"Tenchi, I'm so bored," Ryoko said. Tenchi sighed.
	
"I know, I know. There's nothing to do," Tenchi said. They had been dead for 
nearly three days already. "I really wish that we could go back, but we can't. 
Hey," Tenchi said, jumping out of his armchair, "let's go for a walk in the 
woods!" Ryoko jumped off the sofa. She grinned.

"All right!"

The woods were just like the woods that are in the living world, but much, much 
quieter. No birds sang, there was no crunch of leaves underfoot, although there 
were withered, dry leaves scattered everywhere. Ryoko had a sudden question. 
"Tenchi, does it bother you, not being able to finish your life?" Tenchi smiled.

"Not really, you?" he answered, looking in the opposite direction. Ryoko 
blushed.

"Well, not really, if you've been alive for a real long time..." Ryoko's voice 
trailed off. Tenchi laughed.

"You know, the forest is so beautiful, but it's too bad that the birds aren't 
singing. It's too quiet." Ryoko grinned. When they reached the edge of the 
forest, they both gasped.

"What! How can there be two of my house?" Tenchi said. Ryoko grinned.

"Well, let's just take a look see!" she said and flew to across the bridge to 
the door. She motioned for Tenchi to come after her. He ran there, bemused.
Ryoko tried opening the door. "Hey, it's stuck," she said, still straining to 
open the door. She made several more futile attempts to open the door. "It won't 
open!" She banged her hand on the door, but there was no bang. Her hand slipped 
right through the door. "Okay, let's go!" Ryoko said, grinning mischievously. 
She took Tenchi, who was trying to struggle away, through the door.

It was a strange sight. It was the Masaki home, but Sasami, Ayeka, Mihoshi, and 
Kiyone were present. Sasami was cooking in the kitchen, Ayeka was reading a 
magazine, Mihoshi was watching her favorite TV show, and Kiyone was staring 
outside the window. Tenchi walked over to Ayeka and attempted to greet her. 
"Hello, Ayeka!" There was no answer; Ayeka continued reading her magazine. 
"Ayeka?" Ayeka just kept reading; she obviously hadn't a clue that Tenchi was 
there. Ryoko grunted.

"I can't take this. I'm going back to your house, er, the other one, okay?" 
Tenchi nodded.

"You know, I'll go with you. I really don't think it's polite to eavesdrop on 
our friends," Tenchi said, following Ryoko to the door. They both slipped 
through silently and began strolling through the forest once again.

~~~~~
"Ayeka, I feel really bad," Kiyone told the Juraian princess. Ayeka closed her 
magazine and looked at Kiyone, who had not taken her eyes off the window.

"Really? Why? You didn't do anything wrong," Ayeka said wisely. It was obvious 
that she was trying hard to keep from crying and to make things as normal as she 
could. Kiyone hesitated before answering.

"I-," She turned to Ayeka. Ayeka was startled to see that Kiyone was crying. "I 
feel really bad that I took Ryoko to headquarters. I feel like I've betrayed her 
friendship. I-I feel like a traitor." Ayeka bit her lip.

"Kiyone, you know that you were only doing as she wished. Even though-even 
though I regret all the times that I've fought with Ryoko." Ayeka shuddered. 
She, too, was thinking about what had happened that terrible day. Mihoshi looked 
away from the TV.

"Kiyone, don't feel bad. Anyways, they let us take Ryoko's body back here, 
didn't they? You can go sit and talk with her, if you like. I'll go with you!" 
Mihoshi said naively, obviously trying to make Kiyone feel better. "Since we 
buried her right next to Tenchi, we can talk with both of them!" She grinned 
naively. Kiyone sighed.

"Tenchi?" Kiyone looked around. Ayeka and Mihoshi were looking at her oddly.

"Kiyone, are you okay? Tenchi-Tenchi's not here," Mihoshi said. Kiyone shook her 
head.

"No, I just thought that I heard Tenchi a moment ago." Mihoshi smiled.

"You did! I said his name, remember?" Kiyone looked at Mihoshi, a look of 
hopeless frustration on her face. Ayeka got up and sat next to Kiyone and put 
her hand on her shoulder.

"Kiyone, I think you need a rest. Why don't you go to my room and take a nap?" 
Ayeka patted Kiyone's shoulder. Kiyone nodded.

"You know, I think I will." She got up and walked slowly to the hall. Kiyone 
turned around and smiled thankfully. "Thanks for understanding, Ayeka."


"Oh, Tenchi, I miss you so much," Sasami said mournfully. Her cooking was not 
doing very well, either. She had frequently neglected her cooking and let it 
burn on accident. Although she was brewing up a delicious smelling soup, she 
clearly had lost heart in her delicious cooking. By the look of the dark lines 
under her eyes, she had been crying very frequently now. "I can't take it 
anymore!" Sasami snatched the knife from the cutting board and held it firmly in 
her hand, knife pointing to her chest.

Just then, Ayeka walked in. She dropped her magazine, her jaw flopped open. 
"Sasami!" she screeched in terror. "What are you doing?" There was a note of 
nervousness in her voice as well. Sasami lowered the knife, looking at her hand, 
horrified. 

"A-Ayeka!" Sasami cried. She was on the verge of tears and her lip was 
quivering. "Ayeka!" Sasami ran to Ayeka and hugged her older sister around the 
middle, crying uncontrollably. Ayeka looked at her sympathetically. Poor Sasami, 
she thought. "Ayeka, I miss Tenchi and Ryoko so much!" she managed to sob before 
bringing out a fresh wave of tears. Ayeka patted her back.

"It's okay, Sasami, don't cry," Ayeka said, trying to comfort her disturbed 
sister. Sasami could not stop.


Nobody was themselves nowadays. Ayeka often went and talked with her half-
brother, Yosho, and sat on the edge of the lake alone. Sasami is trying, with 
great difficulty, to keep things as normal as possible, but try as she might, 
she could not keep herself from suddenly crying out in despair. Kiyone had 
stopped trying to get a spot at headquarters anymore; she was content with 
patrolling Earth's solar system even though headquarters had requested her to 
stay. She was often found patrolling the area around Jupiter without her clumsy 
partner Mihoshi. Even Nobiyuki, Tenchi's perverted father, acted strangely. He 
had lost his only chance for grandchildren and was almost always found sitting 
under the cherry tree where Tenchi and Ryoko were buried. He usually had a 
bottle of strong wine or a jug of sake. Ayeka noticed he often seemed to be 
talking to himself while under the cherry tree. Washu had shut herself in her 
laboratory, but she had completely stopped working on her inventions. She just 
sits on her floating pillow and thinks.

"You know, being at work is really boring, Tenchi." Nobiyuki paused to gulp down 
some wine. "I think that the girls are lucky just to be able to stay home." 
Nobiyuki continued on like this for some time until it was a couple of hours 
after sunset. "Tenchi, good night to you!" He got up and looked at the stone 
dedicated to Tenchi. He turned to the one dedicated to Ryoko. "And good night to 
you too, Ryoko!" He headed for the house, swaying slightly as he drank more and 
more wine.


"What is this?! Sasami, where did this mail come from?!" Ayeka roared when she 
saw a letter addressed to "Occupants of the Masaki Home" in her mother's 
handwriting. The letter had the Juraian seal on the back. She did not wait for 
Sasami to answer as she ripped the envelope open and read:

Dear Ayeka, Sasami, Tenchi, Ryoko, Washu, Mihoshi, and Ryo-oh-ki,
	We're visiting! Don't go anywhere!"
					Love,
					Misaki and Funaho

"Oh dear!" Ayeka said. "They don't know what happened with Tenchi and Ryoko, but 
I really need to get away!" Ayeka headed for the back door when there was a ring 
from the doorbell. Ayeka, unfortunately, opened the door and was immediately 
hugged and shaken vigorously by her blue-haired mother. Funaho was watching, 
amused, behind them. Although Misaki and Sasami had blue hair, Ayeka was like 
her father and had violet hair. Ayeka couldn't help noticing that Ryoko also had 
blue hair.

"Ayeka! How good it is to see you! I haven't seen you in such a long time!" 
Misaki wailed as she nearly smothered Ayeka. Little Sasami appeared, peering out 
of the kitchen door. She grinned happily.

"Mommy! Auntie Funaho!" Sasami ran to her mother, who had dropped Ayeka upon 
hearing Sasami's voice. Funaho, Yosho's mother, smiled. Yosho is Tenchi's 
grandfather, but even though Yosho is old, he hides his true appearance from 
everyone. Yosho, like Ayeka and Sasami, has an incredible life span (at least in 
Earth years) since he is Juraian. Funaho looked around.

"But where is Lord Tenchi and Ryoko?" she asked perceptively. Ayeka and Sasami 
looked at the floor, turning slightly pink. Suddenly, Washu burst out of her 
lab.

"I knew it! Hi there, Misaki! Funaho," she said, smiling. She saw that Ayeka and 
Sasami were looking downcast and walked over to Funaho. "What's the matter with 
those two?" she whispered, pointing at Sasami and Ayeka. Funaho shook her head.

"I don't know. I only asked where Lord Tenchi and Ryoko are. That's all," she 
said, puzzled. Washu looked uncomfortable.

"Er, they'll be outside." Washu pointed to the cherry tree. "They're under the 
tree." Funaho and Misaki walked outside but stopped abruptly.

"There's nobody under the tree," Misaki said and turned around, perplexed. Ayeka 
and Sasami looked uncomfortable also.

"Mother, er, there's a stone under the cherry tree...with his and Ryoko's 
names..." Ayeka's voice trailed off. Misaki and Funaho looked at each other and 
walked back to the cherry tree. Ayeka, Washu, and Sasami heard an audible gasp 
from Misaki. Funaho looked, jaw hanging open. Misaki almost ran back to Sasami.

"Please, Sasami, Ayeka, tell me what happened to Tenchi." Ryo-oh-ki appeared, 
pawing sleep from her eyes. She saw Misaki and turned into her assimilated form 
with a faint pop.

"Miya! Miyamiyamiya!" she meowed, jumping in joy. Misaki ah-ed and hugged Ryo-
oh-ki happily.

"Oh, you're so cute!" she said as she hugged Ryo-oh-ki as hard as she could 
while Ayeka told the sad story of Tenchi and Ryoko.

Funaho sat down, staring at the stone honoring Tenchi and the one for Ryoko. 
"How-why, oh! Yosho!" She turned around. "Yosho, please explain." Yosho smiled 
and began telling the story of what happened on that asteroid. As he talked, 
Funaho averted all her attention to Yosho, who was quite surprised. When he had 
finished, Funaho sniffed, staring at the stone once more. She read what it said 
aloud, voice quavering slightly.

"Our friend Tenchi.
	He saved our lives, he was
		our friend, he is our
			hero. He'll never leave our
hearts."

Yosho put a hand on Funaho's shoulder. "Mother, don't cry." Funaho smiled 
weakly.

"He's such a hero. We owe him so much," Funaho said, getting up. "Tell me, 
Yosho, what ever happened to Ryoko?" Yosho sighed.

"She-Kiyone took Ryoko to headquarters when Ryoko requested it. They-they 
executed her, but Kiyone was allowed to bring back her body." Funaho nodded, 
closing her eyes.

Suddenly, there was an almighty explosion and Yosho was thrown fifty feet into 
the lake. He floated for a bit on the surface, allowing Funaho to see what 
happened. She gasped in horror when she saw a twelve-inch-wide hole in Yosho's 
chest. Blood was leaking into the lake as Yosho sank, leaving a cloud of blood 
in his wake. "Yosho!" she cried. She looked sharply to her left and saw a man 
wearing a hooded cloak with a gleaming, bazooka-style gun. Funaho could not 
distinguish who it was as his face was shadowed by the hood he wore. "Who are 
you and what have you done to Yosho?" Funaho asked coldly. The hooded man's eyes 
glinted even though the head was hidden.

"It makes no difference who I am or what I did. All I know and care to tell you 
is that I hate everyone and everything. I think you are first in line, lady 
Funaho?" There was another great explosion and Funaho was thrown onto the ground 
in front of the Masaki home's door. Her blood seeped into a little indent in the 
ground, forming a wide puddle that glistened in the sunlight. Washu appeared at 
the door and rushed out.

"What was thaaaa!" She tripped over something and fell face first into the 
puddle of blood. She got up, face dripping. She realized what she had tripped 
over and what she landed in, horrified. "Lady Funaho," she said softly. Washu 
heard a cruel laugh behind her. It was the hooded man.

"Miss Washu, how pleasant it is to see you outside." Washu gasped.

"You're-," she never finished her sentence. I am coming now, my daughter, she 
thought, looking at the lake as she died. Washu lay slumped in Funaho's limp 
arms.

"Ha! Washu, the greatest genius in the universe, defeated by a simple shotgun," 
he said harshly. Washu's blood flowed into the puddle of Funaho's. "A shotgun!" 
he said incredulously and beginning to laugh hysterically.

There was a shriek from inside the house. Ayeka, Sasami, Misaki, and Ryo-oh-ki 
ran outside. Ryo-oh-ki tripped on Funaho and fell into the puddle like Washu 
did. There was a loud bang and Ryo-oh-ki stopped moving. Sasami yelled. "Ryo-oh-
ki! Oh no!" Sasami ran to Ryo-oh-ki, shaking the cabbit-girl and crying 
silently. Ayeka was quivering with rage.

"Why are you doing this to my friends?" Ayeka shrieked angrily, standing with 
the lake at her back. The hooded man laughed.

"As I already told Funaho, I will tell you. I hate everyone and everything. 
Goodbye, Princess Ayeka." There were three loud bangs and Ayeka was no more. She 
had staggered backwards towards the lake. Her head was submerged in the lake as 
the rest of her body lay on the bank. Glistening, red blood seeped into the 
cracks of the rough ground. Misaki howled in terror.

"My Ayeka!" she sobbed, taking Ayeka's head out of the lake and hugging her, 
tears rolling gently down her cheeks. "No," she sobbed, "m-my little-Ayeka-" She 
toppled into the lake when a blast of energy hit her with fatal accuracy.

"Mommy! No!" Sasami shrieked.  Voices could be heard approaching the yard.

"You know, Mihoshi, you did a good job today-" heard Sasami. Mihoshi's high 
voice came next.

"Wow! Thanks, Kiyone!" Sasami realized the danger and tried to warn them, but it 
was too late. The hooded man had somehow fired an even larger blast than before. 
It was very disturbing to see half of Mihoshi and Kiyone where they had been 
before and another half 100 feet away. Sasami backed away from the man.

"Who are you?" she said, backing away slowly. I am alone now, she thought. Her 
eyes flickered to the puddles of blood and noticed something. Blood, she 
thought, is red. Even-even if they're not human...or Juraian, blood is red. The 
man seemed to be undoing his long hooded cloak. Before he let it slide off, he 
took the shotgun out of his belt.

"Lucky I had this in my room. Miss Washu didn't have a clue that I stole her 
gun. Well, Sasami, I'll say 'bye now!" He shot Sasami, who shrieked and fell to 
the ground as the man let his robe slide off. Sasami, hoping for one last look 
at the man before she ran out of energy, lifted her head up weakly.

It was Nobiyuki.  



=====
I hate disclaimers, but I think I should put one in case someone decides to sue 
me or something...^_^'

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me in any part. I know they belong 
to Pioneer/AIC.