TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER EIGHT Washu, the greatest genius in the known universe, the master of a science so advanced, it was indistinguishable to most from magic, prepared to attempt the most difficult feat of her twenty-thousand-year life. Washu was about to beg for help. She was about to beg for her daughter's life. She was standing outside the entrance to the Great Hall of the Juraian Council. The Council was the de facto governing body of the Jurai Empire, second in authority only to the Emperor himself, or in his absence, the Queens. It was at the request of both Queens that Washu had been granted an audience. She had hoped that Misaki and Funaho would issue a joint edict allowing her to bypass the Council altogether, but sadly, that was not to be the case. Washu understood. She was asking a lot. When Ryoko had collapsed shortly after the defeat of Lhim-Zen, Washu had her quickly beamed back to Ryo-oh-ki. It was there that she discovered the truth: Ryoko was in far greater danger than she had been while Zen was alive. At some time during Lhim-Zen's enslavement of Ryoko, he had implanted a nanomachine virus into her body. It had been meant as a failsafe device, to ensure that, should Ryoko somehow escape his control, she would not pose a threat. The virus was designed to radically destabilize Ryoko's internal power metabolism, unless periodically reset via the controller. When Ryoko had temporarily freed herself from the controller's influence, the virus had become confused and went active. Washu had since purged the virus from Ryoko's body, but it was too late. The power inside Ryoko's body had become unstable and was growing more so by the minute. The gems had been removed from her body, which helped somewhat, but not enough. She was currently attached to devices designed to keep her power in check, but they would buy only a few hours. Eventually, Ryoko would explode. And, as much as she wished otherwise, Washu could do nothing to prevent it. Given enough time, she knew she could find a way. Nothing was beyond the power of her mind. Washu truly believed that. If she had a few weeks or months, she'd have the solution. But she had only hours, hours that continued to tick away as she waited for the doors to open. At last, they did. Aboard Misaki and Funaho's ship, Tenchi found his way to a small waiting room. Through a window, Ryoko could be seen, lying on a bed with a dozen small pads affixed to her body. Cords ran from the pads to a console next to the bed. There was one central indicator on the console. Tenchi had no clue what it meant, but it was nearly in the red. "My God," said Tenchi, softly. "Hasn't she been through enough?" Save for Washu, still campaigning before the Council, the whole gang was there. Aeka and Sasami sat close to their mother, with Funaho sitting nearby. Mihoshi nodded, fighting the urge to doze off. No one said a word. "How is she?" Tenchi asked. "We don't know," said Aeka. "Well, has anyone talked to her?" "Washu advised against it," Funaho said. "She said we shouldn't excite her." Tenchi stared through the window for the long time. Finally, he went to the door and opened it. "Tenchi, no!" shouted Misaki. "Washu said--" "I know what she said. Ryoko's dying in there! Does she expect me to just sit and watch?!" He went inside. Tenchi pulled up a chair and sat down next to Ryoko. She was half- asleep, possibly the effect of the power-damping device, Tenchi thought. He touched her shoulder. "Hey, there." Ryoko blinked awake. "Tenchi!" A smile spread across her face. "How are you feeling?" "Like shit. How does it look?" Tenchi laughed. "Don't worry. You'll be fine." Ryoko opened her mouth to call him a liar, then shut it. she thought. There was something she wanted desperately to say to him. What was it? The damned damping field was making her mind so fuzzy. It came back to her. The scene in the orchard. Tenchi seemingly about to kiss Aeka, Ryoko saying "I hate you", then flying into the sky against her will. She had to clear that up. She couldn't let Tenchi think she'd actually *meant* that! "I just want to apologize," said Tenchi. "Wh-what?" Ryoko stammered, completely thrown off-stride. "It was wrong of me to sneak off to Jurai behind your back. I was just so curious to see what Jurai was like, and Misaki was so persuasive. It was still wrong, though. I'm sorry." "Don't be! If you hadn't been here, I'd still be Lhim-Zen's slave!" Tenchi laughed again. "You're right! Funny how that worked out, isn't it?" He leaned forward, "Washu will be back soon. I have to go before she gets back or she'll turn me into a kappa or something. I just wanted to say..." His voice trailed off. Ryoko waited patiently. Tenchi gently took Ryoko's hand. "I just don't want you think that you mean anything less to me than Aeka. I don't want you to think that you were a burden. I just..." Tenchi stopped. "Dammit," he muttered, "I'm not saying this right." "Take your time," said Ryoko, softly. Tenchi held Ryoko's hand in silence for a few minutes. Finally he lifted his head, at last sure of his words. "When we first met, I risked my life to save you from Kagato. I want you to understand that I'd do it again. I'd risk my life for you a thousand times, if I had to. I just wish..." His voice cracked. "I just wish that I could do it for you now." Ryoko's heart raced. She could feel the blood rushing to her face. "Tenchi, I..." She sat up and leaned toward him taking his hand in both of hers. "I... I... I love--". Alarm claxons blared. The warning console, its indicator well into the red, shrieked and screamed warnings of all kinds. Ryoko's body glowed. Tenchi yelled and pulled his blistered hand away. The door slammed open. "OH MY GOD!!" screamed Washu. She pointed at Tenchi. "You! OUT!" Tenchi hurried outside as smoke from the charred sheets began to curl about Ryoko. Washu hurriedly fiddled with the buttons on the console, her hands moving so fast that they became a blur. Finally, Ryoko returned to normal and slumped back on the bed. Washu emerged, panting, a few minutes later. She confronted Tenchi. "I understand why you were in there. And as touching as I'm sure the scene was, get this through your head: you nearly ruined Ryoko's one chance for survival and killed us in the bargain." Funaho spoke up. "What did the Council say?" "They agreed. Fifty Juraian ships, staffed with skeleton crews, will rendezvous with this ship within the hour." The spirits of everyone in the room brightened immediately. "That's wonderful!" exclaimed Misaki. "But may I ask what you said to convince them? I honestly thought they would be thrilled to hear of Ryoko's impending demise." "They were," said Washu. She imitated the voices of the men on the Council. "'We understand your position as her mother, but we believe Jurai will be better off once Ryoko's gone.' Assholes. So I offered them the core of the Souja, the source of the only power ever to prove a serious threat to Jurai, if they would agree to help." "So that's how you did it," said Aeka. "Not quite. It was what I threatened to do with the core if they didn't agree." Washu grinned. "I said I'd sell it to the highest bidder." Deep in space, several dozen million kilometers from Jurai, the fleet of ships maneuvered into position, forming a enormous sphere, the nose of each ship pointing toward the sphere's center. From the bridge, Tenchi watched the formation take shape, marveling at the graceful movements of the massive Juraian vessels. Washu had wanted him in a safer place, farther inside the ship, where the Juraian royals were waiting it out, but Tenchi had refused. "The fleet is in position," the captain of the ship said to Washu, who was monitoring a small terminal. "We can begin the operation whenever you're ready." Washu nodded and hit a button. "You hear that, kiddo? We're ready to rock and roll! How are you feeling?" "How do you think I'm feeling?" came Ryoko's voice over speakers. "Let's just get this over with." "It'll be over before you know it. Just sit back and let Washu handle everything. You'll be back to your old self in no time!" A bead of sweat belied Washu's optimistic tone of voice. Tenchi knew what she was thinking. This was a longshot, plain and simple. The plan was to allow Ryoko to explode, then catch the energy of the explosion and put her back together. Easily said. Almost impossibly difficult to do. Tenchi took two steps toward Washu, intending to speak to Ryoko. Washu held up her hand, and slowly shook her head. Tenchi was disappointed, but understood. If Ryoko got too excited, it would mean the end of everything. Washu turned to the captain. "Begin." The captain nodded. "Launch capsule!" The ship vibrated slightly. A small black capsule came into view on the main screen, moving toward the center of the sphere. As it reached the center, the capsule split open, depositing its cargo, a naked Ryoko. Its purpose complete, thrusters on both halves of the capsule fired, sending it racing to the other side of the sphere. "The capsule has cleared the perimeter," announced an officer. "Inform the other captains they may deploy their lighthawk wings," said the captain. "What's next?" he asked Washu. "We wait." Ryoko drifted, slowly, grateful for the peace of space, the utter silence. She wanted a moment alone with her thoughts before the end. she wondered? All around her, lighthawk wings unfurled, looking more like the wings of angels come to carry her off to the afterlife than her only means of salvation. Then the wings spread, stretching thinner and thinner, until they formed a single translucent sphere, and the image was lost. She wondered if her life had truly been worth living. She'd been around for more than two thousand years, but so many of those years had been wasted. Seven hundred years trapped in a cave. Over a thousand spent in slavery to Kagato. Then came Tenchi. Ryoko smiled. Of course. Those few years with Tenchi had made all the rest worthwhile. But, she thought as her mood turned bitter once more, that was what was so damned disappointing! Until she had met Tenchi, she'd never truly been alive. She knew that now. To have her life snuffed out just after she'd found a truly real reason to live had to be a cruel hoax. There was so much she wanted to do with Tenchi, so much she wanted to show him, to share with him. she thought. She felt something brush against her mind. Something familiar. Something wonderful. She looked ahead, and though the flagship was kilometers away, she could see him, standing on the bridge, never taking his eyes off her. He called to her. Tears of pure joy cascaded down Ryoko's cheek, crystallizing as they rolled off into space. Tenchi was there for her. He would always be there for her. Ryoko shouted with her mind. Then she exploded. The explosion was more powerful than anyone watching had imagined. It was as if a new star had been born, right in front of them. Those misfortunate enough to have been looking at Ryoko as she detonated were temporarily blinded, including Tenchi. He stumbled and fell as the bridge shook. "Primary energy wave encountered and absorbed!" announced an officer. "Secondary energy wave arriving in twenty-eight seconds." "So far, so good," said Washu. Tenchi's vision began to clear. On the main screen, he could see the secondary energy wave, moving more slowly but packing ten times the force. "That used to be Ryoko," he muttered softly. A claxon sounded. "We have a failure in the perimeter." The officer turned to the captain. "It's the Junaho, sir. Their wings are failing." On the screen, a hole formed in the sphere of translucent wings. "Have them pull back!" shouted the captain. "Order the rest of the fleet to close the gap!" "But sir! That means moving closer to the wave!" "DO IT!" The sphere shrank, and the hole closed. Moments later, impact. Officers were thrown out of their chairs. Washu's tiny frame was sent flying across the bridge where she bounced off a wall. Tenchi ran over to her. She was bleeding from a gash on her forehead. Tenchi ripped a piece of fabric from his shirt and wrapped it around her head as a makeshift bandage. More claxons sounded. "Exceeding absorption capacity!" shouted one officer. "Exceeding torque limits on wing sphere. The whole formation is about to be torn apart!" The captain pounded his fist angrily. "DAMN IT! Alright, order the fleet to reconfigure lighthawk wings for defense." The sphere faded, to be replaced by the familiar appearance of the lighthawk wings. The wings deflected the remaining energy around the ships and into space. Tenchi and Washu watched helplessly as so much of Ryoko vanished, lost forever. "Help me get to the cargo bay," Washu said to Tenchi. "That's where I set up my lab." Tenchi nodded and picked Washu up. Despite everything, Washu couldn't help blushing. They reached the large sliding doors that marked the entrance to the cargo bay, where Washu asked to be set down. "You have to stay out here, Tenchi." "But you need my help! Your head--!" "I'll be fine. It's not as bad as it looks." Washu's blood had nearly soaked through the bandage. "The first thing I'll do is heal the wound, okay? Now get out of here, Tenchi. I know how you feel, but I can't have any distractions." Tenchi sighed. "I understand." Washu hit a switch and the doors slid open. "Please save her, Washu," said Tenchi. Washu grinned. "She's in good hands, Tenchi. Now go!" Washu's grin faded as the doors closed. Despite what she had told Tenchi, healing herself would have to wait. She couldn't afford the delay. She ran over to the operation console, connected to the large battery which was storing Ryoko's energy. According to an indicator, only 72% of Ryoko's energy had been captured. Washu's heart sank. Her most generous estimate had implied a bare minimum of 88% capture before there was even a hope of reconstitution. "I won't give up yet," Washu said. "Not yet." She threw a level. Large rods shot beams of energy at a bed. The beams crossed just above the bed and began to resolve themselves into a female form. On his way to rejoin Aeka and the others, Tenchi was stopped by the ship's captain. "Lord Tenchi. I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Chatska, captain of this vessel," he said, bowing politely. "Pleased to meet you," Tenchi replied nervously. "Thank you for helping to save Ryoko." "It was my duty," said the captain. He bowed again and began to walk off. Tenchi took a step, then turned around. "Mr. Captain, sir!" "Yes?" said the captain, turning to face him. "It wasn't your duty to put the fleet in danger by moving them closer to the energy wave. It's for that that I wish to thank you, but I don't understand why you did it. I thought that all Juraians hated Ryoko." "You thought wrong. Not all of us see Ryoko as the devil incarnate, Your Highness. Many of us know of the story of Kagato, and how you and Ryoko destroyed him together. And," the captain continued with a smile, "any woman who is loved by our Crown Prince can't be all bad." Tenchi blushed. "Thank you." The captain bowed sharply and walked off. Tenchi reached the room where the royal family was sequestered. He was greeted by Sasami, who ran into his arms. "Tenchi!" said Aeka. "I'm so glad to see you're alright." "That shockwave," asked Funaho, "was it...?" "Yes," Tenchi confirmed. "That was Ryoko." He looked around the room. In evidence of the shockwave's effect was shattered china and a large tea stain on the wall. "Looks like I missed the party." "It was good tea, too," sighed Misaki. "Sasami really outdid herself." Sasami looked up at Tenchi through tears. "Is Ryoko gonna be okay?" "I'm sure she'll be okay," Tenchi replied, smiling and stroking Sasami's hair. "The greatest genius scientist in the universe is taking care of her." Washu, the greatest genius scientist in the universe, hung her head in despair. She had failed. All attempts to revive Ryoko had been unsuccessful. Ryoko lay there on the bed, beautiful, perfect, and motionless. For the first time in so long she couldn't remember, Washu was out of ideas. There was nothing more to do. In a matter of minutes, Ryoko's body would dissipate, vanishing into mist, and that would be the end of it. Her daughter was dead. thought Washu. She pulled up a chair and sat down. "Ah, Ryoko? I don't know if you can hear me. According my data, you're showing no brain activity, so you shouldn't hear anything, but... Well, if you have a soul, maybe it can hear. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't around when you were young. I created you, so I should have been there for you, even if it was Kagato's fault." She laughed cynically. "You know, I always meant to tell you how I got captured by Kagato, but I was too embarrassed. I mean, for the entire two thousand years I was imprisoned I was kicking myself for having been so stupid. I'm an order of magnitude more intelligent than Kagato. There was no excuse for falling for that trick. "You know, I wasn't really gone for those two thousand years. I was able to watch you when you were in the Souja. Kind of like you watched Tenchi while you were in the cave." Washu choked. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Tenchi. Oh my God. Wh-what am I going to tell Tenchi?! What am I going to tell--" She broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably. "NO!" Washu screamed, angrily wiping the tears away. "I *won't* give up!! I WON'T! I am not going to walk out there and tell Tenchi I couldn't save her! I'd rather DIE!" An idea hit her, hard. Energy was the problem, right? Ryoko needed it, a very special kind of it. Washu had neither the time nor the resources to make more of it. However, she now realized, she didn't need to. There was another source, which, if drained dry, should be just enough to the trick. Washu opened the "magic pocket" in the air and pulled out a length a cable. At each end were two sharp prongs. She inserted the prongs on one end into Ryoko's shoulder. She stuck the other end into her own arm. She touched a contact, and Washu's own life-energy began flowing into Ryoko. Washu checked the indicator. It rose slowly but steadily, from "72%" to "73%", then "74%". "Well, Ryoko, I guess this it," said Washu, smiling. "I won't be there to keep you in line any more, so you'd better be a good girl, you understand?" Washu began to get dizzy, and rested her head on Ryoko's stomach. She knew she would pass out soon, and didn't want to fall off the chair when it happened, for fear of pulling the cable out of her arm. Her vision began to get dim, and she felt cold. She laughed. "Twenty thousand years. Not a bad run. Not bad at all." was Washu's last thought. Ryoko opened her eyes. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. She started to understand her surroundings. She was on her back. She didn't recognize what she was seeing, but it looked like something Washu would dream up. Washu. Washu had done it! She was alive! Ryoko sat up. She winced as she realized something was stuck in her shoulder. She pulled it out. She looked down to see Washu asleep, her head in Ryoko's lap. "Hey! Hey, Washu! Wake up! You did it!" Washu didn't respond. Ryoko shook her gently. "Hey! C'mon, Washu, wake up! I want to thank you!" Ryoko grabbed Washu's hand. It was ice cold. "Washu?" Ryoko began to get worried. She rolled Washu over. Her face was pale. She wasn't breathing. Then Ryoko saw the other end of the cable in Washu's arm, and realized what had happened. She pulled it out, knowing it was too late. "No. You can't die. Not now! I wanted to thank you!" She lifted Washu's body and held her. "Washu?" Ryoko began to cry. "M-mom? Mommy? Mommy, don't leave me..." She screamed. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" There was a shattering sound. From around a corner came three glowing red points of light. It took a moment for Ryoko to recognize them. They were the gems. The gems formed a rotating triangle in front of Ryoko, and Washu was ripped from her grasp, levitating into the air. The gems began to whirl around her faster and faster. Washu's clothing was shredded and vanished. As Ryoko watched, the gems spun so fast, they became a red blur. Washu levitated vertically in the center of this red vortex, her hair blown skyward. The color began to return to her skin. The laceration on her head disappeared. Finally, the vortex began to slow. It let Washu down for a soft landing, and her clothing reappeared. The gems stopped spinning altogether, and split up. One embedded itself forcefully into Ryoko's left wrist, while the other two flew off, burning tiny holes in the wall. Ryoko thought. The door slid open. The royal family, Tenchi, and three security officers were outside. "We thought we heard someone call for help," said one of the officers. Washu stretched and yawned. "Washu?" Ryoko asked. "Hey!" exclaimed Washu. "I'm alive! Well, what do you know? I must be made of sturdier stuff then I thought!" She got to her feet and examined Ryoko. "I see you retrieved your gem. You really should have waited until I said it was safe." "I, uh..." Ryoko trailed off. she thought. "Ryoko!" yelled Sasami as she ran to the bed. "I'm glad you're okay." "So am I," said Tenchi. "Tenchi!" Ryoko began to get out of bed but Washu pushed her back down. "No time for romance now," said Washu. "I gotta run some tests." "Damn you, Washu," Ryoko muttered.