Tenchi Muyo! Does not belong to me. I'm borrowing the characters for this story and that's it. No money is being made here. The Show By Kenzie Kennedy "Oh, that's pretty, Ayeka!" Sasami said in admiration. Ayeka held up a kimono that was a light lavender sparkling with silver flowers. "It is, isn't it?" Ayeka chuckled. She had made sure the sparkle didn't come off like the cheap ones. Glitter is so annoying that way, she thought. Mihoshi was curled up in one of the chairs reading a comic book. She was working through the stack of the ones on the floor beside her. Tenchi looked at a mechanical something he had bought. "I can't figure out how it works." He mumbled as he looked at the instructions again. "What's it supposed to do?" Sasami asked. "It is supposed to be something that records your voice. I've never had one and I thought it would be good for classes." Tenchi told her. *** Washu and Ryoko came out of the lab after stowing her garden stuff in one of the closets. Ryoko headed to her bags of things that were on the floor beside Ayeka. "Hey, Ayeka, what do you think of this?" Ryoko asked. Ayeka looked at what Ryoko was holding up. A piece of misty cloth that wouldn't cover an inch of Ryoko's body where it counted. "M-miss Ryoko!" she gasped. "How could you wear something like that?" Ryoko grinned. "Well, Ayeka, Tenchi asked me to buy it..." Tenchi, hearing his name, looked over. Instant nosebleed. "Now, look what you've done!" Ayeka fumed. Ryoko laughed. "It's an illusion projector, Ayeka." Ryoko turned it off and the wispy cloth vanished. "That wasn't funny, pirate." Ayeka let a small grin play on her face. "No. You know what isn't funny." Ryoko paused. "That wasn't mine." Ayeka's face turned puzzled. Ryoko pointed at Washu and struggled not to laugh. Washu was trying to tell Tenchi how to record his voice. "Washu, how do you know so much about these?" Sasami asked. "I had a friend who worked on this model for his dissertion." Washu said absentmindedly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryoko's illusion-maker. Her eyes narrowed. "Little Ryoko, not that I don't think you're a grown up girl and all, but can you show me what you're projecting?" Washu said in a wheedling voice. Ryoko and Ayeka looked up, guilty faced. "Um..." Ryoko trailed. Washu marched over and held out her hand. Ryoko held the device away from her. "Why should I?" Ryoko demanded. "Because I'm your mother, that's why." With a skill beyond her twelve physical years, she snagged the device from Ryoko. Pressing the button, she saw the image. Sighing, she handed the illusion-maker back. "You always did have a fascination with my lingerie." Ayeka snickered behind one hand. Ryoko gave her a shut up look. "I did not!" Ryoko protested to Washu. Washu hmphed and snatched something out of mid-air. "Yes, my little Ryoko, you did." All three pictures were of Ryoko dancing around wildly in Washu's lingerie. Ryoko's face turned red and tried to keep the pictures away from Ayeka. Like Washu, Ayeka succeeded in getting what she wanted. "My, my, you were naughty, Ryoko." Ayeka said and passed them to Mihoshi. The blond tittered until Ryoko rescued them. "Thanks." Washu said as Ryoko shoved them at her. She thought at Ryoko, "How about I put them on the academy's bulletin board?" "Don't you dare!" Ryoko thought furiously. Washu grinned and went back to the recorder. *** After everyone had gone to bed for hours, Ryoko crept off the rafter and into Washu's lab. Making her way through all the computers, cages, wires, etc. that filled the lab, she entered the house. Perking her ears up, she identified that Washu was home and asleep. Ryoko grimaced. Washu wouldn't even hear her the way she was snoring. She got her paper from one of the bags in the garden, took it downstairs, and started playing with the ideas in her mind. The stack of paper dwindled, the pile of wadded up balls of paper grew around the room, and a thin collection of gardens grew throughout the night. *** Reaching into her consciousness and the outside "real world", Washu opened her eyes slowly. She hadn't slept this well since before Kagato had taken her away and put her in a capsule. Getting out of bed and pulling on a robe, she opened the door and stepped outside. Artificial light streamed through the window at the end of the hall. Washu blinked quickly. I've got to tone that down in the morning. It's too bright. Eyes open, mildly awake, Washu stepped into the living room. Curled up on the floor, in the middle of a pile of paper, was Ryoko. Washu smiled. So that's why I slept well, someone else was in the house with me. How many times had she found her daughter down here in the morning? Ryoko's faint voice in her memory told her that this was the only place where there was enough space to stretch out her ideas. Didn't her mother care about her artistic ability? Shaking her head, Washu avoided the papers on her way to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she took out eggs, a small bit of sushi, bacon, and some milk and juice. *** Ryoko opened her eyes quickly. Where was she? "Oh, I see my little sleeping beauty has woken up. Ready for your breakfast, Ryoko?" Washu called to her daughter, knowing she wouldn't remember where she was. Ryoko sat up quickly and winced as her back squeaked. "Yeah, Mom, whatever." She grumbled. Ryoko frowned. Weird sense of d‚j… vu. Washu held up her plate and motioned to the stool beside her. "It's up here, warm and waiting for you." Ryoko got up and slowly walked over. "So," Washu nodded toward the paper scattered all over, "what have you decided on?" "I don't know." Ryoko mumbled through her scrambled eggs. "I can't decide." "Want me to take a look?" Washu offered. "I've seen the shows before." "I think I can put together a garden! Look at the one upstairs." Ryoko said. "You were younger and that was two thousand years ago." Washu replied. "Besides, I can also tell you what's been done a thousand times." "All right," Ryoko said after hesitating a bit. She finished her breakfast shortly after Washu. Ryoko went to the floor and sat down. Washu quickly followed and paid attention to the drawings. *** "Okay, so you say this one's been done." Ryoko sighed. "Yes, but not with American flowers and not with your touch on it." Washu insisted. "I think it would look lovely." Ryoko half-heartedly held it up again. A simple cottage in the background, a stream, shrubs, and an iron gate. "But it's so plain." "Plain is not what I would say. Simplistic compared to the others you thought up. You only have today and tomorrow to set it up. And I can't help you set it up or give you enhanced flowers or anything like I did last time. Only people who are unrelated to you and not anyone with the academy." "I won't need them." Ryoko grinned. "Okay, this one it is." Ryoko held her hands up to her chin. "Now, who can I get to build the cottage for me while I do the flowers?" *** "Oh, Nobuyuki?" Ryoko asked. "Nobuyuki looked up from his newspaper. "Yes, Ryoko?" he asked. "I need something built." Ryoko stated. Nobuyuki's eyes almost flew out of his head. "What would it be?" he asked cautiously. "I need a small cottage about eight feet by ten feet with a door in the front. Door in the eight foot side so it's longer than it is wide." Ryoko outlined what she wanted. Nobuyuki nodded at the idea. "What is it for?" he asked. Ryoko smiled. "It's a surprise." *** "So what are we building this for, Dad?" Tenchi asked holding up a board so his father could nail it to the side of the building. "Ryoko said it was a surprise." Nobuyuki muttered with a nail in his mouth. "Maybe it's for Sasami to play in or something." Tenchi nodded and brought the next board over. *** A few hours later, the two men stood back and looked at it. Nobuyuki scratched his head. He finally said, "Well, it isn't as pretty or as solid as I'd like, but Ryoko said it didn't have to be." "How is she going to get it inside?" Tenchi wondered out loud. "Simple." Ryoko said from behind him in his ear. Tenchi jumped and Ryoko laughed. "Hey, Ryoko, what do you want it for?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko just winked at him. She walked up to the building and concentrated. If I can take a person with me, I should be able to take a building, she thought. Both she and the building phased out of existence. Tenchi and Nobuyuki shrugged with the care of two men who had seen this stuff all the time. *** Panting, Ryoko fell beside the building. I'm not going to do that again! A few minutes later, she stood up and looked at the structure. It's perfect. Now where did I put those plans? She rummaged around until she found them. Now to start on the plants... *** Until dinner time, Ryoko worked. Then after dinner. Washu prodded her to go to sleep sometime after midnight. Ryoko slept and appeared again just before dawn. Washu woke up in the morning to find Ryoko in the house again. I could get used to this, Washu thought. Good sleep makes for good experiments, you know! Ryoko was awake and mumbled a hello to Washu as she made her way to the kitchen. To fit the problem of where Ryoko would work on her garden, Washu stretched the ceiling of the house a bit, built a platform for Ryoko to work on, and was able to keep an eye on her work. Washu finished pouring herself a glass of orange juice and sat on the stool to admire her daughter's work. A stone wall three feet high was around the edge with a break for an iron gate. It was shaped like a flat ice cream cone with the wall around the circular part and the cottage back in the point end. Leading up to the cottage in a direct line from the gate was a stone path with fitted flat stones, not gravel and not those oval ones that you have to stretch your legs to get to. From halfway on the left to halfway on the right in a half circle flowed a tiny stream. On the left was a fountain it spurted out of and on the right it settled into a nice little pond with lily pads blooming. A solid stone slab went over the stream where the path went over it. Surrounding the pond was a mulched area. "So, what's next, Little Ryoko?" Washu called up. Ryoko paused and stared around at her work. "I've got to get all of it planted and mulched today." "Aren't you supposed to plant, then mulch?" Washu asked. "Yes..." "Then why did you mulch around the pond?" Washu asked innocently. Ryoko noticed this and almost tore her hair out. "Why don't you come down and have some breakfast?" Washu called. Ryoko appeared downstairs. "There's too much to do." She moped. "Nonsense! My little girl can do anything." Washu prompted. Ryoko continued to mope. Washu hatched an idea which is nothing new for the number one scientific genius in the universe. *** Ryoko began to work again after Washu left. Checking off things in her mind, she thought I've got to plant the shrubs around the pond, then mulch them. I want that little red maple I bought to go just beyond them. Over on the other side I want flowers, but I don't want this side to go without color that's why the lily pads are here and the red maple. I want a bit of greenery around the house, maybe some creeping vine that flowers? "Hi, Ryoko." Ryoko's head came up out of her wandering. She turned around to see... Ayeka. Uncomfortable under Ryoko's eyes, she looked defiantly at the pirate anyway. "Miss Washu said you needed some help." Ryoko's eyes narrowed. Washu, you're going to get it someday and I'm going to be there to watch! Ayeka noticed her reaction. She was going to start walking out, but then she caught what Ryoko was surrounded by. "Ohhh," Ayeka breathed. Picking up her dress she walked up the stairs quickly to the platform. "It's lovely." "You really think so? You don't think it's, well, corny?" Ryoko asked anxiously. "No, no, it's very pretty. Is this what you needed help with?" Ayeka said curiously. Ryoko sighed. "Washu had no right to ask you." She finally said. "But she did ask, Ryoko, and I am here to help." Ayeka folded her hands in front of her. Ryoko took a good look at Ayeka. Here was someone offering to help and be a friend to her and she was refusing. Ryoko cast a small smile at Ayeka. "I guess I do need help." "In more ways than one, but let us concentrate on the garden, pirate." Ayeka said with a grin. Ryoko outlined what she had to do in the garden, but didn't tell Ayeka why. Ayeka didn't ask why either. Tench had told her that Ryoko had wanted a small house and had asked if Ayeka knew why. Ayeka had told him no. "Well, let's get started." Ayeka said. Washu walked into the house and heard Ayeka's statement. "Why don't you go into my room first and change into something else?" she offered. Both ladies turned around from on top of the platform. Ayeka had been near the edge and she lost her balance. She shrieked as she fell off... And landed gently on her feet as Ryoko caught her hands and lowered her to the ground. "You know, princess, there are easier ways to get off of there. The stairs next time?" Ryoko smirked. "Which way is it, Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked, trying to salvage her dignity. "Go down this hallway and it's the first door on the right. There'll be a closet and look in the white section. All things that are white should be gotten dirty on principle." Washu said. As Ayeka got out of distance, Ryoko started to ask Washu what she thought she was doing. "Just listen to me for a minute. You've been trying to make friends with Ayeka, haven't you? Of course you have, I've seen you go out of your way to be polite. She's had gardens before, why do you think she likes being outside? She's not afraid to get dirty in a garden, believe me. It'll be a good bonding experience for the both of you." Washu finished. *** Ayeka had changed very quickly and came back out in a few minutes. Her dress slipped off very easily and the clothes Washu had fit her well. "Well, where are the gloves, Miss Ryoko?" she called as she walked into the room. "Here you go, Ayeka. If you need anything, I'll be in the lab. I'll come back and fix lunch for you two." Washu waved as she left the house. "It's a good thing she's going to fix lunch. I'll be hungry after all this and your cooking." Ryoko made a gagging noise. "I'd like to mention that yours isn't any better." Ayeka and Ryoko grinned and Ryoko started telling her where she wanted plants. *** Washu stretched her hands back, trusting her cushion to keep her on balance and not let her fall. "I wonder what time it is?" she wondered out loud. "It is one o'clock." The computer's voice told her. Washu fell off the cushion. "Oh, no! I forgot to fix lunch! And if one of them cooks, they'll never finish the garden." She got to her feet and ran to the house. *** Upon reaching it, she listened hesitantly for sounds of clinking silverware. Hearing none, she opened the door slightly. "So, you want this maple here or back here?" Ayeka asked. "Back there." Ryoko pointed with a trowel. Washu crept into the kitchen and started fixing lunch. Neither of the two noticed her until she called, "Lunch!" "Oh, Miss Washu!" Ayeka self consciously tried to get some of the dirt off her clothes. "Hey, you want to stop that!" Washu yelled with a grin on her face. "I told you that was to get dirty. You want to ruin my experiment?!" "No, Miss Washu." Ayeka said with a sigh. "Come on. Washu makes pretty good food." Ryoko bounded down the stairs, Ayeka following her. Ryoko felt another d‚j… vu. Washu's eyes sparkled. Yup, Ryoko was definitely on the verge of remembering something very important to her. Now if she could only arrange it... "Here you go, Ayeka. Guests first!" Washu slapped Ryoko's hand with the wooden spoon when she tried to eat first. Ayeka snickered as she took the spoon and fed herself out of the dishes. Taking her first bite, her eyes widened. "This is good!" she exclaimed. "Hmph. Thought Sasami was the only one who could cook, huh?" Washu grumbled. Everyone pretty much ate in silence after that. Washu went back to her lab and Ryoko and Ayeka worked on the garden. The two girls talked of various things mostly to do with gardening. "So, Ryoko, how did you come up with the idea of making a garden?" Ayeka asked. "Oh, well, I've seen Sasami playing around and picking flowers and I thought it might be nice for her to have a place to play." Ryoko added quickly, "Don't tell her about it, though, it's a surprise." Ayeka nodded sagely. *** Dinnertime rolled around and Ryoko planted the last live plant in the soil Washu guaranteed would make the plants thrive. She hadn't invented it, but she knew the person who had and he did generally good work she had said grudgingly. Ryoko and Ayeka stood together and looked at it proudly. "It's beautiful, Ryoko." Ayeka said to break the silence. "Yeah, it is. Thank you for the help." Ryoko thanked her. The girls went to dinner and didn't speak of the garden at all. Tenchi and Nobuyuki didn't speak of the house because they all thought it was a surprise for Sasami. Ryoko spent the dinnertime thinking. It had been a good idea for the garden to go to Sasami. No one would have to know about the show or her garden upstairs in Washu's, our house, she corrected herself. So, when are you going to let them know? Washu thought to Ryoko. About what? About your show silly Ryoko! They'll all want to come! I don't want them to. Ryoko stared at her rice and ate mechanically. Washu's mind-voice went silent. Why not? She finally asked. They'll laugh. Ryoko, you may be good enough to make a play garden but a show? Ryoko, gardens are good enough for your time, but don't make other people look at them. That's what they'll say... No they won't! They like you and they won't laugh. Washu tried to convince her daughter of this, but it was no go. Ryoko wouldn't tell them and she made Washu promise as well. *** Early the next morning, Washu woke Ryoko up off the rafter. "Come on, I'm going to need your help." She said. Ryoko rolled off the rafter and appeared next to Washu. They both disappeared into the lab. Washu made Ryoko dress in one of the outfits she had just gotten under Washu's supervision. Ryoko thought she was kidding at the time. The sedate kimono just wasn't her. It was dark blue which complimented her hair, but other than that it was so... undaring. "We need to go and register." Washu explained. "You don't want half the Academy running and hiding from the Dread Pirate Ryoko, do you?" "It might be fun." Ryoko grinned. "Not if they bar you from the exhibit. After you're registered and your garden's there, they can't kick you out no matter what you wear only if you make a disturbance." Washu grinned. "I know. At one of these exhibits, a friend of mine came to it completely "without apparel"." Washu and Ryoko disappeared into the portal. *** They appeared inside the Academy. Washu dragged Ryoko to the registration desk, got her registered, and the garden transported. After checking where the hall was and seeing that her garden had been transported safely, they went home. Back in the lab, Washu said, "We have to leave for the opening of the exhibit around five o'clock Earth time. It'll be just before dinner, so we'll eat at the Academy." Ryoko agreed with her and waited excitedly for dinnertime by spending a little quality time with Tenchi. Just talking and being around each other. *** Four o'clock and Ryoko was waiting impatiently in Washu's lab. Washu came out of the part of the lab she was working on to find Ryoko waiting impatiently. Of course, Ryoko made it very clear she was waiting impatiently. Washu thought it was cute. "Ryoko, you're going to have to go without me." Seeing her daughter's dismay, she added quickly, "I'll be following you in about a half hour. I have to get something ready for your exhibit, but you have to be there on time." Ryoko sighed. "Do I have to wear the same clothes?" "Nope!" Washu cheered. "Wear whatever you want, just make sure it's fancy. There will be a lot of people at this shindig and I don't want anyone looking down their nose at my little girl. Now to prevent that I did go to the trouble of shopping for you." Washu pulled out a lovely deep blue gown. It was shimmering in the light and had a slit up to her hip. "I also bought shoes." Washu dangled them in her other hand. *** After Ryoko had changed, Washu looked at her daughter with a cynical eye, though inside she was glowing at seeing her daughter look so proud of her appearance. "Nope, it won't do." She pronounced. Ryoko looked at her semi-angrily. "What is it?" she asked. "You'll need these." Washu pulled a pair of sapphire earrings out of thin air and a teardrop necklace to match. "I wore them to my first fancy party at the academy. Now they're yours." Ryoko fixed the earrings in her hair, but couldn't latch the necklace. Sighing, Washu formed into her adult self and fastened it for her. "Now, I'll be in my adult form some of the night tonight, so don't be alarmed. My colleagues are used to seeing both." "Thank you, Washu." Ryoko said. Washu beamed. "I think I hear your garden calling you." *** Washu sighed after Ryoko had left. The thing she had said she hadn't finished was completed. Now how to get around that promise... An evil grin affixed itself to her face. Simple. Don't tell them. *** "Um, everyone?" Washu said. Ayeka, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Tenchi were gathered in the living room deciding what show to watch during dinner. "Yes, Miss Washu?" Ayeka said politely. "I have a favor to ask." At Tenchi's wince, she added, "Not a bad favor." Now that she had everyone's attention, she continued. "There's an event at the academy I'd like to go to, but I just don't feel like going alone. Would anyone like to come with me? Please?" "Sure, Washu, I'll go with you!" Sasami jumped up. "Oh, but what about dinner?" "I'll buy us dinner." Washu said. "In that case, why don't we all go?" Tenchi said. Everyone nodded. "This is an event a lot of people will be going to." Washu said. Ayeka immediately translated "a lot of Rich people". "Ah, so best dress, Miss Washu?" Ayeka winked. Washu winked back. "Exactly right. Now don't worry, I've got clothes for everyone." *** The part gathered later with Ayeka and Sasami both in richly colored dresses admitting their princess-hood to the world, Tenchi in the equivalent of a Earth suit of Jurai that was a compromise between the two worlds. Earth suit with Juraian motif and colors. Mihoshi was in a yellow sundress that suited her just as well as anything richly made. They all marched into the lab and into the academy. *** Ryoko looked around nervously. I'm lost, aren't I? No, I am not lost! She looked around for signs to the show, but none were in eyesight. A student came around the corner. Ah-ha, there's someone I can ask. Ryoko started determinably toward the male student. "Hey! Can you direct me to the garden exhibition?" The student looked up as he spoke. "Yeah, it's right down-" His eyes widened. "The Space Pirate Ryoko!" "Yup, that's me. You were about to tell me where the garden show was." She prompted. "Oh, please, don't destroy it! Why would you want to harm a garden show? My exhibit's in there!" He wailed. "I don't want to-" "Oh, please!" The student continued to plead with her. "What's all this?" An older gentleman honed in on the noise. Ryoko backed away hesitantly. "Oh, sir! She's going to destroy the show!" the student bawled. The gentleman looked at her. "I am not!" Ryoko said hotly. "I just want to know how to get there so I can sit with my garden." "Sir, don't believe her, she'll destroy the whole thing and my work will be for nothing!" The student says. "Kerrit, why don't you run along to the cafeteria and get some water. Don't let anyone know the dread pirate Ryoko is here or there will be a panic. If you tell, I'll take half your grade." The teacher threatened. "Yes, sir!" One fearful look at Ryoko and he ran off. The teacher looked at Ryoko and chuckled. "Still putting the fear into young men, eh, Ryoko?" "Do I know you?" Ryoko blurted out. The man chuckled and polished his glasses on his shirt. "I'm a colleague of your mother Washu. She said you lost your memories?" he asked. "Yes, but I got them back a few weeks ago." Ryoko said cautiously. Just because this man claimed to know Washu was no reason to think highly of him. Tons of people knew Washu like Kagato. "Ah, then you might remember me. I'm Dr. Krugel. Name doesn't ring a bell? All right, how about that assignment I gave you to come up with ten solar system models that actually worked and you picked ones that-" "Only had one sun so I wouldn't have to do the work." Ryoko chuckled. "I remember you!" "Now where was it you said you wanted to go?" Dr. Krugel asked. "The garden show." Ryoko supplied. Dr. Krugel nodded. "Always had your head planted in that garden with the rest of the plants. Washu couldn't drag you out of there to go to school without a fight. So what's the new garden like?" Ryoko and Dr. Krugel talked all the way to the hall. *** "Yup, this is it." Washu looked around for Ryoko. Her exhibit was in sight, but no Ryoko. Washu sighed. She must've gotten lost or hungry. Either that or remembered something. Alira isn't supposed to show up until six. "So, what do we do now, Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked. "We look around at the nice exhibits. Uh, why don't we leave this row until later, okay?" Washu asked. The rest shrugged and followed Washu. *** "So this is your newest conconction, hmm?" Dr. Krugel examined it with an interested eye. "It's very good. That," he gestured toward the building, "isn't your work is it?" "I drew up the plans for what I wanted and the two of the men of the household I live in built it." Ryoko said proudly. Dr. Krugel nodded. "Tell me more about this household." "Well, first Yosho locked me in the cave." Ryoko began. *** About a half hour later, Washu peeked down the aisle. Ah, there was Ryoko! "Let's go down this one now." Washu herded the rest of her party the way she wanted them to go. "And now we all live together. Princess Ayeka, Princess Sasami, Prince Tenchi, me, Washu, and Galaxy Police First Class Detective Mihoshi." Ryoko finished with a little ceremony of names. Dr. Krugel shook his head. "So many different personalities in one place." "Yeah, tell me about it." Ryoko and Dr. Krugel laughed. *** "Ah, this is a very nice garden. We saw one like this in the garden show in Tokyo." Tenchi said to Mihoshi. "Oh, really?" Mihoshi said. Ayeka's eyebrows came together. This looked like Ryoko's garden. Yes, I remember planting that maple. What is the meaning of this? Washu watched them all, a delicious thrill going down her back. Any moment now they'd realize that the blue-haired lady who had her back to them was really Ryoko... "Excuse me, ma'am." Ayeka tapped the shoulder of the lady talking to a gentleman near the garden. The lady turned around. *** Oh, no! How'd they get here? Ryoko thought quickly. Her eye caught a flash of red hair. Washu. "Ryoko, why did you tell us your garden was here?" Ayeka asked. "I had a hand in helping make it, I would have liked to sit here with you." Tenchi noticed Ayeka talking to ... Ryoko?! He walked over and tilted his head to one side. "Ryoko?" he asked. Her eyes looked at him a little fear held in their depths. "Is this yours?" he asked. She nodded. "It's wonderful!" he exclaimed. Ryoko's face lit up with happiness. "Oh, wow, Ryoko, did you make this?" Mihoshi said. "It's really beautiful!" "I thought this was for Sasami?" Ayeka and Tenchi said at the same time. "Wow, this is mine?" Sasami almost cheered. "It's great, Ryoko!" "Umm..." Ryoko said. "Washu? Washu?" There was no response. Ryoko looked over to where she had left Dr. Krugel. The two scientists were standing about ten feet from each other. Two equally disdainful looks graced their faces. Their eyes were locked on each other. "Dr. Hakubi." Dr. Krugel said. "Dr. Krugel." Washu sneered. They stared at each other with contempt in their eyes. Ryoko's eyes flew back and forth between her mother and her old teacher. Dr. Krugel's face started to contract into weird shapes. Ryoko thought, Is something wrong? Dr. Krugel finally grinned. Washu jumped up and down pointing at him and yelling, "You broke first! You broke first!" A grin on his face, Dr. Krugel opened his arms. "Washu!" Washu smiled and said, "Arram!" They started toward each other, arms spread for a hug, when Dr. Krugel stopped three feet from her. "Washu, adult please. I don't want people to think I'm molesting my students." Washu looked at him coyly. Her adult form sprang into being and she purred, "Oh, so you've stopped from when I was a student then?" "Come here you!" Dr. Krugel wrapped his arms around Washu and gave her a mighty hug. "All right, you can drop the adult form if you want now." He said after the hugging. "Awww..." Washu said and her voice went from mature to childlike. "Um, what's the joke?" Ayeka said. Washu grinned. "Dr. Krugel used to have at least one girl "fall in love" with him every semester so at the beginning of his first class he says, "I understand that girls have feelings and teachers are often the recipients of those feelings. Please wait to express any feelings you may have toward me after your final grade." Washu's grin got even bigger. "I was the only one who's ever followed him up on it." Mom? You, uh... Ryoko said mentally. No, Ryoko. He's a confirmed bachelor and I'm a confirmed mad scientist. But when it wouldn't be... politic... for us to turn someone down we use each other as an excuse. Ryoko sighed. Ayeka looked around and couldn't see her sister Sasami anywhere. "Ryoko, have you seen Sasami?" she asked. Ryoko looked in back of her. "She's in the garden." Ryoko did a double take. "In the garden?!" Grasping the iron gate, Ryoko looked at her beloved garden. "Soooo, realistic!" someone cooed. Ryoko looked in the direction of the voice. "Yes, dear. To have a child playing in the garden is better than some of the other ones." The man's voice stressed other as if it were something horrible. The man and woman were very dressed up and very expensively dressed for that matter. "I like it, dearest. It's simplistic." The lady pointed one bejeweled and bedecked hand toward the pond. "See there? The gardener put no plants that would shed unseemly in the pond. And those flowers are all out of the way so I won't get stung. I must have this garden!" She turned and looked around. "Who is the owner of this display?" Ryoko was shoved from behind. "I am." She said. The woman marched up to her. "I want this garden. How much?" Ryoko was stunned. Someone actually wanted her garden? "It's not for sale," Ayeka said behind her. "What's that?" the woman said not to politely. "I said, the garden is not for sale. It has already been bought for that little girl." Ayeka said. The woman did not recognize either Sasami or Ayeka. "Come, come, I'll pay you twice what she's offering." The woman said to Ryoko. "Ma'am, do you know who I am?" Ayeka said mildly. "No." the woman looked down her nose at Ayeka. "I am the Crown Princess Ayeka of the Planet Jurai." Pointing to Sasami, she said, "That is my sister, Princess Sasami. I'm afraid if you want another garden like this one you'll have to have Ryoko's services." The woman flipped away her purse. "Hmm... A garden with the flowers I want in it, perhaps with a more expensive house? Yes. Miss...?" "Ryoko," Ryoko said. "Miss Ryoko, do you have a card that says where I can reach you. It will take some days for me to get all of the catalogs together, but then we can sit down and I can show you exactly what I want done and where." "Um..." Ryoko stalled. Washu stepped forward. "Yes, Lady Areta. I'm so sorry that I forgot to put these out where you could get one. Here's a pamphlet that has her number in it." Washu handed her a pamphlet. "Yes, thank you." The lady swept off. Ryoko stared after her. Washu said, "Ah, yes, the Lady Areta. A bit snobbish, but she's funded some of my work in the past. A bit flighty, but she's nice once you get past all that jewelry." Washu thought privately, Poor Ryoko. She's used to killing that type of person not talking with them. As the group started to talk about the garden again, Washu sidled up to Dr. Krugel. "Arram, your daughter wouldn't still be about, would she?" "Yes, she would be. Remember, I adopted her around the same time you popped Ryoko out of the vat. Her sorceress mother was of that peculiar race that lives in its twenties for its entire lifespan then falls over when they die." He nodded toward Ryoko. "Are you sure that her memories are that complete? "She says they are. She's waiting for her current life to spark the past." Washu winked. "Got a match?" Dr. Krugel chuckled. Flicking his wrist com on, he talked into it for a few seconds, then shut it off. "What'd you tell her?" Washu asked. "Just that there was something in the exhibition she'd like to see." The two scientists grinned at each other. *** Ryoko was talking with Tenchi about the little house when a bright loud voice called, "Daddy?" "Over here, pumpkin!" Dr. Krugel waved. A very tall humanoid female bounded toward him. She was very lean and boyish but her hair was almost to the floor and fanned out behind her like a peacock's tail. "So, what did you want me to have a look at?" she panted. "This garden is very good. I thought you might like it." He gestured to the garden. She frowned. "Dad, you know I'm not really into gardening." Still, she turned her head obligingly to look. Her eyes widened. "Dad..." "Yes, dear?" he said idly. "You said she forgot her first fifteen years." Taking off his glasses and polishing them, he said, "Something recently has restored them. She's not actively seeking the memories, rather letting them come to her as they are inspired by her new life." Chiro (pronounced Shee-ro) paused. A wide grin began to grow on her face. "I'll think I'll go introduce myself. If you'll excuse me, Lady Washu." Washu gestured toward Ryoko. "Be my guest." Chiro wandered slowly up to the exhibit, not heading straight for Ryoko. Making the move of brushing up against her, Chiro was pleased to see Ryoko turn around. "Hello." Chiro said. "Hello," Ryoko said sounding puzzled. I know this person... she thought. "You don't know who I am, do you, Ryoko?" Chiro loved this. It was so her! "No, I don't." Ryoko unconsciously took a defensive pose. Chiro recognized this. Chiro hung her head sadly. "You don't-don't remember?" Chiro said trying to keep from laughing. "Ah, Ryoko, what good times we used to have." Chiro stuck one finger out, pushed Ryoko's nose, and said, "Beep!" Ryoko's face lit up with knowledge. Chiro was already gone, so Ryoko chased her as they had in the old days. They flew over the garden, Ryoko literally, and Chiro using her long legs. Ryoko finally got her pinned against the house when Chiro did her don't-see-me spell. Ryoko didn't remember this. The two finally got tired and collapsed on a patch of grass. "So what's going on in your life?" Ryoko gasped. "Student still. Married, adopted two little girls who are as bad as we were." Ryoko tilted in her direction. "What do you mean were?" Chiro hung loosely onto her stomach. "Have mercy, oh dread evil pirate Ryoko, on my poor ribs!" "Hah! No mercy for the scurvy scoundrel who dares beep me on the nose!" Ryoko cried. Not having any energy left, the two couldn't respond to the threats even if they wanted to. "Come on you two! We're going to break for dinner!" Washu called. The two girls giggled and didn't come. Washu sighed. Just like the old days....