These characters are not mine, probably AIC and Pioneer's though. There's no money changing hands for this. The Heartache By kenzie kennedy Ayeka shrieked. "Demon!" she laughed. Ryoko grinned at her from where she had teleported in. Ayeka was so much easier to get along with these days. When Ryoko swam over from the deep water of the onsen to the shallow waters where Ayeka was bathing, Ryoko asked a strange question. "What do you and your mother do together, Ayeka?" Ayeka glanced at Ryoko. Turning her attention back to the soap, she replied, "All sorts of things. On Jurai we have the guardians and bodyguards with us all the time. When my mothers and I go shopping out in the marketplaces, we have them stay at least a few paces behind us. Our people can walk up to us and ask questions, some inquire about our health, voice concerns, etc. It is understood that everything we say is off the record, though. We talk about everything that is going on. I know about father's conferences with people before he does. My mothers tried to prepare me for the princes I had to meet." Ayeka sighed. "I'm so glad that it's me deciding if I want Balar not the other way around this time." Ryoko looked at her knowingly. "And how's it going with Balar?" Ayeka looked into the water. "I-I don't know." "Come on, princess. It's been an entire week! You mean he's holding on to his sanity and hasn't proposed yet?" Ryoko teased. Ayeka slapped water in her direction. A joyful waterfight soon began. *** After their bath, the two headed in different directions to go to sleep. Ayeka headed upstairs and Ryoko went for the lab door. Ayeka smiled softly as her friend entered her mother's lab. It was about time that those two started acting like mother and daughter, instead of mad scientist and space pirate daughter. Ayeka chuckled. I wonder why she was asking about what my mothers and I do? *** Ryoko blinked as her eyes accustomed themselves to the blinking lights. Hmph, Washu's got the lights off in here again, she thought. Ryoko's night vision adjusted and she navigated expertly through the machinery. She smiled as she opened the door to the house. Her bed would feel so good tonight. She took the time to walk through the living room, up the stairs and around the corner. Opening the door to her bedroom, she cast a glance over the new renovations. Where the posters had hung were now pictures of Tenchi and her family. There was a small family portrait of everyone making the Victory sign. A few pictures of Tenchi posing beside people in the family. Ryoko hadn't found one of him and her where he hadn't looked scared, so she hadn't put one up yet. She walked to her jewelry box and took the ruby earrings that Ryt had given her out of her ears and placed them in the box. Stripping out of her daytime clothes, she walked across the room to retrieve her nightgown from the bed. She chuckled to herself. A pink silky nightgown. Where is Mom's lingerie? Where is the wild space pirate? Ryoko slipped the nightgown over her head and crawled into bed under her blue/purple comforter. Wrapping one arm under the soft pillow, she fell asleep. *** Washu watched her daughter sleeping as the simulated sunlight crept its way across the floor. Cradling a cup of wake-me-up tea in her hands, she smiled wistfully at her daughter. They hadn't been spending much time together lately. Ryoko started to stretch herself awake. Washu sipped her tea. Finally opening her eyes, she saw her mother. Washu grinned and waved her fingers at her daughter. "Good morning, my little Ryoko." "Mm. Morning, Mom." Ryoko sat up in bed, the comforter spilling to her waist. "I wanted to ask you something." She remembered. Washu quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?" "Can we spend the day together?" Ryoko asked simply. Washu looked astounded at her daughter. "Uh, sure." Ryoko got out of bed and walked to the closet. Glancing over her choices of dress, she said, "Maybe we could go to Tokyo, look around, see a movie. What do you think?" It was a good thing that Ryoko's back was to her mother or she would have seen Washu's jaw drop. Seeing the number one scientific genius in the universe at a loss for words was not something to inspire confidence. "Whatever you want." Washu finally said. *** And that was how Washu found herself on a bus. "We are taking a portal home, Ryoko." Washu said with her arms crossed over her chest. Because Ryoko had asked, Washu was in her adult form. Ryoko had complained that if this was a mother/daughter day, her mother should appear to be her mother. Ryoko sighed and nodded. "This is your planet that you're guardian over. Don't you think you should experience it to the fullest?" Ryoko chided her. Washu gave her a dark look. "I wish that you and Tenchi would get married. I think it's perfectly legitimate for a goddess's daughter to be guardian over the planet." "But I don't want a planet!" Ryoko protested. "I don't either." Washu informed her. "They're disruptive to my experiments." The nearly empty bus hit a pothole. Washu and Ryoko flew into the air a few inches. "You see?" Washu gestured to the bus. Ryoko sunk down in her seat and waited for the ride to be over. *** The bus let the two ladies off right in front of a shopping mall that had movies posted. Ryoko dragged her mother to a movie that neither of them knew what was going on in. After the movie, the two ladies looked at each other and wondered what to do. Then one foot started moving and then the other so the two walked around the mall together. Ryoko spotted a place that sold ice cream and ordered two vanilla cones. Handing one to Washu, the two women continued walking. Licking a stray drop of liquid, Ryoko asked, "Isn't it strange to think of yourself as one of the three most powerful beings in the universe?" Washu thought about this before answering. "It's ... reassuring. That no matter how powerful anyone else is, I can always wish them out of existence. But it's frightening as well. Just that I can do that and no one could tell me no. No one can punish me for it. The universe is at my mercy." Washu laughed hysterically. The few people in the mall looked at her strangely and avoided the couple. "Hey, woman!" A greasy haired teenager in a torn leather jacket called to the women. "Want to come over to my place?" He looked Washu up and down. "Right now?" He grinned at her evilly. Washu idly said to her daughter, "Remember what I just said about being able to get rid of people and it being scary? I wonder if anyone would miss him..." "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he yelled. Ryoko glanced around and saw no one but the people at the ice cream counter who were busy and the boy. Putting one arm around Washu's shoulders, they phased out of sight. The boy blinked and put it down to the drugs he had smoked in the bathroom just moments before. *** "Ryoko, you can't do that in public!" Washu told her sternly. "Hey! I checked. No one was looking." Ryoko protested. "It's not only that. On this planet we can't use powers like that. It would disrupt everyone's perspective. If I gave the scientists a push in any direction, I'd be interfering with them. I want the human race to proceed at their own pace." Washu paused. "Is any of that making sense?" Ryoko shrugged. Ryoko had moved them out of the mall and to a large field next to the mall. Washu wandered over to a bench and sat down sighing. Ryoko walked over and sat down next to her. Washu started to speak. "There are so many possibilities for this planet. I could give them so much! But isn't that what Tokimi has done? Tsunami sat back and watched after giving her Juraians a stepping stone. But what kind of stepping stone do I give?" The two fell quiet. A mother and her two children who looked to be about ten and twelve came into the small field. The mother collapsed onto a bench while the children rummaged through the bags. Pulling out waterguns, the two ran to the water fountain pushing each other over who got to fill their gun first. Ryoko grinned at the two of them. *** Washu gazed at them wistfully. The two had filled their guns and had taken the first shot at each other. "Washu?" She turned to look at her daughter. "What did we do with those squirt guns we bought?" Ryoko grinned at her. *** Moments later, Washu and Ryoko walked over to the woman. A smile was on her face as she watched the two children run all over, but it was a weary smile. "Ma'am?" Washu asked. The woman looked toward them. "Yes?" she answered uncertainly. Washu asked simply, "May we play with your children?" and held up her squirt gun. The woman grinned and gestured toward the two children. "By all means. Wear them out." Washu and Ryoko went hunting. *** The two children were dirty, wet, worn out, and thoroughly happy at the end of the hour. The woman thanked the two women who had played vigorously with her children and left. Ryoko sat down on the abandoned bench. "Wow. I never knew kids had that much energy!" Washu collapsed beside her. "Yes, well, you were even more of a terror. Never could keep you in clothes, you'd phase out of them. If it weren't for your mom's superior genes you would never have passed your classes because you skipped so much class to work on your garden." "All right, so I was a holy terror. You know, most moms would lie and say their children were perfect little angels." Ryoko pointed out. Washu grinned at her. "Now what would Descartes say? His philosophy was that math, humans, the world, everything existed on the fact that God wasn't a deceiver. If God was a deceiver, then 2+2=5 instead of 4 could happen in the future, black would become white one day, etc. If I, an elder goddess of the universe, start lying, then what is it going to do to him?" "Is the guy still living?" Ryoko asked. Washu shook her head. "Then why worry about it?" Washu chuckled. "Now, do you want to take the bus?" Ryoko asked innocently. Washu tossed her daughter a dirty look. *** Once the two had popped through the portal in the front yard of the house, Ayeka was there to meet them. "Ryoko, Washu, we have gotten an encrypted call that none of us can decipher." Washu headed immediately for the house. *** The message was being puzzled over by Tenchi's grandfather. He could make out certain symbols but without the rest he could not be sure he was getting the message or even the words right. Washu peeked over his shoulder and sighed. Katsuhito said without looking at her, "Yes, Washu? Can you read it?" "Yes, I can." Washu said grimly. "That's the language given to Tokimi's servants when she doesn't want anyone to know what they're up to." "Tokimi?" Ryoko said. Standing beside Ayeka, she continued, "Didn't you get rid of her?" Washu grinned at her daughter's lack of manners and knowledge of what was going on. "She agreed to not torment me about the species race anymore. She didn't say a thing about the rest of the universe." Katsuhito, having given up understanding the message, handed it to Washu. She took it, scanned it, and sighed again. "One of her servants has kidnapped both Tenchi and Ryo-ohki. So this time she's trying to go through my daughter. Very clever Tokimi." Washu said as if to herself. "Tenchi!" Ryoko said almost trying to summon him to her by saying his name. "But why would Tokimi order this?" Washu asked Ryoko. "Why would she want me or you to leave the planet to go and search for him? She can't do anything to this planet because it's mine now." "It doesn't make much sense now, but maybe it will after we go after Tenchi and poor little Ryo-ohki?" Mihoshi asked. Washu smiled at the blond. "Of course it will." She tapped a finger aside her chin. "Ryo-ohki's the ship we usually take though. Ryu-oh's not ready yet. Yukinojo is a bit too obvious for what we want to do." "Then what do we fly in?" Balar asked. Washu winked. "Nothing," she answered calmly. Stretching out her power, she sought Ryo-ohki's unique signature in space. Finding the small cabbit, she used her gems to call Tenchi and Ryo-ohki to her. "Tenchi!" Ryoko called and grabbed him in a hug. Tenchi woke up and looked at her wide-eyed. "Um, Ryoko, why are you-" Then he caught sight of where he was. "How did I get down here? I was upstairs just a minute ago." Tenchi scratched his head. Washu walked into her lab, leaving everyone behind her. Ryoko started to explain what had happened while everyone else listened, inserted their own advice on what happened, and calmed Ryo-ohki. *** Washu traced where Tenchi had come from. The ship that had taken him was screaming back toward Earth. Washu stared at the starchart. What is going on? She cried mentally. *** Later that evening, the family was sitting on the porch outside enjoying the early summer breezes. Washu stormed out of her lab and outside. The family members glanced at each other and at Washu's receding back. Washu kept her eye on a small speck in the sky. Slowly it got larger and larger until it started to turn toward Japan. The spaceship screamed up the yard until it stood a foot away from Washu. The pilot of the vessel slithered down the side and eyed her. "How dare you take my captive!" it hissed. "What are you doing here, Tokimi's servant?" Washu asked calmly. Shock displayed on the pilot's face. "How do you know about Tokimi?" "Answer my question. Why did you take Tenchi and Ryo-ohki?" Washu snarled. "The boy was to be a power source and the creature was to be taken to Tokimi. I am quite sure she's never seen one before." The creature said haughtily. "Now who are you?" "I?" Washu laughed. "I'm the goddess of this planet." The creature regarded her coldly. "Tokimi is the most powerful of the goddesses as you well know. She will punish you for taking my captive." "Doesn't Tokimi have two sisters?" Washu asked twirling a bit of hair. "Bah! Tokimi is the most powerful of all of them! Tsunami is a pitiful goody-goody and Washu can never make up her mind!" the creature hissed. Washu turned a dark glare to the creature. "What is Tokimi's plan or I'll show you just how quickly I can make up my mind." The creature did a double take. Washu grinned and the red gems sparkled in the dusk of the night. It swallowed. "Tokimi's servants create havoc on the universe. She is angry. I do not know why." "Go back to Tokimi with my message. Ask her why she is angry-" "I think you know why, Washu." A high tone said behind her. Washu turned to see her sister. "Why are you angry? Because you challenged me on my own planet?" Washu asked coolly. "No. You may keep this small planet for yourself, even the solar system. But we have not finished what we began long ago." Tokimi played with her sister like a mouse. "We said that we would never finish that." Tsunami spoke. "Why?" Tokimi asked slyly. "Because it is not balanced and can never be." Washu told her. "If we tried to finish the universe instead of letting it continue it would end. Blow up. Become nothingness again and we'd have to start over!" "I'll ask again. Why not let it start over? We've quarreled about this plaything of ours from the beginning." Tokimi said to her sisters. "Because we like this plaything." Tsunami said. Tokimi laughed. "Then come and defeat my warriors, sisters." "No." Tokimi looked at Ryoko. "What?" she asked. "No more fighting. End it." Ryoko said bravely. Washu shook her head at her daughter, trying to tell her no. "You would...try to tell me what to do? Beware young one, you may be the daughter of a goddess, but a goddess you will never be." Tokimi warned her. "Why would I want to be a goddess on the off chance I might turn out like you? No feelings, no emotions." Ryoko taunted. Washu glanced at Tsunami. Are you thinking what I am, sister? Tsunami nodded. "I challenge you." Washu spoke clearly to Tokimi. Tokimi turned. "To what?" "I don't think you can stay human for at least ten years in a life of Tsunami's and my design." Washu said. Tokimi's eyes narrowed. "What would be the prize?" "No prize. We'll just take up where we left off. No one gains, no one loses." Washu shrugged. "Personally, I believe that you're too weak to be human. It's a lot of work." Tokimi frowned at her sister. "I agree to the bargain. Ten years as a human female. But not on this planet and as an independent female, not a child." "Done!" Washu and Tsunami conferred for a few moments, then Tokimi's clothes transformed into those of an Academy student. "Where-where am I?" the bewildered young female asked. "Don't you remember Torimi?" Washu said gently. "You just registered at the Academy a few days ago and since your major is planetary systems, your advisor sent you to planet Earth for a small vacation under my supervision." "Oh," Tokimi's memory started to return to her. "I remember now. I must have been blinded by the sun or something." Tokimi laughed and it was a pleasant laugh. "You were just getting ready to go back to the academy so you could prepare your dorm room." Washu handed her a purse. Tokimi took it. A portal opened and Tokimi waved good-bye to everyone. Washu sighed as the portal closed. No more fights with her sister for ten years. How would she occupy the time? "Good idea, Ryoko." Washu turned to Tsunami to ask her why they hadn't thought of that years ago, but the goddess had already disappeared. "You let her go again?" Ryoko asked incredulously. "Yup." Washu grinned. "Why?" Ryoko roared. "Because she's not going to come back the same person she is." Washu informed her. "I guarantee it." "Why, Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked. Washu turned in her direction. "Tokimi is the goddess of evil. Once she returns to being a goddess she will be either worse or better for the experience." "What experience, Washu? Stop playing around!" Ryoko yelled. "I'm not sure whether I've given her the greatest gift a sister can give to another or the greatest pain." Washu paused. "What twenty-something year old won't fall in love at least once during the next ten years of her life?" To hide her emotions, Washu disappeared. *** After Washu disappeared, Katsuhito went home. Mihoshi remembered a TV show she wanted to watch. Tenchi and Ryoko felt the need to be close to one another as did Ayeka and Balar. *** Washu sat in a tree. A very Tall tree. She was in her child body as soon as she left Ryoko and her family. Tears shone in her eyes, but could not fall. There wasn't any strength left in her for them to fall. How could I do that? She thought. I just sentenced my sister to what I go through every day. The loss of my love, of my child... She'll come back to us heartbroken, mean, distraught, angry at the universe. If she falls in love and becomes married, what will we do? She'll have to leave him to become the goddess with evil powers again. But, her mental voice said, maybe it won't turn out that way for her. Washu shoved the voice away. I know it will turn out that way. As a goddess you can't love a mortal, because they'll die too soon. As a goddess who's known the human emotion of love, you can't marry a god because they don't understand what you want out of it. She'll be caught in between just like I am. She considered bring up her computer and cameras, but decided it would take too much energy. A twist of power to the gems and she saw whatever she wanted to see. First she focused where Sasami was. The little girl was laughing at the television with Mihoshi catching on just a few seconds behind her. Washu shook her head. Ryo-ohki sat on Sasami's lap. Ayeka and Balar were walking beside the lake. Washu watched as Balar tentatively held out a hand and with shining eyes. Ayeka grasped it. Washu felt her eyes glisten. They will make a lovely pair. Next was her daughter and Tenchi. Ryoko had looked out the window with fear of the dark, so Tenchi pulled her inside to go to the garden. They sat in the garden, Ryoko on the swing, Tenchi on the grass. They were both gazing at each other with love. Washu looked to the stars. I will find an answer to my sister's problem, she vowed. If she wants an answer, I will have it for her.