Disclaimer:  Ok, Tenchi and all characters of the Tenchiverse belong to
Pioneer.  I'm not making any money through this, and i'm just a poor college
student so please don't sue me.

Why Me? Part 6

by
Rose and Jared

        With a sense of dread I looked behind me, slowly making my head turn to
follow Ryoko's gaze.  The voice had given away the identity of the short,
red-
headed scientist, but I had some vague hope of being wrong.  Although I
did
not have the experience that the rest of the household had with her, what
little I had made me very leery of continuing my association.

        "Now come girls, be nice and come with Mommy so that I can figure out
exactly
what happened to Rose-chan."

        If looks could kill at that moment I would be nothing more than a memory.
The look that Ryoko sent my way would have made nothing out of any attack
she'd thrown at me so far.  I didn't necessarily want to go back with
Washu to her lab, but
on the other hand I didn't want to stay here and face whatever my
cyan-haired
pseudo-half-sister had planned for me.

        Ok, think quick.  There's got to be a way out of this.  If I get out of
this
I might have a chance at waking up alive, and with all my faculties still
intact tomorrow morning.  So....what to do what to do.....  Aha!!!

        "Ne, Washu-chan...Ryoko and I are a little tired from today's trip to
town.
Wouldn't it be better if we got a good night's sleep?   How good could
your
readings be on our physical well being if we're tired?  Tomorrow we'll be
more
alert, our bodies rested and better able to give a more accurate
analysis," I
said in my most kawaii voice.

        Washu looked at me with no little amount of suspicion in her eyes.  To
which
I answered with the most innocent look I could plaster on my face;
shining
eyes, and a disgustingly sweet smile making their appearance.  I briefly
looked back to Ryoko, and saw that her fierce expression had been replaced
with one of confusion.  Hoping to make her go along with me plan I winked.
Her face registered only more confusion, and just as I was about to give
up a
look of comprehension flared.

        "Yeah Washu." Ryoko leaned forward, attempting to adopt an earnest and
somewhat hurt look. "Rose and I have been fighting ALL day and we're just
so very tired. Wouldn't you rather tortu... uh, I mean, do your
experiments when we can give you some better results?"

        Quickly I turned my head to see Washu's response, only to be trampled
flat by the little galactic genius.

        "Ite....,"I groaned as I rubbed my thigh where one of Washu's small feet
had
landed.  Geez, what's her problem now?  I thought it might have been going
well too.  I glanced up and pushed my red spiky hair out my face to see
where
the small scientist had gone off to, only to see her with a death grip on
Ryoko.  A second later it registered to me what Washu was saying to her
daughter.

        "Now Ryoko-chan, what have I always told you to call me?"

        Seeing Ryoko bent at the waist with Washu's arm wrapped around her neck,
and
Ryoko squirming to get free had to be one of the most hilarious things I
had
ever seen.  And of course I being the person I am had to make this known.
Laughing and pointing at the ever tough Ryoko I slowly made my way to my
feet.

        Hearing the noise I was making Ryoko gave me a murderous look, and if
anything struggled harder.  A litany of "Okaa-san" could be heard, along
with
the occasional "Let me go!" for flavor.  I don't know what brought
everyone
out at that point.  It could have been my uncontrolled laughing, Ryoko's
screaming, or, hey, it could have been a combination of both.  But that's
besides the point, because all that mattered was that all of a sudden the
entire Masaki household was outside watching the spectacle.

        "Ohohohohoh, Ryoko-san I always knew you were a weakling, and this proves
it." Ayeka laughed at her erstwhile rival.

        I was calming down a bit now, and could see that Ryoko was becoming
increasingly unstable.  In an admittedly small attempt to contain my
laughter
I turned to see who else had come out.  Tenchi stood near Sasami who had
her
hands pressed to her mouth.  Her expression was one of shock, worry, and
barely concealed amusement.  The small cabbit on her head seemed worried,
and
voiced it by a continuous "Miyah"-ing.  This in itself was very amusing,
quickly I decided to look away before I began laughing again.  Tenchi's
face
had a worried expression on it, along with a bit of resignation.  I could
only
assume that this had happened in some way before.  Spying Nobiyuki at the
edge
of the bunch I saw he had a wide smile on his face; he obviously was
enjoying
the scene.  As I brought my gaze back to the struggling mother and
daughter a
new face joined the group, and headed toward Sasami.

        This if anything would take my mind off the present situation, hopefully
long
enough for me to get myself back under control.  Catching Tenchi's gaze I
slowly made my way over to where he was standing.

        "Hey Tenchi, how's it going?"

        "Ok," he replied nervously, "So where did you and Ryoko go off to?"

        "Oh, we ended up in town after getting away from Washu.  Then Ryoko had
to go
into a bar and get drunk.  The fight on the way home was spectacular.  I
had
no idea someone could function that well while they were that smashed."

        A large sweatdrop appeared on Tenchi's now lowered head, "That's Ryoko
for
you."

        "So Tenchi, who's that over by Sasami?"

        Following my gaze Tenchi's eyes landed on the dark skinned, fair haired,
and
officially dressed woman.  "Oh, that's Mihoshi.  She arrived earlier
today, if
you had stayed after you got away from Washu I could have introduced you."

        Glancing quickly around I saw that the situation didn't seem near
completion.
Ryoko and Washu were still going at it, and I might add Washu's face had a
most unique happy yet evil expression on it.  Ryoko was still struggling,
and
still looked dangerous.  Perhaps the only thing that changed was that
Ayeka
had picked up where I left off, and was now laughing at the predicament
that
Ryoko was in.

        My eyebrows shot up and I shook my head.  These people were crazy, but
then
again, after what's happened to me lately who am I to judge?  Turning to
Tenchi I said, "Now's a good a time as any.  Introduce me."

        Nodding Tenchi started walking towards the woman, who at the moment was
whining and wringing her hands in an almost hysterical way.  Tenchi put
his
hand on the woman's shoulder, and immediately she turned around to bury
her
face in his shoulder.

        "Waaah, Tenchi, Ryoko-san and Washu-san are fighting!!  What are we
going to
do?"

        Wide eyed i thought, this was almost too much.  I mean it wasn't as if
energy
blasts and sword fights were ensuing, so what was she getting so upset
about.

        "Mihoshi-san, calm down.  I have someone I want you to meet."

        When she finally looked up Tenchi began the introduction.  "Mihoshi,
this is
Rose, Ryoko-san's sister.  Rose this is GP Officer Mihoshi."

        Straightening up and giving a sharp bow, during which she almost lost her
strange hat, she said, "Hajemimashite Rose-san, doozo yoroshiku."

        "Hajemimashite Mihoshi-san."

        "You were in Washu's lab earlier weren't you Rose-san?  What were you
doing?"

        "Uhh....well...Washu-chan is trying to help me get home," I answered.  At
least I think she is.

        "You were the one that distracted Washu-chan weren't you?  I have to
thank
you, you're the reason Ryoko and I were able to get away."

        "Ara...you wanted to get away from Washu?"

        Hmm....I sense a very dense brain.  Oh well, she seems nice enough.

        All of a sudden Washu and Ryoko became louder.  Turning around I was
just in
time to see Washu's arm snake around my neck.  The next thing I saw was
Ryoko's face alarmingly near my own.  "This is all your fault....AGAIN!!!"

        I flinched from the words being screamed at me, my ears ringing from the
volume that Ryoko had projected.

        "Well if you had remembered to call her 'Okaa-san' instead of Washu we
wouldn't be in this predicament.  She would have let us go, and we could
be
relaxing inside.  But nooooooo you had to go and say something you knew
would
set her off.  I haven't even been here that long and even I know that.
Baka!!!"

        At this point Ryoko's face turned a most interesting shade of purple.
Smirking because I knew that I was right, I couldn't help but rub it in
her
face by saying, "So it's all YOUR fault, not mine."

        "Now you two, stop fighting.  I swear you are the least likely siblings
that
I've seen.  Rose-chan you've been trying to get away from me since you've
gotten here, don't think that I'm going to let you out of my sight anytime
soon."

        With that she began moving us toward the house, intent on getting us into
that awful lab of hers.  Unfortunately for her she forgot about the door.
 If
Ryoko and I got stuck in it before, the three of us weren't going to make
it
through.  This meant that she had to let go of one of us for a small
amount of
time, allowing for freedom.  The question was, which one of us would it
be.

        Washu apparently was having the same debate.  It seemed she couldn't
decide
which of us to trust.  What a wonderful predicament this is, it could
almost
be considered funny....if i wasn't so unsure of what would happen to me
if I
didn't get away.  Then something came to me...I couldn't understand why I
hadn't thought of it before.  Come to think of it, why hadn't Ryoko
thought of
it, I mean it really was so stupidly obvious.

        And so, with my next thought I was up in my room getting ready for bed.
I
wonder how long it will take Ryoko to get up here?  Oh well, off to the
bathroom.

*     *     *     *

        Ryoko couldn't believe her eyes.  Rose had just disappeared and left her
with
her this maniac.  "Ooohhh, when I get my hands on her," she thought.
"Well,
if she can do it so can I.  See you later Washu."

        "Oh no you don't.  You're not getting away that easily," Washu replied
as her
holographic keyboard popped up.  A few quick strokes later and Ryoko's
powers
of teleportation on a phasing were on hold.  "Come on, you and I have
things
to do.  Don't worry, you won't be lonely for too long, as soon as you're
settled I'm going for your sister."

        "Why do you keep calling her my sister?  We're not related," Ryoko
growled.

        "You seem to have such a problem with it.  I've said before that I used
my
DNA, and since I used my ovum to make you that makes us all one big happy
family."

        ".......," was Ryoko's only reply to that.

        Washu was then able to maneuver through the front door and a few seconds
later, through the doorway into her lab.  Ryoko's struggling had
increased,
even though her powers were gone it seemed she still had the faint hope of
getting away.   Placing Ryoko on a holding stand and turning on the force
field she walked off in search of her other errant daughter.

*    *    *    *

        As soon as Washu left Ryoko immediately began to test the holding tank.
"Ok,
she's gone, there's got to be a way out of this."  Slowly reaching out her
hand she touched the force field.

        **BBBBZZZZAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPP**

        "Ugh," Ryoko groaned, "then again....maybe not."

*     *     *     *

        I was just leaving the bathroom, when I realized I should have stayed
hidden.

        "There you are Rose-chan, I've been looking for you."

        Turning slowly I saw Washu at the head of the stairs.  Taking a deep
breath I
said, "Oh...and why is that?"

        "Come now.  Don't be difficult like your sister.  Come back to the lab
and
let me do a few more tests.  Then when I'm done I'll let you go and you
both
can go to sleep."

        Raising my eyebrows I wasn't too sure how to take this.  Should I
believe her
or shouldn't I.  After short internal debate I decided I'd rather be able
to
go back home than keep running from her.  So I walked toward her and
nodded.

        With a happy smile on her face the red-headed scientist made her way back
down to the lab.  I followed her inside and saw Ryoko standing on a raised
platform, looking......slightly singed??

        "Ryoko!!  You tried to touch the forcefield didn't you?"

        Forcefield?  Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

        "Rose would you please go over to that stand over there.  The sensors
should
be able to give me some readings about your physiology.  Perhaps from that
I'll be able to extrapolate on what your original DNA structure was."
After
saying that Washu turned to some panel display and was promptly absorbed
in
readying the device.

        Hesitating slightly I made my way over to the stand next to Ryoko's.
Stepping up slightly to get on to it, and walking towards the middle.
Almost
immediately I heard a humming, and as I looked back towards Washu I
noticed a
slight shimmering coming up from the bottom of the stand.  Glancing over
to
Ryoko I saw that she was smirking in a most annoying way.

        Going up close to edge, I stuck my hand out to touch it.

        **BBBZZZZZZAAAAAAAAPPPPPP**

        Ooohhh, that forcefield.  I guess I'll know what it looks like for the
next
time, huh?  Walking back to the center of the platform I caught a glimpse
of
Ryoko laughing her head off.   Humph, let her have her fun.  I'll give it
to
her the next time we have a fight.

        Suddenly a light flared overhead, came down slowly over my head, made
it's
way to my feet and then back up again.  Looking over I saw the same thing
was
happening to Ryoko.  Calling out to Washu I questioned, "Hey, what's this
doing?"

        "It's just taking a brief physiological scan.  I'll be able to compare
you
with Ryoko as to figure out how much of the old you is left in your DNA
structure.  I took the liberty of grabbing a few strands of hair before so
I'll be comparing those too."

        Now this was something that I wanted to hear.  Something constructive
being
done to get myself back to normal.  A few minutes later, I was bored.
Ryoko
was snoring away on her stand and Washu was engrossed in her work.  I let
my
gaze wander and I realized I must have been an unobservant idiot before.
I
had mean to ask Ryoko before about how Ryoko got her spaceship, and I was
beginning to wonder now how such a huge lab could fit in a belowstairs
closet.

        "Hey, Hey Ryoko."

        "Zzzzzzzz..."

        "RYOKO!!!"

        "Huh...uh...whazzat?"

        "I've been meaning to ask you...exactly where is everyone coming from
here?
I mean, from what I've seen of the area you, Washu, Sasami, and Ayeka,
aren't
exactly examples of the local life."

        "It's taken you that long to ask that question?" Ryoko sighed and looked
over
to Washu.  "Well it doesn't seem like Washu will be letting us out of
these
things anytime soon so I suppose it's as good a way as any to pass the
time."

        "Well, Washu over there is some intergalactic genius.   She was trapped
on this ship owned by Kagato.  She saved us, much as I hate to admit it,
when she turned me back from the stone Kagato had turned me into.  Ayeka
and Sasami are from this planet called Jurai, and they're princesses.
Tenchi's related to them, Ayeka is his great aunt or something.  Mihoshi,
bubble head that she is, is a Galactic Police Officer.  How she got that
position I'll never understand.  She can't seem to do anything right."

        "Was that why she was dressed so strangely?  That blue outfit with the
strange hat is her uniform?"

        "Yeah, that's it alright."

        "Well, how did everyone meet?  You also never told me how you enter the
picture?"

        "Well, Ayeka showed up shortly after I met Tenchi, and Sasami shortly
after that.  Tenchi freed me from a cave near the shrine where I was
being kept prisoner.  After 700 years down there I was more than grateful
to Tenchi for getting me out of there.  Ayeka showed up here, initially
looking for some long lost brother of hers, but instead she tried to drag
me back to Jurai to pay for some crimes that weren't even my fault.
Sasami answered a distress signal that Ayeka sent out because her ship
ended up being destroyed.  Hmmm....let's see who's left.  Oh yeah,
Mihoshi and Washu.  Mihoshi sort of popped out of the sky, it turns out
she was in pursuit Kagato.  He came to earth and ended up capturing me.
When everyone came to the rescue Mihoshi ended up getting lost and
finding Washu. She let her out and we won the fight."

        "Does that answer everything?"

        "Ok I think I'm getting most of this.  So it basically means that you
are aliens to this planet.  But how is Tenchi related to Ayeka?"

        "Oh that's easy, Kastuhiko, or Yosho, is Ayeka's brother."

        "But how can that be?  I mean he's old?  She looks so much younger."

        "It's an illusion I'm sure.  I'm over 2,000 myself.  Ayeka is a bit
younger, and Sasami is younger still.  Washu is over 20,000.  Mihoshi
can't be much older than Ayeka," Ryoko thought for a minute then
shrugged.  "That's it."

        This is bad.   I've got the DNA of a 20,000 year old woman in my body,
and she has the body of 12 year old.  Does this mean I'm going to end up
living that long?  I don't like this.

        "HEY WASHU!!!  Did you forget to mention something to me?  Like the fact
that
most of the people I've met so far are aliens?  Or how about the fact
that because of your DNA I have the dubious honor of living practically
forever?" I screamed.

        Washu turned around, "Hmm....didn't I mention that?  I guess not.  Oh
well, it's not like it's a bad thing.  Think of it.  Along with all those
wonderful powers you've have the gift of longevity."

        "That's cold comfort when all my family and friends are dead," I growled.

        "Don't worry Rose-chan, I'll do my best to help you.  Now be a good girl
while I make a new batch of protoplasm.  If nothing else I can make your
DNA over from scratch, only problem with that is that in switching your
consciousness from one body to the other your memories are erased.  But
don't worry. I'll add some of my genius DNA to the batch so that you
won't be too badly off."

        Hearing this I began to sweat.  As much as I wanted my old body back I
didn't
want to lose the memories that went along with it, or gain anymore of her
genetic structure.  It was right about now that I began thinking that it
would be a good idea to escape.  But how to get out of here?

        Off to the side I saw a large clear tank begin to fill with a bubbly
pink substance.  This was not reassuring.  "Ryoko, have you got any ideas
on how to get out of here?"

        "I already tried."

        "What?  Walking into the force field and getting zapped?  Did you try
anything else after that?"

        "......no."

        I rolled my eyes, and replied, "Well that's a big help.  Any other
ideas?"

        "I can't teleport, and I can't phase.  Washu turned them off.  What
about you?  Do you still have yours?"

        Briefly concentrating, I found that my powers were still intact.  I
guess Washu forgot to turn them off since I actually came here willingly.

        "Yup."

        "Well get us out of here!  What are you waiting for?"

        "Right."

        A few seconds later I had teleported myself and Ryoko into my room
upstairs.

        "Oyasumi, Ryoko," I said as she exited the room.

        "Night Rose."


*     *     *     *

        Washu gazed in satisfaction upon the vat of her cloning machine. It had
done it's job well, perhaps not precisely as intended, but she was not
the greatest scientific genius in the universe from overlooking the
occasional happy accident. That girl who'd dimension-jumped into the
clone chamber really hadn't been prepared for all that had happened to
her. But that really wouldn't matter if events were allowed to proceed
smoothly.

          And the effects upon Ryoko of having a sister thrust upon her were
already 42% better than predicted! Washu allowed herself a satisfied
grin, now that no one could see it. All she had to do was to keep
threatening to perform more experiments on them and the two would keep
teaming up to avoid them! It was wonderful! Only a genius such as she
could have thought of such a beautiful, simple plan!

        And how the two of them had squirmed when she'd began a fresh batch
of protoplasm! Even just a weensy joke about rewriting their genetic code
from scratch had encouraged whole new escape attempts! And of course
she'd allowed them, but only with them working together as a team. It
would have been easy to stop Rose if she¹d tried to make her escape
without Ryoko. Now the two were safe in bed, already growing to depend on
each other. And with only the dreams of Washu adding her own genetic code
to a base template required to scare them til they kept doing it!

         The girls would get over it in another thousand years or so. Once
the pair of them were integrated as a team she could afford to back off
and be the loving mom, but already they were forming into a big, happy
family! Washu briefly considered flushing the protoplasm chamber and
shutting the machine down before she went to bed, but in all decided that
its prop value had not yet been exhausted. So long as the tank stayed
filled Ryoko and Rose would go to lengths in cooperating to avoid her
lab, which served her purposes admirably.

        Washu's eyes glinted mischievously. Of course, until her daughters were
functioning perfectly together she'd have some fun! After all, without
proper motivation they might fall to squabbling. So for now a common
enemy was required. Shutting off some of the machines, as well as the
lights, the little scientist summoned the portal to her own sleeping
chamber and, yawning, went off to bed.

        Half an hour later the outer door to the lab opened.

        "Hello?"

        "Washu-san?"

        Noticing that the person she was searching for was not in sight Mihoshi
began to search.  Behind every possible machine, and in every dark corner
the detective looked, all the while munching on her potato chips.

        "Hey, wow! What's this?"

         There on a piece of equipment was a scrapbook.  Flipping it open
Mihoshi found a number of pictures.  Pictures of Tenchi and his father,
Tenchi and his mother, whole family shots, and numerous baby pictures.

        Next to one particular picture of Tenchi's mother though was a lock of
precious hair pressed between the pages.

         "Oh, look, there's a lock of her hair here, too!" Mihoshi
exclaimed, and sat down to look at the book  at length.

         "Aaagh!" Mihoshi jumped up from the panel where she'd just sat on
several rows of buttons. Lights were flashing all around and some large
metal arms that looked fit to rend starship hulls began to move on their
own accord.

         Mihoshi dropped the book and rushed over to the control panel.

        "Waahhh, what happened?!? What does this machine do?  How do I turn it
off?
Washu!!!  Help!!!  Wahhh."

        Random pressing of controls finally got the enormous metal arms firmly
wedged against each other, straining but helpless against their own
unbelievable strength.

        Mihoshi had spilled her bag of chips when she'd jumped and was now
crying in fright and shock as she bent to pick up the fallen volume.
"AAAAAAAAHh!!" The blond detective slipped as her feet shot out from
under her on a potato chip. The lock of hair that she'd been reaching for
went flying through the air to land in a bath of clear liquid, floating
with pink goo. The hair promptly dissolved.

        "Oh, no!!  Tenchi's mother's hair!!  It's gone.  What am I going to
do? Was that a disintegration tank? Wait!!  Maybe there's something in
the lab that can help."

        Feeling slightly better Mihoshi turned to the nearest machine and did
what she did best.  Fiddling with Washu's dimensional
tuner/distorter/whatever the latest incarnation was. Whatever it was was
large and dangerous and Mihoshi had about as much chance of operating it
right as chipmunks did of earning Nobel science awards.

        After a relatively short time Mihoshi gave up. A pair of extremely large
data banks had disappeared into subspace. Two, rather annoyed, robots
appeared and began to squawk loudly before vanishing in puffs blue smoke
and powder. And Mihoshi had, against all odds, somehow coaxed the machine
into producing an appropriate lock of hair.

        Smiling, she put it back in the book, then yawned. It was late, she had
forgotten why she had come into Washu's lab in the first place, and she
was tired.  Time to go to bed.  That decided she immediately found her
way out of the lab and into her make shift bed by Ayeka and Sasami.

*     *     *     *

Meanwhile, behind her.....

        In the darkening lab a dimensional vortex appeared and spat something
out that rare something that wasn't immediately intent on destroying all
civilized life in the universe. In fact it fell in the solvent tank tied
to the cloning chamber. As the bath for the cloning tank partially
dissolved the newcomer who'd been flung into it auto-systems detected the
deterioration of the subject matter and switched over to begin the
experiment before it could decay further. DNA integration of all samples
began.

        The cloning process began and pinkish protoplasm began to flow over and
merge with the unfortunate lifeform inside. The ooze found ready access
through the cuts and laser wounds already on the body, and ignored the
shreds of the white Zorro-like costume that it had been wearing.