Tenchi Muyo and Gundam Wing characters (except for Naiki, and Riley) are property of Pioneer, not me. This was written out of enjoyment, I am not getting paid for this. So I beg you people, please do not sue me. Thank you very much. Never Again Chapter 1: Distress The dark clouds formed above the quiet Masaki Shrine. A storm was waiting to be born. Inside the Masaki household, the young Jurian Princess Sasami was working on preparing dinner for the large household. Tenchi Masaki was working in the carrot fields, of course he wasn't able to get too much done with Ryo-Oki trying to get at all the carrots. "Stop that Ryo-Oki! I told you no carrots until dinner!" Tenchi yelled in frustration. Ryo-Oki took a step back. "Meow…" Ryo-Oki sighed as she turned around, heading back to the Masaki Shrine. Tenchi looked down and heaved a heavy sigh. "Ryo-Oki will just never understand. Oh well, I'd better get back to work…" as he said this, he looked towards the sky. The dark clouds hovered over the shrine like a blanket of smoke. Tenchi gasped. "Well, doesn't look like I'll be getting anymore work done today…" With that, Tenchi picked up his tools and basket of carrots and headed towards his house. Ryoko squealed excitedly as she saw Tenchi heading towards the house. Just as Tenchi reached the door, he was greeted by a pair of gleaming yellow eyes peeking through the door. "AH!" Tenchi screamed in surprise. Ryoko giggled with delight. "Oh Tenchi dear, what took you so long to come home? I was getting so worried about you! I thought maybe that mean bratty princess tried to-…" Ryoko was cut off by Tenchi's hand covering her mouth. "SH! Quiet Ryoko! Ayeka may hear you!" he hissed into her ear. "Hear what?" a high-pitched voice called from the living room. "Too late…" Tenchi thought with a groan. "Here we go again…" A few seconds later, the young lavender haired Jurian Princess Ayeka walked into where Tenchi and Ryoko were standing. Ayeka's cheery expression suddenly turned sour at the sight of the two. "Miss Ryoko! What do you think you are doing? Get away from Lord Tenchi right this instant!" she screeched at Ryoko with a most annoying tone. Ryoko grinned smugly at the princess. "Oh I get it, looks like someone is a little jealous here," she alleged with a laugh. Ayeka's face turned a bright red in anger and embarrassment. "How dare you say such a thing you evil devil! I shall teach you a thing or two!" Ryoko just grinned in response, welcoming the challenge. Ryoko's beam sword appeared in her hands instantly. "Bring it on, Princess!" she cried mockingly. Ryoko then noticed that the princess was now surrounded by her power logs. They both glared at each other, the tension growing. Just before either was able to attack, the door, which looked like an ordinary closet door, swung open, revealing a woman looking no older than twelve. "What's going on here? What's with all the racket? How do you expect the greatest scientific genius in the universe to get any work done!" the redheaded woman asked. All three of them rolled their eyes at her. "Oh geez Washu, will you chill out? Get outta here and leave us alone! Can't you see we are in the middle of a battle…err…argument here?" Ryoko hollered at Washu. Washu just sighed at the ignorance of her daughter. She knew that somewhere deep inside, Ryoko really did respect her mother. But she certainly had a strange way of showing it. "My goodness little Ryoko, aren't we a little crabby today? Is that any way to talk to your mother?" she questioned her daughter, a devious grin curving on her lips. Ryoko turned away from Ayeka and towards her mother, her anger rising. "Now listen hear you…" Before Ryoko was able to continue, Tenchi stepped in front of Washu, glaring at Ryoko. "Now c'mon Ryoko! That's no way to treat your mother! Let's just forget this stupid argument and go on with our lives!" Tenchi hollered right in Ryoko's face. Ryoko was so surprised and bewildered that she fell backwards onto her butt, staring up at Tenchi. Ayeka also looked at Tenchi with quite a shocked expression on her face. Tenchi backed up, also shocked at his sudden tone, and he just walked past all of them, his face red in embarrassment. Ryoko couldn't even move, her whole face was white. "Well…uh…why don't we all get ready for dinner, hm?" Ayeka suggested, her cheery expression now returning to her face. She leaned down and picked up the petrified Ryoko, and dragged her to the kitchen. Washu watched them walk off with her usual devilish smirk upon her face. There was never a day that Washu was in a bad mood, well, at least it is a rare occasion that she is. After a moment of there, basking in glory because Tenchi had defended her, she decided that she wanted to get ready for dinner as well. Washu helped the other girls set the table as Sasami finished preparing their meal. Just before she set dinner on the table, Sasami got out a small sized gong and walked to the doorway to the kitchen. From her pocket she took out a large metal spoon, and began banging it on the gong multiple times, yelling for everyone to come to the kitchen and eat. Because everyone was used to this routine, Ryoko, Ayeka, and Washu all had their earplugs in their ears, and watched the remaining household walk into the kitchen, all of them covering their ears with their hands. Sasami giggled and went back to setting the food on the table. A few moments later, everyone began munching on their meal and chatting about their day. That is, everyone but Washu. Her usual jovial expression was replaced with a saddened, pitiful look; her once dancing eyes filling with a look of distress. Everyone was so wrapped up in their chatting that they hadn't noticed Washu's silence. When everyone had finished their dinner, they all got up from their seats to clean their dishes. Washu kept that same look on her face the entire time, and no one noticed until Ayeka noticed that Washu had been cleaning the same plate the entire time. "Is something bothering you, Miss Washu?" she asked in a rather concerned tone. Washu slowly snapped out of her dazed look, and turned to Ayeka, a plastered smile on her face. "Oh, it's nothing Lady Ayeka. Don't worry about me," she told her reassuringly. Ayeka was unsure of whether to believe her or not, but she just simply turned away and walked out of the kitchen. Washu's fake smile was once again replaced with a distressed look. She let a deep, heavy sigh escape past her lips. She stared longingly out the window, and whispered softly, "Never again…" Then entire household had gathered in the living room, all of them resuming their chatter they had begun at dinner. Washu just ignored the mindless chatter of the group. Tenchi started to notice Washu's silence, and was beginning to get concerned. He got up from his place on the couch and sat next to Washu on the floor, and put on his most dazzling smile. "Hey, come on Washu! Cheer up! I'm not used to seeing you so down," he told her. Washu took a moment to turn her head to answer him. This time, she couldn't fake a smile as she did before. Instead, her eyes welled with tears, and she stood, still facing him. "Excuse me…" was all she could choke out before she dashed out of the room. Washu's sudden absence quickly got the attention of the room. "What happened Tenchi? Where'd Washu go?" Sasami asked Tenchi curiously. "I don't know Sasami…I wonder what's wrong with her…?" End of chapter 1. So what did you think so far? Make sure you tell me! Be ready for Chapter 2: Memories coming soon