Disclaimer: Merry Christmas, everyone! This year to celebrate the holidays, I decided to try my hand at a Christmas fic. I figured that the Tenchi gang probably had a party every year, and what's a party without guests? So I decided to invite a few old friends to this party. ^_^ Tenchi Muyo is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. "To Love and To Hate" is the property of the Total Anime Nut. "Dark Juraian" is the property of Little Masa-Ouki. "Bishonen Muyo" is the property of Keener. "Tenchi Muyo TV 2" is the property of Seion. "Ryoko's Love" is the property of Long T. Tran. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night... The Twelve Dimensions of Christmas Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the universe, looked up at her invention and cackled maniacally. It was finished! Finally finished! The invention, her invention, what she had spent many sleepless months working on... Was a simple door. Well, not *too* simple. It *did* have an electronic keypad next to the doorknob. Despite this technological flourish, the rest of the door appeared to be solid, English oak. She cackled louder. Suddenly, there was a knock. Washu paused and looked quizzically at the door. There it was again. The knock. "Miss Washu?" She turned when she realized that the knock hadn't come from the new door, but rather the door that connected her lab to the outside world. "Sasami?" Sasami, wearing a coat and cute, red, Santa Claus hat, entered the lab. "Miss Washu? We're going to go caroling. Would you come with us, please?" Washu gave it some thought. "So, you need a *real* singer to come along, eh?" she asked. "Sure thing, Sasami. I'll be right out." "Yay!" Sasami ran back to the house to tell the others. "I'll just set this to self diagnostic, and check the results later." She typed a few commands into her holotop. The screen asked her to input some test coordinates. The scientist walked to the keypad on the door and inputted a few numbers. "There we go." Content that her experiment could watch itself for awhile, Washu left the lab. It was three hours later that Washu returned and shrugged off her coat. She grinned and hung her coat up on the door before turning to her new experiment. The door was open. Her eyes narrowed. "Computer, intruder alert," she announced. "Computer, cancel alert," her voice called out from across the room. Washu blinked. Someone was stepping out of the shadows. She blinked in surprise when she realized it was *her*! Washu stared at Washu for a good minute. The "real" Washu grinned. "Hmmmm...Looks like one of my back-up clones broke loose. Guess I'll have to bug bomb my lab again." "'Clone?!'" the other Washu scoffed. "I'll have you know I'm as authentic as they come!" Washu was about to retort when she noticed something about this Washu. Her outfit was a little different, and she appeared to be wearing... "Hey! Where'd you get those?!" she cried, pointing at the other Washu's ears. The other Washu grinned. "These?" she asked, pointing at the green earrings she wore. "They're Asconian jade. You like?" "I know what they are!" Washu cried. "How did you get them!? Asconians don't let *anyone* onto their planet!" "Well," the other Washu said smugly, "It's easy when you have a full entry and exit visa..." The real Washu's mouth fell open in astonishment. "To conduct archaeological and anthropological research." "Who are you?" Washu asked. The other Washu grinned. "I have a theory," she said, gesturing to the door. Washu grinned back. "I *knew* you were going to say that..." Tenchi hung a wreathe on the front door of his house and stepped back inside. So far, this Christmas was really shaping up. Ryoko and Aeka were busy decorating the tree, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki were in the kitchen cooking for their annual party, and all Tenchi had left to do was sit back and enjoy the holidays. As he was passing Washu's door, it opened, and the petite scientist stuck her head out. "Hey, Tenchi. About the party..." "What about it?" Tenchi asked. "You're still coming, right? You're not going to spend all Christmas in your lab, are you?" "Oh, don't worry!" Washu told him with a smile. "I just want to know if it's okay to invite a few guests along!" Tenchi blinked. "Well...I suppose. Who are you inviting?" Washu grinned evilly. "Don't worry, you'll know them." Just then, another voice just like Washu's was heard from behind her. "Hey, what did he say?" Washu looked back over her shoulder. "It's a go." "Sweet!" Before Tenchi could ask, Washu shut the door. He sighed. He got the feeling that the holidays just became that much more complicated. He walked to the kitchen and found Sasami and Ryo-Ohki, in her toddler form, bustling around the counters. "Hey, Sasami. Wow, this looks great!" he cried, looking at the vast array of holiday cakes and goodies Sasami had already baked. The little princess giggled. "Yeah, I thought since it's a special occasion, I should go all out." Tenchi remembered what Washu said. "You might want to make more." Sasami only blinked in shock. The entire kitchen table and every counter was already loaded with Christmas treats of every kind. "Why?" Tenchi rolled his eyes. "Washu." "Say no more," Sasami said as she went to the refrigerator for more ingredients. Ryoko flew up and placed the star on top of the tree. "How's that?" she asked. "Crooked," Aeka told her from her place in the center of the room. "It is not!" Ryoko defended herself. "Your head's just bent to one side!" "I'll show you bent, you mannerless bakemono!" Just then, Sasami came running from the hall right past them, carrying a package in her arms. "Excuse me!" she cried as she blew past. "Sasami! You shouldn't run in the house while carrying something like that!" Aeka cried. Sasami cried a quick apology before ducking out the front door. "I wonder what she's up to?" Aeka mused to herself. "What who's up to?" Sasami asked, walking out of the kitchen with Tenchi in tow. Aeka and Ryoko blinked. "Sasami...Didn't you just..." Ryoko began. "Didn't I just what?" "We were just in the kitchen," Tenchi supplied. "Um...Are you okay?" "We're here!" they heard Mihoshi cry from the hall. They turned and looked on in astonishment. "Um...Mihoshi, I think you have your holidays mixed up," Tenchi said nervously. "Halloween was months ago." "Yes," Aeka threw in. "But I do admit, it's a wonderful costume. Just like my mother's guard." Mihoshi, decked out in a Jurain guardsman's uniform and face-paint blinked. "Um...What are you talking about? I came straight from work." "Hey, Mihoshi, did you find the bathroom?" a strange voice asked. A woman with teal hair wearing a GP uniform came walking up behind her. "Hi, guys," she said with a wave. "Er...Excuse me, but..." Tenchi began. "Who the hell are you?" Ryoko finished. The group stared at one another. "I'm here!" Mihoshi's voice bubbled from the front door. "And look who I found!" she called out as she entered, Sasami walking beside her. This did nothing to help the confusion. They stared at each other for a bit longer. Then... "WASHU!!!" As a mob the group ran to Washu's lab, Ryoko in the lead. She threw open the door and stopped cold. "Hi, Little Ryoko!" ten Washu's called out at once. "Oh yeah," Ryoko muttered, her eyes narrowed, "This is a good thing..." "Holy crap!" the teal-haired woman said in awe. "Washu....in *stereo*!" One of the Washu's stepped forward. "I see you've met some of the others...despite my wanting to keep them here for the time being." "Washu, what's going on?" Tenchi asked. "You didn't clone yourself, Sasami, and Mihoshi, did you?!" Washu snorted and turned to the other Washu's. "'Cloning.'" The other Washu's laughed. "Well could you *please* explain this to us?!" Aeka asked. "Of course!" Washu proclaimed. "You see, every year we have a small party with all our friends and family. This is a small party because we don't know many people on Earth. I..." "*We,*" a Washu with green earrings broke in. "Er...*We*...figured that a great, big, Christmas bonanza would be fun if we could invite a lot of people, so using my new interdimensional doorway, myself and my esteemed colleague here are bringing other us's from universes all over the place!" Silence. "Don't you ever get tired of playing God?" Ryoko asked quietly. "HELL NO!" ten Washu's cried in response. Sasami sighed. "I better get back to the kitchen. I have a lot of work to do." "Hold on! I'll help!" the new Sasami offered. Giggling, the two ran to the kitchen. The teal haired woman was looking from one Mihoshi to the other in fear. "Um...Excuse me...WASHU, WHERE'S THAT DOOR!?" Washu grinned. "Leaving so soon?" "As fast as I can!" "KI-YOOOO-NEEEEE!!!" Two Mihoshi's cried, tears pouring from their eyes. "It's a nightmare," Kiyone whispered, shutting her eyes. "It's just....a bad....DREAM!" "We got another one!" a Washu cried as sparks appeared around the dimensional doorway. The group watched in awe as a flash of light enveloped the room. Suddenly, another set of doubles was sitting before the doorway, rubbing the backsides they had landed on. Along with their dimensional counterparts, there were two others. One of them was a very large, muscular man with a red cape and a sword hanging from his belt. The other was a five year old boy with red hair. The man looked around quickly, his hand going for his sword. Before he could do anything, one of the Washu's had approached and was speaking to the group. "Ow," the newest Aeka moaned painfully. The big man quickly turned and offered a hand, helping her up. "Thank you, Derai," she said. "Vell, are you okay?" "Yes, Ka Sha," the little boy replied as Aeka helped him up. Everyone was staring in awe. The Washu talking to the newest batch, who seemed to be *their* Washu, stopped her announcement with a grin. Tenchi and Ryoko nodded. "A bloody warning too much trouble for ye, lass?" the big man, Derai, asked Washu. "Oh, come on!" Washu argued. "It's a party! Lighten up!" Tenchi, the original Tenchi, sighed. "It's going to be one of those days..." Aeka and her counterpart ducked to either side of the hall as four Sasami's ran past, laughing and enthralled in a game of tag. "Sasami, don't run!" they both cried in unison after the fleeing pack of blue-haired princesses. They looked at one another and giggled as they resumed their course for the kitchen. "So," Aeka asked, trying to make conversation. "That Derai fellow...He's your..." The other Aeka laughed. "Heavens no! We're just friends." "I see...But where you're from, you *did* um...." "Lose?" the other Aeka asked. Aeka nodded. "I suppose you could say that," the other Aeka told her. "But," she said, "I have a beautiful son who I wouldn't trade for anything in the world!" Aeka smiled. "That's good to hear." She stumbled as someone accidentally knocked into her as the two were passing the door. She felt someone grab her and keep her from falling. Looking up, she saw a man with brown hair and gray eyes smiling at her. "Apologies, Ne...Darl'n," he corrected himself. "Guess I should be more mindful." He helped to steady her and smiled. "Thank you, Mister..." His grin broadened. "'Mister,'" he repeated quietly. "Been awhile since I heard your voice call me, 'Mister.'" "Um...Have we met?" "You could call it that," he said. "Davner." They turned to find another Aeka walking towards them, this one wearing dark pink earrings along with the kimonos the other Aeka's were wearing. "Just what are you doing?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "Just introducing myself to your lovely sister, Neria," the man, Davner, told her. Aeka just blinked as she watched her alter-ego and this strange man converse. "Awww," the Aeka with the earrings cooed, approaching him. She reached up and caressed his face. "Davner, let me just answer that one question I know is running through your mind right now," she whispered. Suddenly, she grabbed hold of his ear. He grimaced in pain. "Yes," she said with a smile, "Even if it's another me your drooling on, it's *still* cheating." She released his ear. His hand went up and rubbed it. "Doesn't hurt to ask," he said with a grin. "You're incorrigible!" the third Aeka cried. She started dragging him down the hallway, away from, "those other me's," as she put it. "That was an odd occurrence," Aeka commented. "Yes," the other Aeka told her. "They're married." Aeka blinked in astonishment. "M...Married?" The other Aeka nodded as they began walking again. "From what that other Washu tells me..." "Which one?" "The one with the green earrings. Anyway, from what she tells me, in her universe, Tenchi and Ryoko have a daughter, and I...er...we...er...she...is married to the Prince of Mollidon." "Wait a second," Aeka stopped her. "Are you saying, that in both your universe and hers...I lose Tenchi?" "You really shouldn't look at it like that," the other Aeka told her. She started down the hall again. Aeka just stood there. "Oh and two," she whispered almost painfully. "Now *that*," a green-haired man said, "is a thing of beauty." "Huh?" a tall boy with shaggy dark hair and a leather jacket asked. The man pointed out at the group of Mihoshi's building snowmen on the Masaki front lawn. "Look at them!" he cried. "The most beautiful woman in the galaxy...TIMES TEN!!!" He sighed. "Oh there is a god and he loves me..." The boy blinked. "Well...they are pretty..." "You making eyes at my woman?!" the green haired man asked him quickly. "No! No!" the boy cried in response. "I'm just agreeing with you! That's all!" "Good!" the man replied. He held a hand out. "Seion Makibi." The boy shook it. "Masami Kikuchi," he told him. "Makibi?" he asked. "Any relation to Kiyone Makibi?" "Her brother." "Ah." "What about you? How are you connected to this crew?" "Guinea pig," Masami answered seriously. "And I bum around with Tenchi." Seion smiled. "Got a girlfriend?" "Sort of," Masami told him. "You?" "She's over there," Seion told him, pointing at the mass of Mihoshi's. "Which one?" Masami asked smugly. The green-haired GP paused, then scowled at Masami. "You saying I don't know which one's my girlfriend?" "Oh no!" Masami said, quickly feigning innocence. "I wouldn't dream of it." Seion smiled, then laughed, slapping Masami on the back. The young man fell forward with a cry. To Seion's surprise, it wasn't a human boy on the floor before him, but a small cabbit. "That's new," he remarked. MIIIIIIYAAAA!!!!" He looked up and found two Ryo-Ohki's in ship form crash into each other over the lake. Three more quickly slammed into them. He turned as Tenchi and Ryoko, his hosts, not *his* Tenchi and Ryoko, approached. They watched as the cabbit ships lined up in two neat rows, facing each other. Suddenly, the rammed into one another again. Then, one of them shot an energy beam at the ground. A large carrot that had been sitting there flew, thrown by the impact, over the Masaki Shrine's torii gate. The ship that had made the shot began to spin and miya frantically. "That was odd," Ryoko commented, blinking at the spectacle. Seion nodded. "You're telling me. Usually she goes for the two point conversion..." Aeka found her counterpart in the bedroom she shared with her sister frazzled and on the end of her rope. Standing before her were several Sasami's, all giggling mercilessly at her. "Aeka, what's wrong?" Aeka asked her. Her counterpart turned and sighed. Aeka noticed something on the front of her kimono. A stick-on name tag that said, "Hello, I'm from Universe TLTH." "What's that?" she asked. "Washu's idea," TLTH Aeka told her. "To keep track of us. She says that each of our dimensions has a prefix number or letter on the dimensional chart, so she made these stickers for us. Could you help me hand them out?" "Of course," Aeka told her. "Is there a problem?" "Our sisters are being uncooperative," TLTH Aeka growled. The Sasami's all giggled. "Okay, let me try." Aeka told her. "Sasami, come here," she beckoned to her own sister. About ten Sasami's stepped forward and giggled. "Oh jeez," Aeka sighed. "By the way, do we have stickers?" "Yes," TLTH Aeka said. She handed Aeka a sticker with the letters, "OAV" on them. Aeka quickly affixed it to her chest and tried again. "Alright, will *my* sister please step forward?" The Sasami's took another step forward. "Will the Sasami who blackmailed me into giving her my purple starfire necklace, please step forward?" Five Sasami's took a step. "Now we're getting somewhere," TLTH Aeka said smugly. "All right...Would the Sasami who glued Mihoshi's hand to her head take another step please?" The Sasami's paused and looked at one another. Finally, one of them stepped forward with a "Darn." Aeka grinned triumphantly and placed an OAV sticker on her sister's outfit. "Now for the next one..." Nine more Sasami's grinned at the two Aeka's. "This is going to be bad," TLTH Aeka remarked with a sigh. Tenchi stepped into Washu's lab and gasped in surprise. "Wow," he breathed as he took it all in. The lab had been completely redecorated. It looked like an immense banquet hall! Decorated Christmas trees were set against the wall, and a huge tree stood in the center. Tables had been set up and set for dinner. Against one wall was a stage and Washu's "Washumatic Karaoke 5000" machine. Holiday music was playing in the background. It looked like the lab was preparing for a very large party. "Hey, Tenchi!" He turned and found one of the Washu's there. She had a sticker on her uniform that said, "OAV." "Hi, Washu. What's with the sticker?" "Just a way to keep track of everyone." She quickly stuck one on his chest just like hers. "I take it you think there's going to be too many of us to keep track of," Tenchi stated with an air of uncertainty. "Heh heh heh..." was all Washu would say. Tenchi sighed. "So this is where the big party is going to be, huh?" "Yep! Can't have everyone pile into that tiny living room of ours!" Tenchi sighed again. "Don't worry, Tenchi! It'll be fun! I promise!" "Really?!" Aeka asked excitedly. "You're sure!?" Masami shrugged. "Yeah. I mean they have a kid together..." "REALLY?!" He blinked again. "Yeah...Ayechi...Didn't you know?" "That's wonderful!" Aeka cried in glee. Finally! Finally, she had found *one* universe where she and Tenchi were together! And not only that, together with a *child*! Ecstatic, she reached out and enveloped Masami in a hug. Masami "oomph"'d as the princess crushed the wind out of him. he thought. "Thank you! Thank you!" Aeka cried. "Um...No problem, Princess," he said, blushing a little. Aeka released him and ran to find her sister, the one married to Tenchi. Masami watched her go. Suddenly, he heard an irate feminine voice behind him clear her throat. He gulped and turned. "H..Hi, Yumi," he said nervously. His Jurain girlfriend, Yumi, glared arrows at him. "It's not what you think!" Masami said quickly. "Hmmph!" was all Yumi would say before stalking away. "Yumi! I'm sorry!" he called after her as he began to pursue. "Dammit," he muttered. As he ran, he passed Davner, Derai, and a Tenchi with a nametag that read, "DJ." The men were standing around the refreshment table in the banquet hall, "sampling the drinks to make sure they were appropriately festive," as Davner had put it. "Now, the trick is," Davner explained to Derai, "is to treat her like a woman." DJ Tenchi only smiled, shook his head, and sipped at his drink. "I'm telling you, there isn't a man in her life who's done that for her. Present company excepted, of course," he drawled a second later, gesturing to Tenchi. "Of course," DJ Tenchi told him. "Not a'tall as easy, lad," Derai told him in his brogue. "I wouldna know where ta even begin!" "Why don't you just ask her to have dinner with you?" DJ Tenchi asked. "Och, laddie! I canna do such a thing! What if she said me no!?" "Okay," Davner said, "here's what you do. Watch this." He cleared his throat and waved, calling out across the room. "Neria, darl'n!" Not too far away, one of the other Aeka's looked up from a conversation she was having with a Kiyone and Seion. "Could I trouble you for a second, Neria?" DB Aeka walked up to him. "Davner? Is something wrong?" Before she could react, Davner grabbed her and began whispering something in her ear. Derai and DJ Tenchi watched puzzled as DB Aeka's face got redder and redder. Suddenly, she gasped and fainted away. Davner caught her as naturally as if he'd been doing it for years. He carried her to a nearby chair and laid her in it. Derai and DJ Tenchi just blinked in astonishment. "What did ye say to her, lad?!" Derai demanded. Davner grinned. "Okay, but you have to promise you won't tell another living soul save your Aeka." "Och, ye have me promise! On me own sword I swear it!" Davner leaned up and whispered in Derai's ear. The man's eyes widened in shock, his mouth hung open in astonishment. "ARE YE DAFT, MAN! I CANNA SAY SUCH A DAMN FOOL THING TO HER!" "You'd be surprised," Davner drawled with a grin. "Go on." He pointed at the Aeka across the room, the one with the TLTH nametag. "Are ye sure?" Derai asked nervously. "Aye," Davner said, grinning as he imitated his new friend's accent. "To be sure!" Derai took a deep breath, steeled himself, and walked forward. TLTH Aeka saw him and smiled. "Derai. Is something wrong?" "No, Princess, I just wanted to...um...Well..." He turned back and saw Davner and DJ Tenchi shooing him forward. TLTH Aeka just blinked. Finally, Derai grabbed her. TLTH Aeka cried in surprise. Before she could say anything, he was whispering in her ear. He finished and pulled away as if scalded. TLTH Aeka just stared at him, her face as red as a ripe tomato. She cleared her throat. "Well..." she began. "I...I think...um.....Derai, I...." She flailed about for a minute before saying. "IthinkVelliscallingme!" and running off, tripping over a chair on her way. She quickly stood up, muttered an "I'm terribly sorry," to the Mihoshi who had been sitting there, and running as fast as her feet would carry her. Derai's face fell. He turned to the two men and sighed. "Excellent work, my friend!" Davner exclaimed. "She ran," he told her. "Yeah, they all do that," the Mollidoni assured him. "The point is, she now knows how you feel, and she *didn't* slap you." He grinned. "She can't be *too* offended by the idea if she didn't slap you." Derai blinked, the barest hint of a smile touching his face. Aeka opened the door to her room and stopped suddenly. "Oh, I'm sorry to intrude!" she whispered quickly. DJ Aeka smiled at her as she rocked Ayechi, feeding him from a bottle. "You're not intruding. I just wanted to find a quiet place to feed him. I hope you don't mind." "Not at all," Aeka assured her. She watched as DJ Aeka continued to feed Ayechi. "Um...May I ask a terribly personal favor?" DJ Aeka looked up and nodded. "Can I feed him?" Aeka asked quietly. DJ Aeka smiled and gently placed the infant in Aeka's arms, showing her how to hold him. Soon, Aeka was gently rocking him back and forth. They looked out the window just in time to see Yumi and Masami marching into the front yard, Masami begging Yumi to stop and listen to him. Yumi responded by wadding up some snow and throwing it in his face. "Those two again," DJ Aeka giggled. "Excuse me, but do you think you can feed my son while I go down and make peace between those two?" Aeka nodded. DJ Aeka walked out of the room. She looked down at the baby in her arms and smiled. "Hello there, little prince," she cooed softly. "So you're what my son would look like, huh? Is this your first Christmas?" Ayechi said nothing and continued to suck at the bottle. Aeka smiled. She turned as she heard a knock at the door. Tenchi, her Tenchi, was standing there. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I was looking for my Aeka." Aeka blinked, then realized that Ayechi was blocking Tenchi's view of her nametag. He thought she was DJ Aeka. "Oh, Tenchi, I'm..." "He certainly is cute, isn't he?" Tenchi said softly, looking at Ayechi. Aeka followed his gaze and smiled, nodding. "I'm not really sure what my life is going to be like," he whispered, trying not to disturb the infant. "But I like to think that a baby like Ayechi will be a part of it." Tears actually pooled up in Aeka's eyes. To hear him say that. To hear him say that he hoped to have a son just like Ayechi. For the first time all day, she felt a little hope. Tenchi smiled. "Or a daughter like little Achika," he said, naming DB Ryoko and DB Tenchi's daughter. Aeka's heart sank. Even in other universes, she was in competition with Ryoko. "Well, I better get back downstairs. Could you tell my Aeka that Washu is looking for her?" "Yes, of course," Aeka replied woodenly. Tenchi paused for a moment, then walked out of the room. Aeka looked down at the infant and smiled. "You're a very lucky little boy to have a father like him," she told him. "And from the look of things, very lucky to be at all. That makes you more precious than anything on this Earth." "It's this way," Masami huffed as he walked up the shrine steps, dragging Yumi along with him. "This was a wonderful idea, Masami," she told him. "The sunset over the Masaki Valley in winter is simply wonderful." "Thought you'd like the idea," Masami said with a grin. The two had long since made up after a few diplomatic words from their Aeka. "Right this way," he said. The two cleared the hill and stopped, blinking in shock at the sight that met them. There must have been twenty different couples already sitting on blankets laid out on the hillside, getting ready to watch the sunset. "Figures," Masami muttered. "If it's beautiful in one universe...." "It's beautiful in them all," Yumi finished. "Come on! Let's find a spot!" "Yumi! Masami! Over here!" They turned and found their Aeka and Tenchi waving to them. They quickly threaded their way through the couples, Masami taking notes on them as he went. "Seion and Mihoshi, Kamidake and Mihoshi, Ryoko and Tenchi, Ryoko and Tenchi, Ryoko and Tenchi, Ryoko and Tenchi..." He was still listing couples as they sat down. DJ Aeka had heard the later three quarters of his list and nodded nervously. "I feel like the odd man out," she told them. "So what do you think of them?" DJ Tenchi asked her. DJ Aeka looked around. "They seem nice. No different than us." She suddenly reached out and hugged him. DJ Tenchi blinked. "What was that for?" he asked with a smile. DJ Aeka sighed. "It's hard for you to understand, I guess," she said. "But being here, seeing that I'm the *only* Aeka in *any* universe who ever married you...It makes you that much more special." He smiled and gave her a quick kiss. "Yeah, I can see what you mean," Masami spoke up. "I talked to this universe's Aeka today. Turns out that here, you haven't decided yet, Tenchi." DJ Tenchi blinked. "Wow. I wonder what's keeping me?" Masami shrugged. "All I know is that this universe's Aeka was pretty relieved to see that one of her had gotten you." "I met her," DJ Aeka said. "She looked after Ayechi for me this afternoon." "Where is Ayechi?" Yumi asked. "With Sasami," DJ Aeka told her. DJ Tenchi looked up and waved. "Hey, Davner! Aeka! Over here! Join us!" The group was soon joined by Davner and DB Aeka, who found places next to them. Introductions were made, and the discussion turned back to comparing the different lives they had lived. "No offense to you, Tenchi," Davner drawled, "But because of you, there's a me in your universe crying into a shot glass." He grinned. "Tough, I saw her first," DJ Tenchi replied. "Awww!" DB Aeka cried, looking at a holograph of Ayechi DJ Aeka was showing her. "He's adorable! I have to meet him!" "He's my little prince," DJ Aeka told her. "These are mine," DB Aeka said, opening a small, golden case. A holograph opened up, showing Davner and DB Aeka each holding a baby. "Arin and Elara. Our twins." "Awwwww!" DJ Aeka and Yumi cried. "I can top that!" a Ryoko with a nametag that said, "RL," landing next to them. She pulled out a polaroid. "Yui's baby pictures." "AWWWWWWWW!!!" "I'll see that, and raise you an Achika!" DB Ryoko announced, showing the group another polaroid of a small infant with dark hair and yellow eyes. "Oh? And have you met Vell?" TLTH Aeka asked, getting into the fray with a holograph of her adopted son. "*AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!*" From not far away, they heard Seion mimicking Aeka's accent. "My Vell could kick your Yui's ass!" This was followed by a slap from Mihoshi and a "Seion Makibi!" What began as one couple's desire to see the sunset, quickly turned into a party as each couple showed off their pride and joy. "Ladies and gentlemen!" OAV Washu sounded into the microphone up on the main stage in the lab. "Before we exchange presents, my colleagues and I thought we'd have a little fun!" "DEAR GOD! RUN!" Seion cried from somewhere in the back. Everyone in the banquet hall laughed. "No, Seion, not that kind of fun. No samples today!" Twelve Tenchi's sighed in relief. "No, tonight we have something else in mind! Ladies and gentlemen...the very first...ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TRANSDIMENSIONAL ALL COMERS WELCOME *KARAOKE CONTEST*!!!!" Silence. A cricket chirped as they all stared at Washu. Someone in the back coughed. OAV Washu began to sweat. Finally, a heroic blonde broke the silence. "YAY! A KARAOKE CONTEST!! Kiyone, let's duet together!" "Ack! Hey! I'm not your Kiyone!" "Yeah, she's *my* Kiyone! She's gonna sing with *me*!" Washu heaved a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. OAV Aeka worked her way through the crowd, looking for her sister. She knew that Sasami was crafty and mischievous enough on her own. She shuddered to think of the powers at the disposal of ten or twelve of them. She bumped into TLTH Aeka purely on accident. "Oh, Aeka! Great! We've been looking for you!" OAV Aeka blinked. "What for?" TLTH Aeka pointed at a small group of purple-tressed princesses. "We're going to do a group number. Come on!" She began pulling her OAV counterpart towards the crowd of Aeka's. "A group number? Wait! Perhaps..." "Come on, Aeka! Live a little!" DB Aeka threw in as they approached. "It'll be fun." Aeka looked at the assembled Aeka's. Along with TLTH Aeka and DB Aeka, there was an Aeka with an RL name tag and DJ Aeka. "I don't know..." OAV Aeka said uncertainly. "Tough," DB Aeka said, taking one of her arms. "Let's go rehearse." "Wait just a second!" OAV Aeka cried. "No time," TLTH Aeka told her. "Come along." Tenchi picked up a plate with red and white Christmas carrot cake and a fork. He turned just in time to see the lights dim and three Mihoshi's standing up on stage. A bouncy tune began to play, one that Tenchi found familiar, yet couldn't place. It became even more familiar as the Mihoshi in the center began to sing. "'The morning sun is rising I need to hear your voice again I cannot forgive the ones who tried to steal our dreams The lights across the bay at night We won't quit until we've won the fight Let the anger change the world and set us all free." "Look at the speed Look at the strength Power that's like the sun A flash of light it's might for right MOLDIVER OUR VICTORY!!!" Tenchi face faulted, sighed, and said, "Of course..." He took a few bites of the cake and walked towards the mammoth Christmas tree set in the center of the hall. He wondered where Washu found such a huge tree, and decided that she probably genetically engineered it or something. He could see several Washu's dressed as elves inspecting gifts underneath it. One thing was for sure, this was by far the oddest Christmas yet. "Oh, TEN-CHIIIIIII!!!" was the only warning he got before being glomped a Ryoko wearing a Santa hat. She grinned at him as her arms wrapped around him. "Merry Christmas, Ryoko," he greeted her, simultaneously checking her nametag and making sure she was his Ryoko. "Merry Christmas, Tenchi," she purred. "Looking for presents under the tree?" With a smile, she released him and stretched out under the tree's branches. She plucked a bow off a nearby gift and placed it on her chest. Tenchi suppressed a nose-bleed. "Um...Just looking at the tree," he explained. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ryoko vanished and reappeared next to him. "Yes," she told him. "I've never seen anything like it." Tenchi nodded. Ryoko grinned. "And speaking of stuff I've never seen before, There's someone I want you to meet." She took his hand and began dragging him toward another table. Soon, he found himself standing next to a chair containing a lean, dark-haired girl about his age. She looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't place her. "Um...Hi," he said. "Hello," she said, gesturing to a seat. "Tenchi Masaki," Ryoko said with a grin, "I'd like you to meet...Tenchi Masaki." Tenchi blinked. He looked at the girl's nametag, but only saw the letters, "BM," on it. The girl blinked back at him. Ryoko sat on the other side of the table, next to a Kiyone. "Um...Are you sure?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Tenchi," Female Tenchi told him, offering him a hand. "Yeah, nice to...oops!" While reaching out to shake her hand, the two Tenchi's knocked over their drinks, which splashed over the table and struck Kiyone and Ryoko. "Oh! Sorry!" Both Tenchi's cried at once, taking handkerchiefs out of their pockets. They leaned over to wipe up the mess and bumped heads. "Ow!" they cried. They stopped and bowed to each other. "Gomen nas...Ow!" the cried again as they knocked heads again. "Yup," Ryoko said. "Definitely Tenchi's." "Okay, now this is just eerie," Kiyone commented. Just as Tenchi was finishing wiping up the mess he had made, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw one of Aeka's husbands, the guy with the accent. It took a minute for the name to surface. "Oh, hi, Davner. Something wrong?" The Mollidoni smiled down at him. "Nuth'n particularly," he drawled. "However, we have been summoned." "Er...Summoned?" Tenchi asked, a lump forming in his throat. Davner's smile broadened. "Summoned," he repeated. He took the boy's arm and led him towards the stage. Tenchi found that a group of men were standing there, waiting, including one of him, a Tenchi with a "DJ" on his nametag. "Um...What's going on?" The tall man, Derai, shrugged. "Ya got me on dat one, laddy. We were summ'n'd here same as you." "Yes, it's all quite mysterious," another man in Jurain dress with mid-length hair noted. Tenchi bowed to him. "I'm sorry, we haven't met. Tenchi Masaki...er...OAV Tenchi Masaki, I guess I should say." The Jurain smiled. "Shoji Takazawa, Lord Tenchi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Davner took a look at the men assembled and grinned. "Anyone else see a pattern here?" DJ Tenchi and OAV Tenchi blinked in puzzlement. "What do you mean?" they asked in unison. Before anyone could respond, the curtain opened. Standing on stage in five separate spotlights were five separate Aeka's. "I can't be responsible," DJ Aeka sang into her microphone. "For anything I do now or say now," DB Aeka joined in. "I get too excitable," TLTH followed. "To control the way I behave now," OAV Aeka sang. "I'm afraid of what I'll do!" Aeka's RL counterpart jumped in. "If I find myself alone with you!" "It's just a crime of passion, baby!" "Don't hold it against me!" "I'm innocent!" "I'm just OUT OF MY MIND!" all five finished. "I plead insanity!" the all sang. "Whoa I'm so mad about you," "I can't think straight," "I can't see straight," "I plead insanity!" They pointed down at the assembled men. "All I do is obsess about you!" "I can't work days," "I can't sleep nights!" "I plead insanity!" He blinked dumbfounded as five Aeka's continued their serenade. Finally, the music ended. The entire banquet hall erupted in applause. Tenchi found himself among them. The various Aeka's began hopping down from the stage with help from their "better halves." "Tenchi." He looked up and saw his Aeka smiling down at him. He reached up and helped her down. "Thank you." "Aeka...you were great up there!" he told her sincerely. "Thank you, Lord Tenchi! It was fun." As she said this, DJ Aeka leapt into her husband's arms and kissed him. There was an awkward pause between OAV Tenchi and Aeka. "Well...um..." Tenchi stammered. "It was wonderful, Miss Aeka. Um...I think I should go see how Sasami's doing..." "I sang for you, Tenchi," she told him quickly, but he was already lost in the crowd. She sighed. "I sang for you," she said again softly. "Well," DB Aeka noted to her fellow singers, "I think we have that one locked up." "Dream on, Aeka," DB Ryoko told her. "Just wait till they hear me!" "Hmmph! We'll see." TLTH Aeka saw her OAV counterpart with a saddened expression and took her aside. "Aeka, are you all right?" "Yes, of course," Aeka said quickly. "I guess it's just holiday depression." It didn't take long for TLTH Aeka to make the connection. "Aeka, you shouldn't give up hope. It's Christmas. A time for miracles." OAV Aeka smiled. "You're right, of course." TLTH Aeka smiled and hugged her. "You know, when it became apparent that I was going to lose Tenchi...I honestly contemplated suicide." OAV Aeka blinked in shock. She knew that her feelings for Tenchi were deep, but even she hadn't even *thought* of suicide if she lost Tenchi. TLTH Aeka nodded. "So I know that it hurts to think about losing him. I know about the fear. I know how you cry at night at the thought of him choosing Ryoko. I know all of it." OAV Aeka just stared at her. She was right. Right about all of it. "What will I do without him?" she asked softly. TLTH Aeka smiled. "Live," she said. Before she could say anymore, Vell ran up and jumped into her arms. "Ka Sha!" "Vell! And where have you been?!" OAV Aeka watched as her TLTH counterpart questioned her adopted son about his whereabouts. She couldn't help but smile at seeing how happy they were. Perhaps... The next group of singers was singing a slow song, and Shoji Takazawa naturally wanted to dance with his wife. Searching the crowd, he found her, facing away from him, speaking with a group of Aeka's. He smiled and reached out, taking her arm and twirling her into his arms. "What the..." Aeka cried. Before she could say anymore, he whispered softly to her. "Merry Christmas, Aeka." Then he kissed her. Aeka's eyes went wide. Someone cleared their throat behind them. Shoji turned to find the man he had met earlier, Davner, standing there. "Excuse me," Davner drawled slowly, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but what the *hell* do you think you're doing with my wife?" Shoji looked down at the woman he was holding, who was staring up at him in shock. A pair of dark pink ear rings hung from her ear lobes, and the nametag on her chest read, "DB." Shoji's face turned a deep shade of red. "Shoji?!" He turned and saw *his* Aeka staring at him from not far away. "Oh dear," he muttered. He quickly straightened the young woman and bowed to her. "I am so sorry, Your Highness. I meant no disrespect." DB Aeka was red with embarrassment, and said nothing. Shoji turned to Davner. "You have my sincerest apologies, Davner. No offense was intended." Davner shook his head and smiled. "None taken." He reached back and balled his fist for a punch. DB Aeka jumped between them and grabbed his arm. "DAVNER!" Not far away, Kamidake suddenly found himself under attack. He yelped as a young woman in a GP uniform grabbed him around the waist. "Er...Excuse me, young lady?!" A petite, green-haired woman with purple eyes grinned up at him. "Why so shy, Kamidake?" "Hey!" a Mihoshi with blue warpaint on her face cried out. "What are you doing to my boyfriend?!" "He's not your boyfriend!" Megumi shot back. She pointed at Seion, necking with a Mihoshi not far away. "That's your boyfriend!" "That's not my boyfriend!" the painted Mihoshi told her. Another Mihoshi pushed through the crowd and saw Seion and the other Mihoshi. "THAT'S *MY* BOYFRIEND!!!" Seion looked up and blinked before squeezing his eyes shut in pain. "Awwwww.....CRAP!" On the outskirts of this formenting battle, Tenchi felt Washu grab his hand and begin to drag him under a nearby table. "C'mon, Tenchi! This is going to get worse before it gets any better!" Tenchi followed Washu under a banquet table just as the fight got started. He could only see running feet and hear the sound of angry shouts from his hiding place. Three more Washu's joined them under the table, along with his Aeka and Ryoko. "Now *THIS* is a party!" Ryoko exclaimed with a grin. They tensed as OAV Mihoshi came flying under the table, crying. "THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A BAR BRAWL!!!" she cried. Somewhere out there, glass was breaking. Tenchi sighed. "Washu," he said softly, "As I hide here, I can't help but comment that maybe Kami sama divided us into different dimensions for a *good reason*." The Washu's glared at him. "Oh sure!" she shot back. "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?! Kami sama doesn't want us to fly, Washu! Kami sama doesn't want you to break the speed of tachyons, Washu! Kami sama doesn't want you to blow up suns with a phased tachyon rifle, Washu! Kami sama forbid you should bring some other us's from other dimensions and throw them into one place for a party without preparing them, Washu! You know, it's attitudes like that that keep your race from reaching space and having some *real* fun!" "YEAH!" the other three Washu's chimed in. Tenchi sighed. "Well...what a Christmas this has been," Aeka muttered. "Yeah! Ain't it great?!" Ryoko asked. She was interrupted by the sound of someone landing on the table they were hiding under. "Sure it was good for you," Aeka told her. "Look at the odds!" "I don't know, Aeka. Look how you did." Aeka blinked. "What do you mean?" "Aeka," Ryoko said in shock, "Take a look for yourself. You got two guys out there beating the crap out of one another over *you*. Another one is obviously smitten by you. And one of them is *MY* Tenchi!" Aeka blinked as she realized Ryoko was right. She was so surprised that Ryoko could make a valid point, she totally missed the "My Tenchi," part of her argument. "Well," she admitted, "It *is* kind of nice..." Mihoshi giggled. "How about the two who are fighting over me?!" "Actually, Mihoshi, it looks like there are more of *you* fighting out there than your respective boyfriends," Aeka pointed out. "Oh...Well, it's *almost* the same thing!" From not far away, a table was flipped over. "What do you think of them?" Aeka asked. "Well...They're a lot like us. Some of them are just plain *weird*, though," Ryoko commented. "Did you know Tenchi's a woman in one universe?" Mihoshi asked. "We've met," Tenchi said sheepishly. "No! Not my collection of Mandalorian fungi!!!" Washu cried as a tank of blue-green fungus was knocked over. "So what do we do now?" Mihoshi asked. "I guess we wait for them to tire out," Ryoko began, "Then...when they're all sleepy....we *GET 'EM!*" "But I forgot my gun!" Mihoshi blubbered. "Why don't we just wait for it to quiet down a little and then get out of here?" Tenchi suggested. Before the others could either ratify this plan or reject it, they heard a soft voice begin to sing. "Silent night... Holy night..." Aeka looked out from under the table. "SASAMI!" Up on stage, a mic in her hand, Sasami continued to sing. "All is calm... All is bright..." The single soft voice became many as three more Sasami's joined her on that stage. "'Round yon virgin Mother and Child... Holy infant so tender and mild..." The sounds of fighting began to fade as more blue-haired children joined the choir onstage. "Sleep in heavenly peace..." Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, Mihoshi, and Washu crawled out from under the table. What they saw shocked them. Everyone in the banquet hall was standing stock still, staring up at the stage. "Sleep in heavenly peace..." Silence pervaded the room. From the back, someone began to clap. This was followed by more clapping. Soon, the hall was filled, not with angry brawlers, but with smiling men and women, applauding a wonderful, soulful performance. The Sasami's all smiled and bowed from the waist in thanks. "Kami sama," Tenchi breathed. "It's a miracle." "A Christmas miracle," Aeka affirmed. Davner shook the young man's hand. "Tenchi, if you and the Misses are ever in our dimension, come look us up." "Yes," DB Aeka agreed. "We'd love for little Ayechi to meet the twins." DJ Tenchi smiled and nodded. "Then it's settled. I'll talk to Washu as soon as we get back." "It'll be nice to see the palace again," DJ Aeka noted. "Even if it's not our own." "Hey, Davner," Masami piped in. "I got you and Aeka a Christmas gift." He held up a Sasami, bound and gagged in Christmas ribbon. "Caught them switching nametags around so that we couldn't go home." Davner grinned and held up another Sasami in a similar state. "Yeah, me too. Merry Christmas." The two exchanged princesses. "See you around, Davner," Masami told him. "You too." "I'm rather sorry to go," TLTH Aeka told her OAV counterpart as they walked toward the dimensional portal. "This was a lot of fun. I really needed this." "It was a joy to have you," OAV Aeka told her. "And please, feel free to visit anytime." TLTH Aeka smiled. "I will. I'm sure Vell would enjoy seeing his Aunty Aeka." OAV Aeka felt a surge pride. "Thank you." TLTH Aeka reached out and hugged her. "Merry Christmas, Sister." "Merry Christmas," OAV Aeka whispered back. They watched as Derai walked past them, giving TLTH Aeka a quick look and swiftly turning away before walking through the portal. "I have a feeling about this Christmas," TLTH Aeka mused. She smiled at her "sister." "And you?" OAV Aeka smiled. "I think it's going to be a wonderful Christmas indeed." OAV Sasami waved as another of her sisters/co-conspirators disappeared through the door. "Bye! Come back soon!" She sighed. It had been a great Christmas party, and she had met a lot of other Sasami's. It felt more like a reunion than a party. Even so, she was a little disappointed. Out of all the Sasami's she's met, there had been very little difference between all of them. Aeka and Ryoko got to meet husbands and friends and other selves who had changed so much. She backed up and hit someone. She turned, intent on apologizing. She paused when she saw who she had bumped into. A tall, blue-haired woman with pink eyes stared down at her. Sasami looked and saw that her name tag said, "TLA." She didn't recall meeting a Sasami from that universe. "Hi," her own voice greeted her. "Hi!" Sasami said excitedly. "We didn't meet at the party." The older Sasami shook her head. "No, we arrived late." "Oh. Do you have to leave so soon?" Sasami asked sadly. Just when she had met an older version of herself, she was leaving. "I'm afraid so," the older princess told her. "You have a merry Christmas, Sasami. Believe me, each one is special." This last statement scared Sasami a bit. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "It's time to go, Sasami," a dark-haired man told TLA Sasami, resting his hands on her shoulders. "All right. I'm coming." She turned back to Sasami as the man turned away again. She smiled. "Everything's fine now." Sasami smiled as her older self and the man stepped through the portal. "Washu, you have to promise me here and now that you'll never do that again," Tenchi told the petite scientist. Washu sighed. "Very well, Tenchi. I promise never to invite other dimensional us's here for a Christmas party ever again." "You swear?" Tenchi asked. "We almost lost the house... again..." "I swear!" Tenchi sighed. "Okay." He turned and walked off. Washu turned to Mihoshi and Sasami, who were standing a few feet away. "I wonder what they're all doing for Labor Day?" she asked with a grin. "YAY!" Mihoshi and Sasami cried. Tenchi found Aeka standing out on the dock, looking out at the lake. The moon was high in the sky. It was very late. She didn't turn to him. "Aeka?" he called out softly. She turned. "Lord Tenchi?" "Are you okay?" She smiled in the moonlight. "I'm fine, Lord Tenchi. The party was absolutely wonderful." "It was definitely....different," he told her. She laughed. "That it was." "It was fun, though," he added. She smiled. "Did you get anything interesting for Christmas, Tenchi?" "Usual stuff," he said. "A few shirts from my aunt. Hentai from my dad...." Aeka giggled and blushed slightly. Tenchi smiled. "What about you?" he asked. "What did you get for Christmas?" She looked at him for a moment, then looked up at the stars. "Hope, Tenchi," she told him quietly. "Hope." "That is what Christmas is all about, Aeka," he told her. "Hope." The two stared up at the stars, oblivious to the cold, as Christmas Eve night gave way to Christmas Day... Author's Notes: I trust you were able to spot your favorite fic characters easily enough. :) If not, here are the translations. TLTH - To Love and To Hate DJ - Dark Juraian RL - Ryoko's Love DB - Destiny's Balance TLA - The Last Avatar BM - Bishonen Muyo "I Plead Insanity" is the property of Belinda Carlisle. The Moldiver theme is the property of Pioneer. Once again, I'd like to thank the various authors of the fics used in this holiday celebration. You guys are great. ^_^ Please send any C&C to Thomas "009" Doscher at doscher009@hotmail.com Thanks, and have a happy holiday. ^_^