Child's Play Chapter Seven: Trial and Exile Division: Reg (OVA) After the dinner Wednesday evening, the dishes were removed and everyone gathered about the table. Katsuhito and Nobuyuki sat on each side of Tenchi, as he faced Ryoko and Princess Ayeka across the table, both women fresh from Washu's gel tanks. Washu, Sasami, Mihoshi and the tiny Ryo-Ohki were sitting a safe distance away, with both of the Guardians. Tenchi gently tapped on the table and said, "First, to make sure there are no doubt about your guilt, we will hear everyone who wishes either to defend you or present their evidence against you. Is that fair?" Princess Ayeka nodded and Ryoko just shrugged. Tenchi nodded and said, "OK, I'll go first." "Than Ryoko damaged my fishing photo, the one I thought of as special," finished Tenchi after an hour of nonstop reciting. "And that was just before they made me fall down the stairs." Tenchi cleared his swore throat and added, "I think that's it from me." 'My God,' thought Princess Ayeka, 'have we done all that? And he seems to have the impression that I am responsible for half of it, if not more. Well, I am sure Sasami will defend me and clear my name.' "And three out of every four of my weekends I end up going to work just to get away from them," said Tenchi's father. "I've had to rebuild the house once and don't know how many repairs have been done even after that. I've been kidnapped and abused..." 'I don't think I can listen to more of this', thought Ryoko. 'Half the stuff they are blaming me for are things I did TRYING to help Tenchi or the others. Well, I am sure Washu will defend me. I hope anyway. Who the Hell am I kidding, me and the shining Princess here just sent the last 12 hours being lectured while trapped in her damn healing tanks! A recording of Washu that just kept looping and looping.' "And meals just go to waste. When they do come to breakfast or dinner they fight and fight and the food ends up all over," remarked Princess Sasami. "I and the others work very hard and they never say thank you and not even my own sister helps to wash up afterwards." Princess Ayeka just sat and stared. 'Not Sasami too!' "And as a result of their actions they ended up blowing up a brand new section of my lab space," lectured Washu, as she sat in a witness box she had created out of the thin air. Ryoko shook her head and glanced at Ryo-Ohki. 'Lucky for me that cabbit can't speak Japanese or I bet she would sell me down the river too!' "And Ryoko wasn't even a criminal at the time Princess Ayeka arrested and tortured her," piped Mihoshi, looking very dashing in her Galaxy Police Uniform. "We know Princess Ayeka was aware of the statute of limitations as the Guardians have already shown us from their memory, which I call evidence A, that they both notified her of that fact." Ryoko sat and stared at Princess Ayeka who was too busy was glaring at Azaka and Kamidake to notice. Ryoko started to grind her teeth and thought, ' Why that no good, twisted little...I can't even think of a proper word! HEY! That means her Mom would NOT have been able to bill me for the damages to Jurai! Keep calm, keep calm. Must not kill...yet.' "The reason the shrine has had very few visitors lately is very simple," said Katsuhito, his head tilting just so as to reflect the nearest source of light off his glasses. "A shrine should be a peaceful place, a place people come to enjoy being at. That is no longer the case. Lady Ryoko and Princess Ayeka are always fighting. There are explosions and crash-landings, all which can be traced to them. In fact, when Ryoko used the phone in my shrine office to trick Mihoshi..." Princess Ayeka looked outside and sighed. 'It's past nightfall. Can't they just get to the punishment?' "Meow, meow, meow-meow, yeow, meow, meow" "Ryo-Ohki says that if it had not been for them using the control cube her carrots would be in one piece," translated Washu, now dressed up as a courtroom lawyer with a skirt which was a tad too short. Ryoko held her head in her hands and tried not to start screaming. 'Even my Ryo-Ohki, my ship and friend, even she won't defend me.' Both Princess Ayeka and Ryoko were looking down at their laps, defeated. Everyone else was watching Tenchi, who was just sitting there, eyes closed, mulling over everything that had been said in the last two hours. He finally nodded to himself and opened his eyes, to look right at the two women. "OK, I have thought over it long and hard. Now, I know you have done some good things, but the fact is the last few days have been terrible and people have been hurt. I am sorry, but I am going to have to exile you for three months. You will BOTH live together in the work shed. You may not come near the house or the shrine and can only access the floating onsen when nobody else is here." Tenchi looked at both of them in the eyes, first Ryoko and than Ayeka and added, "Let me make this clear. You are being punished together. If either of you leave or break the rules or try to kill each other, you can never come back to the house, do you understand?" Sasami and Mihoshi both gasped and even Washu leaned forward as if to say something, to intervene in some way, but she held back. Ryoko nodded, hugging herself. 'God, I feel like I'm going to cry. I don't think I can stay with HER for that long and NOT screw up. I'll lose Ten-chi.' Princess Ayeka took longer to respond, but in the end said, "Yes, I understand." 'Why, Lord Tenchi? I know you have feelings for me, why do this to me?' She closed her eyes and sighed. 'Don't lie to yourself, you know why. You let anger rule you, like that creature in the lab. You are a Princess but you don't always act like one.' Epilogue: The light from the rising sun touched the hill and exposed the two women slowly marching up its side. The two women walked up the stone steps side-by-side, yet it was easy to tell they hated each other. The lack of eye contact, the arched backs and the way they walked. Ryoko was carrying a small bag, for she needed very little in the way of personal items. Princess Ayeka's backpack was larger and heavier, but she refused to rest or complain. Not in front of that OTHER woman. Finally Ryoko stopped and forced herself to speak. "Princess." Ayeka stopped a few steps higher, back like a steel rod, facing up the hill. Waiting. "Listen. I know we hate each other and after that trial yesterday we're not going to be kissing each other any time soon." Ryoko sighed and took a long breath of air before continuing, "BUT we have to get through this. We both say we love Tenchi and I know he has feelings for us. Different feelings, but he has them. We HAVE to get through this TOGETHER otherwise it will all be in vain. We both win or we both lose." Princess Ayeka stood silent for a moment and than nodded. "Yes, you are right Lady Ryoko. We must try to handle this as best we can. No button pushing, no fights." Ryoko nodded and as she started to walk up the steps again she added, "Thank you Princess." Both women continued their journey. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------Tenchi Muyo! and related characters was created and is owned by AIC and Pioneer. AIC and Pioneer are not related to my family in anyway. I am a poor American just trying to keep sane so don't sue me. This is the last chapter of my first fic-fan, please I welcome feedback, but no cussing.