---

Copyrights, etc: Tenchi Muyo! and all related characters are the property of AIC, Pioneer, and other 
owners. Loknar, Joseph, and Koros are mine. Ask before you use them. I'm looking for people to do some 
drawings of them, so if you're interested, drop me an email at the_guardian20@hotmail.com.

Notes: It's been two weeks since I finished Chapter 8, and my fingers still feel like large boulders. Actually, 
I've just been bogged down with homework. I've done so much stuff with WWI in school recently that I'm 
thinking of doing a small side-fic, one where Loknar remembers how he served in it.

This fanfic WILL contain shoujo ai. Shoujo ai is love between two females. Don't worry, this isn't a sickie 
lemon. I hate all that perverted crap. This will be displayed in a tasteful way, with no sex , kissing being the 
farthest this fic will go. There may or may not be some nudity, so be advised. There will be talk of sex in it, 
but not in graphic detail, and not performed by the characters. I am basing what will be in here mostly off 
of small bits of evidence in the OAV, combined with conjecture shared by many in the TM community. 
This mini-fic will take place right in the middle of Chapter 8, when Ayeka is trying to comfort Ryoko. It 
uses some of the text from 8 to set the scene, but it is completely different from there. This little mini-fic is 
a tangent from the OAV/OC continuity, so events that take place in it do not reflect the real timeline. 
Instead, this branches off, allowing more fanfics to eventually be made following it. Once again, the love 
that will be displayed between Ayeka and Ryoko will be displayed tastefully, so this isn't a lemon. Some 
lemons are allright, as they do display conjecture, but many go too far. I'm probably rambling now, or I'm 
not making sense. Meh. Also, this fanfic will focus on only Tenchi, Ayeka, and Ryoko. What happened to 
Joseph in this continuity will be explained in a further minific, as most of these minifics that I make are 
concentrated on only a few characters.

Some of the conjecture in here also involves Tenchi, and how he views the two of them. In this continuity 
(the tangent, not OAV/OC), he does choose. It will be a bit of a suprise, but probably not much of one.

BTW, my friend Azuriyuu asked me to do a cameo for his character, so you will see him. 

God Bless America and George Harrison.

Here goes something or other that I ate at school...

Loknar, 12/8/01

Fanfic Began: 12/8/01. Fanfic Finished: 12/23/01.

---

Tenchi Muyo! OAV 21-B: Rivals Nevermore

(Orion Chronicles, Chapter 8-B)

Ryoko went over to the bar nearby, sitting down. A hologram of a bartender appeared.

"Whatcha want, lil' lady?" He asked.

"Some light sake."

"Will do."

A full sake bottle popped out of a hole in the bar, and next to Ryoko. She took it, opening it, and beginning 
to drink.

"Tenchi, come over here, willya?" She asked the man she adored. She smiled at him, her eyes visibly filled 
with love for him.

"Not right now, Ryoko." He replied, in the middle of a conversation with Sasami.

Ryoko closed her eyes for a moment. "Not right now, Ryoko." The words felt like knives stabbing her 
heart. 

It had been going on for years now. Tenchi never could talk to her, without being amazingly awkward, as if 
he didn't want to hurt her feelings, that he didn't love her. It had been this way for awhile, and he looked 
like he wouldn't change. All she wanted was to talk to him, to tell him how much she loved him. She didn't 
know if he could understand love anymore. She left subtle clues when she was able to talk to him, such as 
telling him that he was really cute, kind, and wonderful. He always just blushed and walked off, or ignored 
them.

Yet she couldn't help teasing him, playing with him. He didn't take it as playing. To her, Tenchi must 
simply have viewed it as unnerving, annoying, or even idiotic. She knew she crossed the line a few times, 
such as when she deliberately came into the bathroom while he was using it, or when she hugged him and 
reached for places that she shouldn't. She knew seduction wouldn't work to get to know him, either. Many 
times, she had stood in the baths, naked, while blood flew out of his nose like a waterfall. She knew he 
found her arousing and beautiful, but he always turned away, heading off, embarrassed.

She handed the sake back to the bartender.

"Give me the strongest you got." She whispered.

"Can do."

A bottle of Drea whisky popped out of the little hole in the bar, landing into Ryoko's hands. She opened the 
cap with her teeth, spit it out, and drank some of it down, gulping like it was ambrosia.

It was times like this when she felt that only alcohol could solve her problems. Though she and Ayeka 
teased each other a lot, in recent months since Koros's attack they had consoled each other on their 
problems. Ayeka was her true friend, and the both of them knew that. She looked at her, her eyes 
unmoving. At the moment, Ayeka was furiously trying to clean up a large spill made by Mihoshi, when she 
slipped and fell onto the table, all the drinks spilling. Ryoko smiled, briefly. She knew Ayeka cared about 
her, much like she would for her best friend. She cared about her too, but in a way somewhat more than 
that. She had known Ayeka ever since Kagato had controlled her. Even when she was committing crimes 
against her will, she couldn't help resisting to make sure Ayeka was allright. Even afterwards, when she 
escaped from the cave, she still couldn't help caring for her, even when she had her hung upside down when 
interrogating her about Tenchi. She teased her a lot back then, but only because it was funny seeing her all 
riled up, not for any other reason. Over the years, the fighting had gotten a little less intense, and more 
playful, except for that one incident when Koros had attacked. Ever since they both apologized, things had 
gotten better between them. She was near her every day, seeing her, being with her - She knew her as much 
as she did Tenchi. She would do anything for her, and she knew Ayeka would do the same. It was then that 
she remembered looking at Ayeka in the onsen a few times. The images appeared in her head, and she 
blushed. She looked quite cute to her. That struck her as odd. She had fought with her for years, for little 
reasons; She was flirting with Tenchi, going on about Jurai, correcting her, anything like that. She now put 
two and two together and realized that she liked seeing her all riled up - It was quite funny. As well as...

"Quite cute." She said to herself, sighing. It was then she came upon an epiphany; she was attracted to 

Ayeka, at least. The whole idea made her more depressed. She was bisexual. She knew the stigmata 
attached to being out of the ordinary in Terran life, and wondered how Tenchi would deal with it. That had 
never occurred to her before, and now it sunk in like a piece of metal in a pool of tar. How would she deal 
with this? What should she do? What should she tell Washuu? What should she tell Ayeka?

She put her head in her hands, and just sat.

Even if Ayeka wasn't busy, Ryoko was pretty sure that even she couldn't help. She felt quite depressed right 
now, like only Ayeka cared about her. She looked again to the young Juraian Prince, smiling and talking 
with the other girls. Her thoughts turned back to him, as she tried to block out thoughts of Ayeka.

She truly loved Tenchi with all her heart; why couldn't he realize that? Even if he didn't love her, he could 
at least tell her so; tell her that he loved her as a friend, but not as a girlfriend. Sometimes she felt that he 
viewed her as a sex-starved maniac, trying to take his virginity. But that was all an act, all a tease. If she 
presented how she truly felt up front, she felt she would mess up somehow, embarrassing herself, and 
making him hate her.

She drank down more of the whisky, not caring that some of it ran down her cheek.

"Why?" The question reverberated in her mind like an echo in an old cavern. Why couldn't he see what she 
meant? Why couldn't he understand? Most of all, why couldn't he love her? He was so vague in his 
comments that she couldn't tell if he loved any of the girls that stayed with him sexually. He was attracted 
to them, and loved them like family, but it seemed that he couldn't tell which one he loved. Ryoko herself 
couldn't understand why she was making a big deal out of the issue. Was it because of past traumas? Being 
in the cave too long? Being abused by Kagato? Never knowing her mother until a few years ago? Or was it 
just her fault.

She sat at the bar, her head down, and one or two tears in her eyes. At the table, Ayeka saw what was 
happening. She sighed, and got up, starting to walk over to Ryoko. "What's wrong with Ryoko?" Tenchi 
asked.

"She's just drunk. It's her nature." She replied, making up an excuse. It stung inside of herself when she said 
those words, because she didn't mean them. Long ago she had stopped meaning those words, but the others 
were used to her saying them, and Ryoko replying in kind. If she suddenly changed, they would know that 
something had happened. Ayeka looked at her friend, a half empty whiskey bottle in her hand, her tears 
wetting her clothing. The bartender did not know what to do, and just sat in a corner, watching. Ayeka 
knew just what Ryoko was thinking about - Tenchi, the man that they both loved. She knew that she would 
lie down her life for Ryoko; she was her best friend, not knowing whether or not the space pirate knew it. 
Even in this state, she was stunning to her, still a joy for the eyes to behold. She knew she had some small 
crush on her for some time now, but she tried to keep it down. She felt very guilty, and thought that Ryoko 
would distance herself from her if she admitted it.

She could see the tears in Ryoko's eyes, and she knew why: Tenchi. She sat down in the stool next to 
Ryoko, putting her arm over her shoulder.

"I don't care anymore." Ryoko mumbled, in a depressed, drunk state.

"Don't say that, Ryoko. You are one of the strongest people I know of, both mentally and physically. Let's 
take you up to your room, and we can talk, okay?"

"You can't help. Washuu can't help. God can't help. No one can help except for Tenchi." She mumbled 
drunkenly, tears falling from her eyes like twin waterfalls.

Ayeka helped Ryoko up, paying the bartender.

"Lord Tenchi, Lord Joseph; May we go upstairs early? I need to escort Miss Ryoko to her room."

"Sure...Just make sure she feels better." Joseph said, still trying to explain to Mihoshi some other 
undeniable fact. He hadn't seen Ryoko in that state. If he did, he would have gone right up with them. If 
Tenchi knew what was happening, he would apologize right then and there.

Ayeka helped Ryoko walk to the elevator, pushing the button, and bringing them back to the top floor. Her 
stomach growled a little, but it didn't matter; before she did anything else, she wanted to help Ryoko calm 
down - Everything else would have to wait.

She brought her into her own room, putting her on the couch. Ryoko laid down on it, still crying, still 
drunk.

Ayeka pulled up a chair, and sat by her.

"It's all right, Ryoko."

"No it isn't. He doesn't understand. He doesn't love me, and I doubt he even likes me." She whispered. She 
looked at Ayeka, tears in her eyes as well. She was sure she cared about her, and it hurt her to think of the 
possibilities if she brought the subject of her other attraction to her. Ayeka could either respond in 
revulsion, and leave, acceptance, and stay, or the oddest of all - Feel the same way that she did.

"That is not true, Ryoko. Lord Tenchi does care about your feelings."

"Then why does he treat me like I'm a monster?"

"You aren't a monster, Ryoko, and he does not treat you that way. He acts oddly towards you because he 
has trouble dealing with those that he cares about. He at times does that to all of us, and he isn't always that 
way to you. It's normal to be awkward at his age; he's a teenager after all. He does not realize that you 
really love him, that he is the center of your universe, your angel. He doesn't realize that about me, either."

"Then why does he treat you nicely, and not me?"

"Not always, Ryoko. When you were depressed or down, and he knew it was about something related to 
him, he always came and talked to you. When Kagato attacked, he helped you up, he comforted you. The 
same when Dr. Clay attacked us, or when Koros did. He showed that he loved you as much as he loves all 
of us on those occasions, and I'm not even mentioning the thousand upon thousands of times that he helped 
you outside of the times you were in battle. He does the same for you as he does for me."

"But he never understands..."

"He's a teenage boy with little or no experience with women before we came to him. As he told Joseph, he 
had only been on one or two dates before us, and they always failed. He's having quite a time learning 
about how women work, even though we've been with him for years. I certainly don't blame him."

Ryoko sighed, sobering up a little, her head still down on the couch pillow.

"Ryoko, it pains me to see you like this. You are usually one of the strongest and most funny people that I 
know. I care about you, Ryoko. You are like a spiritual twin to me, if you know it or not. Though we may 
tease each other, we are friends, best friends, I might add. On Jurai, I never met any girl who had the 
stamina and toughness to go through what you did. You are a wonderful person, Ryoko, and never deny 
yourself that fact." She said quietly, lifting Ryoko up and hugging her, who hugged back, tightly, still 
crying.

Ryoko blushed, the princess's compliment warming her a little bit. Though she was now somewhat 
comforted over the issue of Tenchi, another that seemingly appeared overnight loomed over her.

"T-T-Thank you, Ayeka." She said after awhile, still holding her in a tight embrace, her tears wetting 
Ayeka's shoulder. "I was wrong. You do understand, Ayeka. You know how it is, being alone while 
surrounded by others; crying out, yet no one hears you, living in a kingdom of ghosts. You know how I am, 
how I work - We both know each other more than our own mothers. You are the best friend I could have, 
Ayeka."

Ayeka was crying a little bit, too. They just held each other, trying not to look weak, yet each knew it didn't 
matter to the other, who was doing the same.

The sun had set by now, three of the many Orion moons nearly in a triangular formation. The light of Ari, 
Mitsukii, and Taro shined down upon them, as if heaven itself was smiling at them.

Ayeka looked in Ryoko's lovely amber eyes, watching the tears fall a little bit slower now, like a lazy river 
at sunset.

Ryoko looked into Ayeka's elegant pink eyes, which looked like Jurai's moons in the sky of the rising sun.

Almost automatically, their faces slowly moved towards each other. Blushes crept onto their cheeks, their 
hearts beating faster than they usually did in battle.

Their lips gently touched as they kissed each other, slowly. The kiss lasted for about a minute, the two of 
them not moving from where they were, not even opening their eyes. They both did not expect this 
moment, that mutual attraction would never materialize, especially not on this night.

Ryoko and Ayeka opened their eyes, and looked at each other, in complete silence.

They did not know what to do or say. Either was unsure whether the other enjoyed the kiss or hated it.

"You probably hate me now." Ryoko said after awhile. She began to cry again, the pain that she thought 
was about to envelope her slashing at her soul like the reaper's scythe.

"I don't, Ryoko. I wanted that to happen, actually..." Ayeka replied, blushing. "I thought you were upset 
with me because of it."

The reaper suddenly became an angel, gently caressing her back, the pain melting in an instant.

The cheeks of the two were new a deep red, a mixture of both embarrassment and the usual stigma 
associated with kissing.

They sat for awhile in this awkward silence, not knowing what to do or say. They now knew there was 
mutual attraction, but neither had been in such a situation before. Neither had ever been in anything 
remotely like this, even with a man. As they sat, each thought about each other. The two had spent many 
years of their lives together, through hell and high water. They cared about each other more than 
themselves, and they both knew the sacrifices that they made for each other.

Ryoko looked at the girl that she had just kissed. She realized now that she meant as much to her as Tenchi. 
Her center of the universe now had two occupants; one prince, and one princess. She loved Tenchi with all 
her heart, and she was now beginning to love Ayeka. She had gotten farther with Ayeka than she had with 
Tenchi, who had never even hugged her before. Ayeka knew her problems all along, and was helping to 
solve them - She was her best friend, her guardian angel, her partner, her equal.

Ayeka looked at Ryoko, a dazed look in the space pirate's eyes. She loved her, she now knew. She was 
more than just her friend, and Ryoko knew it too. She hated herself for all the things they had done to each 
other in the past, and blessed Ryoko for all the things they did to help each other. She had not kissed a child 
of a scientist, some lost little girl who became a space pirate, but a goddess. She loved her as much as she 
loved Tenchi, who had acted the same way around her as he did to Ryoko, yet not to the other girls. 

Love swept her, and it flew out of her like the dove on Noah's ship.

"I love you, Ryoko." Ayeka said, minutes later, breaking the silence. Her blush deepened considerably.

"I love you too, Ayeka." Ryoko replied, her blush becoming as deep as that of the princess. "I'm sorry for 
all I did in the past few years to you, I-"

"I should be apologizing, Ryoko, not you. I've done some horrible things to you." She interrupted.

"You haven't."

"You haven't either."

They smiled, and laughed a little bit, when they realized they were in another petty argument, this time not 
insulting each other, but complimenting each other.

Now knowing that there was no problem showing affection, they kissed again, a little bit easier, and a little 
bit deeper. They put their arms each other, and held the kiss for a few minutes, the moonlight illuminating 
them.

Tears fell from their eyes, not of anger, resentment, or sadness, but of overwhelming happiness and peace. 
No longer were they rivals, but equals, friends.

The kiss broke a few minutes later, and they rested their heads on each other's shoulder, looking into their 
eyes, the tears making them a little bit damp.

"I've cared about you for a long awhile, Ayeka. Even though we fought, you always went out of your way 
to make sure I was allright. You never meant what you said when we fought, I can tell. Neither did I. I 
never had someone that I could be friends with before - I was Kagato's puppet. Ryo-Ohki was a friend, but 
she was more like a tiny little sister than an equal. I couldn't deal with the fact that someone was like me, 
who had been through the same kind of thing, who I could relate to."

"I feel the same way, Ryoko. I lived all my life locked up in a palace, with people who always lied about 
how they felt about me, and just tried to please me because I was the Crown Princess of Jurai. The same 
with the suitors, like Seriyo. He didn't care about me, only about my name and my lineage. I never really 
had a friend back then. Sasami was my little sister, but I could never talk to her about my problems. When I 
met you, I did not know how to act around a possible friend. I acted like a fool, and we fought a pointless 
war over nothing. I couldn't face the fact that there was someone like me who liked me for who I was."

They paused for a moment, kissing once more.

"...Ayeka?"

"Yes?"

"...Could you sleep here with me tonight? Not sex or anything, but just to be near me? I really would like it 
if you did."

Ayeka blushed at the mention of intercourse, and so did Ryoko. She had no problem staying overnight with 
Ryoko, however.

"It would be an honor to, Lady Ryoko."

It was the first time that she had called her that.

"Just Ryoko. I'm your equal."

They were startled when Sasami knocked at the door.

"Ayeka? Are you in there?" She called, following by meows from the two cabbits.

"Y-Y-Yes, Sasami. I'm going to stay with Ryoko tonight. She and I need to talk privately. Tell the others 
that we can't be disturbed tonight. It's just a personal chat, nothing else."

"Oki. Goodnight, Ayeka."

"Goodnight, Sasami."

There was the sound of footsteps as Sasami and the cabbits went into their room, gently closing their door 
behind them. The hall light turned off, and there was silence as everyone else went to bed.

"...What should we do now, Ayeka?" Ryoko wondered, looking at the Princess.

"...We should get ready for bed. Then we can talk more. Could I borrow some underwear?"

They both blushed again. Ryoko handed her a long nightie, which Ayeka put on in the bathroom, still 
conservative about her nudity. She returned to see Ryoko already in bed, wearing a tanktop and shorts. 

She smiled when she saw her.

"Sexy lady, walkin' on by..." She joked, feeling a lot better now.

Ayeka giggled.

"We should keep it quiet." She said, getting into bed right next to her.

Ryoko turned off the light, and they sat in bed for awhile.

"I did mean what I said, Ayeka. I-I-I truly love you."

Ayeka rested her head on her shoulder, smiling as Ryoko ran her fingers through her hair.

"I know, Ryoko. I love you too."

It felt a little odd to be saying that, having admitted their love only moments before. For the both of them, it 
seemed like a great burden had been lifted from them, the two of them feeling much more relaxed and 
happier.

"What should we do about Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, after a few minutes, the obvious issue taking 
precedence again.

"We both love him as much as we love each other, right?"

"Yes. That is very true, Ryoko." Ayeka smiled, snuggling into her, still very subtly, as she was still 
somewhat nervous.

"We could both tell him that we both love him. If he says he can't love the both of us, as we 'couldn't love 
each other', we would show him that we love each other. Based on what we both know now, I am pretty 
sure that he is attracted to the both of us." Ryoko said, after some very careful thinking, in which she 
developed this idea.

"Royal Juraian marital law does encourage a polygamous marriage for the royal family. Considering those 
factors, the two of us will be the future queens of Jurai..." She whispered.

"How do the two wives of the king put up with it?"

"They love each other as much as they love the king. They are in the situation we are in, Ryoko. I've seen 
my mother and Funaho kiss and be romantic together on occasion. It's perfectly accepted on Jurai, just not 
spoken of much."

"It'll be interesting in bed then..." Ryoko replied, winking, the princess blushing quite deeply.

She kissed her, gently, giggling a little bit.

"You know how I can split myself into two forms for a period of time?"

Ayeka nods.

"It'll come in handy then."

Ayeka's nose bled a little, and Ryoko laughed a bit, silenced by a gentle kiss.

"He's very cute - I'm sure once he matures a bit, he will make a good husband. Right now, he's only mature 
enough to be a boyfriend."

"We aren't that mature, either." Ayeka joked.

"So?" Ryoko replied, kissing her again. She pulled out a photo album from under the bed.

"What's in there?"

"Pictures I snapped of Tenchi, half-naked or naked, oblivious to the hidden camera. Let's take a peek, shall 
we? ^_^"

"allright. I happen to have my own album of similar photos. I'll show them to you tomorrow."

They talked for a few more hours, looking at the pictures, giggling quite often.

No one else heard them talk, and they fell asleep in each other's arms. They looked like two angels in 
heaven, on a bed of feathers, under the starry sky of Orion, with Ari, Mitsukii, and Taro smiling upon 
them...

----

The sun rose lazily the next morning, taking its' time, the vibrant oranges, golds, reds, and pinks replacing 
the eternal blue of the night. In Utopia City, the pylons began to shine, beams of light shooting out from 
parts, reacting with some of the trees in the parks, who sent beams of light back, just like Juraian trees. All 
the beams of light converged on one central building, who sent a enormously powerful beam straight into 
the very early morning sky, its' contents going to some unknown land...

Oddly, Ryoko woke up early. She stretched, and smiled as she saw Ayeka, still asleep, beside her. It would 
probably take some getting used to, but she had no problem with it.

Ayeka was smiling in her sleep, her arms still outstretched in an embrace, like she was when they fell 
asleep together. She looked quite cute to Ryoko, who smiled lovingly at her.

She kissed her gently, the princess slowly awakening. Her eyes fluttered a bit, then opening, smiling as she 
saw Ryoko.

"Good morning." She said, yawning.

"Mornin' to you too, sleeping beauty."

Ayeka sat up, and hugged her.

"We should get dressed and eat some breakfast soon." She continued. A thought then entered her mind. 
"What should we tell the others, about...us?"

"Let's keep it quiet for now. They'll find out soon, but for now, until we have Tenchi..." Ayeka replied, 
getting out of bed and stretching. She walked toward the door. "I'll be back, I just need to get some clothes 
from my room."

Ryoko smiled, and phased into some clothing, and waited for Ayeka to come back.

Sasami had just woken up when Ayeka went back into her room.

"What were you and Ryoko talking about, Ayeka?" Sasami asked.

"She was depressed, and I made her feel better, and we worked some things out."

"What kinda things?"

"Tenchi, each other."

"Oh?"

"Sasami, I...I just woke up. I'll talk about it with you a little later, okay?"

"Allright." She said, frowning a little, and petting the two cabbits on her shoulders.

They all walked down for breakfast, Ayeka sitting right next to Ryoko. Washuu turned her head at an 
angle, like a cat would, as she watched inquisitively.

"What's going on, dear?" Loknar asked.

"I don't know. Probably nothing." She responded.

"Where's Joseph and Tenchi?" Mihoshi asked, Kiyone following her down the stairs.

"They slept late." Noboyuki replied.

"That reminds me, we need to get them up later so they can see my father." Loknar added.

"Your father?" Said Kiyone.

"Yup. He lives a few miles nearby. We'll walk - Those two need some exercise, anyhow."

"Can we come?" Sasami asked, smiling.

"Maybe sometime soon. He wants to see Joseph and Tenchi specifically this time."

"Why?"

"He says he has a prophecy for them."

"What kinda prophecy?"

"From what he told me, it is about who they will love."

Ryoko and Ayeka looked intently, listening.

"Will he say who they will fall in love with?"

"Not from what he said over the holophone. He might later, though."

They continued talking, while Ryoko, Ayeka, and Mihoshi shoveled down food as if they breathed it.

Something felt odd to the others, however; Ryoko and Ayeka weren't fighting, which was usual at almost 
every breakfast. Instead, they exchanged casual conversation, something that the others hadn't even 
conceived that was possible between them.

They noticed the concerned looks from the others.

"Ryoko...Ayeka...Are you feeling allright?" Kasuhito asked.

"Yes. Why do you ask, Lord Yosho?" Ayeka said, a bit nervously.

"You two aren't fighting."

"Oh."

Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other, knowing that they had to feign a fight in order to make sure the 
others did guess what had happened.

Ryoko winked at her, indicating that Ayeka should follow her lead.

"When is Tenchi getting up? I wanna kiss him good morning!"

"I won't, you dirty space pirate!" Ayeka replied, trying to fake her old attitude as much as possible.

"He loves me, dammit!"

"No, he loves me!"

As they continued to 'fight', the others sighed.

"She's fine." Washuu mumbled.

"When will they stop?" Sasami thought to herself.

--

About an hour after breakfast had started, Joseph and Tenchi came downstairs.

"You guys slept late." Kiyone said, drinking her coffee.

"Did we miss breakfast?" Tenchi asked.

"Yup." She replied.

The two brothers sighed.

"Point us to the leftovers." He continued.

There was only a little bit left, as the restaurant had only taken a small amount of food out of pseduospace 
for that meal; Ayeka, Ryoko, and Mihoshi were a little hungry that morning. Joseph and Tenchi quickly ate 
their meals, then going over to Loknar and Washuu.

"Where is he, anyhow?" Joseph queried his father.

"Your grandpa is in a building a few miles down the road. We'll take the scenic trip; you two will like what 
you see outside." Loknar replied, his arm around Washuu.

"Aw man, I really do not do well on hikes." Tenchi told them.

"You'll do fine, kiddo." Washuu replied, grinning.

She then turned to the others.

"We'll be back in a little while!"

"Okay! I'll hold the fort!" Kiyone replied, waving.

They walked outside, the sun shining down on them. 

"What about me? I can hold the fort!" Noboyuki asked.

"I forgot." Kiyone replied.

Everyone soon finished breakfast, Ryoko and Ayeka staying behind to finish their meals.

"Whatdya wanna do now?" Ryoko asked after everyone left.

"Well, we could go the Orion equivalent of the Royal Tree Room, but it's too early to do that. Maybe we 
could take a walk, and then find a battle simulator of some sort? I feel a little hesitant about my fighting 
skills. Perhaps you could show me more with unarmed combat?"

Ryoko grinned.

"Sure."

She looked around to make sure no one else was nearby, and took Ayeka's hand, the two blushing deeply.

They went out, a few dove-like birds flying by them.

Ayeka looked ahead, and saw a small, beautiful garden nearby. Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki were playing 
around in it.

"Should we see how they're doing?" Ryoko asked.

"I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with that."

The two cabbits meowed happily when they saw them, especially when they saw them holding hands.

They sat down on a small hill in the garden, the cabbits purring loudly and hugging them in their child-
forms.

"God, they're cute." Ryoko mumbled.

"I know someone else who is cuter." Ayeka replied, kissing her, gently.

Ryoko smiled, and hugged Ayeka, tightly.

"No, you are cuter."

"You are."

They were in another little fight again. The cabbits watched, smiling to themselves.

"You're cuter and that is final, Ayeka." Ryoko spoke, kissing her deeply.

"You are cuter, Ryoko. I do not know how you fail to realize how cute and lovely you are!" Ayeka 
responded, kissing her back.

The cabbits smiled to themselves, then hugging each other. They sat down under a tree, and took a nap, 
right next to each other, purring softly.

"That gives me an idea." Ayeka said, taking Ryoko's hand.

She sat down on the flowerbed next to the cabbits, Ryoko sitting down by her.

"We are both still exhausted, right, Ryoko?"

The space pirate nodded.

"We also need some fresh air - Why not do that here, together?"

Ryoko lay down by Ayeka, looking into her eyes and smiling.

They fell asleep easily, resting against each other under the tree. They slept for about an hour, Ayeka 
waking up to Ryoko smiling at her.

"I got an ideer."

"What kind of idea, Ryoko?"

"Could I do something with your hair for a sec?"

"Allright."

Ryoko takes out some of the barrettes in Ayeka's hair, and smiles.

"Shake your head for me, willya?"

Ayeka complies.

"How do I look?"

"Like an angel. My angel." She replies, hugging her tightly.

"I don't know about the hair, though. Are you sure I look allright? My mother wants me to keep my hair in 
that fashion, as it is a royal hairstyle, and..."

"You don't have to be royal all the time, Ayeka. You're a princess, but you don't have to follow every nit-
picking little thing they want you to do. Be free, okay?"

Ayeka kisses Ryoko again.

"I will."

"Say, wanna go practice our combat skills? I remember Loknar telling me that there's one in Narif."

"Okay. Should it just be you and me, or should there be computer opponents?" Ayeka asked.

"I will never fight you again, so yes, we will have bots as opponents."

Ayeka stood up, helping Ryoko up, and still held her hand as they walked back towards Narif, the cabbits 
tagging along. They went back inside, then glancing at Narif's room directory and heading straight to the 
recreation room/basement. Like all other floors in the hotel, it took only seconds to get there. The room was 
very large, about the size of a high school gymnasium. There were tables, chairs, books, televisions, 
sporting equipment, computers, anything imaginable to turn a bored person into an occupied one. They 
walked over to the main computer, Ryoko entering a few commands into it.

"I learned this from Washuu." She said, the couches and accessories disappearing, replaced by a Japanese 
countryside, as the training program activated, the holograms appearing simultaneously. She changed into 
her battle costume. "Ready?"

"Yes." Ayeka said, already in hers.

A screen above them flashed a countdown for when the automated opponents would appear.

It quickly counted down, and the opponents seemingly came out of nowhere. They had the appearance of 
Antarans from the war on Ancient Orion, in which Loknar had served in when he was 18. They wore black, 
leathery clothing, black boots, and Antaran insignias on their sides.

The Princess and the Space Pirate attacked them, the Antarans fighting back ruthlessly. Some of them held 
Katanas, while others shot arrows or blasted them with dark Psionic energy. Ryoko and Ayeka were a little 
weak with their attacks, as they had last fought with Koros months before, but they regained their usual 
strength, and annihilated the Antarans, probably seriously injuring them if they had attacked in real life.

After a half hour of battle, two Antarans still stood. Ryoko was busy finishing off one, while Ayeka worked 
on hers. Ayeka smiled at Ryoko as she beat her last one into the next millennium, not noticing the one 
creeping up to her.

"Ayeka! Behind you!" Ryoko called, just in time, Ayeka dodging a slash from the Katana.

Ayeka dispatches him with a flying punch, the sign above them flashing "You win!"

"We did it!" Ryoko called, running up to Ayeka. "You were wonderful, Ayeka!"

"You were too, Ryoko." She said, then kissing her.

"What the..." Someone says in the background. Ryoko and Ayeka freeze, and break the kiss, looking 
around. It was painfully clear that someone had seen them in their embrace. The both of them were still 
quite unsure as to how the others would handle it, and the possibilities flew through their heads.

Washuu and Loknar stood by, not exactly believing what they had seen.

There was a period of awkward silence, everyone afraid to say something.

"H-Hi mom, Tassi." Ryoko said after awhile as she tried to break the uneasy silence.

"I knew something good must have happened between you two, as you faked a fight this morning, and were 
actually nice to each other, but not this nice." Washuu told her daughter, smiling.

"...Y-Y-You're not mad?"

"Lord, no. We're not mad at all, Ryoko." Loknar replied, smiling as well.

"You two are finally friends, and you stopped fighting. There is nothing wrong with how you feel for both 
each other and Tenchi." Washuu added. "Besides, Tenchi can choose now."

"What?" They asked.

"From what Tassi and I have seen, Tenchi loves the both of you. He held back on telling you two because 
he thought you'd probably kill each other if he did. Now that you two love each other, he can tell you."

"Also, the prophecy that my father mentioned to the two is this: 'The beach on which your hotel is located 
is often known as 'We Fuyaya', which means 'Lovers' Beach'. Legend says that it is blessed as one of the 
few places on Orion in which love occurs to most who come there, both those who do and don't expect to 
find it there. Millions, if not billions of relationships have been formed there, all of them never broken. To 
my knowledge, it is likely that the two of you will fall in love with one or two of the girls that you know, 
on this night.' Note that he says one or two. Tonight is your chance, girls." Loknar added.

"Are you going to tell the others?" Ayeka asked.

"Not yet. We'll let you have some privacy." Washuu said.

"By the way, Tassi and I proposed last night." She said suddenly, showing Ryoko and Ayeka the rings on 
their fingers.

"Oh, God." Ryoko mumbled, then beginning to argue about how she hates weddings.

"Well, you're gonna like 'em. You're one of the bridesmaids, you know."

"WHAT?" Ryoko said to her mother.

"It's a great honor to be one. I was a bridesmaid at a few weddings."

"I know, but I still don't like weddings."

"Would ya rather be a test subject for me and Tassi? That could work out as well."

Ryoko blinked.

"I'll go to the wedding."

"Good choice!" Washuu said, smiling.

"C'mon, Ayeka, let's go back upstairs. I need some sake." Ryoko mumbled.

"So do I."

They got back to the main lobby, to see Tenchi and Joseph about to go into the elevator.

"Tenchi, can we-"

"Not right now, Ryoko. I'm really tired, and I'm going to take a nap." He interrupted.

"Damn." She muttered, as the elevator doors closed. They went to Narif's bar, sitting down by the same 
bartender from the night before.

"Two bottles of sake." Ryoko told him.

"You feelin' better tonight, lil' lady?"

"Less lip and more drink."

The bartender grumbled to himself after that last comment, and handed them some sake.

"What kinda TV shows do you get?"

"Everything." He said, handing Ryoko and Ayeka the remote. They flipped through a few channels, before 
reaching a soap opera marathon. They watched it for an hour or two, soon joined by Mihoshi, Kiyone, and 
Sasami, while Loknar and Washuu read and snuggled in their room. Sasami ordered the meal a little bit 
after 5:00, which was ready about half an hour later.

When the meal arrived, it was a little hard for Sasami to pull the four of them from the television. She 
finally did it by stealing the remote, and shutting it off, much to the anger of the others, which dissipated 
when they finally heard that it was dinner she was talking about; They were too busy watching the show to 
hear her. Loknar and Washuu came downstairs as well, and sat down with everyone.

"Where the heck are Tenchi and Joseph? Still sleepin'?" Ryoko asked, drinking another bottle of sake, 
dinner almost halfway done.

"I believe so." Ayeka replied, sitting at the other side of the table. She winked to indicate that they should 
do another fake fight, picking up some food, indicating what kind.

Ryoko smiled mischievously, winking back. She picked up a few sticks of pocky, and held them in her 
hand. She pretended to sneeze, and threw it at Ayeka, who landed on her plate.

"Miss Ryoko...hehe...The insolence of your....hehe....Behavior is...." Ayeka said, trying to stop herself from 
giggling at the falseness of the 'fight'. "It's not very kind...and...hehe...You deserve to be...hehe...punished."

Both Ayeka and Ryoko suddenly laughed out loud, nearly falling off of their chairs. The others were very, 
very confused as to what was going on. Loknar and Washuu sighed and continued eating, while Sasami and 
the cabbits blinked. Mihoshi wasn't paying much attention, and Kiyone was attempting to ignore it. 
Everyone else tried to play along and laugh, but they weren't doing a sincere job of it.

Ryoko threw some Miso soup at Ayeka, who, still laughing, hurled some rice balls back. It went on like 
this for awhile, the two of them cackling and throwing food at one another, everyone else and the rest of the 
room getting covered by the splatter, culminating with the two of them rolling on the floor, laughing like 
madmen.

Ryo-Ohki meowed at Sasami, asking a question.

"Yes, Ryo-Ohki, I think Ayeka and Ryoko have lost their sanity." She said, sighing, trying to help some of 
the mantience robots clean up, while she herself was covered with pocky crumbs, baked potato peels, Miso 
soup, and some Orion delicacies.

"We're sorry. We'll help clean up." Ayeka told the others, still giggling.

Loknar blinked.

"...No thanks. You two should wash off in the onsen while we clean up." He said, pointing in the direction 
of it.

They continued laughing, and walked off.

"That was the fakest fight I've ever seen." Washuu mumbled, her head on her plate.

"That was the greatest 'fight' we've ever had! You're a comedic genius, Ayeka!" Ryoko exclaimed, putting 
her arm around Ayeka as soon as they got out of sight.

"It was just a general idea. Not that original. Still quite funny, however."

They walked towards the first floor onsen. They soon came in view of it; It was massive, about the size of 
an Olympic swimming pool, with several levels of baths, each of them meticulously decorated with 
beautiful trees, waterfalls, polished rocks, grasses, tiny islands, and with the occasional oak cabinet, which 
probably held a king's ransom of sake. The roof was dome-shaped, just like the one back home, and from it 
could be seen the sunset of a perfect summer day on Orion.

They walked in, gazing at the beauty of the onsen as they sat down, and undressed, Ryoko grabbing a few 
bottles of sake. They only noticed their nakedness when they got into the water. As soon as they did, they 
both blushed a deep red, and smiling faintly.

There was an uneasy silence as they washed, the both of them sneaking looks at each other's nakedness, 
blushing deeper as they did.

They soon finished, and sat in the water drinking sake for a bit.

"God, you're beautiful." Ryoko said after awhile, her blush quite deep.

"You are too, Ryoko." Ayeka replied, blushing the same color.

"You know, I really wanna kiss you right now, but we're naked, we're gonna save that for later, if you know 
what I mean." She continued, a small amount of blood coming from both their noses.

"Oh dear...We've got Tenchi syndrome." Ayeka said, the both of them laughing very hard at that comment.

"C'mon, let's go back to your room. We can kiss there. Besides, Tenchi might be up soon, and we can talk 
to him about our plan, oki? ^_^" She said, taking Ayeka's hand, and helping her out of the onsen. They got 
dressed very quickly, the both of them wishing to accomplish both those things. Right as they had left, the 
others, with dried food caked onto them, walked inside, grumbling.

Ayeka and Ryoko smiled, and as soon as the doors of the onsen closed, they held hands again, heading 
upstairs towards Ayeka's room. They went up to their floor with the elevator, kissing during the brief 
second that it took to fly up, then running into her room. As soon as they got in, they jumped onto the bed 
and began to kiss, smiling and giggling the entire time. For the next hour, they simply cuddled, unaware of 
who was about to learn of their secret.

----

Tenchi awoke first, very lazily. He got up and stretched, yawning very loudly, sounding like he hadn't in 
years. He fully opened his eyes, and looked around. It was dark outside, just after sunset. The sky was a 
rich mix of deep blues and faint pinks and oranges. It looked more like a picturesque painting than real life 
to Tenchi, who was still not fully awake. He got dressed, putting some jeans and a shirt on, then fumbling 
with his shoes. It was then that he decided to check the clock. It was now about Seven forty-five. He had 
slept past dinner.

"Crap." He muttered, a little bit more awake now, but not awake enough to see the shirt he had left on the 
floor the previous night. He slipped on it, banging his head against the door.

He growled, and kicked it, only to have his foot hurt.

"There isn't any justice anymore." He mumbled. He went down the hall, to see if anyone was up there. He 
knocked on each door, only to get empty silence.

"Over here, Ayeka." Ryoko said to Ayeka, pointing to where she wanted to be kissed, right on her chin. 
They had not heard the footsteps.

Tenchi, wondering what was going on, gently turned their door, and walked in, unannounced. The scene 
greeting him caused about a cup of blood to fly out of his nose at nearly the speed of sound, and an 
abnormally large sweatdrop to appear on the back of his head. Ryoko and Ayeka were on the bed, nearly 
half-naked. They were kissing madly, their arms around each other in an intimate embrace. There were 
smiles on their faces, and they seemed quite happy about what they were doing. It seemed like if he had 
come in a few minutes later, the two would soon be close to making love.

The girls stopped what they were doing, blushing redder than ever. They sat there in silence, looking at 
him.

"...Good evening, Lord Tenchi." Ayeka said after a few minutes.

Tenchi gulped, whimpered, and clapped his hands once or twice (the old shrine habit) before fainting.

He awoke to find himself on the bed, while Ryoko and Ayeka, now fully dressed and holding hands stood 
above him.

He hadn't been able to think very much when he saw them kissing, and only now were ideas of what had 
happened came into his mind, even though they were many, and flying into him at a rate of fifty per 
second.

"Oh geez. Oh, boy! Oh God!" He thought, sitting up, and accidentally saying it out loud. "I just saw Ryoko 
and Ayeka kissing. That was certainly unexpected. What does it mean? I must have been dreaming. I could 
have, couldn't I? Then how did I end up here, and....I can't be dreaming. They're holding hands right now. 
What am I going to do?!?!?!? I dreamed about this before, but I never thought of what I'd do when it 
happened!"

Ryoko and Ayeka sweatdropped, blushing deeply at the part about his dreams.

"...Hi, Tenchi." Ryoko said quietly.

"Can someone tell me what is going on?" Tenchi whimped, about ready to faint again.

Ryoko and Ayeka looked at him, concerned. They had been worried about his reaction to the news that 
they were in love, and knew that he would overreact like this, but like him, they were unsure of what to do 
in this situation. They did not know if he would choose one of them, both of them, or none of them. They 
did not know how to react to any of the choices - They could not have rehearsed this.

"There are some things that we want to tell you, Tenchi." Ayeka said, a few tears in her eyes. "The two of 
us have loved you for years. We love you more than any other devotion we share, probably even more than 
our families. You are our god, our earth, and our sky. Without you, we would be alone and forlorn. We 
need you in order to survive in life, Tenchi. We've seen that you have some attraction to the two of us, 
though you wish not to admit it, probably for fear of sparking a fight between us. However, the two of us 
also had some secrets that we had not shared with each other. Ever since we had met, we had a strong, 
unspoken friendship, which was hidden far beneath the surface, because, as you know, we frequently 
fought. We knew this in our subconscious, but never spoke of it. Though it has been tested many times, it 
has only grown stronger over the years, especially since the battle with Koros. We soon grew attracted to 
each other, and snuck looks at each other in the onsen. We finally spoke of this last night. Ryoko was very 
upset, unsure of when and who you would choose. I was in the same position, so I helped her upstairs. We 
talked for awhile, eventually admitting to each other our feelings, and kissing. We spent the night with each 
other, admitting our love, and talking. We love you more than ever, Tenchi, and we still do not know how 
you will take all of this. Please, Tenchi, tell us your decision; Who do you love? We will except the results, 
even if they are not favorable."

The two of them were a little teary by now, and had sat down by him, waiting for an answer. Tenchi sat 
there, his mouth open. He had known that they had loved him for quite some time now, but they had never 
come out and say it before. His hands shook a little, and his eyes watered.

"I wasn't able to make a decision until a few months after you both became important parts of my life." 
Tenchi said, looking at them. "Your sensitivity and beauty overwhelmed me when I first met the two of 
you, and it was months until after it fully set in. I...I began to love both of you very soon after that, Ryoko, 
Ayeka. I couldn't build up the courage to tell you two about this. I'm just a stupid, nerdy kid fresh out of 
high school, and you two are angelic goddesses, who would drive any man mad with love. Even if I could 
back then, I probably wouldn't. I thought back then that if I did, the two of you would fight, and try to kill 
each other or something, and I'd end up alone. The other problem I had that it isn't right to have to share 
someone with another of the same sex. That problem pretty much disappears when the two love each other 
as well. I've dreamed about you two for a long, long while, almost all of my good dreams about falling in 
love with the two of you. I dreamed that on some heavenly summer night, you two had stopped fighting. 
With a lot of courage, I admitted my love to you two, and you confessed your love to me. We were married 
soon after. I dreamed about holding the two of you, cuddling with you, kissing you, being with you. I 
dreamed about making love to you two, which ended up with some wet bedsheets. Today, Yakatam told me 
that I would admit my love to one or two of the girls that I know, that I love, on this night. His prophecy 
was correct."

Ryoko and Ayeka smiled, blushing when he talked about the wet bedsheets. The moment that they both had 
been waiting for years had finally occurred; the admission of love by Tenchi. They literally flew, and 
embraced him, their arms encircling him. Tears of joy fled their eyes as they held each other, very joyous 
smiles on their faces. They had finally won his love, though not as each had intended it when they first fell 
in love with him. By loving each other, Ayeka and Ryoko had won his heart.

"I love you, Tenchi." They said at once.


"I love you too, Ayeka and Ryoko." He replied.

Tenchi gently kissed each of them, the both of them fainting with joy.

"Note to self - I should have done this earlier." He mumbled, the two of them waking up momentarily.

With large smiles on their faces, Ryoko and Ayeka kissed each other, Tenchi's nose bleeding again, before 
they kissed him at once, each taking half of his lips.

Tenchi lied down on the bed, unsure of what to do now. Though he would like it, he did not want to 
nessicarilly make love to them on the first night, probably not even seeing them naked. If he did, he would 
die of blood loss because of all the blood spurting out of his nose. They lay right down next to him, Ryoko 
on the left, Ayeka on the right, both holding him. He smiled gently, and put his arms around them.

"We should go out and see the sunset..." Ayeka said quietly, after awhile, still smiling.

"Good idea, my Ayeka." Ryoko replied, getting up and kissing her, who kissed back.

"I have to get used to this." Tenchi mumbled. They walked over to the balcony, sitting down on the bench 
as it began to finally set. The pinks, organges, purples, yellows, and reds soon subsided, replaced by a calm 
dark blueness, which was soon filled with stars. The moons Ari, Taro, and Mitsukii looked upon them, as if 
smiling. They sat there, their arms around each other, Ryoko and Ayeka leaning their heads against Tenchi, 
happier than they had ever been in their lives. Ryoko began to purr silently, Ayeka giggling a little bit. 
Ryoko looked a little bit suprised about it too, as she had never done this before, but kept purring. Washuu 
had told her once that she had some catlike features, but she had never experienced this in the past.

The sun set, and they looked at the stars as they appeared, smiling.

After awhile, they got up and took a walk.

"Where are we going?" Tenchi asked.

"You'll see." Ayeka replied, the two girls leading Tenchi to the park that they had been in earlier that day. 
They sat down on a flowerbed, the former space pirate and the princess hugging him tightly. The girls fell 
half-asleep in his arms, with smiles still on their faces.

Tenchi stared at a medium-sized dragon that landed right by him. He wasn't as suprised as earlier that day, 
when he had learned that dragons are native to Orion, but he hadn't seen one up close. It was about five feet 
tall, with creamy white skin, and deep blue eyes. It looked very noble, and quite intelligent. It turned to 
him, and grunted softly, its' words coming to him telepathically.

"Greetings, Tenchi." It said.

"Who are you?" He replied.

"I'm Azuriyuu, a friend of Loknar and Washuu's. They've told me much about you, but I wanted to see you 
for myself. I also see you've finally professed your love to Ayeka and Ryoko."

"How the heck did you know that?" Tenchi asked, astounded.

"I can see that they are holding onto you, you aren't resisting, and that Washuu and Loknar told me that you 
would profess your love sometime soon. Anyway, I just wanted to meet you. I have to go to a battle - My 
damned alternate self, Asula, is fooling with a few of my friends. Goodbye!" The dragon said, flying off.

Tenchi blinked, Ayeka and Ryoko soon waking up.

Ryoko smiled.

"Tenchi, the three of us need some sleep. Sleep with us, please?"

"Not on the first night!"

"Our lovely Ryoko doesn't mean making love with you...We just want to be with you for the night, to 
cuddle you, to have you against our skin."

Very quietly, they went upstairs, tip-toeing to make sure that no one would see them yet. They would 
explain to the others about it the following morning, but for right now they needed some sleep.

They got up to the room, Tenchi going straight to bed, while Ryoko and Ayeka went into a separate room.

"Where are you guys going?" He called.

"To change." They replied.

Tenchi prayed that they wouldn't choose anything racy for the first night, even though he wouldn't mind 
seeing them half-naked.

They returned wearing normal pajamas, and got into bed with him.

"Thank you for not putting on anything revealing yet." He told them.

"We will tomorrow. Also, we won't ask you to play 'Call Me Princess' with us for awhile. Really soon, 
however." Ryoko said, grinning.

Tenchi gulped, the two of them kissing him deeply.

They rested for a bit, snuggling into each other.

"You two are so beautiful." He murmured after awhile.

"Ryoko is much more beautiful than me." Ayeka replied.

"No, Ayeka. You are far more beautiful than me!" Ryoko said in response.

The two got up, and started to argue about who was more beautiful for a minute or so, each saying the other 
was.

"You are more beautiful than any other girl in the Multiverse, and I love you as much as I love Tenchi!" 
Ryoko said, looking Ayeka in the eye.

"We're both the most beautiful girls in the Multiverse, and we love each other as much as we love Tenchi." 
Ayeka spoke, doing the same.

"Fine."

"Fine."

A second later, they literally flew at each other, kissing very, very deeply, and landing on the bed, right 
near Tenchi, whose nose bled once more.

"All those breakfast fights should get more interesting." Tenchi mumbled, kissing them too.

--