Legal Info- I do not own any of the characters represented in my story. They are the sole property of AIC/Pioneer. The only characters in the story that belong to me are the ones I made up, other than that I don't own the rest of the characters. A/N- This is a Tenchi Universe based fic. This story occurs right after Tenchi Forever. To Rule Or To Love Chapter Five Ryoko didn't say anything that evening. She was very quiet, reserved, and mostly kept to herself. She didn't even pay any attention to Tenchi. She was too busy thinking about her reoccurring nightmare. She wanted to know whether it meant something or not. Still pondering over it, she didn't hear Tenchi call her name. "Ryoko!" he exclaimed. Ryoko looked at him startled. He was glad to have finally gotten her out of her trance. "What is it Tenchi?" she asked, wearily. "I just wanted to know if you were hungry. You haven't touched any of your food," he replied, while gesturing towards her still full plate of food. "Oh, I didn't notice. Would you all excuse me? I'm not feeling too well," she said weakly as she left the dining room. The three men who were left sitting there held concerned looks on their faces. Ryoko had phased to the roof of the palace. 'Why am I acting so tense tonight? Maybe I should just tell Tenchi what is bothering me instead of hiding it from him. Maybe it'll make me feel better.' she thought. Ryoko phased back into the palace and walked back to the dining room where the three men she had left there were still eating. She walked up to Tenchi and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she said to him. He looked up at her and smiled warmly. "We need to talk, Tenchi." Tenchi nodded and excused himself from the table. Ryoko led him back up to her room. "Tenchi, remember how you told me that I could come to you and talk to you if something was bothering me?" she asked. Tenchi nodded. "Yeah. Why? Is something bothering you now?" Ryoko nodded sadly. "I've been having nightmares, but they aren't like normal nightmares. They've been reoccurring for the past three days." "Well that's strange, but not uncommon. Do you think these nightmares mean something?" he asked. Ryoko nodded once more. "I believe that they are a premonition." "A premonition of what?" he asked, curiously. "A premonition of.our wedding," she finished off hesitantly. Tenchi looked puzzled. "Why would you be having nightmares about our wedding day? I thought that that day would've been the happiest day of you life." "I know and it should be, but these nightmares feel, so real that I can't help but wonder if they do mean anything," she said, worriedly. Tenchi put his arms around her and held her close. "What did these nightmares include, besides our wedding that is?" "Well, we were all killed on our wedding day. The man who killed us was the actual man who killed my parents and he killed us because I chose you over the throne," she said, sniffling. "I thought that we didn't have to worry about that. Ryoko what are you trying to say?" he asked, confused. "Well, my parents thought that they didn't have anything to worry about either and looked how they ended up. They were under the same arrangement we are now," she said, plainly. "So you're saying that this killer is probably spying on us?" he asked, unsure. "Uh huh," she replied. "Well then, Ryoko, I want you to do something for me," he said. "What is it, Tenchi?" she asked. Tenchi had a look of pain on his face. "If this nightmare of yours comes to pass, I want you to choose the throne over me." Ryoko now looked at him in horror. "Tenchi! How can you say that?! How can you want that?!" Tenchi pulled away from her. "It's not like I actually want it, Ryoko. I just want you and all of us to be alive after this wedding. Don't you understand that your decision to stay with me will kill us all if this happens?" Ryoko shot him an icy glare. "I know exactly what the consequences will be if I do that. I don't care though. I love you too much to live without you!" "Ryoko don't you get it? I don't want to see you die! That's the last thing I want to see! I would rather be kicked out of your life than see you dead at my feet. Even so, I will always love you even after that," he cried out. Ryoko just glared at him. "Are you sure that's what you want?" "I don't really want it, but I don't have much of a choice, if I'm to keep you alive, now do I?" he asked. Ryoko didn't answer, but instead, gave him a hard stare. 'How dare he do this? He loves me and yet, he's willing to lose me in order for me to stay alive? Ugh! How annoying!' Tenchi was deep in thought. He wanted to stay with Ryoko as much as she wanted to stay with him, but if those nightmares were premonitions, that would be near to impossible. He then figured that if they caught the assassin before the wedding, then they would be able to live together freely. "Ryoko?" he said. "What?" she asked, annoyed. "I think I have a way of getting rid of the assassin before the wedding," he said to her. Ryoko looked at him curiously. 'This I gotta hear,' she thought. "Really? And what way is that exactly?" "I believe that the day after your coronation that he will probably be spying on us more than he is now. Well, we might try to spy on him as well and figure out who is," Tenchi said, proudly. "Yes, that would be a good idea, in theory, but we don't even have a lead," Ryoko said, seriously. "Well, actually, I believe that we do," said Tenchi. "Really? Who?" asked Ryoko. "Prime Minister Milos," said Tenchi. Ryoko rolled her eyes. "Tenchi, please be serious. Milos would never do anything to harm me." "Ah, but that's where you are wrong, my dear. Remember that your parents confided in him and lost their lives by doing so, even if it was a long time after their wedding," he said. Ryoko looked at him thoughtfully. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him just to see what he does." "Exactly. The day after your coronation we will spy on him just to make sure that he doesn't do anything within the next two weeks after the event, but we need to be subtle about it or he will figure us out," Tenchi remarked. "I don't think we'll have to worry too much about that little detail. Since you've got the greatest former space pirate with ya, I honestly doubt that we'll get caught," she said grinning. Tenchi gave her a warm smile. It was good to see Ryoko a little more happy again. She had been really forlorn in the past few days and to see her smiling was a very big pick me up. Tenchi then stole a longing glance at her bed. Ryoko caught it and grinned some more. "You little hentai!" she giggled. "Am not!" he shot back in defense as his face turned beet red. Ryoko just giggled more at his reaction. "You are so! I wasn't even thinking about that!" she proclaimed. Tenchi looked disappointed. "You weren't?" Ryoko laughed at his expression. "No!" "Don't you want to?" he asked, desperately. Ryoko gave him a wry look. "You're turning into your father, ya know?" "Ryoko, please don't say that! I'm not that bad!" he stated in his own defense. "Uh huh, sure, Tenchi. Whatever," said Ryoko, resisting the urge to laugh. "Please?!" he begged. "I can't, Tenchi! I would love to, but my guards caught us last time. They could hear me all the way from family room!" she exclaimed. Tenchi walked up to her and gave her a libidinous look. "They wouldn't if I kept you quiet." Ryoko blushed at what he was insinuating. Before she could say a word, Tenchi grabbed her and kissed her forcefully. Once he broke away from her, she was in a daze as he looked at her longingly and lovingly. "Ryoko, this may be the last time we'll be able to do this in a long time, so please, let's just get it out of our systems," he pleaded. Ryoko looked at his expression. She couldn't resist the look he was giving her. "Do you promise to keep me quiet?" Tenchi nodded his head rapidly. Ryoko grinned and jumped at him, knocking him to the floor. She kissed him passionately and when she broke away she gave him and questioning look. "Tenchi, do we really need to do this on the bed? I feel very comfortable where I am right now." Tenchi's face flushed. "I don't care where we are, as long as I can be with you." Ryoko smiled sweetly at him and brought her head towards his for another kiss. Their clothes were soon lying everywhere and Tenchi did his best to keep Ryoko quiet and succeeded at it too. An hour later, they were both on the floor, naked and breathing heavily. Ryoko had a smile of satisfaction painted on her face and so did Tenchi. Tenchi was on top of Ryoko at this point and he lifted himself off of her slightly. He looked down at her naked form and nearly suggested that they do that again, but he fought off his urges. He brought his head down to his lover and gave her a long and lingering kiss. Ryoko flashed him a gentle smile as he got off of her entirely and got dressed. Ryoko got dressed as well as she mouthed the words 'I love you' to him. He smiled at her and mouthed them back. Once they had finished getting dressed, Tenchi gave Ryoko a swift kiss before he left her room. Once she had herself in order again, so not arouse suspicion, she walked downstairs to the family room and found Marcos and Adrian there talking amongst themselves. She smiled and sat down on the nearest chair. They sensed her presence and turned around to acknowledge her. They both smiled and greeted her. "It looks like you're feeling better," Marcos observed. "Yes, I am," she replied. "Tell us, what was troubling you in the first place?" he asked. Ryoko gave them a small smile. "Oh nothing big, just a reoccurring nightmare." "I see," replied Marcos. "Tenchi was just giving me tips of how to get rid of them because he's had them also in the past," she said. She wasn't exactly lying, but she wasn't being completely truthful with her guards either. Trying to get off of the subject of Tenchi, she went ahead and talked about political matters with her guards. "Is there any news that I should be aware of?" Adrian furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, it has been rumored that planet Angolia is planning to attack Velsa sometime before your coronation." Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "Our armada should be at its highest peak at this point. Velsa is the second most powerful planet in the Universe and Angolia is at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak. Why should we worry about them?" "Because they have developed some new war tactics that even Velsa hasn't seen. I think we should prepare the men just in case they decide to attack," noted Marcos. "Very well, prepare the men for training. Tenchi and I will train them personally," she replied. "Are you sure about that, Princess? I mean, what if they uncover that he has Juraian blood in him?" asked Adrian. "Damn, you're right. Well, then maybe I should just train them on my own, huh?" Ryoko said uneasily. "If you want, we could help you," Marcos said helpfully. Ryoko shot him a grateful look. "That would be great, but we shouldn't start tonight because I'm planning on going to bed right now. Goodnight and I'll see you two in the morning." Marcos and Adrian watched Ryoko walk out of the room yawning. They then both went back to discussing the possible upcoming war amongst themselves. Once Ryoko reached her room, she threw on any old nightgown and went to bed. She kept the small lamp next to her bed on because she was afraid to have the nightmares again. She also didn't want anyone attacking her in the middle of the night. She then fell asleep thinking that nothing would harm her that night. She was wrong. Two hours after she had fallen asleep, since she is a light sleeper, she awoke to a strange noise rustling at her window. She got out of bed and walked over to her window to notice that it was open. 'I closed that window right before I went to bed,' she thought, fearfully. Ryoko looked around her room, scared, but saw no one in there. She walked over to her bedroom door and tried to open it to notice that it was locked. She was about to scream when a black, gloved hand muffled her cries. The figure revealed itself to her. It was her attacker from the other night. "Well, well, we meet again Princess," said the cloaked figure. Ryoko just looked at the figure in fear. He still had his hand firmly clamped over her mouth. "This time, I will finish the job. I will kill you," he said, coldly as he removed his hand from her mouth. "Who the hell are you?" she snarled. "What? Don't you recognize me? I would have thought that after eight years of trying to hunt me down you would have known," he said, evilly. Ryoko's eyes widened with realization. "You're the leader of the bastards who killed my parents!!! I will kill you before you kill me!" The cloaked man laughed. "Do you think that it'll be that easy to kill me?" "Easier than you claim to think," she replied, coldly. The man just laughed again. "Alright then, Princess. Let's just see who survives this fight!" Ryoko flashed her pirate grin at him. "I'm game for any challenge that you can throw at me!" "Now that sounds more like the Space Pirate Ryoko! Come and fight me, Pirate!" he yelled. Ryoko quickly formed her energy sword and charged at the figure. He was dressed exactly like the man in her nightmares. She let out a loud battle cry as she slashed at him. He bolted quickly before the sword could cut through him. He phased in behind Ryoko and slashed at her side and unfortunately for her, it was the side in which Kagato wounded her badly and which nearly died from. To be hit in that spot again made her scream in utter pain. She couldn't think straight and her eyesight was glazed over from the shock of pain that blow caused her. She dropped to her knees with blood leaking profusely from the left side of her waist. The cloaked man, whom she couldn't identify because his face was conveniently masked around the eyes, thought that he had her finished off and left her in her agony. The blood continued to leak out of her until she passed out on the floor almost like she was dead. Her last thought of the night was on Tenchi and then she closed her eyes, not knowing if she would ever open them again. The cloaked man walked up to Ryoko's unmoving form. "It looks like I win. I hope that you never wake up, little girl!" And with that, he vanished. Tenchi has woken up in the middle of the night, only because he couldn't sleep in general. He walked out of the guestroom he was staying in with the intention of going to the bathroom. As he walked past Ryoko's room, he felt his feet step in a gooey substance. He looked down and saw what it was. Blood. Blood was leaking directly under Ryoko's door. Tenchi quickly opened the door only to find his beloved on the ground, with blood spilling from the left side of her waist. He walked up to her, picked her up and cradled her in his arms. Tenchi felt his eyes well up with tears, not knowing what to do to help her. He rushed downstairs with her bloody body. Maybe her guards would know what to do. Back at the Masaki residence, Washu felt the link between her and Ryoko snap. She was drastically worried about what could have happened, so she decided to give the palace a house call. Back on Velsa, Tenchi had just shown Ryoko's body to her guardians, Marcos and Adrian. "I was just walking to the bathroom and all of a sudden, I felt blood under my feet and it was coming directly from Ryoko's room," said Tenchi. "Did you see anybody leave the room?" asked Adrian. "No, when I walked in there, she was knocked out cold," said Tenchi, trying to hold back his tears from spilling again. At that moment, all three of them heard a beeping sound go off. Tenchi looked at Marcos and Adrian curiously. "Oh, don't worry. It's nothing. Someone's hailing us, that's all," said Marcos. "Who could it be?" asked Tenchi. "It could very well be someone from your residence," said Adrian. "Would you like to check it?" Tenchi nodded. "Yes, if it is someone from my house, then something must be wrong." "Come this way, then," said Marcos as he led Tenchi to the communications room. Once they got there, Marcos began showing him around. "Alright, you see that very large machine with the microphone, speakers, and screen?" asked Marcos as he pointed out the device to Tenchi. Tenchi nodded. "Yeah." "That is the device is where the hailing sounds were coming from," said Marcos. "So, how does it work?" asked Tenchi. "I mean, I remember using that device to communicate with the people back home, but Ryoko was the one who operated it and I don't remember how she did it." "Okay, all you do is this..." said Marcos as he went into his explanation. After a good long explanation, Tenchi was ready to know how to use it. "Now, if you have any troubles, press the red button next to the machine. While you're in here, Adrian and I will take care of Princess Ryoko," said Marcos as he made his way out of the room. When Marcos was gone, Tenchi activated the screen and the speakers. He still hoped that whoever had called was still there. When Tenchi finally got a signal, he said, "Hello?" At that very moment, Washu popped up on the screen. "Why hello, Tenchi!" "Hi, Little Washu. Did you call?" he asked. "Why, yes I did, Tenchi," said Washu. "What's up?" he asked. "Well, I was just wondering if everything is okay over there," said Washu. "Actually, not everything is okay over here," said Tenchi, sadly. "What do you mean?" asked Washu, with her voice holding a tinge of fear in it. "I mean that, well, Ryoko was attacked," said Tenchi. Washu's eyes widened. "Attacked? Is she all right?" Tenchi shook his head. "Not from what I've seen so far. She's out cold and I've tried everything I could do to wake her up." Washu then had a serious look on her face. "Tenchi, go and find Ryo- Ohki. Once you do, take Ryoko's body on board of the ship and fly to Earth as quickly as possible. I just may be able to help her." Tenchi nodded. "Thank you, Little Washu." "You'd better come now. Hailing screen off," she commanded as she disappeared from the screen. Tenchi then shut off his end and ran to Ryoko's room to find Ryo-Ohki. When he didn't find her in there, Tenchi searched the halls for the little cabbit, only finding her curled up in a corner, crying for her mistress. Tenchi picked up the distressed Ryo-Ohki and began to soothe her. "It's ok, Ryo-Ohki, it's alright," Tenchi soothed. Ryo-Ohki looked up at Tenchi and sniffled and then Tenchi said, "Ryo- Ohki, I need you to fly Ryoko and I back to Earth. Washu said that she would be willing to help." Ryo-Ohki nodded as they both went down to the main hall, where Marcos and Adrian were patiently watching over Ryoko. He then walked up to them with Ryo-Ohki in his hands. Tenchi then looked at them both and began to speak, "Listen, I just spoke to Washu and I told her what happened to Ryoko and she told me to go to Earth as quickly as possible so that she could take a look at her." Marcos and Adrian both nodded in agreement and then Adrian spoke, "I want you two to stay on Earth until the day of the coronation. We both will need some time to find out who the assailant is, so until then, we need her out of harms way. Can you do this for us?" Tenchi nodded. "I will do everything in my power to protect her." "Have a good trip, Lord Tenchi," said Marcos. "Have a nice a nice journey home and we will see you and Ryoko in about five days," said Adrian. Tenchi nodded and then exited the palace. As soon as he was out, he threw Ryo-Ohki up into the air and as soon as she was in her spaceship form, he boarded the Ryo-Ohki with the still bloody Ryoko in his arms. As soon as they were in, Ryo-Ohki departed for Earth at top speed. Tenchi stole a glance at his beloved and thought, 'Whatever happens, we will got through this, my love. Just hang on for me, just hang on." As soon as they were on Earth, Ryo-Ohki reverted herself back into her cabbit form and followed Tenchi into Washu's lab. "Little Washu! We're here!" exclaimed Tenchi. Suddenly Washu appeared out of nowhere with a solemn look on her face. "Follow me, Tenchi." Tenchi followed her to a regeneration bed. Washu then turned to him and said, "Place her on this bed and leave. You look like you need rest, Tenchi, so just go to your room and sleep. I'll take over from here." Tenchi nodded as he made his way out of Washu's lab. Washu then looked at the unmoving form of her niece. "Ryoko, I will do everything I can to help you. Tenchi loves you and so do I and we don't want to lose you. Just hang in there, while I try to help you," said Washu, who was now weeping. "I cannot cry. I must be strong for Tenchi, but most of all for Ryoko" She took some needles, wiring, and sighed. "Well, here goes nothing." And with that she proceeded to work on the nearly fatal injury that was inflicted on Ryoko. A/N: Well, no notes for this chapter, except for keep reading. Ja ne!