Where's Ryoko? A lemon fanfic based on Tenchi Muyo. The usual warning will be inserted here: This fanfiction deals with sex, and should not be read by people under eighteen. Not, I'm sure, that anybody pays attention to it. (I certainly didn't when I was 17. :o) But the rules say that I've got to stick it in there (no, not THAT, in THERE! :o), or face the consequences. All characters in this fanfic are not, under ANY circumstances mine, I do NOT claim them, I do NOT want them! This fanfiction is purely opinion. This is my first (and possibly last) attempt at a fanfiction, so feel free to send comments, quips, insults, or death threats at: Platinum_Dragon@usinternet.com *Author's second note: This version of Where's Ryoko was done after receiving a MSTed copy of it. It has been updated, following some of their suggestions, and some suggestions from a fanfic reviewer. Hopefully, it's better this time around.* This is set in the Tenchi Muyo TV series, at the point where Ryoko drops Tenchi off at the Jurai Palace. I don't know about the rest of you, but I kinda got to wondering what the heck happened to her, between when we last see her, with blood dripping onto the floor, and the last episode, when she reappears, completely healthy. So, without further adiue! * * * As Tenchi, Azaka, and Kamadake ran toward the huge entrance of the palace, Ryoko waved, a pained smile on her face, her other hand pressed tightly against her side. But the second they were out of sight, she collapsed to the ground, her injury finally catching up with her. Ryo-ohki mewed in concern, and teleported Ryoko on board. She had taken a beating too, but unlike Ryoko, all she had to do to heal was return to cabbit form for a couple of days. But Ryoko couldn't. Slowly, Ryo-ohki lifted off the ground, after depositing Ryoko in the command chair, mentally wincing with the effort. Maybe she had taken more of a beating than she had thought. She steeled herself for a fight out, but surprisingly, no one paid attention to her, as they were too busy fighting Nagi and Ken-ohki. She pulled out of Jurai's atmosphere, and prepared to speed away from the area, so her attention focused more on getting away from Jurai than actually on Ryoko at the moment, so it startled her when she realized the pirate was talking. She turned to Ryoko, her face popping up on the crystal directly in front of her, continuing her preparations to leave in the back of her mind. Her voice was very weak, and Ryo-ohki had a hard time understanding her, straining to hear. "Well, I guess it's over, eh, Ryo-ohki?" she said. "Miyaaa..." "So here we are again, just you and I. Just the way we were when we fell to the Earth. We sure had some fun times though, huh?" "Miyaa!" Ryoko grinned, but it was a sad grin. "I guess... I'm... lonely... pretty pathetic, huh?" Ryoko closed her eyes, and, after a moment, her mouth fell slightly open. "Miya?" asked Ryo-ohki. No answer. "Miya???" she asked again, louder this time, worry clear in her voice. Ryoko's hand fell over the side of the chair, to hang limply. Blood began to drip onto the floor. Ryoko slumped forward. "MIYYYYAAAA!!!!" cried Ryo-ohki. The ship flew away from Jurai, unmolested by the military fleet. Away, into the endless night of space. *** Ringle-tingle-tingle... The ice in the glass bounced off the sides, making a muted sound. With a slight frown, Nagi drank the purple fluid, and then set down the glass. Nearly two weeks since she had helped Ryoko and her friends, and still she hadn't heard even a rumor of a rumor of Ryoko. "Hey," she said, signaling the bartender, and pulling out an old photograph. It was tattered, and worn with age. Looking at it, Nagi had a sudden image of the last time she had seen Ryoko. There had been something very different in her then there had been in this photo. "Yeah? Another drink, miss?" Nagi shook her head. "Have you seen this woman?" The bartender peered at it, and shook his head. "Sorry, no. Friend of yours?" She stood up so fast that she knocked over her stool, and drew stares from the bar's few other occupants. Ken- ohki, at her feet, lifted an ear, sneezed, and went back to sleep. "WHAT?" she growled at him. Then, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and flashed a slight smile. "No... Of course not." But even as she said it, as she had said before, she realized that wasn't quite right either. Ryoko... Maybe not a friend, but after all this time hunting her? All the battles they had fought? No, not a friend. But still... Something. Shaking off the thought, she bent to pick up the chair. As she was about to order another drink, Ken-ohki's ears suddenly picked up. "Cia?" The cabbit looked up, and around, as if he had heard something. Nagi followed his line of sight, and saw a small form in the doorway, with large ears, and brown fur, a match to Ken-ohki, save that this cabbit was female. "Ryo-ohki?" she asked, curious why the cabbit had let herself be seen by Nagi. She looked at her with- what? Sorrow? Hope? "Miya?" There was a note of urgency in her voice that pulled Nagi out of her seat. Ken-ohki bounded over to Ryo-ohki, and tried to nuzzle her, but she ignored him, still looking at Nagi. While she could talk to Ken- ohki and understand him, Ryo-ohki was Ryoko's so she couldn't understand her. Why was she here, revealing herself openly? She couldn't quite buy that the cabbit had wanted to see Ken-ohki so badly that she had endangered her master. And there was the fact that she was still ignoring him. Unless... "Come on, Ken-ohki!" "Miya!" Ryo-ohki turned, and led them out, into the night. She raced as fast as she could without leaving Nagi in the dust. She knew that Ryo- ohki could have easily out distanced them if she had wanted to. Through the city, they raced, and to the outskirts. Still farther, to a copse of trees. Nagi entered slowly, suddenly wary of an ambush. "Miya miya mayaaa!" Once inside the ring of trees, Nagi understood why Ryo-ohki had been so insistent. "Damn!" No longer afraid of an ambush, Nagi walked in, and kneeled beside Ryoko's prone form. Her skin was so pale as to appear gray. It was a testament to her fortitude that she was still alive, but she was, as was told by her chest very slowly, very shallowly rising and falling. Suddenly Nagi laughed. "Why you sly dog!" Nagi exclaimed. "A trance!" Ryoko had put herself into a trance, but even so, the wound was too much. She had just lost too much blood. "Miya?" The question was clear. Nagi looked at the young cabbit. "You want me to help her? When you know that I'm trying to kill her?" "Miya!" Ryo-ohki shook her head vigorously. Nagi thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I-" "Ciao!!" hissed Ken-ohki at her. He moved to stand beside Ryo-ohki, warning clear in his eyes. Nagi didn't need his mental sending to figure out the message - help her, or I split. Nagi stared at him in surprise. "You too, Ken-ohki?" She questioned him. The cabbit looked at her. Nagi grinned, for once the smile reaching her eyes. "I should have known. Alright, alright." Carefully, Nagi slid her arms under Ryoko, and picked her up, taking care to not break the seal over her wound. Strong as she might be, there was no way that she would survive the wound reopening. "Let's get her to the hotel room." *** "Ungh..." Ryo-ohki's ears perked up at the sound. Ken-ohki nuzzled her. _What is it?_ His voice, deep and sonorous, sounded in her mind. She smiled, and nuzzled him back. _I think my she is coming around. But..._ _You worry about Nagi?_ It was a statement, not a question. _Yes... It's been on my mind since I first came to find you._ _Give her a little credit, my love. I think that her desire to hunt Ryoko down is waning._ Ryo-ohki smiled again, and cuddled closer to Ken-ohki. The older male nuzzled her again, the cabbit equivalent of kissing. Ryoko stirred, and Ryo-ohki scrambled over to her. "Miya?" Suddenly, Ryoko's body began to shake like a leaf in a gale. "Miya! Miya!" Nagi came into the room at all the noise. "Damn!" She dashed over, and held Ryoko down until the convulsions ended. "Two weeks, and almost no change." She shook her head, and left the room. "Miyaa..." said Ryo-ohki mournfully. She hung her head sadly. Ken- ohki came over beside her. She leaned into him, drawing strength from him. _Come on... Why don't we go for a walk? Something to get your mind off of this._ *** Nagi lay on the couch, idly stroking both cabbits' fur, who were stretched out with her. They had disappeared for a number of days, off to who knew where. Nagi had almost started to worry about Ken-ohki when they had returned from their cavorting. "I'm glad you two decided to rejoin the world. Have a good honeymoon?" "Meow!" "Ciao!" Nagi laughed, and poked a finger at Ryo-ohki. As much as she hated to admit it, she was getting attached to the little furball. "And is it just my imagination, or have you put on some weight, Ryo- ohki?" The brown furred cabbit blushed slightly, and meowed quietly. "Oh- ho! I see!" Nagi laughed again, a great deep belly laugh that hadn't made an appearance with her in nearly sixteen years. Ken-ohki looked at her, surprised, which only made her laugh harder. Her mirth, however, was cut short by a crash from Ryoko's room. She got up, but no sooner was she to her feet than Ryo-ohki was through the door, Ken-ohki right on her heels. Nagi walked across the chamber, and poked her head into the room. "Mew miyyaa mew meow miyaaa!!!" Ryo-ohki was up on her hind legs, chittering a mile a minute, at the kneeling form of Ryoko. One hand was on the floor, the other on a small table, where a small lamp had been. The lamp was now down on the floor, broken into a dozen pieces. "Well, welcome back to the land of the living, Ryoko," said Nagi. Ryoko looked up at her, surprise on her face. "Nagi!" Slowly, she struggled to her feet, obviously intending to fight. "Oh, would you relax? I didn't keep you alive, healing your wounds, for over a month, just to kill you!" Ryoko stared at her for a moment, confusion and surprise painted on her face. "I don't think that I could have put up a spark in defense anyway," she said, leaning against the wall to try to hide how weak she was. She looked from Ryo-ohki to Ken-ohki. "I take it this is your doing." Ryo-ohki meekly meowed. Ryoko frowned. "We'll talk about it later. For now, however..." Ryoko put her hands down, and the cabbit bounded over to her. Wincing with the effort, Ryoko picked her up. "Ouff! You'll picked up some weight." Ryoko set her down, and then looked at Nagi. "Well, if you aren't gonna kill me, yet, what are you gonna do? I'm somewhat at your mercy, as much as it pains me to admit it." "At the moment, I'm gonna help you to the bath. I'm sick of sponging you down. And then I'm gonna try and get some food in you. Otherwise I'd have two very unhappy cabbits on my hands." "Miya!" "Ciao!" Ryoko raised her eyebrow, but submitted to the help. She knew bloody well that she couldn't escape, and besides, she wanted to find out what Nagi's sudden change of heart was all about. "Oh, you might be interested in this," said Nagi, suddenly. Ryoko looked at her. "Your... Tanchi, Tounchi?" "Tenchi?" she asked. In waking up in the lion's den, so to speak, she had almost completely forgotten about him. "Tenchi, that was it." "What? What is it?" Nagi's eyes widened just slightly, and then closed almost to slits, as though she was trying to add something together. "Well, he won, first of all. And, I've heard that, after a short stay on Jurai, while his grandfather healed, they went back to the Earth." "Back.. to the Earth? Not stay on Jurai?" "That's what I just said, isn't it?" "Then that means..." With a sudden effort, Ryoko pushed Nagi off of her. Nagi's hand immediately went to her whip, but Ryoko just stood there. She walked the rest of the way to the bath. After the door closed, Nagi frowned again. Her mind went back to that picture, and the feeling that there was something different about Ryoko. Now this, the sudden gain of strength when she had found out that Tenchi had gone back to the Earth. But what difference would that make? She sat down to puzzle it out. What would be the difference between Tenchi staying on Jurai, and him going back. What did the Earth not have that Jurai had? Her eyes widened, as she realized what it was. The Earth didn't have Ayeka. But that couldn't be it... Ryoko couldn't possibly have learned to... love? Nagi rolled the seed around in the back of her mind, trying to decide whether to plant it, or throw it out. How many clues had she dropped? Coming after Tenchi when Nagi had first found her on Earth. That hadn't fit her style. Staying with them - with him - even when they were all hunted criminals? Taking him to the planet Jurai, when she was so grievously wounded? After considering it, she decided to save it for a bit. *** Ryoko slowly clambered into the bath, her body weak from a month of inactivity. Stiff muscles slowly loosened as she soaked in the hot water. Ryo-ohki mewed at her from the floor. "Well, here we go again, I'm guessing. What were you thinking, Ryo- ohki?" she asked the cabbit, trying to make her voice stern, but without much luck. Truth was, she knew that she was lucky anybody at all had helped her. "Miya! Mew meow miya!" "But to Nagi? Come on!" "Miya!" "I suppose there is that. But the question is, how are we gonna get outta here?" "Meow?" "ASK! Have you lost your carrots, Ryo-ohki?!?" "Miya!" Ryoko grinned, in spite of herself. "Oh, I see. And has Ken-ohki given you anything else?" The cabbit blushed, and Ryoko thought again of the extra weight that Ryo-ohki had put on. Could it be??? "Well, that will be something to see." Ryoko's smile faded. "I wonder what Tenchi is doing..." "Mew..." "You miss him too, eh?" She shook her head, and got up, out of the bath. Water streamed in rivulets off her body. Only out of the trance for half an hour, and already she felt stronger. She raised her hand, concentrated a little, and a few sparks of energy crackled to life. They were weak, but they were better than nothing. She slipped into her robe after toweling off, and exited the bath. Nagi was sitting on the couch, and there was a tray of food on the table. Ryoko's stomach growled, reminding her that you couldn't eat while in hibernation. Nagi raised her eyebrow, and waved at the tray. "Don't worry, no poison. I give my word of honor." Ryoko frowned, but her stomach rumbled ominously, and she decided it was better to chance poison than starvation. At least she'd die full. She sat down, and selected a fair sized piece of meat, some kind of Juraian turkey, she thought, and sandwiched it. She took a tentative bite, chewed, and then, satisfied that it was safe, started to wolf it down. *** "I'm just curious," she said, a couple days later, "but why did you help me? Hunting me for all that time, just to save my life when your quest could have been at an end?" Nagi laughed. "Ken-ohki and Ryo-ohki didn't leave me with much of a choice. Besides which, I've told you before. The only way you're gonna die is at the end of my sword." Ryoko winced at the matter of fact way that she said it. She decided to try changing the subject. "Do you remember the first time that we met?" she asked Nagi. Her eyes closed nearly to slits. "It was on my first bounty. I had just captured the slimeball, and then suddenly, there you were. Blasted him before I had a chance to stop you. I never did figure out why you killed him." Ryoko closed her eyes, feeling a tear forming. What ever she did, she refused to cry in front of Nagi. "He murdered... someone very close to me. I suppose that he's the one that got me along the path of piracy. Like you have done to me, I tracked him down. When I happened upon you, with him all wrapped up in a neat little package, I decided to take it as a gift from the gods." Behind her closed eyes, the scene replayed itself in her mind. Ryoko seeing the young woman, her whip wrapped around his body. Nagi shouting at her as she fired an energy blast. The pure terror in his eyes, the terror of a man who knew that he was going to die, as it flew toward him. The memory was replaced by another, Ryoko, a younger Ryoko, screaming as a weapon blast tore into a young man. He had dark hair, of a purple hue, and a regal, royal bearing. Another girl was watching too, about the same age as Ryoko, also with purple hair. She wore a kimono, and she also screamed as the man fell to the ground. She teleported to his side, held him to her body as he breathed his last. The other girl was running toward them. She screamed, and teleported away, the last look on the scene at the face of the other girl, on which rage, horror and sorrow was painted so visibly. A single tear escaped her clamped shut eyes. "So, the mighty space pirate Ryoko has a heart after all," said Nagi mockingly. Ryoko's eyes snapped open, fires raging within them. "Is that so hard for you to believe? That I'm capable of more than treachery, thievery, hate and destruction? That I can love? You're a fine one to judge! You've been after me for so long that you've forgotten what anything other than hate and contempt feel like! You haven't hunted me! You've become me! Full of bitterness, and only one thing that you could latch onto. You can't stand the idea that I've climbed out of that hole!" she exploded at Nagi. When she realized what she had said, she shut her mouth with a click, realizing that she had probably just put the nails in her own coffin. Indeed, Nagi's hand was on her sword pommel, and her eyes were hard and cold. Then, slowly, her grip eased, and her eyes softened. "You think so, Ryoko?" Her gaze hardened once more, although this time, it was with determination, as if she had chosen a course. She put her face right in front of Ryoko's. "Do you really believe that is so?" she said in a low, husky voice. And then she leaned in, and kissed Ryoko, hard, on the lips. The movement caught Ryoko completely off guard, and for a moment, she just sat there, dumb-founded. Once her mind caught up with her body, she tried to lean back, but Nagi had her pinned against the back of the couch. But even as she tried to escape, trying to get away, her body responded to Nagi, regardless of what her mind wanted. Even as she fought the feeling, she felt a flush come to her skin, a flush that had nothing to do with her injury. Slowly, Nagi leaned back, a breathless look on her face, and surprise in her eyes at herself, at what she had done. There was a hush, and then Nagi spoke quietly. "No feeling, save anger and hate? Nothing but bitterness, Ryoko? Did that feel like bitterness to you?" Wordless, Ryoko shook her head no. And then did something even more surprising. She leaned forward, and returned the kiss, with equal fervor. It was Nagi's turn to start, attempt to escape, but, like Ryoko, her body didn't quite seem to agree with her head. Slowly, as if unsure, her arms slipped around to Ryoko's back, felt along the surface of her robe. Ryoko's tongue slid out of her mouth, pushing gently along Nagi's teeth. Her hand moved up, a finger extending to touch Nagi's skin, and trace it's way downward, along the lines of her jaw and neck. Nagi's teeth parted at the gentle feeling, and Ryoko's tongue dipped in, exploring, meeting its counterpart, entwining with it. Nagi's hands moved to Ryoko's front, and began to work at the cord holding the robe closed. Slowly, ever so very slowly, it came undone. Finally, it was untied, and Ryoko's breasts were hanging before her, shapely and perfect. The nipples stood slightly up at the sudden breeze as Ryoko's robe fell open. Nagi's hands glided up to them, cupped and began to squeeze one, two fingers tweaking and pulling at the nipples. Ryoko breathed a slight moan of pleasure at the sensation, and broke the kiss, her own hands following the skin-tight material of Nagi's battle suit downward. Nagi drew in a sharp breath as Ryoko reached her thighs, and trailed two fingers across them, and in between, tracing a line upwards, reaching her nether regions, and tugged hard at Ryoko's nipple, causing another moan. Ryoko trailed her fingers up and toward Nagi's pleasure center. Reaching the bud, she pressed down, through the suit, feeling the moistness beginning to gather there, the warmth emanating. She phased her finger through, letting it sink just deep enough to notify Nagi of its presence. A slight shout issued from Nagi's lips. She began to shrug out of the battle armor. First the hard plates, then the lighter soft suit came off. Ryoko gasped at the sight. She had seen much of the bounty hunter's body at the swimsuit contest - in the back of her mind, a little message poked through _could it possibly be that was nearly two and a half months ago?_ - but the sight of her fully in the nude sent an electric shock through her mind. Large breasts, capped by nipples that stood stiff in the air, skin without so much as a single stretch mark. Ryoko's eyes slowly moved downward, to find a neatly trimmed thatch, and below, the mound of her sex, a small trail of clear, thick fluid dribbling out. The small pink nub of her clit peeked out, and Ryoko couldn't resist reaching down to tweak it. Nagi shuddered, and arched her back as she touched it, shouted when Ryoko rolled it between her thumb and forefinger. "Ahhhahhahhh!" The trickle of fluid increased, dribbling down onto the couch below them. Ryoko slowly lowered her body, and took a gentle lap of the fluid, sending shivers up and down Nagi. She savored its sweetness, and then rose back up to kiss Nagi again, letting her taste herself in Ryoko's mouth. Her hands found their way to Nagi's tits, and she began to kneed one, before bringing it to her mouth. She sucked down on it, nibbling lightly on the tip of the nipple, her other hand tugging and pulling on the other side. Nagi's hands followed the curve of Ryoko's back to her buttocks, and around, to her underside. Two fingers began to slide in the moist canal between her legs, looking for an entrance. Finding one, they entered, probing, finding it fluid filled and hot. Ryoko bit down, not hard, but hard enough to raise a small cry from Nagi as her fingers slid into her pussy, and she gave a moan herself. The fingers began to slide back and forth, wiggling as they did so, becoming sticky with juices. Ryoko's ministrations to Nagi's breasts increased too, as she began to suck harder in pleasure. Nagi continued fingering Ryoko, now pushing in a third finger. Ryoko stiffened, and there was a rush of juices and heat to the area. Ryoko let Nagi's tit slip from her mouth, and turned around, placing her rear in Nagi's face, lowering hers to Nagi's pelvis. For a moment, Nagi whimpered, wondering what she was doing, but, as Ryoko's mouth descended on her pussy, and her tongue started to ease its way in, she moaned loudly. Seeing Ryoko's pussy bare inches away from her face, she lifted her head, and began to reciprocate. Ryoko's body shook at the first touch of her tongue, shuddered as it entered her and began to probe. Nagi tasted Ryoko, almost like a fine wine, rolling the salty-sweet taste around. At the other end, Ryoko began to slide a finger into Nagi's pussy, in time with her tongue, and took pleasure at the feeling of Nagi's body stiffening once again. She felt a sort of golden glow forming in the pit of her stomach, a warmth that began to radiate outward as Nagi continued. Nagi's concentration began to break up, as the waves pulsing from her pussy began to wear down her defenses, and she began to lose her sense of place. It felt as though this amazing feeling had been going on forever, yet she was certain it had only started a short while ago. She continued to lick and eat at Ryoko's pussy, slurping up the juices that were now starting to thin, and flow quicker with the heat being generated. Ryoko had begun to push two fingers into her, and was still tonguing her, and the feeling was reaching almost unbearable levels. Nagi thought she would explode if it were to get any better... And then it did, as Ryoko moved her mouth from Nagi's pussy to her clit, and began to suck down, hard, pushing it against her teeth with her tongue. "Oh GOOOODDDD!!!" The scream ripped out of Nagi's throat, the waves of pleasure now a solid barrage, pushing her into senselessness and beyond. Her back arched, and she began to buck. The tongue at her clit switched back to her pussy, lapping up the juices that were pouring out of Nagi's love box. She began to eat Ryoko at a mad pace, and it was not long before Ryoko too began to buck on top of her. "AhhhHHHHHHH!!! So good, oh god, soo GOOODD!" Ryoko's juice exploded into Nagi's waiting mouth, who licked and slurped as fast as she could. But even with her best efforts, some escaped, pushing out of her mouth, and running down her cheek. Ryoko ground around above her, turning to face her. She kissed her deeply, each other's juices mixing and creating something more. Exhausted, they feel asleep, locked together in a tangle of arms. *** Ryoko awoke to a light pressure on top of her. She opened her eyes. "Miya?" Ryoko groaned, and sat up slowly, trying to remember where she was. Ryo-ohki jumped off of her, and bounded over to a nightstand. "Miya!" She shook her head, and moved her hand. On to a very wet spot on the couch. Wet? And... Sticky??? Memory flooded back with a start, of Nagi. The taste of her, the feeling of her touching her... Where was she? "MIYA!!!" shouted Ryo-ohki, bringing Ryoko back to earth, so to speak. She looked on the nightstand, and saw a piece of paper, carefully folded. She walked over to it, and picked it up, opened it. Written in a neat hand was: Ryoko- Consider this an end to my hunt, unless you give me reason to resume it. As much as I may hate to admit it, you were right. I hadn't hunted you. I had become you. My debt to you, for sparing my life on Mars, is discharged. When next we meet, we shall be as strangers. One last thing, and this I ask as a favor for Ken-ohki. Take care of whatever may have come of their... love. -Nagi Ryoko read it, and then read it again. Finally, she put the letter down, and nodded. "Miya?" Ryoko looked at Ryo-ohki. "Yes, Ryo-ohki. We are going back." She looked out the window, in the direction of a small, blue planet, that circled a modest yellow star. She looked toward her heart. *** "I'm going to school now!" "Ok, have a good day, Tenchi!" called his father. Tenchi stepped out of his door. It was late spring, and cherry blossoms were falling, almost as if they were a pink snowfall, covering the ground. As he walked down the path towards the school, he looked out, onto the lake, where Ryou-ou grew. From the tiny pair of leaves it had been when it had first popped up, to the sapling it had been when they had left to goto Jurai, now it was huge, the size of a two hundred year oak, and twice as strong. As he looked at it, Ryoko's words rang through his mind. "Tenchi... We are having fun, aren't we? Every day here is like a dream... I hope it'll be like this forever. Tenchi..." He stopped, and looked up, as he had on that day, just like today, when Ryo-ohki the original had fallen to the Earth, half expecting to see a streak in the sky. Half expecting... And half wishing. But the sky remained clear. No streaks, no falling Ryo-ohki's. "Miya!" Tenchi pivoted to the right, his eyes wide. There, on the rock, was Ryo-ohki. He just stared for a moment at her. And then, slowly, the cabbit changed into a black cat with white ear tips. "Reow?" it meowed at him, and then jumped away, into the bush. He sighed, and continued on his way. "Tenchiii...." He whirled around. Ryoko was standing behind him, hands on her hips, that half smile on her face. He took a step toward her, reached out toward her... and she faded away. Tenchi looked down, and shook his head. He turned, and again, continued toward the bus. Click-click. Tenchi stopped, and slowly turned to face the sound. Ryoko was there, standing on a rock. Hands still on her hips, that half-smile still there. And in her eyes... hope... He stood there and stared for a moment. "Hey." She jumped off the rock, and into Tenchi's arms. For a second, he almost expected her to fade away, but when his arms closed around her strange, exotic mix of hard and soft, he swung her around, laughing. He held onto her, not wanting to let her go. "I told you I was a space pirate, and a powerful one, and now I've come to steal you away," she said, poking a finger at him. "Ryoko, I thought..." He trailed off as she shushed him. "Now I'm not gonna do anything crazy. I'm gonna track Ayeka down and win your heart in a fair fight." "But..." Ryoko laughed. "Oh come on, you don't think that she's gonna give you up that easily! I'm telling you, I just know they're all coming back here." Ryo-ohki bounced toward them. "Miyow!!!!" she purred, obviously happy. A falling cherry blossom landed on her nose, and she batted at it, trying to knock it off to no effect. With a quaint sound, she sneezed it off. "Meow!" Ryoko hugged him to her, putting her mouth close to his ear. "I'll tell you something, my Tenchi. You know the carnival comes and goes. If you wait long enough, it'll always come back to you." He just held her for a moment, and looked off, into the sky. "I guess you're right, Ryoko. I guess you're right." --- The Platinum Dragon Hidden Guardian of the Dream World Dragon's Masaki Shrine of Tenchi Muyo - http://dragonsanime.dreamhost.com The Dragon's Horde - http://www.usinternet.com/users/platinum_dragon/