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      Chap 6 - A Smattering of Lies
      ============================================


      They were aboard Ryo-ohki, flying in low orbit around the Earth
as they watched Souja fall from the stars, burning brightly in the
night.   Every one of the surviving members had let their tears out in
the last few minutes as they watched Souja enter and gleam against
Earth's atmosphere, they all watched as they said goodbye to Ayeka and
Sasami.

      "Tenchi..." cried Mihoshi, now very sad.  Instead on answering,
Tenchi led the weakened Mihoshi to sleep abroad in one the space
cabbit's back rooms.  Tenchi was in extreme shock as well, but his
hardened face did not show it.

      Washu and Ryoko were now alone on the bridge of Ryo-ohki.
Leaning down at a monitor, Washu was figuring numbers on the screen.
"My projection is that Souja is not going to fully break up and burn in
the atmosphere.  That craft is too massive.  He will survive."

      "I don't care, Washu."  shot back Ryoko.  She turned away from
her mother as she tried to concentrate on flying Ryo-ohki.

      "Ryoko," as Washu put her hands on her hips while staring down
her daughter.  "How did you know I was your mom!  I never told you."

      "Ummm..." Ryoko just blushed.  It was certainly not time to bring
up her past now.  Especially since the loss of Ayeka and Sasami had
never happened in alternate timeline.  Quite sad yet angry, she replied
hastily back at her mother.  "I just did.  Tenchi told me."

      Washu ignited her sword and snuck it under her daughter's chin.
"That's not true."  Washu was not completely sure that her own daughter
was right in front of her.  With three jewels, it would be a snap for
Ryoko to take her out.  At least it would tell her the truth right
away.

      "Who are you!" questioned Washu.

      "I'm Ryoko, your daughter!  Don't you believe me?!"  Ryoko backed
off, pacing away until she could go no further.  She refused to strike
back, even at this alternate mother of hers.  Instead, she sweated
beads on her forehead as she drifted away.  Ryoko was desperately
afraid to show her mother the truth.

      "No! I don't!"  Washu leaped suddenly onto her daughter, throwing
Ryoko to the deck floor with Washu on top of her.

      "w...What!"  Ryoko was as surprised as ever as they both hit the
deck.

      "This is for your own good." as Washu took her hand and placed it
on Ryoko's forehead.  <Come on Ryoko, let me in.  I'm not taking no for
an answer.>

      <Get out of here!  Can't you see I just want to be alone!>  Ryoko
tried to unsuccessfully break the physical link.  She could only put up
a mental block to keep her mother out.

      <Ryoko, tell me what's going on.  I don't want to do this, but I
have no choice but to break into your mind.>

      <No.  Get out!>  Ryoko stubbornly refused to answer Washu's
question.  Instead, she withdrew as much as she could, deeper into her
soul.

      But Washu knew Ryoko even better than the back of her own hand.
Maneuvering around Ryoko's blocks, she beat into her daughter's mind
rather quickly.  <Surprise.  You can't keep me out so easily.>

      But in entering her soul she entered Ryoko's emotional core and
thus shared her inner-most memories.  Washu felt it all: the pain of
Ryoko's plight over the last year.  Guilt over the loss of Sasami and
Ayeka.  The memories began to surface, presenting themselves to Washu.

      Of a memory of her with her mother.  They were walking out to
somewhere on a clear summer day.  Besides them, Tenchi was carrying a
large picnic basket in his hand and a sake bottle over his back.

      <Ryoko, where are these memories from?  Are they from the
future?>

      The memories continued to play in Ryoko's mind.  The three of
them had arrived near the top of a grassy hill.  Washu could see an
image of herself spreading out a large blanket.  Meanwhile, her
daughter had easily stolen the bottle of sake with a simple slight of
hand and was taking a few chugs from it.  The image changed again to
show Ayeka, Sasami, and Mihoshi also coming up the hill to join them.
Ryoko coughed a bit on the sake when she saw the rest of the gang
approaching.

      <This never happened.  In fact, it can't happen now.>  Washu
pondered her statement and continued.  <Time works in funny ways.  For
every choice we make, for every fork in our lives, we make one choice
or another.>

      Washu breathed.  <You're not from this dimension, are you?
You're from some other branched existence.  And in that time and place,
all of us are living happily together.  No wonder you mourn so much.>

      <It's my fault Ayeka and Sasami died!  I was suppose to protect
them!>  Ryoko cried inside of herself.  <It wasn't suppose to happen
this way.>

      <It's not your fault.  You can't control everything that happens.
All you can do is try.>

      <But every time I fight this 'reality' it stabs me in the back.
I bleed human blood.>       Ryoke sighed.  <I've lost him.>

      <It's called fate, little Ryoko.  Don't you think being trapped
for 5,000 years is a good thing?>  Ryoko swallowed to Washu's latest
thoughts.

      <But...>

      <I know how you feel about Tenchi, Ryoko.  It must have broken
your heart to find him here with Ayeka.>

      Ryoko, in her mind, shivered at the thoughts of history that had
played in her mind over the last year.  It had been nothing but
nightmarish indeed.  <I can't live here anymore.  I know this
Tenchi...is not for me.  I don't belong here.>

      <Well, then what do you want me to do about it, then?>

      To Washu's response, a series of more images flashed in Ryoko's
mind.  Of her and Ryoko in her lab.  The Dimensional Tuner.  Washu
being erased from existence just before Ryoko was transported away.

      Damn! thought Washu.  I didn't think it was my fault!

      <Can you send me home?> asked Ryoko.

      <In order to do that, you're going to need to open up your mind
to me.  I need to know the truth, the entire truth.  Then I can do
it...Ryoko, I need to know about your time.  Your place.>

      And Ryoko, with the last shred of hope she had, tore her hidden
memories free to finally share them with her mother.

      And Washu took in the history of her alternate Ryoko.  Tenchi
with light hawk winds, defeating Kagato.  Of Zero.  Of Washu taking
care of Tenchi's baby.  Of them all on a sunny picnic.  Washu realized
it was going to take some time to find the truth in Ryoko's mind.



      It was literally a smoking mess.  Sparks continued to fly
everywhere, small fires lined the room that had once been intact.  As
he looked up, the ceiling was mostly 'gone', instead blue sky and
yellow sun was able to shine through the huge gaping holes in the hull.

      Kagato could only snarl.  At least he had survived landfall.

      Trapped on the primitive world, without the tools to rebuild his
Souja, it would be years before he could get the ship off this forsaken
rock.  And he was sure by that time, the Galaxy Police would chase him
down, trapping him on this backwards world.

      The only thing that mattered now was revenge.

      Washu and Ryoko would pay for destroying his beautiful craft.  If
he had to sacrifice the people of this planet, even if he had to give
up his own life, that would be acceptable for retribution.  He had once
had the power of an immortal.  Now, he was close to earthly as before
and hated every second of it.

      Exploring the engine room of the Souja was a slow and tedious
process.  He continued to move sheets of steel with his bare hands.  He
had to be sure if it was lost.  However, when he moved the last fallen
girder aside, he was surprised to find the energy containment field
intact.

      The readings from the monitor showed the small delicate power
core still registered as active.  There was only 4% shielding left,
enough for a few hours of captivity, but it didn't matter.  The taken
power of Tsunami was still trapped inside.

      Grinning like a ghost, Kagato examined most of the other
equipment which proved to be fruitless.  He was going to need some way
to absorb the energy and regulate it.  But most of the ship had been
destroyed.  There would be no way to temporary access the energy
anymore.

      But he spotted an energy capacitor, grabbed it and strapped the
intake wires to the midsection of his body.  Grabbing some free 2 inch
shielded tubing, he attached the free ends to the capacitor and the
power core.  He then set values open and with one pull, reversed the
magnetic polarity of the energy core.

      "Aarrggh!" shrieked the pirate as raw, unfiltered might flowed
down the tubing into his mortal body.  Arching his back while almost
falling to the ground, Kagato absorbed what the power core had once
held.

      As he detached his makeshift machine, Kagato could feel the new
immense power that now resided in his soul.  But he knew his living
body would not be able to house the energy forever, it was already
starting to deteriorate his cells and weaken his heart.

      It didn't matter.  Like addicted to a drug, Kagato could no
longer live without it.  Even if it only meant of few smattering days
of life, at best.  With his unending powers once more, Kagato set out
on his mission of revenge.



      "Where's grandfather and my Dad?" asked Tenchi as they arrived
through the front door.  On top of his head was the resting cabbit form
of Ryo-ohki.  Behind him, Ryoko carried a sleeping Mihoshi in and
placed her on the living room couch.

      "Wow, nice place you have here, Tenchi." announced Washu as she
came in with some equipment that was once aboard Ryo-ohki.

      Ryoko turned away from the couch after she and Tenchi had tucked
in the worn-out Mihoshi and Ryo-ohki.  "Is Ryo-ohki going to be all
right?"

      "She's just very tired right now.  Let her sleep."

      Ryoko walked over to the door of the broom closet and opened it.
Expecting Washu's lab, she saw the interior of brushes, mops, and
brooms.  "Umm, Washu...?"

      "Yes, little Ryoko." as Washu came over to take a look.  "Well.
it looks like a broom closet to me.  Let me take a look." as she
stepped in and closed the door behind her.

      Flashes and sparks could be seen and heard throughout the rest of
the house as Ryoko and Tenchi watched the closet door.  A moment later
the door opened again, this time leading to complete darkness.

      "Come in..."  registered the echoing voice of Washu.  Not daring
to turn down the invitation, the two of them walked in.  As they
stepped down a few steps into the floor of the lavish lab, Washu came
over sweeping away the last bit of dust.  "So, wasn't that easy, huh?"

      "Washu..."  said Ryoko.  "We haven't much time.  Let's get
started..."

      "Ok, Ryoko."  Nodding her head in approval, they walk to the far
side of the lab that had been so etched in Ryoko's mind for so long –
the Dimensional Tuner.

      "It's nice to know this thing actually works.  I guess I really
should have tested it, huh..." said Washu, as she frowned.

      "Umm...what's this for?" asked Tenchi, curious to say at least.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much of a chance.

      Several rapid explosions rocked to lab, dropping the three of
them onto their knees.  A brisk wind blew from their backs as they
turned around to face their nemesis once again.

      "How easy it was to track your energy signature down, Washu.  So
careless." shook Kagato with his finger.  Behind him, the lab door had
been literally forced open.  The new crooked causeway was now twice as
large as the uneven gateway sparked with instability.

      "This is the last time, Kagato." as Ryoko stepped forward and
flashed her wrists open, her gems glowing with anger once again.

      "For who, my dear Ryoko." Kagato again morphed into his Dark Hawk
Wing power, his brandished sword lighted his way as he strolled across
the lab floor toward his opponents.

      In response as she would only do, Ryoko charged with her own
sword.  They struck in the middle of the room, sending embers of energy
flying and excess force sprawling everywhere.  Kagato was again very
surprised to find Ryoko holding up her end.

      Holding onto the portable tuner, Washu knew she didn't have much
time as she set to work.  Their only chance was to force Kagato out of
this dimension and into another one.  It definitely would not be easy
as she programmed in the calculations.

      "What can I do?"  Tenchi had resorted to hind behind a table
while the two former pirates fought, destroying the lab in the process.

      "Just stay out of trouble." yelled Washu as she ducked to avoid a
few stray shots from the fight.  "There, done."  She turned to the
action on the floor.  "Ryoko!!!"

      Ryoko was now having a very tough time.  Kagato had her well
pinned onto the ground as he forced his energy sword, touching her
midsection.  She screamed in frustration as the sword cut into her
skin.  Half expecting to see blood again, she instead leaked energy as
it oozed out a bit.

      Kagato shook and fell backwards as Washu shot him.  She was
holding in her hand a lethal looking energy cannon over her shoulder.
The blast had managed to distract Kagato long enough for Ryoko to
escape.  Washu, on seeing her goal met, flung the used smoking cannon
aside.

      "Now Tenchi!" exacted Washu.  Following orders, he pulled down
several levers at once.  Immediately, blue and green sparks ignited the
air with energy.  A hinting breeze began to pull Kagato towards Washu
and her turner; it almost immediately reached a rather high velocity.
Washu was not just a nuisance anymore, Kagato thought.  Perhaps I
should pick a new target.  But he was careless and didn't think of the
repercussions as a vortex hole pitched open in front of him.

      Ryoko hit Kagato from behind with a couple of cheap shots, they
were more than plentiful to drive his body forwards.  "Don't you think
you can go tramping off, Kagato," she rang.

      A few more volleys from Ryoko pushed Kagato over the event
horizon of the now larger vortex.  He soon realized he was within the
grasp of the gateway, and could not escape with his own immortal
powers.

      Turning on his dark hawk wings to full power, Kagato dived his
own body around the whirlpool of space and time.   Washu was shocked,
she had expected Kagato to resist, she hadn't fully configured the
gateway to zap him to another dimension.

      Instead, Kagato was using the gravity well of the vortex as a
slingshot to save himself.  With his destructive energy set to overload
in seconds, he knew he would not be able to survive, but with his
sacrifice this lab and the ret of the Earth would not live as well.

      Shutting down the tuner was her only chance.  Running back to the
far side, Washu reached for the <<Master Override>> lever.  If she
pulled it, it would overkill and stop all of her lab systems, ever her
lights.  Not even second guessing for a second, she heaved the switch
down.

      Ryoko looked from once was behind Kagato's back, now flying as
fast as she could toward her mother and Tenchi.  Explosions rang from
everywhere as she avoided falling girders and plates of steel.  The
vortex in front of her stopped and disappeared as the still spinning
form of Kagato raced upwards through the ceiling of steel,
disappearing.

      "Tenchi!!  Mom!!"  More sparks flew as tons of steel and aluminum
fell of the tuner and on Washu and Tenchi.  Ryoko's view of Washu
quickly disappeared behind a large sheet of falling metal.  She instead
distinctively raced toward Tenchi.

      Washu's brand new lab was in shambles.  Small fires were burning
to the left and right.  Pieces and shards of glass and electronics
covered most of the floor.  The occasional sparks from lab monitors and
dimmed overhead lights kept most of the room dimly lit.

      Tenchi laid on the ground, unconscious from a large girder that
had landed on top of him.  A small fire was visibly close, it would
soon engulf him as well.  With the explosions finally dying down, Ryoko
quickly flew over to Tenchi, pulling the excess scrap off of his body,
dragging him away from danger and carrying his broken body onto a
table.

      No, not again.  Ryoko could not live through another loss in such
a quick time.  She swore under her breath that this alternate timeline
was out to get her.  Again.  With all her might, she had tried to
protect Tenchi and her mother.  But doubt crept in once again, her mind
conflicted.  With each and every loss, she sunk her emotional self
lower and lower into the depths of her heart.

      "Ryoko..." whispered the now conscious Tenchi.  His new head
badges that Ryoko had wrapped were already blood soaked, the damage was
great because his wounds had never healed from his earlier excursions.
With his shirt now torn to pieces, the Jurdain locket now hung torched,
bloodstained and lifelessly from Tenchi's neck.  Somehow, the neck
clasp had broken from the last couple of minutes of action.

      "I'm here, Tenchi..."  She had just seen this before, as Tenchi
had done with Ayeka.  She could no longer stand the pain as her eyes
dropped tears uncontrollably.  It was the irony of it all that made it
almost impossible to deal with.  She tried to help him, but she knew it
would be to no avail.  She picked up the locket that had lost its way
and placed it in Tenchi's hand.

      Tenchi coughed a few times and spoke "I know how you feel about
me, Ryoko."  The stunned expression on Ryoko face had a confirming ring
of truth to Tenchi.

      "Only someone who loved me could kiss me like you did...a
different time, a different place..."  He tried to breathe, but his
chest felt deflated.  Tenchi's emotions kept his mind still awake and
living.

      Ryoko leaned closer to her love, looking deeply into his eyes.
"Tenchi..." she whimpered.  Ryoko could not do much else for him, it
seemed that his time was to run out as well.

      Reaching one last time, Tenchi dropped the hand with the locket
back into Ryoko's grasp.  "Please..."  Ryoko could only hold on to it
for dear life.

      Tenchi looked back up at the ceiling as if to say something else.
Maybe in some other time he was going to be with her, thought Tenchi.
I should be so special...

      And at last words came to be.  "I love you, Ayeka..." whispered
Tenchi as he finally closed his eyes for the last time.

      Ryoko looked down at her love.  Tenchi was one that truly
understood her.  He had had discovered life as well as love; even if he
had never discovered his true Jurdain powers.

      And without the will to live nor care, Ryoko leaned over Tenchi
and cried like see had never done before.



      Washu was lying on the ground, a few pieces of lab equipment had
trapped her legs and other equipment had blocked her view.  She had
finally understood Ryoko's memories as they lastly impacted on her own
life.  And in turn, Washu understood her own existence and implicitly
why she was here.

      The last minute had finally given her the answers she had so long
desired.

      <Ryoko!  Where are you!>

      But she could see the answer in her daughter's crying eyes.  Oh
my god, there was no way to explain the depths of her sadness...

      <Ryoko!  Listen to me!>

      <...>

      <Ryoko!  It's not too late.>

      <...leave me alone.>

      <Ryoko...please...I finally know why you're here now.>

      <...>

      <Ever since you've shared your previous memories with me, I have
been trying to learn how you got here.>  Washu smiled with pride.  <I
now know the answer!>

      Ryoko's mind looked up.  <Yea?>

      <In your previous existence, didn't Tenchi free you from the
caves?>

      <Oh course he did! So what's your point.>

      <Hear me out!  When you were in my lab just before the
Dimensional Tuner zapped you here, it took a scan of your thoughts,
didn't it.  It started with a question, Ryoko.  What would happen if
you were without Tenchi?>

      Ryoko gulped.

      <Exactly,> Washu answered.  <This is what happened.  A
nightmare.>

      <How does it explain it all?> said Ryoko.  <That I have bled
human blood?>

      <That have been able to block and fight Kagato's dark hawk wing
powers with your mind?> summed Washu.  <When you saved Tenchi's life on
Souja, when you thought you were sacrificing your own?>

      <Yes!  How did you know!>

      <That's because this isn't an alternate timeline, Ryoko.  This
*place* only exist because it is between dreams and reality.  Your
question started this place of unconsciousness, where your mind has
been forever linked to the setting of this time.>

      <What...do you mean?> asked Ryoko.

      <You're the key the this *place*, this existence started from
your unconscious mind and thus sprung from it.  From your reality.
>From your unconscious dreams and desires, whether they be good or evil.
I now see it.  Tsunami saw it as well.  You are divinity.>

      Ryoko took it all in for she was totally speechless in her mind.

      <Yes, yours to control.  You'll need to pull the emotion from
your heart and soul and channel it into this existence.  That is the
only way for to conquer your own inner demons.>

      Washu paused to take a look on what was out there.  <Kagato.
He's still out there.  You need to face him and reflect those feelings
out.  It's the only way.>

      <And if you're wrong?>

      <Then we die at his hands...>



      Kagato stumbled out of the ceiling, falling onto the cold floor
of Washu's lab.  His body hurt but he had lived, it was only the thirst
for vengeance that had kept his body intact.  Multiple green cuts bled
from his body, but he did not bother to heal himself.

      "Kagato!  Face me like the man you are!" yelled Ryoko.  She
stepped into the center of the room, gems charged and ready to go.

      Kagato was distracted as he recovered from the vortex.  He turned
around toward the space pirate, his dark hawk wings unfurled like giant
sails, in his shadow they turned their energy onto Ryoko as well.

      "Ryoko!..." Kagato sputtered as if they were his final breaths.
"Are you finally ready to die!"  He stared down his opponent for the
last time.  "I do not know how you keep dodging and escaping my grasp."
Kagato powered up his numerous dark hawk wings to attack Ryoko, to
strike for the last time.

      "You cannot defeat me, Kagato, for I have created your
existence."  Ryoko felt her unconscious mind finally merging with her
body and heart.  "I can now take away what you call your life."

      "Your words mock me, for I will make surely you breathed your
last breath!"  Kagato reached back with every ounce of energy that was
contained in his body.  And he released enough dark wing energy to
destroy her and the Earth as well.



      Ryoko prepared herself for the deadly onslaught of power.  The
ball of energy licked of black, death and ultimate supremacy.  You
exist under my control, Ryoko imagined.  You are a product of my mind.
I will control you and take you down, Kagato.  And her combined body
and soul captured the fatal energy Kagato had raced to her.

      <Do it.> said Washu.

      All her emotion, all of her love, all of her hate, and all of her
desires.  All of substances from this nightmarish world.  All of the
false memories and pretenses, it was all created from her mind.  No
longer would she be prisoner to her own demons.  No longer at the mercy
of her emotions.

      And with one swoop, Ryoko released the lethal shot back towards
Kagato.  Now white and pure, the power was unadulterated thought from
Ryoko's mind.

      "NOOOOO!!!"  How can she have so much energy! thought Kagato.
For if I am the creation of goddess, she must be my creator!  If that
is true, then my reality is truly sealed...

      The raw energy stuck Kagato, completely engulfing his physical
form.  The dark hawk wings that had protected him from so much
shattered like panes of glass.  He screamed in agony as his flesh
dissipated; his mind was torn away from the body he could no longer
stabilize.

      At last, Kagato was stripped from existence.