every time she had free time. She's hiding something. But he figured that he'd find out eventually. Tenchi sat down next to Ryo-ohki, who proceeded to pour him a cup of water. "Thank you Ryo-ohki!" "Miya!" said the smiling humanoid. She turned her attention to Washu and Yui. Tenchi watched Yui and Washu intensely; this was bringing back happy memories and buried memories. *It's almost time to reveal to Yui her concealed memories,* he thought with some worry. "Okay, Yui! Now that you have the energy discharge on your palm, try throwing it like a baseball." Washu looked for and found a suitable target, pointing at a nearby rock. "Throw it in that direction." "Ok...like this?" Yui hurled the blue discharge at the rock. BOOM! "Just like your mother, Yui," Washu said proudly. "Wow! That is cool!" Yui's eyes were bulging out of their sockets. "I'm doing that again!" She threw out another energy discharge, this time aiming it at the lake. A huge pillar of water exploded into the sky. Washu clearly saw that Yui was already aware that she had inherited her mother's abilities, but how far was her potential? Now that she had finally regained most of her powers - and some new ones - Washu felt the inevitability of having to break the news of Yui's past to her. "Alright Yui! Next and finally, I'm going to teach you how to materialize your own energy sword." "You mean, like my mother's?" "Yes, like your mother's." Yui brought out another energy discharge out of her hand before Washu could say a word. "I'm ready, Washu!" "All you have to do to bring out your sword is close your hand on the discharge," instructed Washu. "You mean like this?" Yui closed her hand on the energy discharge and a blue energy sword forming from the compression. "Wow! Just like a light saber straight out of Star Wars!" "Star -- what?" Washu asked. "Never mind," Yui said, remembering that Washu didn't really watch American movies that much - if at all. "Now that you have your very own sword, why don't you test it? See how it works!" "Ok!" Yui said excitedly. She ran over to a nearby tree and began to swing at it. Before she could take another swing, the trunk sliced into two, sliding off and falling on the ground. Tenchi and Ryo-ohki both clapped their hands, impressed. Tenchi used it as a distraction to give a quick glance to Washu. Washu picked up on the eye contact. "Ok, Yui. Time to call it quits," Washu said, smiling. "What? You mean I'm done *already*?" Yui asked. Washu nodded. "That's all? Isn't there more to learn??" Yui asked, hoping for more surprises. "Nope, you have graduated. You've learned all that you needed to learn. The only thing that's left is..." "Is what?" Yui asked excitedly. "...is to practice and master those abilities." Yui was disappointed. "...Alright." She walked over to Ryo-ohki and her father, Ryo-ohki pouring a drink for Yui. "Thank you, Ryo-ohki." "You'd better head back to the house with Ryo-ohki, Yui," Tenchi directed. "I need to speak with Washu alone." "Yes, I understand." She picked up her bokken and left with the cabbit. Tenchi waited until Yui and Ryo-ohki were out of earshot, then turned to Washu. Washu was standing there, thinking to herself. "Well, she finally regained all her powers -- and some new ones," he said. "What do you think will happen next?" "Tomorrow I will be permitting you and the others in to the lab," said Washu. "Your lab?" he said curiously, not expecting this turn of events. "You're finally giving us access to your lab?" "Yes." She then silently walked off. *Man, what's with her anyways?* Tenchi thought, trying to figure out why Washu had been acting so reclusive for the past 2 weeks. *Oh well, I'm going to go find out tomorrow, if not sooner or later...* *** It was late in the evening, almost everybody curled up in bed. The exception was Washu, typing intently on her keyboard in her dimensional laboratory, monitoring the progress of the operation in front of her. There was a gigantic cylinder casing standing in the center, with all manner of monitors and com- puters connected to it. Though the cylinder itself was made of glass, a large black shroud hung over it, concealing what was inside. For the past 13 years, Washu had struggled and despaired in trying to stop the deterioration of the specimen within. Up until 2 weeks ago, she had found no concrete way to stop the rapid degeneration -- but now, there was none. Only time stood in the way of the complete regeneration of the contents within, a process which she monitored closely. And after the process was complete, there was still one thing left to do. Ryo-ohki was the only one aware of the process; on Washu's mind was how everybody else was going to react to the revelation. She shot a glance at the regeneration monitor. Tears began to well up in her eyes. *Finally, after all these years...* The monitor read: Regeneration at 85%. Estimated time of full regeneration: 48 hours. *** Yui lied on her bed in her father's former room, looking up through the skylight, watching the stars glimmer and twinkle. The clock right next to her read 1:30am. She couldn't sleep; not after all that excitement she'd been through today, she couldn't! Now that she'd learned most of her father's sword techniques and gained most of her mother's abilities, she thought about the only abilities she hadn't gained from her mother yet: teleportation and passing through walls. But she knew she would gain them eventually, and when she did... *I'm going to be the world's greatest fighter!* Yui smiled. She closed her eyes and her mind wandered off into dreams... *** In the second master bedroom, Tenchi slept soundly in his king-size bed. The second bedroom had been added to the house after his wedding with Ryoko; it was built as a wedding present from his father. The bed was also from his father too, meant for two. Unfortunately the bed hadn't been shared by anyone else in 13 years. Tenchi missed being close to his late wife. He missed her warmth, her touch, and the feeling of being whole. Now for 14 years, he slept... alone. In his dresser, the Tenchi-ken's hilt containing the 3 gems that once belonged to Ryoko was reacting to a familiar energy source. The gems were giving out a faint glow... Ending Song: 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 1! I hope you liked it! Send me your C&C! I'm dying to know what you think! And stay tuned for Pt.1 Chapter 2 ! Author's second note: Some of you might object to this, but I decided to put this song in this FF because I liked the mood of the song. This song always gives that edge of sincerity and lovingness. This is one of the elements I hope to write in this FF series. That's my reason for putting the song on here. I would like to give special thanks to Navaash, Random and Lord Talon. Who were gracious enough to give some of their time and energy to help me edit this FF. 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! Tenchi Muyo: Ryoko's Love... Prologue Chapter 3: Ryoko Returns Part 1 By Long T. Tran Revised By Navaash Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, AIC/Pioneer owns them. I don't intend to make money off this because I don't want to get a lawsuit. I'm too poor for that. But this is my story, so don't plagiarize! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 25, 2018, ~12:00 PM Tenchi lifted his daughter Yui up from her knees with him, drained from the destruction of his wife's false gravestone and its aftermath. "Father... I'll be in my room." Tenchi nodded, watching Yui until she was out of his sight. He then walked a few steps to the rubble, and began to throw the marker into the lake, hurling as much stone and concrete as he could hold into the crystal-clear depths. With each toss, he slowly completed the process of coming to grips with everything that had happened in the past few hours. As more and more rocks submerged into the crystal-clear waters, Washu approached Tenchi from behind. "I'm sorry you had to do that to Ryoko's grave." "Correction, Washu. WAS Ryoko's grave," Tenchi said sternly to Washu; the red- haired scientist didn't flinch. "Who's buried beneath here?" "Just a celluloid mannequin," Washu replied. "Look, I'm not here to be scolded again. I've come here to apologize for my actions. I didn't realize I offended you and your daughter as deeply as I did." "Don't worry about apologizing, Washu. You already apologized in the lab; giving me a straightforward explanation about why you kept Ryoko's existence a secret was good enough for me." "What do you mean, Tenchi?" Washu was puzzled, a rarity for her. "What I did to Ryoko's grave was just my way of alleviating my anger towards you. There's no reason to be sorry now." Not looking at Washu, he channeled all his negative energy into the last remaining rocks in his hands. With a silent roar, he threw the rocks into the water with all his might. "It's all behind us now. It's in the past... time to move on." Tenchi turned to face Washu as the last of the rocks impacted on the water's surface. "I see," Washu said, admiring Tenchi's uncanny ability of being able to adjust his perspective on life at a moment's notice. "I would still like to apologize to you properly." She knelt down in a traditional manner, placing her hands on the ground and her head on her hands. "Gomen nasai." "If it makes things easier, I accept your apology," Tenchi said, still maintaining a serious tone. "Now please apologize to Yui." "I will. Don't you worry about it," Washu said, standing back up and starting to make her way back to the house. "By the way, I'm gonna start on restoring Ryoko's memory tonight." "You are?" Tenchi asked, his negative funk lifting with that remark. "What can I do to help?" "Just bring yourself and Ryoko's gems to the lab tonight at midnight. You're going to be playing a very crucial role in bringing her back." "Alright, tonight at midnight," repeated Tenchi, confirming Washu's directions. "I'll see you then." Tenchi walked off to the shrine, ready to perform his daily duties with Yosho. Washu stopped to watch Tenchi walk away, then continued to the Masaki residence, heading straight for Yui's room. Hoping that Yui would be as understanding as her father, she stepped up to the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. "Yui? Are you there?" "Grandmother Washu?" asked Yui with a hint of anger and confusion. "Yes, it's me. May I come in?" "Sure. Come in," Yui said through the door. Washu opened it and entered; she found her granddaughter lying on her bed, listening to music through her headphones. It was apparent to Washu that Yui was lost in her own thoughts. "What are you listening to?" Washu asked, trying to improve Yui's state of mind. "'The Joshua Tree' by U2; it's an old American album. I find that this music... is in sync with my emotions right now." Yui stopped the CD player and took off her headphones. "So what brings you here?" "I wanted to talk to you about your mother," Washu replied without missing a beat. "Your mother... means everything to me. I love her very much...so much that I had to cheat her own death. I knew that I would pay a terrible price in the long run... in order to insure your mother's safe return, I had to lie to you and to your father. I regret having to put you and your father through that for the past 13 years..." Washu repeated the same motions she had used with Tenchi. "Gome-" "It's alright... I understand," Yui interrupted. "You did what you had to do and you did it because your motherly instincts told you to." "Indeed," Washu said, relief starting to relax her as she stood. "Would you like to come down to the lab with me to visit your mother?" The room suddenly became silent. "No, I'd like to stay up here for now. I appreciate the fact that you asked me...but right now I need to be alone." "Alright. I'll be in the lab tending to your mother when you're ready. But are you really sure you don't want to come down to the lab with me?" Yui considered Washu's offer for a moment, but nodded no in refusal. "I understand, Yui," Washu said with disappointment She began to make her way out of the room. "By the way, your mother will be ready to see you first thing tomorrow morning... but the door to the lab will always be open if you choose to see her beforehand." "OK. Maybe I'll see you... maybe not. But I'll be there at midnight." Yui laid herself back down on her bed, donning her headphones once more. Washu looked at Yui; with a smile, she continued out the door. As soon as the door closed, Yui gave out a small tired sigh and switched her music back on. Underneath the spell of the soothing, soul-searching music, Yui closed her eyes, considering all the possibilities that her mother's resurrection could bring. *Don't think of it any more,* she thought to herself after a minute. *Just go with the flow for now.* *** As the clock ticked closer to midnight, Yui was sprawled out on her bed in pitch darkness, listening to U2 and gazing up intently at the twinkling stars through the skylight window. Ryo-ohki, who had wandered into the room after Washu had departed, slept snugly in cabbit form on Yui's stomach, the teenager gently petting her soft brown fur. Still lost in her thoughts, Yui didn't know what to think: should she be happy? sad? betrayed? or something else? Several minutes later, Yui looked at her wall clock. Midnight. *Hmm... already Sunday. Time has passed by quickly today,* she thought to herself. *This weekend has been one long roller-coaster ride; what else can happen? Dad was so fumed over Washu keeping mother a secret. However... we're going to be reunited with mom and that's the only thing that really matters. I wonder how Washu is going to bring mother back without losing any of mother's memories?* The loud knocking on Yui's bedroom door somehow cut through the music in her ears. The door slid open before she could motion otherwise, the light from the hallway stinging her eyes. The silhouette of her father stood in the doorway; despite the fuzzy brightness, she could see he was holding something in his right hand. Instinctively, she turned off the CD player. "Father? What is it?" asked Yui, rubbing her eyes in a semi-futile attempt to clear her vision. "Yui, how are you feeling? Are you OK?" Tenchi asked, concerned. "I'm feeling better... how 'bout you?" Yui asked in return. "No different from you," he replied. "I've come to show you something. Is it alright if I come in?" "Sure, come right on in," said Yui, sitting up and trying not to awaken Ryo- ohki. Yui wanted to talk to her father about the reaction he displayed towards the gravestone this afternoon; she carefully moved Ryo-ohki onto her lap to allow her father to sit down next to her. She looked down at what he was grasping; it was Tenchi-ken, the master key. It looked no different from the last tie she had seen it... except, to her sur- prise, the gems radiated with a soft glow. "...They're glowing," she whispered. "Yes, Yui. This means that your mother's body is almost completely regenerated," said Tenchi. As he held up the sword, the gems were starting to glow even more brilliantly. "These gems are linked to your mother; they will play a crucial role in restoring her memories." Tenchi then put the master key into his pocket. Yui began to think back to the events that occurred the previous day. She looked over at her father; his face was calm and reserved, a striking contrast to the distilled rage she had seen at the lake. When he had demolished the gravestone and the falsehood that went with it, despite stopping him in the end she completely agreed with his actions. After all, how else could one rid oneself of a 13 year-old lie? At least right now, she saw that her father was in his usual calm mood. "Father, about mother's gravestone..." Yui said, struggling to find the right way to express her thoughts. "I know. What I did to your mother's gravestone was uncalled for..." "Actually, dad," she interrupted, "I wasn't going to shun you for destroying mother's grave." Tenchi was baffled. "You weren't?" Yui nodded to her father in affirmation. "I would've done the same thing that you did. By destroying it, you destroyed the lie. Now we don't have to think about it anymore. Really, I'm glad you did what you did... you had to." "I'm sorry you had to see that, Yui," Tenchi said with a sigh. "But you and I have been given a chance to live our lives with your mother again." "We have..." Yui trailed off, thinking. "As I swung the sledgehammer at the marker, several thoughts went through my mind," said Tenchi with a pause, organizing his thoughts. "I wanted to do three things: find a way to forgive Washu for deceiving us all, purge from myself the lie that told me for 13 years that I would never see Ryoko again, and rid myself of all the anger and disbelief surrounding your mother's reappearance. After I did all that, I had to find a glimmer of hope so that I could accept the possibility of starting a new life with your mother. "Mmmm." Yui completely empathized with her father; she knew that she would have had similar, if not identical, goals. *We're so alike...* "As I started to hit the gravestone, in that first split second, I realized that I was reliving the cycle of the phoenix. With each strike of the hammer, my old self, which believed that your mother was dead, burned away. Afterwards, I felt reborn, prepared to begin anew. "One more thing. Remember the flowers you placed at the gravestone?" Yui nodded. "I moved them away; they were safely away from me, never hurt." "Hmm..." Thinking back to that afternoon, Yui clearly remembered that she had not seen the flowers anywhere near the debris. "I remember. The flowers weren't near the gravestone... by relocating them, you were forgetting about the past, but looking towards the future... right?" "Yes, Yui. That's absolutely right," Tenchi said, smiling about his daughter's natural intuition. "The part of me you once knew, the part of me that loathed myself for not being able to save your mother, the part of myself that was filled with grief and sorrow... is now gone. We've been given another chance to live life with your mother again, and that's all that matters." "I'm happy that we've been given another chance, but..." Yui said doubtfully. "But what, Yui?" Tenchi asked. "What are we going to do if mom doesn't recover all her memories?" The remarks hit home for Tenchi. What *would* happen if she didn't recover her memories? It took a second for him to think, but the conclusion was painfully obvious: it would be no different than letting her remain 'dead'. Then he remembered the object in his pocket, the look of concern on his face going away. He wrapped his arm around Yui and hugged her. "Don't worry. Washu and Sasami have already thought of the answer." "Really, father? What is it?" "The answer is in these gems," he said assurringly, taking the Tenchi-ken out of his pocket and holding it up. "Washu told me that they have all her memories and past experiences stored in here. No need to worry." "Yeah... you're right. After all, Washu is the universe's greatest scientist and Aunt Sasami is - well - a goddess," she said with affirmation, purging away all of her doubts. Yui began to smile in the warmth of her father's hug; it felt as if the night sky had wrapped itself around her. Tenchi looked down at his daughter, a goofy grin developing on his face. "So, now the student teaches the teacher! You are daddy's little Miracle Child!" He began to ruffle his daughter's cyan hair; she pushed him away with anger, just as embarrassed as she had been at dinner last night. "DAAAAAAD! Stop messing up my hair! And I hate it when you call me that!" "I'm sorry, Yui," Tenchi said, his grin turning into a soft smile. "I just wanted to lift your spirits a little bit." "You're always the optimist, aren't you, dad?" Yui grunted. "Well, I try to be," Tenchi replied, trying to defuse his daughter's anger. "I'm sorry again, Yui." With fatherly care, Tenchi gave Yui an even gentler hug. The cyan-haired youth's anger subsided as she thought about the last remark. "I'm sorry to have burst out on you like that, father," Yui said apologetically. "It's alright, Yui." Tenchi comforted his daughter a little more. "I just want you to get some sleep, rest, and recover after what you've been through today." A few silent moments passed; Yui's tension began to subside. She finally felt warm, relaxed, and secure, after this emotional roller-coaster of a day. She closed her eyes, her mind slowly drifting into a relaxed state. Tenchi held Yui close until she began to snore. Once he felt her body relax, he smiled, carefully tucking Yui into her bed. As Tenchi moved his sleeping daughter around, Ryo-ohki woke up, groggy from being nudged to consciousness. "Miya?" "Shhhh," Tenchi said quietly, putting his finger on Ryo-ohki's little lip. "Yui's asleep." "Sleep well, Yui. While you dream away, I'll be bringing your mother back to us," he whispered, kissing his daughter's forehead. Ryo-ohki quickly hopped on to Tenchi's head; together, they stepped out of Yui's room. As he closed the door behind him, he glanced up at the cabbit. "Thank you for being there for Yui, Ryo-ohki," he said, petting the little cabbit. "Would you be willing to watch over Yui tonight while I'm with Ryoko?" "Miya! Miya!" Ryo-ohki chirped happily. The cabbit hopped back down, phasing through Yui's doorway. Tenchi watched the cabbit re-enter his daughter's room, then looked at his watch. *Time to be in Washu's lab.* He walked through the hallway, down the stairs, and towards the closet door, where destiny awaited. *** The screen on Washu's computer read: Regeneration status: 100% complete. "OK, Sasami; put her through the Epidermal Filtering System." "Right," confirmed Sasami, typing a sequence into her keyboard. As Washu and Sasami worked away on the computers connected to the tank that suspended Ryoko, Aeka stood a short distance away, watching her once-rival float in the blue crystal liquid. The red-haired scientist typed a sequence into the keyboard with precise yet speedy keystrokes; a huge rectangular device materialized, connecting itself to the master cylinder. Aeka observed that the device took up approximately half of the chamber they stood in; it was composed of three different tanks. The first tank included a small class tube which had already attached itself to the master cylinder; it held a thick white liquid within. The second tank, connected to the first tank, had clear non-conductive liquid in its confines. The third tank was unusual in comparison to the other two; it was empty. Ryoko's body, freed of the spandex outfit, drifted through the glass tube and into the first tank. Washu, eye-strain starting to get the best of her, typed a command into the computer. "AUDITORY STATUS MODE ACTIVATED," boomed a loudspeaker which had just emerged from the machine. Wincing with the others, Washu punched in another instruction: turn down the volume. "Subject transferred to phase-1 tank. Initiating poly-dermal graft." Within the first tank, Ryoko's body was completely immersed within the white liquid, hiding her from plain view. Aeka walked up to the tank, peering inside and wondering what was happening. "Washu, what is a poly-dermal graft?" she asked, not well-versed in science due to her sheltered upbringing. "This first step is absolutely crucial to bring Ryoko back. What we're doing is basically adjusting Ryoko's skin to adapt to the outside air." "Why? What's the point?" "Remember, Ryoko's body has been immersed inside that liquid for 13 years now. If her skin was exposed to air without being properly processed, it'd melt off!" "Oh... I see." Disgust was readily apparent in Aeka's voice. "Poly-dermal graft completed. Subject transferred to phase-2 tank. Initiating epidermal scan and transition," the computer reported. Ryoko's body slowly drifted into the center of second tank, coated in white from all angles. Tenchi arrived in the lab, standing next to Aeka and watching his wife's body suspend itself in the fluid. The Juraian empress looked at him, a bit concerned. "How is Yui doing, Tenchi?" she asked. "So far, so good," he replied. "She's feeling better; I just tucked her in." "Poor girl," Aeka said, thinking about Yui. "She's been in her room for 12 hours now." "I wouldn't worry about it any further, Aeka. She's feeling a lot better now," Tenchi said to Aeka reassuringly. For a brief, unexpected moment, he was silent. "I am really proud of her." "Understandably so," Aeka agreed. "Yui's very strong willed and very mature. I'm quite relieved that she's been able to hold herself together after everything she's been through in the past two days," Tenchi said, watching Ryoko's body being scanned by thin beams of light. "I mean, look. Yui has regained her powers 13 years after mother died, only to discover she's still alive." "It is a lot for any normal person to take in over a span of just 2 days," Aeka agreed. "I hope she doesn't hold anything against Washu." "Apparently, she seems to be sharing the same sentiments that I have." "Oh?" "Yui and myself are both willing to put Washu's actions behind us and just move on in our lives. We're going to focus on life with Ryoko. Right now, we both agree that this is more important than being upset at Washu." "It's fortunate that a rift in the relationship between you and Washu didn't open up. Otherwise, things could've been much worse..." "I know," Tenchi said solemnly, noticing that the white substance covering Ryoko's body was starting to crumble in the presence of the laser light. As the white layers deteriorated, Ryoko's beautiful skin was visible once more. Afterwards, Ryoko floated to the third and final tank. "Epidermal scan and transition complete. Skin condition: ready. Initiating final phase," the computer reported. In the third tank, Ryoko's body was engulfed by a huge pillar of light coming from the tank's emitters. Washu explained over the noise of the machinery that this would re-adapt Ryoko's skin to adjust to any atmosphere. After being bathed by the pillar of light, Ryoko's unconscious body started to ascend to the top of the tank, now filled with water as part of the cleaning process. "Final phase completed. Skin condition: normal. Initiating subject removal." "OK, you two, it's your turn," Aeka said, the Guardians of Jurai appearing right behind her on schedule. "Carry out the order as planned." "Yes, ma'am!" The logs vanished. Azaka and Kamidake rematerialized at the top of the tank. As Ryoko floated up to the top of the container, the guardians immediately placed their forcefield around her, slowly and carefully lifting Ryoko out of the water and drying her off with the electrical energies of their forcefield shell. They awaited their final order: teleport Ryoko to the main bridge of the Tsunami. Washu walked towards Tenchi, having just completed another round of computations on her computer. "Alright Tenchi, Ryoko's almost ready. Do you have the gems?" "Yes, I have them," he said, holding out his Tenchi-ken. The gems on the hilt were shining even more brightly then he had ever seen them. "What's next?" "I'm going up to the bridge of the Tsunami to finish up the final adjustments. Sasami will brief you," Washu told Tenchi. "I want you to listen to her instructions *very* carefully." "Don't worry, I will," Tenchi replied assuredly. "OK, then. I'll see you later." Washu suddenly teleported to her destination, Azaka and Kamadake closely in tow. Tenchi and Aeka stood next to each other, knowing that they were just minutes away from reuniting with Ryoko. Sasami walked up to Tenchi. "Tenchi, how are you feeling?" she asked. "I'm just a little nervous, but I'm feeling fine otherwise," Tenchi said. "OK Sasami, I'm ready. What do you want me to do?" "OK, Tenchi; before I give you the plan, let me explain to Aeka how this works, because you know this already." She turned to the Juraian empress. "The reason that we need to use Ryoko's gems is because they've been with her most of her life, especially the gem on her left wrist." "I see," Aeka said in fascination, recalling the hint her sister had given to her earlier. "The gems record history as seen by Ryoko as well..." "That's right. We will use the gems to transplant Ryoko's memories into the regenerated body." Sasami turned to Tenchi. "OK, Tenchi, here's the plan." She produced a pair of black shorts, made of very thin cloth. "Uhh... what do you want me to do with these shorts?" he asked, nervously eyeing the black cloth. "I want you to take off all your clothes and put these on." Tenchi face-faulted. "What?! *All* my clothes?" "Yes, all of them. What we're about to do must be free of static electricity or otherwise. Any disruptive energy can tamper with the memory transfer." "I understand," Tenchi said, walking behind a huge computer to change out of sight of the women. He changed into the shorts as quickly as he could. "Are you coming along too, Aeka?" "Yes, I am. I hope you don't mind." "I don't mind, Aeka. I guess it wouldn't hurt anybody." Tenchi walked towards Sasami. "Now tell me the rest of the plan, Sasami." "We're going up to bridge of the Tsunami. Once we're there, you'll see that Ryoko is being held above the water of the pool. Once you're in the pool, I want you to hold Ryoko above the water line; after she's in your arms, give her back all three gems. After that, wait for any further instructions that Washu might give you." "Alright, that sounds simple enough." "Are you ready, Tenchi?" Sasami asked. Tenchi cleared his mind, taking in a deep breath. "Yes." "Alright. Here we go!" Sasami held up her hands, a bright light illuminating the entire lab. As a sense of dislocation began to overtake Tenchi, he could feel the emblem representing his power materialize on his forehead. *** Inside the bridge of the ship Tsunami, the guardians of Jurai were already in place, holding Ryoko steadily over the luminescent pool as they waited for further orders from Washu. "Careful, you two. Tenchi should be here any minute now," Washu said, glancing about her surroundings. "Yes, ma'am!" Just standing in the bridge of the tree-ship Tsunami was enough to fascinate Washu; for some reason, it was interesting for her to observe that the only light sources were the other space trees within. It was dark and illuminating at once, a peaceful environment which prompted the scientist to think, *Maybe I should remodel my lab to be like this.* Nearby, a bright envelope of light appeared in front of the main space tree, unfolding itself to reveal Aeka, Sasami, and Tenchi. The first thing Washu noticed was Tenchi's clothing -- or general lack thereof. "Ooooh! Nice butt, Tenchi!" Washu said fiendishly. "And you used to ask why girls always took a liking to you?" "Um... can we get started?" Tenchi said, a sweatdrop forming on his head. "I kinda want to focus on Ryoko right now." "Sure, OK. Whatever you want, Tenchi." Washu grinned. "Tsunami, take it from here." "Right," Sasami said in compliance. *Will you PLEASE call me Sasami, Washu!* Tenchi began to feel himself being levitated off the ground by Sasami's powers. He slowly descended in to the luminescent pool, holding onto the Tenchi-ken tightly; he expected a cold sensation the moment his feet touched the water, but instead of a cold chill he felt a warm sensation of soothing energy coursing through his body as his feet entered. Eventually they touched bottom as he found himself waist-deep in the waters. "OK, Azaka and Kamidake. Bring Ryoko into the water," Washu ordered. The pair of logs slowly lowered Ryoko towards the water, right above Tenchi. "Tenchi, I want you to place the Tenchi-ken on to the bottom of the pool; catch Ryoko after that. Once you have her in your arms, slowly submerge her into the pool until the only part of her above the water line is her face." "I understand," acknowledged Tenchi. With a flick of his wrist he sent the Tenchi-ken towards the bottom of the pool, catching it underneath his foot. The next second, he stretched his arms out, his wife lying quietly in the force field barely an inch above. Nearby, Aeka and Sasami stood besides each other in attention. "Are you ready, sir?" Kamidake asked Tenchi. "Yes, I'm ready," Tenchi said, anticipating catching Ryoko's body. "Drop her." Azaka and Kamidake dispelled the forcefield, sending Ryoko into Tenchi's arms. As he caught her, he was surprised at her weight; she was lighter than the last time he'd carried her. Nevertheless, he smiled when he could hear her soft, rhythmic breathing; he could almost feel her heartbeat as well. Tenchi proceeded to follow Washu's instructions, lowering Ryoko's body into the water until only her face was visible. "Alright, Tenchi," said Washu. "Just wait for the gems to react now." At the base of the pool, the gems embedded in the hilt of the Tenchi-ken began to feel the presence of Ryoko. Reacting to her newly-reawakened energy, they began to shine brighter than the most brilliant daylight. The waters of the Tsunami's pool began to shine with the light of the gems, eventually reaching the same luminescence. As a result of the energy reaction, the emblem on Tenchi's forehead began to glow. Ryoko's impulsive twitching brought Tenchi to attention; he had been observing the glow of the water up to that moment. Things were looking up; her breathing was becoming more active, her muscles were slowly contracting, and her closed eyes were struggling to open. Excitement was clearly visible in his eyes. "It looks like Ryoko's coming to," Sasami said to Aeka. "Yes, indeed. I hope her memory will be intact," Aeka replied. Azaka and Kamidake phased in beside Aeka, taking up their usual posts as guardians. "She's waking up!" Tenchi yelled with joy. "Keep in mind, Tenchi, that Ryoko has not received any of her memories yet! Please be ready to receive a negative reaction," advised Washu. Tenchi looked down at Ryoko; as her eyes opened, they met her husband's for the first time in 13 years. Tenchi's only thoughts were about the beauty in Ryoko's yellow felinoid eyes; it had been so long since he'd seen them... For what seemed like an eternity, Ryoko looked silently into Tenchi's eyes. Then, without warning, she began to thrash about in the water, unable to react any other way to this stranger looking at her. The panic in her eyes was so evident that Tenchi was genuinely surprised; he was more surprised, though, that the pool's waters were dimming. "Washu! What's going on?!" he yelled. "The brightness of the pool's light is a direct reflection of Ryoko's mood!" Washu explained, having already realized the problem. "And we need it to be as bright as possible, because as long as it's dim, she's in a very distressed state, and that'll only hinder the memory transfer! If she's calm, the pool will glow its brightest..." Sasami picked up where Washu trailed off. "She hasn't recovered any of her memories yet. Try to get her to relax; she must be calm enough to allow the memory transfer to begin." Tenchi looked down at his wife. Her panic had transformed into fright; like a terrified child, she looked terribly sad, a stream of tears flowing down her cheeks and into the rapidly-dimming pond. *She's as vulnerable as a lost child...* Tenchi thought to himself, looking at his reflection on the pool's surface; only now did he notice the glowing emblem on his forehead. *That's it! Actions speak louder than words!* He knew what he had to do now; a plan began to form in his mind. The only feeling coursing through Ryoko, who as far as she could tell had just been born, was high anxiety; she didn't know any of these strangers looking at her, and she didn't know what was going to happen, so she was scared. All of the fear within her, though, was coming from the stranger holding her in his arms. Again she thrashed about, unable to talk because she had no concept of speech. Then something caught her eye. The glowing emblem on the stranger's forehead. Then it was the stranger's gentle eyes. Then it was the warm, comforting energy emanating from him. A strange, but welcoming, voice entered her mind. *Don't be afraid... we're here to help you. We are your friends and loved ones; please let us help. You will not be harmed in any way.* Ryoko realized that the voice was coming from the stranger cradling her in his arms. She didn't understand the stranger's words for a second, but she did understand the feelings and intentions within the message. She relaxed and decided put her trust in to this stranger, waiting for another sign. Tenchi had figured out a way to communicate with Ryoko; since Ryoko's gems were on the hilt of the Tenchi-ken, he instinctively felt a connection to them. As the gems were connected to the same energy powering the Light Hawk Wings, he was connected to Ryoko. As he projected his mental images outward, he hoped that the gems would relay them to his wife. Washu, Aeka, and Sasami looked on; Ryoko's panicking suddenly subsided, the light from the pool gradually shining brighter. *Thank goodness. Things are finally starting to looking up,* Aeka thought. Ryoko relaxed in the stranger's arms, waiting for his voice to speak again. After several seconds, it came. *Relax. All you have to do is relax. It'll all come back to you.* Starting to understand the meaning of the words, she followed the voice's directions, noticing that her surroundings were gradually becoming brighter - and warmer. The soothing currents of heat relaxed her even further. *Now close you eyes and wait.* Ryoko slowly closed her eyes, allowing the darkness to enter her mind. For several tense minutes, there was nothing else. Then the flood began. A cascade of images, hundreds upon hundreds, millions upon millions. She was stunned by the sudden rush of information, sensations, and memories; memories from different moments in her life began to fill in the void of her past. *** The memories flashed through her mind at an alarming rate. She saw her first memories, taking her first flight with Ryo-ohki and gems being handed her. She found herself sharpening her skills and superhuman abilities under Kagato's cruel and ruthless supervision. For a period of time, she discovered that she had looted and plundered the galaxy under Kagato's control. And then she saw herself invading Planet Jurai. After the attack, she had been pursued by Yosho throughout space until the battle reached Earth. With a sword through her neck, she was defeated, stripped of her gems, and imprisoned in a cave. For almost 700 years, she felt alone in a dark and cold captivity, not having any contact with anybody or anything for what seemed like an eternity. Near the end of those 700 years, she saw Tenchi Masaki for the first time. >From her cave, she watched him grew up into a handsome young man. Finally, she was inadvertently released from her imprisonment by Tenchi. Names and faces of people and places flashed through her mind, their signifi- cance in her life becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second. Kagato... Dr. Clay... Tokimi... D3... Onimaru... Seriyou... Azusa... Funaho... Misaki... Zero... Yosho... Shoji... Nobuyuki... Mihoshi... Aeka... Sasami... Washu, her mother... Ryo-ohki... Tenchi... and Yui... Yui... *** Washu, Sasami and Aeka silently looked on as Tenchi cradled Ryoko in his arms in the brightly-lit pool. "Washu, what is Ryoko going through right now?" Aeka asked. "Ryoko is basically reliving her entire life, although it may seem like only seconds to us," Washu replied. "The memory transplant will seem like a lifetime to her." "I'm going to check on Ryoko's progress." said Sasami, activating the Tsunami's view screen. On it, an image of Ryoko sitting in the warm spring of the floating onsen was visible. "Where is Ryoko now?" Washu asked, turning to view the screen with Aeka. "Let me see," Sasami said, searching through the gems' database. "We are exactly 18 years prior to the present date." "That's interesting," Aeka said, smiling. "A lot of things happened during that year... 18 years ago." "Indeed, Aeka," Washu replied. "The year 2000 was a year that we will never, *ever* forget." Tenchi overheard Washu's remark; he smiled softly at Ryoko. "Do you remember that year, Ryoko?" Tenchi's voice was gentle towards his wife. "That's the year when I stopped running away from you... and finally opened my heart to you." "H...heart...." Ryoko whispered softly. She again closed her eyes as the pool's warm water comforted her like a blanket. She found herself reliving the events of the year 2000.... ... a year which, as Washu had said, would never be forgotten... To be continued...as Ryoko's Love Alpha! The Main Storyline Ch.1A 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 Author's Notes: There it's finally done! I've just finished writing this long introduction. Yep, you read this right. The first 3 chapters you read were just the intro! Now we'll start on the real story line, really soon! So stay tuned. HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! BTW, Yui's going to take a small vacation from this series. The main storyline will not be needing her until very late in to Part 2. Sorry, Yui fans. 2nd BTW, I have just completed my very own web site! The web site will be home base for my Tenchi fanfics, please come by and take look at it! Here's the Address: http://members.aol.com/EvilDrTran/index.html