Infinite Wills is based upon the OAV continuity of Tenchi Muyo! All copyrighted characters mentioned within this work are the intellectual property of AIC and Pioneer. Original characters are intellectual property of Garasu; intentional use without permission is bad manners. * * * Infinite Wills Part 3: Images of a Broken Past Author: Garasu Deep within the bowels of a multi-dimensional lab that also managed to span a few good sized planets; a lone figure was silently staring at a small tank holding only water and a few brightly colored fish. Just as silent as their watcher, the small aquarian creatures swam in circles and loops, passing from one corner of the small aquarium to the other in a matter of seconds. Slowly, the young woman lifted an arm and rubber her chin thoughtfully. Her huge mane of bright pink hair swaying slightly from the wind that the size of the lab generated, as Washu, the creator of everything before her, contemplated the recent events of the day. As Ryoko had impressed upon earlier, it was quite a strange turn of events that broke the Masaki family apart, albeit for a short while. As the person who ran thorough tests on each and every household member she could convince to enter her lab, Washu was quite aware of each and every emotion that the guests were feeling. So why then was Sasami's and Ayeka's homesickness a surprise to her? There, of course was the evidence that the two princesses had neither given much thought towards home, nor felt sadness until just a few days ago. Not even when their parents visited and subsequently allowed the pair to stay. Washu hated mysteries. The unknown was one of her only fears, and also one of the main reasons she loved science so. There was something just so deeply satisfying about solving a mystery, knowing things that others could only dream about, or barely comprehend. Knowledge was the diminutive scientist's only passion, both the collection and dissertation of it. Yet somehow a mystery had crept itself upon the Misaki household without her knowing about it. Never before had an event happened so close to her without even the slightest bit of fore knowledge. This bothered Washu to no end, and bid the scientist to come to one of the furthest corners of her lab to think and wonder. Could these events possibly have been instigated by someone? She wondered silently, continuing to stare at the bright fish swimming before her. Slowly a small arm reached up and swept a long pink bang away from her green eyes. Someone able to manipulate thoughts without her knowledge gave Washu only two options in her mind: the Lady Tsunami and the mysterious force behind Dr. Clay's deception. As for the former, why would such a benign force as Tsunami be behind such events as the Princesses leaving? Surely as a part of Sasami, the goddess of Jurai could the feel the love that the little girl felt towards this world, even if she could not detect the feelings Sasami had for Tenchi. There was also the love that Princess Ayeka held towards Tenchi, which should be at least radiated within the elder girl's key in turn reaching the master of all Juraian Trees. Yet go the two princesses did, and with very little indication that they would do so. Washu sighed and closed her eyes slightly. In her opinion, it was more likely that whatever force was behind Dr. Clay was behind these events as well. However, what this force was and what its intentions were was far beyond the guess of Washu. This only unsettled the ageless woman more. Lying within the shadow of one mystery, was yet another as well. Dr. Clay had not come for a social call, she certainly knew. The misguided scientist had intended to bring her to someone, someone whom he both feared and respected. In the time that Washu had known the despicable man, she had never met anyone whom Clay had held these notions towards, for he was a selfish perfectionist; utterly convinced of his own genius and perfection. In her silent thinking, Washu spared a brief grim smile for the doctor's fate, lying inside a heavily guarded cell in one of the Galaxy Police Forces most secure holds. It would do him some good to think over his pathetic life. That still left the mystery of the force, however, but Washu could not find any answers no matter how much she bent her will towards finding them. Only after hours of sitting by herself and thinking, staring at the blues, greens and reds of the various animals surrounding her, did a massive yawn break her thought. It had been ages since she had remembered waking up, and a quick glance at her surroundings told the pink haired scientist that it was deep within the night. Washu blinked slowly and tried to remember when exactly the sun set, for her lab was synchronized with the daylight hours of the Masaki residence on earth despite the fact that this current section was light years away from that point. "Rats," Washu swore, "missed dinner again." Judging by the silver light that now reflected within the bowels of her lab, the moon had risen high into the nighttime sky and dinner was over long ago. However, this do not bother Washu as much because she knew that Tenchi and his family counted on her keeping strange hours and often left a couple of portions warm in the oven. With this in mind, Washu exited the small door in the side of the main staircase and bore right towards the kitchen. Once there, however, she encountered a small surprise. Tenchi looked up from the small plate of cookies that he was currently decimating to find the diminutive pink haired scientist staring at him. He returned the stare for a few seconds them went back to staring at the plate tiredly. "Can't sleep?" Washu asked, allowing a slight note of concern creep into her voice. She knew how hard it was for the earthling to cope with part of the family leaving so suddenly, in a way she had also thought it difficult to sleep well knowing that Ayeka, Sasami, and Kiyone were now halfway to Jurai. It was also not just at dinner times that she missed the trio. Tenchi nodded his head silently and bite into another cookie. They had been a goodbye present from Sasami to him, and it seemed as if he didn't want to save them despite the fact that it was going to be a long time before he would get to eat anything more that was made by the little princess. Then suddenly remembering his manners, Tenchi glanced up and indicated that Washu should come in a share with him. Washu accepted the invitation with a smile and hopped up onto one of the high backed chairs that surrounded the small island in the middle of the kitchen. There, she and Tenchi sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before either said a word. Tenchi, it seemed to Washu, was in a brooding sort of mood. It was obvious to her that something was very much bothering the young man but she didn't quite know how to broach the subject. It was at least partly obvious that it had something to do with Ayeka leaving, but of that Washu could only be partly certain. Tenchi had always been somewhat secretive, even to one who had probed his mind before (keeping clear of anything that he didn't want anyone to know, of course). "Do you think they'll come back quickly?" Tenchi asked so suddenly that it made Washu look up and blink, for the moment bereft of any reply. Then she smiled softly, and as encouragingly as she could. She had often acted as a mother figure to any of the younger family members, and she genuinely enjoyed the experience. Though, ironically, the one she wished to reach the most never let her in. To Ryoko, Washu could only sigh longingly, but the others at strange intervals would often find her a comforting source for advice. "I'm sure they will, Tenchi," She replied as sincerely as she could. Deep inside, however, Washu was not so certain of the reply. It was true; the scientist knew that whatever business that would take Ayeka away from her beloved Tenchi would keep the princess for a quite some time. As for Sasami, Washu could only further guess due to the little girl's bond with the Juraian Goddess, Tsunami. There was definitely something going on, though, of that Washu could be certain. Unfortunately, the answer just kept eluding the great scientist for the moment. Washu sighed long and softly as she bit into one of the cookies that Tenchi had proffered her. The problem that she faced now was more than just an annoyance, it had become personal. The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes before one finally spoke again. However, when conversation was started once again, it turned to light matters. As if both Tenchi and Washu were afraid of getting more than just a little depressed by continuing to think about the travelers. There was nothing that could do at the moment, both knew that well and resented it greatly, but sit and wait for something to happen. At length, Washu finally drew in a huge yawn and looked across the table towards her companion. Tenchi was staring off into thin air blankly and idly doodling with the half cookies he still had left in his right hand. "Well, I think I'll leave you alone to your thoughts," Washu suddenly said out of the third silence that crept over them since their meeting began. She got out of her chair so quickly that the legs screeched in protest as they were drug forcefully over the tiled floor. "I need to get back to my lab anyway," she added a second later and was soon gone with a small plate in her hand that had been mysteriously retrieved from the oven. Tenchi stared after the eccentric scientist for a few seconds and then shrugged. Washu had to spend more time than anybody else he knew in the presence of herself; not for the first time he wondered curiously what exactly she did while alone in the depths of that huge place. Then, as if a cold wind blew in from open windows, Tenchi shivered and decided most forcefully that he did not want to know the answer to that question. Broodingly, he brought his thoughts back to the mind-numbing stare of before and continued to count the amount of spots on the wall before him, giving no further thought towards Washu that night; it was her nature to be eccentric and this behavior everyone accepted as a fact of life. In truth, however, Washu was doing something that Tenchi, and indeed everybody else, would be greatly interested in. Not, of course, in the deed itself, but the mere of the sheer absurdity that it held. Washu, great scientist, eccentric thinker and mother in more ways than a few to all who lived under the Misaki roof, was going to sleep. An action that, despite the fact that everyone had to have some rest every once in a while (even Ryoko), no one had ever seen. That and factor several incidents in which it had seemed that Washu took no rest and a healthy myth had been born. All reality considered, this just happened to be the way that Washu wanted it. She was notoriously secretive in the best of her moods, and except for the occasional delight in lecturing, she chose for her thoughts to remain off limits to all. There was safety in this measure at least, safety from the pain of getting too close only to have to lose it. Changing for bed was a simple matter for Washu; a simple thought was all it took for her clothing to disappear and in an instant be replaced by a soft pink nightshirt with matching pants. With the same instantaneous thought, her hair was magically bound into a tight weave that would never come undone no matter how one rolled in the night. Another massive yawn split her face as she wandered seemingly in senseless pattern though always towards the goal of a large tree. The large tree, in which Washu now stood in front of several seconds later, was of the massive Juraian breeds. It was, of course, on of the lesser trees as the Great Trees of Jurai were never allowed to be off planet except by their own ship. But a gift was a gift, and a Juraian tree seedling given in gratitude was not one to be refused. It had become the crowning glory of her lab as the huge brown limps soared hundreds of feet into the air, its perpetual green leaves reaching ever towards the artificial light which dimmed and brightened in time to the sun. However, behind this great and beautiful tree was where Washu was going, and rounding the trunk she came to a small door half hidden in the foliage. This was the door to her bedroom, a place where only she knew existed and the only place she could turn to if things were going bad. Inside, as bedrooms go, would not have been a surprise if those that new Washu could see it. It was decorated tastefully in her favorite color, pink, and in the center a huge bed lay seemingly on thin air. Indeed, that was what it was doing as Washu couldn't seem to sleep well on anything but. Half in a daze, the small scientist climbed into the floating haven and slipped under the soft furry covers of pink fur. Washu was asleep in an instant and so deeply that could not hear the alarms going off somewhere in the darkness of her lab. Slowly, a ghostly image began to form at the foot of the giant bed, and then made its stealthy way towards the side closest to the sleeping form of Washu. Slowly, the image began to sharpen until the form of a beautiful woman could vaguely be made out. The ghostly woman's hair flowed around the white dress that she wore, shining golden brown in the small light. Her eyes, of amethyst beauty, glowed slightly with an ethereal light of their own as they gazed steadily towards the girl before them. Slowly a small, soft smile came to the lips of Lady Tokimi as she gazed down upon her sister. This was the first time she had visited, though she had been keeping track from afar for many a year. Sadly, the smile was wiped from her face as she glimpsed the scientist, sleeping peacefully. "What has become of you, sister?" Tokimi asked herself, in the musical language only she knew. "Your form is so different from what I remember, only a mere girl where there once was a mighty woman, proud and strong. What could have caused this?" Silently, Tokimi considered the form before her. As a goddess, Washu could have done so many things which the girl had obviously not in the many situations she had faced. A goddess certainly wouldn't have allowed herself to be imprisoned by the hands of Kagato, a slimy, if useful at times, higher dimensional being. What then, could have happened? Was it possible to forget? Slowly Tokimi reached out and touched Washu's forehead softly. "Yes, I see what it is now, sister." She said again, removing her hand. "I'm sorry then to do this to you, and your daughter but the Cycle must be continued or we all shall perish. I hope, someday you shall forgive me." With the last word, Tokimi sent a single will into Washu's mind, a will that soon became a collective of wills, which developed into a single thought, which evolved into a single word: Remember. With her task completed, Tokimi disappeared as silently as she came, regretting every moment of her actions yet convincing herself of their necessity. Silently, she left Washu to dream, and through her dreams, remember a past long forgotten, one that lay broken within fragments of her mind, and prayed that everything come out okay. * * * When Washu finally awoke, she was not where she remembered herself to be. Looking around, the little scientist eyed the simple laboratory skeptically. This was definitely not her lab connected to the Masaki house; for one thing the design was much simpler. Instead of variable rooms there were only several small ones. When she tried to access the secondary and tertiary labs linked to this one by subspace, Washu found the link closed. All around her there were machines of every imaginable size and shape, some sporting blinking buttons; others just appeared as a simple gray face. Accessing her portable computer, Washu also found that the interface had changed, she could definitely remember changing that little annoying crab interface ages ago. Something smelled really awful about the whole situation, yet for all the discomfiture, Washu strangely found the smaller lab familiar, as if she had been here before long ago. "Professor? Professor Washu?" The voice startled Washu out of her thinking mode and she spun around quickly. She recognized the voice immediately, but only when the image of the young man appeared within her line of vision did it truly sink in. Kagato. The evil scientist's form was unmistakable to Washu's mind. Though he appeared a bit younger then she last remembered seeing him; the flowing grayish- white hair, the lanky build and most of all the bright yellow eyes complete with tiny spectacles were all there. Age wasn't a problem for the Kagato that she knew, however, this one strangely seemed younger than Washu remembered. He almost had the appearance of a youth just out of his teens. The pink haired scientist blinked again towards the young man facing her, truly at a loss for words. "Professor, are you alright?" Kagato asked, slightly concerned. This was a critical point in the experiment they were conducting, certainly not a time in which to become distracted. Kagato frowned a bit as he thought about the implications of becoming distracted. The trigger had to be activated at the precise moment the proportions of the chemicals were equal, if too early nothing would happen, if too late, though, the result would be an explosion that could easily take out this half of the lab. Kagato shivered. He liked his life a little too much to let that happen. Not to mention the perfect energy of the experiment would be wasted on a completely mundane use. Energy, that's what Kagato truly loved. He loved anything and everything to do with power. There were so many applications and benefits of a truly efficient power source that his imagination couldn't possibly cover them all. That thought brought Kagato to another thing he had noticed about his mentor, she had in her possession three round globes that from what he understood contained almost unlimited power. Certainly, the times she had talked about them she was dead drunk (especially common after a failed experiment) but Kagato was sure that not just a little of the information was the truth. If so, his hands itched with the need to test them, to try them out and map their energy levels. Slowly, he smiled. There were just so many uses he could think of, not to mention ideas that could make him wealthy beyond all dreams. "Yes, I'm fine," Washu added shortly, bringing her gaze back to the rising proportion levels and forcing Kagato to guiltily shake the gold coins from his eyes. Thoughts like those could get him killed. Although the experiment went fine and the trigger was activated at precisely the right moment, Washu became more and more distracted as the day progressed. Kagato would constantly hear her muttering about power ratios and gems. Could she possibly talking about the power gems he had heard her only reference in passing? Kagato leaned closer to his mentor, eager to catch any details about the three objects that almost had become his obsession. However, no further sound did Washu mutter until the very end of the day when Kagato was just finishing up a nap before going back into the experiment room. Suddenly Washu ran into the room shouting excitedly. "Get up, Kaggy; fetch Yakage for this as well I've got some very exciting news to share with both of you!" Kagato was so startled when Washu yelled this almost at the top of her lungs and then ran out of the room at top speed; he almost fell out of the chair he had been napping in. More curious than ever, Kagato found the eccentric young man that had just so recently come under Washu's tutelage as fast as possible. Personally, Kagato did not care much for the man; he had too much fire in him. Yakage could go on rants that would sheer the skin of even the toughest hide. Yet, by the time the pair of underlings arrived their professor was no where to be found. "Well, I hope you brought me for something good, Kagato," Yakage muttered as the young man sat down on a lab stool. "Are you sure she said for you to bring me to this room?" "Yes, I am." Kagato snapped, not letting a bit of his impatience being held back. He hated it when people questioned his decisions. The pair did not have to wait long in their brooding silence fortunately, as Washu came in minutes later with a big smile on her face and a small leather sack. The Gems, Kagato instantly identified, and then glanced towards his neighbor, wondering if the eccentric young scientist had recognized the import of what was in the red leather sack. Though Yakage's expression showed slight confusion at the hasty summons, and did not appear to know anything about the gems. Washu sat down and collected herself for a brief moment, trying hard to relieve the giddiness she felt. It had taken her weeks to work out the energy equations to make this project work, and now that they were finally solved she could create the daughter that she had dreamed about more than several weeks ago. Thoughts of that dream, however, forced the pink haired scientist to pause for longer than the patience of her two students allowed for. "Professor Washu?" Yakage interrupted quietly, "Was there something you specifically called us for?" Kagato sniffed haughtily, he could practically see the reverence and worship that Yakage held for their diminutive mentor. The pale haired youth thought that Washu was the Goddess of everything science and that there was nothing she couldn't solve. Such reverence to Kagato was a weakness, and could easily be exploited if his mentor were of that mind. There were even rumors that the pair had spent the occasional night together, though to Kagato's mind that was nigh on an impossibility. "Yes, Yakage, I did call you here for a specific reason." Washu answered, allowing the smile that memories of the dreams wiped off her face to return. Her energy equations were finally solved, she could now integrate the three mysterious gems that had been with her for as long as she could remember into the life form she was about to create. These gems would make the daughter that she already named Ryoko powerful beyond all imagination, never again would one her children be taken away from her at a whim. It would take an entire army to even get near her daughter in hostility, and perhaps even then it would be a fight. Washu's smile broadened, she would finally be a part of a family again. But first things first, she needed to enlist the help of her two students to create the greatest experiment the Science Academy had ever seen. "The reason I wanted both of you here was because I have a question to ask of you two," Washu paused, gauging the eager expressions of her students. "I wish to know if you are willing to help me create life, almost completely from scratch." Yakage and Kagato both blinked at her uncertainly, though Kagato was the first to answer. "Create life? Life can already be emulated by machines, why would anyone want to do that again?" He asked amazedly. "There hasn't been anything new in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence for some time, not to mention those that do control the algorithms guard them viciously." "No, "Washu replied, shaking her head, "you misunderstood me. I said we will create life, a living breathing entity wholly biological in nature. However. with just a few modifications I added myself." Added the little scientist, grinning broadly. Yakage's mouth gaped as he considered the implications of what Washu had just said. Sure, cloning had been done for centuries by now, and as Kagato mentioned machines had gotten so efficient one could almost never tell the machine from biological; but to create a whole being, not cloned, not replicated in any way. Was it even possible? "Is it even possible, professor?" Yakage asked, voicing his inner question. "Up until now, no." Washu answered with a sigh. "There had always been a problem beginning the process from scratch. In order to make a life form, one needed the basic female and male reproductive cells somehow bring them together and then let the process naturally occur. I, however, will not be using that method. There will be no "father" in this experiment, just an ova from myself to have the basis of a beginning." "What will you be using to start this life form, Professor?" Kagato asked cynically. This entire experiment seemed slightly ludicrous to him, creating life from scratch? What was the point? Not to mention what the gems have anything to do with this new life. Kagato didn't have to wait for long to find the answer though, because Washu answered his question immediately. "Pure energy," she said, totally serious. Kagato balked, he hadn't expected that answer, at the same time the use for the gems hit him. Suddenly he became angry, for the first time showing his true feelings about the power he supposed the gems possessed. Kagato couldn't believe that Washu was going to use such a perfect energy source for the mundane use as powering some child that Washu wished she could have! The mere possibility was inconceivable to the brilliant scientist. Though just as quickly, Kagato suppressed the anger; feelings were a weakness, a point for exploitation they would neither serve him well nor reward him for allowing them to show. In the moment after his brief surge of anger, though, an idea began to creep into his brain. While Washu and Yakage were going over the energy equations that Washu claimed would be solve all the supposed problems of the experiment Kagato slipped over to the recording devices and activated one of the smaller systems with a direct line of view. It was, after all, too good of an opportunity to study the raw power of the gems for him to pass up. Soon, I will understand the power of the gems. Such marvelous power, such beautiful objects. He thought to himself, letting a slow smile creep to his lips, gazing at the trio of objects that had become his obsession. Washu was currently handling them gently, rolling them back and forth between her fingers as if he had done so all her life. She and Yakage had been staring silently at the final form of her energy equation for several minutes, both basking in the glory of a well solved problem. Washu smiled brightly. It had taken her weeks to solve that damned equation, and now that it was finally done, the project that she had always dreamed of would be completed. Though the nearness of the event gave her some trepidation as well. The germination period that she predicted was vastly accelerated to that of a normal child's. Only three weeks from beginning to end, and even after those three weeks, her daughter, Ryoko, would be a full adult or at least almost adult. "Are you ready, Yakage?" She turned to her young assistant, overjoyed to see the same eager grin echoed on the handsome man's face. It was really a shame he was so young compared to her, she had been getting so lonely as of late and would be nice to have someone to talk to, especially one who shared a lot of the same interests as her. "Yes, Professor," Yakage replied reverently, allowing his eager expression change briefly to one of adoration. "Are you getting this Kaggy?" Washu yelled over the shoulder, not missing the fact that her older assistant was standing near a bundle of recording equipment. She had deliberately used the nickname the young man despised to tease him. Kagato was somewhat of a recluse and anything she could do to draw the scientist out was only to the betterment of his personality. "Uh, yes, Professor, I am." Kagato fumbled with the small item he was currently holding, the comment by Washu catching him off his guard. Finally, he gained his wits back and control of the object came soon after and Kagato was able to turn on a few more recording devices besides the small one he had initiated earlier each watching from a different angle. After which, the blue haired scientist gave Washu a nervous thumbs up. "Good." Washu stated simply then turned back to her project. As soon as she turned around, Kagato's face returned to scowl. Quickly, though he caught his annoyance and turned his attention back to the small personal recorder gathering every bit of information it could. Washu's energy equations were really good, actually, and perfect for his plans. Though how the energy of the gems was made into such a compact form, Kagato could only wonder at. The energy that he would be able to create from his own gems would more than suffice his plans that had taken form over the many years he had been Washu's student. Kagato still considered it a waste to give this new "daughter" the power that the small trio of baubles controlled. However, she shouldn't be too much of a problem to deal with; he was after all a genius. So carefully, ever so carefully, Kagato watched the process before him, watched as Washu and Yakage inseminated the ova with pure energy, watched as the life form slowly took shape within the tube. All the while he applied the stolen equations to his own projects, secretly working on them when no one was around or when occasions warranted it, in his own laboratory. Finally the day at hand dawned. The day Washu's daughter, named Ryoko, would be "born." Washu was, figuratively speaking, a nervous wreck. Despite the fact that she was entirely sure of her methods, she still couldn't chase the one nagging thought that something was going to go wrong. Looking at her daughter, Washu knew that everything came out right. The crisp cyan hair, the draw of the lips, the way her eyes slanted somewhat like a feline's. Combined with a body that could rival any beauty queen's, Ryoko would be a force to be reckoned with if anyone dared try and take her away. Her daughter had it all, the power of the gems, the tactile genius and the strength of approximately ten beings; somehow if all those had failed, Ryoko's last line of defense was her own body. She could either seduce or entrance, it made no difference which, both would have the desired affect of drawing the attacker's thought processes away from Ryoko herself and create a weakness to be exploited. Washu looked around, slightly annoyed. Yakage was here, standing beside the disconnecting machine that would sever the false umbilical cord. However, Kagato was not present, which served to make her slightly nervous. Her oldest student had been acting rather strange lately, slinking about, smiling incomprehensibly and talking to himself. Most of all though, he would play that damned organ of his until the wee hours of the morning, keeping her up and no doubt by the look under his eyes Yakage as well. Finally, she sighed and gave up waiting for the mysteriously missing assistant. It was time to sever the cord whether Kagato was present or not, he would just have to watch the recording, she supposed. The final countdown began, and the diminutive scientist's excitement grew with every second counted down. She would finally be a mother again! As the last second though a soft alarm went off. Washu's eyes grew round as she realized what the alarm meant. That particular machine was monitoring the melding process of the gems and Ryoko. The gems on the girl's neck and arms began to glow eerily green as both Washu and her youngest assistant scrambled to find out what the problem was. It almost seemed as if an outside energy source was trying to assert control! But that's impossible! Washu tried to reason with herself. Any power source able to assert control over those gems would have to be synchronized with their power! There's no known force in the universe that I've found that could match the power of my gems. Yet to Washu's amazed eyes, it was happening here, in her lab, asserting control of her daughter and trying to take her away from the scientist. This couldn't be happening, where was Kagato? She needed his help now. Suddenly, all at once, it dawned on her then. The mysterious attitude, the many recording devices the aloof often superior fa‡ade. Kagato was somehow doing this; he had somehow unlocked the power source for her gems. With actions born of desperation Washu summoned her personal computer and initiated a trace program. She would find that bastard soon enough and see him personally kicked out and disgraced. Unfortunately for Washu, just as the trace program finished, the take-over process initiated. Ryoko broke the glass that surrounded her and stepped out uncertainly, trying to make sense of the words that filled her mind. Soon enough they became clear and she seized the stunned Washu before any action could be made. As Yakage stood dumbfounded at the turn of events, Washu briefly tried to get herself free from Ryoko's grasp, though she knew it was no use. With the power she had from the gems, her newly "born" daughter would have the strength of an entire host of soldiers. Just as Washu gave up her struggle, laughter echoed through the room and the lab door opened silently. Standing in the doorway was her former student, the man who was responsible for impossibly taking her daughter away. The scientist immediately renewed her struggle. The appearance of Kagato was all that Yakage needed to snap out of his shock however, and he rushed the older man. Unfortunately, whatever new power Kagato had given himself to control Ryoko gave him several other powers he previously did not have. In one swift move, Yakage was blown back against the wall, knocked unconscious by a single blast of strong wind from Kagato's outstretched hand. The scientist turned renegade grinned cockily as he admired his hands. "Do not mess with me boy," he told the knocked out form of Yakage. "I now am the superior fighter." He sighed with accomplishment. "Yes, such marvelous power, to think this power would have been wasted on an emotional tool such as this thing." Kagato turned his glance towards Ryoko and Washu and frowned slightly. "Kagato!" Washu screamed, still struggling futilely within Ryoko's strong grasp. "What have you done to her? How were you able to gain control over the gems?" She then asked, trying with all her might to calm herself down and think rationally about the situation. The superior smile once again returned to Kagato's face. "Why that's simple, my dear professor. I just added one more step to your energy equations. It was not too hard for a genius such as myself to figure out how to equal the output, even on the same wavelength. You'll notice that is how I am able to control you daughter." He added snidely. "Unfortunately, I was not able to figure out how to give them such a compact form, but I think the Soja would be a perfect place to harbor my ultimate power, don't you think?" Washu stopped struggling and stared at her former student with wide eyes. "You wouldn't dare." Kagato merely laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's the perfect vehicle for the perfect power," was all he simply said then began to walk out the door before stopping. "Oh and one more thing, I'm also taking that precious pet project of yours, I think it would be a marvelous addition to Ryoko's power." With that said, Kagato walked out the door, tossing a simple crystal back towards Washu. When it hit the stunned professor, it began to expand up her legs, making a crystalline lattice. Before she had any more time to think the lattice worked its way up her body avoiding the points where Ryoko was holding on, effectively sealing her within. Just as it covered her face however, Washu was able to once again able to look in her daughter's eyes. They were green, the same as the color of the gems before this happened. Sadly, the scientist sighed and allowed the rest of the lattice to cover her up, closing her eyes just as it did so. Please be well, my daughter, she thought quietly towards the form just barely within her consciousness. We'll meet again, someday. With that last remaining thought, Washu's world went black. * * * The door behind Kiyone slid open silently and she turned to around to see the slightly pensive expression of Ayeka. "Is she asleep?" Kiyone asked with concern in her voice. Ayeka nodded silently. "Yes she finally went to sleep a few minutes ago." Ayeka sat down in the seat next to Kiyone and sighed. "I've never seen her this bad. She's always had nightmares, true, but never this bad or this frequently." The First-Princess of Jurai added, staring directly in front of her towards the endless starry sky of space. Kiyone looked towards the princess and smiled. The elder Juraian was so concerned for her sister. The frequent wake ups, the crying and the restlessness that Sasami had had in the past few days were really beginning to take their toll on Ayeka however. The Princess now had deep rings under her crimson eyes, and her hair was barely combed neatly into a single ponytail; the sign of a very fast transition from sleep to a full wakeful state. Her posture as well, instead of proud was now slouched with fatigue as she sat heavily in the co-pilots seat of the Yagami. The good news out of all of this was that they would be landing on Jurai in less than a day. That thought, however, gave Kiyone a reason to pause however. What would she do after that? She had really wanted to feel needed again, and this mission was a way to do that. But once it was completed, should she return to Earth and stay for the rest of her vacation or go straight to her uncle's after that? She sighed, echoing the expression worn by Ayeka. The decision was just so difficult to make. On one hand, she really wanted to see Mihoshi, on the other; a simple vacation would drive her nuts. She couldn't not do anything. "Kiyone?" Kiyone brought herself out of her ruminations when she heard the voice of Ayeka beside her. "Yes?" she answered back, giving her full attention to the princess. "I really want to thank you again for volunteering to return us. I really would not have liked to see anyone but Sasami's close friends know she's in this state. Once we reach Jurai, I'm sure I can trust the royal palace guards to keep quiet, but the transport vessel? I'm not quite sure." "I've told you Ayeka, it's no problem for me. I wanted to feel needed again. If taking you and Sasami to Jurai was the way to do it, then take you to Jurai I will. I just wish some of the others could come with us. I kind of miss Tenchi and Mihoshi, not to mention Ryoko, strangely enough. Ayeka smiled and chuckled slightly. "Yes, she does kind of have that effect on people, doesn't she?" Now that the Juraian was away from the demoness for an extended time, Ayeka could really see some of the merits Ryoko had, or at the very least she missed having the distraction of bickering with the pirate. If one thing could be said about Ryoko, it was that she definitely kept Ayeka at her sharpest. Thinking about it, it slightly worried the Juraian Princess that she missed the pirate so much. They certainly weren't friends, or were they? But the other person mentioned by Kiyone drove all thoughts of the pirate out of her head: Tenchi. Ayeka's smile softened as she thought about the young Earthling. What was he doing at this very moment? Was he missing her? Those were some of the foremost questions in her mind as the stars continued their rushing by the Yagami in an endless stream of white lines. It wasn't hard for the teal haired ex Galaxy Police detective to figure out what exactly Princess Ayeka was smiling about. One of the first things that were made blatantly clear to Kiyone when she arrived was that Ayeka and Ryoko both had very deep feelings for the boy. It was apparent in the way that the Demoness flirted, and the way that the Princess smiled both wildly different approaches but as far as she could see none were making themselves known to Tenchi. Which, of course, the detective could only wonder at. "Ayeka? May I ask you a question?" Kiyone voiced, after a few more seconds of consideration. Her natural curiosity was beginning to kick in again, especially confronted with the fact that they were now light years away from earth and Tenchi was not among them. "Uh, sure." Ayeka answered quietly, drawing her self up out of the chair once again. She generally liked talking with the galaxy police detective, as Kiyone made a very good traveling partner, but she was so tired at the moment, and Tenchi was just about to kiss her in this wonderfully romantic daydream she had been having. "Why now?" Kiyone simply asked. "I.I'm not sure what you mean by that." Ayeka said finally after several minutes of silence. "Why now what?" "Why go to Jurai now? Yes, I realize that Sasami is homesick, but couldn't the worst of it have been taken care of with Queens Funaho and Misaki visiting? Why do you feel it's necessary to go all the way to Jurai almost without warning, and certainly without Tenchi? I know you love him, so why would you leave him now when you could have helped without leaving?" Kiyone finished, almost exasperated because things just weren't making sense anymore. People weren't acting as her original instincts said they would, earthling boys becoming more than they appear, Princesses running off, leaving their one and only love alone with a romantic rival dreams, nightmares. nothing made sense to her anymore. Ayeka blinked and considered Kiyone for a few moments. Why was she doing this? Certainly her mothers were looking for just a simple excuse to come visit Earth (not to mention Tenchi again as it seemed both Misaki and Funaho grew quite fond of him last time they visited), Sasami probably even missed them more than she did Jurai itself. So why then were they going to Jurai? Ayeka tried to tell herself that there was a simple explanation for it all, but she couldn't; she knew that it was much more than simplicity could cover. Finally the princess sighed and closed her eyes, trying to find some answer to Kiyone's question. Perhaps it would even help explain it to her as well. "I can't say much more than that it's just a feeling, Kiyone." Ayeka finally answered, looking towards the slightly older woman. "I feel as if I must go to Jurai, because that's the only way. Yes, you have it correctly, I do l- love Tenchi and it was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life to separate myself from him. This trip however, simply must be done there is no other way." Kiyone sat back into her cushy chair, considering what Ayeka had just told her. Feelings and hunches, she supposed, were a natural part of Juraian culture considering their powers. Even considering this fact however, something didn't quite add up in her mind. However, Ayeka quickly changed the subject to a much lighter one and the two women spent the rest of the short hours talking and laughing pleasantly. Finally, after three days of travel, the giant red ship with its two escorts pulled into a geo-synchronous orbit with the planet of Jurai. Kiyone gazed for several seconds at the giant blue globe that was the seat of power within the Galaxy. It had been years since she had even seen this planet much less visited it, and now she was to be the temporary guest of the royal family as Ayeka had convinced her to stay at least for the rest of the day with her and Sasami and see Jurai. Kiyone sighed and despite herself smiled a bit, this 'vacation' was turning out to be quite the adventure to exotic locations. Within moments, a voice hailed Yagami and gave her a private landing area within the royal grounds. Between the lights, the guidance beams and Kiyone's skillful piloting, finding the area took only a few minutes and the actual landing was a soft and gentle as anyone could wish. Kiyone, Ayeka and Sasami had finally arrived on the planet surface, ready but unsure of what to expect once they walked out the door. Once the landing site had been determined, Ayeka had gone to wake up her little sister, who had slept in Kiyone's guest quarters for most of the journey. Now, the small princess was up in the bridge with both of the older women, staring out at the wide expanse of green that was the Royal landing field. Ayeka sighed softly to herself and resigned to the situation. She was finally home. A home she was no longer certain she cared to be, yet missed terribly. Also within the comfortably warm Juraian atmosphere, there existed the answers to all of the happenings within the past weeks. She couldn't turn back now, especially for her own sake. She had to find out what was wrong with Sasami. As the portal opened and the entourage that was there to greet them came into view, Ayeka looked longingly at the stars towards the general direction in which she thought Earth was at. Silently and ever reverently, she sent thoughts of her love to Tenchi and a prayer of safety towards his family. She would return soon, Ayeka promised herself that. Finally setting her expression to one of polite interest, as a good Princess should, she stepped out into the duality of familiarity and confusion. * * * Washu woke with a start at the sudden hard sensation at her back. The last thing she remembered was Kagato sealing her up within his crystalline stasis field, then losing consciousness. Has she been set free? Or was this just some sort of dream she was having while locked away? Slowly Washu lifted herself off the ground and tried to dust herself off. As she was in the middle of performing this action her hands and her brain finally connected in a single instant. This definitely wasn't her normal body. Frantically Washu looked down towards her feet and realized that instead of her usual five feet, she was a mere four! Letting her hands roam down her back lead to another startling conclusion that her hair only came down to about mid back level. Her clothes, she noticed, were of a lot more simplistic nature as well. No longer there was the Science Academy uniform she was so used to wearing. Instead there was just a simple green shirt matched with a faded pair of black pants. "This won't do at all," Washu said quietly to herself and began to gather the mental energies required for a change. First of all, she was going to make herself bigger, and then she was going to get rid of these simple clothes. She had worn the uniform to long and had gotten accustomed to the point where she almost did not feel comfortable in anything else. At about what should have been the right time; Washu focused her energy and willed herself to be taller. Nothing happened. Washu blinked a few times and tried again with the same results. She couldn't understand, she had done this a thousand times before. Why now, would it choose to stop working? After a few more attempts, Washu gave up that approach and began concentrating on her clothes. Several minutes later, she realized that even that did not work. Whatever was going on, she was stuck the way she was. It was at this point that Washu finally began noticing her immediate surroundings. She was standing in the middle of a smooth, clean swept walkway composed of white stone. Just a few short steps directly behind her was a beautifully kept garden in full bloom. The small circle of green was even complete with a gurgling fountain with a small cherub like creature blowing water from its mouth. Directly in front of her stood a huge house painted white. The house itself looked terribly familiar to Washu as she considered the colorful trim and wide expanse of a porch. Though at this moment, she could not place exactly from where she knew this structure. Following an irresistible urge to explore the house closer, Washu careful made her way towards the front steps leading to the door. Her smaller feet and lower profile taking some time to get used to before natural balance took over. As little Washu got even closer to the front door, the feeling of familiarity became stronger and stronger until a small niggling thought surfaced in her brain. She knew this house because this was from where she had her first memories! At any moment a tiny woman with messy but beautiful hair would come walking out the door and see her. That woman would then become her adoptive mother until the time she qualified for the science academy. That small long forgotten memory was enough to stop Washu in her tracks, waiting nervously for the lady to walk out the door. The event happened right on cue. Seconds after Washu remembered this place the front door opened and out walked a woman of medium build and a wild main of brown hair. She was wearing what could be considered a professional suit, with its slight resemblance to the earth attire of the same name. The velveteen blue of the jacket and the knee length skirt went well with the cleanly pressed shirt and the brilliant white lab coat that the woman was also wearing. Unfortunately, not expecting a small child to be directly in her path, the woman ran headlong into Washu, almost falling directly on top of her had the taller woman caught a nearby post and stopped her descent. "Oh!" The woman cried out, as she clung to the post with as much strength as she could. "What in the world? I swear I'm getting clumsier everyday." Washu could plainly hear the woman begin talking to herself, while rubbing a sore ankle, still clearly unaware of what she ran into. Finally, as the woman set her right foot down cautiously and then began to take another step forward, she noticed the small form directly in front of her and the reason for her apparent clumsiness. Little girl and adult spent several second staring at each other. Green eyes perfectly reflecting a pair of deep sapphire blue until finally, the blue ones blinked. "Oh, hello there!" The brown haired lady exclaimed; her expression of confusion melting away into one of kindness. "How did you get here?" Washu, or at least the consciousness that was the dreaming Washu, wanted to answer the question as best she could. Unfortunately, as real as it seemed, this was only a dream, and as such was bound by the unbreakable rules of the past. So the only answer the woman received was a shy stare and a slight shake of the head. "You don't know?" The woman frowned, then bent on one knee bringing her head about level with little Washu's. "Do you know where you mommy and daddy are?" Another shake of the little girl's head answered that question. "No?" The frown on the woman's head deepened as she thought about the situation. On one hand, she couldn't be late for the project that was due to start today. On the other, she very well couldn't leave this poor thing here on her front steps. But what if her parents came while she wasn't here? Over and over again the questions circulated within her mind, each choice was carefully weighed against each other in a manner that could only be described as intensely scientific until finally, she reached a decision. A smile slowly spread across her pretty face again as she once again regarded the little girl in front of her. "My name is Misuko; would you like to come to work with me today? I'll bet your parents are very worried about you, and we can access a scanner at my lab." Misuko smiled warmly, placing all her trust within that smile. Washu smiled shyly and merely nodded her head once again and extended her hand towards Misuko's. Something deeply within the small girl's mind impelled her to trust this woman with all her heart, not to mention the strange feeling of comfort that she felt when the world 'lab' was mentioned. "Oh!" Misuko turned around quickly while scrawling a quick note to place on her door. "Silly me, I forgot to ask you your name!" She smiled widely again and picked up the little girl, holding her in the crook of her arm protectively. Despite herself, little Washu smiled. "Washu." She said, very shyly. "Well, my little Washu, shall we go to Misuko's nice laboratory now?" She asked of the little girl in her arms, finishing the note quickly and sticking it to her front door in plain view, just in case someone should coming looking for Washu. She had even placed the child's name visibly on the cover so the person would know it was for them. Then she quickly left for the vehicle parked at the side of her driveway and it was off to work. A comfortable forty-five minutes later, Misuko and her small guess were walking into a huge glass structure that at first glance appeared to be nothing more than a simple office building. Once inside however, the security was airtight. This was the galaxy famous Laboratory of Energy Resources building, a division of the Galaxial Science Academy. This simple structure was the epicenter for all the latest research into variable energy forms, alternative fuels, and ionic weapons shielding; though the latter was in its smaller advanced weapons and defenses department. Still Carrying the toddler Washu, Misuko approached a small non-descript entrance near the side of the building, away from the main entrance. This was the employee's entrance. Though it was really only used by the most senior scientists and researches when they wished to avoid certain events that were going on in the main lobby. Here, there was a simple check in desk with three to four guards posted conspicuously. Though non-human security measures in this entrance were numerous and very effective. "Good morning, Kaj." Misuko said to the nearest guard. When the young man turned towards the sound of his name being called, she smiled brightly and waved at him. This event in itself was enough to make the poor guard turn bright red. It was well known that the bright young guard had a heavy crush on the senior scientist. It was also a fact, that Misuko loved to make his affection evident being the teasing light natured woman she was. "Go-good morning, Misuko." Kaji stammered and turned even redder as Misuko bent over a little to sign her name on the clearance form. "I will be bringing a little guest with me today, I'm sure she's not capable of doing much where I'll be." Misuko finished, turning her smile up a notch and looking directly at the poor guard. "W-well, we're not supposed to let kids in, Misuko, you k-know that." Kaji tried to remain somewhat officious, but in the onslaught of Misako's attack his resolve was melting like butter in a frying pan. "Oh, I know Kaj-chan." Misuko pouted, making full use of the affectionate nickname. "But I've no where else to put her, and besides, I think she'll be better off in the lab anyway." Misuko's smile suddenly returned and brightened by one more factor, poor Kaji couldn't resist a second longer. "Alright, Misuko." Kaji sighed and wished that for once the pretty scientist didn't tease him so much. "But if I hear anything about this later, I will not accept the blame." "You're so nice, Kaj-chan." Misuko replied, kissing the boy lightly on his cheek, setting the poor guard's nose bleeding. "Hello boys." Misuko then turned her smile on the other three intently interested guards. "Protect my lab well, today." She called over her shoulder with a wave. Kaji just sighed and shook his head. I'm never going to wash this cheek again. He thought silently to himself. Then he carefully schooled his expression back into a more appropriate watchful stare. Meanwhile, Misuko's lab team had begun preparations to begin the test stages of their latest experiment. It was at this point, the pretty senior scientist sauntered in toting a small Washu in her arms. Though in the hectic atmosphere that was the preliminary countdown, no one noticed her as she placed the small girl on the floor near some inert metallic walls. "No, you stay here and be a good girl for Auntie Misuko, alright?" she smiled warmly as the child nodded affirmative then promptly sat against the wall and watched the happenings with unveiled interest. "Now, Sanko?" She called over to her assistant who was just jogging by her that moment. "Hunh? Oh Misuko, you're here, great!" the assistant senior scientist smiled and gave his boss a quick hug. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't be able to make the unveiling of your baby." "I wouldn't miss this for the world," Misuko replied happily. "Now what has been initiated? Have there been any problems so far with the initiation sequence?" "Hmm, well there was a slight problem with." Washu couldn't hear the rest as the pair began to walk outside of her hearing range. In sense she was ad to see the older woman go, but there were just so many fascinating things going on near here, that soon the little girl's attention was drawn everywhere. There were scientists in white lab coats running around everywhere she turned, all going through a pattern less dance that seemed only known to themselves, yet fit intricately with their neighbors. Somehow, but only just vaguely, little Washu could understand what they were saying, and what exactly they were doing. Though she couldn't know it, all of these feelings were directly from the small bit of the elder Washu's consciousness leaking out to the forefront. In either event, little Washu sat there and watched the actions without twitching, doing exactly as Misuko told her to do. Watching the lab scientist for an extended amount of time, however, began putting the small girl into an extremely relaxed state. After a few moments in this dizzily happy mood, Washu began to nod to one side, until she woke with a start. A few minutes later she nodded to the other side, but this time didn't have the will to fight it off. The spell of the scientist's movements proved too much to resist for any more time. Within seconds, Washu had curled up into a little ball and fell fast asleep. Later, as Misuko was passing by the area where she left the little girl, she saw that Washu was fast asleep. The elder woman spared a brief warm smile, and then walked on intent on her original errand. All people dream and little Washu was no exception. Unfortunately, during one of the happiest she would ever remember she was rudely awakened. The dream of a family, perhaps a bit of foreshadowing with the bond she was forming with Misuko, ended abruptly with the sound that would forever change her life. Washu woke with a start to the sound of alarms and claxons going off everywhere. A strange red light filled the room she was in with an eerie blink. Everywhere the little girl looked there were people running all over the place, trying to get a sense of the situation and what to do about it. In the middle of everything, she found Misuko, the somewhat happy go lucky personality gone. In its place stood a firm leader, ordering everyone about, making decisions that only someone with her experience could make as the senior scientist. "Cooling gone red line!" Someone screamed from Washu's right. "Primary system backups initiating, running at only one-third capacity!" "Primary power cables cut; the main unit is not receiving commands!" Another shouted, this time from Washu's left. "Run the secondary cables to our backup, increase power flow to cooling units!" Misuko yelled at the top of her lungs, trying hard to be heard over the sound of the flurry of activity. "Begin evacuation immediately, I don't want to see any body here that doesn't need to be here!" "Misuko! The power has been cut off to the entire laboratory! We can't open the doors!" Even as the one called Sanko was running towards Misuko and telling her this, the room went black followed by the energy floodlights blinking on seconds later. "Then use the manual open override!" Misuko threw Sanko towards the glass switch designed to force the doors open in case of emergency. But it was no use, the second the doors opened Sanko discovered that the containment blast doors had already been sealed, isolating the rest of the group from the LER building. "This can't be happening!" The frantic assistant yelled, kicking the double thick doors futilely. "They've locked us in, there's no escaping now!" "Then we'll just have to contain the leak!" Misuko refuted, but only on the exterior was she so calm. Inside she was in turmoil. They had just been locked in by their fellow employees, sacrifices to the ultimate necessity of preserving the rest of the LER building as well as pointing out flagrantly the chances of any of them ever seeing the sun again. How in the hell did this get so bad? Quickly she found Washu, huddled in the corner, trying hard to stay out of the way. Poor thing, she thought to herself. Probably her first day away from her parents and she may never see them again now. Instead though, this thought gave her new courage. Little Washu will see her parents again, she thought viciously, then gathered the girl in her arms and started issuing new orders. "Sanko, get online with the mainframe and try and re-route the power we have left to the containment shields. If this thing goes we want to make sure that we will be safe at least. There's no salvaging our project now." She continued sadly, and it would have been a lovely new energy process too. Sanko had no time to initiate the command however, as one of the lab techs suddenly dropped her clipboard and clapped a hand to her mouth, staring directly at one of the output screens. Coming over to the screen the young woman was looking at, Misuko's eyes grew wide. "Oh hell." She stated calmly and hugged Washu to her. The core had just gone breach, and any second now there would be an explosion on monumental proportions, one that the containment doors had no hope of withstanding. How in the hell could a breach produce so much energy?" Misuko thought to herself as she watched the energy readings spike. This is definitely far from any projections anyone of us had. Misuko turned to Washu and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry little one, for not bringing you to your parents. I hope they somehow will forgive me." Out of the corner of her eyes, Misuko could swear she saw a red light emanating from one of the girl's pockets, but dismissed it off hand as the reflections of the warning lights. Everywhere around the young woman, lab techs and research scientist alike stopped what they were doing, sensing their immanent deaths. One by one they turned towards the shielded windows and watched as their beautiful energy core exploded, filling the room with and an extremely bright light. Misuko ducked and held Washu closer to her and screamed along with the scared little girl then blacked out, letting the sweet form of unconsciousness ease the pain from the heat generated by the explosion. I'm so sorry little one. Hours after the incident, alone in the rubble of what was once the famous LER building, emergency workers wearing special contact suits found a hollowed out area near the epicenter of the explosion, protected by a small spherical red shield. In the middle of the shield was found a young woman in a tattered white lab coat and a small girl with wild pink hair huddled together and unconscious. Such was the story of the only two survivors of the LER disaster. * * * Washu. The voice that came to Washu's ears was sweet and melodious. She knew that voice, is she could just think hard enough about it. Washu could swear she knew that voice from somewhere. Washu. The voice came again, this time though with a hint of impatience. Washu looked up towards the direction where the sound was coming from. Sometimes it seemed as if it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Though if the petite genius concentrated hard enough, she could figure out the general direction. Slowly she opened her eyes to greet the softly impatient voice. When a softly glowing figure could be discerned, Washu opened her eyes even wider as she tried to make out whether or not she knew that form. "I know you from somewhere, don't I?" She asked weakly, still trying to get over the fading images of her last dream sequence. "You should," the melodious voice said. "I find it hard to believe that you have forgotten so much, sister." Washu's eyes blinked in confusion at this form's use of 'sister.' What did she mean by that? Taking a closer look at the white figure standing before her Washu took into account the flowing brown hair, the bright purple eyes with small, round, and black pupils. She noticed the eyebrows of light green that extended out beyond the circular face almost like cat's whiskers if they weren't so high on the forehead. The slim corporeal body was vaguely transparent but still showed enough that Washu knew she wasn't a dream, or a ghost. "What.What do you mean by 'sister'?" Washu asked quietly. "I have no sister that I'm aware of." "That is because you do not remember us; in reality you have two sisters." The woman answered calmly, and then went on without pause. "However, it is time for you to remember us once again. The Cycle has willed us to continue on without delay anymore. His Will bids all of us to place our plans in motion." "Whose will is this?" Washu asked, beginning to stand up and face the stranger in confusion. She definitely did not like the idea of someone controlling her, nor her actions. "What plans must we send into motion now?" The ghostly figure closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. "You truly do not remember anything." She said simply. "I had hoped that through your dreams you would remember parts of yourself that you had tried to forget, but also parts that reveal in a simple manner who you once were, and who you must become once again." "What do you mean?" Washu asked again, getting slightly agitated that this person was not answering her question directly. "I am Washu Hakubi, my mother was Misuko Hakubi and I never knew my father." "You fail to understand," the figure said. "Do you have them?" "Have what?" Washu asked, now getting more than slightly annoyed. "The Gems. The small trio of objects that you've had since you could remember," the woman pressed. "No, I do not. Two of them are still left in the sword, Tenchi, and one of them is used by my daughter." Washu answered crossly. The woman sighed. It would be somewhat more difficult now to show her, but somehow must. All it would take for Washu to gain her powers back is to remember. The Cycle could continue then as it always had, as it was meant to do. If the child before her wasn't going to remember herself then it was time for her to switch tactics. "I am Tokimi," the woman began slowly. "I am a goddess and I rule the higher dimensions of life. Things beyond the eyes and ears of normal mortals." Washu was not too startled by the information; she had heard that name before now. Though she was rather surprised that this 'dream' was taking on such a tangible quality. Her mind should be completely blocked from anyone getting inside her head. "I'm sure you're familiar with Tsunami?" Tokimi continued, gauging Washu's reaction as she went. At her sister's nod, she went on. "She is also a goddess, as you're already aware of. However, she rules the lower dimensions, the ones dominated by mortals. Particularly, she has an interest in Juraians, whereas my interest lies in a people far beyond their realm of knowledge." Washu blinked. "Yes, that's all well and good I'm sure. But what does this have to do with me?" Tokimi sighed, for a supposed genius Washu could be pretty dense. "This has to do with you, sister, because we need you to remember once again. Otherwise, the Cycle will be broken and basically, the universe will end." Tokimi watched her sister carefully, trying to determine the slightest reaction. She expected in the very least disbelief and awe. Instead Washu closed her eyes, and then thought for a bit. "All this from one little girl refusing to remember, I'm impressed." Washu said finally, the suddenly she smiled. "I never knew I was so important!" she yelled excitedly. This was not the reaction Tokimi expected at all. In fact, she just about shorted a fuse by this reaction. This, of course, was exactly what Washu wanted her to do. Taking a small breath, Tokimi calmed herself down and tried to remind herself that that was just how her sister dealt with the unknown or the difficult; she made a joke or acted in a childish manner. So with as much platitude as she could, Tokimi went on with her explanation. "You are indeed the third goddess. However, instead of serving a specific realm you function as a bridge between our two planes of existence. Although you have not ever seemed to have invested interest in any specific race you have, in the past, served both my people and Tsunami's people on an equal basis." A brief image flashed before Washu's eyes of a time long ago, standing before her two older sisters. Though the image was gone in a matter of seconds, the thought stuck in her brain. IF she were a goddess, though, then why have the gems? "Why are my gems with me then? Shouldn't I just have the powers that you or Tsunami has without them?" Washu asked. They are the physical manifestation of your powers." Tokimi replied. "Without them you cannot function as a goddess. Only with them will you be able to take your rightful place amongst us again." "What if I say no?" Washu asked very seriously. She wasn't a genius for nothing, she knew that this decision if it were hers to make would ruin several people's lives. Including her own daughter's. Tokimi lowered her head for a second and sighed softly. She could see that Washu was already beginning to remember through brief images. Once full or even partial memory was restored the gems would automatically synchronize with her powers and begin re-absorbing back to their rightful owner. It was pointless to Tokimi for Washu to keep such silly attachments to mortals anyway, even if it was her own 'daughter.' "You have no other choice," the goddess stated quietly. "If you choose not to remember, you deny who you are as well as doom every living thing in this entire Universe. If you remember, but try to resist what comes naturally you will only serve to make the pain worse for those you care about." Another brief memory flashed before Washu's eyes. This time however she was able to determine a small part of what it was about. She stood before Tsunami, but the Tsunami of this time period. The resemblance was still there, of course, but there were subtle differences between the Goddess merged with Sasami and this one. In this image, Tsunami was bent over something with tears in her eyes. Washu could see that it was a boy about Tenchi's age and dressed similarly to the young Earthling when he was using the powers of the Light Hawk wings. A closer inspection of the images proved that a small pool of blood was forming near the young man's back and Tsunami's hands were stained red along with several of her outer robes. A quick look several yards away from the pair revealed Tokimi standing above a kneeling figure with several cuts himself though definitely not as bad. A small triumphant smile was spreading across Tokimi's face as she looked upon the scene before her. Triumphant victory! Although the memory was simply that, a series of images that happened eons in the past, Washu could feel her anger building both in the past and within herself. She could sense her past self gathering all of her powers, bent on destroying the one thing that could make her younger sister cry. A brief flash and Washu suddenly found herself back in her own time, still dreaming of her conversation with the image of Tokimi. But her anger was still there, her powers beginning to build within her. "You ordered your liege to kill that boy," Washu stated dangerously towards the image before her. "Those are not the rules; you broke them with full knowledge of what it would do to your sister." Tokimi looked down for a second, but quickly squared her face again, her eyes bright with anger and a few unshed tears. "I had to do it," she stated quietly. "I knew it hurt Tsunami, but it was the only way to defy the Cycle he put before us. We must break the rules every once and while, and it is more than worth it if it buys us more time to end the game that we are all bid to do." "You still killed, in cold blood," Washu stated under her breath, still feeling her powers growing beneath her. But in an instant realized what it was doing to her and viciously tried to stop it. It was, however, too late. Washu could feel her body begin to grow to normal size, her consciousness expanding until the Scientist could see the lines of time and other dimensions appear before her. "No. NO!!!!!!" Washu screamed as the memories flooded her mind and the power redoubled, flowing through her veins like water. Slowly, the goddess Washu slunk to the ground with tears brightly burning in her eyes. Then Tokimi, who was standing before her for a few moments watching the spectacle, disappeared with a sad smile on her face. It was done. "No." Washu whispered to the darkness surrounding her. Ryoko watched the ceiling with quiet regard. It had been ages since she last slept, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to do so yet. Somehow knowing something was coming to a head. Her suspicions were answered quickly with a sharp headache followed immediately by her mother's link disappearing from her head. The pain was like nothing the demoness had ever known and she let out a cry of surprise as her body became airborne. The impact she had with the ground was nothing compared to the fire now spreading throughout her body, then within moments centered on her left wrist. Slowly and painfully the now scared Ryoko watched in horror as the gem implanted there began to glow hotly and disintegrate. This last moment was more than she could handle, and the brave woman let out a scream like none that had been loosed in the Masaki house before. In a moment Tenchi was out of his bed and running as fast as he could towards the sound that had woken him out of a demented dream. When he arrived on the scene, Ryoko was already unconscious, and Mihoshi was immediately behind him. "Ryoko?!" Tenchi asked shaking the demoness lightly. "Ryoko!!" he shook harder but to no avail. She was out cold. There was only one person Tenchi could think of who could fix this, and so with Mihoshi's help, the young man began carrying his burden towards the portal door that led to Washu's lab. The eccentric scientist and Ryoko's mother the only person now who could even think of what do to. Washu woke with a start in her own room, suddenly larger than she was when the woman went to bed. Then the dream she had came to her and Washu looked down at herself, suddenly knowing all that had happened while she had been asleep. Her daughter was unconscious, in shock at the sudden loss of the power that gave her energy. Tenchi was on his way with Mihoshi and the girl she had failed to be a good friend to and now failed to be even a good mother. Slowly she got on her knees and bent towards the soft pink covers, tears streaming from her eyes. "What have you done to me?" She asked of the heavens above her. When no answer came, however, she broke into irregular sobs only getting several coherent words out of her mouth. "What have I done to her?" End Author's End notes: Wow, this one definitely took a lot longer than I ever thought it would take. It was insanely difficult sometimes to get through some of the dialogue and I even had long spurts of nothing to write. But finally, my muse bit me hard enough to finish this dang thing. ^_^ Hope you liked it, and don't worry part 4 is being written right now, but probably won't be up until after Christmas. Maybe not even until late January depending on my muse. Until next time, let me know what you all think! --Garasu P.S.--It's now way later than January and I haven't been coming well with Part 4 because in large part of school. Do not worry, it's still being written and if I stick to my outline Part 4 everything starts coming together and the action begins to pick up so stick around!! (Post Scripted 4-16-02 @16:00)