Disclamer: I don't own any of the Tenchi characters in this story and I'm not making any money either, so please don't sue me! Tetsuro is my own character. TITLE: New Beginnings Part 2: Mysterious Meeting Author: Ryoko E-mail: anime_fanjapan@yahoo.com My URL: http://www.geocities.com/anime_fanjapan/ Comments: This is my first fanfic ever. It'll probably have a few parts too. Please e-mail me and let me know what you think so that I'll know if I should keep writting! Arigato! ^-^ Text: "dialect" A sleepy Sasami climbed into bed and fell asleep. Ayeka looked at her and smiled, at least she didn't have to worry about being first crown Princess of Jurai. She covered Sasami with a blanket and turned on her side to sleep. She drifted into a quiet sleep thinking about her royal prince of Jurai. Kiyone shoved Mihoshi's leg off her for the millionth time that night. Then, she cuddled up to her blankets and fell asleep. Yosho had taken to bed early, and Nobujuki's snores could be heard through most of the house. He was definately tired. Washu scrambled to type a few more paragraphs into her data base and decided to hit the sack. That is after a slight midnight snack. She tiptoed to the kitchen, grabed some cake, and disappeared into her lab before anyone noticed. Ryoko appeared above the lake, small ripples forming beneath the tip of her foot, her long cyan hair blowing in the cool night breeze that brushed against her skin. She looked towards her window, knowing that Tenchi would soon wake up. She sighed as she looked down at her reflection on the still water, the moon's light playing across her features. "I'm sorry Tenchi. I didn't mean to hurt you, but there's nothing else I can do." She tilted her head towards the stars, a single tear rolling down her face. "I know where I'm wanted, and that's where I'll go." She closed her eyes and stayed that way for what seemed an eternity, letting the wind caress her skin, listening to the sounds that the night offered her, a gentle softness soothing her being. A small rustle from the trees on shore alerted her of another presence nearby. She quickly teleported to the shore, and took on a battle stance. "Who are you? Come out and face me!" A low chuckle could be heard as a dark form stepped out from the shadowy cover of the trees. "Hello Ryoko, it's nice to see you again, and by the moonlight no less." "Tetsuro!?" The figure smiled and approched Ryoko as she let her guard down. "You scared me! I thought I told you not to lurk in the shadows like that." He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "I can't help myself dear Ryoko, you know that's how I've lived my life." Ryoko returned his embrace. "That was your past, it's not your life now." He turned towards her and looked into her eyes. "Hmmm, I guess old habits are just hard to break. It will always be my duty to protect you." "Well, I'm glad you're here, Tetsuro. I need to get away from this life of slavery." She looked down, her eyes watering slightly. "Ryoko, what's happened to you? You've changed so much since I last held you all those years ago. What made you change from that confident space pirate that almost destroyed the Jurai family to this?" She looked at him and grinned, shaking the tears away. "Nothing happened, I'm the same that I've always been! I can still take on anyone that stands in my way and make them sorry that they ever did!" He looked at her quizzically. "Is that why you haven't destroyed the Jurain princess yet? Is that why you run from the gaze of a mere human boy? Ryoko pulled away and shot a glare at him. "Don't you dare tell that I can't take her out! She's nothing to me!" "But she means something to him. Is that why you haven't destroyed her?" He grinned and took a step closer, extending his hand in her direction. "I thought that you weren't going to be controlled by him anymore, Ryoko. Yet, here and now he still has a grip on you, doesn't he? Even while he sleeps he controls you, much like Kagato did all those years ago." Ryoko trembled slightly. "Shut up Tetsuro! I'm not Kagato's slave anymore! I don't have to kill her!" He came closer to her, his eyes watching her every move. "She stands in your way. You can't have Tenchi until you get rid of her. For that matter, until you get rid of all the girls in the house. I thought you had learned by now. Did all that happened to you in the past teach you nothing? You wouldn't even listen to your parents when they warned you about getting mixed up with Kagato. All he wanted was to declare war against Jurai and take it over." Ryoko shut her eyes and covered her ears with her hands. She couldn't hold it in as she screamed, "No! I don't want him anymore! I won't be controlled by him, I won't be intimidated by the sound of his voice, I won't be rejected anymore, I won't be hated by everyone here! If I'll be anything, I swear that I'll be respected, even if I have to make them! Then they'll know what they did to me was wrong!" Tetsuro smiled to himself as he reached out towards her. "Yes Ryoko, I guess you'll just have to show them what you're really made of, and all the wonderful things that you're capable of doing." An eerie silence came upon them. The wind stopped it's rustling of the leaves, its silent whistle being forgotten. Ryoko looked up slowly at him, her hands no longer covering her ears. A blank but dark expression was on her face, the same expression that she almost always wore when she was a space pirate. "Yes, I suppose I will." She narrowed her eyes as she peered up to the house. "I'll let him know what he could have had, and I'll let him know that he'll never have that chance again. Many gentlemen would have given their lives for a chance to be loved by me, to be recognized and respected. Tenchi will be the one that's sorry now, it will be his turn to have his heart shattered. You're right, I have been weak, but I'll no longer be the weakling that I became since I arrived on this planet. It's time to change some things around here. Even if that means going back home." "Ryoko, you really do amaze me you know that?" "Well, I'm glad you feel that way." She looked at him and smiled. "Ever since you came here, I've felt wanted again. Thank you." Tetsuro kissed her cheek and looked into her eyes. "You've always been wanted Ryoko. I've always wanted you." "Tetsuro I.." She stared at him wide eyed. "How...?" He moved closer yet again. "Should it matter how I fell in love with you Ryoko? Or is it enough that I do?" She turned and faced him, their eyes caught in each other's stare. He looked somewhat like Tenchi right then, his dark eyes burrowing into hers, his dark bangs falling slightly over them, his mature face inching ever so close to hers as he whispered his words... Tenchi woke up at the sound of an owl nearby. He opened his eyes to find himself on Ryoko's bed, and quite alone. He groggily sat up and realized it was late at night. The clock in her room read 11:59pm. He'd slept the entire day! A good thirteen hours! At least Ryoko hadn't killed him for sneaking into her room. He stood up stretching slowly and looked out the window. He saw the outlines of two people by the shore of the lake. Who was that? It looked like...Ryoko. No, it couldn't be. But if it was, then who was that with her? Tenchi looked on bewildered as to what was happening. There, in the night's silence, two shadowy figures embraced and shared a midnight kiss. ~~AHHHHHH! No! This can't be happening! What's going on!? *falls over backwards all anime like* Tell me what you think! anime_fanjapan@yahoo.com