No Need for Memories Part II: the departure

I know I've left a lot of holes in my last story, and I'm leaving more
questions with this story.   I will fill them all in eventually.  Also any
comments you may have on this or any other stories I may write send 'em my
way at frickena7@aol.com.  Truthfully Tenchi was supposed to stay dead, but
as I wrote the first story it seemed to take a life of it's own and so some
of the holes are meant to be there (most aren't, oops).   And if your angry
at my choice of survivors, as my ma would say, tuff cookies.  J/k, there's a

rhyme to my reason which I'll explain later.  Looking at some tapes I own I
have noticed something, this is not a very original title, huh?
 Hmmmm…wonder
if I'll find any other titles like this as I read all the other archives?
And now onto the story….actually the disclaimer is first…anyway you guys

get the point.

DISCLAIMER; Now I don't own any of the characters, well actually I do own
James, but the rest of the characters are owned by Pioneer and AIC.  They
are
a vast and powerful entity that could cause me much pain and suffering.
Actually joking aside, don't go saying that I own these characters because
it
would cause me a lot of trouble, and I still have way to much trouble as is,

ever have to do a college final?

<Hmmmm, wonder what the kids up to>, Ryoko thought to herself.  With that
she phased through the wall into a kitchen.  In front of the sink stood a
young girl with long, blue hair tied up in pigtails working on something to
do with food.
"Hey Sasami, what you doin?"
"YAAAHH!!"  Turning in surprise a look of relief spread over her face.  <
Wonder why I scared her, oh well, I'll leave her be.>  "Oh, it's only you
Ryoko.  Lunch is almost done, could you go get Ten…I…I mean…"  Tears
began
to form in her large pink eyes, and then she began to cry. Leaning down
Ryoko
wrapped Sasami in her arms and began to comfort her.  "I know, shhhh, it's
all right, shhh."  Holding onto her Ryoko began to feel tears in her eyes as

well.  Before long both of them were holding onto each other with tears
streaming down their cheeks.  "I miss him to Sasami, along with the others,
and I know it hurts, but we have to be strong.  Do you think they would want

us to go on like this?"
Leaning in the door a young man with ruffled hair, skewed glasses, and
brown/black eyes takes in the scene.  Quietly backing up he turns and heads
back down the hallway to the last room on the right.  <Better just let them
be, can't do much for them other than let them finish grieving.>  Just after

sitting down  and writing something at his desk the door bell rang.  Telling

the girls to stay put, the young man got up and answered the door, though
they wouldn't have heard anyway, both were buried in grief.
Not too long after, with a few sniffles on both sides, Ryoko stands up,
hands still on Sasami's shoulders, with a slight smile asked, "well
shouldn't
I get James while you finish lunch?  And it's alright Sasami, just don't
tell
anyone, ok?"
Wiping her eyes, Sasami nods in understanding, turns around and returns
to finishing the lunches.  Meanwhile Ryoko phases back through the wall she
originally came through and begins floating down the hallway.  Coming to the

last door on the right she notices the closed door.  <Must be working on
that
paper of his again.>  Phasing her head through the door Ryoko looks in only
to see an empty desk.  <Huh, wonder where he's at, oh well now I can sneak a

peak at his paper.>  Phasing the rest of the way into the room Ryoko heads
for the desk underneath the window in the back of the room.
In the kitchen Sasami is lost in thought, <how can Ryoko do that?  She and I

have spent hours crying together since, since….since the accident.  But
how
can she pretend that she doesn't cry like that?>
<Sasami, what troubles you?>
<Tsunami, it's the same thing as last time.>
<Ryoko?>
<Yeah.>
<She doesn't like people to think she's weak Sasami, so she pretends that
nothing ever happened.>
<Oh, like she did when we lived at the shrine.>
<Yes, like that.>
"Ryoko, can I help you? "  With a start Ryoko drops the paper she had been
looking at and turns around.  "Hey Ryoko if you wanted to see what I was
working on all you had to do was ask."  Smiling the young man with ruffled
hair walks over next to Ryoko and begins straightening his papers.  "So what

did you think?"
"Well, the term paper was good, could use a little revising though."
"Not that, I know you've already read the term paper, it was easy since
you left all those corrections on it.  I meant the other paper, the one that

was on the bottom of the stack, that made it to the top."
Giving off a chuckle Ryoko shook her head, "I was hoping you wouldn't
notice."  After saying that a very serious look came across her face.  "But
truthfully James, don't you think that you left a lot of stuff out?  Anyway,

Sasami has lunch just about done, and wanted me to come get you, so lets
go."
 Turning Ryoko walked through the door and back to the kitchen.  Not long
after James followed with a thoughtful expression covering his face and
mumbling to himself.  "Not enough information, but I already turned it in,
ugh."  Entering the kitchen James noticed that Sasami's eyes were still red
from crying, yet she somehow managed to smile.  <Wow, wonder if I could be
that strong if the same thing happened to me?>
After eating lunch James stood up, thanked Sasami for the lunch and
turned towards Ryoko, "After your finished I need to talk to you for a bit,
ok?"
"Ummm…No problem I guess."  Watching as James left, Ryoko turned to
Sasami and asked, "do you know what that's about?"
"No Ryoko, I have no idea" Sasami answered with a confused look on her
face.
Leaving the table Ryoko walked down the hallway, expecting a closed door
to greet her, she was surprised to find this wasn't the case.  "Come on in,
don't just stand there, and close the door behind you."
Walking in and closing the door Ryoko was curious about what was so
serious that James didn't want Sasami to know, otherwise why would he want
the door closed?  "Well, how can I help you?"  Ryoko was totally taken back
by the extremely serious expression on James' face.
"Ryoko I'm going to be leaving for a while, possibly a very long while
actually, and I need you to take extra care of Sasami.  And while I'm gone,
if you want, you can write your experiences of the battle to fill in those
gaps of mine."
"Why are you leaving, is something wrong?"
Laughing uneasily James turned towards the window and muttered under his
breath.  Unfortunately Ryoko had excellent hearing, being a pseudo-demon,
and
managed to catch his comment.  "What do you mean I don't know the half of
it?"  With an oath James turned back around and looked Ryoko straight in the

eye, but was forced to look away knowing that he had to tell a lie to this
woman he considered a sister.
"Ryoko when you came to get me for lunch I was answering the door.  It
was a friend who I owed a promise to, and I now have to pay up so to speak.

And well…because of this promise I have got to leave for a while."  <Can't

tell her Tenchi came to the door.  Damn I feel like a heel, I hate lying,
but
it's for the best, isn't it?>  Turning back around James told her that he
was
going to leave tonight, and well could she tell Sasami good-bye for him?
"Ummmm…sure, whatever, but won't you mind us staying here while your
gone?"
"Not really," with a laugh James put a hand on Ryoko's shoulder, "anyway
don't worry bout food or anything like that, a friend of mine will deliver
stuff to you."  Still laughing he reached down to his desk and grabbed the
top paper, and strolled out of the room with one last comment floating in
behind him, "I really didn't think you went for those kinds of things."
<What the hell was that about?>  Looking down at the desk, then out the
window Ryoko had to chuckle as well.  Looking back at her Ryoko's reflection

revealed the humor in the moment.  <How the hell did I get this toy in my
hair.>  Laughing Ryoko reached up and removed the orange toy.  The orange
was
the color of a crab...<Damn.>  The smile on the reflections face faded and a

small tear rolled down its' face, <I miss you mom, I really do.>
Late that night, after an uneventful afternoon and calm dinner, James
gathered his clothes in an old duffel and left.  Outside he was greeted by a

nervously smiling Tenchi, "well you ready to go James?"
"Yeah, uh sure, but were are we going?"
"Osaka."
"In Japan?  But man we are in America, across the ocean.  So how are we
getting there?"
"By teleporting of course!"  Turning, James was greeted by a site that
caused him to faint dead away, "you'd think he never saw the universes
greatest genius before."
"Well last time he saw you, well…you were pretty much dead Washu-chan."
"And you weren't?"
"Well that's different, I told him I never made it to the ship before it
blew up, you on the other hand were a bloody mess."
Laughing Washu directed Tenchi to pick up the fallen James and to follow
her.  Off the three went, actually two went and one was hauled and all the
while a high nasal sounding laugh could be heard echoing off the city walls
until it was swallowed, along with the three people, by the darkness.
<Wha?  Why is it so bright in here?>  "Ugghh, god I hate mornings."
"Oh good, you're up Ryoko!  Do you know where James is?"
Rolling over the woman that once caused fear the galaxy round, slowly
and, carefully opened her eyes.  As they slowly focused the reason for the
light could be seen.  Standing in front of the window was a young girl, age
12, with long blue hair and bright, pink eyes surrounded by freckles.
"Sasami, did you have to open the blinds?"  Blinking the sleep out of her
eyes and yawning Ryoko stretched and rolled out of bed.
"Sasami, James had to leave last night, he'll be back he just doesn't know
when.  He asked me to say bye for him…"  Her sentence trailed off into
silence when she saw the look in the little girl's eyes.
"Why didn't he want to say goodbye?"  Stuttered Sasami as tears formed in
the corner of her eyes, just then the phone rang.  Going to answer it Ryoko
patted the sniffling girl on the shoulder and padded out of her room.
Picking up the phone she was surprised to hear the voice that was on the
other line.
"Hey Ryoko, its James, is Sasami up yet?  I figured I should call.
Ummm….she's not crying is she?"
"Yeah, but I think she'll stop when she hears you."
Smiling Ryoko turned and asked Sasami to come answer the phone, after all,
it
was for her.  A very confused looking Sasami came up and grabbed the phone
and hesitantly put it up to her ear.  "Hello?"
"James!  Why didn't you say goodbye?"  Leaving the two of them to talk Ryoko

turned and walked down the hall towards the bathroom.  As she entered the
room she heard a giggle from Sasami.  <It's going to be a good day.>
Standing and looking in the mirror, a woman with gray-blue, spiky hair,
yellow feline eyes, and a sardonic smile stared back.  "Hey beautiful" Ryoko

said as she began to prepare for the new day.  Finishing up she was
surprised
to see Sasami still on the phone, <Wow, and I though Mihoshi could talk.>
With that the past suddenly caught up to her once more.  The pain she felt
at
knowing that her Tenchi was, was…<Go on coward, say it, you've dealt with
it.
So let it go.>  Her Tenchi was dead.  <Well it was going to be a good day,
at
least Sasami's happy.>
After eating breakfast Ryoko went back down the hall towards James'
hiding place, last room on the right.  Reaching the room she just phased
through the door and walked towards the desk that was on the back wall under

a window.  On either side of the desk were two small bookcases that help
everything from comics to college texts.  <Some study James, didn't know
comics were part of the requirement.>  Sitting down at the desk she was
surprised to find it clean for once.  <All the papers are organized and put
away I guess.>  As she sat there she began to think of the night before.
And while I'm gone, if you want, you can write your experiences of the
battle to fill in those gaps of mine."
Slowly Ryoko opened the top drawer reached in and withdrew a total
surprise, an envelope addressed to her.  Opening it she was greeted by
James'
chicken scratch.

Hey Ryoko,
If you are reading this hello, if not than it doesn't matter.  Anyway I'd
really enjoy it if you filled in the gaps I left in my paper. Thanks.
See ya around,
James.

Once more Ryoko reached into the desk, getting a pen and paper, and began
doing something she thought she never would, she began writing.

Wow!  This one is the longest story I have ever written.  Whew I'm done
(gets
up from chair and begins to dance around madly singing) I'm done!  I'm done!

When suddenly from the sky a great voice speaks "You are not yet done Tom"
(falling on his ass, a stupid grin breaks out on his face)  "I was only
kidding, I swear!"   Oh well you can dream….Anyway, this story was started
as
Ryoko's story but got changed around, don't know how it came out yet, but
guess I'll find out. Hint, hint. I want your input on this, you the reader.

Here's a tentative preview of the next story (unless I change it,
mwahahahaha).  We'll get Ryoko's view of the accident that stole her Tenchi
as she fills in the gaps on James paper.  Also I know that Ryoko is way out
of character, but I feel that it's needed, and it also gives me a chance to
explain why in the next part, No need for Memories Part III: Ryoko's Tale.
So tune in or tune out, but make sure you read it.  See ya around!