Tenchi Muyo:  Dragon and Crane - Chap.10

     "Oh Tenchi.." said Ryoko, batting her eyes at him, "would you kiss my
head and make it feel better?  Washu was so mean to me, what with hitting me
on the head with that mallet and all, and I don't think that anything will
help me but one of your kisses.  And while you're at it, why don't you slip
under the covers with me, too?"
     "Shameless hussy!" yelled Ayeka, throwing a copy of "Bride's" magazine
at Ryoko's head.  "Lord Tenchi would never sink so low as to succumb to the
charms of an evil monster like you!  Besides, he came here to see me alone,
as I'm in such a delicate state of health.  Isn't that right, Lord Tenchi?"
     "No one asked your opinion, Princess Prissy-Pants!" yelled Ryoko,
standing up on her bed and waving the wadded-up magazine under Ayeka's nose.
  "And what makes you think you're getting married, anyway?  We'll be old
and gray before that happens, because it will take an army of seamstresses
to put together a wedding dress for your big, fat behind!"
     "What did you say?" screamed Ayeka, generating a shield around herself.
  Energy crackled around her and caused Tenchi's and the others' hair to
stand on end.  Ryoko put her hands together and began forming a giant energy
ball, her lips curled up in a snarl.  "Oh, you heard me!" she said, and
fired it at Ayeka.  A huge explosion rocked the medical bay afterwards,
filling it with smoke and debris.
     After the smoke cleared, and the coughing stopped, Sasami handed out
clean towels to rub the soot off their faces.  "Glad to see they're back to
normal" said Tenchi, sighing.  Washu growled and brought up her holographic
keyboard, typing frantically.  The beds began to hum strangely, and Ryoko
and Ayeka found themselves immobilized, despite their attempts to move
about.
     "Miss Washu, whatever are you doing?" exclaimed Ayeka.  Ryoko growled
and glared, moving her head back and forth angrily.  "Hey, damn it!  Let me
out of this thing!" she yelled, baring her fangs.  Washu typed up another
command, and a flow of energy washed over the medical bay and returned it to
a normal appearance.
     "If you won't stay still and heal, then I guess I'll just have to force
you into it!" she said.  "Your lack of maturity is appalling, both of you!
Sheesh!"  Grandfather nodded in agreement.  "Do as she says, you two" he
said, "for as the Buddha says:  'By your own folly, you will be brought as
low as your worst enemy wishes.  So the creeper chokes the tree.'"
     "Can I ask a question?" said Ryoko, raising a brow.  "Why is everyone
being so damned preachy to me lately?  My God, you all sound like chapters
from "Chicken Soup for the Soul."
     Ayeka laughed.  "If you ask me, Ryoko, any instruction is lost on that
thick head on yours!"
     "What did you say?!?" growled Ryoko.  Tenchi sighed and shook his head,
following grandpa and the others out of the medical bay.  It was obvious to
all that Ayeka and Ryoko needed to at least attempt to have some quiet time,
even if that was impossible.  As he left, he caught a few words of a new
argument, and prayed silently that they wouldn't find a way out of their
beds.

***

     Several days passed, and Washu finally allowed Ryoko and Ayeka out of
their beds and back to normal living.  To celebrate, Sasami had gone back
into full-bore theme dinner mode and prepared a huge Tex-Mex banquet for the
family, complete with tacos, enchiladas, and a full case of ice-cold Corona
beer.  Ryoko truly got into the spirit of things and went about taking
Polaroid shots of everyone, a huge silver and black sombrero on her head.
Winking and hoisting a bottle of tequila, she sat suggestively on Tenchi's
lap and had Washu snap a photo of them both, Ayeka shooting dagger eyes at
her in the background.
     "I LOVE you, Tenshi.." said Ryoko, hiccupping and hugging him tight.
"You're just SHO SHEXY.."  Ayeka growled and tackled Ryoko at that,
overturning a bowl of refried beans and rice as they tumbled to the floor.
Tenchi and Sasami sighed and shook their heads, picking up chips and bits of
rice off the tatami mat.  Calmly, grandpa pulled them away from one another
and sat them down to cool off, which worked so long as he sat between them.
     "Forgive me, brother Yosho, Lord Tenchi" said Ayeka, embarrasedly.
"It's just that Ryoko, in her current state of intoxication, is making it
rather difficult for me to enjoy the proceedings."  Ryoko was laughing
hysterically, covering her mouth while Ayeka spoke.  Ayeka glared at her and
frowned.
     "And just what is it now, you drunken reprobate?" asked Ayeka.  Ryoko
pointed at Ayeka's head and snickered.  "You've..ha ha.." started Ryoko,
falling off the couch and pounding the mat with her fists.  "You've..got a
taco on your head!  Hee hee...ha ha ha ha ha!"
     Ayeka blushed and felt in her hair, her eyes widening when she did
indeed find a taco lying in it.  She picked it out coolly and walked over to
Ryoko, then sat on her chest and stuffed it into her mouth forcefully.
Ryoko struggled desperately, but Ayeka held her fast, and worked her jaw up
and down with her hands.  "Go on, EAT IT!" yelled Ayeka, a crazed look in
her eyes.  "I hope you choke on it, too!"
     It would have indeed have kept on going badly for everyone, if Ryo-Ohki
hadn't stepped in at that particular moment.  Sasami had decorated the
kitchen with streamers and assorted party regalia, but the center piece of
it all was a huge orange pinata in the shape of a pepper.  Ryo-Ohki,
however, thought it was a carrot, and began to leap up to get it, meowing
and swinging a small stick as she did so.  This made everyone stop what they
were doing and laugh hysterically, forgetting all about the disaster of the
party.
     After the meal, and Washu had taken pity on Ryo-Ohki, coming up with a
real giant carrot to her delight, they finished the clean-up and headed off
to bed.  Tenchi yawned and stretched sleepily, slipping out of his clothes
and into the warm confines of his bed.  Even by their standards, it had been
quite a trying past couple of days, and Tenchi was glad that things were
back to normal.  However, a soft knock on his door stopped him from slumber,
and he asked sleepily after his caller.
     "It's me, Tenchi" said Ayeka, shyly.  "I was wondering..could we take a
walk tomorrow?  I..have something to tell you."  Tenchi murmured a
agreement, then a good night, and settled back into bed.  Before he drifted
away, he wondered what it could be about, and why she sounded so hesitant.

***

     They started out on their walk after morning chores, Ayeka bringing
along a picnic basket filled with fish cakes, soy sauce, and rice balls.
She decided that this particular spot would be best for their picnic, as she
thought the beautiful wildflowers surrounding the area would provide the
perfect ambience for her revelation to Tenchi.  Sitting beneath the shade of
a huge oak, she poured him a cold glass of sun tea and handed him a bento
box.  She watched him eat silently for a time, and steeled herself to tell
what was in her heart.
     "There was a time, Tenchi, when brother Yosho's strength alone wasn't
enough to save me" said Ayeka, taking her cup and sipping delicately.  "The
Darkness was wearing him down, bit by bit, and so, at the last, he told me
to fight for what I loved the most.  Such depth of feeling was the only
thing that could drive it out completely, he said, and so I did what he told
me.  And it did work...but...I think the strength of my feelings surprised
even him, Tenchi."
     Tenchi listened wordlessly, wondering what she meant.  Ayeka looked at
him intently, cupping her tea in both hands.  "Tenchi", she said softly,
shaking imperceptibly at her feelings.  "The person I thought of, and fought
for..well..Tenchi..he..was you."
     He blinked and reddened, looking at his lap.  "Ayeka, I.." he managed,
then heard a rustle above his head.  Ryoko popped out of the branches and
frowned, folding her arms.  "Hey, hey, hey!" she said, looking at Ayeka
angrily.  "Trying to horn in on my Tenchi, are you?  You dirty sneak!"
     "I am nothing of the sort!" returned Ayeka, glaring at Ryoko.  "And if
anyone is a sneak, it's you!  How dare you interfere on a private exchange
between Lord Tenchi and I?"  As they argued, Tenchi slunk away silently,
shaking his head.
     "Private exchange my butt!" snarled Ryoko.  "I know all about grandpa's
little 'talk', because he gave me the same advice!  And anyway, it's me that
he favors for Tenchi's fiancee', not you!"  They argued on for several more
moments until Tenchi reappeared, clearing his throat and giving a lopsided
grin.
     "Ayeka, Ryoko" he said, going over to them both.  He opened his hand
and revealed two perfect wildflowers, their white petals streaked with
scarlet.  He smiled and put them gently in each of their hands, closing
their palms around them.  Ryoko and Ayeka both blushed furiously and sighed,
then looked at Tenchi adoringly.
     "Grandpa means well, honestly" he said, "but for my part, and while
this probably isn't the answer either of you want to hear, I just have to
say that I love the two of you equally."  Ryoko and Ayeka sighed again and
nodded, and looked at theit flowers for a moment before putting them in
their hair.
     "Of course, Tenchi" said Ryoko, winking and slipping her arms around
his neck.  "So the fact that MY flower has fuller, more lustrous petals than
Ayeka's is just coincedence, hmm?"  Ayeka snarled and slipped her arms
around Tenchi's middle.  "Preposterous" she said.  "My flower is FAR more
colorful, and silkier, than than your nasty old weed!  Tenchi knew exactly
what he was doing!"
     "If only that were true" he said, and sighed as they continued fighting
over him, a battle that, for him at least, wouldn't see an ending soon
enough.

***

     I just want to stop and thank everyone for being so patient and
supportive of me and this storyline, which took longer than I had originally
anticipated to complete.  Firstly, I would like to thank Aldrich for taking
the time from his studies to post my stories, which is indeed an incredibly
kind, unselfish gesture on his part.  Thanks also to my good friends Mai-Lyn
and Melanie, whose suggestions helped so much to make my work even better
than I could have done alone.  And finally, thanks to all of my readers for
taking the time out of your schedules to read my work, and for your opinions
regarding it.  I appreciate your comments, and you are more than welcome to
write me at desert_father@hotmail.com, whether about Tenchi Fan Fics or just
anything in particular.  Thanks for reading once again, and take care of
yourselves.

     Sincerely, Adam