***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but 
I'm not
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC 
is reopen
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***

"So you got your gloves back?" Ryoko said as she sat down in the clearing, 
talking a gulp
from the bottle of Sake she had with her.

"Yeah" nodded Gary.

The pair were silent as they looked up at the sky.

"We gonna finish our 'business'?" Ryoko asked looking down at Gary.

"I don't really know" Gary said, "my orders tell me one thing yet my heart 
tells me
another"

"I've stopped now" nodded Ryoko "you know that don't you?"

"I understand" Gary said "I don't really want to disturb anything...with you 
and." Gary
laughed nervously.

"Me and what?" Ryoko eyed Gary suspiciously.

"Well you and Tenchi" Gary said, half expecting to be slammed into the 
ground.

Ryoko smiled and nodded "I see" she walked to where Gary was standing and 
put out a
hand "friends?"

"Forever" Gary grinned as he shook the hand, clasping it with the other.

"I'm glad we've sorted this out," Ryoko said as she walked off with Gary.

"What about Soja?" Gary said.

"Yeah what about Soja?" Washu muttered in Ryoko's mind.

"Do you have to watch everything I do?" Ryoko said in Washu's mind.

No answer.

"Ryoko?" Gary asked, "What's with the staring?"

"Soja is coming, the only thing we can do is stop it before it destroys 
anything more"

"Just don't go doing over any more banks okay?" Gary laughed "get a sodding 
loan next
time!"

"Tenchi!" called Sasami out of the kitchen window "Lunch is ready"

"Okay I'll go and get the others," acknowledged Tenchi as he walked into the 
house.

"Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi called as he walked through the house

"Yes Tenchi?" said Ayeka as her head popped out of the living room door.

"Lunch" he smiled as he walked past "do you know where Washu is?"

"No" said Ayeka as she put her needlework down "I haven't seen her all 
morning"

"Hmm" Tenchi thought, "Must be in her lab"

Ayeka walked into the Kitchen and saw the wide selection of food available.

"You were right about the food," Ayeka giggled as Sasami turned to face her 
sister "This
lunch looks delectable!"

"Thank you sister" winked Sasami "do you think you could help me carry this 
stuff to the
table?"

"Of course"

"Hey everyone!" Mihoshi chimed as she walked in "is lunch ready?"

"Just setting it down now," Sassami said as she brought in the Rice 
containers.

"Wow Sasami" grinned Ryoko as she and Gary walked into the living room.

"I thought this was a lunch not a banquet!" laughed Gary as he saw the food 
being set
down.

"Yep Sasami is definitely a Gourmet chef!"

"Washu?" Tenchi called as he walked through on of her three labs "Lunch!"

"Go away I'm busy now" Washu said somewhere through a loud speaker.

"But Washu, come on!" Tenchi shouted, "it's been two days non stop work, you 
need
food"

"But I need to work Tenchi dammit!" shouted back Washu "End of subject"

Tenchi sighed as he turned and walked back out into the house.

"Any luck?" Sasami asked.

Tenchi shook his head

"Oh well" Shrugged Gary "lets dole out Washu's portion to everyone else"

"Yeah guess we have to" sighed Sasami as she picked up her chopsticks "help 
yourselves
everybody"


****

After lunch, Tenchi went off to practice, with added urgency after what 
Washu and
Ayeka had said the day before. Other than that life went on as normal.

"Right" Gary said as he put the broom back into the storage cupboard "That's 
that out of
the way"

"Yeah" nodded Mihoshi absently.

"Something on your mind?" Gary asked as he turned around.

"Oh no nothing" smiled Mihoshi "You still have to process the precinct 
paperwork"

Gary blinked "Oh damn yeah" he cursed as he ran upstairs "I'm gonna go out 
and fill all
this stuff out"

"Okay" Mihoshi giggled as she walked outside to find Sasami.

"This is getting to be a regular thing," Ryoko muttered as she drank some 
Sake.

"Yes" nodded Ayeka "but it is most enjoyable"

Ayeka and Ryoko watched from the edge of the clearing as Tenchi and 
Katoshito went
through their daily routine. Tenchi was in the middle of sword practice, 
going through the
motions that they went through every day because..

"Being familiar with your weapon is a step towards being a good swordsman"
Katoshito said as they went through the already familar motions.

"Say that again" grinned Ryoko "watch this"

Ayeka nodded and waited.

"Hey Tenchi you're sandals got something in it!"

"What?" Tenchi blinked as he looked down. For that he got a wooden blade 
strike to the
gut and a high kick to the chin, which sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Oh you're so cruel!" giggled Ayeka.

"Focus Tenchi!" Katoshito said as he sheathed his wooden practice blade.

"But Ryoko tricked me!" Tenchi protested as he layed in a crumpled heap on 
the floor.

"Give yourself some room before you assess anything other than the opponent 
in front of
you Tenchi" Katoshito replied firmly "remember that".

Katoshito then turned and walked away "Practice is over Tenchi".

Tenchi went to get up but was knocked down by Ryoko, hugging his midsection.

"Oh Tenchi are you alright?" Ryoko said with concern.

"Hey!" Ayeka shouted, "You caused it!"

"I did not" Ryoko said back "I just wanted Tenchi to know he had a stone in 
his sandals
that's all"

"It was a cruel joke Ryoko" Ayeka said, arms crossed.

"Yeah and who laughed at the cruel joke?"

Ayeka blinked and fumed as Ryoko continued to hug and glom Tenchi (despite 
the fact
that Tenchi was trying to get her off of him).

"This looks like a good enough place as any to sit down," said Gary as he 
breathed in the
fresh clear air. He looked up at the tree, which he had elected to sit 
under. Though it was
still alive, some of its branches were damaged.

"Must've been the last typhoon" Gary shrugged as he sat down.

"Bloody paperwork" he muttered as he got his clipboard out and filled out 
the new
precinct forms. After a while though he gave up altogether and decided to 
survey the
countryside.

"Where's Gary?" Mihoshi asked Sasami as put up the last of the Washing "he 
forgot this
last form"

"Oh he went off one of the hills up there" Sasami "Are you still up for 
those cooking
lessons later today?"

"Of course Sasami" winked Mihoshi as she ran off "thank you little Sasami"

"You're welcome" waved Sasami.

"Soja defense system 5a" Washu muttered as she worked away. Analysising each 
of Soja's weapons one by one.

"This should be sim- huh?" she blinked as a red Ryo-ohki flashed at the top 
right of her holo-screen. Selecting
it she saw the alert.

"What?" she gasped "Gary!".

Gary rubbed his eyes.

"Getting sleepy, oh well a nap won't hur- what?" Gary blinked as he looked 
at his hands;
he saw that he was wearing his Dim-e.

"I must've pressed the button by mistake," he said to himself as he felt his 
shirt.
He grabbed his head in pain as a something hit him mentally.

"Jesus!" he grimaced "what's happening?" he said to himself.

Washu looked over at Gary's health display, directly linked to his MCU, her 
blood ran
cold as his heart stopped beating.

"Oh Gary you always forget stuff" giggled Mihoshi as she jogged along. 
Suddenly she
heard a loud scream of pain echo through the part of the forest she was in.

"Gary?" she said nervously as she started to run.

Gary cried out in pain as his chest jerked out, like he was being pumped 
with thousands
of volts of electricity. For a moment he felt his heart stop. He heard a 
bleep (that was
his MCU kicking in), sending a much smaller electric shock to kick-start the 
heart. Then it
stopped.

Washu stopped as a real-time graph flashed up, made up of 50 seperate energy 
bars, 40 of which
were breaking their safe operational limits.

"It can't be" she said as her fingers flashed over the holo-keyboard.

"What was that?" Gary panted as the pain slowly lingered away.

Washu then saw the energy bars return to normal. "Must've been a blip" she 
thought as she
moved back to her seat, then the MCU siren went off again. Running over to 
it she saw the read-outs.

"Something is penetrating his chest!" she gasped.

Gary, feeling his head, felt a sudden jabbing sensation. He frantically 
scratched at his shirt as he
felt as though he was slowly being stabbed.

Mihoshi came on the scene to see Gary, rolling about the floor, scratching 
hysterically at his chest.

"Gary?" Mihoshi cried as she ran towards him "what's wrong with you?"

"I'm being stabbed!" Gary screamed out "help me I'm being stabbed"

"What are you talking about?"

"I can see it!" cried Gary now flapping his hands slightly above his chest 
"the dagger!"

"Gary please stop it!" said Mihoshi, frozen with fear "you're scaring me!"

"Find the small black button in my trousers and press it!" Gary shouted.

Mihoshi scrabbled in Gary's trouser pockets and found the button in his rear 
pocket, she
quickly pressed it and Gary's Dim-e gloves disappeared.

"Gary are you okay?" Mihoshi asked as she pulled Gary up onto an upright 
sitting
position. The look on Gary's face was one of unbelievable, pure terror. He 
was sweating
and shook like a pneumatic drill.

"Oh Gary" Mihoshi said quietly.

"I'm scared" Gary murmured.

And for the first time they hugged, Mihoshi stroking Gary's short, brown 
hair, Gary
holding Mihoshi tight.
"Mihoshi I'm sorry" Gary said as he wiped his face, covered in sweat "but 
that was the
scariest thing I've ever been through"

"Oh don't say sorry" Mihoshi smiled sweetly "what happened was beyond your 
control"
she gave Gary a tissue "here use this"

"Thank you" smiled Gary.

They both blinked as soon as they saw the position they were both in.

"Oh!" Mihoshi gasped.

"Erm...should we be really hugging each other?" Gary asked.

"Well nobody is watching are they?" Mihoshi said, looking around.

"Still" Gary said, getting up "Thanks for getting here when you did"

"It's okay," winked Mihoshi as she got up as well "Just assisting another 
person of the
law"

Gary blushed.

"Washu!" Sasami shouted as Washu ran out of her lab "it's Gary and Mihoshi"

Washu turned around to see Gary, still covered in sweat, his clear white 
shirt ripped in

several places.

"Oh dear" Washu said to herself, rubbing her head.

"I saw some crap Washu" said Gary, his hands still shaking.

"Is Mr. Gary okay?" Sasami asked worriedly.

"Maybe you and me should start on dinner," Mihoshi said, leading Sasami into 
the
kitchen.

"Well I can draw only one conclusion from the tests" Washu said looking at 
the holo
printouts, looking at Gary, suspended in her examo-pod.

"What's that then Washu?" asked Gary glumly.

"That's Littl-"

"I know, I know sorry Little Washu" sighed Gary.

Washu smiled sweetly as she looked back down at her report "as I was saying" 
she
continued "Your Dim-e as a consequence of being directly linked to Dimension
space, is acting as an antenna for the user"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you're experiencing the pain of another Gary in another 
dimension"
Gary blinked.

"I mean if one of your counterparts in another dimension gets stabbed while 
using his
Dim-e, the memory get relayed to all those other Gary's who have Dim-e's as 
scale 5
flashbacks"

"So what do you recommend?"

"Give the gloves back until further notice" Washu said as she let Gary down.

"Okay" Gary said as he handed Washu the button and the gloves "I need to 
talk to
Mihoshi now, thanks for clearing that up" Gary said as he rubbed his 
forehead.

"Gary?" Washu said, back facing him.

"Yes?"

"You believe me about this Soja business don't you" asked Washu in a worried 
tone.

"I have to look at some things before we can get around to that" he said as 
he walked out
rubbing his head.

Washu sighed and sat back down, going back to work on Soja. She could sense 
that it
was getting nearer and only she and Ayeka were the only people taking the 
damn thing
seriously.

She looked up at one of the big screens up above, on it were the last known 
ship diagrams
of the Soja. She knew they'd be massively modified since the last time.

"Bored?" Ryoko suddenly said in Washu's head.

"Yep" Washu nodded.

"I'm doing nothing right now" Ryoko smiled in Washu's head "wanna talk?"

"Got work to do daughter of mine" winked Washu.

"That's crap Washu and you know it" Ryoko snapped, "I am not your daughter!"

****

"I'm saying that we don't understand the gravity of the situation" Gary said 
as he drunk
his tea. Gary was holding a kind of conference to get everyone's views of 
the situation.
Tenchi however was still practicing.

"What because we don't believe her?" Ryoko muttered, arms crossed.

"I know what I heard" Ayeka said "Its true I tell you"

"Well if it is then why hasn't Washu come in with a plan to solve it?" Ryoko 
demanded.

"I don't know about this but it seems that Washu is genuinely scared of 
facing Soja
again" Gary said, looking down at some papers.

"If she is telling the truth" said Ryoko as she filled her cup with Sake.

"She did" Mihoshi, who was sitting next Gary said "Me, Ga-I mean DS Thach 
with the
help of Yukinojo managed to do a full scale investigation into the 
background of Professor Washu"

"And?" Ryoko asked.

"And this is what we found" Gary said opening up the massive folder, jammed 
packed
with datasheets and chrono reports.

"Professor Washu was born sometime in the 5th recorded birth bracket or for 
Earth time,
19,500 BC" Mihoshi began

"Huh?" Ayeka blinked "I don't understand"

"We found it hard ourselves until we delved in further" Mihoshi explained 
"Washu at the
age of 13 had developed the knowledge and thinking power of any well 
respected University Professor and scientist...in nearly every part of 
scientific knowledge. At that time she discovered genetics and the ability 
to change the coding of a specific gene"

"It was at this time Washu discovered the gene responsible for ageing of the 
body and
organs in every living thing" Gary added.

"She modified the gene and disabled any aging effects that would impair any 
part of the
body inside and out in later years" Mihoshi continued "she made it into a 
small inject able
dose called 'project YZ-53'"

"How many did she make?" asked Ryoko.

"Only one, the drug was outlawed even before it went to tests because of the 
huge costs
in making it viable"

"So what did she do then?"

"After that she looked at mind patterns and brainwaves. She found that with 
training,
people could have a set of configurations to choose from ingrained into each 
gene, these
configs could be activated by metal thought alone.
She redeveloped YZ-53 with these properties designed with only one person in
mind...herself"

"You hearing this?" Ryoko said in her head through the link to Washu.

"Yep" Washu said quietly "man they do their homework"

"So she took the injection herself?" Ayeka asked.

"Yeah" Gary nodded "the only person to take it...ever"

"And she's never grown any older ever since 19,500BC" Mihoshi finished.

"What happened with Soja then?"

"Washu constructed the computer first, several prototypes of AI, one that 
would be near
impervious to electronic and magnetic attack. But only to the period's 
technology.
Then when she created the perfect AI core, she built the ship around it and 
programmed it
to be the ship's main computer. Soja was to be the computer that would take 
care of the
tasks that a 10,000 man crew would have to do, leaving Washu alone to do her
experiments" Mihoshi explained.

"What happened to Soja to make it go after its owner?" Ayeka asked.

"One day, Soja, in a moment of free time did a random calculation, we don't 
what is was
but it was that day 5,000 years ago that sparked it off into the biggest 
rampage that the galaxy
has ever seen" Mihoshi continued.

"Washu was forced to flee in the face of death" Gary finished.
The room was full of silence.

"So...just how powerful is this Soja?" Ayeka asked.

"It's destroyed many GP ships" Washu said, standing at the doorway.

"Washu!" Ryoko stood up "is all that they've just said true?"

Washu nodded "I was afraid of telling you people you the full story because 
wouldn't
have believed me" she looked away "I've been trying to find a way to get 
past Soja's defences"

"Wait this ship is thousands of years old" Ayeka said "if it was only 
designed to stand up
to that times weaponry then why not use today's updated war gear?"

"When it went berserk, it crashed itself and restarted for the first time in 
its life. I didn't
know that the restart would wipe the AI's memory" Washu said, looking down 
at the
floor "and it's after me next, it'll destroy anything in its way"

"Just you?" Ryoko asked.

"That means" Ayeka gasped "Earth is next!"

Washu nodded.

"Washu" Ryoko thought "I should've listened"

"Yes you should've" Washu said quietly in her head.

Ryoko walked up to Washu "I'm sorry" she said as she put her hand on her 
shoulder.
Washu nodded.

"Well Washu" Ayeka said "What can we expect from Soja?"

"Well" Washu looked up "Its AI would've used the ship's generation 
facilities to produce
it's internal defence system, and the only way we can get to the AI core is 
via getting inside the ship"

"How powerful is the ship's IDS?" Ryoko asked.

"Very powerful, good thing I disabled its development chip before I left"

"Soja's weaponry hasn't changed for 5,000 years" Gary said as he gathered 
the papers up
and placed them back in the file.

"That means at least we'll know what's trying to kill us" said Ryoko.

"What are we gonna do?" Mihoshi said nervously.

"The only thing we can do" grinned Ryoko as she looked up through the window 
"Kick
its butt"

"Well I for one would agree with that statement" smiled Ayeka.

Gary smiled nervously and looked over at Mihoshi who looked very worried.

"Well now we've got consensus" Washu said, back to her calm self "we can 
plan on how
to get into the ship"

Washu tapped on her holo-pad and a 3D plan of the Soja came up on the table.

"So this is Soja" Gary murmured.

"Yes" Washu nodded "It is approaching the furthest planet of the solar 
system, ETA to
earth 48 hrs and counting"

The plan was highly detailed, even with the large size of the plan, many 
parts were
shaded due to the sheer number
of rooms and corridors.

"How do we even make sense of this?" Mihoshi whined as she stared at the 
drawings.

"We could find out the most probable place for Soja's AI to be located at 
first" Ayeka
said, looking at one part.

"I think it should be....hmmm...here" Washu pointed at a large, long hall in 
the top upper
left part of the 3D Soja.

"You think?" Ryoko questioned.

"That's the only logical place it could be at" Washu said as she zoomed in 
on that area

"The only problem is getting there"

"Why should that be a problem?" shrugged Ryoko.

"See all round that hall" Washu said as she highlighted the three access 
corridors "they're
long and slightly wider than the usual two person config"

"Which means room for a lot of nasty big guns?" Mihoshi asked.

"Yes" Washu said.

"That's bad" Mihoshi said quietly, head bowed.

"Hey lets have none of that, you're a Galaxy Policeman"

"Police person"

"Yeah that too, anyway have courage" Gary said sternly.

"Yes sir" replied Mihoshi, holding her head up.

"The nearest outside entry point is way out of the way" Washu explained as 
she zoomed
out a bit "that would add several vital minutes to our
journey to Soja's core"

"Wait Ryoko you can phase through walls with other people" Gary said looking 
up.

"Yeah" Ryoko nodded "why?"

"You and Princess Ayeka go in first, you blow a hole in the side big enough 
to take a ship
in docking, meanwhile Ayeka will stop de-pressurisation via a force field" 
Gary explained.

Ayeka looked at Ryoko, Ryoko looked back with a wary eye, they both looked 
back at
Gary "okay"

"We need Tenchi here right now" Washu said as she poured over the plans.

"You called"

Everyone looked over to the doorway, there a very tired looking Tenchi, 
drenched in
sweat stood there, he was covered in grazes and cuts.

"Lord Tenchi!" gasped Ayeka "What happened?"

"I've been training Ms Ayeka" said Tenchi as he walked into the room "what's
happening"

"We're planning the attack" said Ryoko as she clicked her neck.

"I'm going to enter first with Ryoko" Ayeka added "then you, Washu, Mihoshi 
and Gary
will enter afterwards"

"No way" Tenchi said, shaking his head "I go with you first or it's not 
happening at all"

Ayeka looked worriedly at Ryoko who was staring at the diagram "is it okay 
with you?"

Ryoko looked at Tenchi, who looked more determined as ever "you're concerned 
about
me?"

"Well I was concerned about the both of yo-" gulped Tenchi as Ryoko flew in 
to hug
him.

"Oi!" Ayeka shouted as she grabbed Ryoko by her collar "how dare you put 
words in
Tenchi's mouth"

"Oh how dare I little miss party pooper" mumbled Ryoko as she stopped.

"What did you say?"

"You heard!"

As the argument ensued Washu looked at Gary and Mihoshi.

"Well that's one team set up" she sighed "okay you and Gary are on my team, 
we'll go in
after Ryoko, Ayeka and Tenchi have cleared the way"

"Oh wow that's excellent I won't let ya down Washu!" squealed Mihoshi "don't 
you think
its brilliant?"

Gary was frowning in disappointment "I thought I was the highest ranking 
officer here!"
he muttered.

****

After the intense hour of planning (and arguing between Ryoko and Ayeka), 
everyone
rested, night was drawing in quite quickly (surprising seeing as it was 
summer). Tenchi
was sitting out on the grass, overlooking the lake.

"Lord Tenchi?"

Tenchi turned round to see Ayeka.

"Do you want to be alone?" Ayeka asked.

"No I could use some company Ms Ayeka" Tenchi smiled patting a place near 
him.
Ayeka nodded and sat down with grace.

"Are you worried about what's going to happen soon?" Tenchi asked, his head 
resting on
his hands which were perched on his knees.

Ayeka nodded "I am a little, I feel fear as well but it is my mission as 
given to me from
Tsunami"

"Was that what she said to you?" Tenchi said, looking round at Ayeka.
Ayeka nodded.

"That must be a weight on your shoulders," murmured Tenchi as he looked back 
down at
the grass.

"It is" Ayeka replied "but I know me and Ryoko can rely on each other" she 
smiled.

"They're just as caring as each other," thought Tenchi to himself as he 
smiled at Ayeka.

Tenchi put a hand on her shoulder "well gets some sleep, you'll need it"

Ayeka blushed.
"Something the matter Ms Ayeka?"
Ayeka looked back at Tenchi "it's just, well.." she said, looking for the 
right words.

Tenchi just looked and smiled gently.
"I...I would like to apologise for how I behaved when we first met" Ayeka 
smiled "Now I
see what I tried to do to you, I know I could've made a big mistake"

"Oh Ayeka it's not your fault" Tenchi tried to comfort Ayeka.

"Please Tenchi let me finish" Ayeka said, cutting Tenchi off "Ever since I 
left Jurai all
those hundreds of years ago Tenchi, my mind was focused on one thing, that 
blasted key and
my brother" she sniffed "I wouldn't let anyone get in my way, not even 
innocents like you
Tenchi" a tear fell from the pink skies that were her eyes "now I realise 
the many wrongs
that I have done I...I feel so ashamed!" she wept into her hands.

"Ayeka" Tenchi murmred "I didn't know I.." he pulled a tissue out "here dry 
your eyes"

"Huh?" Ayeka uttered as she looked up at Tenchi.

"If it helps Lady Ayeka" Tenchi smiled "I forgive you"

"Oh Lord Tenchi" she smiled weakly.

Tenchi dried her eyes with the tissue. As he pulled the tissue away, Ayeka 
put her hand on his.
Ayeka blushed a bit as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Oh.." mumbled Tenchi as he looked away, blushing himself.

"What?...oh!" Ayeka gasped as she pulled her hand away.

Once again neither spoke, just looking into each other's eyes for a second.
Suddenly a pair of hand marks appeared on the front of Tenchi. Ayeka glared 
as Ryoko appeared.

"Tenchi!" Ryoko grinned sweetly.

"What?" Tenchi jumped! "Where did you come from" he said looking in all 
directions.

"Well I was in the area and I thought I'd pay my favourite man a visi-"

"Stop there!" shouted Ayeka, grinding her teeth "can't you see me and Tenchi 
were having private
time together"

"Yeah now it's over Ayeka" smiled Ryoko sneakily "now and always"

Ayeka blinked as she understood what she meant, then her expression went 
cold with anger "we'll see
about that!"

"Yeah brat we will!" Ryoko glared back.

Composing herself, Ayeka stood up "Goodnight Lord Tenchi" she said, too 
tired to fight tonight.

"Goodnight Ms Ayeka" said Tenchi as Ayeka walked into the House.
Ryoko was holding a big bottle of sake "I've just been out having fun 
Tenchi"

"Or getting yourself drunk" said Tenchi as Ryoko sat down next to him.

Ayeka walked into her bedroom and saw Sassami sitting up on her futon.

"Sasami?" Ayeka asked with a smile as she took her outer kimono off, 
carefully folding
it and moving to the next layer "what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep Ayeka" Sassami said glumly.

"Why couldn't you sleep sister?" Ayeka said as she sat down to brush her 
hair back.

"I'm afraid" Sassami said quietly.
Ayeka stood up and walked over to Sasami.

"Oh Sasami don't be, you will be okay, Tsunami said so"
"I'm afraid for you though" Sasami said with a tear running down her cheek 
"what if
you get hurt?"

"Oh Sasami" Ayeka said stroking her sister's hair "it'll be all right I'll 
promise"
They hugged for a moment. Afterwards Ayeka laid Sasami back on her futon.

"Now you sleep and dream" Ayeka smiled as she put her hair in her special 
pouch.

"You happy with the plan?" Ryoko asked as she drank some sake.

"I don't really mind" Tenchi said as he looked at his sword "I know that 
this sword
will not be the solution"

"Huh?" blinked Ryoko "but the power comes from the sword"

"And I can handle the sword" Tenchi picked the Tenchi-ken up "which means, 
like
you, Ayeka and Sasami, I have a power inside of me" he looked at Ryoko "I 
just haven't
discovered it yet"

Ryoko smiled "good luck Tenchi" she thought to herself.

"Yes good luck" said Washu in her mind.

"Will you stop that!" frowned.

"Stop what?"

"Peeking in on everything I do" she grumbled "like you're my mom or 
something"

"But I am your Mo-"

"Don't say it!" Ryoko glared "don't you dare say it!".

"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, "What's wrong you look angry?"

Ryoko blushed a bit "oh me? nothing"

"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked as he put the sword back in his pocket "you said that 
you'd look
after me?"

"Yeah?" nodded Ryoko "why?"

"I was hoping you'd keep your promise when it comes to it" smiled Tenchi.
Ryoko nodded.

"Well I'm gonna go get to bed now" Tenchi said as he stood up "thanks for 
the drink"

"Your welcome" smiled Ryoko warmly.

"Mihoshi?" Gary said as he walked into their bedroom "there you are!"

Mihoshi was looking out of the window. Gary walked over slowly.

"Is there something the matter?" Gary asked, concerned.

Mihoshi looked up, the look on her face was one of extreme concern.

"Hey whats the matter" Gary said as he knelt down. Mihoshi without thinking 
hugged him.

"I'm scared for you" she said into his shoulder.

"Calm down Mihoshi" said Gary as he patted her back, not really knowing what 
to do.

"You might get killed!" Mihoshi said with fear.

"No, no!" smiled Gary as he held Mihoshi's shoulders "never, ever think like 
that"

"But..." Mihoshi looked away.

"If we look after each other" said Gary as he helped her up "we can get 
through it"

"Oh Gary" smiled Mihoshi weakly.

"We care for each other" Gary smiled back "now get some sleep"

They hugged again. Gary then helped Mihoshi into her partition and walked 
back into his partition of
the room.

"Goodnight Gary" smiled Mihoshi.

"Goodnight Mihoshi" sighed Gary.


Fin