DISCLAIMER: The Tenchi Muyo character are the property of AIC and Pioneer respectively. I receive no monatary compensation for the production of this work of fiction. __________ DETAILS: This is the start of a three episode epic saga set in a bybtid mix of OAV, Tenchi Universe, and the Shin Tenchi. A few chatacters and creations used in this fan fic are my own design that took me years to develop. This epic will start a whole series of other stories that plan to maintain well into the future. __________ THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA Episode One: No Need for Shattered Realities Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney __________ Prologue Tenchi Masaki said his goodnights to his dad and grandfather and went up to his bedroom. The women in his life had already gone on to bed, and as he passed each of their rooms he could hear the reassuring sound of their breathing as they slept. Even Ryoko, who was in the habit of staying up late, was sound asleep. She was getting her beauty sleep tonight because in two nights was her night out with him. Tenchi had started the ritual of taking each of them out on dates in order to truely get to know them better. He got to his room and slowly closed the door behind him. As was his nightly ritual, Tenchi went ot his Toshiba laptop, flipped it on, and started making entries into his personal journal. [ Personal Journal of Tenchi Masaki Date: 11/28/2000 Dear Journal, Today was a day like any other day in the Masaki household. Princess Aeka and Ryoko had their usual spat this morning, but it was no where nearly as destructive as the battles they used to have a few years ago. That idea I came up with to treat both women equally and take each of them out on a regular basis was doucing the fires a little. This week is Ryoko's night out with me, and I though about taking her to that Festival Dance I found out about last night. I enjoy the time I have with both of them and I care for them both very much. No, I love both of them very much, and they both love me. They have not said so but their eyes and their manners reveal it to me. How can I possibly choose betweeen them if I am in love with both of them. They mean so much to me, and if I choose I will hreak the other's heart. I will not accept it as something unavoidable. I wish things were so much easier. I can't marry them both since that sort of thing is illegal in Japan, but it would solve our problem. I can't imagine my life without either one of them in it. We will be celebrating our third year together on Earth. Its been third years since we all came together and began to live under the same roof. It seems like a million years ago that I visited that cave so long ago and freed Ryoko. All of the others seemed to follow soon after. I have a place in my heart for Washu, Sasami, Mihoshi and Khyone, but I don't love them like I love Ryoko and Aeka. Many times I wondered what it would be like to just be in their arms for once rather than running from them. I act infuriated with Ryoko when she shows up in my bed in the morning, but secretly in my heart I wish I could reach out and take her in my arms. I wish that Aeka would be more open about her feelings for once, but she is too noble and digified to try anything like that. It is tearing me part inside that I cannot show my affections for them in a stronger way, but if I let my inhibition go and sleep with one of them I will hurt the other and drive her away. I can't do that! Has any man been stuck in this sort of situation before? I still can't believe how quickly they forgave me for what happened in Toyko last year. Well, its getting late and I have to prepare things starting tomarrow. The party is set for next week to celebrate our anniversary togther. I'll let you know how things go with Ryoko this weekend. Bye for now... ] Tenchi closed down his laptop and set there thinking for a moment. All sorts of thoughts went through his mind. He was faced wtih indecision, he loved Aeka, he loved Ryoko, but he could not choose between them. He didn't want to choose between them because it would mean hurting one of them, and he loved them too much to do that to either one of them. He felt trapped and helpless on this rollercoaster ride called 'love'. -How did I get myself into this mess? How did I fall head-over-heels in love with two women at the same time?- Tenchi put his head in his hands and felt like crying or screaming into the night sky. He longed to be in their arms but knew it would never work with both of them. One woman would accuse the other of trying to take too much time with him, or they would accuse each other of trying to steal him away and the fighting would start all over again. He had just managed to work things out so the fighting was kept to a minimum. Tenchi then though about what he wrote in his journal. He couldn't legally marry both women and no amount of pleading would convince his granndpa to do the ceremony. It was at that moment that his thoughts went to Juraian law. He started rummaging around in his desk looking for the datapad that Aeka had given him for his nineteenth birthday last year. The datapad contained several volumes of books on Juraian culture, history and law. She though it was important that he learn it since he was a member of the Royal family and future emperor of Planet Jurai. He found the thin datapad, placed it on the desk, and a tranlucent control panel projected up from it. It looked like the holopads that Washu was always using, he though when he first accessed it with Aeka. He recalled a few words from the Juraian language he had been learning and keyed them in. He entered in marriage and two, but no results cmae up with that. He entered union and two. The datapad worked for several seconds, seconds that seemed like hours, and then displayed the result. The projected image was of the Royal Family, the Emperor of Jurai, Fonaho the mother of Yosho, and Misaki the mother of Aeka and Sasami. He carefully read each word trying to translate each one. Emperor Asazi was father to Yosho as well as the father to Aeka and Sasami, but he did not marry both of their mothers, and neither did he marry just one and not the other. He found a reference to something that they did that made their union legal under Juraian law. He followed the link and it took him to a different subject. Tenchi sat up most of the night reading the description and the history behind it. It was nearly 3am at night when he finally closed down the datapad and layed down to bed. He was still deep in thought as sleep started to take its hold on him. -Will it work? It has to work, it has to work!- Before long he was fast asleep with dreams of Ryoko and Aeka swirling around in his mind. Somewhere in another reality... First Crown Prince Orrin Quintarin surveyed the land before him and gave a hmpf. Before him were the sprawled structures of an Imperium weapons cache. All manner of different exotic explosives and weapons could be found there. Most of them, he guessed, were probably illegal subspace weapons or biological weapons banned by the Galactic Council. This fact did little to deter the Imperium from making its own rules, breaking laws, and finding ways to keep the council from finding out about it. However, they did not foresee a young prince from the Setari Empire stumbling upon their secret while on an archeological expedition. That was many years ago when Orrin discovered the secret behind the Imperium and their plot to subvert the Galactic Council and take over the Galactic Federation. The weapons cache was not his target, but the structures that were beyond them. In the distance Orrin could see the main spire of the Imperium communications tower. The tower stood in the center of a military base which should not even be on this planetoid at all. The region was designated at a 'free zone' and no military from any government under the Galactic Federation was allowed. The Imperium had a different opinion about the situation and built this base here. Orrin discovered it and soon learned that what he was looking for could be found here. What it was he needed was the evidence that would indict the Imperium on charges of sedition, political treachery, slavery, and piracy. All he needed was to get the right data crystal from the base data archives. This would prove to be a challenge since a large force of Imperium mechanized units, large walking robotic war machines, were patroling the base. Orrin himself was wearing a Setari power-armor suit of his own design. He looked like a futuristic knight in black armor. With a touch of a finger to a control on his arm, Orrin was enveloped in a cloaking field that made him invisible. Slowly he headed towards the Imperium base on his quest to bring the Imperium's plot to an end. Back in more familiar surroundings... Washu was having a pleasent dream, she was giggling as she rolled over in her bed. In her dreams she was rolling around under the covers with a certain teenaged Japanese high school student. They were playfully teasing each other with kisses and caresses. In this fantasy world Ryoko and Aeka was off bickering with one another while Washu and her favorite guinea pig ran off to have some fun. She woke up with a start and snapped her fingers in annoyance. That certain boy in her dreams was about to end the foreplay when she was woken up by the sound of an alarm. Grumbling to herself she climbed out of bed, walked out into her sprawling subspace lab, and walked up to the main computer. The translucent display was flashing at her and sounding out with a loud alarm. "Cut that out! I'm awake!" she shouted. The computer ceased the alarm and started displaying a stream of data. Washu sat on her floating seat and looked it all over. For a while she didn't seem too interesed in what she was seeing, but then suddenly her eyes widened. "When did this start happening?" she asked the computer. The computer displayed the information she wanted. The greatest scientific genius in the universe scratched her chin and looked at the data again. "Start recording this data, and I want a graphical report every two hours." she ordered. "Oh, and startup my cappachino machine....I'm gonna be up late." __________ Chpater One - Love Letters Tenchi woke up in good spirits and felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of him. The smell of one of Sasami's great breakfasts drifted up the stairs and he took it all in as if he were experiencing it all for the first time. He dressed himself quickly, grabbed up his bookbag, and headed for the stairs. Aeka greated him at her bedroom door as she was also coming out. "Good morning, Lord Tenchi." she said. "Good morning." he smiled. "Your looking quite hansome this morning." she smiled back. "Uh, thanks, Aeka, your looking very pretty." he said blushing a bit. The princess smiled and blushed furiously. In the living room Ryoko was lounging on the couch watching television with Mihoshi and Khyone. The show was some import from America about some space station and the alien embassadors that lived on it. The scene was a huge battle between a group of sleek looking ships and a bunch of dark vessels that seemed to resemble Ryu-Ohki. "Oh, I hate those Shadows." Mihoshi scowled at the screen. "I'm glad they're just make believe." Knyone said in mocking relief. "Nah, I've seen things that would make these Shadows look like pussy cats." Ryoko laughed. "Really? What did they look like, were they mean?" Mihoshi exclaimed so excited that she made Khyone spill some hot coffee on herself. "Mihoshi! I'm trying to watch the show!" Khyone complained. "Sorry." the blonde Galaxy Policewoman said weakly. Tenchi couldn't help but feel sorry for the young policewoman. She was in fact a very beautiful woman with a petite figure, blonde hair, and a childlike innocence that you could not help but love. She was also chaos-in-physical-form capable of incredible destruction if you let her out of your sight for too long. It was the fact of her uncanny blind luck that saved her skin on many occations and even saved some of them at different times. Mihoshi was the stereotypical blonde airhead, but Tenchi saw beyond her good looks to the real beauty that was her innocent and friendly nature. Khyone was a mystery to Tenchi ever since she came to Earth looking for Mihoshi. She was her partner and seemed pretty level headed. Her career in the Galaxy Police was her life, but she blamed Mihoshi for all the missed chances at promotions she had over the years. She would yell and scream at Mihoshi at times when the blonde policewoman was at her ditzies moments. Deep inside, Tenchi knew, Khyone loved Mihoshi like a sister with all her heart even though she would never admit it. He also knew that she had a secret feeling for him, too. "Morning Tenchi." came a voice that broke his chain of thought. Sasami walked out of the kitchen holding a pitcher of fresh orange juice. Ryu-Ohki in cabbit form was resting on top of her head. The little princess was wearing her carrot appron and had her baby blue hair done up in her trademark twin pony-tail style. Her pink eyes sparkled with the innocence of youth and her smile was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. "Good, morning. Something sure smells good, Sasami." he repled. "Thanks, breakfast will be ready in a minute." she said going back into the kitchen. It was at that moment that Ryoko made her move. She teleported from the couch and reappeared behind Tenchi. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders in an embrace. Before last night he would have tried to pull out of that embrace, but Tenchi could not find the strengh or desire to do so this time. "Good morning, Tenchi." she whispered into his ear. "Miss Ryoko, must you latch onto Tenchi every morning?" Aeka scolded. "Oh princess, its only nature for Tenchi and me to cuddle up." the space pirate replied. "You let him go this instant, you she-devil!" Aeka's face was starting to turn blood red. Sparks flew between them as they started to growl at each other. Before a roaring battle could ensue in the living room, Tenchi thought of a way to cool them down. He reached around and pulled Ryoko to his side, and then grabbed Aeka likewise. Both women looked stunned suddenly and forgot the fight they were about to start. Then, the two swooned as he placed a soft kiss on each of their cheeks in turn. "Please don't fight girls." he pleaded softly as he stood there holding them. "Ok, anything for you Tenchi." Ryoko said batting her eyelashes at him. "Anything you say, Lord Tenchi." Aeka replied as if in a trance. Aeka walked over to the couch and sat down with a whistful look her face while Ryoko levitated off the ground and started doing sumersaults in the air. Khyone and Mihoshi looked at the two women in surprise, and then at Tenchi. That was the very first time they ever saw him actually kiss them before. Khyone was happy to see Tenchi getting some backbone when it came to the two girls, and Mihoshi just stared in amazement at the effect he had on them. Sasami called everyone into breakfast and the whole family gathered around the dining room table. Noboyuki and Yosho joined them soon after. Noboyuki, Tenchi's father, could not help but notice a different atmosphere at the breakfast table. Before them was layed out another one of Sasami's masterpieces of culinary art. She made a western breakfast that was becoming popular in the Masaki household. The usual Japanese breakfast centered around fish, rice, and sometimes steamed vegetables, but this breakfast was a big departure from the norm. There were ham & cheese omlets, bacon, buscuits, gravy, pancakes, and pitchers of maple syrup and orange juice. He looked at each of girls and noticed Khyone and Mihoshi were watching Aeka and Ryoko. The Jurai princess and the space pirate were not fighting or arguing as they usually did at the breakfast table. They seemed to be looking off into the distance as they ate and didn't seem to notice the world around them. Tenchi was siting next to Sasami and Mihoshi at the table and such an arrangement would have sparked some jealousy from his two love interests. It still surprised him sometimes that Aeka, who looked be around 17 years old, was sometimes jealous of her little sister who looked be around 9 or 10 years old when she was around Tenchi. Maybe it had something due to the fact that Sasami and the Juraian goddess Tsunami were partially the same person. This was due to them assimilating with each other 700 years ago when a very young Sasami fell to her death in the Royal Gardens on Jurai. The assimilation was not complete because Tsunami didn't want to steal Sasami's childhood from her, but one day they would combine into one being sharing thoughts and memories as one mind and one body. Nobody seemed to notice that Washu was missing. "So, Tenchi, I understand your finals are coming up." Noboyuki decided to break the silence. "Uh, ya. After the winter break." Tenchi said. "Hmm. This is your last year of high school." Yosho said. Yosho sat across from Noboyuki at the table and next to Ryoko, whom he entombed 700 years ago in her cave prison. Now he appeared to be a man in his late 60's wearing glasses and the white robes of calling as a Shinto priest. "When summer comes around I will ready for college, grandpa." Tenchi smiled. "Your mother would be proud of you." Noboyuki said with a tear in his eye. "We are all proud of your complishment, Lord Tenchi." Aeka joined in. Tenchi just blushed at their compliments. When breakfast was done he picked up his lunch from Sasami and headed for the door. "Ok, I'm headed to school. See you all later." he called. As he walked through the front door he heard the girls inside shouting to him. "Goodbye, Tenchi!" Sasami waved. "Remember to think of me, Tenchi!" Ryoko said. "That might give him nightmares!" Aeka snorted. "Why you!" Ryoko growled balling her fists. His day was a usual one his at high school. Tenchi suffered the usually teasing by his male classmates for the harem he keeps at his house. When the women first arrived on Earth he tried his best to keep these haunti's from finding about them. He knew exactly what they would think about him having a house full of gorgeous girls living with him. The secret did leak out and now he was the subject of all sorts of jokes. Tenchi took it all in stride since two of those women he lived with were the most important in his entire life, and on many occations he nearly gave his life to protect them. Tenchi walked home with his bookbag flung over his shoulder and wondered about what he was going to do next. He recalled clearly what he read the night before and wondered how he was going to get the two rivals for his love to agree to it. He had to get both girls together at the same time in the same place, but how would he be able to do it without causing world war three. He clenched his coat close to his neck to keep out the cold as he walked. Winter was coming to this region of Japan but no snow had fallen yet. He though about his problem all the way home when he suddenly got a thought. Love letters. -I'll write them a love letter, one for each of them, and have them meet me at the same place.- He only hoped that when they did show up the two wouldn't try to kill each other. That was why he had to be there before they showed up so he could stop any fight before it started. First, he had to see Washu. He was also afraid that they might even fry him a bit, but he put that thought aside. When he got home, Tenchi cautiously looked around and realized that Aeka and Ryoko were not around. He noticed a note on the coffee table in the living room. The note was from Sasami saying that they all went with Noboyuki into town to do some shopping. That meant that he would have some peace and quiet for a few hours to do what he needed to do. The plan was afoot. He knocked on the door to Washu's lab, which at one time was the broom closet under the stairway. "I'm busy." came a groggy voice from within. "Washu, its me, Tenchi. I need to see you." he said. The door to the lab opened and he stepped in. The spacious lab was built inside a stable pocket of subspace that Washu created in the broom closet. The area could have easily taken up the entire house and more. Washu sat on her levatating seat in her 12 year old form and was tapping at her translucent console. As he approached he noticed bags under her eyes as if she hadn't gotten any sleep for several hours. She had even missed breakfast that morning also. "Little Washu, are you alright?" he asked her a little concerned. "What, oh, Tenchi. I'm alright, just very busy." she said with a yawn. "You've been up all night again." he said. "Thanks for caring." she said, but then Tenchi always cares for everyone in his house. "What did you need to see me about." She smiled up at him and batted her eyelashes at him. "Umm, I wanted to talk to you about your daughter and Aeka." he said. Washu turned around assumed her adult form before his eyes. Now instead of being the likeness of a 12 year old girl with ankle length red hair, she was now a beautiful young woman with waist length red hair. She appeared to be about 19 years old in this form, but she was actually more like 20,000 years old. The childlike appearance she normally wore was more for protection than anything else. The Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe had alot of enemies and they were looking for Washu, the woman, and not Washu the child. She had other person reasons for wanting to live as a child, but those were painful memories she would rather not remember if she could help it. "What's wrong? I though you put a stop to all the fighting?" she asked. "I did, to a point, but its not that." he said as he started to turn red. "Something is wrong. Tell Little Washu." she said in a cheerful tone. "I am in love with both of them. Its how I feel." he said. "I see your problem." she said scratching her chin. "I have an idea to solve it, but I need help." he said. With that he proceeded to explain his feeling for the two women in his life. Washu just sat there listening as Tenchi poured his heart out to her about Ryoko and Aeka, and how he wished there was a way they could all be happy. After he wiped away the tears at the end of his confession of undying love for both girls he went into explanation of his idea. Washu raised a questioning eyebrow at this idea. She knew what he was taling about, but she wondered if he understood what exactly it was that he was asking for. "Are you sure about this?" she asked him. "More than anything else in the world." he replied. "Well, normally you would need a Jurai tree, but we seem to be short of those here." she said. "But, I do have something that is just as good." she continued. Washu walked off into the depths of her lab and returned with a small black box. The box was no larger than a CD jewwl case but was slightly thicker. On the top of the box were five stones of different colors. These stones seemed to glow with an inner light. She handed the box to Tenchi, who took it with great care. "This device is one of my earliest creations, so please take care of it." she told him. "How do I use it?" he asked. Washu explained how the device was to be used for what he needed it to do. She made sure that he understood everything before she finished her description. "You got all that?" she asked him. "Ya, I got it. I'll never forget this, Little Washu." he said misty eyed. "Before you go, are you sure this is what you want?" she asked him. "Yes." he said. "Tenchi. Be careful, ok?" she said in a pleading voice. Tenchi turned away from the door and walked up to the red haired genius. She looked up at his kind eyes and saw the resolve in them. -Your serious about this.- He looked at into her eyes and they held that gaze for a short moment. Then, Tenchi broke the moment by leaning forward and kissing her on the lips, for the first time. It was an innocent kiss and very brief. For Washu it seemed to last forever. When it was over she had tears running down her eyes. "Thank you." she said and it came out as a whisper. With that Tenchi turned and vanished through the door. She sat there for a while with a finger touching her lips. -You know, the real Tenchi is a better kisser.- Tenchi returned to the house and was pleased to find it was still empty. He might have an hour or only a few minutes to do what he had to do next. Quickly he took the steps to the second floor and rushed into this room. He pushed Washu's black box under his bed and then grabbed two sheets of clean white paper from his desk drawer. Using a thin quill pen he got from his grandfather for writing prayer scrolls at the shrine, he sat and thought about how to write the love letters to Aeka and Ryoko. Tenchi thought about all of the feelings he had for the two women and knew he had to express those feelings in this letter. He had to have them meet him in a certain place, and he already know what that was. The perfect spot was near the boulder that overlooked the lake. It was the same boulder that he and Aeka stood on when he took her on a tour of the land around the Shrine after her arrival on Earth. It was also close to the Demon's Cave. The proximity to that place was perfect because it was a metaphore meant for Ryoko...to forget the the past and look towards the future, so to speak. Slowly and carefully he wrote each letter in the rune-like language of the Japanese alphabet. The style was almost a lost art in the island nation where the written word was replaced by the stroke of a keyboard. This was an art form that priests maintained for the purposes of writing prayer scrolls. When he was done he let each letter dry and made sure the wet ink of the characters did not run. That step was done. He read each one, each addressed to its intended person, and was happy with the results. They effectively conveyed his true feelings in the most elequent way he could think of. Now, he had to wait for the ink to dry and then the next step in his plan would be ready. No sooner did Noboyuki stop the car did the girls rushed out into the house looking for Tenchi. They found him in the living room carving a piece of balsa wood. It was one of the hobbies he picked up recently. He was carving the Knight for a chess set that he was making. A box of several completed pieces, mostly the Pawns, sat on the coffee table with a wooden chessboard that he made form scrap wood pieces. "Hey, looking good Tenchi." Ryoko said admiring his handiwork. "Yes, your quite an artist." Aeka commented. The two girls were carrying in some shopping bags of things they needed. Tenchi put down his work and joined them to help bring the rest of the bags in which was groceries. After taking the groceries in Sasami promptly ordered everyone out of "her" kitchen and set to work putting everything away so she could make dinner. Ryu-Ohki in her toddler form was there to help her. Aeka went to the stairs to take her and Sasami's bags to their room, but stopped however when Ryoko pulled something out of her bag. It was a flowing red dress. She held it up to herself and made a pose. Tenchi's face went blood red when he noticed the front had a deeply plunging neckline. "This is the dress I'm going to wear for our date, Tenchi." she said seductively. "Lord Tenchi doesn't want to be see with someone who dresses like a common whore!" Aeka scolded her. "Dammit, Aeka! I can't take this anymore!" Ryoko sobbed suddenly. That had been the worst comment that Aeka had made about her. The women was getting more vicious with her words everyday and it was starting to get ot her. She was about to fly off and phase through the ceiling when Tenchi grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. He looked at Aeka with a scolding look that sent a chill down her spine. He loved her very much but thought she could sometimes be the cruelest person he ever knew. To be called a whore was one of the worst things you could say to Ryoko who herself was forced to do unspeakable things while under the control of Kagato. "Aeka, that was uncalled for. Tell her your sorry, right now!" he demanded. Aeka looked at Ryoko who was sobbing like a little girl into Tenchi's shoulder and she suddenly felt very small. She dropped the bags she was carrying and walked up to her worst enemy in the universe. Ryoko looked at her with hurt in her eyes and Aeka suddenly realized that she finally crossed the line. Ryoko was suddenly shocked when Aeka hugged her, and it was kind of hug she normal gave her sister. "Forgive me, Tenchi is quite right. I am sorry for what I said to you." she said with sincerity. "It's ok, princess." Ryoko said as she wiped away the tears. "It really is a very pretty dress, but its not my style." Aeka continued. "That's the different between you and me, princess." Ryoko replied. Sasami made a simple dinner that night of chicken rice and some salad. Everyone was hungry and tired from the chores of the day. Yosho excused himself to bed early because he had a wedding to preside over in the morning at the family shrine. Noboyuki disappeared into his den to work on his building diagrams for his business. After the table was cleared the girls retreated to the onsen to take a well deserved bath. The water in the olympic sized bath tub that Washu created using her subspace pockets was nice and warm and helped wash away the cares of the day. Ryoko closed her eyes letting the warm water sooth her body while Aeka lathered up her hair with some herbal shampoo. Next to them Sasami helped Khyone put her hair into a braid and Mihoshi just floated on top of the water relaxing. "This place is the best idea 'mother' ever had." Ryoko said. "Oh, ya, its great!" Mihoshi said. "Ryoko, I meant it when I said I was sorry." Aeka said with a whisper. "I know, its already forgotten." Ryoko replied. "Say, you and Tenchi have a date this weekend, right?" Khyone asked. "Ya, the Winter Festival Dance. I think." replied Ryoko. "Oh, how romantic." said Mihoshi. "Well, don't get too romantic, if you know what I mean." Aeka commented. "Don't worry, princess. I promise not to try and seduce him...to much." said Ryoko with a sly smile. "You really are incouragable, Ryoko." Aeka said. "Love is a battlefield, princess. And, I am a very good soldier." Ryoko smiled. "Honestly, Sasami, why don't those two just toss a coin for Tenchi." Khyone whispered. "They'd argue over who called heads and who called tails." she aaid. Khyone just chucked and Sasami couldn't help but join her. Before long the five women were out of the tub, dried off, and put on their robes. They went their own ways to their bedrooms and noticed that Tenchi had already retired to bed. They figured that he was tired from school, but didn't know that he had been busy while they were in the onsen. When Aeka and Sasami reached their room the princess noticed a scroll tied with a ribbon laying on her bed. Sasami pulled on her nightgown and climbed into the bed next to her sister's. "What's that, sis." she asked. "I don't know." Aeka said as she untied the ribbon. She opened the scroll and started reading the words written within. As she read the words tears began to fall down her face. These were tears of joy. She began to sob as Sasami climbed out of bed to set next to her. She looked at the note and tried to recall the language she learned from Tenchi to read it... Dear Aeka, No words can possibly describe how much I care about you. Ever since you first came to Earth I knew that I would one day fall in love with you, and I have. I feel as if you a part of me and I cannot keep my feelings to myself any longer. I love you. Every night I see your face in my dreams and I want to reach out to you but you are not there. I can no longer stand to be apart from you and hide my true love for you, my dearest Aeka. Please do not tell Ryoko of my decision, I want to deal with that myself. I feel that I owe it to her to be the one tell her. I need to see you tonight. Please meet me at midnight by the great rock overlooking the lake near Ryoko's cave. I will be waiting for you. Love always, Tenchi "Oh, great Tsunami." was all the little princess could say. "He does love me, he really does love me." Aeka sobbed with joy. "What are you going to do?" Sasami asked. "What else, I'll met him at midnight and confess my love to him." she said. "Boy, Ryoko is going to take this pretty bad." Sasami commented. From somewhere in the house came the sound of a breaking glass. Ryoko was settling down to go to sleep in her usual place when she noticed a rolled up scroll tied with a red ribbon. It looked like one of the prayer scrolls that Yosho hung on the trees around the Masaki shrine all the time. She picked it up and untied the knott. She had a cup of tea in her hands and was about to take a sip, but what she read on the scroll made her loose her grip on it. The cup fell to the floor and shattered into pieces spraying tea everywhere. She read over the words more carefully and she knew she was not mistaken....she had read it all correctly. "Oh, Tenchi!" she sighed hugging the letter to her chest in total rapture. Upon the letter it read... Dear Ryoko, Please forgive me making you wait so long to hear this from me but I can no longer hold back my feelings. I love you. I love you more than life itself. I loved you ever since I first met you at my school after I freed you from the cave. Even though you were trying to kill me at the time I could not take my eyes off of you. I resisted your incredible charms and seduction for the last time and I have come to the realization that I cannot live without you. I need you, and I want you to be mine if you will still have me, my dearest Ryoko. I want to be the one to speak to Aeka about this since I feel its my fault for leading her on all this time. She abandoned her people to be here with me and I should be the one to tell her of my decision. Please do this for me. I need to see you tonight, meet my at the great rock just outside your cave. Love, Tenchi Ryoko sat there for a while looking at each word in the letter and for a moment she didn't believe it. All sorts of thoughts went through her mind at that moment. Could it be a trick by Aeka, or Washu, or was it real. It was real, and she knew it deep in her heart that she had finaly won her Tenchi. She sobbed for a while into her pillow to let all of the sadness and frustration she had suffered over the past few years drain away and be replaced by joy. She then drifted down from the rafters of the living room and looked at the clock on the VCR. It was an hour before midnight. She had to get ready to meet the man of her dreams. A sound by the stairs alerted her that someone was walking down. She hid the letter under her night dress and saw Sasami coming down. "Ryoko, I heard a sound. Are you ok?" she asked. "Y-Y-Y-Yes. I dropped my tea cup, silly me." she replied with a smile. "Ok, but remember to clean it up. Alright?" Sasami said as she went back upstairs. "I will." Ryoko called after her. Ryoko picked up the broken cup and drumped it into the waste basket in the kitchen, and then mopped up the spilled tea. This was the most house work she had done in a long time and thought that maybe she should starting doing more of her share of the work now. With that done she summoned power from one of her gems on her leg and her outfit changed to the one she wore when she first met Tenchi after she was freed from the cave. She sat on the couch and waited for the hour to pass before going out into the cold night air to meet with him. When it was just before midnight she jumped up and phased out of the house. Princess Aeka didn't want to disturb Ryoko and didn't realize she just missed her quick departure from the house, and was pulling on her winter outfit. She opened the front door and breathed in the cold night air. It was a perfect cloudless sky for romance, she though as she walked out onto the front porch. There was no snow on the ground yet as winter had not fully set in. The air was cold but it would not turn very cold until January came around. Aeka took her bearings for a minute looking for landmarks on the moonlite ground and found the trail she needed to take to the appointed meeting place. She walked slowly and carefully so as not to trip over a tree root or large stone hidden in the darkness. In the distance she could see the large rock that was where she would meet Tenchi...the place where hey would begin their new life together. Ryoko flew slowly to the rock near her cave which had been her prison for 700 years. It seemed appropriate somehow that this place would be where Tenchi would meet with her. It was symbolic somehow, she figured. The great boulder was shimmering with midnight dew in the moon- light as she approached it. The view of the lake at night from this vantage point was spectacular. This was a great place for a romantic encounter, she thought. There was no sign of Tenchi here yet, but he might be on his way since it was not quite midnight. She decided to sit down and wait for him to appear. When he did she would fly into his arms and smother him with all the affections she stored up for past few years. Tenchi was indeed at the appointed place but he was hiding under some bushes. He did not want Ryoko to know he was there until Aeka showed up. He realized he had to be quick to show himself or a battle might ensue between the two women. Ryoko was sitting there on the rock looking out over the lake as if day dreaming. She looked even more beautiful in the moonlight then she did during the day. A sound in the distance told him that Aeka was making her way up the path from the house to the boulder. Her face seemed so angelic when she emerged from the trees and moonlight shown on her face. Both of the women were incredible beautiful to him. He felt as if his heart might skip a beat. The first reaction the two women had at seeing each other in the same place was total shock. Ryoko leaped to feet and took a fighting stace as Aeka summoned her mini-guardians via the power of Jurai. "What are you doing here?" Aeka demanded. "I was going to ask you the same thing, princess." Ryoko snapped. "Your obviously here to ruin the special moment that Tenchi and I are going to have here!" Aeka screamed. "What have you been smoking, princess. I'm here to have a romantic encounter with my Tenchi!" Ryoko growled Angrily. "Your Tenchi! This proves that Tenchi is MINE!" Aeka exclaims as she pulls out her love letter. "Yours! In your wet dreams! This is my proof of Tenchi's love for ME!" Ryoko answers back showing her letter. "That letter is a fake, and you know it!" Aeka screamed. "This is a low move for you, princess. You know Tenchi only has eyes for me." Ryoko replied. The two women started to growl at each other and the power for a battle started to build. Tenchi knew he let this go far enough and it was time for him to step out of the shadows. The two combatants were ready to start attacking each other when they noticed a third person in their presence. Their power wavered when they realized who it was that was standing there. "lord Tenchi, this monster-woman is trying to ruin our lives together!" Aeka exclaimed pointing an accusing finger at Ryoko. "Don't listen to her Tenchi, she is just trying to get between us!" Ryoko shot back. "Actually, girls, I wrote both letters." he said calmly and braced himself. This statement took both of them totally by surprise. They looked at Tenchi with a look of shock on their faces. Neither of them not sure of what to say next so Tenchi took this as his cue to step forward to explain himself. Slow he walked up to them both and took each woman by the hand. They seemed to resist him for a moment but their confusion and emotions for him overpowered their surprise. He looked into their eyes and saw the pleading in them and they saw the kindness and love in his own gaze. For a moment he thought they might go off on him and unleach their power at him, but their eyes told him they wanted...needed to hear him out. "I needed to talk to you both away from the others." he said. "You see, a few days ago I came to a revelation that changed my whole outlook on life. I realized that if anything were to happen to either of you I couldn't live with myself. Every night I sleep I see you in my dreams, and your all I see during the day when I am at school. I haven't fallen in love with either one of you. I-I-I fell in love with BOTH of you." Akea and Ryoko's minds went whirling in a sea of conflicting emotions. They knew for a fact beyond truth that they both loved him with all their hearst. But, he loved both of them, at the same time. He confessed it to them right here right now. It was their dream come true, and their worse nightmare at the same time. How could this ever work out? How did this happen? Where do we go from here? What will happen to us? "Let get out of this cold so we can talk." he said and they just nodded. The three sat together in the main part of the Masaki shrine to be away from the house and out of the cold weather at the same time. Tenchi stocked up the hearth that sat in one corner of the shrine that kept the building warm during the winter months. The two women looked at their love expectantly as he sat down with them. The three sat for a long while just looking at each other before one had the courage to speak. "Will you ever choose between us, someday?" Aeka asked. "I can't. I would hurt the other and I can't bring myself to do that...ever." Tenchi said. "Then, does this means your letting us go." She asked in a very sad voice. "NO, I will never let you go...not ever again." he said squeezing their hands gently. "How can we work this out? Isn't paligamy illegal in Japan?" Ryoko asked. "It is." Tenchi replied with a downcast face. "Its also illegal on Jurai." Aeka said sadly. "That is not entirely true." Tenchi replied. "But before I explain, I need to hear this from each of you. Do you love me?" "Lord Tenchi, you know that I love you very much or I would not be here right now." Aeka said looking into his eyes. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "I watched you grow up as a child playing outside my cave since you were only five years old, and then I knew I would love you forever. I'll never stop being in love with you." Ryoko said with tears streaming down her face. "I was so afraid that you two would hate me for this." he said. The two women reacted with shocked expressions. "We could never hate you!" they said in unison. The mood was making tears form in his own eyes as Tenchi watched the two women who meant so much to him pour their hearts out to him. The atmosphere of love to so strong that room that if it were a physical force it would have pushed out the walls of the shrine. They hugged each other and uncontrollable sobbs came forth from the two women. Tenchi held them close unwilling to let either of them go or risk losing one of them forever. He felt whole with both of them there, they were a part of his heart that he would not, could not ever part with. "Please don't cry." he pleaded with them. "I don't know whether to be overjoyed or sad." Ryoko cried. "You said you wanted to explain something. What is it, Lord Tenchi?" Aeka ask wiping the tears from her eyes. "I've been studying Juraian culture and law for a while. I discovered soemthing that might make it possible for all of us to be together." he said. "How?" Ryoko asked him. "Have you ever heard of something called the Great Bond?" he asked. Elsewhere in another reality... Prince Orrin was running as fast has his power-armor would take him. Behind him the Imperium weapons cache was a pillar of flames and explosions. Dozens of mechanized units were on his tail firing white hot streaks of plasma energy at him. In a conceiled pocket he carried a small data crystal stolen from the computer center. On this crystal was all the evidence he needed to stop the Imperium in their tracks and force them out of the Galactic Council. That was the first step, but the next was much more serious. There was a larger picture here. Orrin's hobby of archeology lead him to the study of the vansihed Elo'quin Empire. The race once ruled most of galaxy and the ruins of their once great civilization liter thousands of planets in the Galactic Federation. The reason for the fall of the Elo'quin was a subject of much debate in the halls of higher learning, and Orrin found this all very fascinating. He dedicated his free time to study the ancient race and their ways. This lead him to a discovery that would change his life forever. In an ancient library left by the Elo'quin on his home- world Orrin learned one of the greatest secrets of these people. The Elo'quin found scientific proof for the existance of magic, and they learned how to combine magic and technology into a new science called Etherealology. The discipilines of Etherealology took up much of his studies over several hundred years of his life. As a scientist himself he tackled the task of decyphering the ancient language of the race and the mysteries of this science. Before long he managed to create several inventions based on Etherealology. The first was the power-armor he was wearing at that moment, and the second was the ship that was racing towards him in the sky. The ship was sleek and resembled some great sea creatures from some alien ocean. It was not a very large ship and appeared as if it might hold a crew of perhaps only six people. Inside, a subspace pocket made the interior of the ship larger than the outside. The vessel swooped down from the sky and Orrin felt the telltale effects of a tranporter grabbing onto him. With a flash of bright light he was suddenly whisked away from the landscape of the barren planetoid and was planted on the bridge of his ship. The bridge was a large ovoid room that seemed featureless and smooth. There were no control panels on the walls or any devices anywhere. In the center of the room was a floating seat which he mounted quickly and a translucent control panel sprang up to life before him. "Kryton! Get us out of here!" he shouted. -- Acknowledge, mi'lord. -- The sleek ship swooped up from the ground leaving dust in his wake and dodge around several plasma blasts from the grounds. The ship eccelerated until it was traveling several hundred time the speed of sound. Before long it broke free of the atmosphere and began to use the gravity of the planetoid to sling-shot it out of the solar system. Several billboard sized holodisplays sprang up on the bridge showing the scene outside the ship. The surface of the planetoid was racing away under ship when three small pinpoints of light appeared. -- Sire, we have three fighters coming up from the planet. -- "Prepare to engage spacefold back to Setari space." Orrin ordered. -- Calculating for jump now. Raising shields. I detect ten more fighters. -- "Damn!" Orrin breathed. -- Sire, on the planet! I am detecting an enourmous ethereal energy signature! -- "What? Where is it?" Orrin demanded. -- It appears to be coming from the weapons cache you sabatoged. -- "The Imperium knows nothing about Etherealology." Orrin said. -- I am detecting a strong ethereal signature, there is no doubt. -- "If this is true then we have alot of worry about." Orrin replied. Suddenly, from the surface of the planet there came a massive flash of white light. The holodisplays on the bridge of the Kryton flared for a second and then returned to normal. The scene was horrific as a massive shockwave raced across the surface of the planetoid destroying everything in its path. The shockwave was racing as fast as the ship itself was travelling. Soon the entire surface of the planetoid was completely obliterated. Through holes in the thick black clouds that now encircled the globe Orrin could see the surface was molten red and glowing. -- I am detecting quantum distortions in space-time. We are in serious trouble! -- "What was that thing?" Orrin asked his ship. -- Unknown, but it is the source of the quantum distortions. -- "Give me helm control." Orrin ordered. Orrin's hands flew across the holopanel in front of him as he control of the Kryton. The ship built using Etherealology discipilines and Setari technology race away from the planetoid at full speed. The surface of the planet began to glow brighter and brighter as time went by until the dark clouds were boiled away and the sphere shown as bright as a sun. The Kryton was thrown about like a leaf in a hurricane by tremendous quantum forces. It was all Orrin could do to keep the ship on course. "How are those jump calculations going?" he said the ship. -- Done. However, engaging space fold within these distortions may produce unpredictable results. -- "If we don't get out of here, I predict we will shake apart!" Orrin yelled over the sound of the ship shuttering as the shaking became more violent. -- I see, and feel your point, sire! Engaging space fold in three, two, one... -- The spacefold system on the ship that allowed the Kryton to traverse vast distances of space in seconds sprang to life. A sphere of energy surrounded the ship as the veseele prepared to fold space, but suddenly the sphere became change shape and morph in places. An alarm went off inside the ship and Orrin was nearly thrown around the bridge like a single piece of dice in a cup. -- Its as I feared! The fold system is forming a Quantium Rift! -- "Disengage space fold!" Orrin yelled holding onto his seat. -- Its too late! -- The sphere around the Kryton suddenly errupted with a flash and the maw of a swirling quantum rift formed around it. The ship plunged into its depths before Orrin could correct the ship and escape its gravity. The Kryton, using Etherealology, could easily survive an encounter with a black hole, but they were too close this time. Orrin was violently thrown from seat and fell into blissful unconsciousness when his is head slammed into the deck. Back in a more familiar reality... Washu sat on her floating cousion with her head slumped forwards. She was snoring and having a dream about the day she created Ryoko. She was picking up the little child out of the creation chamber and she hugged her as if she had given birth to her herself. She was happy finally to have completed this masterwork and realized that she wouldn't be alone anymore. She didn't have her real child, but she could have the next best thing in Ryoko. The scientist woke with a start at the sound of alarm. She looked at her holopanels and gasped at what she saw. For the past day she had been tracking a strange anomily near the orbit of Earth's moon. The anomily had stronge quantum signatures, and it was jamming some of her instruments. She was monitoring it and set the alarm to go off if anything major took place while she slept. What she saw on the screen was a major event indeed. The quantum anomily had errupted into a full blown quantum rift...a gateway from one dimension to another. What made it worse was that the rift was unstable and was fluxuating erraticly. The tidal forces of the rift was starting to effect the orbit on Earth's moon. This was very bad. "Keep recording this, and I want a schematic of that rift pronto!" she ordered the computer. Robot Washu A and B suddenly popped up at that moment singing the praises of the great genius. "You can do it Washu! Your the greatest Washu! Your a genius Washu!" "That is so true." she smiled. Tenchi sat alone in the shrine flipping Washu's little black box around in his hands. He looked up at the door that lead outside and wondered what the two women were thinking about. After his explanation of what he had in mind, Aeka and Ryoko were completely stunned. Aeka was somewhat familiar with the Great Bond because it was how her father married her mother and Fonaho. Only a member of the Jurai royal family could legally initiate the Great Bond under the law, but not all parties of the bond had to be. It was the fact that he wanted to bond with them both that stuneed her. Did he realize just how powerful this bond weould be? The two women decided to go outside to consider Tenchi's request. They both stood outside the door to the shrine and looked into the night sky. They looked at each other and wondered what life living with each other for the rest of their lives would be like. The bond would mean no more fighting for Tenchi because he would belong to both of them. It meant no more barriers, no restrictions. The Great Bond was more than a sharing of thoughts and memories. You actually almost become one with the person to whom you are bonding. It was not quite like the bond that Sasami and Tsunami shared, but it was the next best thing. One thing was for certain, they would both get what they wanted and that was Tenchi's love and affection for the rest of natural lives. "Its an interesting idea, isn't it?" Aeka asked Ryoko. "He cares about us this much." Ryoko said. "He has always been a caring person." Aeka observed. "He's the best thing that ever happened to us." Ryoko said. Aeka turned to her mortal enemy and looked into her yellow, catlike eyes. "Ryoko, I have been mean and cruel to you for the past few years. But, I will be willing to set that all aside if you will." Ryoko looked away for a moment and then looked back up at the Princess of Jurai. "I came too far to let him go now, princess." she said with tears in her eyes.. Aeka nodded. "We've decided then." Ryoko nodded back. "Let us lay down some ground rules first, Miss Ryoko." Aeka said, raising a finger. "There will be absolutely no Trios." "Fine by me, but he might like that." Ryoko said in a sly voice. "You really are impossible." Aeka snorted. "Actually, I have to admit something. I'm still a virgin." Ryoko said in a whisper. Aeka's eyes widened in shock. "But, from all that boasting and your behavior with Lord Tenchi..." "Was all show. I've never been with a man before. I guess that sort of thing is just expected from a person like me." she said. "I am surprised at this, Ryoko." Aeka said. "Why? Is it because I'm not the 'whore' you thought I was." Ryoko snapped. "No. It is because you are a more volunerable woman than I previous thought you were." she said. "You are a much nicer person than I realized before." Ryoko told her. "We'll both know each other a little better in a few minutes." Aeka said. "How so?" asked Ryoko. "When we form the bond we will relive each other's memories." she said. The two women slid open the door to the shrine and walked back in. Tenchi stood up and waited for them to speak. They all stood their for a few moments in total silence. Finally, both Aeka and Ryoko fell upon him with their arms around him with tears of joy running their faces. He held them both in his arms and kissed each one gently on the lips. Their kisses were like the caress of fine silk and he felt himself melting at their touch. This contact seemed to go on for an eternity, but soon they parted and looked at each other. "Tenchi, I'll do anything you ask. I love you." Aeka cried. "You know I could never deny you, Tenchi." Ryoko cried. "You have made me so happy." he said with tears in his eyes. "If you are happy, we are happy, Lord Tenchi." Aeka told him. "We'll all be happy...together." Ryoko said. In her subspace lab in Tenchi's broom closet, Washu monitored the quantum rift with great interest and worry. The tidal forces of the rift would not effect the orbit of the moon too adversely for at least six days. After that time the orbit of the moon will either shift one of two ways. One, it could shift enough to fall into the gravity well of the Earth and eventually slam into it. That impact would effectly wipe out all life on the plaent! Or, two, the moon would shift away from the Earth and go sling shotting into space. The effect on the gravitational field of Earth would be like a rubberhand springing back on itself. The forces would cause catastrophic earthquakes, floods, tidal waves, and freak storms that could result in millions of deaths and damage in the value of hundreds of billions. Both prospects where not good at all. As she watched the swirling maw of the rift her quick eyes noticed something strange. It looked like something was coming out of the rift. "Magnify region 20.34.50 mark 8." she said. The computer acknowledged with a beep and the area she wanted as magnifed on her holoscreen in front of her. The object appeared to be some kind of space craft. It looked almost organic like the wooden starships of the Jurai but this one was made of metal. It remineded her of a stange looking fish or some sort of alien shark. Was as also strange was the bizare energy signature it was giving off. If she didn't know any better she would say the frequency was similar to the one given off my Ryoko's gems, but was just slightly off. The ship was tumbling, drifting in space when I emerged from the rift. Suddenly, the ship righted itself and started on a course straight for Earth. Uh, ho, she thought. "Track that ship, I want to know exactly where it lands." she continued. The vessel increased speed and plunged into the planet's atmosphere for a reentry burn. Soon its course would bring it into a low orbit "Tenchi, I hope you finish what you need to do quickly because we're about to have some guests." she breathed. ____________________ End of Chapter One... If you enjoyed this fan fic please send me an email to zorch@the-zorch.com, subject line "TM Fan Fic". Stay tuned for the next installment with Chapters 2: The Great Bond, and Chapter 3: The Visitor.