Confused? Good! Anguish was the opener to a strange series in titled Azusa's scheme. This second part starts right where Anguish left off. Will the extended Masaki family survive the trials ahead? Pioneer and Viz comics own these characters, not me! Part 2 Questions???? "Please, someone, Help!" Washu cries while she frantically works on her daughter and Tenchi's various wounds. Yosho hears the cry for help and stumbles towards the voice while brilliant stars of light cloud his vision. "Keep talking Washu, I was blinded by the blast." Hearing Katsuhito's voice visibly calms the scientist down as she looks about she sees Ryo-Ohki. "Ryo-Ohki, guide Katsuhito to us please." "Meow" Ryo-Ohki answers as she scampers towards Katsuhito. "M m mommy?" Ryoko gasps in pain as she regains slight consciousness. Washu spins about at the weak call and almost jumps out of her skin as she see's what her daughter is attempting. "Ryoko, No, don't move right now." She rushes to her daughter's side. Ryoko, who is ready to collapse from her attempts, quickly complies with her mothers orders. She turns her head from her mother as she hacks up some blood, looking back "it hurts" she whispers. Washu watches with concern as her daughter passes out again. She quickly focuses on her daughter's largest wound, and reaches into her bag for a ointment that will both clean and soothe the garish gash. After applying the ointment she pulls out some gauze and tapes it over the treated area. She repeats the procedure on Tenchi next, she notices that Tenchi's left hand is tightly clenching Ryoko's right hand. "I'm here Washu, how can I help." Yosho says as he stumbles up behind the genius. Washu turns around and looks at the old man, upon glancing his way she quickly holds up three fingers and asks "How many fingers am I holding up?" "Um, maybe three, it's still a bit fuzzy." "Well then, I guess you aren't totally hopeless. You can start by giving me a hand in making these two mobile, I have been able to patch the largest wounds already." Yosho removes his glasses and massages his burning eyes, he asks "Washu, did you see what happened, I mean after the flash?" "You really don't want me to tell you, you will just have to see for yourself." Yosho replaces his glasses and opens his eyes, his vision starts to clear as the scientist comes into focus. He then smiles at Washu, "I can see you now." "Lets get to work on these two now, Katsuhito." Over by the indifferent Ayeka, Sasami hears a familiar call. "Meow?" She opens her eyes and notices that Mihoshi seems to be having difficulty breathing, she quickly releases the gasping G.P. from her bear hug. Immediately Mihoshi starts sucking in air like it was going out of style while Sasami starts looking about. "Where are you Ryo-Ohki? Please don't hide from me." Ryo-Ohki jumps over a few stones and leaps into Sasami's arms with a loud "MEOW!" "Oh thank goodness, you're alright now Ryo-Ohki. How about Tenchi and Ryoko?" Ryo-Ohki looks at the young princess with a very concerned, almost sad look. "Ryo-Ohki, that is not a good look, please lead me to them." The cabbit jumps down to the ground, and signaling the way with her ear starts hopping away. Sasami turns to follow the cabbit when she bumps into Mihoshi. "Oh, hello Sasami, where is Ryo-Ohki going?" "Come on Mihoshi, she is going to show us where Ryoko and Tenchi are." Ryo-Ohki pops back into sight to investigate the hold up, when she sees what it is she gives an impatient "MEOW!" "We're coming Ryo-Ohki!" the two girls say in unison. Over near the area where Washu had shielded earlier a lone figure kneels on the ground rubbing his eyes and praying. "Oh my dear wife in heaven, please tell me that Tenchi is OK. Please don't take him from me too." Noboyuki whispers to himself over and over again. "Hey Mihoshi, look, there's Washu and my brother lets go." Mihoshi grabs Sasami's arm and points at Noboyuki who is about ten feet away. Sasami turns and looks at Mihoshi, then looks in the direction that she is pointing. Ryo-Ohki takes this opportunity to hop up to her favorite spot atop Sasami's head. "That's Noboyuki. Mihoshi?" "Yes, Sasami?" "Would you please go and check on him?" "Well, I guess so, but what are you going to do?" "I'll be over there checking in with my brother and Washu." Sasami points out the pair who are kneeling on the ground working on something. Mihoshi looks over at the pair, "Ok Sasami, I will come as soon as I can." They wave at each other as they walk their separate paths. Sasami slows her pace as she nears the two who still have their backs to her, she can see that they are working on Tenchi and Ryoko, and neither are moving. "I am not going to like this, am I Ryo-Ohki." Sasami can feel the cabbit on top of her head shaking her head, then confirming with a sad "meow." Washu turns when she hears Ryo-Ohki's quiet call. "So there you... Oh, Sasami, I see she went to get you." "Washu, are they..." "No, Sasami, but they are badly hurt." Yosho gets up and walks over to Sasami, he kneels down and gives his little sister a comforting hug. Sasami hugs her brother back and starts sobbing into his shoulder. "Don't worry, Sasami, we won't let them die, I promise!" Washu says as she walks over and pats the sobbing princess on the back. Mihoshi walks up to the mumbling Noboyuki, she wonders why he is just sitting there talking to himself. "Um, Noboyuki, are you hurt?" Noboyuki nearly falls on his face from the sudden sound of Mihoshi's voice, he looks around but can only see a blurry vision of someone standing near him. "My goodness Mihoshi, you startled me." "I'm sorry, but are you hurt?" "You see, I was blinded by the large flash of light Mihoshi." "Oh, really, what flash of light?" "The flash from when Tenchi and Ryoko... Hey Mihoshi, would you please take me to my son now?" Noboyuki says in a suddenly concerned voice. "Well, I can bring you over where Washu, Katsuhito, and Sasami are. Maybe they can bring us to Tenchi and Ryoko, oops I forgot Ryo-Ohki, she is there too." "Alright, Mihoshi, that sounds like a good place to start." Noboyuki stands up as Mihoshi comes over to guide him, and they walk towards their friends. Sasami has taken Tenchi and Ryoko's clasped hands into her hands and has started quietly telling them that everything will be Ok, while Washu and Yosho continue their preparations to move the pair. Ryo-Ohki hops back into sight and starts clattering in her normal manner. Washu looks over and listens contentedly. "Yes, I see, good work Ryo-Ohki." "What did she say?" asks Yosho. "She says that Mihoshi and Noboyuki are almost here, and I think that we will be needing their help in moving these two to the lab." "Yes, I think you are right Washu, but there is one thing that is bothering me." "What's that Katsuhito?" "Where is my other sister? She is the only one missing." Ayeka, still in the same place, sneezes and looks about. "What has happened here? It looks like there was a large battle." she asks no one in particular. "Princess Ayeka, we were worried about you." "Azaka, Kamidake, is that you?" "Yes ma'am." "Tell me what happened here, I command you." The two logs look at each other with a tear appearing above each of their sensors. "Yes Ma'am." Back at the gathering, Sasami has told everyone how Ayeka had been acting during the battle. She is still holding Tenchi and Ryoko's hands, intently staring at nothing. Washu and the others digest this new information, some showing concern, and some showing surprise, and then there is Mihoshi who is unaffected by any of it. "M E O W! Meow, meow, meow." Is all that is heard as Ryo-Ohki charges back into the scene. She jumps back onto Sasami's head and keeps jabbering. Sasami reaches one hand up to try and calm down Ryo-Ohki while her other hand is still holding Tenchi and Ryoko's hands. "What's wrong with her? Washu, what is she saying?" "She says that our missing princess is about to make an appearance, and she seems to be in a vindictive mood." As Washu speaks this sure as rain Ayeka stomps over the hill with her guardians in tow. Ayeka takes in the scene in front of her, she lingers on sight of Tenchi and Ryoko, and for some reason this enrages the princess to the brink of insanity. "Kamidake, Azaka, I command you to arrest that Devil woman for injuring Lord Tenchi" she yells with out thinking. "Now wait just a moment Ayeka," yells Washu, "I am afraid that I can't..." Before Washu can finish her sentence a reddish blue sphere surrounds all but the guardians and Ayeka. The guardians following orders rush into the sphere, and are sent flying in the other direction landing in a heap thirty feet away. Washu stares in amazement as Ayeka mirrors the sentiment on the other side. "Ah, Washu, you should look over here." Says Sasami. Washu turns about and sees the origin of the shield is coming from Tenchi and Ryoko. Yosho yells at Ayeka, "Ayeka!, you must stop this foolishness at once or they will both die." Ayeka, who is very confused, composes herself and orders her guardians off. She then turns and walks away from everyone tears streaking her eyes as she sorts through her feelings looking for an answer. Everyone else completes their preparations and move the unconscious pair to the lab, side by side. A few hours later the sun rises on the Masaki residence, in the sky a dot quickly becomes a double prow ship. It slows down and comes to a stop over the lake. A few seconds later a familiar form materializes on the dock where Tenchi and Seiryo had meant to fight. "Hinase, stay on alert." Something just doesn't feel right she thinks to herself... End? I haven't heard the fat scientist sing. Have You? If you wondered why I named it Questions at the beginning, I hope the story has spoken for itself. Next part, maybe Explanations? Anyway, regardless of what I name the next part I am hoping to get away from some of this serious tone, it is a Tenchi fic after all. So till next time... JL As always input and viewpoints welcome.