Tenchi Muyo! and all characters herein are the property of Pioneer and 
AIC, save those created by me.  This is a fanfic, is not for profit, and does 
not express the views of Pioneer or AIC.

Tenchi Muyo! Dreams of Yesterday
Part 2: I Found My Way to You

	In the dim light of the lab Ryoko double-checked the displays on the 
chronometric regulator.  Its screens were filled with various bits of data, each 
one as crucial as the one before.  The first time she had used this device was 
when everyone had traveled back to 1970.  That time they had fought to save 
Achika from Kain, but that was many years ago.  Too long, she thought to 
herself.  Now she has come to hate this machine.  To her it represents death and 
deefeat.  Five times before has she tried to right what had been unleashed upon 
the universe, and five times she has failed.  Now Washu says that they only have 
power for one, maybe two more temporal incursions.  Every thing has to be 
perfect.  For his sake, and everyone else's.  
	"Beta lock online, temporal matrix aligned, compensators balanced," she 
mumbled to herself as she moved to the next item on the checklist.  Ryoko paused 
to wipe the sweat from her forehead, leaving a black smudge in its place.  
"Tenchi," she sighed, "I will get you back."  Her thoughts drifted to happier 
times.

	"Gather around everyone!" exclaimed Nobeyugi.  For the first time in two 
years everyone was back at the Masaki house.  Ayeka and her husband Prince 
Sagami was there, along with Sasami, the "ambassador" to earth.  Major Kiyone 
had returned from her post at Galaxy Police headquarters, and Mihoshi, well 
Mihoshi was still the earth's resident officer. 
	"I propose a toast, to Tenchi, Ryoko, and my first granddaughter, 
Aiko!  May her life be full of joy and happiness."  Every one raised their 
glasses as Ryoko held the newborn baby.  Tenchi sat beside her and smiled at his 
beautiful wife and daughter.  Aiko cooed as she grabbed her mother's finger.  
The baby had Tenchi's brown eyes and Ryoko's powder blue hair, not to mention 
hints of her mother's fangs.  
	"Here! Here!" seconded Ayeka.  "Prince Sagami and myself wish the best of 
fortunes to Lord Tenchi, Ryoko, and Aiko.  My your path be bright."  Once again 
glasses were raised as the proud parents glowed over their child.    
	"Well mom," started Ryoko, "how does it feel to be a grandma?"  
Washu shot her an annoyed glance.
	"We'll have to talk about this 'grandma' bit Ryoko," she said with a 
playful smirk.  Any misgivings she had disappeared as she watched her 
granddaughter.  "Then again it's just fine."  
	"Not bad for a demon child," said Ayeka with a playful grin as she held 
baby Aiko.
	"Watch it, dear," started Prince Sagami.  "Lets not restart old rivalries 
now."
	"I know she's just kidding," retorted Ryoko, "besides she doesn't want me 
to kick her butt again."  Tenchi sighed heavily as Ryoko and 
Ayeka traded sarcasms.  Usually he would have been worried, but he knew it was 
all in good fun.  
	"Lets take a picture!" said Nobeyugi while he set up his tri-pod.  
Everyone gathered around Tenchi and Ryoko.  Ayeka and Sasami sat beside them on 
the couch while the rest stood behind or to the side.
	"Smile!" said Nobeyugi as the timer went off and the moment was captured 
for all time.

	Ryoko was brought back to this damned reality by Washu's voice. 
	"Ryoko, Ryoko!" 
	"Yes Washu?" she replied with a heavy heart.  In her nostalgia she had 
lost track of what she was doing.  
	"Make sure the phase converters are properly aligned.  The slightest error 
could throw you off by a decade or better."
	"I know, I know.  I just." Ryoko's voice trailed off as a tear slid down 
her cheek.
	"I know how you feel Ryoko.  Ever since the Darkness ascended, this life 
has been unbearable.  Everyone we love has been taken from us, but we can 
restore the proper future."
	"But we've failed five times now.  Every time we travel back the 
Darkness follows us and destroys another future."
	"I know she must be following our chronometric signature.  I guess when 
you're a god you can do that." Washu wiped a little soot from her forehead.  
"This time I have a different strategy.  Each time we've gone back it's been to 
the exact point of the Darkness' ascendance.  The problem there is that by then 
it's too late.  We have to go back further, to before its ascendance."
	"How much further?" asked Ryoko.  She was beginning to understand what 
Washu was planning.  "A week, a month, a year?"
	"The Darkness ascended because of a number of factors.  Sasami's 
assimilation with Tsunami was just the final chapter.  When Tsunami banished the 
darkness from her own soul twenty millennia ago it was sealed in an alternate 
dimension, a separate branch of space and time.  One hundred years ago the first 
battle with Kain weakened that dimension when he was drawn into subspace.  The 
second battle that we fought with him and Haruna's manipulation of space-time 
furthered weakened Darkness' prison."
	"But if we alter those events our very existence will be threatened," 
interjected Ryoko. 
	"I'm not saying that we have to alter these events in any way.  We have to 
learn from them," finished Washu with a grin.
	"Learn from them?" asked Ryoko.
	"Yes.  We were a team on every occasion.  No single individual can take 
credit for the out come, but each of us played a pivotal role.  So you see that 
you alone can never defeat the Darkness.  That's where we failed each time 
before.  We have to go back to the point when we were our most cohesive.  The 
point in time when our bond were the strongest."
	"That would be before Ayeka and Sasami left the earth."
	"Yes Ryoko. That's where you must go.  You must band together with our 
past selves to defeat the darkness.  I know that this creates a temporal 
paradox, but it is the only way to." Washu stopped as the lab was rocked by a 
low thud.  Another shock wave followed it, this time causing dust to fall from 
the ceiling and the lights to flicker.
	"Damn it!" said Washu, dodging a piece of falling debris, "She's found 
us!"
	"How?" asked Ryoko as she hurriedly finished her checklist.
  	"She must have read our chronometric signatures from our previous 
incursions and vectored the labs location in subspace.  We've got to act know!"
	"What about you?" asked Ryoko as she strapped herself into the 
chronometric regulator.  
	"I'll hold her off.  Don't worry, if you're successful, this timeline will 
cease to exist."
	"And if I'm not?" asked Ryoko as the chronometric regulator began to spin.
	"Let's hope that you are."  Ryoko nodded as the centrifugal force 
increased.  A slight feeling of nausea came over her as she was pinned to her 
seat back.  Another thud shook the lab.  Sparks cascaded from over head, 
bouncing harmlessly off the force field protecting the regulator.  
	"Chronometric particles have been generated and the warp field is stable.  
Good luck and Godspeed."  Everything blurred for Ryoko as the temporal vortex 
opened and the boundaries of time and space melded.  The last thing she saw was 
the Darkness crushing Washu's face then looking towards her.  In a flash she was 
transported into the past, to a time before the Darkness ascended.

	Morning came and Tenchi found himself on the roof of the house.  After a 
brief moment of confusion he remembered what had happened the day before.  He 
looked over and saw Ryoko asleep at his side.  She looked so peaceful, so 
beautiful.  
	"Good morning lover," she said as he moved a lock of her hair away from 
her eyes.  "Tomorrow is today," she said with a smile.
	"I know.  You'd better put me in my room before some figures out I'm not 
there."
	"Good idea.  See ya' soon."  With that she grabbed him and phased into his 
room setting him gently onto his bed.  She blew him a kiss as she faded from 
sight.  Tenchi smiled as he got out of bed.  In the short time since he left the 
roof dark clouds had rolled in from the mountains.  He lifted a vane of the 
window blinds and looked at the ominous mass.  So much for a beautiful day, he 
thought.
	At the shrine Katsuhito had noticed the change in weather also.  "I do not 
like this," he spoke to himself.  His fears would be justified.
	Every one had just gathered for breakfast when the storm began.  
Thunder rolled across the mountains as lightening played across the heavens.  
The rain came and the wind howled.  
	"What a yucky day," yawned Mihoshi as she walked dawn the stairs.  "All it 
makes me want to do is sleep."
	"That's all you do anyway bubble brain," retorted Kiyone.
	"Oh yeah," Mihoshi yawned.  A bolt of lightening as thunder boomed 
overhead illuminated the house.  With a flicker the lights went out.  Dark 
shadows danced around as Ayeka lit a candle.  	
	"I'll check the breaker box," said Tenchi finding a flashlight.  Just as 
he turned it on the house shook violently. 
	"What the hell?" said Ryoko as an object plummeted through the ceiling.  
By now everyone was confused.  First the lights go out and now some one crashes 
through the roof, literally.  As the dust cleared Tenchi shined the light on 
their unexpected guest.
	"My god," mumbled Kiyone.  Everyone looked astonished at Ryoko, first the 
one standing among them; then aat the one laying on the rain soaked floor. 

	"So that's my story," said the future Ryoko.  Everyone was taken aback by 
living hell she had described.  How could such a horrible future be possible?  
Washu just shook head in disbelief.  
	"The Darkness was locked in a separate dimension of sub space.  
There is no way for her to emerge.  It's just impossible.  I should know, 
because I helped Tsunami banish her."  The future Ryoko smiled slightly.
	"That's exactly what you said the first time we had this conversation.  I 
can prove all of this to you.  I can prove that am from your future, but." her 
voice trailed off as she looked at Ayeka.
	"What is it?" inquired Ayeka.
	"Nothing, its just been a while princess."  The future Ryoko proceeded to 
produce a folded piece of paper from her pocket.  "Here," she said to her 
younger self.  Ryoko took the paper from her older self and carefully unfolded 
it.  What she saw made her gasp for breath.  
	"What is it?" asked everyone in unison.  She handed the yellowed page to 
Tenchi who stared at it in disbelief.  While the page was passed around Ryoko 
produced a similar page and unfolded it.
	"It's true," she mumbled.  Tenchi took the two pages and placed them 
beside each other on the table.  Apart from the aging factors, they were 
identical.  On that table lay two copies of the picture he had sketched the day 
before.
	"I told you that I would keep it for ever," said the future Ryoko as tears 
began to roll down her cheeks.  Ayeka looked at the pictures, than at Ryoko and 
her future counterpart.  Then she looked at the ring that on the future Ryoko's 
hand.  Her heart sank briefly, but a faint smile crept onto her face.  She could 
have pitched a fit, but that was not needed now.
	"So how do we destroy this Darkness," asked Katsuhito.  "If it is coming, 
we need to be ready."  Everyone nodded in agreement.  Before she could answer 
the storm that had been raging outside went eerily silent.  The wind ceased to 
blow but the rain still fell, all too quietly.
	"She's here," said the future Ryoko.  All eyes were fixed on the dark 
shadow creeping across the lake.  "We have to stand up against it together," she 
continued.  "That's all Washu told me before she sent me back this last time. If 
we do not stop it now, all of our futures die today."
	"I have an idea," said Washu, "and I'll need your help Kiyone."  Kiyone 
nodded and they ran off to the lab.  

	The silent rain continued to fall as every one congregated out side.  The 
dark mass had formed itself in front of the shrine stairs.  From it emerged a 
dark figure, the exact negative image of Tsunami.  As it walked the ground 
beneath its feet blackened and died.  All life was absorbed by the Darkness, and 
only death and decay remained.  Tenchi had drawn the hilt of the master key, 
waiting to form its blade.  Both Ryoko's had formed their energy swords and 
stood waiting.  Ayeka's headpiece glowed as her guardians floated around her.   
Even Mihoshi was ready; she was shouldering the Galaxy Police's biggest fusion 
cannon.
	"How brave of you," came the Darkness' seductive voice.  "You all lived as 
one and now you shall die as one."
	"I'd gladly die here today if it will save their future," replied Tenchi 
as he formed the master key's blade.  Everyone else's answer was unspoken but 
understood.
	"Very well then.  I shall revel in your despair."  That said the Darkness 
began her attack.  Dark energy crackled from her fingertips as everyone ducked 
for cover.  Rolling out of the way Mihoshi took a knee and fired off the fusion 
cannon.  A beam of white-hot energy struck the Darkness squarely in the chest.   
This is all the Ryoko team needed.  They unleashed a series of orange energy 
bolts that sent the Darkness reeling.
	"We make a good team," said the current Ryoko.  Her counter part nodded as 
they dodged the Darkness' counter attack.
	"Petty fools," she said.  "Such things can not hurt me."
	"But this can!" said Tenchi.  With that he sent the Light Hawk sword 
flying into the Darkness.  No one had noticed him ascend to this level.  The 
darkness screamed as Tenchi reformed the swords hilt.  The future Ryoko paused 
for a second.  It has been too long Tenchi, she thought to herself as Tenchi 
stood resplendent in his blue and white Juraian robes.
	"Lord Tenchi!" screamed Ayeka, "if we combine our Jurai power we can stop 
her!"  Tenchi nodded as Ayeka transferred her power to him.  Exhausted from the 
transfer, she fell out.  Fortunately Mihoshi caught her before she hit the 
ground.  Tenchi couldn't believe what he felt inside of him.  The power of earth 
and Jurai coursed through him.  Seeing this the Darkness renewed her attack with 
even more ferocity.  Tenchi dodged each blast skillfully and sent one of his on 
tearing into the Darkness.  He was holding his own, but he could not keep it up 
forever.  The two Ryoko's watched the man they loved fight valiantly to save 
their future.  
	"Forgiver me," said the future Ryoko as she shocked her younger self, 
rendering her unconscious.  She helped the lifeless doppelganger to the ground 
and stared at her.  "You will never know the sorrow that I have known.  And for 
that I envy you."  She took the folded drawing from her pocket and placed it in 
the younger's hand.  She ran her hand across the younger Ryoko's face.  'So 
innocent of all this damnation,' she thought to herself.  'Never again.'
The Darkness was beginning to wear Tenchi down.  Even with Ayeka's power he 
could not defeat this abomination.  The future Ryoko looked at her wrists.  
Tenchi had given her gems back years ago, but that was her time and her Tenchi 
was dead, along with all of the others.   Her thoughts drifted back to what 
Katsuhito had told her when Tenchi had given the gems back.

	"Those gems have the same qualities as the power of Jurai, only more 
concentrated.  Even after seven hundred years of sustaining my life they are 
very potent.  Never call upon their full power, for I fear that it would destroy 
you."

	"I have to take that risk," she said to herself, not for her, but for him.  
Ryoko closed her eyes and called upon the gems.  In a burst of light she was 
enveloped in the same white robes that adorned Tenchi.  She could feel the power 
inside of her; she could feel him.  
	"We are one," she said forming a Light Hawk sword of her own.  As she did 
the Darkness realized what had transpired. 
	"So that's where the witch hid the power," she said changing her focus to 
Ryoko.  "Very clever sending you here and know; very clever indeed.  The only 
time the two Lights could be summoned."  The future Ryoko charged into the 
Darkness headlong.  Tenchi could barely see what was happening.  He was bleeding 
from his forehead blurring his vision, but it looked like Ryoko was holding a 
Light Hawk Sword.  He glanced over and saw his Ryoko lying on the ground and he 
realized that it had to be the future Ryoko.  Ryoko caught the Darkness with the 
blade of the Light Hawk Sword, dissipating its arm. In a flash of light the 
future Ryoko teleported behind the Darkness, grabbing a hold of her.  
	"Now Tenchi!" she cried.  Tenchi nodded in understanding.  He channeled 
all of his strength through the Light Hawk Sword and sent a beam of energy 
flying toward the Darkness.
	"Nooooo!" screamed the Darkness as the beam hit.  "I will defy you!" she 
said through gritted teeth.  The beam burnt white hot as it engulfed the 
Darkness and Ryoko.  Ryoko felt the beam burn her flesh, but she held tight, not 
for herself, but for him.  
	"I told you boy, I shall defy you," said the Darkness as the intensity of 
Tenchi's beam began to lessen.  Right then another beam of plasma joined 
Tenchi's beam.  The Darkness screamed in agony as the second beam engulfed the 
first.  
	"I will not..." the being began before the final burst encompassed her 
entirely.  After a moment the beams dissipated and the Darkness vanished from 
this plain forever.  The future Ryoko remained floating in the spot where she 
had held the Darkness.  After a moment she fell to the earth.
	"Where did that other shot come from?" asked Mihoshi as she helped Ayeka 
to her feet.  To her surprise she saw Kiyone step out of the still smoking 
dimensional cannon.
	"I could get to like this gun," she said helping the present Ryoko to her 
feet.
	"What hit me?" she managed rubbing her forehead.  Then she noticed the 
folded page in her hand.  "Oh no," she said as she recognized the form Tenchi 
was holding.  The future Ryoko was badly burned from her selfless sacrifice.
	"Hang on Ryoko," said Tenchi in tears.  "Washu can help you."  His tears 
rolled off his face and landed on her cheek.  With the Darkness' demise the 
storm had cleared and blue sky shone through the breaking clouds.  "Just hang 
on."
	The future Ryoko smiled as she saw the faces of her long lost friends and 
family.  She was even glad to see Ayeka standing over her.  "Don't worry about 
me, my future is no more." She stopped to cough as she felt herself begin to 
slip away.  "I'm just glad that I saw you all again."  With that she slipped 
from this existence.  Tenchi held back his tears as her ethereal form faded from 
sight.  All that remained of her was the simple ring she had been wearing.  
Tenchi held it to his heart and promised to never forget what had been given to 
him that day:  his future.
	"Tenchi?" asked Ryoko as he stood up.  "Are you," he cut her off before 
she could finish.
	"I'm fine.  You know, everyone of you are precious to me, just incase I 
haven't told you lately."  Every nodded in agreement as they made their way back 
into the house.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the sweet smell 
of cherry blossoms filled the air once more.  Indeed, they all knew how much 
they meant to one another.
 
Epilogue:
	In the not too distant future a family celebrates the joyous occasion of a 
new birth.  Friends and family share drink and toast the future of the child.  A 
future made safe by actions of the greatest sacrifice.  They remember that fact, 
and each one knows deep down that if need be, they would do it all over again.  
Not for themselves, but for each other. 	
The End

Author's notes:
	Well, maybe the sophomore jinx holds true for fanfic writers as well.  
This is my second Fanfic in the Tenchi Muyo! Universe, and I must say that I am 
proud of it, even if I think it could have come out better.  Please let me know 
any criticism, comments, or suggestions at: vette1701@eartlink.net.  Thank you 
all very much for reading this fanfic.
William Nichols