These characters do not belong to me, they belong to AIC and Pioneer and probably a lot of other cool people. As always, this is not being written for profit and is a continuation of The Bet The Assassin By Kenzie Kennedy "Hey, why are we out here at the shrine?" Ryoko objected. "Because this is where the assassin attacked." Tenchi told her. Washu winked at Ryoko. "Actually because your grandfather's still keeping watch over him to make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble." Washu supplied. The three walked up to the shrine and where Yosho was standing watch over a caped but tied up individual. "Ah, Miss Washu. He has revealed that he is an assassin, but nothing more." Yosho gravely told her. Washu smirked at the invader. "He'll tell me more soon enough." *** After dinner, Washu finally came out of her lab, looking much bedraggled. Ryoko flew over to her mother and looked impatiently at her. "Well?" she asked. "Well, he's an assassin." Washu took a look at the dinner table and Sasami quickly brought her the dinner she had set aside. Everyone looked at Washu calmly eating her dinner. When she had finished, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin, looked at everyone puzzled, and said, "What?" "What else did you find out?" Ryoko gritted out. "Oh, we're still on that topic?" Washu grinned. "He's an assassin sent to kill Tenchi. Other than that, nothing. Except for the tiny little fact that they're going to keep trying until all of them are dead or he is." Everyone was silent. "So what are we going to do?" asked Ayeka. Tenchi spoke quietly. "I'm going to go to Jurai tomorrow." "What?!" the whole household yelled at him. "I'll go to Jurai and offer myself as bait. That ought to get them out into the open where we can deal with them." He said. "Oh, no, you're not." Ryoko said grimly. "Yes, I am." Tenchi stared levelly at Ryoko. "Let's look at this another way." Washu said. "If Tenchi offers himself as bait, he should do it in a safe environment." "But if guards are around-" Tenchi objected. "Nope! No guards. How about if you're working with Ryoko and Misaki in the garden? Open area, lots of people, perfect place to kill the prince of Jurai." Washu said enthusiastically. "No one is killing him." Ryoko growled. "Of course not! You'll be there to protect him, my daughter." Washu grinned at her. "As soon as all the assassins are in one area, I'll throw a stasis containment over the whole area. I'll filter out you, Tenchi, and Misaki and let everyone else be frozen in place." "This is crazy!" Ryoko threw her hands up in the air. "You really think he's not going to have assassination attempts on him for the rest of his life?" Washu asked practically. "Yes, I have had a few, though none succeeded, obviously." Ayeka said. "But that's you. You're Juraian born. He's just an earthling." Ryoko tried to stave off the conversation from where it was heading. Tenchi was not going to be bait with her around! "Why don't we talk it over with Funaho and Misaki?" Washu told her. *** Ryoko grumbled on her way to bed. I've been tricked. I don't know how, but I've been tricked. Funaho and Misaki had thought it was a wonderful idea. Misaki was Supreme Commander of the Jurai Royal bodyguard or something. Funaho had a title that translated into Spymaster. This was too much at one time. But Funaho didn't know anything about the assassins. So the plan was that Ryoko, Misaki, and Tenchi would be working in the garden tomorrow in the courtyard. The assassins would see that there were no guards around and attack full force. Or at least that was the idea. The attacking was the problem Ryoko had with the whole idea. She had argued for a long amount of time against the plan, but Funaho had pointed out to her that the assassins would keep trying. Ryoko had asked so what? Funaho had gently told her that the assassins would come to Earth and try to kill Tenchi and potentially harm someone there. So Ryoko had given in to Tenchi's pleading eyes. Ryoko changed into her nightgown and got into bed. She stared at the ceiling waiting for sleep to find her. Her lamp burned brightly beside her bed. *** Two hours later, Ryoko sighed and sat up. Sleep wasn't in the cards for tonight. This plan was not going to work! Tenchi would die and then Ryoko would follow for how could she live without her heart? Wait a minute. Did Washu make me so that I can die? She wondered. Ryoko shrugged. If not, she'd find a way. Still in her nightgown, Ryoko got out of bed and walked to the balcony. Like an angel, her nightgown streaming out behind her, she floated down to the ground. Steeling herself, she walked out into the darkness. This isn't so bad, she thought a few moments later. The machines whirred, the animals made noises, and lights flashed off and on. Ryoko walked with confidence through the lab. *** Even though she knew she shouldn't, Ryoko appeared from the lab door to Tenchi's room. She hovered above his bed. How handsome he is, she thought with pride. How could he ever love me, an evil space pirate, when he looks and is so innocent? Ryoko floated lower until her nose brushed his. "Ah-choo!" Tenchi sneezed himself awake. "Ryoko!" he said once he saw her. "Hi," she said dismally and floated down to sit on the bed. To give him credit, Tenchi knew something was wrong and didn't throw her out of the room. After all, she isn't trying anything and if she did, we're engaged to be married in eight days, he reminded himself. "What's the matter?" he asked, propping himself up on an elbow. Ryoko shrugged. "Tomorrow is the matter." "I'll be fine." He tried to assure her but she would have none of it. "What if you aren't? What if I can't protect you and you die?" she asked gazing into his face with all the love she possessed for him. "Then you'll have Washu rebuild me from my basic cells and I'll still be fine." He told her solemnly. Ryoko sported a small smile on her face now. Tenchi continued. "Misaki's going to have a few of her undercover agents in the square so that they can get the people away so they don't get hurt. Misaki told us she was the head of the bodyguards so she must be able to defend herself. I've summoned the lighthawk wings once when you thought I was dead and grandpa says I'm getting better with the sword. Washu's containment will work and it'll all be over." Tenchi leaned forward and wrapped an arm around Ryoko's waist. "And I've got my fianc‚ fighting to defend my life. What could go wrong?" Ryoko nodded tentatively. "All right. I'll go through with it. But I don't like it!" she said petulantly. Tenchi smiled. "I think the whole household and Jurai knows you don't like it." Ryoko got up to leave. "Uh, Ryoko..." Ryoko turned around. "You could sleep here if you want." Tenchi blushed. Ryoko stared at him, frozen. Tenchi hastened to say, "Just sleep. You get the bed, I get the floor?" Ryoko lowered her head to stare at her feet. She slowly shook her head back and forth. Tenchi's face revealed his disappointment. "Oh. Okay." He said softly. Ryoko's face came back up and grinned at him. "I couldn't stand it, Tenchi. Sasami wouldn't know that we weren't supposed to. Mihoshi would be making comments that would disrupt everyone. Ayeka would be screaming at me that a "fianc‚ to a prince" does not do such things. Balar would have no idea what was going on. And," Ryoko paused dramatically, "Washu would not stop grinning at me for weeks. No, no, I'm afraid I'll have to pass." Tenchi fluffed his pillow as he thought Ryoko was leaving. Ryoko stared at him until he was done. "But," she said seductively, "I wouldn't mind a goodnight kiss." *** Ryoko opened her eyes the next morning, immediately awake. Washu was nowhere to be seen. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and groaned. What a kiss that was last night! She bounced out of bed and got dressed. Then she ran out of the room, grabbed the balcony railing, and did three somersaults in mid-air before landing on her feet in the middle of the living room. "You used to do four." Washu mentioned while pouring her daily cup of juice. "Nothing you can say will bring me down today, Mother!" Ryoko caroled. "Oh? I'm coming with you to Jurai." Ryoko's face fell. "Why?" "I'm going to have cameras all over the place to see where they're at. Plus I thought it might ease your mind. I'm your teacher in sword-fighting, so I figured one more person guarding Tenchi would be nice." Washu told her daughter. Ryoko nodded and proceeded to do cartwheels around the living room. Washu sipped her juice. Tenchi must have kissed her last night, she mused. *** Washu, Tenchi, and Ryoko all stepped through the portal to find Misaki waiting for them. As they walked down to the courtyard, Misaki told them quietly about the guards who would get the crowds away from the general area in case something went wrong. Then she started to loudly ask Ryoko what she planned to do with the garden today. *** While Ryoko and Misaki were up to their knees in dirt and flowers, Washu was helping Tenchi put additives in the water to keep the fish alive. Her cameras would check in with her every so often and reported nothing. Washu gritted her teeth in frustration. Why don't they attack so we can get this over with! Misaki was being show exactly how to plant a bulb when Ryoko noticed something. An awful lot of people here were cloaked. Not that cloaked people weren't normal on Jurai, but at this time of day? When the sun was high in the sky and the people were starting to sweat? Mother? She asked mentally. I see them, Washu sent grimly back. Tenchi knows already, tell Misaki. "Uh, Misaki?" Ryoko tapped her shoulder. "What? Did I do it wrong again?" she asked downcast. "I think we're about to have trouble." Ryoko said lowly. "Oh, my." Misaki looked at her troubled. "That man over there has been watching me for the past half hour. You mean you didn't know?" By hidden signal, the caped people attacked. The guards immediately started to take charge of the crowd, getting them out of the immediate area. Misaki assumed a fighting position while Ryoko's energy sword came up. Tenchi drew Tenchi-ken from his waist. Washu's laptop came as she summoned it to. As soon as her cameras detected the last caped person rushing the garden, she punched the button. The containment shield acted exactly as she had planned and all of the caped people froze in place. Washu crowed her joy. Uh, Mom? Ryoko asked. Washu's face fell. About fifty people were inside the perimeter frozen. Another two hundred waited outside. They started at a run toward the four people. "Washu!" Tenchi turned and shouted. She shook her head and typed furiously at her computer. Why didn't I put a "repeat" button on this thing? She thought angrily. Misaki turned into a flurry of flying feet and hands, her opponents landing to the left and right of her. Ryoko stood at a distance and blasted energy at their feet, trying to stun instead of kill. Only one of them got through the combined front of those two women. He headed straight for Tenchi. Their blades met in an angry hum. The two dueled all over the garden, tipping over one of the fountains and smashing it on the ground, ripping plants up, and generally making a mess. Ryoko noticed this and teleported over to run the man through. This left Misaki unguarded, but she handled it just fine. A thought crossed Ryoko's mind that Misaki was good. Washu looked up and saw at least ten people running toward her. She saw more running toward her daughter and Tenchi. A goddess's fury ripped through her. How dare these people try to make the daughter of a goddess unhappy by killing the one she loved? Everyone who had assassination thoughts on Tenchi froze in place. It didn't matter where you were on Jurai, all the assassins froze where they were. Tenchi and Ryoko stopped. Ryoko looked down at the person she had killed. The blood drained from her face. She looked at Tenchi with fear on her face. She had killed. He had never seen her kill before. Would he still love- "Oh, Ryoko!" Tenchi said, stepping over the body. He grabbed her as if he never intended to let go. "Tenchi. I-I'm sorry." She stuttered. He let go and looked into her face searching for what she meant. "Sorry?" he asked finally. Ryoko pointed to the dead man. "I'm not sorry I killed him, but-" "I'm not sorry you killed him either." Tenchi said. "I'm relieved to still be alive. This was a stupid idea. I should have listened to you. Forgive me?" "Tenchi, I killed a man for you and you're not even disgusted over it?" she yelled. The crowd was now gathering around again to marvel at the frozen assassins. Misaki stood off to one side trying to prevent them from tipping the frozen statues over. Washu walked over to her daughter. "Well, that's all done. Misaki's probably going to get the guards to take them away." Ryoko shot her a dirty look. "What's that for? No one got hurt, did they?" "Unfreeze one of them." Ryoko growled. "Uh, Ryoko, I don't think that's a good idea." Tenchi said. "Mom..." Ryoko said. Washu shrugged and unfroze one of them. Ryoko grabbed him. "Look around you. All your buddies are frozen and you're all going to be hauled off to jail. I'm the Space Pirate Ryoko and you're going to answer a question for me or you're going to end up like your friend there." She pointed to the dead man on the ground. The recently unfrozen man nodded swiftly. "Okay, here's the question. Why are you wanting to kill Tenchi so much?" Ryoko growled at him. "B-because he's marrying you. You're the Space Pirate Ryoko. You'll kill us all. You'll kill the royal family and all of their descendants." He stammered. Ryoko dropped him. Washu froze him. Ryoko turned back to Tenchi. "There, you see? That's what I've thought all along. They're trying to kill you not because you're an Earthling, not because you don't know anything, not because the Emperor pretends to dislike you, and not because you're the grandson of Yosho. It's because of me. They're trying to kill you because you want to marry the Dreaded Space Pirate Ryoko." Ryoko screamed at him. Tenchi tried to calm her down but she kept raging. "And it's not going to happen anymore. There will always be someone trying to kill you or me. I'm going to leave." Ryoko started to fly up. "NO!" Tenchi grabbed her and tugged her back down. "You're not leaving!" "I'm leaving to protect you!" Ryoko yelled at him, tears streaming down her face. "I don't care about ruling! I want you!" Tenchi screamed back at her. Ryoko stared at him, dumbfounded. "No. You will rule Jurai. That's what you want." "No," Tenchi said, "I want you." Ryoko laughed. "Well, I don't want you. Silly little Earthling, can't you see I've been playing with all this time?" Ryoko yawned. "Now, go away little boy. I have to go back to Earth and collect Ryo-ohki." She cackled. "We have banks to rob, planets to plunder and pillage-" Tenchi grabbed her face with both hands. Staring into her eyes, he said, "If you can tell me that you don't love me, I'll let you go." Ryoko tried to turn away from him. Tenchi held her fast. "No. No turning away and telling me. Tell me to my face, Ryoko." She looked into his eyes and tears streamed down her face, leaving tracks in the dirt. "I-I can't." she sobbed. She started to sink to the ground and he let her. She brought her knees up to her chest and started to rock back and forth. "I can't, I can't," she sobbed. She felt someone sit down beside her. "It'll never work. Never. I can't change my past even if it wasn't me doing those things. There'll always be someone trying to kill you because of me. I can't make a planet like me, Tenchi. It's a miracle that you even like me." Ryoko got tired of the wet feeling on her eyelashes and tilted her arm up to rub them away. "Then I won't rule." Tenchi said from above her. "I just want you to be happy." Ryoko looked beside her to see Misaki sitting there. Washu grinned at her from a few feet away. The guards were coming to take the assassins away. "Ryoko, there will always be someone trying to take away your happiness." Misaki said quietly. "The best thing to do is to try to be happy and take each day individually. Haven't there been weeks where nothing really bad happened?" Ryoko sniffled and nodded. "And there will be weeks where everything seems to go wrong. But if you don't find at least one thing that makes you happy and cling to it, then you'll always be miserable." Misaki told her. Ryoko looked up into Tenchi's worried face. "Okay." She finally said. "We'll try again." Tenchi's face blossomed into a smile and he hugged his bride-to-be. Washu hit a final key and grinned at the couple. She winked at Misaki. Ryoko's words were blared out to the Juraian market. Her words of sorrow expanded to the people of Jurai. Washu's voice came over the communication system just after Ryoko got through saying, "We'll try again." "That, you Juraians, was Ryoko Hakubi after she, Tenchi, and Misaki have vanquished the assassins that have been plaguing Prince Tenchi. She thinks that you're worth a second shot. I'm not so sure though. You treat her like she's dirt, try to kill her, try to kill your own prince, for Tsunami's sake! I am Washu! The greatest scientific genius in the universe! You think I can't create her a whole planet to rule over if I want to? I think she should find somewhere where she's more appreciated than this dirtball!" Washu screamed into the microphone. Washu calmed herself, smoothed back her hair, and replaced the microphone into a black hole. She grinned at Misaki. "Let's see if that gets any results." The adults surrounding the garden had the decency to look regretful and shot hesitant looks at Ryoko as if sizing up how regretful they should be. Two shrieks were heard and Ryoko's ears pricked up. Two small children pushed their way through the crowd. "Ryoko! Ryoko!" they called. Ryoko's eyes lit up and she waved. The two children ran toward her. The small female tripped and started to cry. Alarmed, Ryoko phased over to her and helped her up. Lacey continued to cry while Art stood there staring at the frozen assassins. Ryoko examined her knee which had been skinned and was bleeding a little. "Washu!" she called frantically. "She's bleeding!" Washu strolled over. "So she is. What? You've never seen a little kid get scrapes before?" She pulled out a small medical kit out of nowhere. "Well, I never did." Ryoko watched carefully. "That's because I made you that way. Well, then I know you saw Chiro." Washu took out a bandage and put it on the cut. Lacey sniffled a bit. Washu grinned and said telepathically to Ryoko, "Offer her a treat later. Candy or ice cream usually does the trick." Ryoko ignored Washu's comment about Chiro and concentrated on Lacey. "Hey, um, Lacey." The child turned toward her. "I'll get you something sweet later after we finish here." Lacey started to smile and her older brother collected her to examine an assassin. Washu pointed and Ryoko turned around. It seemed she had attracted an audience. She stared at the people with semi-tender expressions on their faces like a deer caught in headlights. "Uh...." She said intelligently. She stood up from where she had been knelt down by Lacey and surveyed her garden. Her shoulders slumped and she groaned. Both fountains had been broken, the paths were a scattered mess, and the plants had mostly been torn up. Her spirits fell. A small hand patted her on the back. "We'll fix it," Washu said. "If I can fix a whole house after Mihoshi crashes into it, you can fix a garden. Ryoko's eyes went wide as something occurred to her and she dashed over to the fountains. She grabbed the piece of broken fountain and hauled it out of the water. She looked frantically around and saw all the fish were fine. The same with the other fountain. "But how am I going to get all of this cleaned up? The guards aren't going to be able to carry back the flowers this time and how will the paths get set up?" Ryoko wondered out loud. "Well, ordinarily I'd say it doesn't have to be done today." Washu told her practically. "But since I'm dealing with the next queen of Jurai, my advice is to ask them." She pointed to the crowd. Ryoko looked at Washu crazily. "But they hate me!" Washu pursed her lips. "Asking won't hurt you." Ryoko took a deep breath and prepared to speak. Washu slapped something into her hand. Ryoko looked down to find the microphone in her hands. Raising it to her lips, she spoke into it. "People of Jurai. As you can see the garden I was working on to help the planet's beauty grow, has been destroyed. Do you think you could help me restore it?" Ryoko waited nervously. Someone tugged on her sleeve. Ryoko looked down. Lacey smiled up at her. "You want to go get some more pink plants?" Ryoko asked gently. Lacey nodded. "Young lady," someone said. Ryoko turned to find the old woman who had been at McQueran's. "You did a lovely job with the garden. Those hoodlums," she pierced the assassins with her gaze, "destroyed it. I'll help you plant if someone will help me back up." After that, getting Juraians to volunteer was easy. Ryoko had an entire army following her to McQueran's and a set of willing arms whenever she wanted something carried back. Misaki supervised the pathways being rebuilt back at the courtyard and the little yards for the individual flowers. Instead of having the delivery boys sweat carrying the fountains back, Ryoko took them one at a time to the garden and slid them into place herself. Art and Lacey were given the job of transporting the fish to the new fountains once they were filled with water. *** At the end of the day, the garden was finished. Washu, winking at Ryoko, had placed three small statues in three of the small beds. One was of Tsunami, one looked just like Washu, and the third was of Tokimi.