DISCLAIMER: All Tenchi Muyo! characters hearby mentioned in this story are property of Pioneer and AIC. In no way do I own these characters. I did not create Tenchi, Ayeka, Ryoko, Washu, Sasami, Tsunami, Yosho, Nobyuki, Mihoshi, or any others mentioned in my fic. In no way do I intend to violate copyrights or otherwise annoy or anger the people at the above-mentioned companies, I simply ask that you do not take legal action at a innocent young girl trying to write a half-way decent fic. I thank Jess-Ohki and my other proofreaders for their editing help. Without further ado, my lovely little fanfic. No Need for Honesty ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lady Tashimi's Diary, page 1 It has been a Jurain year since King Azusa and Lady Misaki were killed in a spacecraft crash caused by Kain. I have been called back from my studies with Lady Tsunami to rule Jurai. As oldest daughter of the King and Queen of Jurai, I must accept the throne. We are picking our battles with Kain, so as to use them to our advantage. I am going to inform my younger sister, Ayeka, that she is no longer First Princess of Jurai and to tell both Ayeka and Sasami that our parents are dead. I go to Earth also to capture Space Pirate Ryoko and to rescue Officer Mihoshi, who is stranded there. My sisters do not know I exist, due to my long studies with the Lady Tsunami. I hope they like me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Lady Tashimi's ship, Tsuna-Ohki, nears the Earth's atmosphere, something goes very wrong. As the ship Tsunami gave her hurtles into the atmosphere, Tashimi realizes she forgot to allow for it! She is almost baked as the Tsuna-Ohki goes through the atmosphere and heads to Earth - literally! She struggles with the controls, but to no avail. As the ship strikes the ground, Tashimi is thrown clear through the viewing glass. She is covered in cuts and bruises, but amazingly, alive! As her ship dies, it leaves a black egg. Since she knows what is inside, Tashimi cracks it open, and out pops a black cabbit. She quickly assimilates herself with the little animal, as her strength fades. Tenchi, who was out in the carrot field and saw the spaceship crash, runs to the site, only to find an unconscious cabbit and the ruins of a great ship. He looks around and gathers the cabbit into his arms. "Where's your owner?" he asks it. It mutters a faint "Miaow" and returns to unconsciousness. Tenchi searches the rubble for a while and finds no sign of its owner. He walks back to the Masaki home, carrying the cabbit nestled gently against his chest. When he gets home, He sneaks quickly upstairs to his room and puts the cabbit on his bed. "Tenchi! There you are!" says Ryoko, appearing behind him, "I've been looking for you everywhere! I've been so scared and worried!" And with that, she latches onto his arm. "Hey! Let go! And be quiet!" He points to the cabbit. "Huh? What's that piece of fur doing on your bed?" she asks, looking puzzled, then she smiles "I'll clean it for you!" "No! Ryoko! That's a cabbit I found. Its owner apparently crashed here." "Look at this!" Ryoko exclaims, "It has a tiara! It's Jurain!" "It must be pretty important if it has a tiara." "And look at these! It has crystals, too! Three of them, one on both wrists! Ohhh! Not fair! A cabbit is more powerful than me! " "Maybe it's not a cabbit. Let's take it to Washu to examine. " In Washu's lab, Washu is busy typing things into her computer. "Washu?" Tenchi says. "Yes?" says Washu, not looking up from her keyboard. "Would you mind examining this for me?" Washu stops typing and looks up. "I'll need to know where you got it, Tenchi." she says as she turns around. "I found it near a crashed spaceship." "Then it's probably the ship." "Look Washu! It has a Jurain tiara and power crystals. " exclaims Ryoko. "Than it was a very important ship." "No, you don't understand! I don't know how, but I think this one is different! Does Ryo-Ohki have a key to itself? I couldn't find her owner. Could she be the pilot of the ship?" asks Tenchi. "Very well. Leave her here overnight. I'll run some tests and give you the results in the morning. Okay?" "All right. Thanks, Washu." says Tenchi, as he heads to the stairs, "Goodnight." "Yeah. Goodnight," says Ryoko, Following him. As they disappear upstairs, Washu turns to her computer, hits a few multicolored keys, and then turns to face the little black cabbit. "The doors are locked, and this room is teleportation-proof. Now, what are you doing here, Lady Tashimi?!" Tashimi changes back to her original form. "Washu. I finally meet you. I am also interested in science." "I could use an assistant." "I would be honored to work with you." "I am more interested in what you are doing here." "I have come to tell Ayeka that she is no longer First Princess and both Ayeka and Sasami that King Azusa and Lady Misaki are dead. I came also to capture Space Pirate Ryoko." "What! She won't let you take her away from here." "I know. I do not want to take her away. I want to give her a chance to redeem herself. I know she has some good in her." "Yes, I created her with some good. She just hides it." "She is very good at hiding it." "I know. Why are you sneaking around? Why not in your first form?" "I want to see what everyone's life is like here. Also I think Ryoko will show me more kindness as a cabbit than in my original form. She would see me as a rival for Tenchi." "You're very wise for your age." "Thank you. Please don't tell Tenchi." "I won't." "Thank you again." "Here," says Washu, typing on her keyboard again, "I'll make you something to sleep in. There!" A cabbit-sized bed, lined with pillows and soft blankets, appears in a corner. With a soft smile of gratitude, Tashimi turns back into a cabbit and hops to the bed. "Goodnight." says Washu. The next morning, Tashimi awakens to Washu's cheerful face. "Time for breakfast!" she cries. Tashimi-the-cabbit yawns, then follows Washu upstairs. In the Masaki dining room, all was usual - Ryoko was latched onto Tenchi, Ayeka was arguing with Ryoko, Sasami was feeding Ryo-Ohki carrots, Mihoshi was in the kitchen, and Nobyuki and Yosho were talking. When they arrive, everyone stops talking and arguing to stare. "Another cabbit!" cries Sasami, "Oh, how cute! What's its name?" "It doesn't have one. Tenchi found it.” Mihoshi peeks in from the kitchen. “Oh, Oh, can we name it Fred?” Everyone glares at her. “Um, Mihoshi, it‘s a girl.” says Sasami. “So?” replies Mihoshi, “Can‘t we name it Fred?” “I think we should name it Tenchi, since Tenchi is such a cute name and all.” says Ryoko, looking at Tenchi. “I think we should let Tenchi name it, since he found it.” says Ayeka, glaring daggers at Ryoko. “Um, Tsuna-Ohki is the name I found on the ship. Maybe we can call her that.” says Tenchi, nervously. "Mia!" says Tashimi/Tsuna-Ohki enthusiastically. "She likes it!" says Sasami, giggling. "Oh, Tenchi, you're so smart! I never would have come up with such a cute name! I'm going fishing with Ryo-Ohki today. Want to come, Tsuna-Ohki?" says Ryoko, picking up Tsuna-Ohki and squeezing her until her eyes bug out. "We'll have so much fun!" "Ah, Ryoko, I think you're squeezing Tsuna-Ohki too hard." says Tenchi, with a worried look on his face. "Oh. I guess I was so happy that there's another cute little cabbit here I got carried away!" Everyone looks at Ryoko like she's lost her mind. Ryoko lets go of Tsuna-Ohki and puts her on the table. "I'll go get everything ready." Ryoko walks away. Tsuna-Ohki wobbles a bit, then shakes her body and goes over by Sasami, who begins feeding her. "Welcome to our home, little sister." says Yosho. "Miaow!" says Tsuna-Ohki, with a happy smile on her face. Everyone laughs, then Mihoshi brings out the food, and they all eat, Yosho with a small smile on his face. After breakfast, everyone drifted away from the dining room. Yosho to the shrine, Nobyuki to work, Tenchi to the field, Ayeka, Sasami, and Mihoshi to daily chores. Ryoko comes back and says "Look, I'm doing this to make me look good. Tenchi is interested in you, so I want you to pass some of that interest onto me. So move it!" She marches Tsuna-Ohki out the door to the dock. "Watch Ryo-Ohki, so you know how to do it." Ryoko lowers Ryo-Ohki into the water. After a while, she pulls her up and Ryo-Ohki has no fish. "No fish, no carrot. Get it?" "Miaow, miaow!" says Tsuna-Ohki. Ryoko puts Ryo-Ohki back in. After three times and no fish, Ryoko takes her out and tells Tsuna-Ohki to hop in. "Let's see how you do." She says. The first time she pulls Tsuna-Ohki up, the cabbit has a fairly good-sized fish. "This is more like it." Says Ryoko, smiling at Tsuna-Ohki, "After a while, I'll see how many fish you've caught and give you the carrots, ok?" "Mia!" says Tsuna-Ohki. After three more catches, when Tsuna-Ohki is lifted out of the water, she says "Mia! Miaow-miaow mia miaow!" to Ryo-Ohki, who leaps up into the special outfit Ryoko made to hold the cabbits as they fished. Ryoko, who was in a rare good mood, because of the fish, said "Oh, you want to try it together! Okay! Everyone ready?" "Miaow!" say the two cabbits together. "Well, down you go!" So saying, she lowers them into the lake. When she brings them up again, they are holding the biggest fish they've ever caught! "Well done. I knew you could do it!" says Ryoko, looking at all the fish they caught, "Good work, Tsuna-Ohki, good work, Ryo-Ohki! You've both done so well, I think you deserve all the carrots I brought!" With that, she gives them the bucket of carrots she brought. While the cabbits are eating, Ryoko puts the fish in the bucket. When they're done, they all head back to the house. Ryoko is whistling a happy tune. When they get back, Ryoko gives the fish to Mihoshi and Sasami, who promise to cook some for tonight. Ryoko and the cabbits got there just at lunchtime, so the fish will have to wait for supper. After eating lunch, Tsuna-Ohki seeks out Tenchi. Finding him out in the field, she helps him to plant, by dropping the seeds in the holes and burying them, one at a time. "Thanks, Tsuna-Ohki." Tenchi says, a bit startled by the fact that a cabbit is helping him plant. "Miaow-miaow." says Tsuna-Ohki. After working for the rest of the day, the two go back to the house for supper. Since Tenchi is used to the work, he is less tired than Tsuna-Ohki. When they get in, Ryoko picks her up. "Where you helping Tenchi plant? Oh, you're such a good little cabbit! You can sit by me." Tenchi is relieved that Ryoko didn't grab him, but is puzzled about why Ryoko is being so nice. It shows on his face. At supper, everyone is staring at Ryoko, who is feeding Tsuna-Ohki with carrots and other things - right from her own chopsticks! She stops every once in a while to say things like "good cabbit" or "you're so cute!" After supper they all gather in the living room. "You need sleep. Go to bed, little sister Tsuna-Ohki." says Nobyuki. Tenchi assumes she will go to Ryoko's beam, or to the bed in Washu's lab. Tsuna-Ohki is passed around for goodnight hugs and then bounds upstairs, meowing happily. After a few shows, everyone says "goodnight" and disperses to their bedrooms. A surprise awaits both Ryoko and Tenchi. For Ryoko it's an empty beam. For Tenchi it is a certain small, black cabbit fast asleep on his. "Wha? Oh, it's you, Tsuna-Ohki. Sorry to wake you." Tenchi says, as the animal sits up and rubs its eyes, "Go back to sleep." Tenchi climbs in, next to the warm, furry bundle. The next morning he wakes up - and looks straight into Tsuna-Ohki's jade green eyes. (She has been sitting on his chest and staring at him, waiting for him to wake up) "Yahhhh!" he yells, and sits up, throwing the cabbit to the pillow beside him. She leaps up and meows happily at him. "Please, don't do that again." "Miaow-miaow." Says Tsuna-Ohki, in a singsong tone, "Miaow-miaow." "All right, I'm up. Let's go eat." says Tenchi, who dresses and heads downstairs, the cabbit bouncing by his side. Once again, Ryoko takes the cabbit and sits it beside her. "Hello again. Have a nice sleep?" then, to everyone, "Where was she? Anyone know?" "She was in my bed." Says Tenchi, a little embarrassed. Everyone looks at him. "You let her stay?! Why?!" asks Ryoko. "Tsuna-Ohki needed rest. She worked hard yesterday. I didn't want to disturb her." says Tenchi, a little angrily. "Oh." says Ryoko. Everyone resumes eating. After breakfast, Tsuna-Ohki follows Tenchi out to the field and they get to work. At lunchtime, Ryoko brings them lunch. After picnicking with them, she takes Tsuna-Ohki away to "have some real fun" When they are away from Tenchi, Ryoko says "We're going sunbathing! Come on!" "Miaow, miaow-miaow mia." says Tsuna-Ohki, in a worried voice. A while later, she is lying on a blanket stretched on the ground, next to a long line of human bodies. Washu, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Ryoko to name them. Nobyuki and Mihoshi begin to run around, playing "tag". Ayeka was sitting in the shade with Ryo-Ohki. (Everyone was in their bathing suits, except Ayeka, who was wearing a short-sleeved kimono.) Tsuna-Ohki was feeling really hot, and the people around her were blurring. She realizes she has had too much sun, and tries to wobble to Ayeka. As she collapses, the people all turn and stop what they're doing to stare at her. "What happened?" asks Ryoko, more about the music Mihoshi has just turned off, then about the passed-out cabbit. "What's wrong with Tsuna-Ohki?" asks Sasami. Tenchi, done for the day, is coming home when he sees the circle of girls. Instantly realizing what has happened, he runs to the cabbit's side. "She's dehydrated! Get water!" he yells at the girls. "Here!" says Yosho, fighting his way through the girls with a bucket of water. He throws it onto the little creature - in doing so he also gets Tenchi wet. After a few minutes, Tsuna-Ohki slowly opens her eyes. The girls cheer. "Let's get her out of the sun." says Yosho. "Right." says Tenchi, picking the wet ball of fur up. He takes it inside and places it on his bed, followed by the girls. At his doorway, Ayeka and Sasami stop, and so do Washu and Mihoshi. Ryoko moves to walk right in, and Ayeka says "Do you have any manners at all? Don't go in there unless Lord Tenchi invites you and I personally think he never would, you demon woman!" "I invited myself and he wouldn't invite you either, you snob!" "He would too!" "He would not!" says Ryoko, and a Ayeka/Ryoko fight starts. Tenchi quietly walks to the door and shuts it in both their faces. "Huh?" say both Ayeka and Ryoko, and they both turn to look at the closed door, fight forgotten. "He must really be worried." says Ayeka. "Why would he be worried over a stupid furball?" "Why would he not worry?" says Ayeka and another fight is started. This time they walk downstairs, still arguing. Inside the room, Tsuna-Ohki is waking up. She starts to talk, saying "Hello Tenchi. Washu must have told you about me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." "Who said that?!" asks Tenchi, wondering about the soft, female voice talking to him, "Was that you, Tsuna-Ohki?" (Tashimi decides to reveal that she can talk. She figures it may come in handy.) "Yes." "You can talk! Now you can tell me where your owner is!" "She escaped in a smaller ship. She left me here." "Oh." Says Tenchi, sorry he asked, "Let's go tell the girls!" He insists on carrying her down, despite her protests. "You still need rest." He says, feeling a little strange to be arguing with a cabbit. When they reach the living room where everyone is, Tenchi says "Everyone! Please look at me!" Everyone turns, thinking about how strange it is that Tenchi actually wanted their attention. "I just wanted to tell you that Tsuna-Ohki can speak." "Huh?" says everyone, their eyes shifting to Tsuna-Ohki, who says "Hello everyone. It is true. I can speak." "She told me her owner escaped the crash." "Washu, is this one of your tricks?!" asks Ryoko. Washu turns to her. "No." Everyone looks at the cabbit in bewilderment. "Now, after telling you this, she needs rest. Goodnight." Says Tenchi very nervously, heading for the stairs. No one moves. They continue to stare at the spot the cabbit was in for a few more minutes. "Oh, my." says Ayeka. "Who would have thought a cabbit could speak." Says Ryoko, amused. "Miaow!" says Ryo-Ohki, angrily. "Sorry Ryo-Ohki." "Hey, you guys! There's a good part on, right now!" says Mihoshi, who had heard none of what was said. "Huh?" says everyone, turning to look - just as Mihoshi knocks the remote off the sofa. "Oops!" says Mihoshi. "Oh, Mihoshi!" says Ryoko. "You are hopeless, Mihoshi!" says Washu. Upstairs, Tenchi is talking to Tsuna-Ohki. "Why didn't you talk before? And why don't you talk about carrots, like Ryo-Ohki?" "First of all, I had to gather some strength - I'm not an instant healing machine. And second, what in the world is a carrot?!" "Oh, sorry. Ryo-Ohki heals herself, so I assumed you did, too." "I do. I suffered some pretty serious injuries - I needed time." "Oh." Tsuna-Ohki yawns. "I need some rest, remember? Are you ready to go to bed?" "Sure." They climb into bed. "Goodnight, Tsuna-Ohki." "Goodnight, Tenchi." The next morning, Tenchi wakes up and sees Tsuna-Ohki is still sleeping soundly, and even snoring softly. "I didn't know cabbits could snore." Tenchi thinks, and quickly accepts it as just another thing this special little cabbit could do. Tenchi decides to have some fun. "Good morning *yawn* Tenchi." says Tsuna-Ohki, turning, not quite awake yet. "BOO!" shouts Tenchi, right in front of her face! She jumps straight up, and hits the ground running, still not awake enough to comprehend the closet door in front of her. BONK! As her head hits the door, she lies still, and Tenchi is about to go over there and ask if she's okay. Her body starts shaking, and when he gets over there, she starts laughing. Her bell-like laugh is infectious, and soon Tenchi is laughing with her. "You got me there!" "You should have seen your face!" "I bet it was pretty funny. Now come down and eat." says Ayeka, standing stiffly in the doorway, looking at them. Sasami, who was with her, was staring at them. "All right." says Tenchi, looking sheepish. "We'll be right down." Adds Tsuna-Ohki, looking sheepish for a cabbit. Ayeka and Sasami leave, and Tenchi and Tsuna-Ohki look at each other. Giggling, they head downstairs. Everyone turns to look at them when they get to the table. Embarrassed, they move to their places. Ryoko, looking bored, feeds Tsuna-Ohki, "Sasami, did you make some carrots?" asks Tenchi, looking at Tsuna-Ohki. "Yes, of course! Ryo-Ohki loves them so much!" says Sasami, feeding Ryo-Ohki one. "Mia!" says Ryo-Ohki. "May I try one?" asks Tsuna-Ohki softly. "Sure!"says Sasami, "Here, Ryoko! Catch!" She tosses her a carrot. Ryoko feeds it to Tsuna-Ohki. "Mmmm! Those are good!" says Tsuna-Ohki. Sasami tosses another one. Instead of Ryoko catching it, though, Tsuna-Ohki leaps up and catches it in her mouth. "Huh?" says Ryoko, looking at her empty hands, wondering where the carrot is. "She got it. Tsuna-Ohki is under the table with it!" Sasami says, laughing. Soon everyone is laughing, while happy "miaow's" sound from under the table. Mihoshi accidentally knocks a platterful of carrots down, and they disappear under the table - and so does Ryo-Ohki. Everyone talks and laughs to the sound of happy munching from under the table. After breakfast, Tsuna-Ohki follows Tenchi out the door. "All right, you can go with me, but with that black fur you better stay in the shade." As a response, Tsuna-Ohki turns white. "Very funny. You still need to stay in the shade." Tsuna-Ohki's ears flop down sadly, and she gradually turns back to her normal color. "Darn. Fine. I'll stay in the shade and talk to you." As Tenchi works, Tsuna-Ohki talks. “Are you sure I can’t help?” asks Tsuna-Ohki, turning white again. "I'm sure. Even white, fur is still fur." After a while, the conversation turns to the girls and Tenchi. "Ryoko's nice, Ayeka's nice, they're all nice! I can't choose!" " I bet you can! You need to sort out your feelings for all of them. Then pick the one you have the strongest feelings toward. All you need is time alone." "Maybe you're right. But how am I supposed to get time alone here?" "If you can't get time here, go somewhere else to think." "Where?" "Space! I'll take you there in my ship form!" "What about food?" "You can pack some, and we can stay as long as we want!" "Great idea!" Tenchi stops working. "We should start packing!" "Yes." They run back to the house. Mihoshi is outside, sweeping. "Hey, Mihoshi!" Mihoshi drops the broom and jumps. "Don't scare me like that, Tenchi!" "I'm going away, on a trip." "Oh, where? Can I come? Please? Please? Pleeeease?" "I'm going to space to decide on a girl." "A girl? You aren't even married yet . . . why are you worried about having a baby girl?" "Mihoshi, I'm deciding on which girl to marry!" "Oh. Can I come? Please?" "No . . . I'm going alone." "Awwww." "No, Mihoshi." "Then I'm going back to sweeping." She picks up her broom and starts to sweep again. Tenchi walks into the kitchen. Sasami and Washu are in there, cleaning the cupboards. "Sasami, Washu, hi." says Tenchi. They turn toward him. "Miaow!" they say in unison. Tenchi realizes that they are more of Washu's mecha creations, and they weren't cleaning, they were eating carrots! "Stop them!" cries Washu, running through the doorway with Sasami behind her. The mechas were picking up Tsuna-Ohki and hugging her - hard! After they had chased the new MechaSasami and MechaWashu through the house and finally caught them (they had banged themselves silly trying to phase through walls). "Rio-Ohki leaves her fur everywhere in my lab! I'm sorry, Tenchi." Washu apologizes. "I was going to tell you that Tsuna-Ohki is going to take me on a trip into space to decide about the girls." "Cool!" says Sasami, "Can I go?" "No, Sasami. I'm going alone." "Not a bad idea." says Washu, looking at Tsuna-Ohki. "Thank you." says Tsuna-Ohki. "How long will you be gone, Tenchi?" asks Sasami. "As long as it takes to come up with a decision." "In that case, pack supplies for a year!" says Washu, joking. Everyone laughs. "What's so funny?" asks Ryoko, yelling from the living room, where she was playing her video game. "Tenchi's going on a trip and he won't take anyone along!" says Sasami. "What!" shouts Ryoko, and Tenchi hears a sharp "CRACK!" as the video game Ayeka hits the Ryoko. "Dang! And it was going perfect up until now!" "That's not the point, Ryoko! Tenchi's going away!" says Sasami. "Wha? Oh, yeah?!" Ryoko runs out into the kitchen. "Please, Tenchi don't go! If you have to go, take me with you!" she grabs onto his arm. "Ummm...." "Ryoko, please disentangle yourself from Tenchi. I am taking him out to space to think about and eventually come to a decision about who he is going to marry." says Tsuna-Ohki. "You! I should have known!" "A little jealous, Ryoko?" asks Tsuna-Ohki, sarcastically. "What! Why would I be jealous of you?!" "Exactly." says Tsuna-Ohki, her voice softening, "Why? Why be jealous?" "Hmph." says Ryoko, and teleports somewhere else. "I might have to talk to her." says Tsuna-Ohki, "See you later, Tenchi!" and then she teleports to elsewhere. Tenchi asks Sasami and Washu where Ayeka is. They say she is sweeping at the shrine. He finds her there, taking a break. "Oh, hi Tenchi." she says, and makes room for him on the step. "Ayeka, I'm taking a trip." "Where?" "Into space. To think." "About what?" "Marriage. Who I want to spend the rest of my life with." "Oh. All right. I hope your decision comes soon." she sniffles, and Tenchi realizes she is trying not to cry, "I only wish you luck in choosing!" she runs for the shrine ,as she starts to sob. "Ayeka! Wait! Ayeka!" yells Tenchi. "Let her go." says Yosho, who walked up behind him. "Did Washu tell you?" "Yes. I wish you luck, Tenchi. It is not an easy decision to make." Tsuna-Ohki catches up with Ryoko on board Ryo-Ohki. "Oh, why are you bothering me?" asks Ryoko. "Because I need to know what you are doing here. On Ryo-Ohki. You can't follow us." "And why not? Ryo-Ohki is just as good as you." "Are you afraid?" "Of what?" "You're afraid. You're afraid Tenchi isn't going to chose you." "Yes, he will! And I am going to follow you." "No, you're not." "Who is going to stop me?" "Me." says Tsuna-Ohki, disappearing, blinking like a star, and then reappearing in her original form. "Tenchi was right. I am different. I am Ayeka and Sasami's older sister. I'm telling you this because I trust you." Ryoko just stares at the woman in front of her, taking in the shock and, at the same time, the features of this strange lady. The ebony hair, some left flowing over her shoulders, with the rest tied back, the tiara with the three jewels. The jade green eyes, and she was almost as tall as her! And that face! She looked just like Tsunami, because of the face-framing streaks of turquoise in her hair. "Wha? Who are you?" "I am the Lady Tashimi." "Why do you trust me?" "Because I know you are capable of good things. You are actually a very nice lady when you choose to be." wrong choice of words - Ryoko remembers Tenchi's trip. "You can't go with Tenchi! He'll surely pick you!" and she suddenly starts to fire energy blasts at Tashimi! Tashimi blocks them easily, then traps Ryoko in an energy bubble. "Please, listen to me. I do not like Tenchi in that way. I do not want to marry him, and even if he asked I would refuse. Do you believe me?" Tashimi says, with conviction. "You've convinced me." "After all, he doesn't even know I'm not a cabbit. I'm going to be in ship form the whole time, so he won't notice me." "You're right! That means he'll have more time to think about everyone else!" "Yes. I intend to leave him all alone with his thoughts - I won't influence him." "All right." "You have to put faith in him - it's his decision. I can't promise anything. But I do hope he chooses wisely." says Tashimi. "They are probably wondering where we are. Let's go back." says Ryoko. Tashimi turns back into a cabbit. Ryoko tries to move, and finds that she is still in the bubble. "Tashimi!" Tashimi releases her. "Call me Tsuna-Ohki." "Ok." says Ryoko, and commands Ryo-Ohki to beam them back to land. "Miaow!" says Ryo-Ohki, back in cabbit form, as she runs to Tsuna-Ohki. They give each other a cabbit hug, and are sitting, side by side, when Washu and Tenchi find them. "Where were you guys?!" asks Tenchi, "I've been looking for you!" "I was talking to Tsuna-Ohki." says Ryoko, nonchalantly, "She's very intelligent." "Ryoko was sulking on board Ryo-Ohki when I found her. She wanted to follow us, but we talked about that." Ryoko face faults. "Oh. Ok. Tsuna-Ohki, we leave in the morning." "Ok." says Tsuna-Ohki. Ryoko's stomach grumbles. Everyone looks at her. "I'm hungry! Can we go eat now?" "Yeah, let's go!" says Washu, "I'll beat you to the house!" Everyone laughs and dashes toward the door. They hit it at the same time and get stuck. The cabbits walk right on through the tangle. They turn around, after getting through and try to tug at the first person, but they're too small to do much good. "Ryoko, teleport out of there!" says Tsuna-Ohki. "To where?" "To the other side of the room! It doesn't matter!" Ryoko teleports, and Washu and Tenchi fall inside. Ryoko laughs from the other side of the room. They get up and walk to the dining room, with Ryoko and the cabbits. After another of Sasami's good meals, they all gather in the living room. Everyone has pitched in to help Tenchi pack. Sasami, Mihoshi, and Ayeka are in the kitchen, packing food, Washu is downstairs in her lab, packing experiments (and instructions!) that she wants him to try in space, Yosho and Nobyuki are packing games for him to play, and Ryoko is up on her beam, packing Tenchi pictures to look at. The next morning, there is a lot of hugs, goodbyes, and teary eyes as Tenchi walks out of the Masaki house for the last time for a while. When he and Tsuna-Ohki get outside, she tells him to throw her up into the air. He does and she changes into her ship form. She beams up the food, games, and experiments. Ryoko hands Tenchi the box of pictures. "Thank you." he says. "You're very welcome." Ryoko says, and winks at him. "Wait!" says Ayeka as she runs out of the house. She's carrying a box, too. "Oh. Thank you." Tsuna-Oh beams him up, still waving goodbye. As they take off, Ryoko turns to Ayeka. "What did you give him?" "Pictures of ALL of us. I knew you would give him pictures only of yourself." "I did not!" "Did too!" "He wouldn't want a picture of a snob like you!" "He wouldn't want pictures of a demon like you!" The others, seeing a Ryoko/Ayeka fight was starting, walk back to the house, leaving the two to their battles. "You made Tenchi leave!" says Ryoko, hitting Ayeka. "No, I didn't! You scared him, you demon!" says Ayeka, pulling Ryoko's hair. "Ow! Stop that! You snobbish, stupid princess!" Ryoko kicks Ayeka in the shin. Ayeka grabs her shin. "That hurt! I'll punish you for that, you demon pirate!" She summons her power logs. "Oh, really? I'd like to see you try!" says Ryoko, making an energy ball. They fight, and when they've spent their powers' energies, they go at each other the old-fashioned way - with fists flying! After that energy is spent, they limp back to the house, sporting various injuries. Sasami, Washu and Mihoshi greet them with a hot meal and lots of bandages. In space, Tenchi is opening the boxes Ayeka and Ryoko gave him. He opens Ryoko's box first, expecting to see her face smiling up from all the photos. Surprisingly, they are all different - Ryoko as equally as the rest of the people he had just left behind. Even pictures of Yosho and Nobyuki! On the bottom of the box was a letter. It said: Tenchi, I have decided to grow up a bit. It is your choice and yours only. I hope you like the pictures. It was signed by Ryoko. "Wow. She really cares." says Tenchi. He opens Ayeka's box. It has assorted pictures, with everyone shown equally, and some group shots. "And so does she." says Tenchi, "How am I ever going to choose?" "You know your choice - you're just afraid to hurt the others. Which one acts like she cares the most?" "Ryoko. But Ayeka keeps her feelings inside!" "She loved Yosho before, and then she saw you. Are you sure those feelings don't remain?" "Are you trying to discourage me from marrying Miss Ayeka?!" "No. I'm trying to make sure you don't make a mistake." "Marrying Ayeka would not be a mistake!" he was shouting now. "Calm down. You need to make this decision on reason - it will be hard, and you will need to be calm." Tenchi stops looking angry, and goes back to being sad. "I wish I didn't have to choose." "Jurian law states that you can have as many wives as you want. Why not marry them both?" "This is Earth, not Jurai. I have been brought up to marry one girl, and one girl only." "All right. Then you have to chose." "Ohhhh! This is so frustrating!" "Don't think about it. Play a game. I can create a form and play, too." A shadowy grey cabbit appears. "It's not much, but now I can play." it says. They proceed to play a game of chess. In the beginning, Tenchi looks like he is winning, but in the end, Tsuna-Ohki beats him. "I didn't know cabbits could play chess." says Tenchi suspiciously. "I used to play with my owner." Tsuna-Ohki replies. "What was your owner's name?" asks Tenchi. "I'd prefer not to talk about it. Let's get back to your problem." "What did she look like?" asks Tenchi. "I can show you a picture of her." The cabbit hops to the control panels and presses some buttons. On the screen, a picture of a beautiful black-haired lady with jade green eyes. She was wearing a tiara with a single dark-blue jewel in it. "She even looked like Tsunami!" exclaims Tenchi. "Yes. I miss her." Tenchi notices the woman in the picture is smiling, but sadly. "Why is she so sad?" he asks. "Her mother and father had just died. This is the most recent picture I have of her." "Oh." "Tenchi, I was wondering - can I stay with you? I don't want to go back." "Of coarse. You are welcome to stay." "Oh, thank you!" she gives him a furry little hug - on his leg, because that was the only place her cabbit arms could go around. Tenchi smiles. "Come on, what game do you want to play now?" asks Tenchi. "How about another game of chess? Maybe you'll win this time." Four games later (Tenchi - 2, Tsuna-Ohki - 3), Tenchi is hungry. "Can you cook?" asks Tsuna-Ohki, "I can't in cabbit form." "No....." "Then I'll have to change form. What do you want me to look like?" she asks, unexpectedly. "Um..." "How about this? Or this? What about this?" she says as she flickers through different hair, eye, and skin colors. When she stops and turns back to cabbit form, Tenchi passes out, and falls backwards, dazed. Quickly changing back to Tashimi form, she catches him. "That was close." she says. "Who are you?!" Tenchi asks as she helps him up, "Where did you come from?" "It's me, Tsuna-Ohki, silly!" she says, and giggles. They laugh about it for a while, and then Tsuna-Ohki (in Tashimi form) goes to cook. After a good meal (Tsuna-Ohki was almost as good a cook as Sasami), they sat back down at the table to play another chess game. "The situation you're in is quite like a chess game, you know." says Tsuna-Ohki, still in a replica of her "owner's" body, moving a piece. "Wha? What do you mean?" asks Tenchi, moving one of his. "You want to tell the one you love that you love her, without the others blowing up your house. It's a very volatile decision." She goes again. "You're right......but how am I going to win my real-life game of chess if I can't even win this one?" asks Tenchi, taking his turn. "I'll have to show you some strategies. Checkmate." "Oh, not again!" says Tenchi, his face falling at his loss. Tsuna-Ohki frowns. "A lot of strategies. And we'll have to practice them." The chess set and her tiara begin to glow with a bluish light. The board turns into a replica of the Masaki house and Shrine, and the pieces turn into smaller images of the girls and Tenchi's father and grandfather. "Wow!" says Tenchi, looking at the new chess set. Tashimi's tiara and the board stops glowing. "O.K. How about you try with no strategy. Maybe you can avoid the explosion without my help." A Tenchi replica appears in his hand. He sets it down, in front of the crowd. Surprisingly, it speaks! "I love Ryoko, everyone. I am sorry for hurting all of you girls, but I cannot deny my love." The Ryoko figure runs up and glomps onto the Tenchi one. "I knew you would pick me over those other girls, I just knew it!" "Tenchi, I can't believe you would choose her over me!" says Ayeka, looking outraged. "I can believe it, Princess." says Ryoko, with a sneer. "You stupid Space Pirate! You've put a spell on Lord Tenchi! He would never chose a criminal over a princess! Release him!" Ayeka shouts, and sends an energy blast Ryoko's way as she runs away, toward the house. "Watch out Tenchi! She tried to kill you! You homicidal princess! Come back here!" says Ryoko, chasing after her. A few energy blasts are fired and the house starts on fire. Ryoko comes out, looking shaken and white. "I......I......didn't mean to!" She runs to Tenchi. Both Tsuna-Ohki and Tenchi knew what had transpired inside the miniature house. Tsuna-Ohki frowns and clucks. "That was definitely not the right way to handle it." Tenchi is silent, and badly scared. "Is there a possibility that might happen?" he asks. "Unfortunately, yes. You're going to have to be very careful, Tenchi." Tenchi nods, staring at the little house. Tashimi narrows her eyes angrily at it, and the fire goes out. Amazingly, it rebuilds itself and the Ayeka doll comes out, unhurt. "Let's try again. This time, tell Ryoko to stay out of the way, and tell Ayeka alone, gently." says Tashimi. Tenchi moves his piece by Ryoko, and the two pieces walk into the woods. After a while, the Tenchi piece comes out alone. It walks to the house and goes inside. The real Tenchi and Tashimi bend over it, and get a view through the roof to where the Tenchi doll was sitting on a miniature of Ayeka's bed, next to the Ayeka doll. Ayeka turns white at words Tashimi and Tenchi fail to hear. She pleads with Tenchi, then puts on a brave face. After something Tenchi says, her face crumbles and she runs out of the house, towards the woods. "No! Don't go in there!" shouts the real Tenchi. "Sh!" says Tashimi, "She must make her own choice! She can't hear you, anyway!" "Oh." says Tenchi, sheepishly. The Tenchi doll runs out of the house. Ryoko materializes beside him. "Did you tell her?" "Yes. She ran away" says the Tenchi miniature, looking towards the woods. "I hope she'll be all right." says the Ryoko one. "Me too. So you want to tell the others?" says the small Tenchi. "No, I think you should." says Ryoko. "I'm not looking forward to it." "I'll go look for her. You go tell the others." Ryoko says. The Tenchi doll walks to the house, while the Ryoko one walks into the woods. A few minutes of waiting, the Ryoko doll comes out of the woods, looking shaken. She walks to the house, where the small Tenchi comes out to meet her. "What happened?" he asks, looking concerned. "Ayeka.......Ayeka........is......DEAD!" she starts crying and clinging to Tenchi, “She killed herself!” How? Why?” asks the Tenchi miniature. “She went off the cliff!” says Ryoko, and starts crying even harder. (and clinging harder, too) The real Tenchi turns to Tashimi, looking horrified. “This is just showing you the worst possible ways this might play out. No one can predict exactly what Ayeka will do. She may take it better then this. I’m just preparing you.” says Tashimi, looking concerned. Tenchi’s expression doesn’t change. He yawns. Tashimi looks at the clock. “That’s all we have time for. It’s late, and you need rest. Go to bed, Tenchi.” Tenchi, looking sleepy, yawns again and moves to get up. "Goodnight, Tsuna-Ohki." "Goodnight, Tenchi." After Tenchi goes to his room, Tashimi morphs from her old self into her newer form, with the 3 jewels and turquoise streaks in her hair. She stays up even later, trying to find a strategy that will work, to tell Tenchi the next day. She doesn't succeed. The next morning, Tenchi wakes up and finds Tsuna-Ohki (in Tashimi form) asleep on the floor, next to the chess board. She fell asleep in her new form, and Tenchi notices. He gently shakes her shoulders. "Wake up!" "Huh? What is it, Tenchi?" groans Tashimi. "Who are you, really?" says Tenchi. "You're not Tsuna-Ohki. Now tell me your name!" She sits up, wide awake. She looks at him like she's scared. After a pause, she speaks. "I am the Lady Tashimi, the elder sister of Princess Ayeka and Ruler of the planet Jurai." Tenchi's mouth drops. He is completely floored by this reply. "What about Azusa and Misaki and Funaho?" he asks, stuttering a little. "They were killed in a spacecraft crash, believed to be caused by Kain." "Then the story about the picture was true." says Tenchi, mostly to himself. "Yes. I miss them." "And that story about Tsunami?" "That is true, also. I was the "owner" I was speaking of." "Then you lied to all of us!" "Yes. I had to. The situation called for anonymity." "You lied to your sisters! Everything is just a situation to you!" Tenchi shouts angrily. Lady Tashimi's eyes mist, and she runs from the room. "Tashimi! Wait!" Tenchi calls, remembering the lesson taught by the unusual chess set. He hears sobbing, coming from the direction of his room on board the ship. He walks to the door, hesitates, then walks into the room. Tashimi is sitting on the bed, crying. She looks up and sees him. "I may have an analytical mind, but I do have a heart!" she sobs out, "I regret lying to you all, but I saw no other way around the situation when I came here!" Acting impulsively, Tenchi puts his arm around the weeping lady and draws her into a hug. She cries into his chest for a while, then starts to slow it down. "I'm sorry, Tenchi, for imposing on you like this." she says, still hiccuping slightly, not lifting her head. "It's all right." says Tenchi. His stomach rumbles. They both suddenly notice what an intimate position they're sitting in. Tashimi looks up, and blushes. Tenchi blushes, too. "You're hungry. I'll go make us something to eat." says Tashimi, gently disentangling herself. "O.K." says Tenchi. Tashimi, still looking a little pale, and with tear tracks down her cheeks, walks to the kitchen. Soon, delicious smells waft into the room. "Mmmm, what are you making?" asks Tenchi, standing in the doorway. "Breakfast." Tashimi replies. She sets all the dishes on the table. There is fish, rice, chicken, vegetables, and enough of it to feed 10 people! Tenchi looks confused, and Tashimi doesn't know whether to laugh or cry again. "Umm......" "Sasami only taught me how to prepare Earth dinners. She didn't know she was teaching me - I was in cabbit form. Sorry, Tenchi." Tenchi smiles, like he understands. "It's okay. Let's eat!" They sit down at the table. After breakfast, they sit down at the table again and get the chess set out. The days fly by as Tenchi and Tashimi try to discover the best way to break the news to Ayeka, and learn more about each other in the process. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Ayeka and Ryoko are fighting again. They've done nothing but fight since Tenchi left. Finally no one tries to stop them, they only dress their wounds when the two bother to come inside the house. The rest of the occupants of the Masaki household wander aimlessly, while Sasami cooks up feasts that everyone just picks at. Even Yosho looks sad. Before Tenchi left, Mihoshi had spent her afternoons on the porch, dozing, but Ayeka and Ryoko's fighting had driven her inside, to the couch, where her snores could be heard throughout the house. No one noticed. Their trance could only be broken by a person, who, at that moment, was in space, sitting at a very unique chessboard with the Empress of Jurai. "Oh, my. It's been a month....do you think you're ready to go back, Tenchi?" asks Tashimi, looking at a computer screen. "I'm ready. Let's go Tashimi." says Tenchi, looking out the window. "All right, Tenchi. Tsuna-Ohki - back to earth!" Ayeka and Ryoko are outside, fighting, when Ryoko sees the flash of light that precedes a ship. "Yay! Tenchi's back!" yells Ryoko. "You're just saying that to get away!" says Ayeka, whose back is to the ship. She is trying to get a hold on Ryoko's throat, and bumps her dislocated elbow. "Ow! Ayeka! (Ayeka finds the hold she wanted) I'm......not.......kidding!........Look over.....your......shoulder!" "Hey Ayeka! Break it up, will ya!" shouts Tenchi, on the ground again, for the first time in a month. "Tenchi? Is it really you? It is you!" shouts Ayeka, letting go of Ryoko and running to him. She gives him a gentle hug, and then latches onto his right arm. Ryoko recovers and flies to Tenchi. She gives him a hug, and latches onto his other arm. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back! I was so worried!" gushes Ryoko. Tenchi sees their bandages and asks a simple question. "Have you been fighting?" "Yes. Every day they go at it." says Yosho, grumpily, as he walks out to greet his grandson. "Hi Grandfather." "Hello, Tenchi! Come give your dad a hug!" yells Nobyuki as he tries to walk through the door. He gets pushed aside by Sasami and Mihoshi, who rush out the door to greet their friend. "Tenchi! You're finally home! I missed you so much! Was it fun in space?" says Sasami, talking a mile a minute and bouncing up and down all the while. "Hi Tenchi! I missed you, too!" says Mihoshi, acting impulsively like Misaki and hugging Tenchi and the two girls. By hugging them all, she squeezed them closer together. Ayeka ducks out of the embrace, blushing profusely. Ryoko stays, enjoying being close to Tenchi, which made it worth the ditz's hug. "We're all together again!" says Mihoshi, as she lets go of Ryoko and Tenchi. Tenchi, as planned, tells everyone but Ryoko and Ayeka to go back to the house. They get only half of the way there before they hear Ayeka scream "what!". They all turn to look, including Washu, who had just stepped out of a dimensional portal. "Tenchi....all right, then.....I....wish you......the best!" she says, and then begins to break down. Ryoko, recovering from the shock, speaks. "I knew he would choose me. Anyone would choose me over a snobbish princess like you!" "Shut up, you demoness!" yells Ayeka, "It's enough you take Tenchi!" "I didn't take him! He chose me! And make me, your Highness!" "With pleasure!" Ayeka shouts, and suddenly her power logs surrounded Ryoko, who was still clinging to Tenchi. They zap them both once, then Ryoko teleports them to safety. Ryoko teleports herself again to face Ayeka. She growls and forms a sphere of energy. "Take that, you prissy princess!" she yells as she lets it fly. Ayeka ducks to the side. They start fighting in ernest, while the others watch. Tenchi snaps out of his trance and runs into the middle - as the two power up for their most powerful attacks yet. The black cabbit, gone ungreeted and unnoticed, bounds to Tenchi's side. The two girls let fly with their attacks, taking Tenchi by surprise. A turquoise shield forms around the boy and the cabbit, and it stops the attacks. Still not noticing Tenchi, the two keep fighting. The cabbit begins to glow with a bluish light, then to change. The fur disappears, leaving smooth, pale skin. The paws turn into hands and feet. Finally, the clothing appears. As the transformation ends, the girls cease fighting. The only thing that hasn't changed is the pale green eyes. "Enough!" says the strange lady angrily. Ayeka and Ryoko stare at her in front of them. "Girls, this is the Lady Tashimi." says Tenchi. "Oh, my." "What!" "She is the present ruler of Jurai." "Oh. We were informed about Emperor Azusa, Lady Misaki, and Lady Funaho's deaths, only we did not inquire about the person taking over for the moment." says Ayeka, too formally. Tashimi could see the pain in her glistening pink eyes. "I assume that you are a high-ranking court lady...." "I'm your sister." says Tashimi, cutting Ayeka off. "What?! That isn't possible......" "I was sent to the Goddess Tsunami when I was very young, before you were born. Naturally, I was kept well informed, but I wasn't allowed to come see you." says Tashimi, cutting her sister off again. Sasami steps up. "So you're my other big sister?" "Yes." "Is that kinda like another Mommy?" asks Sasami, looking hopeful. "Mother's death was very hard on her." Ayeka explains. "Yes, I guess so, Sasami." "Yay! I have another Mommy!" Sasami shouts as she bounds over to the Tsunami look-alike and leaps up, into her new-found big sister's arms. Tashimi catches the little princess, and Sasami twines her little arms around Tashimi's shoulders. Sasami starts talking again, the words just pouring out. They others stand silently, trying to comprehend the things Tashimi had said. "You don't look like any of the royal family." says Ayeka, suspicious. "I adopted Tsunami as my surrogate mother and good friend. She has changed me." says Tashimi, twirling a lock of turquoise hair. Sasami looks at it, fascinated. Then she pulls a piece of her own hair toward it. She puts them together, nearly ripping Tashimi's out of her head. "Look, Ayeka! A match!" she giggles. It was true, Sasami's hair matched the highlights in Tashimi's. "But.....but....." starts Ayeka. "Welcome back, little sister." says Yosho, stepping towards her. "Hello again, Brother Yosho." she says. "You knew?!" says Ayeka. "Of course, Ayeka. Since Tashimi is younger than me, I was there when she was sent to Tsunami." "Oh." says Ayeka, then she remembers the transformation. "You were here all along! You lied to us!" Sasami, evidently remembering the other cabbit, leaps out of her arms. "Yes. And I am sorry for that. I wanted to see what it was like here, and what you were like. It was selfish of me and I'm sorry." Sasami leaps back up, into Tashimi's arms. "I forgive you!" "This isn't about her it's about Tenchi!" says Ryoko, latched onto Tenchi again. "I wish you luck, Tenchi. As long as you're happy." says Ayeka, with tears in her eyes. She breaks down and runs to the house. Yosho sighs. "I'll talk to her."