Disclaimer: Because Tenchi Muyo! and all characters contained therein
are owned by AIC and Pioneer LDC and not by me, I'm making just oodles
and oodles of money by placing them in the fanfic.

All jokes aside, Tenchi Muyo! and all characters contained therein are
property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. Anyone else claiming ownership of them
will have the pants sued off of them by a skilled team of lawyers.
Deccus Auren is my property and anyone else claiming ownership of him
will be hunted down by a merry band of Canadian Lumberjacks.



Author's Notes:
This fanfic takes place right after OVA #13, as that seems to be a good
place to start, and I don't like Mayuka much. Don't criticize me for
that either.



	Demons from the Past Episode 1: Here Comes Deccus!


	It was early; Just before dawn.
	The dewdrops on the grass glistened in the twilight, as the
morning mists danced on the winds of late spring. The calm lake water
reflected back the rolling tree-covered hills and fading night sky. The
moon still shone bright, as the stars began their departure and the
first slivers of sunlight peaked up from beyond the eastern mountains.
	"My, it's beautiful here," the traveler thought as he strolled
along the dirt road by the lake's edge, "Almost like home..."
	Home…
	How long had it been since he'd been back?
	Far too long…
	The traveler was dressed simply: a pair of slightly baggy pants,
and a long-sleeved shirt, over which he wore a long jacket and a kind
of cloak draped around his shoulders down his back.   Atop his head sat
a large broad-brimmed hat. His entire outfit colored in earthen tones
of green and brown.
	He slowly shifted his gaze from the road to the sky. Quietly
regarding the single moon for a moment, he sighed in disappointment,
	"Ah, but only one…" and returned his eyes to the road.
	Who did he think he was trying to fool?
	He couldn't replace his home, no matter how hard he tried…
	The traveler was a lanky fellow, a thin broomstick standing
roughly 6 feet tall. His brown hair was rather messy and unkempt,
falling about at shoulder's length, his two long pointed ears sticking
out on either side. His face was that of a young man, no more than 20
years of age, but the odd way he smiled and his deep brown eyes
betrayed many, many more years of joys and sorrows.
	Still, he could not deny the beauty of this place, Earth...
	Slowly, a thought at the edge of the traveler's memory crept into
his mind. He halted his walk and surveyed the scenery around him.
Taking a deep breath, he gradually brought his stare to the open palm
of his left hand and slowly made a fist. He smile widened for a brief
second, and he continued on his way.
	"I wonder if Tet was right…?" he asked himself as he walked, "Is
Washu really here? Tet is usually pretty reliable, but the whole story
just doesn't sound right. It's probably just a rumor. After all, what
would a genius mad scientist be doing here?"
	He contemplated his last thought for a moment and assured
himself, "Ah well, the scenery is worth the trouble getting here. And
besides," he continued in his mind, "if Washu actually is here, what
better test for the King of Thieves than sneaking into the laboratory
of the greatest genius in the universe?"
	After turning a bend in the road, the traveler's destination came
into view. Amid the hills and valleys sat a cozy, unassuming, little
country house, its blue roofing setting it apart from the green of the
trees. All of its windows, save one, were dark. It certainly didn't
look suspicious.
	"This is where the odd readings were coming from. I hope it
wasn't all just a glitch."
	The traveler continued down the path, his eyes watching the
house. He studied it up and down, looking for anything from robotic
sentries to machinegun bunkers. However, nothing of interest caught his
eye…all except for what appeared to be the main gate. He froze and
tensed his muscles. Sitting on either side of the gate were two large
round logs. One was marked with an intricate blue symbol, the other, a
red one. The traveler bit his lower lip in apprehension. "Are those
what I think they are?" he thought in slight panic.  "Are those
Guardians?"
	He stood for a while observing them. Neither appeared to notice
him, but that was the problem with Guardians. It was nearly impossible
to tell. He watched for a bit more before deciding, "Nah, they must
just be decorations."
	This didn't do much to relax the traveler though. Guardians had
given him a headache more than once in the past. They practically had
the power of a Jurai noble without the impatience of one, so evading
and escaping them was a monumental task. He jammed his hands into his
jacket pockets, lowered his head, stared at the ground a few feet in
front of him, and took a step forward.
	"Well then, here we go."
	He was ready. Reaching out with all of his senses, he watched the
"Guardians" intently as he passed. Should they make so much as a sound,
a movement, should he even smell something funny in the air, he'd
spring into action and disappear. They would never catch him.
	But to his surprise, nothing happened. He'd tried to brush it off
as a mere coincidence. After all, what would Guardians be doing here?
No one besides Jurai nobles possessed Guardians. It was unlikely that
Washu, the greatest genius in the universe, had even one Guardian. His
gut told him otherwise and in all earnest he'd believed his gut. He
expected them to glare at him menacingly with their singular eyes and
try to snare him in a force field. He'd escape of course, but there was
the chance they'd trail him for hours, even days...
	But, it was nothing.
	Breathing a sigh of relief, the traveler stepped into the house's
front yard.
	"Now what to do?" he puzzled.
	He'd not really devised a plan as he had no idea what to expect.
	Should he directly knock on the front door? That didn't seem to be a
very good idea. Washu was not likely to answer it and say, "Oh, I
wasn't expecting company, come on in!"
	It was easy to sneak into a royal palace, but a house?
	"A house where a mad genius resides," he reminded himself.
	He could very well be vaporized just for thinking of breaking in.
After all, she was a *mad* genius, and those tended to be more
secretive and protective than normal geniuses, or at least that's what
he'd always heard.
	He removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair. Replacing
the hat, he growled at himself for not thinking things through.
	"Well, if that's the way it's gotta be…" he said out loud as he
started for the front door.


	Sasami was up early this morning, as she was almost every
morning, cooking a delicious breakfast for the rest of the Masaki
household. The little princess wore a light green kimono with blue
sleeves and her apron with a giant carrot on the front. She happily
hummed to herself as she diced vegetables.
	Hearing a voice from behind her, she stopped.
	"Good morning Sasami," it said in a cheerful tone, "You're up
early today."
	She turned to see Noboyuki Masaki pouring himself a cup of
coffee. She rolled her pink eyes at him and put her hands on her hips.
"Really now Noboyuki! Only drinking coffee for breakfast isn't good for
you. You need to eat healthy," she cutely scolded.
	"Sasami, I know how good your cooking is," he said, mixing two
sugars into his coffee, "and if I had my choice I'd stay here and eat
every bite of the breakfast you make, but I just don't have time before
work."
	The little girl gave him a sad look, which prompted Noboyuki to
respond, "Don't worry about it Sasami, I'll be just fine. And your
dinners are more than enough for me."
	Suddenly, they both heard a tap-tap-tap noise. Leaning his head
out of the kitchen, Noboyuki realized it was a knock at the door.
"I wonder who could that be this early? Hey Sasami, are we
expecting any visitors?"
	Sasami giggled. She knew Noboyuki secretly wished more girls from
outer space would visit and fight over him the way her sister and Ryoko
always fought over Tenchi.
	"I'll be right there," Sasami yelled as she ran to the front
door.
	Gently sliding it open, she saw a most unexpected sight.


	"Kamidake…" the blue Guardian almost inaudibly spoke, "Did that
man not look familiar to you?"
	"Yes, Azaka, " the red Guardian quietly answered, "He did."
	Neither, however, was prepared to question the man about his
identity or his intentions. Although charged with protecting Princess
Ayeka and the Masaki household, the guardians found that questioning
passers-by had ultimately one result. They all ran away in terror.
Azaka couldn't remember how long it was before the paper boy returned
after they had thanked him for doing his duties. And during their
entire stay on Earth, no one dangerous had ever simply walked through
the front gate…


	The traveler stood silently listening after knocking on the door.
	His eyes darted once to his right, and once to his left.
	Could he be walking right into a trap? Surely anything like that
would have been triggered by now. Maybe this was just a normal house
after all…
	He reached up and knocked on the door again.
	From behind it, he heard a vaguely familiar voice call out, "I'll
be right there."
	"No," he shook his head, "It couldn't possibly be…"
	The door slid open to reveal the impossible, or rather, the
smiling face of Sasami. Realizing just who stood in her doorway, her
eyes brightened and she screamed with delight, "DECCUS!" and bear
hugged him around the waist. Deccus stood for a moment completely
dumbfounded, staring blankly at the top of the princess's head.
	"S-Sasami?!" he stammered, "What are you doing here?! H-How did…"
he stopped abruptly. He could feel it. He could feel the energy
disruptions.
	Those WERE Guardians!
	Once again, every muscle in his body tensed for action. Deccus
whirled around and stared in shock at two Jurai Guardians hovering
above the front gate.
	"Deccus Auren, we are placing you under arrest as ordered by our
lord, Asuza, Emperor of Jurai!" Azaka declared.
	"Your treacherous deeds will not go unpunished! Any attempt to
escape will be met with maximum force and extreme prejudice," Kamidake
warned.
	At once, both Guardians opened, revealing several racks of beam
weapons.
	This was too much for Sasami. Deccus hadn't even done anything
wrong. And now Azaka and Kamidake were going to hurt him just because
of her father's wounded pride. Stepping out in front of Deccus, she put
herself directly between him and the Guardians. "Stop that this instant
Azaka and Kamidake!" she angrily yelled.
	If either Guardian had a face, it would have face-faulted. "We
are sorry Princess Sasami, but we are under strict orders from the
Emperor, please do not interfere," they replied in unison.
	Deccus placed his hand on Sasami's shoulder, his eyes never
leaving the two Guardians. "Thanks Sasami, but-"
	Azaka and Kamidake looked on in horror.
	"UNHAND THE PRINCESS, CRIMINAL!" Kamidake demanded.
	"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER, KNAVE!" Azaka commanded.
	"Wha…?" Deccus said as his mouth dropped open.
	"Kamidake, he's kidnapping Princess Sasami!"
	"Ack! NO I'M NOT!"
	"Azaka, we must stop him!"
	"FIRE!"
	Both Guardians let loose a barrage of dazzling blue beams.
	Almost instinctively, Deccus grabbed Sasami and performed an
amazing back flip, landing him on the roof. The beams, missing the
intended target, instead struck the side of the house, blowing several
large chunks out of it.
	"What are they DOING?!" Deccus asked in confusion as he ran
towards the opposite end of the roof, Sasami under his arm. She didn't
give an answer though. She was just as confused.
	"This is going to get really ugly," he said in his mind.
He just had to go and grab the princess. If they got that mad for
him just touching her shoulder, he hated to think of what they'd do to
him now that he'd run off with her. He should have remembered how
Guardians get so worked up about nothing. Reaching under his jacket,
Deccus grabbed for the hilt of his energy sword. Upon seeing the this,
Sasami gave him a mournful look, "You aren't going to hurt them are
you? They're just trying to protect me."
	"Yeah, I know, and I won't. It's not my style."
	Suddenly, Azaka materialized in Deccus's path, revealing his
array of weapons once again. Deccus shot a split-second glance back in
the other direction to see the red Guardian giving chase.
	"Remember, these things can shoot the teeth out of my mouth if
they want to," he thought, "I'll have to time this just right."
	The instant Azaka fired, Deccus's energy sword blazed to life.
>From the white hilt sprang an emerald energy blade. With one deft
swing, he deflected the oncoming energy blasts directly into the path
of the other Guardian. The beams struck Kamidake's shield and were
either absorbed or deflected at odd angles, protecting him from damage.
However, the force of the impact destabilized him enough to send him
flying backwards. Flipping several times in the air, the Guardian
landed with a crash in the front yard.
	"Oh no!" Sasami cried in concern, "Kamidake!"
	"Don't worry about him, my little princess, he's not hurt. Maybe
a bit shaken, but he'll be fine," Deccus reassured her.
	"Honorless dog, I shall avenge Kamidake!" Azaka roared in anger.
	Deccus gritted his teeth and prepared to dodge as Azaka powered
up his weapons for another attack.


	Tenchi awoke to the sound of explosions. Rather than going to
investigate, he merely looked up at the ceiling and groaned a long, low
groan. The skylight was his only source of illumination, a small shaft
of morning light finding its way in from above. Tenchi gazed at the
last fading stars in the sky. Couldn't he, at the very least, sleep in
peace? Were those two at it again, ALREADY? It was way too early for
that now.
	"What time is it?" he mumbled as he looked at his alarm clock.
A sound from above prompted him to turn his attention to the
ceiling once more. He could almost swear he heard footsteps on the
roof. Suddenly, the sound of more explosions reached his ears, followed
by a loud crash from somewhere.
	"What are they DOING?  I'd probably better go check…"
	He sat up in bed just in time to be kicked in the side as Deccus,
with Sasami under one arm, burst through his window.  Both of them went
crashing to the ground. Tenchi landed with a thud on the floor beside
his bed, knocking the wind out of him, while Deccus slid across the
floor and into the wall at the opposite end of the room.
	Deccus quickly recovered, sat down Sasami and gripped her gently
on both arms. "Sasami, are you okay?" he asked in concern.
The young princess, clearly enjoying herself, smiled at him and
laughed.
	"I'm fine, silly!"
	"Well, sorry…" Deccus said quietly to her, "and sorry!" he said
more loudly in Tenchi's direction. With that, he got up and bolted out
the door.
	A second later, Azaka materialized in the center of the room.
	"Princess Sasami, are you unhurt?!"
	"Yes! Deccus wouldn't hurt me! He's not a bad person."
	Spinning around, Azaka saw Tenchi lying on the ground, trying to
catch his breath.
	"Oh no, Lord Tenchi, did that ruffian attack you?"
	"Really, I'm fine…" Tenchi gasped, holding his side.
	"This is inexcusable!" the blue Guardian fumed, "First to try and
kidnap Princess Sasami, and now attacking Lord Tenchi. That vile thief-"
	He was interrupted mid-sentence as a scream echoed throughout the
house.


	Ayeka awoke to the sound of explosions. She sat up and yawned
politely, though there was no one around. Her room was dark, except for
the slivers of light peaking in from her curtains.
	"Sasami must be awake already," she thought sleepily, "Still, I'd
better get out of bed and check to see what's wrong. Just to be safe."
She gently rolled back the blankets from her and stood up.
	Walking over to her mirror, she switched on her small desk lamp and
began brushing her soft purple hair. Another series of explosions
rocked the house, followed by two loud crashes.
	Ayeka was concerned, but not very worried. Explosions seemed to
be an everyday occurrence in the Masaki household. It was probably
Washu, or Mihoshi, or a combination of the two… or it might even be…
	"Ryoko…" she grumbled.
	That woman was probably up to no good. Who knows what she could
be doing to Tenchi.
	"I had better hurry up," she thought, dropping her hairbrush and
hastily grabbing the blue kimono she'd lain out last night.
	She quickly removed her night kimono, leaving only her
undergarments. She had just barely started to slip on the blue kimono
when she the heard the door to her room open, and shut abruptly.
Thinking it was Sasami, Ayeka turned and began to inquire about the
explosions, but was silenced by the gentle stare of two deep brown
eyes. She gazed into them as many happy memories flooded back to her.
These were familiar friendly eyes, eyes that had comforted her during a
time of sorrow, eyes that belonged to…
	Ayeka suddenly realized her state of undress. She let loose a
scream that echoed throughout the house.
	"DECCUS!" she shrieked and tried to cover herself with the
kimono, "Just what do you think you are doing?!"
	But Deccus was lost in her lovely red eyes. He blinked once or
twice before realizing…
	"Ayeka, my angel!" he said in surprise, shutting his eyes and
throwing his arms in front of his blushing face, "You're here, too?"
	"Have you no respect? Get out of here right NOW!"
	"Ack! I'm sorry! I didn't know!"
	"Well now you do, GET OUT!"
	"Princess Ayeka, allow us to handle this scoundrel," Azaka and
Kamidake offered as they phased in on either side of her.
	"Well, I'd best be on my way," Deccus grinned, never opening his
eyes, as he removed his hat and bowed low. A bow that immediately
transformed itself into a mad dash for safety.

	Mihoshi awoke to the sound of explosions.
	"Wha…?" she yawned, pushing a piece of blonde hair out of her
face.
	Normally, an explosion at the Masaki house didn't have any dire
consequences. It was just Ayeka and Ryoko again, nothing to worry
about. She could go back to sleep if she wanted to…
	All at once, her stomach began to growl.
	"Oh my…" she thought, "Now that you mention it, I am kinda
hungry. But it's just so comfy here."
	She snuggled up into her blankets and tried to fall asleep again,
but kept being interrupted by her stomach.
	"All right!" she nearly yelled at her belly, "I'll get something
to eat, but then I'm going back to sleep."
	Mihoshi sleepily sauntered to the kitchen as another series of
explosions rocked the house followed by two loud crashes. She was
nearly knocked down by Noboyuki, who was running frantically around the
house. Nobuyuki grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently,
"MIHOSHI!" he screamed in panic, "A dangerous criminal has kidnapped
Sasami! You have to help!"
	"STOP SHAKING ME!"
	Noboyuki released his grip and balled his hands into fists.
	"D-did you say d-dangerous criminal? Oh no…w-where is he now?"
	The thought of ANOTHER dangerous criminal coming for a visit
frightened her.  She remembered when Kagato and Dr. Clay had attacked.
Tears began to trail down her cheek.
	"He jumped on the roof and Azaka and Kamidake went after him."
	"Waaa…I'd better get my gun…" she sniffled and ran back to her
room.
	A scream echoed throughout the house as Mihoshi haphazardly threw
her belongings out onto the floor. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my GOSH!
Where is it? Where is it? Where's my gun?"
	She very nearly broke down and cried on the floor, but spying her
blaster in the wastebasket, she tried to hold it back.
	"I'm gonna be...brave," she sniffed," and I'm gonna save Sasami."
	A look of seriousness crossed the detective's face. This was no
time to be afraid. She released the safety on her blaster and stepped
into the living room.
	"Stop right there, villain!" she heard Azaka yell from the second
floor.
	Suddenly, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Narrowly
avoiding a volley of beam blasts, the figure launched itself down the
stairway. Landing quite hardly on the first floor, the figure
somersaulted forwards, directly in front of Mihoshi. Seeing the figure
to be a young man, Mihoshi aimed the gun at his head, bit her lip, and
politely asked, "Excuse me, but are you the dangerous criminal?"
	Deccus's eyes crossed for just a moment as he stared down the
barrel of Mihoshi's gun. He immediately recognized the standard issue
Galaxy Police Blaster.
	"Wonderful," he groaned in his head, "The GP are here too. This
must just not be my day…"
	Looking her in the eyes, he gave her an apologetic glance.
	"I'm sorry…"
	Before Mihoshi could react, Deccus threw himself on the floor and
swept her legs out from under her. Rather than letting her hit the
ground, Deccus swiftly caught her in his arms and tossed her onto a
nearby sofa.
	He was out the front door before Mihoshi even knew what had
happened.


	Ryoko awoke to the sound of explosions. She proceeded to fall
back asleep, and was well on her way before another series of
explosions rocked the house, followed by two loud crashes.
	"What's all that racket?" she thought out loud as she yawned and
stretched leisurely.
	It was probably nothing to worry about. It was most likely just
Mihoshi messing around in Washu's lab again. No need to get up. Then
again…
	A smile formed on the space pirate's lips. She gently floated
upwards and over to her door. "Oh Tenchi…" she planned out the scene in
her mind, "I was so worried about you…"
	Then again, it was the perfect opportunity to go and check on
Tenchi. Ryoko laughed to herself as she phased through the door. But
her dreamy thoughts of Tenchi were interrupted by a scream that echoed
throughout the house.
	Ryoko laughed to herself again. Noboyuki must have found a way
into the hot spring. And by the sound of it, he'd caught a peek at
Ayeka. She continued to laugh as she drifted into the living room.
	Spying Mihoshi lounging on the couch, Ryoko thought she might as
well ask, "Hey Mihoshi, what's all that racket?"
	Upon seeing Ryoko, Mihoshi burst into tears. "RYYYOOOOKKKKKOOOO!
Waaa! A dangerous criminal kidnapped Sasami!"
	"And he attacked Lord Tenchi," Kamidake added as he floated into
the living room.
	"Really, I'm fine," said Tenchi as he followed, walking down the
stairs.
	"And Deccus didn't kidnap me!" Sasami declared, following Tenchi.
	"Teeennnnncccchhhhiiiii!" Ryoko appeared around Tenchi's
shoulders and gently whispered in his ear, "Did that mean nasty
criminal try and hurt you? Don't worry, Tenchi. Ryoko will take care of
it for you."
	She then vanished.
	"Ryoko…" Tenchi called to the air, "I don't think he meant any
harm. He even apologized…"


	Deccus ran at top speed down the dirt path. If he stuck around
any longer, he thought he was sure to be assaulted by a thousand Jurai
knights and Galaxy Police officers, and that wasn't something he was
prepared to deal with. But he didn't really have any place to go. He
had no starship of his own and it would be days before he could catch a
ride off of Earth. Still, he knew he had to get away.
	Suddenly, a beautiful young woman appeared in the path in front
of him. He stopped dead. The woman looked at him confidently from a
pair of golden eyes. She smiled, seductively, and yet menacingly,
showing off the small fangs at the edges of her mouth. She tossed back
a few stray hairs to the rest of her spiky, cyan-colored head and
continued smiling.
	"So, you dare to attack *my* Tenchi?" she said almost casually,
putting extra emphasis on *my*.
	Deccus tried to reply, but could only gape at her and think, "Oh,
what NOW?"
	"You just made a BIG mistake, fella," she threatened, holding out
her hand. Crimson energy slowly spiraled to her palm, forming a ball.
She closed her hand around it and it reformed into a blade. The smile
left her face and her eyes gained a savage light.
	Ryoko launched herself at Deccus, flying at top speed. Instantly,
Deccus brought forth his emerald energy blade and assumed a defensive
position. Ryoko raised her own blade high, and brought it down upon
Deccus with deadly force. The two swords met with a mighty crack,
shards of energy flying in all directions. Deccus staggered back, not
expecting such a strong attack.
	Ryoko again raised her blade high and brought it down hard.
Deccus again blocked. The two swords sizzled and sparked. Straining,
Deccus was slowly forced to the ground. He could feel the heat from
both blades, just inches above his face. Still, he managed a smile for
his attacker. "Well, well, my rose," he struggled to say as calmly as
possible, "It seems you have very sharp thorns."
	He suddenly disengaged his blade and quickly rolled to the side.
Ryoko's own energy blade cut harmlessly into the ground. He flipped
backwards, landing on his feet. Ryoko glared at him angrily. Deccus
panted slightly and wiped the sweat from his forehead on his sleeve,
still smiling.
	"I ain't your rose," Ryoko spat as she fired an energy ball.
	Deccus fell backwards onto his arms, the ball passing just over
his head, striking the dirt path and leaving a rather large crater. He
obviously wasn't a match for her strength and power, but he knew he
held the speed advantage. His usual strategy was to disarm his
opponent, then knock them out or run away, depending on the situation.
He didn't think either tactic would work in this particular case. He'd
have to improvise.
	Ryoko resumed her attack, flying at Deccus with a wide swing of
her sword. Instead of blocking, Deccus swiftly dodged, easily stepping
out of harm's way. Ryoko turned and executed a quick jab at Deccus's
head, but not quick enough, as he nimbly avoided the blow.
	"This might be harder than I thought…" Ryoko angrily mused.
	She phased out and phased in behind him, preparing to strike.
Deccus, surprised by this new technique, barely ducked in time. She
attempted a second similar maneuver, but failed miserable. He almost
effortlessly dodged the second attack. She attempted a third, but with
the same results.
	She attacked again and again, but Deccus seemed to always be one
step ahead, moving agilely away from her every swing and jab.
	Slowly but surely, a plan formed in her mind. Ryoko smiled. She
knew now she had him right where she wanted him. Launching what she
hoped to be the final attack, Ryoko raised her blade high and swung
down and to the right. Just as she had planned, Deccus hopped to the
left, just enough to avoid her attack. She saw him almost scream in
surprise as her double thrust a second sword at his chest.
	But Deccus had seen it coming, if just barely. Like an alarm in
his head, his finely honed senses detected the double just in time. The
other energy blade passed within an inch of his chest as he rolled to
the side, slightly charring the fabric of his shirt.
	"Hold still dammit!" both Ryokos yelled furiously.
	He was too fast! How could he possibly avoid that? Ryoko clenched
her teeth and fused her two halves back together. She hated to admit
it, but without blowing away half of a mountainside, she was going to
need help taking down this scrawny little kidnapper. Almost as if one
cue, she suddenly noticed Azaka and Kamidake barreling down the path.
	"Miss Ryoko, allow us to help!" they yelled in unison.
	Deccus shot a split-second glance at the two Guardians. In that
split second, Ryoko was on him. With her blade, she swept at his feet.
Caught in a moment of weakness, Deccus narrowly avoided the swing,
stumbling backwards. She then back-flipped, kicking him square in the
ribcage. He sailed backwards under the force of blow, and into a
conveniently placed force field created by Azaka and Kamidake.
	Deccus gasped for breath upside down inside the force field as he
watched the young woman slowly float towards him. He was never one to
accept defeat, but this time he feared there would be no victory. He
could only helplessly watch as the woman glared at him, readying her
sword for the fatal strike.
	"Miss Ryoko," Azaka chimed in.
	"Princess Ayeka has requested that the prisoner not be harmed,"
Kamidake continued.
	Her devilish look turned to one of disgust and her energy sword
faded harmlessly into the wind.
	Deccus spun around uselessly in the force field and laughed
hysterically. "AHAHAHA! AYEKA! I LOVE Y---OOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFF!" he
started to shout as Ryoko belted him in the stomach.


	He remained quiet for the short duration of their trip back to
the house. The four arrived to find what Deccus thought was everyone
standing in the yard. There was Ayeka, Sasami, the blonde GP, the boy
he'd kicked, he guessed that was Tenchi, and some older man he hadn't
seen before.
	Ryoko, instead of going straight to Tenchi, turned to Ayeka
first, with the perfect insult, "Who's this, princess? An old lover of
yours?"
	Ayeka clenched her teeth and shot daggers at Ryoko, who just
smiled and flew over to Tenchi. "Well, if that's the case," Ryoko
continued, wrapping her arms around him, "Tenchi and I will leave you
two alone, to catch up on old times." She laughed, Ayeka's blood nearly
visibly boiling.
	"RYOKO!" Ayeka screeched, "He is NOT one of my old lovers! I do
not have nor have ever had any lovers! And take your filthy hands off
of Lord Tenchi this minute!"
	Ryoko laughed harder and decided to rub salt on the wound, "You
don't have to be so ashamed of him. He's almost kinda cute. Surely
worthy of the Princess of Jurai."
	"TAKE THAT BACK!"
	"No." Ryoko stuck her tongue out at the princess.
	"Girls, please…" Tenchi said weakly, "Aren't we forgetting about
our… um… guest?
	"Oh yes," Ayeka remembered, the anger leaving her face, "I
suppose we did."
	All eyes turned to the prisoner.
	"Yeah, I don't mean to be a bother, but hanging upside is making
me dizzy, can one of you be so kind as to get down?" Deccus laughed.
	"Come on, let Deccus down," Sasami cutely asked, banging lightly
on Kamidake's side.
	The Guardians began, "We're sorry Princess Sasami, but-"
	"Let him down, Azaka and Kamidake," Ayeka interrupted.
	"We're sorry Princess Ayeka, but-"
	"Let him down, NOW!" she ordered, clearly not completely over
Ryoko's insult.
	Both Guardians reeled back in fright, and after a slight nod in
agreement, complied, "Yes, Princess Ayeka!" and released the field,
dropping Deccus rather hardly on the ground.
	He quickly hopped up to his feet and dusted himself off. "Thank
you, Ayeka, my angel," he said.
	Sasami ran over to plant another gigantic hug on the guy, and
this time he was more than happy to return it. This puzzled Ryoko. To
her knowledge, Deccus had tried to kidnap the girl, and there she was
hugging him. Mihoshi, who was crying buckets about it earlier, seemed
to have forgotten all about the incident, just standing and staring off
into space. Ryoko figured she should just ask in the best way she knew
possible.
	"So Ayeka," Ryoko began, "Who's your boyfriend?"
	Not terribly effective, but it would get the job done.
	Seeing the look in Ayeka's eyes, Deccus decided to come to her
aid. "Really now, my rose, I may be the King of Thieves, but I have yet
to master the stealing of hearts. Ayeka and I are just friends, nothing
more," he answered, though not to asked question.
	Ryoko tenderly slid off of Tenchi, crossed her arms and scowled
at Deccus. "And what is with YOU? Calling people angels and roses. I am
not YOUR rose, so don't call me that!" she retorted.
	"You three, stop this!" Tenchi practically yelled, trying to
catch the situation before it got out of hand.
	Blushing slightly over his outburst, Tenchi walked calmly over to
Deccus and offered his hand, "Hello, my name is Tenchi, Tenchi Masaki."
	Taking the hand and shaking it, Deccus replied, "Hello there,
Tenchi, my friend. Pleased to meet you. My name is Deccus Auren."
	They quietly regarded one another for a brief second, each
staring into the other's brown eyes. They both smiled and released the
handshake. Tenchi then turned to his father, "And this is my father,
Noboyuki Masaki."
	Deccus and Noboyuki shook hands and exchanged greetings.
	Turning to Mihoshi, Tenchi noticed she was still in her pink
pajamas, and blushed slightly because he was only wearing a pair of
sweat pants and a tank top. He tried to ignore it	 and started to
introduce Mihoshi, but was cut off. "I am Detective First Class Mihoshi
of the Galaxy Police," she joyously stated, saluting Deccus in
traditional Galaxy Police manner.
	"Um…hi, I'm Deccus." Deccus was still a little apprehensive about
the GP, but gently took her hand down from its salute and shook it
softly. She grinned and turned away, blushing.
	Suddenly, there was a loud "MIYA, MIYA!" as a strange brown
creature, like a cross between a cat and a rabbit, jumped onto Sasami's
head. She giggled. "Oh Ryo-Ohki, were you asleep?" Ryo-Ohki yawned in
reply.
	Tenchi chuckled, "And this little thing is Ryo-Ohki."
	Deccus walked over and patted Ryo-Ohki on the head.
	"MIYA!" The cabbit jumped of off Sasami's head and turned into
her toddler form. She then performed her rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle
Little Star" for Deccus. He gave a bewildered look, but quickly shook
it off, and began to laugh and clap for the darling creature. "How
cute!"
	Tenchi gave Deccus a slightly confused look. "I guess you already
know Ayeka and Sasami." Deccus just shrugged and nodded.
	Tenchi had saved Ryoko for last, as she didn't seem to be in the
best of moods towards the new guest. "And this would be Ryoko…"
	Deccus simply tipped his hat to her. He had nothing against
her, but she didn't seem to like him very well. Ryoko nodded back, but
that was all.
	"Well, if I wait around any longer I'll be late for work,"
Noboyuki tapped his watch, "I'll see all of you later, try not to get
in any more trouble."
	Everyone gave him a gigantic "GOODBYE!" except for Deccus, who
just gave a small wave. They watched him drive away in the Masaki van
until it was out of sight.
	"Oh, that reminds me," Sasami remembered, "I should finish
breakfast!"


	Tenchi, now fully dressed, sat in his usual spot around the
table, Ayeka on one side, Ryoko on the other. Deccus sat beside
Mihoshi, still in her pajamas, at the opposite end of the table. Sasami
was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on breakfast. Azaka
and Kamidake were floating in the corner eyeing the new guest
suspiciously.
	"So, Ayeka, my angel," Deccus began, "How did you end up on this
planet? It seems fairly odd to have the Princess of Jurai out here-"
	"Deccus, why do you keep calling Ayeka an angel," Ryoko
interrupted, brewing an insult, "It seems to be an awfully high
pedestal to put her on, I think-
	Before she could even finish, Deccus chimed in, attempting to
stop the insult dead, "I call her an angel because that's what she is,"
he met Ryoko's gaze, but silently watched Ayeka at the corner of his
eye, "She possesses grace and elegance, a loving, passionate heart,
unfathomable courage and valor, kindness as deep as the vastness of
space, and unrivaled beauty, the likes of which the universe almost
never sees."
	Ryoko just looked at him, her eyes misting up as if she was going
to cry, but instead burst out laughing. It was the best charade she'd
seen in a long time. Ayeka would have to be crazy to buy this.
Not the reaction Deccus had expected out of her. He turned to
Ayeka, who was blushing quite hardly with her head held low. He then
turned to Tenchi, who just gave him an odd look and small smile. He
turned to Mihoshi, who was also blushing and giggling to herself.
Ryoko calmed down and wiped a tear from her eye. That had been
hilarious, but Deccus still stopped her strike at Ayeka's honor.
	Determined, she started again, "Well, Ayeka, he seems to be a pretty
smooth talker, are you sure you didn't give in-"
Deccus didn't know why Ryoko couldn't take a hint. She just
persisted in trying to take shots at Ayeka. "Well, Ryoko, maybe you
would like to know why I chose to call you a rose. It's simple, really.
Upon seeing you, I could not help but notice that you too were one of
the beautiful flowers of this universe. But then you attacked me with
such ferocity, and I had to think to myself about the flower that
possesses great strength hidden behind great beauty, the legendary rose
and it's sharp thorns," he said, never stopping to take a breath.
	He hoped that would do it. He may not know how to steal hearts,
but he still knew how to talk the talk. Unfortunately, he was running a
little low, as he'd thrown most of his charm into the other two
compliments.
	Ryoko just looked at Deccus, her face twisting in disgust. It had
been funny with Ayeka, but now all that silver-tongued speech was
directed at her. She found it absolutely repulsive. "I ain't your
rose," she growled, shooting daggers at him. She knew she wasn't going
to like him; he seemed to know exactly how to rub her the wrong way.
	Deccus searched around for some way to avoid Ryoko's awful stare.
Tenchi avoided eye contact, trying not to get involved. Ayeka still
hadn't recovered from the angel compliment, her eyes glued to the
tabletop. He could almost feel Ryoko's eyes burning a hole in his cheek
as he looked to Mihoshi. She was still blushing slightly, but looked
Deccus in the eyes. "Do you have a name for me?" she asked shyly.
	He gently lifted his hand and put his finger on Mihoshi's chin.
She tried to look away as her face grew redder, but Deccus held firm
with his finger. She looked sweet and innocent, like a child, with not
a care in the world. Sweet was about right. "Sweet," he said, "Mihoshi,
my sweet…"
	Mihoshi melted. She reached her arms around and gave Deccus a
giant hug.
He just laughed and tenderly pushed her away. "Now you are sweet,
no mistaking that, but you shouldn't take what I say nearly so
seriously…"
	Ryoko smirked, "So does that mean all that fancy talk you gave
Ayeka was just a crock of-"
	"Breakfast is ready!" Just in time, Sasami walked in with a large
tray filled with food. Luckily, everyone went silent in preparation for
the meal.
	Sasami sat the tray down on the table and began to pass out bowls
of steaming hot soup, when she realized she had an extra one even after
serving Deccus. "Hold one everyone, I still have to get Washu!"
	Deccus nearly choked. "WHAT?! You mean Washu actually IS HERE?!


				TO BE CONTINUED...
		STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEXT EXCITING EPISODE!




More Author's Notes: Yes that's right. You have to put up with my witty
remarks both before AND after the story!

So, what did you think?

I hoped you all liked Deccus. He's one of those friendly types who just
can't stand it when people don't like him, so he tries to change their
minds. He has a rather dark past that haunts him now and again, but he
still maintains the friendly guy persona all the time.

I'm in the process of writing a prelude to this story illustrating how
Deccus met Ayeka and Sasami, aside from the next chapter. I bet some of
you were wondering how he met those two.

I also may revise this later, just so you know. Not likely though, as
I'm largely happy with how this came out.

Special Thanks go out to:

Zervon – My mentor and master, so to speak, the person responsible for
giving me the determination to write this fanfic. He filled me in on
little bits of the Tenchi storyline that I was a rather foggy about.
Thanks, Zervon!

Rowsdower – He pre-read my work and fixed a bunch of grammatical errors
and such. Thanks, Rowsdower!

K'thardin – The big bad reviewer of Tenchi Muyo fanfics, who was kind
enough to read through my first chapter and helped me clarify a few
things. Thanks, K'thardin!

Send any questions, comments, or criticism to my e-mail address,
Deccus@hotmail.com, or you may be able to find me at the chat room
#TenchiFF on IRC. Check the TMFFA Website for more details there, as I
can't remember all of them at this time.