I don't own Tenchi Muyo.

The Prodigal Son
By The Great El Dober (andrelaval@hotmail.com)
 ()  - Thoughts
(()) - Someone else's thoughts being recieved mentally
 []  - Memories
 **  - Title/Heading

This is a sequel to "For Reasons That Escape Me" so if you haven't read the
previous stories then this will make little sense to you. Since the story
is set in a slightly alternate universe (the main difference being that
Ryoko openly loves her mother) Ryoko has developed in a very different way
and this story picks up a few months into that development.



*Chapter One - Belong*

A man reluctantly steps into a crowded bar full of space pirates and 
ruthless criminals. He walks quick and restless steps but is relieved to 
find he passes untouched. If only they knew who he actually was then 
things would be very different but his plain clothes allow him to blend in 
and pass through safely. However he still felt extremely nervous as he 
snaked his way through the crowd to the designated spot. Among the 
swarm of tattered appearances he soon spots his target.

The tall man sits alone at his table. He is unnaturally serene and 
seemingly independent of his surroundings. His long, unruly blond locks 
fall over his shoulders and drape onto the lavish fabrics of his intricate 
robes. (Nice to see he made the effort to fit in) the man thinks to himself in 
annoyance as he approaches the table.

"You're late detective Barlaro," the blond man chides, calmly sipping 
another drink from his glass.

"Shut up you fool!" the detective whispers harshly, not wanting to attract 
any more attention, "I'm risking enough meeting you here as it is. I'll end 
up dead if you continue like that."

"Clam down, as long as you are with me then you're safe," the blond man 
replies calmly, paying no attention to the drunken brutes that mingled in 
swarms around him, "That is of course, assuming that you have what I 
want."

On this cue the detective fumbles about in his pockets and eventually 
produces a slender display tablet. He activates it and scrolls through the 
contents for his acquaintance to see.

"These are the classified Galaxy Police files relating to a planet named 
Earth," he explained, "According to the reports it contains exactly what 
you are looking for."

The blond man takes the tablet and carefully examines the details but his 
moments of inspection are moments of tense fear for the detective. He 
had heard of the reputed ability of this man sitting across the table from 
him. He was definitely not a man to be taken lightly.

"Very well," he finally accepted, "Here is your payment as agreed." He 
hands over another tablet only smaller than the other. The detective takes 
it graciously and activates it to read the . . .

"Wait!" he exclaims, "This isn't what we agreed. This is almost twice as 
much!"

"I know," the blond man replies, calmly going back to his drink, "but 
money is no longer important to me. You have given me what I really 
want and I am grateful for it."

The detective just sat there, dumbfounded. Generosity? In a place like 
this? In return for illegal services? What kind of man was this? Maybe the 
rumours were true, maybe he really was . . .

"You should leave now," came a solemn but friendly warning, "there is a 
group five tables away that are getting suspicious of you."

The galaxy police detective turned his head in the specified direction. 
Indeed there was a group and they looked more infuriated than 
suspicious. Maybe they recognized him, he had better leave now. With a 
quick bow he rose from the table and made a sharp exit to the door, 
leaving the tall man alone once more.

He glanced over the data once more and a satisfied smile formed across 
his lips.

"Soon Ryoko. Soon I will finally get the chance to meet you."


*Earth*

"Am I really one of those?" Ryoko asked as she sat crossed legged in 
front of a huge water tank with an enchanted look of fascination on her 
face. She cocked her head to the side trying to follow the swirling 
movements of the aquatic mass creatures. Washu chuckled to herself as 
her daughter leaned a bit too far to one side, tipped over and landed 
sprawled out on the floor.

"Depends what you mean," Washu replied from her post on her floating 
cushion as Ryoko clambered back up, "The masses do make up elements 
of your body but you are not a mass, you are far more than that."

Ryoko's shoulders slumped as her spirits tumbled slightly. She had kept 
the link open but her mother still failed to notice what she had really 
meant. Now she would have to opt for a far more awkward, direct 
approach.

"Yes, but am I still . . . you know . . ." Ryoko began to falter before 
summoning enough courage to finish, " . . .a person?"

Washu sighed a heavy, exasperated sigh as she backed away from her 
work. "Not this again," she muttered as she stood up and walked towards 
her sitting daughter.

"Yes, you are still a person, just the same as everyone else," she assured 
softly, kneeling down at Ryoko's side, "I even have your birth certificate 
if you want to see it."

"Can I?" Ryoko asked in a timid voice.

"Of course. It's over there," Washu directed while pointing to a framed 
document on the wall, "I posted it on the wall after you asked to see it 
four times in one day." 

(I had really hoped we were past this stage) she thought inwardly, (She 
shouldn't have to go through this all the time. It's not fair, she deserves 
far better than this.)

As her thoughts continued the subject of those thoughts stood in front of 
the certificate and read it with a gleeful eye. It was true . . .


Certificate of Birth
Name: Ryoko Hakubi
Mother: Washu Hakubi
Father: N/A
Nationality: N/A
Race: N/A

Okay, so there were a lot of N/A's, that didn't matter. It was a birth 
certificate, not an experiment report, not a property deed, a birth 
certificate. It wasn't just what her mother said, it was official, she was 
someone.

(Thanks) she said tenderly across the link to her mother.

((Thanks for what?)) Washu asked in a tone of confusion, ((I haven't done 
anything.))

(I know) her daughter replied with a smile, (but it just feels like the right 
thing to say. It means a lot to me. Thanks.)

Washu accepted with a nod before closing her thoughts off. With her 
thoughts disconnected from her daughter she began to think more freely 
once more. (It shouldn't mean a lot to her, she should be able to take it for 
granted. Everyone else does, why should it be different for her? Still, at 
least she's happy.)

 "But aren't you forgetting something?" Washu asked, trying to purge all 
emotion from her voice and sound unphased, "Tenchi will be back from 
the fields soon, in two minutes to be exact."

"Oh sh. . ." Ryoko managed to cut herself off before she said something 
vulgar. It was a habit that Washu was encouraging her to stop and she 
was trying hard. She wanted to please her mother, she wanted to be 
someone that her mother could be proud of and in her own eyes Ryoko 
still had a long way to go. So she tried to avoid that one habit but there 
was another small habit that had developed and it was one that Washu 
was most definitely encouraging.

"Aren't you forgetting something else?" Washu asked as Ryoko hurried 
towards the door. Despite trying to sound neutral her voice was laced 
with expectation and eagerness.

Ryoko stopped, thought about it and when it finally sunk in she turned 
around and ran back, stopping inches away from Washu.

"Bye Mom," she said swiftly, laying a small peck on Washu's cheek. 
Then she was off again, racing towards the other important person in her 
life.

Washu sighed as she sat down to her work once more. She let her 
happiness and contentment overrule her previous unrest. Her mind slowly 
eased into a comfortable cosiness as her thoughts rested on her renewed 
relationship with her daughter. It may not be conventional but it was 
definitely rewarding.


*Masaki Home*

"I'm home," Tenchi announced as he walked through the door and 
inwardly began to count how many seconds it would take for . . .

"Hi Tenchi," Ryoko responded as she appeared by his side, "Did you 
miss me?" Normally Tenchi would shout, or get annoyed or just simply 
turn and run but recently things had been different. It was all to do with 
Ryoko's body language. She didn't drape herself around his neck or 
grope him or even shove her face as close to his as possible. All she did 
was take a hold of his arm and trace invisible circles on his chest. Tenchi 
found this far more manageable and could finally feel more comfortable 
around her.

"Why do you do that anyway?" Tenchi laughed as he watched Ryoko's 
fingers dance lightly over his skin. It wasn't an angry hint to leave him 
alone but rather just something to say, as he couldn't think of anything 
better. However Ryoko had an answer anyway.

"Can't a pirate play with her treasure chest?" she asked him with a 
playful bounce in her voice.

"Treasure chest?" Tenchi asked, completely confused.

"Yes," she replied with an amused smile, "this is your chest isn't it?"

"Well yes," he answered.

"And it does contain treasure doesn't it?" Ryoko continued but at that 
point all understanding fell from Tenchi's face. He knew about the 
treasure chests of pirates but he was certain that Ryoko had completely 
misunderstood the meaning because this made no sense to him.

"I mean it contains what I treasure the most," she re-phrased but still 
Tenchi's face was completely silent and blank. He wasn't getting this at 
all.

With a delicate finger she gently jabbed on his chest, roughly where his 
heart was and slowly it began to click. She had been talking about his 
heart. She did that a lot now, she would use imagery and word play to 
make her feelings easier for Tenchi to digest but such implications still 
made him uneasy.

"You can't say it's yours," he reminded her, his voice carrying a note of 
sorrow as he had to let her down once again. "You can't say things like 
that if I'm not even sure if . . ."

"That's okay," she replied brightly, "You see, it's hidden treasure Tenchi. 
You might not know it's there but I do and I'll be patient enough to wait 
until it's dug up. But don't worry, I won't try anything until then."

"You really believe it's you," Tenchi stated, with a mixture of disbelief 
and admiration for her unwavering self-confidence, "There's no doubt in 
your mind is there?"

"No there isn't," she replied calmly, "I know how there can be feelings 
hidden under the surface, feelings so strong and true but you just don't 
see them properly. But they always shine through in the end and then 
everything works out . . ."

"Just like you and Washu?" Tenchi asked, beginning to understand where 
Ryoko's thinking was coming from. She gave him a satisfied nod, 
pleased that he seemed to understand her. He just smiled warmly in 
return, pleased to see such progress in his friend.

"You've really come a long way you know that," he told her, his 
compliments full of approval and fondness. "Ever since Washu came 
back you've changed. You're more controlled and polite and you seem 
much happier. I like it, everyday you seem to get more . . ."

Silence.

Tenchi never finished that sentence. He just cut himself off and let his 
intended words fall into a lost silence. Ryoko watched him, her head 
buzzing with possibilities, some realistic, some fantasies, but all of them 
centred on the words that he had restrained himself from saying. It might 
have been nothing, just poor word choice or a sudden lapse in memory 
but the possibility of what it might have been set Ryoko's imagination 
alight.

Tenchi just stood there and gazed guiltily into Ryoko's eyes as they 
glistened with expectation but he knew he couldn't say the words that he 
had halted on the tip of his tongue. Why had he thought them? Did he 
even mean them? He was so confused, what would she think?

"I understand," she assured while firming her grip on his arm. Part of her 
didn't want to say that, part of her wanted to demand he finish his 
sentence but part of her was his friend and that part won out. He would 
finish someday, not today, but she was sure that someday it would happen 
and that it would be her that he would say it to. But for now she would 
save him the awkward embarrassment and just bask in the satisfaction of 
his warm compliments.

He had been right, her life had changed. Everyday was now worth living 
and she felt a natural joy dance inside of her. She had everything she 
would ever need. She had a loving mother, difficult but supportive friends 
and she had Tenchi, not exactly the way she would like, but he was an 
part of her everyday life and that was enough for now. Yes, in 
comparison to her tragic life so far, she had everything. Things couldn't 
possibly get any better for her.

Which unfortunately meant that things could only get worse.


*Days Later*

"Erm, Washu, I don't see anything," Mihoshi chattered in the frosty night 
air.

"Just wait, there's definitely something out there," Washu replied with 
her sights locked firmly on the shadowed clouds above. She searched the 
skies for a sign, a trace of what she knew was there. They couldn't let 
themselves be caught off guard.

"And you're sure it's heading for us?" Ryoko asked with her doubting 
eyes also searching the skies, but with far more accuracy than any of the 
others. She was trained for this sort of thing, if something had been out 
there she should have seen it by now.

"Yes, I'm sure," Washu's irritated voice answered, "I wouldn't have 
called you all out otherwise."

"Well Miss Washu," Ayeka spoke up from inside her various layers of 
heavy but warm garments, "I don't mean to sound . . ."

"Wait!" Ryoko interrupted, her golden eyes straining with concentration, 
"I see it! There!"

Her slender finger pointed to an empty space in the night sky but with 
time the vacant darkness slowly gave way to a faint dot. It soon became 
clearer and more definite and began to grow in size as the object 
approached them. Eventually the faint dot had become a mighty 
spacecraft slowly descending towards the earth, towards them.

It halted its descent, still lodged high in the heights of the cold night sky. 
The group stood poised, vigilantly awaiting whatever would happen next. 
Ryoko bravely positioned herself at the front of the group should a fight 
break out and they needed her protection. In turn Tenchi produced 
Tenchi-ken and summoned its blade while Ayeka quietly called her 
guardians.

Suddenly a vibrant, dazzling light appeared in a patch of air. It wasn't 
close by but the contrasting brilliance of the light startled them as their 
attention was torn from the distant ship and thrown towards this curious 
disturbance occurring only feet away from them. The light soon faded 
leaving the shadowy outline of a tall man. Someone was there.

"Excuse me," the mysterious figure began, "but I have travelled far to 
meet you."

"Who are you?" Tenchi demanded, holding his weapon steady in a 
defensive position.

The figure stepped forward slowly bringing himself into the light. He 
wore extravagant attire, elaborate robes seasoned with ornate ornaments. 
He had long, wild blond hair that flowed behind his back and slumped 
over his broad shoulders. He stood tall, strong and rather formidable.

But there was something else, something that Washu couldn't quite put 
her finger on. The facial features, the hair, the colour of his eyes they all 
seemed to echo something in her mind but she couldn't quite grasp what 
it was. 

"My name," he replied, "is Hono Hakubi. . . ."

That name streaked through Washu's mind, tearing free her faded 
memories and bringing them back into the vivid light. Her whole body 
recoiled in a stunned gasp as the alarming recognition shook her frame. It 
was him, after all these years she was actually seeing him again. The 
young man shifts his gaze and sent his potent eyes to rest upon the 
shocked expression of Washu.

". . . . your son."



*Chapter Two - Severed*

The hour was late and the heavy night air seemed to drag and lie heavily 
on eyelids but the raw excitement of the situation fuelled them and kept 
them well awake into the small hours of the night. There was an 
unplanned but very welcome feast laid out in front of the them to help 
celebrate what seemed to be a very happy occasion. Intrigued eyes set 
upon this newcomer and listened intently with a captivated interest, all 
except for two golden spheres that scrutinised this stranger with an 
uncomfortable agitation.

She sat cross-armed like a foul stench in the midst of a warm, welcoming 
air. She was completely out of place and hostile but unlike a stench she 
was largely unnoticed. This foreigner had charmed everyone else, they 
had all suddenly changed leaving her to feel like the last of a forgotten 
kind.

In fairness that was untrue, they hadn't changed but this was a 
monumental occasion and one that deserved proper recognition and 
consideration, which was exactly what Washu was giving it. Her mind 
swam in a mixture of joy and guilt as she heard of her son's tragic past . . .

" . . .so my father re-married when I was very young," he explained, "and 
I always assumed that woman to be my mother. That was most definitely 
how my grandparents presented it."

"And how did your father present it?" Washu asked in a voice that 
showed her disappointment and pain no matter how much she tried to 
cover it.

"Father never disagreed and neither did my step-mother," he answered, 
"but he always held my grandparents in a measure of contempt. This 
seemed strange to me as they showed nothing but kindness and generosity 
to my family but he seemed to hold a grudge that he never forgave them 
for. However he never revealed the truth until he had to."

"What do you mean by 'had to?'" Ayeka asked, completely enthralled by 
this captivating tale of deceit and revelations.

"As you can guess I am very old, although I don't look it," he explained, 
with his prominent blond mane framing his youthful features. "It was 
only when my family and friends began to die off and I never even aged 
that I realised something had been hidden from me. Then on his death bed 
my dear father made a guilt ridden confession and finally revealed the 
truth behind my birth."

(Of course) Washu thought, (I always knew that Ryoko inherited her 
massive life span from me but it never occurred to me that Hono would 
inherit it also, but now that I think of it, it makes perfect logical sense. If I 
can live at least 20,000 years then there is no reason that my son 
shouldn't still be alive.)

"After learning of my true origins I vowed to search until I was reunited 
with my true mother," he told them, "That was centuries ago and 
although my search has been long and tedious it has all finally came to 
fruition."

This news of his longing to be with her warmed Washu's heart. After 
hearing the sorrowful tale of how her loved ones' life had gone on 
without her it was uplifting to hear such pleasing things however, it also 
filled her with an equally potent but far more sinister emotion. Guilt.

(How could I have let this happen?) she berated herself, (I should never 
have given up my search for him, I should never have given up hope. He 
has been searching for me all this time while I have been acting like he 
never even existed.)

(I'm a terrible mother.)

It was ironic because while she had these thoughts, her child was left 
ignored feeling neglected and obsolete. However this child had slipped 
through her guilty conscience and was nowhere in her thoughts.

(This is unfair) Ryoko thought, (Why all of this for him? Why all of this for 
a complete stranger? This never happened when I was reunited with 
Mom, no one made a feast then. They didn't even do anything when I was 
released from the cave.)

Then she sensed it, a small slither of negative feelings coming from her 
mother. Washu had tried to hide them but very strong emotions would 
always seep through no matter how hard you tried to obstruct them. 
Ryoko couldn't read what they were but she knew they were negative so 
she mistook her mother's guilt for disapproval.

(She heard me!) Ryoko thought while redoubling her efforts to seal the 
link, (I can't let her know what I'm thinking. She won't like it. This is 
important to Mom, I can't spoil it for her. She'll think I'm nothing but a 
spoilt, jealous brat. I've got to do better, I have to at least make an effort.)

"Hey guys," Ryoko started in a fake but cheerful sounding voice, "Could 
someone pass me the . . ."

"I have a question," Ayeka started, killing off Ryoko's words and her 
efforts to fit in. Ryoko's gentle approach fell pathetically into the 
unnoticed depths of the background noise. With her honest attempts 
ignored she was felt abandoned, suffocated in her own obscurity.

"Nevermind," Ryoko's sad, lonely voice whispered, but no one noticed. 
All attention had now been turned to Ayeka her rival, although she was 
beginning to think that she might soon have two.

"From the look of your clothes," the princess continued, "I would say you 
are a man of great wealth. Tell us of your prosperity and how it came 
about."

"It is simple really," Hono began, regarding the extravagant garments that 
had given his affluence away, "Although I was searching I still spent 
many of the countless years on my home world. I come from a very 
aristocratic family and through the course of my prolonged life I have 
inherited almost everything for the past 26 generations."

(26 generations!) Washu thought in awe, beginning to realise possibilities 
that had yet to dawn on her, (That must have been terrible. Imagine seeing 
so many loved ones die. He must have had great-great-great . . . . wait a 
minute!)

"Did you ever have any children?" Washu asked in a voice that betrayed 
her attempts to conceal her eager hope. If Hono was still alive because he 
was her son then there was a probable chance that his children would 
have also survived this long. She might have grandchildren!

"Alas no," he replied, "once I discovered my situation I made a conscious 
decision not to. I wanted to learn more, I wanted to understand what had 
happened to me before I passed it on to anyone else."

"Well, I'd be glad to share all that I know with you," Washu offered, 
again narrowly failing to hide her true feelings. There were still 
distinguishable traces of disappointment in her voice. This agitated 
Ryoko even more. Not only was her mother making offers, eagerly trying 
to waste even more time on this stranger but she was also visibly upset. 
Hono was getting a lot of attention from Washu, attention that was 
normally reserved only for Ryoko and Ryoko resented having to share it. 
It was hers, it was her right and here this stranger had just walked in and 
stole it from her. It wasn't fair.

"What are your plans?" Ayeka asked nervously, worried about a new 
possibility that had just entered her mind, "I hope you don't plan to take 
anyone away with you."

(No!) Ryoko's mind screamed, (He can't take Mom! I need her, he can't 
just take her away from me.  She wouldn't leave me here all by myself, 
she couldn't.)

Ryoko takes a long fearful glance at her beloved mother who stares 
attentively at this blond haired menace. She does seem so interested and 
pleased, but she wouldn't . . . . would she?

(Mommy please don't leave me) Ryoko thought in desperation as she 
frantically tried to hold back her nerve-racked tears. This was becoming 
far too much for her to cope with and she could feel her barrier to the link 
slowly start to erode under the force of her stress. (Please Mommy, pick 
me. You have to, you just . . . .)

"Well actually," Hono began after swallowing the mouthful that had 
delayed his answer, "I have no real plans for my immediate future. I was 
so focused on my mission to find my family that I assumed everything 
else would just fall into place."

"In that case," Tenchi began in his normal friendly tone, "I'm sure you 
can stay here for as long as you wish."

(Tenchi?) Ryoko's dismal thoughts continued, (Why Tenchi why? I know 
you meant well but now he will be here for longer. I hate this, I just want 
it all to end now. Things just keep getting worse and worse.)

However her progressive nightmare was far from over and with her 
emotions free of their leash and wreaking havoc on her mind, with her 
block to the link at breaking point, Ryoko was left completely unprepared 
for the finishing blow yet to come. This one would hurt the most of all.

"Hono," Washu spoke to her son in a soft voice that conveyed a gentle 
sweetness and a friendly calm as it drifted through the air. "It must have 
been very hard for you all these years and although I can't undo any of 
that I want to do everything I can to help you in the years to come. As 
your mother I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I 
promise."

That was the breaking point. Ryoko felt betrayed and although it was 
unjustified her raging jealousy and wounded pride blinded her from all 
other possibilities and left her with nothing else to believe in. She 
perceived the whole night as a downwards spiral that she had been 
doomed to sink and drown in. Nothing would have changed the outcome, 
she never had a chance and that fact just added to her agony.

Her feelings had slowly swirled up inside of her and now there were a 
furious maelstrom of pain and dejection that thrashed around her mind 
and soul. It was these feelings that made an assault on her link-blockade 
and threatened to break through at any moment. Then Washu would 
know, she would she her daughter for what she really was, a greedy, 
envious, ungrateful moaner. And Ryoko could feel it coming, she knew it 
was going to happen. The mighty blockade was now a tissue thin 
membrane and it wouldn't hold, it was going to . . . .

"Excuse me," Ryoko said quietly as she phased out of the room. She had 
to escape before she collapsed completely. She needed space to breath 
more freely, to be away from the smothering party atmosphere of the 
table. She needed privacy to express her feelings without worrying about 
how others would react to it. Most importantly she needed time and calm 
to reinforce the crumbling control over her mind and the link. If Washu 
was ever to discover what her daughter had been thinking then she would 
most likely be very disappointed in her and that was something that 
Ryoko wanted to avoid, no matter how disappointed she felt just now.

The rest of the table was left in a silence of confusion as Ryoko abruptly 
disappeared from her spot at the table. Tenchi, lover of all things non-
confrontational and comfortable, was stunned and jolted out of his 
pleasant, jovial meal and into a sinister doubt that all was not well. Ayeka 
just muttered something about being a 'mannerless person' but for a short 
moment before that her face had shown hints of confusion and alarm. 
Neither of them did anything though as they recognised this as being very 
much a family affair and considered themselves as spectators, guests, 
allowed to interact but not to interfere. Neither of them wished to offend 
anyone.

Then there was Washu. She felt a deep parental concern for Ryoko that 
usually overruled all else, but this time it was opposed by an equally 
strong parental interest and guilt for her long lost son. This had been a 
most uncomfortable development for her. She had been building up the 
confidence to open up to Hono for most of the night now and just when 
she had managed it, Ryoko's actions were threatening to derail all of her 
efforts. After years of searching while she carried on with her life, surely 
Hono deserved her full attention just now. But Ryoko was her daughter 
and she had been through a lot as well. Didn't she deserve her mother's 
concern? What would she do?

Simple, she would do both. It was times like these that the link was a very 
useful device indeed. With a quick check across their mind link she could 
soon discover the reasons behind her daughter's exit.

But what if she missed something important? Using the link required a lot 
of focus and concentration, so if something was said during her check 
then she was likely to miss it. She couldn't risk missing Hono's response 
to the words that she had spoken only moments ago. 

That was okay, she could limit her search, that way it would be far 
quicker.

She quickly opened her link and searched Ryoko's side for negative 
emotions only. That way she would know if Ryoko was upset or in need 
of help.

Nothing.

She then shut off the link assuming that Ryoko was fine and there was not 
an unhappy thought in her mind. She was completely unaware that her 
probe had met an iron wall, a complete block out of all thought. For all 
Washu knew Ryoko was as happy as can be, maybe just a bit full or 
feeling tired at such a late hour, so with these thoughts behind her she 
happily rejoined the festivities.

She didn't know any better but someone else did.

Ryo-Ohki sadly adorned Sasami's head and looked mournfully at 
Ryoko's empty seat. Unlike Washu, Ryo-Ohki had no real interest in this 
newcomer except for the detrimental effects his arrival was having on her 
'sister'. She knew all about Ryoko's blockade and being a creation of 
Washu's herself she could understand Ryoko's jealousy. With all of this 
in mind and considering herself a sister to Ryoko she felt an obligation to 
do whatever she could to raise Ryoko's fallen spirits.

Sasami's eyes followed pawed feet as they leapt from the top of her head 
and scampered up the stairwell. The young princess looked around the 
table hoping that one of the older members would have noticed, but none 
of them had. Her concerns for her friend Ryoko had just been doubled 
and seemingly justified as her best friend had just followed. Should she?

"Ayeka, can I be excused to use the bathroom?" she asked in a most 
polite but discreet fashion, as was the proper, well-mannered thing to do. 
After a tranquil nod of approval Sasami rose from her seat and followed 
the small cabbit upstairs. She was going to find out what was going on.

Her tiptoed footsteps faded into a lonely silence once she reached the 
upper floor. It was dark and the thick shadows cast a hazy screen around 
her, absorbing the vibrancy of her royal robes and making most things 
either hidden or faint, but one thing was very clear. There they were, 
Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki. The cabbit sat loyally at Ryoko's feet, looking up 
with grave concern but feeling rather helpless to heal her sister's distress.

Ryoko was staring longingly out of an open window as the wintry night 
air chilled her gleaming tears as they slowly streamed down her face. Her 
golden eyes sparkled like jewels in the reflection of a star filled sky but 
they had somehow lost their lustre and hunger for life. Instead they held a 
deep death, a terrible volume of woe that mirrored how Sasami imagined 
Ryoko must have felt inside.

The young girl felt a calling, a strong desire to help her friend, to walk up 
and put an arm around Ryoko and try to pacify the troubles that plagued 
her but Sasami knew Ryoko too well for that. How would Ryoko feel if a 
child like Sasami was to take pity on her, how inferior would she feel 
then? Ryoko may open up to her mother, showing signs of the small child 
that she still was in many ways, but that was only to Washu, no one else. 
And now not even Washu was there to comfort her. 

(Poor Ryoko) Sasami thought sadly as she quietly began to descend the 
stairs slowly, returning to the spirited dinner table. However as she 
walked her footsteps echoed in a grieving silence that still called to her 
heart.

"There you are Sasami," Ayeka greeted with a giggle as the younger 
princess came down the last stair, "You really must hear this story. It is so 
wondrously funny tha. . ." and with that Ayeka fell back into a choking 
laughter. The others were too, Tenchi was breathless after straining his 
body with laughter and Washu was still clearing tears of amusement from 
her eyes. All of them, they were all indulging in entertainment while 
Ryoko was sad and all alone.

It was then that it really struck Sasami, the stark contrast between them 
and Ryoko. The table was flowing with laughter and fun, the air was 
warm and friendly and it was on the verge of a carnival atmosphere. It 
was in all respects, a celebration. 

Then there was the profound, grief-stricken silence that Sasami had 
witnessed only moments before, where Ryoko was surrounded by her 
isolation and suffering. Then Sasami fully understood how Ryoko felt. 
Here was her family celebrating, becoming closer and Ryoko couldn't fit 
in. They didn't need her, she was no longer a part of it, she had been 
removed. It was like a loyal dog that is put out in the pouring rain so that 
it's owners can entertain guests as it stares longingly through it's master's 
window with soaken eyes, wishing that it was the one receiving all the 
hospitable attention.  Ryoko didn't just feel jealous, she felt severed from 
the only place that she had ever belonged to. Sasami couldn't let this 
happen.   

"I'm sorry but I can't stay," Sasami replied, "I'm just here to get my food. 
I'm going to eat it with Ryoko."

"Do as you wish," Ayeka reluctantly acknowledged as Sasami skipped 
over to collect her plate with an eager fervour. It didn't matter that she 
would miss out on a funny story and the pleasant company, all that 
mattered was that Ryoko's loneliness was still there, it was still calling to 
Sasami's heart, even stronger now, and she was going to answer it. 



*Chapter Three - Unbalanced*

Sunbeams and birdsongs gently called the young princess awake as she 
gently stirred from under her layers of comfort. She slowly opened her 
drowsy eyes to be greeted by a summer's sun casting its radiant shadows 
through her window as the walls were splashed with warm glow of a 
fresh day's life. It was late in the morning, and midday bells would sound 
in a few short hours but considering the impromptu celebration late the 
night before she was probably the only one up. Indeed as she scanned the 
room she saw her sister lying by her side, still swimming in her dreams 
and peaceful thoughts, but where was . . .

"Ryoko?" Sasami called softly as she delicately rose to her feet, careful 
not to wake her sleeping sister. She called once again but she knew that 
only the silence would answer her, Ryoko was gone.

Her heavy thoughts dragged her spirits down as she slowly approached 
the window. Why wasn't Ryoko there? She had been there last night, they 
had talked together, ate together, Ryoko had even told Sasami a bedtime 
story. Sasami had claimed that she had felt uncomfortable, that she 
needed Ryoko's company but it had clearly been a gentle lie to save 
Ryoko's bruised pride and that the whole thing was far more for Ryoko's 
benefit than Sasami's. Even as Ryoko spoke her captivating words, 
painting an enchanting picture of adventure and passion, they had been 
toned with a sadness and hurt that flowed through her words like a 
melancholy melody.

Sasami had hoped to draw Ryoko's mind away from her troubles, she had 
hoped that Ryoko could rest but it was now clear that she hadn't. This 
was obviously very hard on Ryoko, why couldn't anyone else see that? 
Sasami was only one girl, she couldn't just set things right all by herself, 
could she?

Her gentle fingers drew the curtains closed, covering her sister in a 
pleasant shade that would allow her to sleep for a few hours yet to come. 
Sasami had made up her mind, if Ryoko's troubles were too much for her 
to handle then she would get some help.


*Downstairs*

Ryoko stood contemplating, staring at her hand as it rested on the door-
handle of the broom cupboard, the gateway to her mother's world. She 
knew that Washu was in there, the link had told her that much, what it 
hadn't told her was what to say or how to act. She had already decided to 
put the events of last night behind her, to try and forget it and move on 
but how would she explain the way she had acted the night before?

Her hesitation continued, her hand still lay idle upon the handle. She tried 
to summon her courage but every time it started to rise her doubts would 
grasp it and drag it down again.

Wait! What was that? A sound from upstairs? The others would be up 
soon, did she really want them to see her like this, afraid to go see her 
own mother. What would Tenchi think?

Her panic quickly dissolved her hesitation and guided her hand to swiftly 
open the door. She stepped inside with hurried, panicked feet, the 
movement all one dashed scramble.

Then she stopped, every bit as hesitant and unsure as she had been before, 
the only difference being that her hand now gripped the other side of the 
door. She tried to calm herself and think rationally but her thoughts 
disconnected themselves from the task and wandered on to random 
subjects, like how could someone older than civilisations become so 
confused over such simple things. She was just about to give up and head 
back into the main house when . . .

"Well I'm sorry about all of that but it was necessary," she heard her 
mother's voice saying, "I needed to be sure."

Curiously intrigued by this but also reluctant to approach it head on, 
Ryoko covertly manoeuvred herself behind a large machine, hidden from 
view. She lay concealed behind the tall device, peeking her head around 
the side to get a good view of what was happening. It was a tediously 
mundane way of doing things but to open the link would be to give 
herself away, something that she wanted to avoid.

Eventually they came into her line of vision. Both of them, her mother 
and him. She observed the blond haired man with a resentful eye full of 
jealousy for the attention that her mother continued to squander on him.

(No!) She thought to herself, trying to control her emotions, (I promised 
myself I wouldn't be like that. It will only make things worse. I'll talk to 
Mom first, we'll find a way to make things better but I can't just start a 
fight over this. I have to be more guarded about this.)

"Think no more of it," Hono replied forgivingly to his mother, "I more 
than understand. It would be most simple for an impostor to pose as me. 
Your tests were most justified."

"That's good, I'm glad you're so tolerant," Washu complimented, much 
to Ryoko's continuing envy that she desperately tried to repress, "but 
while you're here why don't I show you around. Very few people get to 
see the marvels of my work but for my son I might just make an 
exception."

"Yes, I would appreciate that," he replied graciously, "I would be 
especially interested to see the facilities that you used to create Ryoko."

(CREATE?) Ryoko thought, her mind swirling in an offended rage 
completely forgetting that her own doubtful thoughts had travelled along 
similar lines only days before. (He can't say that to Mom! He knows 
nothing about me, he has no right!)

"Well I didn't really create Ryoko as such," Washu began, "I mean I did 
make her but I don't consider her a creation."

A small but proud smile spread across Ryoko's lips. Her mother was 
defending her, against him. It filled her with delight and a strange sense 
of victory over him.

"Yes, Ryoko is my daughter you see," Washu continued, her voice 
raising to the higher tones that she used for proud exclamations, "A 
daughter that I do love so very much, and . . . ." she paused as she turned 
to face in Ryoko's direction, ". . . a daughter that thinks she can hide 
behind a machine without her mother noticing."

Ryoko's peeking head quickly darted back behind the machine like a 
small scurrying animal that has just been discovered. Washu chuckled at 
the cuteness of it all while a confused Hono just turned to face the same 
direction as Washu only to find an empty space, full of machinery but 
void of any life.

"Come out and join us Ryoko," Washu coaxed, "Besides it's about time 
that you were properly introduced to your brother."

"Brother?" both Ryoko and Hono asked in unison. 

The whole idea of was completely alien to Ryoko. Her brother? She had 
always considered him to be a threat, only related to Washu but to think 
of him as being related to her? She wasn't sure that she was completely 
comfortable with that idea. It felt like an obligation that she didn't want, 
didn't the word 'brother' suggest a deep bond, a kinship, an acceptance? 
That's exactly what Ryoko was afraid of, someone being accepted into a 
position that had been reserved for her, someone taking her place. Was 
she really ready to share Washu's love with a 'brother'?

Hono was also unsure about this title. He had long been aware of Ryoko 
and his relation to her but to hear this expressed in such bold terms was 
confusing. Ryoko, his sister? How should he feel about that after all that 
he had heard, after all that had happened?

To Washu it just seemed natural. They were her children, her son and her 
daughter, why shouldn't they be considered siblings? What didn't seem 
natural however was Ryoko's reluctance to see her. Still she remained 
crouched behind the machines. Why?

(I've caught you Little Ryoko, you can't hide from me) Washu teased 
across their mind link, (Why don't you come out? There's nothing to be 
afraid of.)

Slowly a hesitant Ryoko emerged from her hiding place. She walked 
wordlessly up to her mother and took her place at Washu's other side, 
opposite to Hono. A chilling silence soon fell on the three, breaking the 
'happy family' illusion that Washu had been hoping for. Ryoko seemed 
uncomfortable and Hono seemed confused, not really sure of how he 
should act. Washu sighed as she resumed her walking, flanked by her two 
children, leading them through her lab in silence.

(This is gonna take a lot of time to sort itself out) she thought in 
frustration, (It's only natural I suppose. I can't expect to get a normal 
reaction to an abnormal situation. But give them some time and patience 
and I think they'll come round. Just look at how much Ryoko has 
changed, this should be no different. They are family after all.)

"Okay here's something that'll interested you," Washu pointed out as she 
stopped in front of a massive water tank.

"What are these creatures?" Hono asked innocently with a look of disgust 
plastered on his face. He meant no offence by it but these creatures were 
so visually revolting. They were sickly globs that floated and bobbed like 
a greasy bacteria. What was so special about them?

Washu didn't need to use the link to sense how insulted Ryoko felt. As 
they stood in front of the swimming Masses she watched Ryoko's face 
slowly contort into an expression of wounded hurt and anger. She was 
still very sensitive about this subject.

"They are a part of me," Ryoko stated forcefully, "So stop looking at 
them like they're a disease. They happen to be a part of my body."

"Oh I'm sorry," Hono replied, his voice straying from its normally 
friendly and honest tones, "They just look so repulsive and vile, it's hard 
to not be shocked by their appearance."

"Hono?" Washu gasped, shocked at his sudden change in behaviour. 
Since he had arrived he had shown nothing but polite kindness, gentle 
warmth and a friendly understanding, almost to the point that Washu 
couldn't speak highly enough of him. Now this, being openly offensive 
and insulting? To his own sister? What was happening?

"How dare you saw that! Just cause I'm not a rich spoilt brat like you 
doesn't make me repulsive," Ryoko fought back, taking Hono's words a 
bit further than they had actually went but her insecurities and doubts 
were leading her mind astray, "It doesn't make you better than me!"

"Ryoko!" Washu shouted, outraged at how quickly this was spiralling out 
of control, "Both of you! That's enough! Either behave properly or 
leave!" 

She actually felt a bit of pride swell up in side of her. She was giving her 
children a row! It really made her feel like a mother, a feeling that had 
been tainted at times but now she was able to bask in the full joy of it. It 
was wonderful, but not for everyone.

"But Mom . . ." Ryoko complained, feeling an injustice done to her, ". . . he 
started it!"

Had the situation been more free and open then Washu would probably 
have burst out laughing at the absurd normalcy of the whole thing but the 
seriously hurt expression on Ryoko's face called for a far more serious 
response. Despite the pleading look that shot from Ryoko's eyes straight 
to Washu's heart she knew that she would have to be firm. She couldn't 
be seen to take sides.

"No buts," Washu replied strictly, "If you can't behave then leave."

(Mom?) Ryoko thought in a disbelieving sorrow as she lowered her head in 
sadness and guilt for her outburst. Something had changed, something 
was very different and she didn't like it. It was him, he was turning her 
mother against her and now her mother was disappointed, perhaps even 
angry with her. She sadly phased out of sight leaving a shocked and 
dismayed Washu alone with Hono once more.

(Ryoko?) Washu thought in a depressed concern. She had never actually 
wanted Ryoko to leave, just to act a bit more civilised and to give it a 
serious chance. Although her own enthusiastic feelings on the matter 
were very clear, Ryoko's feelings meant just as much, if not more, to her.

She felt a tumbling regret at the way she had handled the situation. She 
had tried to be a normal mother and act in a normal way. What had she 
been thinking only moments before? 'You can't expect to get a normal 
reaction to an abnormal situation.' The same applied to this, Ryoko was 
far from a normal child. She was different, special and needed to be dealt 
with in a special way. She was a sweet, caring, good person at heart but 
that heart was full of insecurities, fears and weaknesses. As her mother 
Washu should really have had more insight, she should really have tread 
more carefully upon such sensitive ground.

She couldn't expect Ryoko to heal the pains of her broken past all by 
herself, Washu would need to support and nurture her. She would have to 
take her by the hand at times but she would have to be there for her 
always. 

A small cough grasps her attention as she turns to see her remaining 
child. Hono stands patiently, waiting for Washu to say something, for her 
to lead the way forward after the unpleasant confrontation.

Yes, she would have to be there for Ryoko but she had more than one 
responsibility now. Hono deserved her time and affection as well, he 
would probably have questions and problems of his own. She couldn't 
just abandon him here because of what happened, she should probably 
continue on with her tour but what about Ryoko?

A check across the link was met with a forced blockade. Ryoko obviously 
and understandably wanted to be left alone. (I'll give her time to calm 
down) Washu decided, (I'll talk to her later but she will be in no mood for 
it just now) and with that thought she turned to Hono to continue her tour.


*Outside*

Ryoko stared regretfully at the house from her perch high in the treetops. 
Her knees were huddled up towards her as she tried to restrain her 
turbulent emotions. She felt hate, pain, despair and loss all at the same 
time and no matter how hard she tried to enforce some calm upon herself 
her violent feeling would tear her cover away from her, leaving her 
exposed to the battery of her pain.

But pain of what? What had really happened, what was it that had hurt so 
much? Had his insulting comments scathed her vanity? Had his natural 
connection to his mother aggravated her jealousy? Or was it Washu 
herself, was it that her mother had sided with someone else, no, not even 
that, it was all because her mother hadn't sided with her.

(All this time I've been hiding my thoughts) Ryoko thought to herself, 
(trying to preserve Mom's image of me, trying not to look like an 
ungrateful, spoilt moaner and what do I do? I go and act just like one.)

She continued to sit and think, encouraging her mind down this path 
sensing that there was virtue in it. A lesson for her to learn, an answer to a 
question, something to be gained from this whole mess.

Well it had shown how much she relied on her mother's support and how 
she maybe took it for granted sometimes. All it had taken was for her 
mother not to automatically throw her support behind her daughter and 
just look how Ryoko had reacted.

It had also made her a bit more wary of her 'dear brother'. He did come 
across as a perfect gentleman, honest and polite in every way, but he sure 
had some arrogant and haughty opinions towards her. She shrugged it off 
and assumed that it was all a part of being a rich aristocrat and that it was 
only to be expected but the thought of two 'Ayekas' wasn't a very 
pleasant one.

Finally it made her think perhaps she had overreacted. Finally admitting 
this inward confession to herself she felt a weight eased from her soul and 
her rampaging emotions began to pacify themselves. She felt a sense of 
righteousness, an intuition that she was doing the right thing. Yes, she 
would, she would just talk things out with her mother, things would work 
out in the end.

(Mom?) she asked across the link, emphasising her thoughts with as much 
mildness and calm as she could.

((Yes my Little Ryoko?)) came the swift response, emphasised with a vivid 
love and a strong sense of concern.

(Are you busy just now?) Ryoko asked, being very cautious about how she 
approached this. She didn't want a repeat of the earlier events.

((No, not really)) came the slightly confused response from the other end.

(Oh, okay then) Ryoko replied back before locking her end of the link. At 
least she knew that her mother was available. All she needed to figure out 
was what to say.

Forget that, it would come to her naturally. First she needed to go to the 
lab. She could figure out the rest there but for now she just needed to do 
something, to head in a direction and leave this pain behind her. With that 
in mind she phased out of the treetops and back into the house.


*On the ground*

"Ryoko?" Tenchi wondered quietly as his eyes searched the tall trees 
above him. He thought he had heard a rustling in the high branches, the 
ones that only Ryoko could reach but it must have been his imagination. 
She wasn't there.

But she was most definitely in his thoughts. It was midday now and as he 
headed out to the fields he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't seen 
her yet. Where was she? She hadn't even shown up at the breakfast table. 
Was something wrong with her?

His thoughts also rested on the night before and her abrupt exit from the 
party. It had been so late at night and at the time his sleepy mind had 
lulled his attention away from it but now, with a refreshed mind and 
hindsight, Tenchi was getting more and more concerned. He was 
beginning to regret not noticing it properly and doing something. All 
Sasami had told him was that Ryoko had been very nice to her last night, 
but what about Ryoko?


*Washu's lab*

(Strange) Washu thought to herself as she felt Ryoko seal the link once 
more, ('Are you busy?' Why would Ryoko ask that? Maybe she was . . .)

Washu's thoughts are cut off as a soft chime rang out, alerting her that 
someone has entered her lab.

"Ryoko? Is that you?" she asked, assuming that this was Ryoko following 
up on the 'conversation' they had shared across the link.

"No, it is I," came the reply from her other child. Hono stood there, 
returning from the delicious lunch that Washu had sent him to join, "I 
don't mean to intrude but I was wondering if I may make a request."

"Of course," Washu answered perkily, "Ask away."

"Well I was wondering about accommodation," he continued, "I don't 
wish to impose upon you but I after sleeping in a spacecraft for so long I 
would vastly appreciate some proper lodgings."

Once again Washu was overcome with a guilty self-disgust. Here was her 
long lost son, finally returned to her, and she hadn't even offered him a 
place to stay. And she was calling herself a mother. It was disgraceful.

"No problem at all," Washu replied, trying to stop her feelings from 
leaking into her voice, "Here, have a seat and I'll see what I can do."

With that she summoned a floating cushion for him to sit on. She was 
desperate to make amends and redeem herself in her own eyes, so 
providing a comfortable seat seemed an appropriate start. He kindly 
accepted and seated himself on the gravity-defying object as Washu 
turned to her computer and furiously went about making preparations. 
She was a blur of activity, putting all of her effort into righting this 
wrong, so absorbed with her work that she didn't hear the sound of soft 
chimes from her door.

Ryoko just stood there, her hopeful spirits plunged down, piled under a 
mountain of disappointment and dejection. It wasn't so much what she 
saw, but what it symbolised that hurt the most.

There he was on a cushion, her cushion, the spare one that until this day 
only Ryoko had been allowed to sit on. And he was with her mother, after 
Ryoko had checked in advance so that she could come. She had felt like 
she had made an appointment, that had been bad enough, having to make 
appointments to see your own mother all because of him, but now here he 
was, using her appointment, her time. Then there was the way his unruly 
blond hair fell down his back. Had his hair only been cyan then he would 
look exactly like . . .

. . her.

Her hair, her cushion, her time, her mother, how could she hide from the 
truth any longer, why not just admit it. 

She had been replaced.

She wasn't needed any more, she was inferior. How could she compete 
with him? He was articulate, smart, wealthy, courteous and kind. How 
could her mother help but be proud of him, how could she help but love 
him?

How could she help but love him more than she loved Ryoko?

No, it was worse than that. She hadn't been replaced, that was just a lie 
she tried to convince herself of. She was beginning to realise, she was 
beginning to wake up from the fairytale dream that she had deluded 
herself with for so long. It had all been a lie.

She wasn't replaced, she was a replacement. 

Always had been, always would be and now that Washu had the original 
back what possible use could she have for Ryoko? None. She no longer 
needed her brash creation to channel her love for someone else. Ryoko 
had become obsolete. He had been right, Kagato had been right all along, 
she was useless, in the end she was nothing but rejected trash. She had no 
value, she was nothing more than a crudely-crafted, misshapen shadow of 
someone else, a shadow of him.

She gazed longingly at the close couple, mother and son, together. Tears 
streamed from her face as her agony twisted her heart with the raw 
sharpness of metal shards. Her trembling hand reached out in desperation, 
trying to grasp the placid picture in front of her, longing to be a part of it 
but knowing she never would, never again.

The memories of her past, the demons that she had managed to repress 
broke free to claim her tattered soul. They clutched at her bleeding heart 
and dragged it down into the deepest depths of sorrow. She had lost the 
most important person in her life but this time she was unable to fight 
back. She was inferior.

She phased out of sight in a lonely silence, her mind dead to anything but 
grief. And her mother didn't even notice.

But someone did.

"Yes Sasami. You were very right to bring this to my attention," Tsunami 
said, as the two floated above the scene, invisible to normal sight. They 
had seen and understood the whole thing, although Tsunami understood 
more than any else could ever hope to.

It was a curse. It all went back to the beginning, to the very fabric that the 
universe was weaved from. Washu was the middle goddess and although 
no longer a goddess, that higher authority still influenced everything she 
did, it was still her nature. And she was the middle goddess, a balance 
between good and evil. And like all balances she could be easily tipped in 
either direction, she could be easily unbalanced.

She was not evil at heart, she was a good person with kind intentions but 
just as an equilibrium is easily altered, she was easily led astray. She 
would miss things, overlook the obvious, mistrust people or lack the 
proper insight to a situation, and the results would always be the same, 
someone would get hurt. It wasn't her fault, it was just her nature.

It was the same for all the goddesses. Tsunami was incapable of anything 
but good. Tokimi, no matter how she deluded herself, would always 
cause pain and suffering. Washu, she would always try earnestly to do 
well but matters would get confused, things would go wrong and the 
result was havoc. Yes, it was a curse, trouble was doomed to follow 
Washu for all eternity. It was her fate and the fate of her children also. 
Just look at Ryoko's tragic past.

Yes it was fate but not the inescapable doom it seemed. Washu may have 
her hard times, but she was a balance so for every bad there must be a 
good. As long as her sister persevered Tsunami knew that the rewards 
would be sweeter than the fruits of heaven itself. Her patience with 
Ryoko had already been rewarded with the blossoming improvement in 
their relationship but another storm was brewing. Could they survive this 
one?

"What are we going to do Tsunami?" the young princess asked, 
frightened at the deepening severity of the situation. Things just seemed 
to go from terrible to worse and it hurt Sasami to see her friends in such 
pain. There had to be something they could do for Ryoko.

"We can't interfere," Tsunami replied sadly, "We must let things play out 
by themselves no matter how much we want to help them."

"This is a family matter."



*Chapter Four - Realisation*

Birds danced on the soft breeze, sunrays streamed like ribbons through 
the ocean blue sky and petals rained from the blossoming trees. This 
planet was so beautiful, so alive and full of nature's colours.

Hono let a joyful admiration flow through him as he watched it all. How 
long had it been? When was the last time that he had this opportunity? To 
just stand and absorb some wondrous scenery. To appreciate a raw nature 
stripped of ghastly technologies and polluting constructions. How long 
since he had been a part of it?

Too long.

But that would all change now. His long search was now over and he 
could finally leave his past behind him. He could settle down again and 
enjoy life without any pressures or yearnings. Yes, now he could finally . . .

Wait! That sound! A shrill chirping scream. Where was it coming from?

With his body jolting into a defensive stance, his eyes dart towards the 
source of this unworldly sound. To his surprise and alarm he finds . . .

. . . a bird.

He watched the small bird as it writhed and struggled under the 
restraining wire mesh that clung to it's wings, pinning it, suffocating it, 
keeping it from it's rightful place in the sky.

His suspicious mind eased into a heartfelt sympathy and a stirring 
compassion. This was not something that his heart could let be.

He approached the fallen creature with gentle footsteps. His powerful 
hands reached slowly towards the defenceless creature with a fluid 
smoothness and carefully removed the obstructing mesh with a cautious 
care. He took the fallen bird in his hands and stroked it gently with an 
almost motherly touch, smoothing out its ruffled feathers. Then, with a 
personal pleasure, he opened his hands, released his gentle grip on the 
poor animal and watched in awe and admiration as the once captive bird 
flew with a joyous freedom, climbing the scales of the afternoon air, 
diving through the currents of the pure nature's breeze, back where it 
belonged.

He smiled.

Yes, soon these pleasures would be his forever.

Soon.


*Elsewhere*

She felt like she was dying inside and she didn't even have a life of her 
own to flash before her eyes.

Everything that she had ever believed in had just been exposed as a cruel 
lie. Nothing had ever belonged to her, it had all belong to him. Her 
mother wasn't really her mother, no, Washu was his mother first and 
foremost. Ryoko had just borrowed the position of 'Washu's child' in his 
absence but it had never been intended to her, it had never been her's.

Her friends weren't really her's, she didn't deserve them. They would end 
up liking him more than they could ever like her, it was only a matter of 
time until he took back what was rightfully his.

It was only a matter of time until he left her stripped of everything that 
had ever meant anything to her and she couldn't do a thing, she had no 
right to it.

It hurt, these thoughts twisted in her mind like brutal thorns of truth as 
she sat and cried on the cold, chilled stone that lay underneath her 
sobbing form with a hostile, coarse uncomfort. It seemed like the whole 
world was turning on her, even the mindless ground hated her. She just 
sat there as tears bled from her eyes, as she stared yearningly up into the 
afternoon sky as the world passed her by.

She sat separated, removed from it all in her prison of shallow shadows, 
just like the shadow she had been living her whole life in. His shadow. 
She had cried for hours now, she had cried until it hurt but she couldn't 
stop, her body wouldn't comply. Maybe not even that was her's anymore.

So she just sat on the brittle ground crying thorns from her eyes, her mind 
smothered in suffering as her soul contorted and choked in the pit of her 
stomach. Yes, her broken soul convulsed and bled away on the floor, 
slipping in it's own blood, drowning in it's own tears, suffocating in it's 
own pleas.

Yes, it was horrid, but it was how she felt.

Dead.

No, worse than that. She had never even been alive. Washu had just clung 
to her as if she was the corpse of her lost son. She was just a vessel for 
memories of someone else. She had just been a corpse, empty of life, void 
of purpose, just an empty shell of someone that was now gone.

But at least then she had held a purpose. What did she have now?

Nothing.


*Masaki Shrine*

"Looking for me?"

A startled Hono twists round to face the voice. He was confronted with an 
aged face that was worn with time and wisdom but still held a vibrant and 
playful grin that was full of life and mischief. Exactly who he was 
looking for.

"Yes Lord Katsuhito," he replied with a small bow, "I have come to make 
a request."

"A request you say?" the old man asked in a curious voice, "I'm not sure 
what I could possibly have to offer but you may ask."

"I wish to test my skills against you. I have travelled far and developed 
my swordplay skills in many forms," Hono explained, not in a boasting 
way but more like an interviewee listing their previous achievements in 
search of acceptance, "I have even won many contests and tournaments 
however never before have I had the opportunity to face such a 
prestigious adversary and it would be foolish for me not to seek the 
honour."

"Prestigious? Honour?" Katsuhito laughed, "I think you have been 
misled. I am only a mere old shrine keeper."

"Please Lord Yosho," Hono responded, "You are among the most elite 
and legendry swordfighters in history and still far from old."

(Lord Yosho? How does he know?) Katsuhito thought, (I thought I told the 
others not to reveal my true identity to him. Someone must have betrayed 
my trust. But wait, he said far from old. Could it be that . . .)

"I have to say that I am most impressed," the old man replied, "Not even 
my own sisters could see through my guise. How were you able to?" 

"Experience," Hono replied with a small smile, "After roaming the seas 
of space for so long you often see such things."

"I see," the old man replied, somewhat sceptically, "Well you have 
intrigued me so I will spar with you."


*Washu's lab*

Washu stands back and admires her work as she revelled not only in her 
own genius but more importantly what the scene in front of her 
represented.

A family.

Tears began to well up in her eyes as she stood in the most hidden, 
secluded and private part of her lab, her house. It had a whole dimension 
to itself and stood surrounded but acres of land carpeted in luscious grass 
and cherry blossoms. Ryoko had loved growing up here.

And Washu had very careful to remember that fact. While adding space 
for Hono she had also restored Ryoko's old rooms that had been ravaged 
and destroyed in events she was still trying to forget. But now Ryoko 
could finally move back in as well. They could all be a family.

Living together, yes that might actually solve the problems between them. 
It would bridge the cold sense of distance between them and teach them 
to accept each other as family.

But on a personal level it was far more than that for Washu, it was the 
realisation of her dreams, to have a family once again. It was the only 
thing that still mattered to her, not intellectual glory or scientific 
achievement, if that had mattered so much then she would have long 
since left to rejoin the science academy, but all of that now took second 
place to her children and now after so long they were both back.

And soon they would all be under one roof, together, always. Her 
thoughts swam in the joyous possibilities as her whole heart rejoiced in 
her delight.

All that remained was to tell them.

Now, she knew that Hono had left to go see the shrine. She couldn't 
really blame him, her alterations had taken far longer than expected. She 
herself would have gladly gotten bored and left half way through if she 
could have.

Then there was Ryoko. Where was she? Last thing Washu could 
remember was Ryoko asking funny questions across the link. Oh well she 
just check the link to see if her little Ryoko would . . . .

"Argh!" Washu screamed as she fell to knees, immediately closing the 
link back down and barring Ryoko's excruciating thoughts from her 
mind. It was terrible, it had felt like a thousand demons marching across 
the link with bloodthirsty thoughts and brutal force.

And they were still inside her daughter's mind, waging war, pillaging, 
devastating everything. Such pain. Such suffering. Such complete and 
utter despair. What was wrong? Why would Little Ryoko be feeling such 
destructive emotions? What could possibly cause this? Washu had always 
known that Ryoko's mind state was somewhat fragile but what had 
caused this delicate house of cards to come tumbling down, trapping 
Ryoko's spirits in the rubble. What had gone wrong?

She had to find out. She had to make it better. 

She had to find Ryoko.


*Masaki Shrine*

Interesting. Very, very interesting.

Hono was truly a skilled swordsman, it was the first time in years that 
Katsuhito had felt his abilities being pushed near their limits. The two 
swordsmen stepped through their defences and attacks as if it was a well 
choreographed ballet. Their skill and timing was breathtaking.

But not interesting. 

What really interested the old man was the unusual conversation that 
developed during the fight. Now it wasn't the talking that intrigued him, 
many swordfighters used discussion to distract their opponents, it was 
one of Katsuhito's favourite techniques to use on Tenchi, but what really 
interested him was the subject of the conversation.

"I've heard of your many battles Lord Yosho, perhaps you could share 
them with me," Hono asked in mid-thrust, "I would be especially 
interested to hear of how you defeated Ryoko." 

"With a sword," Katsuhito replied, cryptic and vague as ever.

"Indeed," Hono responded in a friendly but obviously unamused voice, 
"but surely you had techniques and strategies. As a swordsman myself I 
would be honoured to learn from your wisdom."

"Very well," Katsuhito began, too absorbed with the duel to fully 
consider what he was doing, "It all came down to skill and knowledge. I 
knew that Ryoko's gems held all of her power so all I needed to do was 
remove them . . ." 

Then something finally clicked in the old man's head.

"Why do you want to know anyway?" he asked bluntly then carefully 
watched for Hono's response.

"Merely intrigued," Hono replied quickly, a bit too quickly for 
Katsuhito's liking but it was in the middle of a duel so such things could 
be forgiven, "It wasn't so much the battle but the gems that interest me. 
What more could you tell me of them."

"They give great power to their owner," Katsuhito explained, seeing no 
problem in divulging such widespread knowledge, "Tenchi-ken and 
Ryoko hold all of the gems between them and both are extremely 
powerful."

"How many gems does Ryoko have?" Hono asked, once again arousing a 
little bit of concern in the old man's mind. Why would he be asking so 
many technical questions about Ryoko?

"Why not ask her yourself," Katsuhito offered, pointing to the shrine 
steps.

Hono whisked around in a startled shock like a small boy caught with his 
hands in the cookie jar. Was Ryoko here? What if she had heard him? 
What would happen then? He turned around, expecting to see an angry 
and hurt expression only to see . . . .

. . . . nothing.

Except for his bokken flying out of his hands.

Katsuhito smiled as another successful deception won him yet another 
sparring session. It had been close, he had almost been worried for a 
while but in the end he had prevailed and all that remained was for him to 
execute his well-practiced victory swing and bestow the ceremonial bop 
on the head.

His bokken cut a path through the air, swooping down onto the startled 
Hono with a lethal velocity before it . . . .

. . . . slivered, dividing away into nothing.

There, emanating from Hono's hand, blocking the path of Katsuhito's 
strike was a brilliant orange blade.

(A light sword) the old man observed, (its exactly like the one Ryoko forms. 
Must be a technique passed down to both of them from Washu.)

"My apologies," Hono excused with a deep bow as he immediately 
extinguished his light sword, "It is a reflex reaction, I never meant to 
endanger you like that."

"Very well," Katsuhtio forgave, "but to answer your previous question 
there is something further that I know about Ryoko's gems and I think it 
is something you will find most interesting . . . ."


*Ryoko's cave*

Washu's sprinting steps stopped dead as her heart shattered in sorrowful 
witness of the sight before her. Seeing this hurt her more than any insult 
or assault ever could.

Her treasured daughter lay there, slumped like a discarded doll as her 
drained body drooped on the serrated rock face below her. Her body lay 
lifelessly still except for struggling sobs as they jolted her body with the 
force and pain of electricity.

"Ryoko?" Washu gasped in a horrified, worried shock, "What's wrong? 
What happened?"

Washu knew that if she reopened the link then she would be doubtlessly 
attacked by all the negative emotions that were plaguing her daughter, she 
would be opening up a path for all those sadistic demons to troop back 
into her mind, but it was a risk that she was willing to take. She quickly 
opened it to find a flimsy barrier that Ryoko had set up. She also noticed 
that Ryoko's sobs were becoming quieter and more contained.

Ryoko was trying to mask her pain from Washu. As much as she wanted 
her mother to comfort her, she now had to face up the fact that Washu 
was no longer her mother, now that Hono was back Washu would only 
want to be Ryoko's creator, if any at all.

So Ryoko had to try and put a brave face on this. She had suffered 
enough humiliation, she didn't want the shame of being seen in a state 
like this.

As she tried to push her desire for her mother out of her mind, Ryoko felt 
a soft hand come down onto her shoulder and touch her with a gentle 
solace.

But she stayed perfectly still, not even acknowledging the gesture. She 
didn't know what to do, she was so torn between two very strong and 
opposing forces in her mind. There was her yearning to be back in 
Washu's arms and to feel comforted and loved, her yearning to be 
Washu's daughter once more. Then there was the devastating truth that 
had plunged her mind into a deep woeful distress and rotted away at her 
soul.

"Little Ryoko, show me what's wrong," Washu pleaded in a soft voice, "I 
want to help but I can't if you won't show me."

(Should I?) Ryoko thought as she desperately tried to maintain her 
crumbling seal on the link. Did it really matter? She knew that she 
couldn't hold up the block against such pressure forever, she wasn't sure 
if she could even hold it for another five minutes. No matter what she did 
now, Washu was going to find out in the end anyway.

And wasn't that what she wanted anyway, to be comforted. Isn't that why 
she had fled to her cave in her time of need? This was where Tenchi had 
come in times of distress, this is where he had come when he had lost his 
mother and Ryoko had comforted him then. Now that Ryoko felt that she 
had lost her own mother wasn't that why she had returned here, in the 
hope of being comforted.

Besides it was so hard to maintain the barrier. Ryoko's mind was 
assaulted with headaches from the sheer strain of trying to block such 
overwhelming thoughts and feelings. Should she just let it all cave in?

She did. She finally relented and let the blockade disintegrate away, 
revealing her thoughts and feelings across the link.

"Replacement!" Washu screeched in horror. She immediately heaved 
Ryoko's unmoving form up from the cold ground and embraced her 
daughter with a strong, protective ferocity. Ryoko just let her head hang 
limply on Washu's shoulder as she began to cry more tears. 

"Oh, don't ever think that my Little Ryoko," Washu soothed, as she ran 
gentle fingers through Ryoko's cyan strands of hair, "You were never a 
replacement and I still love you as much as ever."

"Really?" Ryoko asked in a very subdued, humble voice.

"Of course," Washu smiled with an compassionate enthusiasm as she 
eased her daughter's head back so that she could look her daughter 
straight in her raw eyes that had been stained and strained with tears, 
"Ryoko with the technology I have I could have easily created a clone or 
at the very least guaranteed that I had another boy, but I didn't."

"But what's going to happen?" Ryoko asked in a fraught voice that 
conveyed her despair, "What will happen now that he is back?"

"I've built him a room in my lab," Washu began. She felt Ryoko squirm 
and struggle to get away, obviously hurt that Washu would do such a 
thing, that she would show such preference to him over her but Washu 
held her steady to make sure that she heard the rest, "I also rebuilt your 
rooms Ryoko. They were destroyed by Kagato and until now I never even 
went back into them never mind thought of rebuilding them. I've being 
avoiding the issue, it probably wasn't the right thing to do but it still hurts 
me to think about that day. But that's all in the past, I'm now looking to 
the future and I still want you to be a very big part of it."

"So I was wrong then?" Ryoko asked in an apprehensive hope, "Was 
everything I thought wrong?"

"Ryoko I'll be honest," she continued in a gentle sincerity, "When I lost 
Hono there was a gap in my life, it was a hole in my heart but that hole 
was always there, I never made you to fill it Ryoko."

"Then why?" Ryoko asked in a timid voice as if she feared the answers to 
her meekly asked questions, "Why did you create me , . . .Mom?"

Washu cringed at hearing Ryoko use the word 'create' and far more 
importantly at Ryoko's hesitation to call her 'Mom'. That would never 
do, Ryoko should feel comfortable to approach her mother but now was 
not the time to deal with it. Just now she had a question to answer.

"Because I was lonely," Washu replied sincerely, "I wanted someone to 
love and someone to love me back. I wanted someone that would bring 
me happiness."

"Did I?" Ryoko shyly asked in a very faint-hearted and hesitant tone, not 
really sure that she wanted to learn the answer to her question.

"Of course you did," Washu replied warmly, strengthening her hold on 
her daughter for warm emphasis, "You brought more happiness into my 
life than anything else in 20,000 years. You filled my heart with such joy 
and pride, and all of that was you, no one else."

(No one else) Ryoko thought as her mother's words echoed through her 
mind, (I was wrong. She does love me. Everything's going to be okay.)

Her spirits leapt from the ashes like a phoenix and burst in a flame of 
vibrant, joyous colours. She felt her skipping heart spread its broken 
wings and soar high with pride and might. Her whole soul seemed to 
breathe easier as if new blood was flowing through it with a renewed 
strength and life. It was the most relieving and liberating moment of her 
life.

She no longer felt the cold, menacing shadows choking her, instead she 
felt a warm summers sun massaging her face. She closed her eyes to 
savour it all. The world was no longer punishing, it was radiating all 
around in a tender beauty. It felt like the dawning of a brand new day.

She had her life back.

"Ryoko," Washu began as through the link she felt her daughter's pain 
begin to ease. Her voice was still firm and honest but contained a hint of 
more downhearted emotions. "I know that I'm not always the best of 
mothers but . . ."

"No Mom!" Ryoko interrupted, not quite believing what she was hearing, 
"You are, you still love me after everything that I've done, you still . . . ."

"Listen to me Ryoko," Washu interrupted with a burdened voice that was 
desperate to finish what it had to say, "I am not. I do try but sometimes 
our past or complications get in the way. I might not always know the 
right thing to say, I might not always realise everything when I should but 
I will always love you."

She gently took Ryoko's hand and lifted her wrist up to eye level to bring 
a shimmering red jewel into view.

"Do you remember when I gave you this?" Washu asked.

["Because you're my daughter," Washu had told her that fateful day, 
"you're not a machine or a creation. You're my daughter and you mean 
more to me than anyone else. In my eyes, you are the only one who is 
worthy."]

"You were the only one that I considered worthy," Washu reminded, 
"And anytime that I ever slip up and you feel hurt or upset then just look 
at your gem and remember that you are worthy. You are worthy of my 
love."

Ryoko's heart was now alight with joy and glee sending her mind into a 
light-headed happiness. Washu smiled contently as she felt the elation 
that flowed like a passionate stream from Ryoko's mind. It was heart-
warming.

Ryoko felt joy and relief but there was something else as well, something 
at the foundation of it all. Acceptance. She felt accepted in her mother's 
heart, it was her's now and forever, no one could ever take that from her. 
This absolute assurance, this complete sense of security provoked a 
complete change in Ryoko's way of thinking. Perhaps now she could feel 
confident and comfortable about it and finally do what she should have 
done in the very beginning.

"Mom," Ryoko finally spoke, "I want to go find him. I want to try and 
makes things work."

"That would be a very good thing to do," Washu approved with a pleased 
nod, "I'm very proud of you little Ryoko."

With a faint smile Ryoko left her mother's arms and turned to leave and 
follow up on her promise. It would be hard to start with but in time, who 
knows? Perhaps they might . . .

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Washu's voice chorused from behind 
Ryoko's retreating back. She stopped in her footsteps and phased back 
over to her mother to fulfil the little habit that had developed between 
them.

"Thanks Mom," she replied as she lay a small peck on Washu's cheek 
before phasing away again in search of her brother.

Washu just sighed a content sigh. Yes, it was most definitely rewarding 
and satisfying. And now with Ryoko's promise to try her best and make 
things work it seemed as if Washu's dreams were coming true. Her 
family was coming together. It was wonderful.

Tsunami just sighed a sorrowful sigh. It was terrible.

She had watched it all in an invisible form and she had felt the joy and 
hope that had graced both her sister and niece. She had watched them 
both share a tender closeness and fill each other with a fresh hope, 
completely unaware that this was only the eye of the storm.

The worst was yet to come.


*Elsewhere*

"Excuse me," she called, "Hono, I want to talk to you."

He turned around to face his sister. His expression wasn't it's normal 
friendly, gentle kindness but instead seemed to convey elements of anger, 
possibly even hate, as he remained lethally silent. (He must still be upset 
about earlier) Ryoko guessed.

"Erm, well this is the first time we've had a chance to talk," Ryoko 
hesitantly began, "Alone that is."

Hono took a quick glance around, surveying the surroundings to confirm 
whether or not they were all alone.

They were.

"Yes," he sneered coldly as he formed a light sword, "It is."



*Chapter Five - Replacement*

They swarmed out from the house, from the fields, from the shrine, they 
came from all around, all summoned by this immense thunderous sound 
that tore the peace from the sky. Tenchi led the charge, his sword grasped 
firmly in his hand, as he ran towards what he thought to be the source of 
the disturbance, only to find himself approaching . . . .

"Washu?" he asked in a confused surprise, "What was that . . ."

"Hey," the ever-observant Mihoshi shouted from a few paces behind him, 
"Isn't that Hono's ship?"

"Why, I believe it is," Ayeka confirmed, casting her gaze up to the skies, 
"Is he leaving Miss Washu? I must say it seems most improper to leave 
without even . . ."

"Where's Ryoko?" Sasami cut in, worried at the notable absence of her 
space pirate friend. In times of apparent danger Ryoko was always the 
first to act on it. She would never leave Tenchi, Washu and the others to 
face it alone. Where was she?

"Ryoko is on the ship," Washu explained in a burdened weary voice that 
seemed to drag with a strange sorrow and a certain concern.

"Oh fun!" exclaimed the happy Mihoshi, "They've went on a trip 
together. How nice."

"Yes," Tenchi agreed in a pleased voice as he put his sword away, "It's 
good to see that they are finally getting along. I was getting worried that . . ."

"You don't understand," Washu interrupted in her same burdened tones, 
slow and subdued but with such alarming impact as her voice seemed to 
promise dire news, "You don't understand at all. Ryoko is on the ship but 
she is unconscious."

"Unconscious!" Tenchi yelled in alarm, his cosy, content image had been 
shattered and replaced with a fearful sense of danger, "No, you don't 
think that . . ."

"Tenchi, I don't know what to think," Washu admitted as she slowly 
hung her head in a remorseful defeat. For once, the greatest scientific 
genius in the universe didn't have the answers, she didn't know what to 
do. She had two options but both of them seemed unthinkable. Track 
down her long lost son as if he was a wild animal? Abandon her precious 
daughter? How could she possibly choose?

"But it can't be," Sasami almost cried, feeling shades of guilt at her own 
failed secret attempts to make things better, "He seemed so nice."

"But come to think of it," Ayeka began, speaking as if she was unearthing 
a great mystery or unravelling a crucial clue, "His behaviour did seem a 
bit odd. He seemed very reserved and restrained, even for an aristocrat. 
He never seemed emotional, despite being reunited with his long lost 
mother."

"And he acted really strange around Ryoko," Mihoshi added, being swept 
away in the whole detective moment, "He hardly said anything to his own 
sister, now that seemed pretty weird now that I think of it."

"Oh, NOW you think of it!" Washu screamed at them in frustration, "Why 
couldn't you have thought of it ten minutes ago?"

She sighed a long exasperated, irritated sigh. It wasn't their fault, no one 
had known what to except but now everything was being seen in a very 
different light and perhaps she just didn't want to accept the possible 
truth. 

However she really shouldn't have shouted at them, she had seen far 
more than they had. Hono had acted very cold towards Ryoko at one 
point. Why hadn't she noticed sooner?

"I'm sorry," Washu apologised weakly, "But I'm just so frustrated. I just 
don't know what to do."

"But Miss Washu," Ayeka offered, "Didn't you once say you had a mind 
link with Ryoko? Wouldn't that give us a better idea of what to do?"

"It would," Washu admitted sadly, "But I can't use it when Ryoko is 
unconscious."

"Couldn't you check Hono's mind then?" Tenchi asked, trying to help 
forge a way forward, trying to form a solution.

"No, I don't have a link with Hono," Washu explained glumly as another 
honest attempt had to rejected, "When they took Hono from me they hid 
him. I searched for him for many years but I never found him. That's why 
I made the link with Ryoko, so that no one could ever hide my children 
from me again but that was only after I lost Hono."

A thwarted silence fell over the group as they considered this 
information. There was no way to know what had really happened here. 
They would have to wait until Ryoko woke up for more information, 
assuming that she would wake up. There were no more sources of help. 

Or was there?

"Yes, that Hono was most strange," Katsuhito's wise voice spoke up, "He 
kept asking questions about Ryoko and her gems . . ."

"What did you tell him?" Washu demanded in a desperate, rushed voice 
that showed her pure apprehension and fear.

"I told him many things," the old man continued, calm and controlled as 
ever, "For example I told him how Ryoko needed the gems to maintain 
the link with her mother."

"But that's not true," Washu informed him, her voice full of confusion, 
"The link works all of the time. It can be blocked as it is now but it's 
always operational."

"Exactly," the old man replied with a mischievous grin, preparing to 
reveal his devious deception, "Trickery and surprise are the two lightest 
weapons at your disposal but they make the heaviest impact."

"I see," Ayeka replied as it all began to make sense, "He thinks we have 
no way of finding him but in fact we do. We can locate him through 
Washu's link."

The old man nodded. It wasn't much but it was a start. At least they were 
one step ahead of him in one respect, although they still had a very long 
way to go until they could solve this problem.

"But why would he do it?" Sasami asked, her innocent mind unable to 
grasp why this was happening in the first place, "Ryoko didn't even do 
anything."

"But she has done things in the past. It is probably related to Ryoko's 
crimes under Kagato," Katsuhito guessed, "It was inevitable that someone 
would eventually act upon it."

"But that's impossible," Ayeka declared, "With the statures of limitations 
in place Ryoko is free of her crimes, her criminal record has been erased 
by the Galaxy Police."

The old paused in a reflective silence as he considered this. He hadn't 
known about the stature of limitations affecting Ryoko but from his 
memories of his past on Jurai he knew exactly what this meant and 
entailed. No one would dare defy that level of authority, unless of course . . .

"Mihoshi," he finally asked, "Am I right in thinking that the Galaxy 
Police keep records on everyone living within their jurisdiction?"

"Yes," Mihoshi replied crisply, her mind now in full police mode.

"So it would be a pretty big oversight," he continued, "For them not to 
notice that Ryoko, a most wanted space pirate, had a brother."

"Well yes," Mihoshi giggled, "I guess it would."

"Then tell me," Katsuhito continued, turning to address Washu, 
"Assuming that Hono did live outside of Galaxy Police jurisdiction, is it 
possible that Ryoko ever attacked his planet. Did Ryoko's attacks ever 
venture further than our known jurisdiction?"

"Yes," Washu admitted in a deeply sorrowful and regretful voice that was 
wounded and weary from hurtful memories and recollections of her 
daughter's tragic, horrid past, "Much further."

"Well what are we waiting for? Why don't we go find them?" Tenchi 
asked, becoming restless with all this time wasting. Something was 
wrong and he felt a deep, urgent need to do something about it. He felt 
this potent calling whenever any of his friends were in serious trouble and 
Ryoko's situation seemed to grow more grave and grim with every 
passing moment.

"But I can't," Washu objected in a hurried fear, desperately trying to 
avoid being drawn into this confrontation, "I can't, I don't know what to 
do, I . . ."

She collapsed to her knees, submerged in dread, defeated by the 
impossible decision she was being forced to make. She feared terrible 
consequences no matter what she decided to do. She feared that if she 
refused to go and stayed on earth then Hono would take Ryoko away 
from her and she would never she her treasured daughter ever again. 

Then, opposing that fear was another equally strong and disturbing fear. 
What if she did go and discovered the reasons behind it all, discovered 
things about her son she didn't want to know, things she would rather 
remain blissfully unaware of. Worse still, what if it came down to a fight? 
Could she fight her own son, the son that she had already failed so badly?

If it came down to it could she choose?  She might very well have to if 
the truth was a bleak as it appeared to be. Hono or Ryoko? Could she 
really make such a drastic decision?

She couldn't.

She knew that she couldn't and that's why she hesitated, too scared to 
face her problems, just wishing that they would somehow miraculously 
mend themselves. She knelt in the dirt holding this unfeasible hope in her 
mind, clinging to it as it was the only comfort she could find. For once 
she felt completely and absolutely beaten and the battle hadn't even 
begun yet. 

She was in dire need of help.

"Tenchi, take the girls and go back to the house," Katsuhito ordered, 
"Make preparations for leaving while I talk to Washu."

Hesitantly Tenchi complied and soon he and the others headed back to 
the house, preparing to launch in pursuit, their minds focused in 
anticipation of a battle ahead. However Katsuhito still waited until they 
were far out of earshot until continuing.

"You know, you are almost as bad as Tenchi," he began, "You let 
emotions rule everything. Emotions have their place in life but it is most 
definitely not combat."

"I'm their mother!" Washu shot back furiously, enraged that he would 
treat such devastating matters so lightly, "How can I not be emotional? 
This is a nightmare for me. How do you expect me to handle it?"

"I understand that," Katsuhito continued, "If Tenchi was to ever go astray 
and commit such acts then I wouldn't know how to react either. Whether 
I should stand up as a warrior or sit back as a grand parent. However if 
Tenchi was ever in trouble I know exactly how I would react."

Washu was beginning to see his point and it was beginning to draw back 
memories. Only minutes ago she had been apologising to Ryoko for not 
always dealing with situations properly and now look at her, she was 
hesitating to come to Ryoko's aid, she was considering abandoning 
Ryoko so that she could avoid the discomfort of her own fear.

"You have to be strong for Ryoko," Katsuhito told her, "Let your 
emotions drive your cause but let your wisdom guide it. That is the only 
advice I can offer you, the rest is now up to you."

Washu considered this. He was right, the question shouldn't be whether 
or not she could make the decision between them as a mother, it should 
be whether or not, as a mother, she was prepared to abandon either of her 
children. His reassuring and supportive words guided her mind into a 
more stable frame of thinking and led her thoughts down a more 
determined and focused path.

Something had to be done and she had to put her own fears aside, as he 
had said she had to be strong for Ryoko, and just do it. Her fear was still 
there and it still boiled in the pit of her stomach, wafting up hesitation and 
uncertainty but she was prepared to try and ignore it, to let her actions 
bypass these feelings and hope that she could hold it all together.

"Thank you Lord Katsuhito," she finally said before breaking into a sprint 
back towards the house to gather the others.

She was going to rescue Ryoko.


*Space*

She slowly opened her dragging eyelids to resurface into the waking 
world. What was this place? She seemed to be in a large circular room 
that contained very little, it seemed to be reminiscent of something but 
she wasn't exactly sure what.

These foreign surroundings quickly began to provoke fear and insecurity 
in her mind, she felt trapped and isolated, she needed to escape. Quickly 
she made an attempt for freedom and began to phase out of the room, but 
as she began to pass through the walls she felt a strong force, like a 
colossal magnetic polarity, and it pushed her, forced her back into the 
room.

As her body was thrown back to fall gracelessly onto the ground she 
came to realise that there would be no immediate escape from this place. 
She couldn't phase out this room, this wasn't something random, it was a 
premeditated plan. As her rushed panic began to gradually subside, she 
tried to organise her thoughts and memories, she needed to align them 
back into focus in order to develop a solution.

Then as she heard footsteps behind her she realised that she was not 
alone. She swiftly turned her head around to face this being, although as 
her memories slowly begin to seep back into focus she already knew who 
it was.

He stood there glowering down at her with a seething look of hatred and 
contempt. He had obviously changed his clothes. His free flowing hair 
had been tied back and gone were the extravagant robes of intricate 
design, instead he wore much lighter and unrestricting attire, much like 
fighting gear.

(Fighting.) That single word motivated Ryoko's thoughts to change from 
observant to defensive. Her memories reminded her of what he had done, 
he had attacked her unprovoked. Her promise to her mother and her good 
intentions suddenly slipped from her mind and were replaced by a driving 
aggression.

(He attacked me!) she thought in fury, (just when I was trying to make 
things better! I was going to make sacrifices and look at the thanks I get!)

Her body, fuelled by her thoughts and aggression, flew towards Hono in a 
furious charge, lunging in a feral assault.

But something didn't feel right. Something was missing.

"Back you beast!" he shouted as he swatted her away with a single arm 
and relative ease. Ryoko was shocked as she fell to the ground in a 
twisted heap. How could he possibly repel her so easily? How could he 
be so much stronger?

Then she saw it, the answer to her question, a small shimmering red jewel 
on his wrist. Her gem. More memories flocked back into her mind, 
memories of a conversation earlier that day.

["Anytime that I ever slip up and you feel hurt or upset then just look at 
your gem," her mother had told her, "and remember that you are worthy. 
You are worthy of my love."]

"No! You can't have it," Ryoko screamed as she scrambled to her feet 
and made a panicked lunge for his wrist, "Mom gave it to me, you can't 
have it! It's mine!"

She couldn't let him have it. It was a symbol of her mother's acceptance, 
a token of her mother's love. She didn't care that the gem made him her 
superior in strength, she didn't care about the cataclysmic power that it 
contained, to her its real power was the colossal sentimental value that it 
held. As she scrapped and pawed at his arm, desperately trying to recover 
her precious possession, that was the only thing that mattered, but yet 
again she was batted away with embarrassing ease.

"Silence beast!" he commanded in a voice of pure anger and aggression. 
His eyes burned into her soul with a great depth, burrowing away with a 
fearful contempt. It was a look of sheer hate. 

"You won't win, Mom won't accept it," Ryoko told him, subconsciously 
switching to verbal warfare after finding her self outmatched physically, 
"You can't just get rid of me. Mom loves me too, she said . . ."

"I said silence!" he screamed in rage, furious at her continuing 
disobedience, before calming down to continue, "You don't even know 
what you are talking about. I have no intentions of returning to Earth."

"Don't you love Mom?" Ryoko asked in a shocked, almost disgusted 
surprise, "Has this all been an act just to get me? You better not hurt any 
of them."

"The others are honest pleasant people who's company I found most 
enjoyable, I wish no harm upon any of them, I am not a beast like you" he 
retorted, "But as I said previously I believed my stepmother to be my true 
mother and embraced her as such. While I have sympathy for Washu, that 
is all, I cried tears for my mother when I buried her, it would be wrong 
for me to accept another and while I would have enjoyed the opportunity 
to know Washu better I now that my chances are now ruined. A costly 
loss but a worthwhile one."

Ryoko's verbal uprising fell into a confused silence. This wasn't about 
Washu? He didn't care about Earth? Then . . .

"Then why?" Ryoko asked in an innocent confusion, not able to think of 
any other possible reasons, "Why are you doing this?"

His whole body contorted in irritation and antagonism, his head and 
shoulders contracted in a livid infuriation. Her insulting disobedience was 
intolerable and he felt the question, an invitation to explain, tempting the 
restraint that he had painfully enforced since his arrival. Could he hold 
out much longer? These strong feelings were becoming too much, he 
wasn't sure he could keep them bottled up much longer, the truth had to 
come out. He could feel it, he could . . .

"I can't control my feelings!" he cried out in frustration, "I can't hide this 
any longer so I shall tell you and hope that every horrid word burns in 
your soul with the pain that they have brought me. I hope that if you do 
have a wicked heart in your evil soul that it bleeds in guilt at my 
sorrowful tale."

"What do you mean?" asked an insecure and intimidated Ryoko, 
frightened by the sheer passionate aggression that seemed to flow from 
everything he did, "What have I done?"

"What have you done?" he asked, loosely echoing her words, "I shall 
remind you of your vile acts if you have so easily forgotten and I shall tell 
you of the horrid consequences of them. The consequences that it had on 
me . . . ."


*Somewhere outside GP space - Over 4000 years ago*

He sat there alone awaiting the 'trial' to commence. He felt a hundred 
eyes all focused on him, some with hatred, some with doubt and even 
some with loyal, loving support. His friends and relatives, or descendants 
as they might be called, sat behind him, supporting him in his hour of 
need but he had no fears. He had done nothing wrong and despite the 
shallow fear that brought him nerves and apprehension, in his conscious 
mind he was certain that he would be proven innocent. It was just a 
coincidence, a vague resemblance, nothing more.

"This trail is ready to commence," the judge announced, "but as I 
understand the defendant was not born on this planet so, as is the normal 
procedure, the relevant aspects of the law will be read to him before this 
trail commences."

"You have been charged under the indirect responsibility act," a legal 
representative explained, "This planet believes family values and 
upbringings to be of critical importance, therefore if a culprit cannot be 
brought to justice in person then an elder family member may be held 
responsible in their place, as it is the planet's belief that through raising 
the culprit and helping to mould the person the culprit grew up to be that 
elder relatives have indirectly contributed to the crimes. Do you 
understand this concept?"

Hono nodded. He just wanted to get this over with and prove his 
innocence, it was all simply a coincidental resemblance. His hair was in a 
vaguely similar form to the Space Pirate Ryoko, that was all, nothing 
more.

"This trail is not to determine whether the Space Pirate Ryoko committed 
these crimes," the judge continued, "That has already been established 
and proven. This trail is to determine whether or not you are related to the 
culprit. How do you plead?"

"I've never seen her before in my life your honour," Hono replied 
honestly.

"The court will recognise that as a plea of not guilty," the judge 
answered, "The prosecution may begin interrogations."

"Mr.Hakibu," the prosecution spoke with a cold, clinical professionalism, 
"Have ever you heard of a scientist by the name of Washu?"

"Yes," admitted Hono truthfully, "she was my biological mother, 
according to my father's confessions but I cannot prove it. I do not recall 
ever meeting her."

"Where you aware that Ryoko was allegedly created by that very same 
scientist," the prosecution continued, "Now I ask you, would that make 
you brother and sister?"

"No," Hono denied, "I don't know, I have never met either of them. I 
can't say."

"Your honour I present you with these findings," the prosecution 
declared, presenting data tablets to the judge, "These are blood samples 
taken from the battlegrounds, they are believed to belong to the Space 
Pirate Ryoko and they have been compared to blood samples taken from 
the defendant. As you can see they both contain similar elements."

He turned to face the whole courtroom as he delivered the final blow.

"I put it to you that these common elements derive from this Washu, a 
mother common to both the defendant and the culprit making them 
brother and sister and making the defendant guilty! Do you deny it?"

 "I've never met her," Hono maintained although far more restless and 
tense than before, "I haven't even seen her outside of news reports."

"So are you denying genetic evidence?" the prosecution asked forcefully, 
"Are you claiming that your word is more reliable than our most 
advanced DNA technologies?"

"No," Hono conceded, "I cannot claim that."

"In that case," the judge announced, his voice seemingly laced with regret 
and obvious sympathy, "I have no choice but to find you indirectly guilty 
of murder on a mass scale and sentence you to life imprisonment and 
punishment in the place of the Space Pirate Ryoko." 

"No," was the only word that his shocked lips could whisper in a defeated 
hush that conveyed the complete despondency that he felt inside. His 
future, his life, his whole soul shattered and fell into broken pieces on the 
floor. It was over, his entire life was over. He was being chained to 
someone else's crimes and would be bound to them for the rest of his 
tortured life.

He looked at the judge in a pleading disbelief. He looked to the figure of 
authority for salvation or even just a small sign of hope.

He got neither.

All that he received in return was the same regretful look that the judge 
had worn while casting his verdict. He obviously sympathised and felt 
deep sorrow at the injustice but as a man of the law he had to stick to it. 
Despite the fear and terror raging through his mind, Hono knew that it 
wasn't his fault.

"I forgive you," he told them quietly before he was led away, down a 
corridor that led to hell itself. He had been scarified, a martyr for a 
demon.


*Present Day*

"I forgave them," Hono continued violently, "But I will never forgive 
you, you despicable beast! NEVER! Do you have any idea how it felt?"

He observed her insolent silence but was unaffected, he was going to 
continue, he was going to unload every bitter word and emotion that he 
had so painfully suppressed. He was going to let it all out.

"I was punished for your crimes. I was crucified in your name while you 
went on destroying, defacing my name even more. Do you have any idea 
of the torment that I suffered?

They made me scream. Your screams, they screams belonged to you but 
they were forced upon me. I was filled with the soul tearing terror that 
was rightfully yours!

They made me bleed. Your blood, it should have been your blood that 
was spilt but yet again I was made to endure it all. Every grieving mother, 
deprived child or mourning friend, every time that they felt their loss and 
wanted to strike back at you, they lashed me instead! They battered and 
bruised me with a justified passion, a venomous hatred directed at you, 
but suffered by me.

Do you have any idea how that feels? To have your entire life sacrificed 
to the shadows of another's crimes. Every time I screamed for mercy it 
felt as if it silenced by the rushing wind as it blew with malice in my face, 
pushing me back, forcing me down. 

I had it forced upon me, all of your sins and crimes, all of your heinous 
demonic works were thrust down my throat until I spluttered and choked 
on them. It felt like being dragged down to drown, as I swallowed the 
thick water all you did was commit more crimes, dragging me down 
further, drowning me even more.

My voice was never heard and I was never free, I was pinned to this life 
of misery, to this hell."

He paused for a moment, composing himself before he continued, trying 
to regain control of his rampaging emotions. It was then that Ryoko 
caught a small glimpse of his eyes.

They were full of fear, a fantastic fear of his past and of all that he had 
endured. You could almost see it stretch to the base of his soul as it ran 
through his entire being like a festering wound that refused to close.

"But what was worse was the demons, he continued, that almighty fear 
still burning in his eyes, "The demons in my mind, they vanquished my 
spirits and conquered my soul. They are still there, they won't leave my 
alone even now. Sometimes I still wake with grotesque nightmares, all 
because of you.

As the years mounted up I hoped that I would someday die and finally 
end it all but I never did but prolonged life is not without its merits. 
During my 4000 years imprisonment there were many changes in the 
outside world. Social revolutions, technological advances, cultural 
developments and most importantly changes in the law. One change in 
particular that gave me parole to search for you, the true culprit, so that 
you can take your rightful place.

So now I have found you and I will drag you back to hell that you sent me 
to and finally you will feel it. You will suffer my anguish, you will 
understand my anger, you will endure the sheer torment that tested my 
sanity and broke my spirits.

Finally you will endure all that you deserve. 

Finally I will be able to turn my burdens, my miseries, my pain over to 
you, the rightful recipient.

Finally I will be free.

Forever."

"You don't have to," Ryoko protested frantically, "We can protect you. 
You'll never have to run from Earth and then I can prove my innocence 
to you. . ."

"You misunderstand!" Hono shouted in a furious reply, the fear gone 
from his eyes and the anger burning with an incensed hate once more, "I 
could easily defend myself and escape to anywhere I wanted. I am a free 
man as it is. No, this isn't about freedom, this is about vengeance.

I want, I need to bring you to justice. As I said I didn't blame my 
oppressors, their hate was fully justifiable. I could never hate them for 
feeling pain of losing their loved ones, but I did hate you.

And your claims of innocence are meaningless to me. I think you 
underestimate the depth of my hate. Throughout all my years of suffering 
and captivity in your name I blamed it all on you, it was your fault, not 
theirs, not mine, yours. If there is a limit to hate then I have reached with 
you.

I LOATHE you!"

As those last words were spoken they sparked disturbing thoughts in 
Ryoko's mind as she crumpled into a twisted, sorrowful heap on the cold 
floor as the crippling, vile realisation finally dawned on her in all of its 
mortifying horror.

She wasn't the replacement.

He was.

He had being living in her wake, all of that pain that had destroyed her, 
left her soul so desolate and demolished in only hours, he had suffered 
that for thousands of years. 

That proud phoenix that had awakened in her soul was now shot dead out 
of the sky, spluttered in a cloud of smoke and faded away into dying 
embers. Her sense of righteousness was shattered and replaced by a deep 
guilt that bore right into the core of her soul like a worm through the 
tender flesh of fruit, slowly turning it rotten.

Rotten, that's how she now felt, she had caused so much suffering. Not 
even her own torment at the hands of Kagato could save her dying spirits 
for even that paled in comparison to the sheer scale of what this 
symbolised to her.

Every victim she had ever slain, maimed or hurt was now portrayed 
through him. Previously they had still mattered to her but never before 
with such a haunting vividness. Before it had all been statistics and 
blurred memories with details washed away and faded with her own pain 
and anguish, but now all of those featureless, forgotten victims had been 
given a face.

And that faced scowled at her with a sheer vengeful loathing.

She collapsed into shamed tears. She knew what faced her at the end of 
this, hell and torture, and it filled her with a frenzied, frantic fear but 
worse still was this sense she held that she deserved every bit of it. This 
was the end, her past had finally caught up with her in the form of her 
own tortured brother, the very symbol of her sins.

When she had felt like a replacement she had acknowledged that she had 
being storing Washu's love for him, but now it was clear that as her 
replacement he had been storing all of that pain and misery for her and 
now he would deliver it to her. She suddenly realised what this sparse 
room reminded her of, it reminded her of a cell.

A cell, that was where she would spend the rest of her life in. She would 
never see her mother again. She would never see Tenchi again.

Her heart bled just as Hono hoped it would, it bled in both blood of 
wounding sorrow and of cutting guilt. She had never felt lower in her life. 
Before she had felt like nothing, now she wished that she could be just 
that for now she felt even worse than that.

She felt like scum.

Like a demon, the demon that she was portrayed as in legends and myths 
and now that demon was being dragged back to hell to suffer for its 
heinous acts and as she sobbed lifelessly on the ground, sprawled out like 
a severed puppet, those were the thoughts and fears that filled her mind 
with an unspeakable terror.

It was all over.


*Aboard Ryo-Ohki*

Washu opened her eyes and shut down the link. Ryoko's pain was getting 
unbearable to share and besides she now had all of the information that 
she needed.

Her feelings were torn between anger, guilt, hurt and sympathy. 

Her dream of a united family had now been shattered after she had heard 
Hono's thoughts on her. She couldn't blame him, she hadn't done 
anything to deserve being his mother. She had missed so much of his life 
and now it was clear that he had been in need of support while she had 
not been there for him. She could never be his mother unless she could 
make all of that up to him and the prospect of that ever happening was 
beginning to seem less and less likely, but she still held a small hope that 
her shattered dreams would be realised but as the deep, piercing hurt in 
the core of her heart told her, it wouldn't be anytime soon.

Then there was a deep anger that Ryoko was being hurt again. Ryoko had 
suffered enough in her life, why couldn't people understand that? Why 
did they continue to do things like this to her? As Washu had felt every 
ounce of pain that jolted across the link and the disturbing thoughts 
behind them she had felt a deep, profound parental need to comfort her 
daughter, to hold her again and soothe her broken spirits, or even to 
console her cross the link, but she knew that she couldn't. What had 
Katsuhito told her? That surprise would be the key to victory. That she 
had to be strong for Ryoko. As much as it hurt to do so she had to be 
restrained and controlled for Ryoko's sake. The ends would justify the 
agonising means.

But opposing that anger at Ryoko's pain was a level of sympathy and 
understanding for her son. His hate wasn't unjustified, just misled. He 
wasn't a bad person, in his mind everything he did was justified and 
righteous. To him this was all a quest to find and vanquish an evil demon 
and even despite his traumatic past his gentle, caring nature was still 
intact.

Perhaps that was the problem. Maybe he had made a deliberate decision 
not to blame his oppressors in order to avoid conflict and violent feelings 
towards them. Perhaps it was all a measured precaution to preserve his 
redeeming qualities and compassionate personality, maybe that's why he 
bypassed his oppressors and rerouted all of that hate to Ryoko. The 
legendary Space Pirate Ryoko seemed a safe enough target for all of that 
suppressed aggression, she was out of reach, a myth that he could loathe 
with all his heart and probably never face, no damage was ever likely to 
be done by it. Yes, perhaps it was these noble thoughts that led him to 
choose Ryoko as the object of his hate, yes, the Space Pirate Ryoko, the 
unattainable target.

But now he had attained that target. 

What would happen now? Would his overwhelming anger get the better 
of him, would the demons in his mind coax him into a bloodthirsty 
vengeance or could they still appeal to his better qualities, would the 
Hono that they had come to know and admire be willing to listen to 
reason? If he didn't then what would Washu do?

If it did come down to it could she choose now? For a moment she 
wished that Hono's confessions had been very different, that he had 
turned out to be a hitman or some other evil creature with sinister 
intentions but this painful truth was that he wasn't. For one of them to be 
evil would have made her decision so much easier but it wasn't a simple 
case of good against evil, of right over wrong, instead it was an agonising 
choice between the misunderstood and the misled, but neither evil. 
Circumstances had most definitely changed with Hono's confessions of 
his true thoughts but could Washu let that influence her decision? Would 
personal ease and preference overcome her moral standards and values? 
She had to remind herself that just because something feels good doesn't 
make it right. 

However in this case neither option felt good. Each held a volume of 
pain, no longer equal volumes, but still it was a daunting decision should 
she be forced to make it and as the chances of Hono accepting his family 
faded that prospect was beginning to seem more and more likely.

What would she do?

Tsunami watched on in an invisible silence, her sympathetic heart 
mourning for her sister. Curse the universe, it wasn't fair, no being should 
have to go through such pain just because of who they were but the 
universe's persecution of the middle goddess and her family continued.

This had been Hono's horrid fate, destined to be plunged into suffering 
despite his innocence. Although neither would admit it, both he and 
Ryoko had far more in a common than simply their mother. Both had 
been imprisoned and had suffered a personal hell for reasons that they 
were not responsible for and both had survived and emerged generally 
good people but still plagued by certain demons. It had been their fate to 
do so.

And this was fate's grand plan, the fabulous joke of the cosmos. Just 
imagine the hilarious irony of it all, the two children of the gods, both 
living in each other's shadows, both replacements of each other, it was a 
fantastic contradicting fate that entwined Washu's children together like 
twin stars, burning with the same intensity, in the same orbit but on 
opposing sides to each other.

But these twin stars had eclipsed each other so far, each living in the 
shadow of the other, but now the eclipse was over. What now? What 
fantastic plan did fate have laid out for them?

None.

Fate, now content with its splendid masterpiece, has decided to take a 
back seat and just watch things play out regardless of the results. Fate no 
longer cared and everything now rested on the shoulders of a single 
being.

Washu.



*Chapter Six - Forgiveness*

"We are approaching the ship," Washu announced, "So listen very 
carefully to what I am about to say."

Her voice was a strange mixture of weakness and strength.

It commanded their attention and made a very clear and definite warning 
that her decisions and instructions would be absolute and final. To Tenchi 
she sounded very like a ship's captain imparting orders to the crew and 
this impression seemed to be enforced by the way she sat on the piloting 
chair of Ryo-Ohki, her head poised high and her hands commandingly 
gripping the side arms. . . .

. . .gripping with fear. Afraid to let go of a seat for fear of what was to 
come. That was the other tone in her voice, a hidden one that she was 
trying to mask. The sound and texture of her voice wasn't starkly nervous 
but it was obvious that she had clamped down a wall of false composure 
to hide her tense fears that lay just below the surface as they scratched 
and ripped at her mind.

But still she continued, like Katushito had said, she had to be strong for 
Ryoko. It was only now as she addressed the others, desperately trying to 
keep her apprehension and weakness from infiltrating her voice, that she 
realised how much strength it was going to take.

"This is my family in there," she told them, "so you will do exactly as I 
say. Don't attack anyone unless it is self-defence. I've heard some things 
across the link and it's not as clear cut as you first though, so just don't 
go and rush into things without my guidance."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Ayeka asked with a curiosity 
fuelled by her worry and apprehension, "What else did you learn from the 
link?"

"What I heard across the link I would like to keep private," Washu 
replied in a mournful voice as the memories of Hono's confessions and 
the reality of her nightmare were both dragged back to the front of her 
mind. Those thoughts were painful ones, to think about them hurt as if 
she was walking barefoot on the broken glass of her shattered dreams, but 
still she had to persevere and try preserve her composure and control, still 
she had to be strong. 

"But you should know what to expect against Hono," she continued with 
a voice that still tried to rest flat on it's shaken foundations, "He has the 
ability to form a light sword like Ryoko can and he has her gem so he will 
be as powerful as Ryoko was."

"What else?" Tenchi asked with a keen, concerned interest, "Can he fly 
like Ryoko can?"

"No Tenchi," Washu replied with a strange sense of fondness in her 
voice, "That is a Mass trait, it has nothing to do with me. He can't fly, 
regenerate, phase or manipulate matter but he will be very strong."

Then the fondness left her voice and her mind. It hadn't been for Tenchi, 
it had been for the technical question about Ryoko, the feeling of having 
someone ask a question she knew the answer to. It reminded of her days 
as a Professor when she had taught, when she had known everything, 
when she had felt secure and expert but now that sense slowly eroded 
back into the fears, doubts and pressures of her current dilemma. It was 
hard to associate the timorous, Washu that sat in her chair, inert and inept, 
to the confident, completely competent Washu that had given lectures to 
thousands, unquestioned and unrivalled. 

Behind her mask of calm she was poisoned with fears, fears that swirled 
and tumbled around her thoughts like waves but there was one fear that 
crashed and roared far above the others, the fear that things could only get 
worse.

It had simpler before when it had been just her and Ryoko. They had both 
needed to put their painful pasts behind them and they had found exactly 
that in each other. Washu was filled with a sense of pride, Ryoko finally 
had someone to be proud of her. Washu had the chance to care for her 
child once more, Ryoko finally had some help and comfort with her 
problems. They both had found strength and stability in each other but 
Washu now feared that no matter what happened in the upcoming 
confrontation that they could never go back to the way they once were.

She feared that she was slipping further and further down this emotional 
slope with every step she took towards her children. She feared that the 
step that took her off Ryo-Ohki and into the unknown would be the last 
and after that came the fall.

And she feared that the fall would finally break her.


*Aboard Hono's ship*

She just lay there like a broken toy and let her lifeless head stare 
longingly down the illuminated corridor that was the exit to this prison, 
the only path to freedom. She knew that she couldn't leave though, she 
had already learned that the hard way, there was some kind of force, a 
painful force that would always stop her. It was useless.

So all she could do was cast desperate stares through her almost catatonic 
eyes, washed of life and hope by painful tears. To her that tunnel-like 
corridor represented a gateway to her old life, to Earth, to everything she 
had lost. Yes, it seemed that everything she had ever loved was just at the 
other end of that corridor, just out of her reach. And that world, the one 
that existed at the opposite end, was going on happily without her, just 
like it would forever more.

Then, to her complete and utter shock, a figure turned the corner and 
came into view at the end of the corridor. It was followed by a few more 
and these distant figures all sprinted through the tunnel with a motivated 
speed. They were getting closer now. One even looked a bit like, no, it 
was, it was . . .

. . . Tenchi led the charge down the hallway with Tenchi-ken's blazing 
blade swinging lethally at his side with every sprinting step he took. 
Washu, Ayeka and Mihoshi kept pace a few steps behind him, a safe 
distance from his blade that lashed out with the same intensity that Tenchi 
felt. Ayeka, while full of admiration at his selfless noble acts, was also 
filled with a measure of jealousy that Tenchi would be so determined, so 
fired up, so passionate about saving . . .

. . .Ryoko gasped in horror as an awful realisation burst into her mind. 
They were coming to rescue her or at least planned on entering the room. 
They would get hurt, the same force that hurt her every time she tried to 
escape would surely strike them down as well. For the first time in hours 
a purpose coursed through her bones as she jolted up and began shouting, 
waving, gesturing, anything that would make them stop. She had to warn 
them and she had to do it . . .

. . . Now they could she her. She was waving to them and shouting 
something. Tenchi took this for a sign of fear, a desperate, frenzied plea 
for salvation. It distressed and upset him to see a friend like that so with 
his growing zeal to save her he quickened his pace and bounded towards 
her with even more eager speed. He was almost there, he could almost 
make out what she was saying. What? What was that? Was she telling 
him to . . .

. . ."Stop!" Hono shouted as he quickly darted into view at the end of the 
passage, "Please stop or you will die!"

They all stopped a few steps short of the corridor's end. Hono, who stood 
just outside of the tunnel's mouth, now blocked the exit with his arms 
spread out to completely eclipse their path, however there was one thing 
that he couldn't eclipse and that was a certain princess's notorious 
temper.

"Are you threatening Lord Tenchi?" shrieked the outraged Ayeka.

"No, it isn't a threat, it is a fact," Hono replied in a calm but somewhat 
hurt voice. He felt very uneasy at the sudden hostility from them, only 
hours ago they had been acting very friendly and sociable to each other, 
Tenchi had even gave him permission to stay on Earth, and this sudden 
bitterness was uncomforting but it was a sacrifice he would have to make. 
However there was no reason that they had to sacrifice their lives over 
nothing. 

"There is a shield around this room to contain Ryoko," Hono explained, 
"but while it would merely stun her I fear it could kill you. Please do not 
come any further, I do not wish to harm you."

"He's telling the truth!" Ryoko shouted out, "If you try to come in this 
room it will kill you. Please Tenchi just stay where you are."

As this information filtered through to his mind Tenchi cursed himself for 
being so incompetent with his own power. The Light Hawk Wings had 
only ever formed when he had been in danger, he himself had no control 
over it and no matter how hard he tried just now they refused to answer 
his call. It was hopeless.

Their spirits began to deflate and the rivers that had been their courageous 
ideas suddenly ran dry and withered away along with the false 
expectations that they had sprung from. It was at this moment that Washu 
stepped forward, literally as she strode into her children's view from 
behind Tenchi's back and reclaimed the lead position. She was going to 
handle it now, no matter how unprepared she felt.

"Please Hono, just let her go," Washu pleaded in a plainly desperate 
voice. The mask that had once hidden traces of weakness from her voice 
was now shattered and only fragments of it could be detected in the voice 
that now pleaded for Ryoko's safe return. "I know what you think but 
you're wrong. I feel deeply sorry for you I really do but Ryoko has 
already been imprisoned for 700 years and I can't let it happen again."

"How do you know?" Hono asked in shock. She talked like she knew of 
his plans for Ryoko but that was impossible. The only person he had told 
was Ryoko and she had been in his disgusted presence the entire time, so 
how could she possibly know?

"You were fooled by Lord Katsuhito," Washu explained, "I heard your 
entire conversation across the link."

"I am deeply sorry," Hono apologised with a deep bow as he remembered 
some of what he had said, especially the parts relating to Washu, "I never 
intended for you to hear any of that, I never meant to hurt your feelings."

"It's okay," Washu assured, although her voice was unconvincing and 
stayed true to her disappointment and hurt, "I can understand why you 
feel that way but you have to understand why this is wrong. You believe 
Ryoko to be the source of all your suffering but you are wrong, the root 
of it all was Kagato and he is already dead. Come back to Earth and I'll 
prove it."

Then it all seemed to stop. The talk, the movement, the whole moment 
seemed to stand still in the light of this absolute truth. Hono just stood 
there as these words flowed into his mind and began to reform and 
reshape his ideas and the others just stood and watched him with hopeful 
expectation. Was it all going to work out well after all? Could this really 
be it?

No.

"I'm sorry but I can't," Hono replied with a regretful shake of his head, 
"For 4000 years I have twisted my soul around this one belief and clung 
to it for this one notion was the only thing that saved me from slipping 
into insanity. Now you are asking me to tear away from it and I can't, 
even if I try. It has become my backbone and I can't rip it out for 
someone that my heart tells me is a monster." 

"You're wrong," Tenchi responded with a much calmer understanding in 
his voice than Ayeka, "Ryoko made the same mistake when she was 
freed, she attacked me but in the end she didn't go through with it and 
now look, we're close friends. If you were to do the same I'm sure it 
would work out for you as well."

"But I don't want to live her life, all I want release," Hono pleaded in an 
increasingly desperate voice, "I have all this anger and hate and it all 
points to her and I will never be free from it until I fulfil it's wish. It is not 
a matter of calculated vengeance, it is a need but there is no need for you 
to suffer as well."

"What do you mean?" Ayeka asked as she sensed a strange lack of 
hostility in those last words that had appeared to form a threat but the 
neutral tones of his voice seemed inappropriate for the apparently 
aggressive message behind them.

"If you do not leave then you will eventually be arrested under charges of 
assisting a wanted criminal," he explained, "I know that you are all 
innocent people with good intentions but the authorities would not be as 
understanding so I beg you to leave now while you still can."

This new information brought a drastic sense of urgency, which in turn 
provoked a level of panic to pester their thoughts like an invisible force 
pushing them forward at an uncomfortable speed, forcing them to rush 
their thinking.

But Washu tried to remain calm. She tried to focus and divert her 
thoughts and actions past these obstacles. She tried to emulate that 
Professor of years gone by who had been undefeatable in her field and 
always knew what to do. But this wasn't the methodical field of 
professional science that she was expert in, this was the field of pure 
emotion, a field that she often struggled in. What could she possibly do?

Her mind was full of suggestions, probabilities and possibilities but none 
of them were satisfactory. They all ended the same way, one child was 
cast away and that was something she couldn't bear to do but something 
that she feared she had to.

The moment had come, the clock had been ticking away and she had 
known it and now it had finally reached zero, time up. She now stood at 
the very edge and knew that the time had come to take the final step. She 
had to, she had claimed command and now she had to make a definite 
decision that would affect the outcome. What would she choose, what 
path would she decide to lead them all down?

"Tenchi," she began, finally taking the situation into her own hands, 
"There is something we can do but only you can do it."

With this promising offer grasping his attention, Tenchi listened intently 
as Washu instructed him on what to do, out of earshot of all the others. 
Hono, Ayeka and Mihoshi just watched on in a baffled confusion, 
wondering what could possibly be done to aid their seemingly helpless 
cause.

Finally it was done and Tenchi stood away from Washu as he took the 
extinguished Tenchi-ken in his grasp and held the hilt out in front of him. 
The hilt pointed directly towards his chest and he closed his eyes with a 
strange focus etched on his face. In fact it almost looked as if he was 
going to . . .

"No Tenchi!" Hono shouted at him, "Don't be a fool, you don't have to 
kill yourself over this!"

He couldn't understand why the young prince would have such an 
extreme reaction to this but with the way he held the sword what else 
could it be. In a second the blade would ignite and pierce through 
Tenchi's chest. Was this some sort of threat, to kill himself unless Ryoko 
was released? Was this suicide threat their last desperate means to . . .

Then it happened. 

The air buzzed with the sound of a freshly ignited blade and the sudden 
shock made Ayeka recoil back as she closed her startled eyes firmly shut. 
In the past she had witnessed Yosho perform many tricks with the master 
key, she had seen him hold it in many ways but never like that and now 
with this wild fear of the unknown she was almost too frightened of the 
traumatising possibilities to dare reopen her sealed eyes. A sudden sense 
of doom and failed dreams consumed her mind, it seemed like the 
apocalypse of her carefree life. Or was it? Would Tenchi really do 
something so drastically stupid? She slowly forced herself to open her 
eyes. She needed answers to her questions.

Was Tenchi dead? Was it really all over?

No.

Ryoko stood there with her light sword firmly in her grasp and her newly 
acquired gem on her wrist, the one that Tenchi had just prayed across to 
her. She also wore a different expression. Gone was the vacant death that 
had haunted her eyes, they now sparkled like virgin stars, small sparks of 
hope.

But would that hope alone be enough?


*Masaki Shrine*

Katsuhito felt a light-headed wave wash over him as the strength was 
sapped from his body. Then to his surprise he slowly began to recover 
and the hazy feeling soon disappeared. He could definitely sense the 
difference, the core of his strength was now slightly weaker, his internal 
flame had been dimmed but was still burning. Why?

The gems were the only thing that still powered Funaho and therefore the 
only thing that still maintained his life force, the only thing between his 
life and death. As long as they were imbedded in the master key then their 
connection to Funaho and support to him would be preserved. If he was 
still alive then they must have only used one gem and left him one to 
survive with.

Washu must have known. He had deliberately not told anyone because he 
knew that one day they would need the other gems and he was willing to 
sacrifice himself for the others but Washu did have a habit of knowing 
everything anyway. 

Or perhaps she didn't.

Perhaps she just couldn't bear to choose. If she had taken both gems from 
Tenchi-ken then it would be over, there would be no question about it, 
Washu would have chosen one child and cast the other away and perhaps 
she just wasn't able to do that.

The old man frowned, this was what he had been afraid of. If Washu was 
being indecisive then it could jeopardise their safety. If his guess was 
right and her emotions were impeding Washu from throwing her full 
weight behind their cause then they could all be in great peril indeed.

It could be their downfall.


*Hono's ship*

They watched on in horror as Ryoko and Hono engaged in a deadly 
battle, each targeting the other's wrist. Each held one gem and if they 
could remove the other's gem then they would hold two and therefore 
grasp victory.

But Washu could award victory at any moment she chose. Tenchi still 
held the last gem and despite his intense desire to see Ryoko safe he had 
agreed not to distribute it without Washu's permission.

Although that last gem was imbedded in the sword hilt she could almost 
feel it in her hands, she held the fate of her children in her palm, and yet 
she didn't act. She just let them fight it out for themselves, let them 
decide their own fates.

This power she had over them was an uncomfortable burden. The gem 
was small and light but its power was immeasurable and the 
responsibility weighed her down with the force of a mountain, not that of 
a small red jewel. And she remained trapped under that mountain of 
pressure that stopped her from moving forward, from making a decision.

But how could she choose? She was being asked to do the impossible, 
how could she possibly reject one of her children?

That was how it seemed now, her dream of them all living in harmony 
had now wilted into fantasy and the stark reality was that one would win, 
one would lose and she would be left with the traumatic pain of a lost 
child, again.

Her heart leaned ever so slightly towards Ryoko, they had been together 
longer and their future together definitely held more promise, but to 
uproot her heart and place it completely in Ryoko's side would leave the 
its roots desolate and disconnected and her aching heart would wither and 
die.

She couldn't bear that pain, she just couldn't bring herself to choose.

So the fight went on and it went badly. It was a classic battle of ability 
against dexterity, Ryoko's unusual talents combating Hono's tailored 
skills. It brought memories drifting back to Ayeka, memories of the 
lonely nights that she had been kept awake with worried thoughts of her 
beloved Yosho battling the wicked demon. This was very much how she 
had pictured it, graceful expertise against brute power, but the feelings 
that she experienced now were like nothing she would have ever 
imagined.

For Ryoko was losing and it filled Ayeka, it filled them all with a 
dreadful despair and a sense of fretful, worried confusion. It made no 
sense. They all knew that Ryoko could fight much better than this but the 
spring in her step, the passion in her punch, it was gone. Why?

Washu knew why. Hono was fighting with all his heart and soul. In his 
mind he was a valiant knight fighting an evil, murderous demon. He was 
fighting a just cause and was making sacrifices to fulfil it. It was the kind 
of story that heroes were made of and had Washu read of his past as 
fiction in a book then she would probably support him and agree with his 
views but this wasn't a book and it was unlikely to have a fairy tale 
ending.

However from his misled perspective he was a grand, honourable warrior 
with a just cause and with every thrust of his mighty sword he struck out 
at the dark evil with a passionate, justified, righteous venom.

And then there was Ryoko. She clumsily stumbled through the fight with 
a gravely flawed technique and dragging spirits. In her mind she wasn't a 
valiant warrior, she was just scum and wasn't really sure if she deserved 
to live or not. At times it almost seemed as if she was deliberately 
sabotaging her own attempts.

For when her sword thrust forward it was slowed by her grasping guilt as 
it drained the vigour from her arms. The hope that had once glittered in 
her eyes seemed to fade with each dying second. The passion and drive 
was gone from her fighting, she was just striking out at fears.

He fought with the ferocity of his 4000 years of hate and with the 
justification of her countless years of sin. The pain and anger of a million 
victims had been whipped and tortured into him and now it struck 
through him, you could see it in his eyes, they burned with the consumed 
hate of countless taken lives, and all of this force went behind his every 
assault.

And she only had her strangling guilt.

The power may be balanced but the drive was not and eventually the 
inevitable happened. Ryoko lost.

She dodged his sword thrust but never noticed the cleverly disguised 
elbow as it jutted out from his plunging arm and crushed into her face. 
She stumbled backwards in a stunned daze and by the time she had 
reorientated herself and regained her focus it was too late.

His blade was already cutting a swift path through the air with it's bitter 
sights set upon her wrist and Ryoko knew, they all knew that there wasn't 
enough time left for Ryoko to counter. The old Ryoko maybe, but this 
weary depressed shadow of that talented warrior stood no chance. 

It was over.

Tenchi fumbled desperately about with his sword, preparing to disobey 
Washu's orders but he knew it would be in vain. There wasn't enough 
time left to send her another gem.

Ayeka felt a sharp sense of fear and concern strike her heart with a 
surprising depth that really shuddered her. It was only then, as Ryoko was 
being taken away from them, that Ayeka discovered her true fondness for 
Ryoko and the underlying friendship that she had been to proud to notice 
until now. This sudden moment of realisation began to fill the princess 
with a hurtful blend of shamefaced guilt and anxious terror.

Mihoshi was also distressed by the violence and pain displayed in front of 
her. Her thoughts might not have been as focused and informed as the 
others but she knew that Ryoko was a good person and didn't want to see 
anything bad happen to her. It seemed so unfair.

Then there was Washu. Now that it the end was near, now that the choice 
was being made for her, she felt a deep sense of fear that hollowed her 
soul. For a moment she no longer saw her tragic son there and it was just 
Ryoko, her treasured daughter, about to be hurt, again. 

And it was all Washu's fault, she had failed Ryoko. She could have 
prevented this but she had given in to her fears, she had let her emotions 
hold her back just like Katsuhito had warned her not to and now her 
daughter would have to suffer the extreme consequences for her mother's 
weakness. 

Mother.

Washu felt a sense of self-disgust at the mere thought of that word. She 
wasn't fit to be their mother. She had failed Hono in the past and she was 
failing Ryoko now. Her beautiful, sweet daughter was about to be 
dragged back into a tormenting imprisonment that would surely break her 
heart, soul and grip on sanity. And it was all her fault.

All of these subconscious thoughts and notions were all condensed into 
one concentrated, overriding feeling as Washu saw that blade fly towards 
her daughter and that was a strong, desperate desire to see Ryoko safe and 
well again, to hold her child in her arms and protect her from danger. It 
was this, all these compacted feelings, emotions and thoughts that burst 
the barriers and flowed like a torrent across the link to Ryoko.

And that was where Ryoko's response came from. She felt a focused 
flash from the link as if a million crammed thoughts were being 
downloaded into her mind. It was like an intense, condensed barrage of 
pure emotions and feelings and as her mind struggled to cope with this 
massive overload it triggered something in the back of her divinely 
complex mind. 

Time seemed to slow, almost to the point that it stopped altogether and 
the surge from the link began to translate itself into a most peculiar form 
for in these deadly moments Ryoko saw her life flash before her eyes, but 
not from her own perspective . . .


*Washu's Lab - Countless Years Ago*

The renowned scientific genius Washu Hakubi sat in her lab completely 
engrossed in her latest experiment. It had taken her weeks to prepare and 
set up but now it was near the critical, finishing stages. Surrounded by the 
invigorating aroma of the plant life she was investigating, her thoughts 
were focused with an intense refinement and extraordinary vigilance.

(Adjust this by point five degrees, and cut off the oxygen flow. . . now! 
There, I think that should be it, now all I need to do is . . . .)

"Peel damn you!"

For the first time in hours she turned her head away from her research to 
face this intruding disturbance. A few feet away from her, positioned on a 
floating cushion was the not-so scientifically renowned Ryoko Hakubi, 
her face an expression of undivided concentration as she tried to hack 
away the hard skin of a foreign fruit. 

"I didn't hear you come in," Washu said as she stared at her struggling 
daughter.

"Huh?" Ryoko replied as she stared up from her stubborn fruit, "Well you 
haven't noticed much of anything lately."

"I've told you already," Washu sighed, "This is only for a few days. I 
need it for my research."

"Yeah whatever," Ryoko muttered sullenly as she moodily returned her 
focus to her battle against this abnormally tough skin. Damn alien fruits, 
who cares if they do contain special vitamins, they were so frustratingly 
awkward to peel.

"And you shouldn't be using such a sharp knife, Little Ryoko," Washu 
warned as she too returned her attention to her work, "You might hurt 
yourself."

Ryoko muttered something about not being little anymore but Washu 
ignored it, these critical steps would require her total attention. She shut 
down the link to avoid any stray thoughts from distracting her and began 
the sequence. The success of her experiment would all depend on the next 
minute. She carefully watched for signs of the reaction, patiently looking 
for the moment to start collecting data, awaiting the moment when days 
of preparations would finally pay off, and then it slowly started, it was 
almost . . . 

"Argh!"

Washu's head spun around in distracted surprise just in time to see the 
bloody knife clatter onto the floor. Ryoko's fearful, panicking eyes were 
now focused on her sliced hand. Her once smooth flesh was now scarred 
with a deep red canal that over flowed with her spilling blood.

As a scientist part of her mind was desperately trying to haul her attention 
back towards her experiment but as a mother a much larger portion of her 
mind kept her focus glued on her panicking daughter. With complete 
disregard for her precious research she leapt out of her cushion and ran to 
her daughter's side.

With a swift hand she summoned her computer and went about healing 
her daughter's wounds. Ryoko just sat there and whimpered quietly in 
pain as her mother held her bleeding hand still for repairs but what hurt 
Ryoko even more than the cut was the guilty sense of failure. She had 
been learning about healing herself in training but she was finding it 
difficult. Her mother had told her not to worry, that it was a very hard 
skill to learn, but as she sat there being pampered over a small cut she felt 
helpless, and more than that she felt like a burden for she knew that with 
each passing second wasted on her that her mother's vital experiment was 
being ruined. By the time Washu was done healing the damage it was far 
too late to salvage any of her work.

"You don't know your own strength," Washu smiled as she carefully 
inspected the repairs, "but I think that's it completely healed now."

"But I should have been able to heal it myself," Ryoko sniffed, with the 
stinging pain still in her hand and the stinging sense of guilt in her mind, 
"And now I've ruined your experiment."

"Perhaps it's for the best," Washu replied as she took a last glance at her 
monumental experiment that now lay in ruins. Important as it had been it 
had also consumed a lot of her time and as a result she and Ryoko hadn't 
seen a lot of each other in the past few days. This little scare had 
reminded Washu of that, it had reminded her of her true responsibilities 
and duties and filled her with a sudden desire to spend more time with 
Ryoko.

"Come on," she offered warmly as she handed her daughter a towel, "Get 
cleaned up and I'll take you somewhere for lunch, okay?"

Ryoko just nodded appreciatively as she wiped the pooling tears onto her 
sleeve. It wasn't important that her mom didn't even know it was actually 
teatime, what was important was that Washu had shown Ryoko that her 
daughter meant more to her than her work. And that touched Ryoko, for 
coming from someone like Washu, it made her very special indeed.


*Washu's house - Countless Years Ago*

(Shipwrecked.) 

(Only two had survived and made it to the safety. They had been washed 
ashore on a plank of driftwood and now found themselves marooned on 
this desert island.)

(The midnight darkness surrounded their lone tent, warded off only by the 
burning campfire that had actually been lit inside of their tent and gave 
off a surprising lack of smoke.)

(Nevermind, what really mattered was as the two heroic survivors used up 
the last of their supplies they were in great and exciting danger. Trapped 
on a desert island, no way to escape, running out of supplies, grabbed 
around the waist . . .)

(. . .grabbed around the waist?)  

"Ahh!" yelped the young Ryoko as she felt a pair of adult hands clamp 
around her middle. She jerked her head round to see the grinning face of 
Washu as it peeked through a gap in the tent canvas.

Washu took a minute to inspect this makeshift 'tent'. It consisted of four 
chairs, each at a corner, with a very large and expensive table cloth 
draped across them, enclosing all that lay inside very much like at tent 
would. Underneath this cover and on top of a bed of cushion and pillows 
sat Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki at opposite ends of a bright table lamp that cast 
a warm, comforting glow across the tent to combat the 'midnight 
darkness' that had been created by simply flicking off the living room 
light switch. 

It had been this that had given them away. Washu had walked in the 
house and found all of the lights off. She had assumed that Little Ryoko 
had been a good girl and gone to bed early but then the warm shining 
sheets that glowed in the middle of the darkened living room like a firefly 
against the black night sky had soon told her different.

"So this is what you get up to when I'm not around," Washu observed. It 
seemed that Little Ryoko had been read one too many bedtime stories.

"Hi mom," Ryoko smiled sweetly as she tried to act as if nothing had 
happened, "You're sure back from your lectures early."

"Yes, they were cancelled," Washu replied with a distracted look as 
something caught her eye.

"What are you two eating?" she asked as she pointed to the bowls in front 
of Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki, the bowls that contained 'the last of their 
supplies'.

"Oh this," Ryoko chirped as she held up her bowl for her mother to see, 
"This is our special stew. Do you want some? Me and Ryo-Ohki made it 
ourselves."

"Yes, I can see that," Washu replied flatly as she regarded the bowl of 
what could only be described as fudge and carrot paste.

Washu then stared at her daughter with a serious expression and Ryoko 
smiled innocently back as her counterpart miawwed happily in support 
from under the small lopsided straw hat that Ryoko had planted on her 
head. Washu assumed that it must have been part of the game and they 
did seem to be having such innocent fun with it all. Still, Washu knew 
what she had to do.

"Okay enough," she motioned, "Pack this up, it's bed time."

"But please Mom," Ryoko pleaded as her innocent bravado immediately 
slumped into a disappointed desperate effort to change her mother's 
mind. She appealed to Washu's heart through her young innocent, heart 
wrenching eyes and quickly shuffled over to make a third space among 
the sea of cushions. "You can be a survivor too," she offered in a heart-
rending, imploring voice.

Washu looked down at her daughter, the begging eyes, the adorable 
expression, the small hand offering Washu a space by her side. How 
could she possibly deny her?

"Well okay then," Washu finally relented with a smile as she shrunk 
down to Ryoko's size and joined them in the tent, "So what are we 
playing?"
  

*Washu's Lab - Countless years ago*

"It's all right. You really don't have to do this."

"Yes I do," Washu replied firmly as she drilled the birth certificate to the 
wall, "I've had enough of you coming to me with these stupid questions. 
It hurts me to see you so upset like that."

"I'm sorry," Ryoko replied quietly as hung her head, "I never meant to 
hurt you."

Washu paused for a moment to look at her daughter. Her cyan hair 
drooped over her feature that were surely forming hidden frown, a sign of 
her continuing pain. She was upset, yet again.

"I didn't mean it that way honey," Washu replied sympathetically as she 
put down her tools to devote all her attention to her daughter, "but it just 
gets to me sometimes. You're a kind, caring person but you always listen 
to what people say about you and you believe them. Every time a jealous 
fool spins a cruel lie about you, you always end up hurt and upset by it. It 
just shouldn't be like that. You deserve better."

"I know," Ryoko mumbled faintly with her uneasy eyes cast down to her 
fidgeting feet.

Washu's heart hurt even more as she watched her troubled daughter. It 
wasn't fair, she was so impressionable, the second that a rehashed rumour 
or twisted lie was spawned from some brat's envious mouth then her 
innocent Little Ryoko was ready to believe every word of it.

And it wounded her as well. These comments and insults were wearing 
away at Ryoko's frail beliefs and Washu feared that one day someone 
would finally break her daughter and convince her that these twisted lies 
were true.

No. She wouldn't let that happen.

Never.


*Present Day*

((Ryoko!))

That one sharp flash, like a strong blast of wind, tore across the link and 
sunk into Ryoko's mind as Hono's blade inched ever closer. Ryoko only 
had a split second to digest all these feelings and thoughts that had been 
cannoned towards her from her mother's mind.

Washu still loved her. Despite all the trouble that Ryoko had caused her 
long lost brother, despite all these new revelations of pain and suffering 
that were now added to her never-ending tower of sins and despite the 
obvious indecisive torment that plagued Washu's mind, deep down her 
mother still cared deeply for her.

And it was more than that, there was a meaningful message burrowed in 
it all. Was this all a twisted a lie? Was she just impressionable like her 
mother had said? Had she let herself be fooled by Hono's heated 
comments? 

Was she really innocent? 

No.

Her mother may love her but unconditional love alone didn't atone for all 
her sins, it wasn't enough to save her now. She had still hurt her brother, 
she had still killed millions, no, the love of one person just wasn't enough 
in the face of her unrepentable crimes.

As they watched the blazing path of Hono's approaching sword, her eyes 
still carried that dwindling hope. Those virgin stars still sparkled with a 
wholesome potential that seemed lost in the dark sea of sorrow that was 
slowly swallowing them up. But soon those virgin stars would be doused 
forever.  

Soon it would be over.

Then as her mind was faced with the imminent peril and freezing fear of 
the incoming blade, something in the back of her head shook itself free of 
it's sunken shackles and floated to surface of her mind. Perhaps it was 
interference from the link, perhaps it was caused by faint remnants of 
Zero, perhaps a result of her divine origins or perhaps it was simply 
caused by the sheer dire desperation of the moment but for whatever 
miraculous reason it happened. A memory of her own began to emerge 
and reveal itself in the dying moments of her life . . .


*Jurain Temple - Thousands of Years Ago*

It was a holy place of worship.
It was a shrine devoted to the divine Tsunami.
It was a place of forgiveness and sanctuary.
It was a scene of calm and reflection.

And now it was the scene of a horrendous bloodbath.

An intruder stood in the middle of this holy ground, her eyes burning with 
a misty green hate that seemed to contain the merciless hate of hell itself. 
Against the cold night sky this demon had created a hellish shrine of her 
own for as the wooden structure of the temple burned with bitter pain, the 
ground awash with blood that warmed in the face of the raging flames, 
this place of prayer had taken on the hostile character of hell itself.

And as she slew her last victim her thirst seemed quenched for the misty 
green hatred vanished from her eyes and was replaced by a look of 
absolute shock and soul-gripping horror.

"No," her haunted voice whispered as she jerked back from the hacked up 
corpse beneath her, "No, it's happening again. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, 
he made me do it. It wasn't me, it was him, it was . . ."

And then her whimpering chants faded into sobs as she curled up into a 
frightened ball in the middle of the burning temple and cried traumatised 
tears as her never-ending nightmare continued. She just closed her eyes in 
fear and prayed that it would go away, she just wanted . . .

"You poor possessed child," came a soft, sympathetic voice that was full 
of gentle pity. Pity? Sympathy? For her?

In a shocked surprise she slowly opened her tearful eyes to seek the 
source of this voice. There on the cold floor lay an elderly priest, 
wounded and dying, with a look of pure empathy and compassion 
directed at the young girl that had only moments ago fatally injured him. 
Had he not seen it with his own eyes then he would never have believed it 
but now he was in no doubt that this so-called demon was nothing than a 
poor child possessed by the true demons that plagued her tortured soul. It 
wasn't her fault.

"Come here child," he beckoned with a trembling hand and a strained, 
forced but warm and welcoming smile.

She pensively crawled towards the fallen priest with a look of pure fear 
and intimidation, her expression completely void of any understanding or 
recollection as if she had just woken from a horrid dream, it was a 
shocking contrast to the rampaging demon that had ravaged the temple 
only moments ago. By the time she reached the dying priest she was 
trembling with a timid fear.

"Don't be afraid," he assured her as he took her fragile, nervous hands in 
his bloody palms, "I just want you to know that I forgive. We all do."

"Forgive me?" the young demon asked in a shocked surprise. This idea of 
forgiveness, of being worthy of forgiveness was completely foreign to 
her. Why would someone, even a priest, want to save her battered and 
blackened soul?

"It is clear to me that you are not to blame," his weak yet understanding 
voice continued, "This atrocity must pale in comparison to your tortured 
existence. I pray for your salvation."

She felt tears begin to well up again. Someone understood, for the first 
time in the years that her disjointed memories spanned someone had 
finally understood her. He wasn't shouting or cursing, he wasn't 
damming her to the lowest, deepest bowls of hell. He had sympathy, he 
understood!

The old man coughed and spluttered as his injuries began to claim the 
faint traces of life that he still had left.

"Please don't die," Ryoko begged as the tears began to stream down her 
face, "I don't want to be alone."

"I'm sorry but my time has come," he whispered as he gave her hands a 
trembling but supportive squeeze, "But just promise me this. Promise that 
you will never be forced to bear the guilt for this. Do you promise?"

"Yes sir," she replied faintly with a quaking nod that shook the flowing 
tears from her chin.

He smiled a content smile. He knew that his death was only seconds away 
but he now felt satisfied with his last acts of life. So with this he finally 
submitted to the sedating warmth from the flames around him, he 
released his strained grip on his life, closed his eyes and drifted into a 
blunting death with the whispered words, "Take care young one."

"Goodbye," Ryoko desolately whispered as she felt his cold hands fall 
from her's, leaving a deep red smear upon her palms. She had his blood 
on her hands but somehow it wasn't the same as before. The blood didn't 
seem like a shameful stain nor did it didn't feel like a coppery coat of 
death, it actually seemed quite warm and comforting, a token of 
forgiveness.

As she knelt in the middle of this god-forsaken inferno she felt a new 
wondrous sensation, a notion that she wasn't the hell bound, 
unredeemable demon that she had been led to believe she was. This idea 
filled with a newfound sense of hope and faith.

That wouldn't do at all.

A tall man strode into the burning temple with the merciless cruelty of 
Satan himself. The flames flanked him at both sides and seemed to bow 
and salute their dark master as his angered steps tore a furious path 
towards the defenceless girl. The blood stained his shoes, the flames 
reflected in the glass of his tiny spectacles and his twisted mind was 
already planning how to eradicate this uplifting memory from her already 
scrambled mind.  


*Present Day*

She had been forgiven. She had already been forgiven.

All of this was for nothing. It wasn't penance for her crimes, it was just 
vengeance for him, it was a remedy for his misery. Ryoko could 
remember when she had been freed. At first she too had been giddy with 
her new sense of freedom and had decided to vent some of her pent up 
emotions on Tenchi, but she had controlled herself before anyone got 
seriously hurt. 

Now Ryoko realised that he wasn't justified, he was just misled and weak 
and finally she finally began to question why she should suffer just 
because he couldn't let go of his past anguish, just because he couldn't 
managed what she had already done.

And what of her promise, her vow to the forgiving, compassionate priest 
who had taken pity on her. Was she going to break her promise to him? 
Was she going to let that kind soul down?

Was she going to spit in the face of her forgiveness?

No!

Her eyes that had twinkled with hope now burst into a raging drive and 
potent passion. Those virgin stars ignited and released their full potential 
and burned with the unrestrained might of the sun itself. As his sword 
swung towards her, Ryoko's eyes finally stared back at him with an 
intense self-belief, a powerful desire, a reborn will to live.

And found themselves matched.

This drive, this newfound force was mirrored in his eyes as they burned 
back at her with the hate of countless taken lives. They were equal now, 
in both power and drive, the only difference being that as Hono's blade 
came slicing down like the swift wings of death, his attack was already in 
motion. His force was already applied and only milliseconds away from 
striking with deadly force.

Would Ryoko's newfound desire be enough to stop the inevitable or was 
it over already? Would this awakened power ever be unleashed or would 
it perish before its time?

Well her time was now up, her visions were over and with only 
milliseconds left Ryoko finally made her move and prepared to fight for 
her future.



*Chapter Seven - Freedom*

Ryoko's eyes locked onto the incoming blade and flashed with an 
untamed instinct as a wild impulse jolted her mind and body into action. 
Her vulnerable hand jerked out the sword's path, her whole arm being 
lunged into a hasty, wrenched swing.

Her hand was clear but she was not.

As her arm swung around to hide her hand safely behind her back, her 
waist and body had to swivel around to compensate and maintain balance. 
The result was disastrous, she hadn't evaded at all, she had merely placed 
the side of her face in the blade's path instead of her wrist.

The room was filled with a sharp, acute scream as the blistering blade 
sliced down the side of her face, shredding the skin, scoring the flesh and 
leaving a bleeding wound right down the length of her slashed ear. 

She stumbled back, extinguishing her light sword so she could hold both 
her hands to her injury. She clenched her eyes closed and grimaced in 
pain as she healed the painful cut, her bloody hands still cupped around 
the wound.

But soon it was over, the blood flow stopped, the hands slowly moved 
away and her eyes reopened to see . . .

. . . her relentless brother in mid-charge.

There was no time left, there would be no miraculous escape this time, 
with her healing hands completely out of position, her vulnerable body in 
no kind of stance at all, it seemed hopeless. All she could do was flinch, 
withdrawing her cringing face and raising her arms to shield herself, 
exposing the very same hand that she had so costly protected only 
moments ago.

Then it finally happened.

Hono's blade came slicing across and finally severed Ryoko's wrist, 
sending a bright red stone flying through the air as it was showered with a 
spray of blood. It was finally over, all they could do now was to watch 
Ryoko's drained body slump into an unconscious heap.

She had lost.

Tenchi just froze in a dazed disbelief. She had been defeated, the 
vibrancy, the spirit, it was gone, gone forever. She would never again 
wake him up in the morning, or lavish attention on him, or fill his daily 
life with that extra pinch of spice that only she could provide. All of that, 
her entire presence had just been torn from the fabric of his life and he 
left a gaping hole, a distressing feeling that something essential was 
missing.

It was only now that Tenchi truly appreciated the colourful contribution 
she had added to his life, he finally realised the enormous value that he 
placed on her. And he had never even had the chance to say goodbye.

In fact as she lay there unconscious, unable to hear anything, Tenchi 
found himself with a lot that he wanted to say to her but he knew he 
would never get the chance to tell her.

Ayeka felt the sorrow too. All of Ryoko's previous faults, crimes and 
outrages were overlooked, status and upbringing, her very programming 
was forgotten, all overridden by a mourning sense of lost.

The thought that this would almost certainly guarantee her Tenchi never 
even entered her mind. All that occupied her thoughts was this stark 
contrast as her sudden newfound sympathy and appreciation for Ryoko 
was cast against her previous behaviour towards the space pirate. All the 
insults, all the fights, all the abuse that had probably bruised Ryoko 
underneath her tough skin, it was disgraceful. 

Her perspective on Ryoko had been completely skewed by her imminent 
loss and Ayeka found herself having thoughts that she would never have 
dreamed of not so long ago but her sudden spurt of compassion brought 
her previous actions into a new, shameful light. She suddenly held this 
strange notion that she had let Ryoko down, that she should have 
befriended this poor helpless girl that lay in pain before her.

All she wanted now was a second chance to set those past wrongs right 
for as she saw her friend slumped on the floor she suddenly found herself 
craving Ryoko's acceptance and friendship. 

But by far the worst affected was Washu. Her soul howled in anguish. 
The guilt and agony rained down on her, it soaked her mind, drenched her 
spirits and doused her dwindling hopes.

Her dying heart now felt barren. It had once flourished like fresh, green 
pastures, it had flourished with blissful pride and unreserved joy at her 
recovering daughter. Whenever she saw Ryoko she saw a determined 
young girl who tried with all her heart and soul to fit it and to regain all 
that she had so tragically lost. It had filled Washu with such complete, 
wholesome pride to she her daughter achieve and prosper.

But now as she watched her daughter scream and collapse in pain that 
serene landscape rotted into a barren desert. In her heart there was a 
drought of joy, all she could taste were the stinging sands of grief as the 
winds of guilt blew it all into her eyes, delivering the pain to her, causing 
the grit of grief to scrape it her eyes and bleed tears from them.

She felt nothing for her triumphing son, that last blow had severed much 
more than Ryoko's hand. She could no longer associate the armed man 
before her with the child she had once held in her arms. Finally she was 
able to make her choice but she knew it was too late, it was over.

It was too late to choose, too late to send another gem and to late to 
apologise or admit and they all felt a deep, shameful remorse for failing 
Ryoko. You could see it, their grief was engraved on their distressed 
expressions.

Hono just watched them regretfully. This was causing them a lot of pain, 
it was a shame, they didn't deserve to be put through it, they were good 
people, but he just had to keep reminding himself that she was not. It was 
her fault that they were suffering, not his.

"I'm truly sorry you had to witness that," he apologised as he moved to 
collect the detached gem, "but it was necessary. I am only delivering 
justice."

He searched around the ground for the missing jewel and found it lying a 
few feet away from his sister's fallen form. He slowly reached down to 
collect it, to grasp victory, to . . .

. . . Wait! Something wasn't right. 

His approaching hand stopped in midair and hovered above the 'gem' as 
he inspected it closer.

The colour, it seemed slightly off, and the size too, he could have sworn 
that the gems were slightly smaller. Perhaps all of the gems were 
different. Well he hadn't seen the other gems before so, yes, that must be 
it.

But wait! What was that protruding from it? A fastening of some sort? 
Why would . . .

"Argh!" he howled in pain as a radiant orange blade came carving down 
and severed his outstretched hand, sending his gem skirting out of his 
grasp. He fell to his knees as his whole body winced in pain. Despite the 
pain he forced his gaze up to the impossibility he knew was sure to meet 
him.

There stood Ryoko with her sword in her grasp and a twinkling red jewel 
on her ear. His eyes widened and his breath gasped as it all started to 
make shocking sense. 

A good swordsman would never drop their sword and leave themselves 
vulnerable, but she had. Even with the pain it seemed unnecessary and 
unreasonable to dedicate both hands to her cut ear, she didn't really need 
two hands to cover the wound . . .

. . . but she would need two hands to perform a switch.

She hadn't been healing the cut with her hands, she had been switching 
her gem with her red earring, all so she could lower his defences, lure him 
into a false sense of security and strike when he least expected it.

But that led to an even more frightening possibility. Had she planned it all 
out? Had she let him cut her on purpose? Was she really that good? As 
the blood loss began to sap his strength away from him, the valiant knight 
began to wonder how mighty this unslayable beast truly was.

Although the sense of failure, biting as it was, hurt him there was 
something that wounded him even more, a feeling that shocked him to the 
very core, to the very backbone of his being. 

Doubt.  

As he looked into her eyes he didn't see the victorious smirk of a taunting 
demon nor did he see the resentful hate of a brutal beast. Instead he saw 
an upset look of remorse and sorrowful regret and no matter how hard he 
tried he could not associate this expression of pure compassion with the 
evil beast that his vengeance called for.

In fact the look on her face, the look of sheer remorse, was strikingly 
similar to the face of the judge that had sentenced him but as he gazed 
into her eyes he could not bring himself to utter the same words he had 
spoke all those years ago. The demons in his mind silenced his tongue.

So he fell silently into unconsciousness, leaving his sister unforgiven and 
his troubles unresolved. She just watched him with a guilty look of 
remorse imprinted on her face, she had hurt him, again. She had never 
meant to do it, she didn't want to hurt him, he didn't deserve to suffer 
anymore but she had been forced to do it. Why? Why did it always have 
to end like this? It was so unfair, she just wished that for once it would . . 

"Ryoko, snap out of it!" Tenchi shouted as he gave her a light shake.

"Tenchi?" her soft, dazed voice asked as her wandering thoughts finally 
focused back to the real world. Her eyes darted across to the corridor in 
confused wonder of how they could have possibly . . . .

"The shield disappeared once he lost consciousness," he explained, "Are 
you okay?"

"Yes Tenchi," she replied softly, his gentle hands still lingering on her 
shoulders, "I'm fine."

Finally Tenchi released his mild grip on her and something else seized 
her attention. There was her mother stooping over her brother's fallen 
body. She looked sad, in fact she looked very upset. Was she angry? Did 
she hate Ryoko for hurting Hono? Or could it be something else, 
something far worse?

"Mom?" she asked in a fearful voice, scared of what her mother might be 
planning to do. The link told her nothing but you could see it in her eyes, 
Washu was preparing to do something terrible. 

She was preparing to choose. 

"You four go back to Ryo-Ohki," Washu ordered in a very solemn, 
forcibly-detached tone of voice, "I have to stay here a while longer."

"But Mom!" panicked Ryoko, terrified of what might be about to happen. 
She was afraid that the moment her back was turned her mother would do 
the unthinkable and run away from her. She didn't believe it would 
happen but the secrecy fuelled her fears and those fears alarmed her mind 
and awakened her insecurities.

"I can't just leave him like this," Washu told them sternly, "I have to 
heal his wound or else he might die of blood loss."

((And I want some privacy to say goodbye)) Washu explained more 
tenderly and sorrowfully across the link, ((I'm not going to see him again 
for a long time. Please Ryoko, this means a lot to me.))

Ryoko nodded understandingly and slowly shuffled out of the room, 
wordlessly followed by the others. She didn't like the idea but she had to 
trust her mother, she had to believe in one of the few people who believed 
in her. She just prayed that they could recover from this and go back to 
the way things were.

She prayed that they could all be happy once more.


*Later That Night*

(She ran and ran but still they surrounded her, still the voices followed. 
They were closing in around her now, they were dominating over her, 
shouting at her, bombarding her with taunts, forcing her to listen . . .)

("A replacement, despicable!")

("Why do you cling to your false dreams, you know that it isn't really 
true.")

("That love was intended for someone else, you're just fooling yourself.")

("A replacement can never be loved like the original, it will all end in 
pain!")

("There is no love between you, only lies.")

("There is no love between you . .")

("There is no love . .")

("No love . .")

"No!"

She woke in a startled fright as her whole body shot up and sat ramrod 
straight in her bed. As her breaths became more pacified she slowly 
began to realise it had been nothing but a nightmare, but a very startling 
and disturbing nightmare. Perhaps she should . . .

"Are you okay sister?" came a sleepy voice from across the darkened 
room.

"Yes I'm fine Sasami," Ayeka quickly replied, "It was nothing, nothing at 
all."

But as she heard her younger sister nestle back into the comforting sheets 
she knew that in truth it hadn't been nothing, it had been something very 
troubling. She slowly rested her head back on the soft pillow as her 
troubled thoughts rested on one person . . .

(Tenchi.)


*Tenchi's room*

Tenchi was also kept awake with restless thoughts. He felt very 
disillusioned all of a sudden, as if he was finally seeing through the 
biased opinions that he was force feed every day.

["Lord Tenchi would never do such a thing!"]

["My Tenchi is too good for the likes of that!"]

["Lord Tenchi is honourable and respectable!"]

["Tenchi is a kind person."]

["Oh, Tenchi your mother in heaven would be so proud!"]

But would she?

Tenchi was suffering from a guilty sense of shame. In Ryoko he had one 
of the most devoted, loyal, protective friends that the earth had ever seen 
and sure, when there was serious danger Tenchi would be the first to 
jump to her aid, but was that really enough?

He called Ryoko a friend but when was the last time he had gone 
anywhere with her? When was the last time he had included her in his 
free time? When was the last time he had taken interest in any of her 
interests? When was the last time he had been a friend to her?

(Tenchi Masaki, ungrateful, unfair love-miser?)

His mother would never have done any of those things, she had always 
been so kind and just. As Tenchi lay there he wished that his mother in 
heaven could come down and tell him just what kind of person Tenchi 
Masaki really was. 

And more importantly what kind of person Tenchi Masaki should try to 
be.


*The Cave*

She couldn't sleep, her thoughts and emotions were stampeding through 
her mind, so instead Ryoko made her way towards her cave. Under the 
cool night's sky she felt that she could find peace and privacy. She was 
wrong.

"Mom?" she murmured as she saw Washu's silent body sitting upon the 
cold rocks. Her tearful eyes gazed heavenwards and mournfully searched 
the endless stars knowing that somewhere in that everlasting sea of space 
was her cast away son. 

"You're all I have left my Little Ryoko," Washu spoke in a soft, sad 
voice that flowed with an captivating melancholy tone as her longing eyes 
remained locked on the heavens above, "You're the only thing that really 
matters to me anymore."

"What about him?" Ryoko asked quietly as her weary feet resounded 
footsteps throughout the night air as she walked over to take her rightful 
place by her mother's side.

"He was lost a long time ago and no matter how much I want to I can't 
bring that child I remember back from the dead," Washu began as she 
detached her gaze from the sky to focus on her daughter as she placidly 
sat down by her side, "He was a ghost from my past, everything we had is 
dead, we're like strangers to each other. That's no way to live, clinging to 
the echoes of fading memories, chasing the shadows of times gone by. 
We all deserve better than that."

"But he was still family," Ryoko protested, slightly uneasy at her 
mother's attitude, "Doesn't that matter?"

"Ryoko, I will tell you something that I never planned on telling you but 
it will help you understand," Washu told her in a very sombre, serious 
voice, "The birth certificate I showed you in the lab is a fake."

"Oh," Ryoko replied faintly, her disappointment and dejection almost 
choking her voice.

"You see while they would recognise you as a being in your own right 
they wouldn't recognise me as your mother," Washu explained, "I 
decided that despite what the law thought you deserved a mother, I 
believed that family isn't about how or to who you were born, it's about 
the people you grow up with and the people who love you. 

I guess I just forgot that for a while.

So you see Ryoko, you may not be my only offspring but you are my 
only child."

There was a calm silence in reflection of these words. Ryoko's original 
disappointment was replaced with a fulfilled sense of acceptance and 
pride. Her life was still far from normal and straightforward but that no 
longer seemed a problem, if anything it seemed more enchanting and 
exciting. Her mother had always assured that she was special and now she 
was finally beginning to understand that specialness for herself.

All of a sudden being one of a kind didn't seem so lonely anymore.

"Mom," Ryoko finally whispered, "Is my room still there?"

"Of course it is," Washu replied with warm invitation.

"Then I want to come home."

Tsunami's invisible lips smiled with a pleased satisfaction, they deserved 
to share happiness like this. It wasn't perfect but it was right, it was the 
way it should be. Washu had been right, it was a shame that Hono had to 
be left behind but it had been necessary, his deluded beliefs had made 
him destructive to Ryoko and Washu. They had all saw the damage done 
to Ryoko but his actions had also hurt Washu far deeper than the others 
realised.

He had bit the hands that once held him, 

He had burned the arms that had rocked him to sleep,

He had choked the voice that had sung him soft lullabies,

But most importantly he had hurt the heart that had loved him.

It wasn't Hono's fault, he was a good person but just like his mother he 
was prone to being fooled and influenced, he was easily misled and after 
4000 years of brain washing pain he religiously believed in his own bitter 
lies. He couldn't rejoin his mother with the way things were, he wasn't 
ready to accept a 'new' mother and he wasn't ready to accept the truth. 
Washu knew this and knew that he didn't belong with her, not yet 
anyway. 

Washu had already suffered so much pain in her life. She had nurtured 
heaven's child only to helplessly watch that beloved child slip through 
her hands. This cycle between joy and pain swung like a pendulum but 
like all things related to Washu it could be unbalanced and as long as 
Washu and Ryoko had each other then it that pendulum would be tilted in 
their favour.

And although she didn't understand the reasons behind it, Washu realised 
that.

At one point everything that she loved had been taken from her and her 
life had been left in ashes but a rose had grew from those ashes, a 
beautiful, vibrant rose that was named Ryoko. She had been tempted by 
the lure of her lost past but Washu knew that she couldn't grasp at those 
burnt ashes, they would only slip through her hands. Instead she had to 
nurture that one rose.

It was all she had left.


*Ryoko's Bedroom*

Washu was filled with an outpour of unrivalled delight and fulfilment as 
for the first time in countless painful years she was once again tucking her 
Little Ryoko into bed. Ryoko's glinting eyes pierced through the dim 
darkness as they stared up at Washu showing the weaker, insecure, more 
child like side of Ryoko that was only ever revealed to her mother.

Washu paused to savour the moment. Here she was once again, sitting on 
the edge of Ryoko's bed as her daughter lay snug and safe under the 
warm covers. She had never dreamed that she and Ryoko would ever get 
this far after all that had happened, yet here they were. She stared silently 
and gratefully down at Ryoko, her daughter, finally back where she 
belonged.

"Mom," Ryoko whispered lightly, "You said that you couldn't bring your 
past back."

"Mmm-hmm," Washu replied softly.

"But what if you could," Ryoko asked, "What if you could go back and 
have all of those things you lost. Would you?"

"I already made that decision a long time ago," Washu replied, her 
memories casting back to the colossal machine that still lay unused in her 
lab. Ryoko just stared back at her with a bewildered expression, 
completely mystified by what her mother had just said.

Washu just smiled fondly at her daughter's confusion, there were so 
many things that she had forgotten, so many things for her still to learn.

"It's okay Ryoko, you don't have to worry about my past," she assured 
soothingly, "As I said before losing my son and husband left holes in my 
heart and no matter how hard you tried you could never fill them. The 
man my son has grown up to be could never fill them either.

You will learn that not all wounds heal with time, all we can do is try to 
wash over the pain with new joys and happiness."

With those last words Washu leaned over to lightly kiss Ryoko's forehead 
and whisper goodnight before she made her way to the door. As she 
walked through the doorway she felt a great sense of accomplishment, 
she had finally repaired most of the damage caused by Kagato, but there 
was also an opposing sense of failure.  

(It's a shame that it ended like this) Washu thought to herself as she made 
her way down the hall, (Ryoko could have really done with a supporting 
big brother to look up to. It could have been a real stabilising force in her 
life.  It would have been good for Tenchi as well, having a big brother 
figure in his life would have probably helped him deal with the girls 
better. It's such a loss.) 

(But at least I know he is alive.)

(Somewhere.)


*A Distant Planet - Weeks Later*

He followed the rest of the village and charged furiously into the 
surrounding woodland. They may be primitive, farming tools may be 
their only weapons but they were going to fight with all they had, they 
weren't going to stand for it.

Damn space pirates, they were twisted, evil monsters, that's what they 
were. Coming down to helpless planets and kidnapping innocent, 
defenceless children to take them away and sell them for . . .No! He just 
wasn't going to allow it!

He quickened his desperate pace as he ran through the midnight trees, his 
hoe tottering in his hands. He could see the torches and shadows dotting 
spaces between the trees, the whole village was out in force. It was only 
one girl but in such a close community she was like family to them all. 
No one was prepared to abandon her, no one would let them get away 
with it, they would . . .

"I've found her!"

Stopping in his tracks he turned and made his way towards the voice that 
had called out in the nervous night. He found himself approaching a 
marsh that was lit by the burning torches of the villagers that already 
surrounded it. They seemed very restrained, as if they were keeping a 
frightful distance from something. Why? He urgently pushed his way to 
the front. He was relieved to see her standing in the marsh, shaken but 
untouched, however he was also amazed for just a few feet in front of her 
he saw what had kept the others at bay.

There, face down in the mud, lay the body of the pirate, and towering 
over it stood a man quite unlike anyone he had ever seen before. He held 
a phantom sword in his grasp and his unruly blond hair fell over his broad 
shoulders, but what was most intimidating was the look in his eyes for as 
he stared down at the fallen pirate his eyes burned with the hate of 
countless taken lives.

"It's okay, darling, it's all going to be okay."

Hono turned to face the girl he had just saved. She stood in her dirtied 
nightdress, tears flowing from her fearful face as her knelling mother 
pulled her into a fierce hug. There was also an older boy that crouched 
down to comfort her, most probably her brother.

Then the young girl turned her glinting eyes towards her saviour and the 
symbolism of what he saw disturbed him. Her small golden eyes gleamed 
in the moonlight as they bore right into his soul with a defenceless look of 
weak innocence. 

He had seen that look once before but never had it affected him like this.

This time it provoked frightening new thoughts in his mind. The 
vulnerable young girl with the golden eyes, the tender, loving mother, the 
supportive, guiding older brother, the devoted family together supporting 
each other. It made him think, it made him dream and wonder.

But there was much still to be done before he even considered that.

He silently turned away and slowly made his way into the shadows of the 
night, continuing his never-ending search for release.

"Wait," a villager called, "You can't go just go, you saved her."

"No," came a reply from the hero's retreating back, "She has helped save me."

His search wasn't over, his vengeful hatred hadn't been quenched yet, but 
for the first time in 4000 years he felt that he made some ground. Perhaps 
it was only a step, perhaps he had only crawled an inch of the miles he 
had lost but it was finally progress. For the first time in eras he had finally 
accomplished something and it filled him with a wondrous sense of 
liberation.

The demons still plagued his mind but finally one had been left behind, 
he had buried it in the mud with that pirate where it would lie in a 
forgotten silence forevermore. After enduring the torment of his endless 
anguish he had finally won a battle against them, although the war was 
far from over.

So he disappeared like a legend into the night as he wandered off in 
continued search of his demons. Finally he had a new path to travel down, 
a path that would wind to wherever evil or sin could be found. He vowed 
to clear that path and leave it pure. He would leave all of that pain behind 
him and never look back. 

And perhaps once this valiant knight had completed his noble quest, once 
his crusade was over and he had put all of his demons to rest then perhaps 
he might even return to earth and finally say those three unspoken words.

Perhaps.


*Washu's house - Weeks Later*

"Hey mom, I'm going out."

"Out?" a surprised Washu asked, trying to remember the last time she had 
heard Little Ryoko say that.

"Yes, out," Ryoko repeated with a touch of force highlighting her 
annoyance that it still seemed unusual for her to do usual things, "Tenchi 
asked if I wanted to go to something called a cinema."

"Really?" Washu teased, drawing out and emphasising the word to make 
it sound far more suggestive than a question.

"It's not like that," Ryoko insisted, "He asked Ayeka as well."

"Well at least it's a start," Washu replied honestly, "Even if it's not what 
you hope it's good to see you having friends again. You seem to make 
more and more progress everyday." 

Ryoko blushed slightly at the compliment before continuing down the 
hall to her room. Tenchi said to wear something casual but of course 
Ryoko's idea of casual was completely different from his. She was on a 
mission to find the most provocative, seductive 'casual' clothes she had.

Some things never change.

Finally content with her choice she flung on a jacket and hurried out of 
the door but before she could race down the hall something caught her 
eyes and halted her in her tracks. Taking her hand off the handle she 
peered in the room opposite to her own, the room that had been intended 
for Hono. It had been eerily silent and abandoned, a haunting reminder of 
his lost presence and every time she looked it in it provoked guilty 
thoughts in her mind.

(I've won, I have everything I want and no one was hurt so why does my 
victory still seem tainted? Is it because of you?)

(Brother or victim? Family or enemy? I don't know how to think of you 
but the fact is that I do.)

(My guilt has left me, I know I am forgiven but as I enjoy this rewarding 
life, as I bask in my personal paradise I still feel remorse. Because I am 
here . . . )

(. . . .  and you are not.)

((Not all wounds heal with time, all we can do is try to wash over the pain 
with new joys and happiness)) a voice reminded her, ((And there is a lot of 
happiness waiting for you just outside.))

(I know Mom) Ryoko smiled as she continued her sprint out of the house, 
(and I'm going to enjoy every last bit of it.)


*Outside*

"Tenchi can I talk to you," Ayeka pensively asked. Ryoko was running 
late as usual so now was as good a time as any to finally get this off her 
chest. It had been tormenting her for weeks now and the time had come to 
put an end to it.

"Of course," a concerned Tenchi replied, "What is it Ayeka?"

"I fear that I haven't been completely fair with you," Ayeka confessed as 
she lowered her voice and head in shame, "I came searching for my 
beloved Yosho and when I discovered he was lost forever I tried to put 
you in his place, I tried to use you as a replacement. I can't do that, it is 
unfair to both of us, I realise that now. I hope you can find it in your heart 
to forgive me."

"What's to forgive?" Tenchi smiled warmly at her, "I can't expect every 
girl I meet to love me. It doesn't change anything between us and I hope 
that you will find happiness with someone."

"Don't worry Tenchi," Ayeka smiled gratefully back, "I have hundreds of 
years more to worry about that. I will be just . . ."

"Wait for me!"

The couple turned to face this distant voice and were surprised to see a 
sprinting Ryoko running from the house. Tenchi couldn't help but smile 
when he saw her.

It was a complete transformation from the sullen pirate who had once 
floated about lethargically. She now ran with such untamed, carefree joy 
and passion for life, much like a child revelling in a wondrous new world 
of discovery. She could have easily phased or flew but instead she chose 
to run and it suited her, it seemed so natural.

And she seemed to enjoy it too, she seemed to get so much out of life 
now. There was a new life flowing through her, an unleashed sense of 
freedom that filled her with a fantastic new vitality. The sparkle in her 
eyes, the glowing smile on her face, the way the wind blew in her hair, 
she looked so free and alive.

"You won't tell Ryoko will you," Tenchi whispered while Ryoko was 
still out of earshot, "I've still not decided. I wouldn't want to get her 
hopes up for nothing."

"Of course not," Ayeka assured, "I would never put a friend in an 
awkward situation like that."

"Thank you," Tenchi appreciatively replied.

"You're very welcome," Ayeka replied as she fondly admired the 
approaching girl, "But I was actually referring to Ryoko."


The End


There is no sequel to this story (as of yet anyway) so any opinions on
whether or how I should continue or not, or any questions and comments
can be sent to andrelaval@hotmail.com.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.