ࡱ> |   !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{}~Root Entry FWordDocument CompObjnl bandage it up now, and you'll have to get the bandage changed every morning and evening for a week. We will then check the healing process and see what more needs to be done. Ok?" Washu said. Ryoko, shortly after awaking, had of course fealt the pain across the middle of her back. She dismissed it and opened up herself for her healing magic to come into play. It numbed the pain, but didn't heal anything. Ryoko knew what this meant. If she didn't heal herself before an hour or so of the damage, it would be impossible to heal it instantly. Of course she would still heal abnormaly fast, for if she recovered from bodily damage amassing to the slash of her sword the way an Earthling would, she might have been paralysed, or even killed in her sleep. Seeing that she wasn't healing, she had gone to Washu for assistence. Washu didn't ask any questions. She simply fixed her "daughter" up and was about to dismiss her, when she decided to be a little more nosey. "Have a bad dream?" She asked. "You could say that." Ryoko said sleepily, rubbing her back gently over the bandages. Looking up at Washu's persistent, pressing green eyes, Ryoko went on. "I dreamed about Aeka telling Tenchi that I had been killed and then suddleny I was ransacking a village like I used to, and I knew some one was behind me. I guess that's when I made my energy-sword. I tried to turn around but I couldn't, and he cut my back." She then added softly, "Then I saw Tenchi pledge his love to Aeka who then pledged they would be in love forever now that I was dead." Seemingly as if to make light of the dream, Washu replied in a baby-voice, "Children can be so mean!" Ryoko glared at her, then stumbled out of her lab and back to her bedroom. Wherapon seeing the bed and her blood and a burned mark on her futon, she became frightened. She decided to sleep with Tenchi. He wouldn't know she was scared. He would simply think she was trying to watch him sleep and had fallen asleep herself. She phased through the wall and winced at the slight amount of pain the recieved doing so. She walked over to Tenchi's bed and phased underneath the covers, letting her weight come back very slowly, so as not to disturb Tenchi's slumber. She then curled up tightly and fell asleep breathing his smell in and listening to his breath. Her back hurt like hell. ~ChErRy BlOsSoMs~ The sun began it's acent into the sky, slowly pouring it's warm rays in through Tenchi's window and over the bed. This woke him gently and cheerily, as it allways had. He sat up and threw his blanekts to the bottom of the bed. When he noticed Ryoko, he grtted his teeth together to keep from crying out and his face turned bright red. When Ryoko had gone to get bandaged, Washu had made her take her shirt off, and she had been too tired to care whether she had it or not when she left. Now she was completely visible to Tenchi. He quickly covered her bare chest up with a blanket and slipped out of bed. 'She's really getting out of hand. When she wakes up, I'm going to have to tell her that this was uncalled for. I really hate it when she stoops to seducing me like that!'he thought as he grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom to get changed. He closed his door very quietly so as not to awake her. When Tenchi was done changing he went downstairs. Sasami was up cooking in the kitchen while Ryo-Ohki cabbit-napped in the gathering sunlight on the sofa. Sasami had asked him the previouse night when he was going to go work in the garden, and when he'd told her about half an hour after sunrise, she had told him that she would be up to make him a breakfast. "Good morning, Sasami." Tenchi said brightly. "Oh good mornig, Tenchi!" Sasami said. "I've got your breakfast all made right here. And also, I'm almost done packing your lunch, just in case you want to eat in the field today. It's about 79 degrees outside right now, and the weather man said that today will be cooler than yesterday, with highs in the low 90's! I thought you would enjoy the cooler weather while it's here." "Gosh Sasami, you're like an almeܥe# AT,l,l  C(Tq CTimes New Roman Symbol ArialCourier NewAuThOr'S nOtE: this is my first fanfic. If you have questions, comments, or just wanna talk about it, write me please. If you don't, I won't know what you think of my writing style and I will either stop writing because I fear no one likes it or I will continue writing, dragging poor readers to read my stories when they don't know that I'm a bad author and should be avoided. DiScLaImEr: AIC is great and wonderful. So is Pioneer. Do not sue me because it would suck because no one else has gotten in trouble but me, and that's not fair. Also, this is NOT a crossover, but I do say the name "Gene Starwind" in this story. I don't know who owns that, but hooray for them too, don't sue me. Everyone Needs Someone To Love ~DrEaMs~ Aeka was having problems sleeping this evening. Things were getting harder for her at the Masaki household. She worked so hard to stand up for her feelings, but it allways ended in a sensless battle between her and Ryoko. This evening was one of the rare times she felt sorry for Ryoko. And jelouse. Ryoko never had to stand up for her feelings. She mearly stood up for herself, Aeka thought as she stared at the blue-grey shadows moving on the ceiling. Sasami had insisted on opening the window on this warm summer night, allowing the breeze and the curtain to create a dream-like shadow world on the ceiling. Aeka sighed. Sometimes she felt empty when she was with Tenchi. Not that she didn't love him. It just wasn't... satisfying enough. 'Maybe I need him to be closer to me,' She pondered. 'Or maybe... I'm not really in love with him.' This thought just popped into her life almost the same way everything popped into her life since that fateful voyage in search of Yosho. Crashing on earth, meeting Ryoko again, meeting Yosho for the first time in nearly 700 years, and Tenchi. That's when she remembered the first feelings of tenderness she had had for Tenchi. She had looked into his eyes and seen Yosho's eyes. Aeka missed the role a good, royal-blooded man had in her life. Suddenly, she felt lonely. She wasn't sure whether she missed Tenchi, or Yosho. The thought made her sick. 'Of course I love Tenchi. And I will get him. I won't let that demon steal him away from me.' She told herself proudly. She rolled over onto her side and curled up. Soon after, she fell asleep. Ryoko tossed and turned in her sleep. In her dream, Aeka was running after Tenchi. She cought up with him and told him a lie about her. "Ryoko is dead, she got destroyed after atacking a village and a hero saved it. Now she is gone, Tenchi!" Ryoko was suddenly transported to the subject of Aeka's lie- she was holding a beautiful, red haired girl's head high in the air and laughing. Outside of her dream, Ryoko whimpered. Inside, she noticed she was wearing tons of stolen Jurain jewlry, and her hands were covered with blood. 'The hero got her,' Ryoko's dream-self remembered. She knew she should turn around and meet the hero that was surely behind her. She didn't get a chance to turn around. Ryoko rolled over violently and her back rolled across an energy-sword she'd created in her sleep. In the dream the hero cut her spinal cord in half. Ryoko dreamed on with the pain allways there and she found herself watching Tenchi talk to Aeka. She wasn't there with them, but she could hear and see them perfectly. "Aeka, I love you, and I will allways honor you and your family. Our family. As long as I shall live." "And Tenchi-san, as long as you shall live your vow, I shall live this one; I will care for you forever, and we shall never deal with that Ryoko again!" Aeka said triumphantly. With this Ryoko sat up in bed crying out. In reality the dream had taken place four hours before. Her body was simply going through the shock of it a little late. "Alittle too late for you to heal that wound up. I'lnac. What would this house be like without you?" Tenchi said, impressed as allways with Sasami's helpfulness. "I don't know, but you wouldn't be getting to use my genuine Gene Starwind lunch box today if I weren't here!"She announced, handing Tenchi the plastic lunchbox proudly. Laughing, he said, "You know it's probably all Ryoko's fault that you have such a positive association with outlaws." Sasami seemed to have developed something of a girlish crush on the actor. She just shrugged and went back to her business. When he was done with his breakfast he brought his plate into the kitchen, where Sasami was happily cutting some strawberries he had picked the other day. He said goodbye to Sasami, told her he would return a little before sunset, and left. After a dream like Ryoko had had, when she awoke the second time, she was guilty. She felt horrible. She had to do something as a sort of repentance. She decided she would help Tenchi work in the feilds. "Even though I know it will never fix anything, at least it'll occupy me and make me feel better." She said to herself, stretching. She realized she hadn't worn a shirt to bed and half smiled at the thought of how Tenchi must have reacted when he saw her. She then phased back into her room, her back still in pain whenever she did. She dressed in her blue/green striped dress and then phased out of the house and flew to the feild where Tenchi was working. She appeared behind him and announced her arrival by asking "Tenchi, can I help you work today?" Tenchi, who was quite surprised by her sudden appearance, was jumpstarted for his forepromised lecture. "Ryoko! You scared me! I told you not to sneak up on me. I also told you never to try to seduce me like that, and you came in my room and slept without a shirt!" "I- I'm sorry, Tenchi. It's just that..." She looked up at him, and saw him waiting patiently, yet angrily, for her to explain. "Well, I ... uh..." she stuttered uncertainly. Then she muttered something inaudible to Tenchi. "What?" "I... hurt myself." She repeated just loud enough for him to hear. "And I went to Washu to get it fixed and she made me take my shirt off and I forgot to get it back." she whined. "Well, next time you have to have a shirt, ok?" He said, gentler, and understanding. Especialy since she'd hurt herself. Ryoko nodded. They began working, pulling up vegetables and mixing fertilizer into the ground where things had been harvested already so that they could re-use the space the later on. After a while, Tenchi asked her what type of injury she sustained that would need Washu's attention. "I cut myself and I didn't tend it soon enough, that's all." "I hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you cut yourself?" "The middle of my back." "How did you cut yourself, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko could tell by his voice that he was concerned. This made her feel better, so she told him. "I had a bad dream last night, and I accidently made a light sword and then i rolled over in my sleep, right across it. I didn't wake up for another 4 hours after wards." Tenchi looked at her in surprise. "Wow, and you're ok. I've seen you cut through everything with that thing!" "Yeah, well, I won't kill myself in my sleep." "What?" "Hm? Hey Tenchi, you showed me how to pull the carrots, but how do you get these yams out of the ground?" "Well, they're a little more difficult. Just try your best to dig them out, that's what I do." Ryoko and Tenchi continued to work in silence untill Tenchi couldn't keep quiet anymore. Ryoko wasn't being her self. Her normal routine would be to fly to him after breakfast, hang around his neck and try to kiss him untill he got so mad he would make her go away. Then she would either go into the woods to pout in a tree or just go back to the house either to catnap or fight with Aeka. "Ryoko?" Ryoko stood up and turned to Tenchi. "Um... is there anything wrong? You're not acting like your normal self today." Ryoko blinked. She hadn't been thinking about her problems, but the work she had been doing in the feild. "I mean, normaly you would be trying to seduce me-" he blushed. "-and you don't really make a regular trip out here to help work, you know what I mean?" "I just wanted to help you work, is that ok?" She said dismissivly. "I guess so." "What, I can't work? Either I'm lazy and everyone gets mad or I work and they get mad! Agh!" She cried, jumping up into the sky and disappearing. Tenchi stood a moment looking up where she'd disappeared. He then shurgged, not wanting to bother her. Maybe she needed to be alone. 'I'll apoligize to her for my rudeness at dinner. Maybe then she will have settled down.' Tenchi thought, continuing to work. Ryoko never returned that evening for dinner. That was when Tenchi got worried. "You know, she's never missed a meal willingly." Tenchi said about Ryoko to Sasami at the table. "That's true," Kiyone affirmed, her detective intuition kicking in. "Ryoko has arrived on time if not very early for dinner every night that I can remember." Sasami nodded in agreement to what Kiyone had stated. "It isn't as if she doesn't eat enough." Aeka mumbled. She had no reason to voice her opinion any louder seeing as Ryoko wasn't there to hear it. "I'm getting a little worried. I think I'll go out and look for her." Tenchi said, beginning to stand up. "Tenchi," Aeka whined. "Why do you need to go after her? She comes and goes as she pleases, we all know that. Maybe she found a meal elsewhere." "I think it may be my fault that she's gone, and I would like to find her and bring her back. If she's been gone as long as I think she has, then she hasn't had anything to eat except breakfast." Tenchi replied. "Tenchi, Ryoko didn't come to breakfast this morning." Sasami said to him. Her voice had grown concerned and she looked around at everyone else at the table. Mihoshi looked slightly worried, but as stupid as she is, she couldn't get much more worried than she would be about anything else. Kiyone sat quietly, listening to what they were all saying, as if gathering information for an investigation. Washu had requested dinner in her lab, so was not at the table. Nobuyuki glanced at Ryoko's usual seat and then back at Tenchi. He didn't seem very emotional at all. Yosho simply sipped his tea, reminded Tenchi that no matter how late he stayed up that night, they would resume his training at the usual time and then walked off to sleep in the shrine. Aeka of course couldn't care less where Ryoko was and looked enviously at Tenchi. She obviosly didn't want him to go out at night and be alone with Ryoko. Tenchi glanced at Aeka and saw her steal a peak at the door Yosho had exited through. There was a glimer of sadness in her eyes, but when she returned Tenchi's glance, it resolved into jelousy once more. "I might be gone for a while so don't wait up for me." Tenchi said. He retreived his sandals and put them on once he got outside. The night was very warm, and there was plenty of star and moonlite to see by. Tenchi hoped Ryoko wasn't too mad at him. 'All I did was ask her why she wanted to work so much. Well, I guess I could have put it in words that didn't upset her so much, but I can't do anything about that now.' After searching for Ryoko at Funaho, the lake, her cave, and the shrine, Tenchi decided to search the woods and cherry orchards. In the summer the cherryblossoms bloomed thick and full, in shades ranging from pure white to a deep pink. Tenchi remembered how cherry blossoms where Ryoko's favorite flower. Soon after she had come to live with him, she had discovered the orchard. It was only early spring then, so the blossoms were not as thick as they were in the summer. But Ryoko had excellent foresight, when she chose to calm herself down enough,and knew exactly how the blooms would look when they were at their fullest. When she returned to the house that day she had gone straight to Tenchi and told him all about them, as if he didn't know they existed. He'd laughed and explained to her that they had been there since before he was even born. She had stopped her gushing happiness and studied him. She had been thinking about what a beautiful child Tenchi had been, but Tenchi never found that out. When that summer came, Ryoko had Tenchi in a trap. She grabbed his hand while he was watching TV after dinner and cried out in happiness that she was going to show him why she had been so excited about the cherry blossoms that day in the spring. Tenchi didn't have any choice but to go because Ryoko then flew out the back door, still grasping his wrist. He hung helplessly for a while yelling at Ryoko to put him down. Realizing how umcomfortable he was, Ryoko put him on the ground and began to run. Tenchi, still attached to her, ran after. "Hey, what's the big rush, Ryoko! Slow down, I think I'm going to trip, I can't go as fast as you!" he cried out. Ryoko, ignoring his plea, squeeled, "Oh Tenchi, it's the most beautiful thing in the world! Tenchi, you'll have to tell me all about them!" They arrived at the orchards. It took Tenchi a moment to catch his breath from running, but Ryoko had no problem and started to prod Tenchi while she looked at the trees proudly. "Tenchi, what are they called? Tenchi, come-on what are they called? They're so beautiful and they smell so sweet and I can tell they bear a fruit. Come-on Tenchi, what are they called?" Ryoko asked impatiently. Panting, Tenchi told her. "They're cherry trees. The blossoms do bear fruit, they'll be produced shortly. Now," Tenchi stood up, having cought his breath. "Why did we have to come here so fast?" He yelled. Ryoko looked at him innocently. When she realized how angry he was, even though he wasn't really that angry, she grew very upset. "I wanted to share this beautiful evening with you, Tenchi. Nights like this go by so fast..." "Well that's fine, but next time, would you mind traveling a little more slowly? Mortals don't go as fast as demons." Tenchi said. Ryoko nodded and then offered Tenchi her hand. He nervously took it, fearing a ride similar to before. Instead, Ryoko transported them both to the limb of a cherry tree. "Tell me all about them." She said again, calmer. Tenchi answered all of Ryoko's questions, and surprisingly, she wanted to know alot. She asked about soil conditions, how to start them off, and how big the tree would get. They talked about the trees untill she knew everything Tenchi knew, and they sat silently, enjoying the night and surveying the midnight scenery. After a long moment of peace, Tenchi reached up and plucked a single blossom from the branch above them. It was a flower who's pedals where pink around the rims and faded into the center to white. He heald it out to Ryoko, who just looked at it. She raised her eyes to Tenchi questionignly. "It's for you," He said. She took it from him and suddenly broke out in happy tears and laughter. "Oh Tenchi, I love you too!" She'd cried out, grabbing him around the neck. "No, that's not what I meant!-" Tenchi cried before they both toppled to the ground . Tenchi looked around, seeing his surrounding better now that he wasn't lost in a memory. This must have been when Ryoko had fallen in love with him in truth. He knew for certain that that night had been when Ryoko had also fallen in love with the cherry blossom. ~No NeEd FoR rEsT!~ Aeka finished writing in her journal and, turning out the lamp, she retired to bed. There was something that had been bothering her about Tenchi that she'd never noticed bothered her. As a matter of fact, she used to think this was one of his best traits. But now she wasn't sure. It was his ability to stay so neutral, and yet be close to every one of the members of the Masaki household. Aeka was getting sick of his indecision between her and Ryoko, too. She wanted desperatly to see some sort of change in him that would allow her to know who he loved . And with Yosho ever-present, she felt desperate to know. Either she would be happy with Tenchi or she would brood over Yosho. But she wanted to know which. Why is it a choice between Tenchi and Yosho? Aeka asked herself. 'Yosho obviosly doesn't think of me as anything but another one of the girls in his house. He abandoned me a long time ago.' "And here I am worrying about him?" She snapped at herself aloud. Sasami rolled over sleepily and opened her eyes. "Huh?" She mumbled. "Oh, Sasami! I am sorry, I must have spoken what I was thinking. I apoligize for waking you." "It's alright Aeka. Tell me the truth now, is something wrong?" The blue haired girl asked. She was wise beyond her age but she didn't know it. She was very good at being councelor godess and little sister and child at the same time. Her innocence made her even more beautiful. "Well, honestly Sasami, yes there is. I have been thinking of Yosho recently, and I've found that I miss him." "Oh, I see. That is a problem, because you still love Tenchi too, huh?" Sasami said. "Yes..." "And Tenchi won't decide between you or Ryoko who he would marry, so you don't want to abandon him for Yosho in the chance that he would have chosen you. Am I right?" Aeka blushed deep red and nodded. Sasami nodded and continued. "Aeka, you need to follow your heart. It is the one thing that you should allways follow, when all else is gone. You should talk to both Tenchi and Yosho. Then decide where your heart needs to be." Aeka thought for a moment about Sasami's, or maybe Tsunami's, words. It made sense. She needed to talk to them both but was allways so afraid of making a fool of herself. However, even if she made a fool of herself, she needed to follow her heart. "Yes Sasami, you are right. I will try to organize my thoughts and speak to them post haste. Thank you for your advice, Sister." Sasami nodded with a smile. "Good night, Aeka." "Good night." Ryoko sat high in a tree, in the oldest one there. The blossoms where at there thickest tonight, which ment that the trees would be producing fruit very soon. Their smell sifted into the breeze, blowing Ryoko's skirt about her ankles. She was deep in thought. She had been thinking all day, meditating on her past as a space pirate. 'Can I even be considered as a space pirate anymore?' She thought. 'I haven't been to space without Tenchi since I came here, and I never pirate anymore. The last thing I stole was...' she thought hard through her database of all the items she had stolen on Earth. 'Was the Green Tea ice cream in the freezer last Sunday.' she remembered. 'Does that even count? Compared to all the things I've done to people, under Kagato's control and my own, does stealing ice cream amount to anything? No, no way. Besides, I went out the next day and bought a replacement. Only Sasami noticed. But what I've done...' Despite the warm night Ryoko shivered, and a new tear ran down her face. 'I don't deserve to ask of Tenchi's love. I should apoligize to him for my outburst earlier and let Aeka have her fun beating me down and being with Tenchi.' She thought. Suddenly she fealt movement on the branches below her. Some one was climbling up the tree. Ryoko peered down and saw Tenchi desperatly trying to reach the next branch, which was too high above him. Reaching down as far as she could, she managed to barely brush her fingertips with his. At the instant of touch, she transported him up to her. "Hey, thanks Ryoko. I think I would have been stuck there if you hadn't helped me up." He said. She didn't speak. She hated the sound of her voice. Her voice told people they were to die, her laughter sounded at their blood. Tenchi looked at her still body. She sat cross legged on the branch with a cat's balance. Her hair hung over her face, shadowing it so that she looked mysterious and sad. She was beautiful, but it hurt him to look at her. 'Poor Ryoko. Something really must be bothering her.' Tenchi sighed. "Ryoko..." "Hm?" She wouldn't speak. She wouldn't even move. She sat very still, hoping that a lecture was to ensue, not just because she was mad at herself, but because she wanted to hear his pure voice wash away the sound of her own. What he said washed away more than the sound of her own voice. She looked up sharply, her hair flying eagerly away from her face. "What?" She asked. In the moonlight, Tenchi could see the two dried trails of tears on her cheeks. Yet he could also see her heart. It made her look so much more beautiful when she cared enough about something to allow it to affect her life. The night changed nothing about her, it simply made her hued darker and caused her eyes to glow more. "You're beautiful." He repeated. Ryoko had seemed so calm, but suddenly she broke into tears and growled, "I'm not beautiful Tenchi. Do you know how many lives I have taken? How much I have stolen and destroyed?" Tenchi reached out and put his hands on Ryoko's shoulders. "No, but your heart does. If it didn't, you wouldn't care how many people you hurt. You wouldn't even care if it were your fault or Kagatos fault. And it doesn't matter, Ryoko. It's not important anymore." He said pulling her gently towards him. She moved easily into his arms and he heald her there untill she was done crying. When she sat up, she sniffled and looked at Tenchi with reddened eyes. "Why do you care? I'm so mean and I yell all the time." She grumbled. Tenchi pretended not to hear and handed her something. "A cherry blossom?" She said, looking at Tenchi, who smiled at her. Ryoko fealt her spirit returning to her. She realized how much she had been crying and, embarassed, she wiped at her face as her her skin turned slightly red. "Thanks, " she said quietly. Tenchi and Ryoko remained silent for a while, listening to the warm breeze that stirred the leaves and brought the scent of flowers to them. "Tenchi?" She looked up at him from the flower. He was staring at the lake through an opening between the trees. "Yeah, Ryoko?" 'I love you very much, my Tenchi.' she thought to him. She decided not to speak it becasue she didn't want to disrupt his peace. He always got so awkward about girls. However, her eyse obviously spoke the truth. Feeling her love, Tenchi smiled at her. "Lets go home. I'm tired." She said instead. "Yeah, me too. Granpa says I will have training tomorrow whether I want to or not, so i really need my sleep." Ryoko transported them both down to the ground and they began to walk back to the house. They were both so happy with eachother's presence that when they entered through the door, they had forgotten that they were supposed to seperate for the night. Even though Ryoko slept in his bed almost regularly, he didn't feel it right to ask her to sleep with him. She might think he ment it a different way, but in reality he just wanted to sheild her from her nightmares. So, they both retired to their own rooms. Tenchi had been laying in bed for about five minutes when Ryoko's head apeared, phased through the wall. "Tenchi?" She asked. "What's wrong Ryoko?" Tenchi sat up in bed. "Well, I got ready for bed but when I saw my mat I knew I would have another nightmare because it still has blood and a burned mark where my sword was. And my room smells like burned me." She added the last part sheepishly. " Can I sleep with you again? I promise I'll clean up my bed tomorrow so this won't happen again tomorrow night. " Ryoko asked innocently, her eyes big and child-like. ' She would probably be willling to sleep in Aeka and Sasami's room,' Tenchi realized. "Of course Ryoko, be my guest." He said. She was never his guest, just uninvited. She smiled slightly and then transported herself into his bed in the same manner as the last night. "Thank you Tenchi. ...Tenchi?" "Yeah?" "Do I smell burnt?" Tenchi quietly breathed in as deeply as he could. "No, not at all. You smell like cherry blossoms." Ryoko smiled. She was a little bit more happy, but still something was lacking. "Tenchi?" "Hm?" "May I hold you? I'll be a gentle, I promise." Ryoko said in a soft voice. "What is that supposed to mean?" Tenchi asked, worredly. "I won't do anything to you Tenchi. I just want to hold you." She said, a little offended. As if Ryoko would try to seduce Tenchi! "Alright," Tenchi said worredly. She nudged closer to him, close enough to wrap her arms around him. This reminded him of when Ryoko had dragged him to the orchard and then he had trusted her to be gentle with him and not rake him up a tree or something. Fearing he would be dissapointed, Tenchi waited to see what Ryoko would truly do. She wrapped her arms around him. 'That was it, she just wanted to hug me.' Tenchi sighed in releif. Long after Ryoko fell asleep Tenchi stared at the shadows moving on the ceiling. The trees along with the full moon created quite a show for Tenchi, seeing as everything was upside down, the way his bed to the window was arranged. The shadows were blue grey with black tree branches making dragons and castels and friends and family apear and move about. The shapes moving on the ceiling and Ryoko beginning to snore brought him happiness. He felt sort of complete. Everything he needed seemed to be here in his room. Warmth, shelter, a bed, and... 'Ryoko.' Tenchi said her name in his mind and looked at the top of her head. He couldn't see her face because she had fallen asleep on his shoulder and he would have to move to see that part of her. He didn't want to risk waking her. How strange he should end up caring for some one so head-strong and wild. But Tenchi had noticed that with a little love, she had settled down considerably. She rarely stole anything, and for a pirate, keeping herself from pillaging nearby towns was being good. She was like a cat. If you hold it and pet it and feed and water it and let it run around in the outside world, it won't destroy your house. However, if you leave it alone to run around only inside and you're never there, then say goodbye to anything that can't fend for itself. Feeling tiredness seeping into his veins, Tenchi closed his eyes. 'Ryoko...' he said her name in his head again. Just on the edge of consiousness, Tenchi heard him self utter her name aloud. Then he fell asleep. ~AeKa~ Aeka walked through the evening forest, looking for flowers to pick. Suddenly a young Yosho jumped down from a branch, surprising the princess. He smiled at her and asked if he'd scared her. "Of course not." She replied. "As a member of the royal family of Jurai, I always expect the unexpected." "Oh Aeka, you know I scared you," He prodded. In response Aeka bared her teeth in a fake smile and growled silently at him. He laughed, and put his arm across her shoulder. They continued walking through the forest looking for flowers. Soon Aeka got tired of holding the ones that she'd been holding the entire time and let them fall from her fingers. Yosho immediatly stopped to inspect them. Aeka, wondering what was so intiguing about them, stopped as well and crouched over them with him. After a moment of inspectiong, the young Yosho sorted through them and picked one from the others. "This one," he heald the invisible flower up to Aeka, "Is the flower of your dreams. Even though it's roots are deep, you still hold a place in it's life. It's petals have much more light energy to manufacture before it dies off than you think." Then Aeka saw the flower, devoid of it's features, planted in the ground. It had the stem of a sapling, so maybe it would grow into a great tree. Then, it stretched up and up just like Aeka thought, and grew into a young Funaho. Aeka reached out and put her hand on it's bark. As cold as the night was, she became warm with this touch. Aeka woke up at the sudden sense of nothing. Her dream had ended. She had to talk to some one. She would not get to sleep again that night. Her mind was buzzing. She arose from her mat and went to the window. The moon was still high in the sky and the stars shone brightly. Tenchi would deffinetly be asleep by now. Yosho could be awake. Aeka realized she didn't have any idea what time he slept or for how long. So she decided to go for a walk up to the shrine. Even if she didn't get to talk to Yosho or Tenchi that night, the walk should help her relax some. Lady Aeka walked as quietly as she could manage out of her room and down the hall. As she passed Tenchi's room, she thought she heard Ryoko's snoring. She stopped abruptly and raised her fist to bang on his door. Before her hand hit the wood, she stopped. Whether or not she interfered, Ryoko would probably remain in Tenchi's room. Afterall, she wouldn't be sleeping there unless Tenchi allowed it, and if he had allowed it, and she came banging on his door, he would most likely deffend her reasons for being there and Aeka would be at a disposition. So she uneasely left them alone and went outside. The night was very warm and comforting. Aeka headed towards the shrine. When she reached it, she saw a light from inside. 'Yosho must be awake!' she thought excitedly. Like a sneaky child she ran as quietly as she could to the side of the shrine and peeked around to the front. Almost out of no where a man asked, "Looking for something, young lady?" Overcoming the surprise, Aeka came to realize the sound was Yosho and he was behind her. She faced him and smiled. "Oh, not really. I was just restless tonight and I thought I would take a walk." She said. "Oh? Well, I apoligize for interupting your little stroll." "Oh it's nothing, really. I..." and she blushed. "I was hoping you might be awake." His glasses flashed in the moonlight and he asked, "Would you care to come in?" He motioned to the front of the shrine. "If you are not busy..." "Not at all." Yosho took Aeka's hand and led her into the building. He gave her a seat at one side of the table in his office and he sat on the other. "I would like to ask you something, Princess Aeka." the old man said formaly. "What is it, Lord Yosho?" she asked. "I scared you out there, didn't I?" He asked smuggly. Aeka was shocked. "Scared?" She snapped. "I was not scared! I was merely slightly surprised. Are you laughing at me?" Yosho burst into laughter."Ya, I scared you! You should have seen the look on your face!" But then he quickly settled down and looked at her seriosly."As a member of the royal family you must allways expect the unexpected." Aeka's eyes enlarged as she heard the words. "Is something the matter, Princess?" Yosho asked knowingly. "No, it's just that the dream I had tonight- I said the same thing to you." "Oh really?" he asked with mocking surprise. Aeka looked at him. He was sitting acrooss from her with his head down slightly, just enough so that his grey bangs covered his eyes and shadowed his face. "So tell me, Yosho, what keeps you awake this evening?" "The past. I have not been honest to you and the others." He said seriously. And in this instant he shed his disguise of an old man, and looked as himself. He was slightly older than Aeka, with long black hair and youthful skin that had obtained a few wrinkles due to concern and strain, but not as wrinkled as an old man. Aeka stared in disbeleif, and Yosho stood. He walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall behind Aeka, who followed his figure with her eyes around the table to it. Looking in the mirror, Yosho spoke. "It was hard when I had to look at myself quickly aging every morning. Living for so long with a strong body and then seeing yourself dying swiftly is a hard thing." His voice was young and steardy. Aeka continued to stare at him with her mouth hanging open, wanting to ask a millon questions but unsure of exactly what to say. "Yosho..." she uttered. She stood up and went to his side. She peered into the mirror and looked at him through it. After a moment he looked away from himself and looked at her reflection. "Aeka, you know I didn't age so much. With Funaho here, there is litteraly no way I could. And Washu knows too. Sasami may know as well, but she's so young that maybe she doesn't grasp the difference between Jurian aging and Earth aging. But I have had to live this lie of age so long, that now I see not the reason I chose this path in the first place. Honesty to the ones you love is important. Even if I will loose respect, my decision is to be who I am." He looked at himself again. "I chose you to be the first person to tell this because from now on you will be seeing the man you once loved in his true form every day, and this may cause you discomfort." "Dis... discomfort? Now why would your true form cause me discomfort?" Aeka asked nervously. She knew she still loved Yosho, but she didn't think he had discovered this. She was careful to never look suspiciouse about anything. She never looked at him with out reason, but she wouldn't hesitate to look at him either. This way she look neither nervouse nor anxiouse to see him. She thought this had worked, but now was Yosho assuming she still loved him? "Yes, well Tenchi is the very likeness of me. To see an old Tenchi and a young Tenchi walking around may unnevre you a bit." "Oh!" Aeka exclaimed. She hid her greatfulness that Yosho didn't know how she missed him. "Well, it should be no problem at all!" She forced herself to smile. '-Only that I will see the man I love and miss him ever more!' She said bitterly in her mind. "That's a good thing, Princess. Well I suppose that I should allow you to leave now. I really have nothing... apropriate of the moment to speak." Yosho said, looking down once more. The both of them expected Aeka to bid goodnight and leave, but Aeka remembered Sasami making her promise to speak to Tenchi and Yosho about her feelings. She looked from Yosho's reflection to his actual body. Then she put her hand on his shoulder. "Yosho..." The young man looked at her with saddened eyes. This caused Aeka to be struck. She was filled with courage to speak. If Yosho could show sadness then maybe he could understand her sadness, which would put them both on level grounds with eachother. "Yosho, I have never abandoned your side since you left. By this I mean, that I never once fell all the way in love with your grandson, and that I was allways in love with you. I beleive I have remained completely faithful to you. As a matter of fact, Ryoko once told me that the love I have for Tenchi is a simple displacement of the love I heald for you. " Aeka sighed. Yosho listened to her patiently. "Maybe she was right. Although I will allways have love for Tenchi, it is not the same as what I hold for you, Lord Yosho." Then, her throat tightening, she stuttered, "Please forgive me for speaking so out of character, but I had to say it." A tear rolled down the princess's cheak and suddenly Yosho's arms encircled her. At his touch, Aeka didn't know whether to cry out in happiness or to cry fiercely. She cried, and the prince heald her head to his shoulder. He whispered her name quietly and gently. After her tears subsided to sniffles, Yosho spoke. "My dear Aeka, I have never liked stuffy princesses. Your humbling yourself to me reminds me of when you were young and free of heart. I like to see you all will and want." He leaned back slightly enough to be able to see Aeka's face. Then, smiling like a dork he added, "It's passionate." This got exactly the response he had hoped for. Aeka jumped back and smacked the side of his arm as hard as she could and yelled "I can't beleive what you are suggesting to me, Lord Yosho!" He burst into laughter which utterly fumed Aeka. "Well, if that's all the help you're going to be, I'll be heading off!" Aeka began to walk off, but Yosho grabbed her wrist from behind her and whirled her to face him. She took his face in breathlessly, her heart pounding. "Miss Aeka, what do you say to that old marriage aggreement, huh?" "Good morning Aeka! Boy, it's about time you got up! Did you not sleep well?" Sasami questioned her yawning sister that morning. She had already set the table and was beginning to bring breakfast in from the kitchen. "Oh my sleep was wonderful, Sasami. The only problem is that there wasn't much of it. I had another bad dream and I decided to take a walk to the shrine to see if it would help." "Oh, I see. Did it?" "Yes, quite alot Sasami." Aeka smiled. The young girl sensed something strange in Aeka's mood, but she didn't persue it. 'If Aeka wants to tell me something, I'm sure she will. And if she doesn't, I'm sure I'll find out some time later.' she told herself, going back into the kitchen for some fruite for the table. Aeka seeted herself in her normal seat. Tenchi awoke around the same time Aeka did. 'Oh no, what time is it? I know I've overslept!' He thought. He started to get up when he fealt Ryoko's arm around his waiste. He sat up, leaning back on his elbows, and looked at her. "I bet it's all your fault." He blamed her teasingly, even though she was still asleep. "You probably put some sort of spell on me, huh?" He laughed quietly. Then he couldn't get up. He knew that he should, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Ryoko's arm around his waiste and her snoring and messy hair made him wish he had stayed up to watch her sleep the entire night. 'What am I thinking?' Tenchi stared at her pale sea green hair. It shined in the sunlight across his bed. He reached out and touched her cheek. At the same moment there was a cheerful knocking on his door. "Tenchi!" Sasami called through the wood. "Come on Tenchi, it's time to wake up, breakfast is already on the table!" Tenchi looked at the door and called, "Alright, I'll be right down, but don't wait up for me, ok?" "Alright!" He heard her tell all the others that there was no need to wait for him. Suddenly someithing covered his hand and the skin underneeth it moved. He jumped and looked at Ryoko. She had woken up at the sound of Sasami banging on the door and had noticed Tenchi's hand on her face immidietly and smiled. "Tenchi..." She said his name like a sigh, and at the sound he smiled. "You really are beautiful, Ryoko. Even in the morning." He teased. Ryoko just smiled. She dissapeared and reappeared next to him. "I love you, Tenchi." she whispered in his ear. He half smiled. Then Ryoko dissapeared again and before she left his room, she said "Thank you for letting me sleep here this night, Tenchi." and she was gone. Tenchi sighed and stood up. He went to his window and looked outside. The day was bright and sunny, not a cloud to be seen. Everything was in bright summer colours and the cherry blossoms were beginning to shed for the fruit to come in. Tenchi smiled. He fealt great. He was so happy that he laughed outloud and said to the bright day outside and the window glass blocking him from it, "Hey you know what? I think I love Ryoko!" There was a clattering of plates down the stairs and Tenchi settled himself down. "I should probably get dressed in some real clothes." He went to his dresser and pulled out a light weight white shirt and some large, baggy grey pants. Ryoko appeared in her room. Her nose wrinkled immidietly and she threw open her window. She then floated too her small closet and began russling through her things. 'I really should get myself organized, I can't find anything!' She thought as she searched through the pile of clothes on the ground for her pink vest and green dress. She glanced at her mat. "Hmph." 'You and the dreams you bring me. I won't let you bring me down today. Tenchi touched me lovingly, and he forgives me for what I've done. You won't put me in a sour place today.' She thought. "As a matter of fact..." Ryoko stood up. Outside, Rio Ohki was chasing a grass hopper. It hopped and then she hopped in persuit. Suddenly there was the sound of fabric being rubbed against metal and the cabbit looked up to find the noise, her grasshopper taking the opportunity to hop off quietly. Suddenly, a sleeping mat crashed down behind her and she jumped five feet into the air. Inside the dining room everyone watched the event. Washu took a sip of green tea and said, "It looks like Ryoko's doing some "spring cleaning"." Ryoko found her clothes (they were mysteriously hanging up.), changed quickly, and then teleported to her seat at the table at the exact same moment that Tenchi was sitting down in his seat. She smiled, bearing her teeth, and greeted the members of the house. "Good morning everybody. SO what have we got here?" She began to pile her plate with food. Aeka didn't say anything, but she rolled her eyes. "Hey Tenchi, it's kind of funny how you and Ryoko both got here at the same time. It kinda seems like maybe you two planned it or soemething." Mihoshi said. "Yeah, it does." Sasami said. Tenchi laughed nervously. "Well, that's just because we slept together last night." Ryoko boasted. She looked at Aeka, who smiled cooly. "That's not very proper, Ryoko." Ryoko sat dumbfounded. "What?" "Of course, you do go in there quite often anyways. So it's not that much of a surprise to me that you slept in Lord Tenchi's room last night." Aeka said. Every one stared at her. Ryoko didn't know what to do. For once, Aeka wasn't letting her insult her. She wasn't deffending herself or Tenchi. She was completely accepting. The princess took a bight of cantelope and when she was done chewing it, she made an anouncement, breaking the silence. "After breakfast, Lord Yosho has requested that we all meet him in the shrine for a short while." "Really? What for?" Kiyone asked. "He has something to tell us, that is all I can say." Aeka said, and continued to eat. Washu nodded knowingly and every one except Tenchi and Ryoko began talking about what it could be that Yosho needed to tell all of them. Tenchi and Ryoko were still staring in shock at Aeka. ~At ThE sHrInE~ Everyone walked up the stairs in a bunch talking. Ryoko floated beside Tenchi and Aeka led the way. "Boy, it's a good thing he decided to drag us all out her on a Saturday. With how strict Miss Aeka was about us all coming at once, I'm sure I would be missing work if it were a weekday." Nobuyuki said to Kiyone, who nodded. Once the entered the shrine they looked around. Yosho was no where to be seen. "This way," Aeka anounced, walking to his office. They all walked to the door and Aeka knocked on the wooden frame. "Lord Yosho, we are all here." The door slid open. Nobuyuki, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Sasami, Tenchi, and Ryoko's mouth's dropped open at the sight of the young man. "Good morning, my family. Please come in. I shall explain this situation." He said calmly. Each one filed in uncertainly and took a seat where they could. Yosho looked at them all through his dark black bangs. "I have lied to you all. The first lie was that my name was really Yosho and I was the prince of Jurai. You all learned that in the past year. The second lie was this." He gestured to himself. "This is how I truly look. The old man is some one who I had to become so as not to arouse suspisions of this quickly aging planet and to make my Katsuhito disguise more beleivable. Now I have found no reason at all to remain in that form, and have given up on it. I would like you all to see me for the true man I am." He said. "Grandfather..." Tenchi stared in disbeleif. "You don't look any older than father." "Actualy, to compare their ages by physical attributes and decay of the body in earth terms, Lord Yosho is in fact three years younger than Nobuyuki." Washu said. Nobuyuki hung his head and groaned. "Oh, my father in law is younger than me." Sasami patted him on the back comfortingly. "I would also like to take this opportunity to anounce that I have asked Aeka to marry me, and she has accepted." "What?" The room of people cried. "Ha-ha! Tenchi is mine!" Ryoko cried in glee, throwing her arms around Tenchi's neck. "Hey Ryoko, let go! You're choking me, come on!" Tenchi pleaded. "Oh, my sister is getting married!" Sasami ran to Aeka and gave her a huge hug. "Congratulations!" "Ya, congradulations!" Kiyone added. "It's so funny how everybody's been acting so strange this week." Sasami added on. "What do you mean?" Kiyone asked, looking at the blue haired girl. "Well, Aeka has been having trouble sleeping and she has fought with Ryoko less and less up untill today, where they haven't fought at all! And Ryoko's been alot more humbler-" "-Whadya mean "humbler"? I haven't changed at all." Ryoko snapped. "You're right Sasami. Ryoko missed three meals in a day and was late to breakfast this morning! That is unusual for her." Kiyone agreed. "Ya. And Tenchi's been alot more quiet-" Sasami was interupted by Kiyone. "And kinder to Ryoko-" Kiyone was interupted by Ryoko. "Ha-ha! I got Tenchi!" She cried triumphantly, grabbing him around the waiste and jumping up with him. Tenchi, not feeling pressured by Aeka and Ryoko's hate, decided to tease Ryoko a little bit. "Hey Ryoko- What makes you so sure you've got me?" He asked. "Huh?" she looked at him confused, and let him go. "Ya. What if I was really in love with Kiyone the whole time?" He said with a huge smile on his face. Kiyone screamed. "Wha- what are you talking about Tenchi??" She backed away fearfuly from Ryoko, who was staring at Tenchi in shock. Then Tenchi rapped his arm over Kiyone's shoulders and leaned in cheesily. "Hey baby. Wanna go on a date?" Every one except Ryoko, Kiyone and Sasami burst into laughter; Ryoko was in too much shock and Sasami was utterly abashed by Tenchi's sudden behavior. Kiyone was down-right scared for her life. "Please, Tenchi..." She begged. Tenchi let Kiyone go and laughed at himself. Then he said, "I really should be getting along now. There's alot of work to be done in the feild. I'm a little behind, I'm afraid." While every one in the shrine bid farewell, he stole a lingering look at Ryoko who looked like she was about to attack Kiyone in full force. When Tenchi looked at her, there was a magnetic feeling in her. He looked at her as if to tell her to follow him. She visibly calmed down, which Tenchi took as a sign that she understood his glance. He then congratulated his grandfather again and left. ~RyOkO aNd TeNcHi~ Tenchi walked leisurely down the stairs from the shirne. He knew Ryoko was following him and was assured of it when he heard her phase into form. "Tenchi, that wasn't very nice what you did back there." she said quietly. "I know, but I couldn't help it." Tenchi smiled. He wouldn't look up from the steps at her, but she floated beside him following his every move. "With Aeka marrying my grandfather, what else could happen? I almost don't even care, everything's so weird!- Aeka's going to be my grandmother!" Tenchi started laughing. Ryoko smiled slightly, then flew to Tenchi's other side to see if she would gather more attention this way. He stopped suddenly and looked at her with a smile. She smiled back. Then he grabbed her hand and jumped from the stairs into the woods. He ran as fast as he could, dragging Ryoko behind him. "Tenchi! Where are we going?" He heard her voice behind him calling out. He didn't respond, but continued to run untill they got there. It was absolutly beautiful. The tiny flowers of the cherry trees littered the ground and the shedding branches reached up into the summer sky grey and with flower and fruit. When Tenchi stopped runnning he let go of Ryoko's hand and dropped to the ground. He hunched over in a desperate act to catch his breath. Ryoko looked around in growing happiness. "It's beautiful here at this time." She said whistfully. She looked down at Tenchi and then knelt down to him. Seductivly she put her hand on his chest and said, "Tenchi, I never knew you could run so fast." "Come... on... Ryoko. I can't... breath... and all you want...-" "Is you." Tenchi's breathing calmed down and he stared into Ryoko's cat-like eyes. He tried to stand but only got half way, falling back down again. Ryoko helped him stand and he said, "Ryoko, transport us to the highest branch in the tallest tree. I want to show you something." She nodded and suddenly they were there. "You know Tenchi, there's nothing I haven't seen around here. I've spent nearly all my time around here since I came." 'I know. But I want to show it to you in a different way.' he said to her in his mind. He smiled sneekily at Ryoko and then asked her to close her eyes. "What for?" She asked. "Just trust me." He replied. "Alright," Ryoko closed her eyes. Tenchi kissed her. The world spun and turned and she suddenly found herself nearly falling out of the tree, but Tenchi had grabbed her and heald her close, still kissing her. She fealt like their hearts were welded together and then melted into one. Even if she had fallen to her death that very moment, she wouldn't have cared. Tenchi pulled away from her and then whispered, "Now look." She forced her eyes to open, and she looked at their world. The trees weer pink and silver and the sky was an ocean of the deepest saphire. The sun shone jelously in the sky, trying to drag Ryoko's attention to what it had to offer, but she found what she wanted in Tenchi's eyes. They were the colour of life. "I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life." She said, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh Tenchi!" She cried, jumping back into his arms. They heald eachother at the very top of the cherry tree. Ryoko shuddered violently. "Ryoko- what's wrong? Are you... are you -crying?" Tenchi asked. "I love you Tenchi." She sobbed in response. "Shh. Now Ryoko, it's alright." He sat them down on the branch. "You know, when I was a little boy, and I cried, my mother would sing for me. When you were in the cave, did you ever come out and hear her sing to me?" Ryoko nodded. Sniffeling, she sat up and looked at him. "She sang very sweet songs of happiness and love and caring. And protection." "I don't remember any of them, but I do know a poem that my dad has of my mother's. I memorized it. Would you like to hear it?" Ryoko nodded honestly. Tenchi cleared his throat and began his mother's poem. "Once through the cherry blossoms, our love would come together. Protectors of your world, lovers of a gentle night. With a prayer on your lips and a kiss on your brow, I shall love you allways." Tenchi turned slightly red. "At the end, she dedicates it to grandfather, father and I. And our future families." "Yes, I remember. She wrote that outside of my cave exactly a week after she came home from the hospital after having you. She spoke to herself, Tenchi. And I remember what she said." Ryoko offered. Tenchi blinked and eagerly he asked, "What did she say?" "Mostly she complained about how much pain she was in. But she also said she refused to let your father or her father know anything about it. She said she had a deep feeling that you were destined for a great position and before she left, she said this; 'I am proud of my son already. He has been born through me, and that is all I could wish for.'" Tenchi sat quietly, looking at the ground far beneeth them. Then he looked at Ryoko seriously. "I will take care of you so that your life is never short." He promised. "Now, why don't we go back home and see what's for lunch? I am pretty hungry after running so fast and long." He said smiling at her. Ryoko draped her arms around him lightly and teleported them instantly to the Masaki house. They walked into the dining room hand in hand, where the others responded with curiouse looks and whistles. Yosho sat in between Sasami and Aeka; Ryoko sat in between Aeka and Tenchi. Mihoshi and Kiyone sat opposite of eachother. Everything had found it's palce in the Masaki household once and for all. ~KiYoNe~ Except for Kiyone. Too bad the GP officer couldn't ever seem to shake Mihoshi off of her. Poor Kiyone! Feel the wind, feel the sun And our new day in paradise has only begun On the sand, by the sea It's a peaceful oasis meant for you and for me Take my hand This place was always waiting There's beauty all around us The air intoxicating Just like the love that found us Let's forget who we've been And give in to the dream Maybe life is just a song That's how it seems And forevermore well hear the music play Yes forevermore I'll take you in my arms this way. ~Ryoko's Love Song I got this from Gensao's Lyric's page. It was in Episode 13 of Universe ( i think) in the third part of the Time and Space Adventures episode. Surely Pioneer and AIC come into play here, too. Don't sue me. 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