[Blue...spamficcer...needs Ritalin, badly.  ^_^]

Ryoko expertly ducked a zap from Ayeka's energy logs, then countered
with an uppercut-mid kick-footsweep-blast combo of her own.  Ayeka
blocked the first blow, but was unable to recover after the kicks and
sailed back into the wall, not even chipping the flimsy wood despite
landing hard enough to stick, dramatically, for just a second before
sliding down.  Ryoko chuckled and gave a victory pose.

"Are you two fighting again?"

At Tenchi's words, Ryoko dropped her combat stance and Ayeka sprang to
her feet, all signs of damage removed.

---

Damage bars and other gauges blinked out, replaced by a poorly-animated
picture of Ayeka and Ryoko glomping Tenchi.  Under each female lay a
dialog box with a short menu of choices.

---

"Oh, Tenchi..."  Ryoko began to pout, then suddenly licked her lips.
"You got it!  She started it, as always.  But you know fighting leaves
me horny."

"Tenchi!  Please protect me from that mad woman!"  Ayeka hid behind
Tenchi, then abruptly changed her tone as well.  "Of course you are
horny.  Do not most demons have horns on their heads?"

---

"Miya?"

Washu sighed, shaking her head, as she petted the cabbit in her lap and
watched through the one-way glass.  "I don't know, Ryo-ohki.  The
game's self-adjusting, so it'll go on as long as she wants to play.
But..."

"Miya, miya?"

"Yes, I know, I know.  'How long 'til she stops playing?'"  Through the
glass, they saw Sasami move one of her hands from the two controllers
in front of her, pick up a ration cracker from the plate on her right,
and stuff it in her mouth.  The entire time, her face stared at the
screen in front of her, zombie-like.  "She displays some minimal
awareness of the real world, but she didn't even blink when I cleaned
up her 'accident' while she was sitting in it - which was when I
switched her to food that would create no further urine or feces.  I
don't even want to *think* about how cramped her legs must be."

"Miya..."

Washu smirked.  "'Better than suicide' is right.  We've still got a
month before the lab's door can reach some place with a good
psychiatric hospital.  If only the Yagami hadn't been destroyed when
Earth..."  She sighed.  "Nuclear weapons.  They couldn't even go out
with *style*.  At least the others didn't suffer.  But then, if it'd
been a few minutes earlier, neither would Sasami...or you."

"Miya."

With a genuine smile, Washu scratched Ryo-ohki between the ears.
"Well, I wouldn't call it luck that you recovered so quickly.  Remember
who designed you.  'Can get over any trauma with enough carrots' was
supposed to be an emergency backup, in case normal repairs weren't
available."

---

Tenchi nodded to himself.  This would work.  All the girls would be
happy...well, maybe not Sasami, but only if she really wanted to marry
him someday.  Surely Sasami just viewed him as a big brother; she
wasn't actually in love with him, right?

---

*BEEEEEEEEEE...*

Washu and Ryo-ohki jumped as the heartbeat monitor sounded.  They
dashed into the observation chamber.  Quickly, Washu set to work
trying to revive the blue haired goddess avatar.

---

Yosho nodded.  Tenchi had advised him of the plan, and it had much
wider application than his grandson realized.  The political alliances
that would be enabled today between the Juraians, the nations behind
the privateers who might treat Ryoko as family, and the "independent"
worlds financially controlled by Mihoshi's and Washu's wealthy kin,
would easily set up a framework for peace throughout the galaxy.
Disappointing Sasami was the only flaw, but she could eventually be
steered towards another lover.

Tenchi cleared his throat and prepared to give the words that would
spread joy throughout the house.

---

Ryo-ohki pawed the game console's power button, wiping away the virtual
universe inside so as to remove a distraction from Washu's treatment of
Sasami.  As the cabbit turned around, though, she saw from the
scientist's face what her computer clearly stated as Sasami's
condition: "NO WILL TO LIVE: SUBJECT PERMANENTLY DECEASED".

"Tsunami...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, sister," the goddess responded from somewhere near Sasami.
"You did your job well: that universe was the happiest possible for all
concerned.  But even at its best, the universe was flawed."

"What are you talk...oh no.  Tsunami, DON'T-"

Ryo-ohki barely had time to register the advancing wall of swirling
darkness before it claimed her, and everything.
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