Disclaimer --------------- Tenchi and all related content is owned by AIC and Pioneer and what I am doing with them is purely to make a story I wanted to write about what could happen in the Tenchi Universe. This is mostly based on the OAV version. The concept of Sami-Ohki is a sort of blend of the names Sasami and Ryo-Ohki. This takes place a little while after episode 13 in the OAV series. "Sami-Ohki gets human again" -------------- Washu was locked in her lab and doing her best to find the right factors to get the Masses to let Sami-Ohki turn back into a human-type form. The problem was, SHE couldn't find the right ones. She may be able to synthesize a few of the factors, but the Masses reacted best with an actual "need" or "want". Washu didn't want them to think she was their brain and be responsible for some powerful super-genius running around uncontrollably, so that was why she kept herself well shielded. She idly watched the Masses doing what they usually did on their own from a little distance behind the glass of the tank. She really had no idea HOW to do it. Ryo-Ohki did it by having a powerful desire to help Tenchi, but that won't work again unless she were deprived of it again. And the substance of the Masses was too powerful that even with all her tools at her disposal, Washu couldn't even do that. Perhaps if all the cooking and stuff got too much for Ryo-Ohki that she "wanted" Sasami to have a human body again? No, then she might accidentally trigger an unwelcome response. Damn it! These bloody things are too unpredictable! No...what she needed was Sami-Ohki's OWN respose. SHE was the only one who could do it. At least, properly. After all, SHE knows her old body like no one else does, right? It was just getting her to want it back... ------------ Ayeka sighed as she set her bowl down, "I'm getting awfully worried about her. She hasn't come out of her lab for at least a week! Not even for food! Good thing Ryo-Ohki decided to cook for us again. She hardly needs any help from Sami-Ohki anymore! In fact, I think she made this recipe up. It's delicious!" "Yep, thats my Ryo-Ohki! She's much more clever than your old ship ever was. And how's that little weed of yours going Miss Ayeka?" Ryoko taunted. "And how about we take this outside, Miss Ryoko?" Ayeka snapped back. "Gladly!" Ryoko grabbed her hand and teleported them both outside. Within moments, earth-shaking explosions and furious shouting could be heard far in the distance. In a few more moments, they teleported back in (with Ryoko's help) blackened, exhausted, and seemingly more content than they were just before they left. "So? Who won this time?" Mihoshi asked. "Ayeka. She got me with a good shielded punch in the kisser, but I managed to get her back with a good bolt or two. And then she got up behind me and zapped me from the rear. I must be getting old." Ryoko conceded. "That's because you ARE old, " Ryoko was about to retort. "But it was a good fight." Ayeka finished and Ryoko cooled down. They have been having this kind of fight at least twice a day, but seemed to be getting shorter, and having a more of a sportsmanship they didn't show earlier. "Well, at least we had a good meal before hand. Now I'm hungry again. Ryo-Ohki, another bowl please?" "Miya...Okay..." Ryo-Ohki was starting to get tired of doing all the cooking. Sasami loved to cook constantly, but now that she was Sami-Ohki, she simply couldn't. At least she wasn't burning anything anymore. It was all a matter of multi-tasking that as long as you kept track of what was cooking and what needed to be peeled next and so on. Sasami could do it easily. It was a kind of a wonder for Ryo-Ohki. That, she, a powerful ship with a complex multi-processor for running it could be outdone by a Juraian Princess, was kind of a mystery. It was fun, but Ryo-Ohki didn't have the kind of stamina Sasami did. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that with cooking, you couldn't really have exact formulas for everything. It was a lot of a pinch of this, a handful of that, taste it a bit and decide that it needed something a little saltier or spicier. It certainly was different to what she was used to, but it was kind of nice to hear that everyone liked her cooking. She turned back to the kitchen and started up the little whirlwind that Sasami usually did a few months before. Kiyone spoke into the unusual silence, "Oh, anyway, the GP wants to know how the tests were going and if they would be finished anytime soon. How are things goin there Sami-Ohki?" "Mya..." she replied somewhat dejectedly and turned into a projector cyrstal. " 'The tests are going well, but I think we need more time.' should be the reply to that. It was just starting to get interesting. But it's just not enough time with what Ryo-Ohki's been teaching me. Once a week for a few hours is simply not enough. Now they want me to finish up soon? I think its time Juraian authority came into the picture. After all, it is our territory is it not Ayeka?" "Wha? You mean, you want me to tell the Galaxy Police off that what is going off there is not of their concern and to ignore what is going on here? Well, I guess it could work. But it would cause a lot of ill feeling there and could attract more unwanted attention here. As in Juraian attention. I really don't want to give Father an excuse to come over here because I'm flaunting my authority around with the Galaxy Police. And you also don't want Mother to see you the way you are now, do you?" The blue cystal turned a deep purple, "Well, there is that. I forgot that one of the reasons we got to stay here was because Mihoshi was here to keep watch over us. If she hadn't found Kiyone on that big wreck of a space station that was wandering over in the next few solar systems, we might have had to leave sooner or later anyway. They say that Mihoshi's conduct record is so horrible that they were considering transferring her away regardless of her standing and successes. But when she found her old partner, they thought that Kiyone would help keep watch over her." came on the screen. "How do you know all this?" Kiyone asked, "Thats some major detective work. None of that is public knowledge...Mihoshi, did you tell her any of that?" Mihoshi was clapping, "No, I'm impressed. She figured all that herself. I didn't even tell her exactly how I found you." The crystal turned an even deeper purple, then her reply came on "Well, I tapped into your computer on your shuttle and talked with Yokonojo a bit. He was helpful, if a bit stingy. But I think he is just the thing you need to keep you on track. He liked to repeat things over and over it seemed as if you had a problem with hearing. And I heard the end of story you told us about the Ultra- Energy Matter case from Ryo-Ohki. If you remember, we all fell asleep about when you got to the point where I was about to finish the evil Doctor Washu from destroying the universe. Where did Pretty Sammy come from anyway? Is that real? Or did you make that up? I don't remember doing any of that... ^_^" Even the crystal's color had a smug tone to it. Ryoko snorted, "Now she's doing text faces. What more can the "Internet" on this planet teach a girl?" "Updated info on how to get guys properly. Unlike Nobuyuki's old magazines..." came promptly on the screen before being quickly wiped and the crystal suddenly turned more red than blue. "Oops..." "Really?!? You mean I can get Tenchi PROPERLY this time?" Ryoko stood up and realized Tenchi was right there next to her. Her face color was at odds with Sami-Ohki and she quickly sat down and acted as if she hadn't said, seen, nor heard anything. Tenchi sighed, "Uhh...Ryoko, just watch out what you find on the Internet...You never know what you may find there. A lot of the stuff out there is just to hurt people by giving bad advice." "Oh, I'll be careful Tenchi. I'll see what I find and I'll decide what is good advice and what is bad. After all, I've been on this planet long enough to know what is usual human behavior." "Oh I hope you do..." Tenchi muttered under his breath, "...I really hope you do..." In her mind, Sami-Ohki giggled to herself. ----------- They were just starting their patrol when Kiyone decided to give a petition to HQ to let Sami-Ohki have more time for "testing". "If they have more time and have it more often, they can learn a lot more and finish faster than if they have to wait so long. Mihoshi, don't say a word. You got it? Let me do all the talking." "Okay Kiyone. Gee, I never thought of that. If they keep playing for so long Headquarters will start to wonder what they are doing there and find out what they actually are. Then everyone would know that the Juraian Princess had an accident." "Its a wonder no one else already knows with a babblemouth like you around." "I'm no babblemouth! I just have a tendency to forget important things like how to make this control cube of mine do what I want it to do. I still can't get it to make me a cup of coffee..." With that, she started switching it around again and various things started popping out of unlikely hatches all over the cockpit. "Mihoshi! Stop doing that! Here, give it to me before you break something." "No, I think I got it." A hairbrush appeared in front of her and landed on her lap, "Oh, that's how you do that. Now, is it this way?" Another hairbrush appeared in front of her, "Oh, silly me, thats the same way...now here we go...coffee!" Suddenly the lights started flashing red and the shuttle started shaking erratically. "Mihoshi! You bunglehead! You just knocked off the central stabilizers! Give me that!" Kiyone snatched the pink transparent cube from Mihoshi's grip and flipped it a few simple times and all the junk and the two hairbrushes disappeared, the ship stabilized and the warning lights went off, and a cup of nicely steaming coffee appeared in the cupholder in front of her. "Now there's your coffee. From now on, ask me what to do to get it next time, you hear me? We're about to dock with the main ship, so let me do all of the talking...You got it?" Mihoshi gave a sharp salute, "Yes ma'am!" The ship docked without a hint of a bump and Yukonojo asked for password identification. "Now, plug your ears Mihoshi, I don't want you to hear this..." She did so. "Password confirmed, preparing for interspace connection now..." "Gets her everytime...Okay Mihoshi, you can unplug your ears again. Mihoshi! HEY MIHOSHI!" She gave her a little nudge in the back and Mihoshi unplugged her ears. Straightening her uniform, she prepared for contact to Headquarters. "Detective Kiyone reporting. Yes, we have just gotten a request from Washu's Aide and they say that if it would be possible for more time and a little more often, they could get their testing done faster." "Let me consult the General. Please hold..." "Oh I hope they will let Sami-Ohki play more often." Mihoshi said aloud to Kiyone. Hearing this, the officer, who was the same one who always contacted Mihoshi, said "Let who play?" "Sami-Ohki, who is actually Sasam--" Kiyone clamped her hand on Mihoshi's mouth and laughed at the screen. "Hehehe, she's just kidding. Sasami would never do anything like THAT...hehehe..." Noticing her extreme giddyness, the officer was doubtful. "Don't tell me that Sasami is actually piloting that thing! We detected some extremely powerful shockwaves that even reached all the way here at HQ. If the Princess is putting herself in any danger, I want you to stop it immediately. Gosh, I never thought that Princess Ayeka would ever allow her sister to do anything like that! And why did you call her Sami-'Ohki'? Does this have anything to do with the ex- pirate ship?" She put the hand holding Mihoshi's mouth shut behind her back"Well...not..." Mihoshi took the opportunity to try to elaborate, "She's been turned into a sort of Ryo-Ohki." "MIHOSHI! I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" "WHAT? I don't understand. I think we should investigate the matter." "NO! I mean, there is no need to, sir. Everything is under perfect control." She laughed a bit at this and then said under her breath "Except for this stupid ditz of a partner of mine..." "What was that Lieutenant Kiyone?" "N..n..nothing...I didn't say anything..." "You do realize that this conversation was being recorded after Mihoshi mentioned something about Princess Sasami. I could analyse it later and distribute it to the general public if you don't tell me everything you are hiding from me." "Oh great...now you've done it Mihoshi..." she gave her a little clout in the head "Ow! Sorry, I didn't mean to say anything..." Mihoshi complained. "Shut up! You've done enough trouble." She turned to the screen, "Ok, here's whats going on..." -------------- It was dinner-time when Kiyone let out the bad news. "I'm afraid the Galaxy Police may now know what is going on...at least I know one senior officer does, but I think he's trustworthy. If it wasn't for Mihoshi, no one would have known. He said that he would keep it private and will contact the Juraian Emperor himself about the matter. If he decides that it would be best to let it be known to the public, then that's that. Or he may decide to come here again. At worst, Sami-Ohki will have to leave here for 'treatment'. But they don't realise that Little Washu is the ONLY person who could possibly have a chance for a 'cure' for her. And unfortunatly, that means your mother and her sister will also be coming to visit again. I just hope Washu finds that cure, and fast." Tenchi stood up, "Oh really? I'd better tell Grandpa. He had to prepare something up at the shrine and he also wanted me there for some night-time practice with the Tenchi-Ken. Dunno why with the sword now though. Well, I'd better go" Ayeka held her hand to her mouth "Eeee...mother may come here again? Oh dear. She's my mother, but she can be a bit of a pain sometimes." she heard a snicker behind her. "Now, don't you forget what mother will do to you if she ever heard that you fought with me. I may just accidentally let slip that the ex-pirate Ryoko was being extremely nasty and rude to me." The snickering stopped with a soft gasp. Ryoko said in her most serious polite voice to Ayeka, "I'm very sorry Princess. I agree that the Queen should hear nothing about this." "That means, keep your hands off Tenchi, don't be rude to me or anyone else, and no more fighting. In other words, all arguements will be won by me for the rest of the time." Ayeka was enjoying this. Ryoko suddenly got angry and shook a fist in her direction, "Grr...dont forget that as soon as they leave, I'm going to really hurt you..." Ayeka put her hand to her heart, "Oh my! Is that a threat Ryoko? Wait until my mother hears about this!" Ryoko as suddenly reverted to complete innocence, "Uhh...did I say something? I didn't say anything that you may possibly have heard." "Okay, Miss Ryoko, then you may do the toilet for tomorrow. It is my turn, but I have to do some preparations for when they come." Ryoko swallowed her pride, "As you wish, Princess." She HATED doing the toilet. "You will? How very nice Miss Ryoko, wait until Tenchi hears this!" Ryoko blushed a deep red. "Very good." Ryoko blushed again. Sami-Ohki gave a little impatient "Miya" and turned into a crystal again and projected on the wall, "As I've been trying to say, but no one ever looked at the wall, I've been saying that I'd better get to Washu's lab and get her to hurry up. I can get through the door, even if it's locked." Then she changed back into a cabbit and hopped over to the door and phased through it before anyone could say anything. In the lab, it was, as always, brightly lit and wide open. It always amazed Sami-Ohki that the little space under the stairs could fit this much space. But then again, the door was simply a portal to a seperate dimension that she created to hold her enormous lab. That she could have that much power to create another dimension spoke how powerful and how smart she was. The lab could be as big or as small as possible if she wanted. What was her history BEFORE going to the Science Academy? All she knew was that she was a professor there. Not much of a mention of going there as a student however. She needed to ask Mihoshi and Kiyone if the databases at HQ. But not right now, things were getting hot under their feet as it was. It seemed the practices were going to have to stop now. She have a little sigh when she saw the Mass tank and Washu staring blankly at it. Her holo-computer was on, but she wasn't typing anything on it. Just that same blank stare. Seeing this, Sami-Ohki was worried. "Mya?" She tried to get her attention. Finally noticing her, Washu turned back to the tank, "Oh, Sami-Ohki! Yes, it's a big puzzle, isn't it? I'm no closer to finding a way for you to turn back into a human than Tenchi can conciously activate his Light-Hawk Wings at will." Sami-Ohki gave a few "Miya's" which Washu translated to mean: "Well, we all have been getting worried about you, Little Washu (even if you ARE a lot bigger than me now ^-^ ) but some new news..." she told Washu about Kiyone's report. "Is there anything I could do to help? I really want mother to see me the way I was before I changed." "Really? That's great! Now step up to the tank and think about just that. The way you were before you changed and concentrate on how badly you want to be that way again." "Huh? Just that? Okay...I guess...you just figure it out?" Sami-Ohki "Miya'd". "Naw, it was just finding a way for you to WANT to change back, and this is a perfect opportunity for it to happen." "Uhh...will that mean I can never turn back into Sami-Ohki?" "Not at all! You will have the same ability as Ryo-Ohki, to turn into Sami-Ohki at will, but also back into Sasami at will too...but I predict that you will only be able to turn into your normal chronological age, not like Ryo-Ohki. But we never know, do we. Now step up to the tank and concentrate." She turned back into a cabbit and hopped up to the tank. Looking hard, she could see the little masses floating around. She concentrated back on the very day she walked back by the same tank and thought about the way she felt before "it" happened. Soon, the masses started piling up near her side of the tank and started merging with each other. In a few minutes, the very image of Sasami stood in front of her. Suddenly the image held a hand at the wall and shot out a powerful blast at the glass. Breaking and pouring all over Sami-Ohki, she tried to hold her ground against the powerful current. Opening her eyes, she saw the same pressure was flinging the Mass image of Sasami at her. Bracing herself, she held up against the current and was absorbed into the brownish mass. Again the weird feeling of being torn apart went through her. The pain was still so intense, she lost conciousness. ----------- The rest of the gang was standing around the door when it suddenly opened and Washu stepped out. "Miss...I mean Little Washu! Did you figure it out? Where's Sami-Ohki?" Ayeka was first to blurt out. "Oh, she's fine. She just needs some rest." "Why? Did you cure her?" "Yep! All in a day's work for the World's Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe!" she popped out a couple of fans and did a little jig. Mihoshi asked, "So why did it take you a lot longer than a day for you to figure it out?" Washu facefaulted, "Well, uhh, it actually was up to Sasami to decide when she wanted her body back." "So she is Sasami again? No more Sami-Ohki? That's great!" "Well, actually Sami-Ohki will never go away. The Masses are too powerful to let any extra powers slip away into nothingness. But she will be able to live like a human when she chooses as long as she wants. Like Ryo-Ohki, she possesses the ability to change back into Sami-Ohki whenever she wants. And she will still be able to turn into a crystal ship. But all her memories are still intact, and she will again be your old little sister. I hope she will let me analyse her in ship form sometime. I heard that she has ten protrusions instead of only four? Interesting...I was concentrating so hard on turning her back that I missed several opportunities to analyse her that way." "I saw that she could also make Light-Hawk Wings too!" Mihoshi quipped. "It's true. We did see her activate ten Light-Hawk Wings each over a crystal protrusion. Since the first time we saw them practicing. Ryo-Ohki shot out a really powerful blast that would have blown a huge chunk out of a GP battlecruiser and Sami-Ohki just took the blast without a scratch. Ever since, Ryo-Ohki's been trying her best to get past her defences, and never could." Kiyone confirmed. "WHAT!?! Is that true? I can't believe it! Sasami can also form Light-Hawk Wings? It must have something to do with Tsunami! Tsunami...What is with that name?!?" Grumbling to herself, she went back through the door. Ayeka rushed up to open it to check on her sister and noticed Washu, in her preoccupation, had locked it again. Banging on it she cried, "WASHU! Let me at least see how my sister is doing!" It opened up again and Washu poked her head out, "Sorry about that, Princess. I forgot to unlock it. Here you go." And went back in again. Ayeka gave a little sigh and went through it as well. Seeing Sasami on a hospital-like bed, she rushed over and was worried that something horrible might have happened to her. Getting closer, she noticed that her hair wasn't EXACTLY like it used to be, but very close. Then she noticed that what used to be her ponytails was now more fur than hair. Her head had a little spikyness, but the same light blue. Stroking it, Ayeka felt it was as soft and smooth as it always was. The fur hung in almost the same way her ponytails did, long and thin. "Oh Sasami, I'm glad you're back to normal. At least, sort of. I was so worried." Then she began to cry over her. Hearing her sister's voice, Sasami woke up. "Ayeka? Don't cry. I'm fine now. I'm back to normal. I knew you wanted that ever since you saw me as Sami-Ohki. I liked it a lot, though. It was fun being in a little fuzzy body with long feet. You keep tripping over them if you don't watch out. And at least we got Ryo-Ohki to learn how to talk a lot better than those little tapes could teach her. In a sense, I think she should be able to let herself be a little older than a little toddler now. She 'thinks' older too. And she is a great cook now, isn't she? But she said that it wasn't as fun as it always was for me though...I kind of wonder why. If I ever get sick or am away for a while, she could cook instead of old Nobuyuki's cooking." "Now that's just cruel! Why can't anyone like my cooking?" Nobuyuki cried aloud behind them suddenly and Ayeka realized that everyone else who could come did as well. Sasami giggled, "It's not that your cooking is bad. It's just not great like everyone says mine is." Ayeka muttered to her privatly, "Well, actually, his cooking IS bad, and you know it." Sasami muttered back, "Better than Ryoko can, Ryo-Ohki told me when she tried cooking for Tenchi, she almost died there. It was that bad." Ayeka got a gleam in her eye. "Heh, well, no kidding, she doesn't know how to cook at all. She doesn't know any of the ingredients are for what. This is Nobuyuki's planet and he should know what kinds of ingredients would be best for what." "And why are you defending Ryoko?" Sasami countered with a gleam in her own eye now. Ayeka facefaulted and couldn't find an answer to that. "It feels good to be normal again, anyway! I think it's time little old Sasami cooked us up a real special party!" Everyone cheered... -------------- It was late at night and everyone was stuffed. Ryo-Ohki even had uneaten carrots in front of her. Bottles of saki were strewn about the tabletop. Tenchi and his grandpa even managed to arrive in time for the incredible feast. "Ohh that was GREAT! I wish Sasami would make food like this everyday. And the leftovers will be enough to last tomorrow too!" Nobuyuki said contentedly. Sasami laughed, "That's right. But that doesn't mean I WILL make food like this on a regular basis. This is a special occasion. This is a lot of work for me!" And she bopped him on the head with a large spoon. Everyone laughed. "Oh man, look at the time, it's time to go to sleep or else we will still be sleeping when the Juraian Court arrives in a week or so." Everyone else laughed and Tenchi yawned. "Grandpa really put me through some hard tests. Let's hit the hay, eh?" Everyone agreed and went to bed. The next morning, Tenchi was woken up to the sounds of knocking on the front door. For a microsecond's time, Tenchi's first thought that they were here already. But then they were expected in about a week, so it couldn't be them. He yawned and yelled, "In a minute!" Then he went to the door and opened it. He had right to be worried. They were here already. "Ahh! Lady Funaho! Uhh...wel...welcome. Sorry, but we thought you guys were going to be coming in later. And how do you do Lady Misaki? And how are you doing, sir?" He was suddenly gripped tightly by Lady Misaki. "Oh my dear Tenchi! How are you doing? Are the girls causing any trouble? How is Sasami? Did something bad happen to her?" "Uhh, fine! And no, the girls aren't causing any trouble at all! And...well...I guess what's going on with Sasami is more for her to talk about anyway. It's kind of complicated. And, don't worry that she has a new look. It's all part of the explanation. But she's still mostly the same...I guess..." She gave him a suspicious glare as if he had something to do with it. "Riiight...now, where's my baby?" She ran past him calling Sasami's and Ayeka's names and opening random doors. Sami-Ohki, in her cabbit form, popped through the door and saw her. Giving a little "Mya!" of surprise, she popped back in and changed back to Sasami. Glad she didn't see her in her other form, Sasami opened the door and was promptly given a powerful bear-hug. "It's my mommy! Nice to see you again, mommy! Could you let me go so I can breathe a bit? You don't want to kill your own daughter, do you?" Lady Misaki let up and looked her over with a critical eye. Noting that her hairstyle was indeed different, she reached up to put her hands through it. It was as soft as it usually was, but had little soft spikes on the very top of her head. Then she looked sharply at her eyes. She gave a little gasp seeing they were shaped somewhat like cat's eyes, but were still that lovely pink. This confused Lady Misaki so much, she took a step back and looked at Sasami as a whole. Nothing different she could notice overall. Her ears...that was it...was with her ears? She again looked closely and saw that it was her ears were longer. Sasami had tried to hide them under her hair, but wasn't quite enough to completely fool her mother. Sasami gave a little blush. "Well, all the changes, I can explain, but will have to wait until breakfast. In fact, I need to go help make it. Ryo-Ohki! Let's go make breakfast! They're here!" A little meow of affirmitive came through the door behind her, then Ryo-Ohki in her 13 year-old appearance came through the door. Immediatly, she was caught in another bear-hug and Lady Misaki started commenting on how much she had grown since she had left. Struggling, Ryo-Ohki switched to a cabbit to escape. Then changing back, she bowed and said in a voice that had a slight hint of a purr in it, "How do you do, Lady Misaki? I didn't really age, but now that my vocabulary is better, I felt that having a little more mature appearance would better fit my speech patterns." she gave a little wink to Sasami, "You want to help cook?" Caught off guard, Misaki paused. Taking this time, she noted the unusual similarities that Ryo-Ohki had with her Sasami. Yellow cat-like eyes, long furry ears, spiky hair. Then dismissing it as all a coincidence, Misaki agreed to help. After arriving in the kitchen, Misaki took a deep breath, then suddenly turned even more of a whirlwind than Sasami ever did. Poking Ryo-Ohki in the ribs, Sasami turned and phased through the door, quietly followed by Ryo-Ohki. "Let's let her cook for today. I think she doesn't have as much practice as she wants." Sasami told Ryo-Ohki. Ryo-Ohki smiled back and nodded. Then together, they turned into cabbits and whisked out the house to play and tried to keep from getting dirty. They reckoned they probably had about half an hour. It was scarcly ten minutes when Lady Misaki shouted out, "BREAKFAST IS READY!" when they realized they had underestimated the efficiency of Misaki. By that time, everyone had done their reintroductions to the others and were all going to the dining room to eat. Rushing back to the house, Sami-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki switched back to human form just before entering the dining room. They were stopped by a sudden hostile feeling boring into their backs. Turning slowly around, they saw Misaki with a spatula in one hand and eyes that glowed evilly red. "Sooo, you just wanted me to 'help', did you? You expected ME to do ALL the work? AYEKA! COME HERE THIS INSTANT!" Ayeka came promptly and saw her mother, "Mommy!" Then noticed her glare. "Uhh, did I come at a bad time? "Not at all, dear. But I must insist you come with me to Jurai to finish your cooking lessons. I see you have been neglecting your sister and her friend and having them do all the work." "But, mom, I HAVN'T been neglecting them! I've been doing the laundry, help clean the house, and even helped fix the house whenever I get into a fight with Ryoko...oops!" She covered her mouth and started to get a lot of little sweatdrops all over her head. "I mean...I...I...Of course I never DO get into fights, because that is simply wrong and I...I..." "YOU GET INTO FIGHTS WITH THAT NICE RYOKO PERSON?!? WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU EVEN THINKING? RYOKO! I WANT YOU TO COME HERE THIS INSTANT!" Ryoko teleported in and saw Ayeka almost in tears. Supressing a grin, she turned to Misaki, "Yes? You called?" "IS IT NOT TRUE THAT YOU AND AYEKA GET INTO FIGHTS?" "Well, uhh...not really fights, but rather just tests of skill." Ayeka surprised her by helping defend her, "Yes, that's all it is, just tests. They aren't fights at all!" She couldn't keep a straight face for long. She gave a little chuckle and would have expanded into full blown laughter when she noticed that Lady Misaki was glaring at both with considerable intensity. "Heh...uhh...Is there a problem?" "You both are coming with me to Jurai to learn some manners. No excuses! Do I make myself clear?" Ayeka gulped, "Yes, ma'am." Ryoko wanted to resist, but knew when she was beaten. "Oh all right..." "YOU SAY 'YES MA'AM!'" Misaki ordered. "Uhh...yes...yes ma'am..." Ryoko said meekly. The words felt horrible in her mouth. This could NOT be happening to Ryoko, the great space pirate of the galaxy. Sure, she was under Kagato's control, but SHE was the one responsible for doing it all. Or was she? She didn't really have much in the way of memories, except the bad ones. But she knew that Kagato used her because she WAS powerful, and he was simply lucky he managed to gain control of her through her gemstones. But, anyway, her power was only a fraction it used to be. Tenchi still had two of her gems. But maybe she could manage to steal something valuable there and try to bargain with Tenchi for the other gems. It could just work. Suddenly, her ear was painfully pinched (and it being such a large ear, it was especially painful) and her attention was refocused on to Misaki. "Did you not hear me? I said that you two better get packed! We may leave with little notice. Ayeka's already getting started, and you better go pack as well." "Oh fine..." Ryoko teleported up to her little space on the rafters and began picking through the magazines there. Then she heard furious stomping feet coming up the stairs and suddenly Misaki was there again. "Oh no you don't, come back with me and let's try that again. You NEVER just turn your back in presence of a Juraian Empress! And no wall phasing or flying either! I know your ways, Ryoko, and I mean to change them!" Ryoko meekly followed her and properly re-entered her room. Misaki thought to herself and headed to the dining room. "Wow! This stuff is great! Now I know where your skills in cooking come from, Sasami! Your mother must be a great teacher!" Tenchi said through his full mouth. "Why Tenchi! I never knew you cared. Oh and by the way, you don't talk with your mouth full." Misaki said behind him. Tenchi hastily gulped and momentarily thought it was Ryoko about to throttle him again when he placed the voice. But that never meant that she WON'T do that. Just less likely. However, she simply walked around into his field of view and sat down to eat. "Now, Sasami, what is this about you flying one of Washu's inventions alone with Ryo-Ohki?" "Well, its not exactly one of Washu's inventions, mommy......It's a very long story." And then proceeded to tell about that day she wandered into Washu's lab. Washu helped from time to time to present a little graph or whatever to confirm what Sasami was saying. When asked to demonstrate what she meant that she looked like Ryo-Ohki, she sighed and then turned into a cabbit. "Why! You look adorable! Indeed, you DO look like little Ryo-Ohki!" she cried and tried to give Sami-Ohki a little hug. Hastily, she changed back before that could happen and accepted the normal hug she got. "Oh, and then I learned how to turn into a ship like Ryo-Ohki could." "I see where this is going..." Her father said. Everyone jumped. They all had almost forgotten that he was there. "This is where the request for 'testing time' comes in. Sasami, do you realise how much trouble you could have gotten yourself into? What if you couldn't block Ryo-Ohki's shots in time?" "Well...uhh...I accidentally activated the Light-Hawk Wings when Ryo-Ohki fired her most powerful blast at me. Ever since, I learned how to control it better. But I can't activate them in this form, unlike Tenchi. I have to be in ship form." All attention was shifted to Tenchi. "But I can't even activate them myself unless it's a very powerful need. I really WANT to have them around when I need them sometimes, but it just never comes. Now, Sasami can do it way better than I can." Tenchi tried to redirect attention from himself. It didn't quite work. Talk turned back to him time after time about what really happened and what the power felt like. He found himself talking about the conversation he had with Tsunami and repeated her words, "You must trust in your own power." Suddenly, Sasami felt a strange sense of deja vu. But she wasn't really there, was she? She wasn't aware of what was really going on whenever Tsunami was in control. So why did she remember that? Was Tsunami starting to reassimilate her? Or was it something about being Sami-Ohki? She started to get scared and asked if she could leave. When she had left at a run, Tenchi asked, "What was that about?" "I don't know. Maybe unpleasant memories?" Katsuhito replied. "Hmm, I think it may have something to do with her being Tsunami." Lady Fuhano was bewildered "Huh? What do you mean? She did mention something about having control over Light-Hawk Wings but never really explained." "Yes, what is going on with MY Sasami?" Misaki cried. "Ooh boy, this is going to take a lot more explaining." Washu said to no one in particular. Tenchi privately agreed with her. --------- Author's notes: --------- Thats the third installment of my series. The next chapter will get into some very deep issues (I know simply because I already wrote quite a bit of it in THIS chapter but thought it was starting to get a little off topic, as well as getting a little too long...Sasami already got back her old body, and they already know about Sasami becoming a cabbit...somewhat...so thats all that matters in this chapter) and start going into the mysterious connections between Washu, Tsunami and Tokimi. Yes, I decided to follow the common thread of the three Goddess sisters and go along with that. Tokimi will eventually appear, Tenchi and Co. will defeat her somehow (maybe) and Tokimi may (or may not) join the gang as another "girl from outer space (from another universe more like it) living in Tenchi's house". Also, if it may seem to be ripped off from another author (I'm sorry, I can't remember his name) but I don't take any responsibility for some of the ideas his writings follow. I do know that the series are called "Will of the Goddesses". If anyone could tell me what that author's name was, I would appreciate it! It's a great read! But I AM trying to keep as far away from using the same storyline as he did. But his writings were so good, I can't help but be affected by it. ...well...anyway...enough of my babble...stay tuned for the next chapter: Mysteries Abound.