These characters do not belong to me, they belong to AIC and Pioneer. I'm not making money from this and as always, this is a continuation of The Bet. The Forgetfulness By Kenzie Kennedy Washu stretched her arms as she awoke the next morning. Deciding to lie in bed for a few minutes before waking Ryoko up, she started through her checklist. Cake? Sasami said she'd be doing the cake. Juraian food? Funaho's handling that. Dresses? Not ready for two days. Bachelorette party? Two days. We'll pick up the dresses and the jewelry and just spend money all night. Washu grinned. I wonder if I can get Ryoko into some lingerie.... Pushing that thought aside, she continued the checklist. Earth food? Being taken care of as we speak. Flowers? The florist has them ordered and they are being shipped as we speak. Invitations? Handed them out yesterday. Washu tried to proceed to the next item on the list but something nagged her about the invitations. It's not the scientists, I saw to that personally. Mihoshi's blunder has been corrected. I sent hers out last night. Tenchi doesn't have any Earth friends he wishes to invite. Nobuyuki's not inviting anyone due to the fact that I sent him a long fax about exactly who was going to be there. None of his architect friends are a match for the Jurai royal family. What is it? Washu grimaced. The ones only she could get a hold of. She had forgotten! *** Ryoko growled herself awake. Blinking her eyes to get the fuzzy feeling out of them, she looked around for Washu. Seeing that she wasn't there, Ryoko got out of bed, slipped on her slippers and got dressed. She padded her way down the stairs and took a look at the clock. It was ten in the morning. Ryoko frowned at the clock. If it was the late why wasn't Washu up? Ryoko shook her head and started toward her mom's bedroom. She knocked on the door. When she heard no answer, she pushed the door open to make sure Washu wasn't still asleep. Washu was sitting cross-legged on her bed, staring into space. "Hey, Washu, it's ten o'clock." Ryoko told her. Washu didn't make a sound and she didn't move. Ryoko walked over and laid a hand on her mother's arm. It was ice cold. "Mom?" Ryoko asked. She turned her head so she was looking into Washu's eyes. Blackness. Ryoko felt herself falling into a pool of blackness that was Washu's eyes. She tried to swim in it, but she didn't move. Her powers didn't work here. She couldn't get out and her heart was beating so fast and what if her mother was hurt? Ryoko took a breath. Washu looked at her with intense eyes that were no longer fathomless. "What were you trying to do?" Washu screamed at her. "Wake you up." Ryoko said wearily. I'm not sure my brain's all here, she thought to herself. Washu slapped her forehead. "If you ever see me like that again, don't look into my eyes. Do you understand?" Washu stared at her daughter until Ryoko nodded. "All right," Washu stood up and leaped off the bed. "There's something I want you to do for me, okay? This is an area of your education that we neglected and now you've got to learn." Washu took a deep breath. "I've got to teach you to dance." Ryoko blinked at her. "Dance?" Washu shook her head sadly. "Yes, dance. You have to know how to close dance at your wedding. So does Tenchi so I'll be teaching him as well if he doesn't know already." Washu rubbed her hands. "But first, some breakfast." *** Washu came out of the lab alone. Ryoko was hiding in the lab. She didn't want anyone to know that she couldn't do such a basic thing as dance. Washu giggled. Since when in her childhood had she wanted a guy to dance with? *** She found Tenchi alone with Balar marveling over how long the afghan had gotten. Washu lured him out of the room with a "Ryoko wants to see you for a minute." Once she got him inside the lab, it was a whole 'nother story. "You do dance at weddings on Earth, right?" Washu told him. Tenchi nodded. "Well, you and Ryoko need to practice dancing together." "But I don't know how to dance." Tenchi admitted freely. "Neither does she." Washu told him. "Mo-ther!" Ryoko screamed. "And she doesn't want you to know it, which I don't see how it's possible, because it's going to be evident once you two try it." Washu said with her eyes tilted toward the ceiling. "Ryoko, it's all right. I don't know how either." Tenchi tried to reassure her. "Well, you will by the end of the hour!" Washu caroled. A section of her lab transformed into a dancing studio. Washu was dressed as a dance instructor. Ryoko laughed. Washu looked down. "Oops," she said to her pink ballet shoes. Her clothes changed back to her academy uniform. "Okay, now the first thing about close dancing is that you two have to be close. Tenchi, you get a nosebleed and I'll make a pot fall on your head!" Washu gave Tenchi a stern look. He nodded quickly. "Ryoko, come here." Ryoko reluctantly stepped forward. "Tenchi, I want you to wrap an arm around her waist." Tenchi took a deep breath and almost wrapped his arm around her left side. Ryoko backed away. "It's still sore," she told him. He smiled at her and put his left arm around her right waist. This isn't so bad, he thought. She's not leaping on me like I was a life preserver and even if she did, it's nothing to worry about. I'm not going to hurt anyone in the household by showing my preference. He gently squeezed what part of her back was under his hand. Ryoko gave him a look. He smiled. "Ryoko, take your right arm and lay it on his left arm." Washu instructed. "Now Tenchi, your right arm should be beneath Ryoko's right." She stepped forward and corrected them. "I'm going to put some music on later, but for right now I'm going to count the beat and tell you when to move." Washu said. "Uh, Washu?" Tenchi said. "Yes, Tenchi?" Washu ears perked up. "How do we move?" Tenchi asked. Washu grabbed the remote and the wall turned into a TV screen. "You sway," she explained, pointing at the couple. The TV screen was turned off. "That's all you do. You don't have to worry about anything else except swaying in time to the music." Washu tapped her foot against the floor. "Let's begin. Sway on three. One two three, one two three, you're doing good, one two three, one two three." Amazingly, neither one of them stepped on each other's feet and Washu was impressed. She dismissed them after twenty minutes. "Send Ayeka and Balar in, 'kay?" she said as they walked out of the house. *** After mentioning to Ayeka and Balar that Washu wanted to see them, Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other. "What do you want to do?" Ryoko asked him with a hand on her hip. Tenchi gazed at her. Ryoko narrowed her eyes. "Tenchi, are you going to quit looking at me and kiss me?" "Oh, pardon me!" Mihoshi giggled. She escaped quickly from the TV set to the kitchen where Sasami was preparing her materials for lunch. Tenchi looked back at Ryoko who winked at him. "Why don't we go somewhere more private?" she said and grabbed his elbow. *** "The cave?" Tenchi said with one eyebrow in the air. "Yup! Where else?" Ryoko shrugged. "No one comes here except the tourists once in a while." "Yoo-hoo!" An elderly lady called. Ryoko groaned. "Yes?" Tenchi asked politely. "Are you here to see the demon?" the lady asked eagerly. Tenchi cast a sidelong glance at Ryoko and nodded. "Oh, good. Then we'll go in together." The old lady snaked her arm around Tenchi's and maneuvered him inside. Ryoko was tempted to show her the "demon" as she walked after Tenchi. *** An hour later, the lady went home and Ryoko gritted her teeth. They were being interrupted! Just as she finally got Tenchi warmed up to her, people kept interrupting her. Ryoko, dear? Washu's voice popped into her mind. Speak of the devil, Ryoko thought. Yeah, Washu? Hm, am I interrupting something? Washu's voice teased. No and that's the problem, Ryoko sulked. Everywhere we go, we're being interrupted. I just wanted you to know that lunch- Washu was surprised for a moment to see Ryoko and Tenchi pop into the kitchen. "Is ready." She finished wryly. "Have a nice walk?" she asked. Ryoko growled at Washu. "Miss Ryoko, that's not good manners." Ayeka reminded her. "Especially not for the fianc‚ of a prince." Ryoko sighed and banged her head against the wall. "That's not either." Ayeka said primly. Ryoko finally sat down beside Tenchi. "So what am I expected to do?" Ryoko asked sarcastically. "Sit quietly, obey Tenchi, and do nothing unseemly." Ayeka said. Her prim face cracked to reveal a beautiful smile. "You'll have to set a new standard for fiances and queens." Ryoko considered that. "True, true. Argue with the guy that you're with, act as loud as you want, and the more unseemly the better." She grinned at Ayeka. "You seem a bit happier these days." Ryoko's eyes darted to Balar. "Oh, I am." Ayeka sighed. "I have my freedom now." "Freedom?" Tenchi asked. "Yes. I am no longer expected to be the queen of Jurai and am now what Sasami would have been. I am now the cadet house." Ayeka said proudly. "Meaning?" Ryoko said bluntly not understanding. "That means that I will only rule if Tenchi dies without an heir." Ayeka explained. "I have the freedom now to have a career, go to school, or do anything I want!" Ayeka said cheerfully. "So what did you do this morning?" Ryoko asked. "She trained with me. Her and Balar are getting good for beginners." Washu addressed the issue. "Oh, and Ryoko, I have something else for you and Tenchi to do." Ryoko sighed heavily, but knew that Washu wouldn't give up on decisions and things for Tenchi and her to do until after the wedding was finished. "What is it?" she said heavily. "You forgot to invite three people to your wedding." Washu took another bite of rice and Ryoko had to wait for her to finish. "Art and Lacey didn't get invited." Ryoko's eyes went wide. How could she have forgotten those two? "Who's the other one?" Mihoshi asked. "Torimi," Washu muttered. "What?!" Ryoko yelled. "She'll ruin everything!" "Miss Washu, you cannot possibly be considering!" Ayeka said shocked. "I am." Washu said, pointing her chopsticks at everyone. "How do you think Tokimi would act knowing that she had not been invited when she becomes Tokimi again? And may I remind everyone that she's not Tokimi, the evil elder goddess. She is Torimi, a twenty-year-old woman who's an Academy student with planetary systems as a major. I thought I'd invite Sasami along as well when I go and check up on my," Washu grinned, "younger sister." "But, Washu," Ryoko started. "Ryoko, she's my sister and one of your aunts. And right now she's in the form of a twenty year old who doesn't have any powers at all. You could blast her into oblivion." Washu considered that statement. "On second thought, I think she was the one who created oblivion. You wouldn't want to blast her there, she might have left a trapdoor." "I'm ready," Sasami patted her mouth with a napkin and leapt up. "Sasami, sit down. Washu's not through yet." Ayeka objected. Sasami sat down with just as much vigor as she had stood up. "Tenchi, are you going to come with me to give Art and Lacey their invitations?" Ryoko asked. "Sure," he responded. "Ryoko, dear?" Washu asked, batting her eyelashes. "I ask you to consider my words, the lowly words of the greatest scientific genius in the universe." Ryoko rolled her eyes, but tried to listen. "You're going to go and give invitations to two small children, right?" Washu said. Ryoko nodded. "While these children are grown up, you really want to trust them with holding on to a piece of paper to transport here?" Ryoko looked at her mother. "Why wouldn't I?" "Because, children have a habit of scratching their nose or doing anything else but what you tell them to do." Washu told her. "So you want me to do what?" Ryoko leaned on her hand, confident that her mother would tell her. "Why don't you tell me?" Washu asked. "What?" Ryoko said. "It seems to me that you've been relying on me a bit much for answers. I can give you teaching, but only you can think for yourself." Washu explained. Ryoko took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Okay, how about if one of the queens picks them up?" Washu nodded. "Good idea. How will they get to the queens?" "One of them can come and pick them up or have the guards come and get them." Ryoko shrugged. "What are they going to wear? Socializing with the children of nobility and scientists and you'll have them wear hand-me-downs?" Washu said, faking being horrified. "I'll take them shopping?" Ryoko suggested. "You are going to take two children shopping. Ryoko, children are horrible to go shopping with. Try again." Washu told her bluntly. Ryoko thought for a minute. "Give money to the head person who works there and let her go and get something since she's more experienced with children than I am?" Ryoko answered. Washu gave her the thumbs-up. "You go tell the kids and I'll go check up on Auntie Torimi." *** Tenchi and Ryoko appeared outside the orphanage. Ryoko tiptoed inside. She tapped the shoulder of one of the ladies who worked there and asked if her boss was in. The lady smiled and gave her directions to the office. Ryoko didn't need directions, she'd been there before when she had asked if Art and Lacey could help her with the garden. Ryoko knocked on the lady's door. "Come in," came a cheerful voice. Ryoko and Tenchi walked in. "Oh, hello, Ryoko. Come to collect Art and Lacey to plant flowers again?" She shook her head. "No, I wanted to ask something else." The woman looked at her expectantly. Ryoko looked at Tenchi. "We'd like to invite them to our wedding. On Earth." She added. "Oh," the woman said, her eyes widening. "How would they get there?" "We're pretty sure that Funaho or Misaki would be escorting them. We haven't asked yet, but they seemed pretty fond of children." Ryoko told her. "Would it be a problem if they came?" The lady took her glasses off and the end went into her mouth. "I don't know." She admitted. "Earth is very far away. What if they get lost?" "They'll be with Funaho and Misaki on the way there. Princess Sasami will be there and the two children one of my friends has and probably the nobility's children." Ryoko counted off mentally. "They don't have appropriate clothing for that sort of occasion." The woman reminded them. Ryoko mentally thanked Washu for thinking of that. "My mother said almost the same thing. I thought if I gave you some money you could-?" Ryoko looked hopefully at the woman. The woman looked flabbergasted. She shook her head. "I suppose so. Have you asked Art and Lacey if they'd like to go?" Ryoko shook her head in the negative. "Then maybe you'd better go ask them. They're in the art room." She smiled. "No pun intended." *** Ryoko and Tenchi peeked around the corner to see Art painting (a literal work of art) and Lacey was doing something with red and yellow clay. "Hey, guys!" Ryoko called. It seemed that was a children call for they flooded toward her. Tenchi laughed at the thought of Ryoko pulled down by children. Once the tide had ebbed, Ryoko focused on Art and Lacey. "Hi, you two. I've got another favor to ask. You know that Tenchi and I are getting married, right?" The children nodded. "Well, I want you to come to the wedding." The children's eyes got wide and they screamed their answer. Ryoko grinned. "Now, the lady that runs this place is going to get you some new clothes." "Why?" Lacey asked. "Because there are going to be some other children there. And they're going to be dressed up really fancy. Besides, don't you want a new dress? I'm going to have a new dress." Ryoko told her. Lacey nodded solemnly. It was settled. *** Ryoko and Tenchi walked out of the orphanage. "Well, where to?" Tenchi asked. "Wherever you wish," Ryoko gestured. "This'll one day all be yours." *** Washu and Sasami appeared in front of the Registrar's office. Washu peered inside and asked, "Have you got a schedule list in here?" "Yes." Said the bored man inside. Washu and Sasami walked in and borrowed the list. Washu had forgotten which class Torimi was in. "Sir?" Sasami asked. The man didn't look up. "Yes?" he sighed. "Could you look up where Torimi Weirson is?" she asked. "Emergency?" he asked. "No," Sasami faltered. "I can't look up a student's records for everyone off the street." He said his eyes still fixed to the screen. "She left something at the house and we just found it." Washu said sweetly. "I can't look up-" The man's glance darted over. Washu smiled sweetly at him. "Hello, I'm Washu Hakubi. I used to teach here? Torimi came to my house on Earth to learn about it's planetary system. Do you really think I'm going to damage a bright student like that? That is what you're restricting? Dangerous people who would prey on students?" The man stammered a bit and looked up Torimi's record. Washu winked at Sasami conspiratorially. *** Washu and Sasami proceeded to the dorms like an arrow. They had been added on to after Washu's time here, but she still knew where the general area was. They tracked down the number of the room, 1183 and knocked on the door. "Come in, it's open!" called a voice. Washu and Sasami stepped into the room. Torimi sat on the bed with a pile of books on the floor beside her. She was munching on a sandwich, but quickly put it down when she saw exactly who she had for visitors. "Washu, Sasami!" "Hi, we just thought we'd come and see how you were doing." Washu said casually. She and Sasami both found places to sit. "Well, my teachers are really nice." Torimi said nervously. A conversation between Washu and Torimi continued about the various teachers that were still here from her time. "Well, Torimi, what we're really here for is to invite you to Ryoko and Tenchi's wedding." Washu said finally. Torimi's hand flew to her mouth. "Me?" she squeaked. Washu grinned at her. "Yes, you. You made quite an impression the few days you were there and we'd like you to come to the wedding. A lot of people from the Academy are coming so you won't be alone." Washu wheedled. Torimi soon agreed and Washu and Sasami headed back to the house. Washu noted in her thoughts that Torimi had decorated her room with bright colorful fabric, posters of various systems, and she seemed genuinely happy. Washu sighed. So she had been for a little while.... *** Ryoko and Tenchi had just started to walk in the marketplace. Just walking and being with each other, enjoying the closeness. They approached Ryoko's garden and the pride in her eyes was too much for Tenchi to handle. He spun her around and kissed her passionately. She opened her eyes as their lips broke apart. "What was that all about?" she asked, dazed. Tenchi just looked at her. "Because you're beautiful and creative and I love you." Ryoko stood and stared at him. "You really do love me?" she asked a yearning look on her face. Tenchi grinned. "Yes, I really do. I just kissed you in front of the whole market." "Ah, young love." One of the merchants said aloud, winking at them. Tenchi and Ryoko grinned at each other and climbed the steps to sit on one of the benches in the garden. For a few minutes, they just sat there, enjoying the life in the garden, hearing the sound of the water from the fountains. "Could I ask a favor, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked quietly. She tilted her head to look at him. "What is it?" "Could we stop..." Tenchi ran his hand through his hair. "Being so..." "Tenchi, take a deep breath and just tell me." Ryoko said forcefully. "It's making me really uncomfortable to be so forward with you." Tenchi said in a rush. "You don't want to touch me?" Ryoko said, the hurt evident in her eyes. Tenchi looked straight at her. "Of course, I do. You're lovely to look at and even lovelier to touch." He sighed. "I just-can't-be this forward." "And what about-?" Ryoko gestured into the future. "I don't think it'll matter then. Right now, tradition says that we're not supposed to. Do you think you can wait for five days, for me to touch you the way you want to be touched?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko nodded as though her head was being pulled down by gravity. Oh, Tenchi, she thought. If only you knew that this touching is helping me get over my fears of you as well... Another young couple entered the garden. "This is exciting!" the girl said, clinging to the boy. "We're actually inside a garden that was designed by the Space Pirate Ryoko!" The boy looked around. "Think there's anything poisonous in here?" The girl gave him a playful nudge. "Silly! The queen was here and so was-" Her hand flew to her mouth as she caught sight of who else was in the garden. The boy followed her gaze. His eyes went a little wide. They moved back to leave the garden. "Wait!" Ryoko said, stretching a hand out to them. They stopped. She gave them a gentle smile. "You can stay if you want." The girl looked at the boy eagerly. He came forward cautiously. "Hi," Tenchi said to him. "Hello," he said carefully. The girl leaped forward. "Are you really the Space Pirate Ryoko?" she asked. Ryoko nodded. "What's your name?" "Oh, I'm Sara and this is Darin. Did you design the garden too? We heard that you did." She asked eagerly. "Yes, I designed it. My mom did those three statues over there." Ryoko pointed. "Oh! Why are the statues of Tsunami and two other women? One of them looks like Washu, but who's the other?" Sara said confused. "Who knows? Mom's researched things like that. You never know what will pop out of her brain from one minute to the next." Ryoko said casually. She thought to herself, I can't tell her that mom's a goddess and that the other statue is of Tokimi, who's taking classes at the academy. She laughed. "Is she that funny?" Sara asked. "You have no idea." Ryoko replied, grinning. "Want me to show you around?" Sara went off with Ryoko for a tour around the garden. Darin stayed with Tenchi to talk about the differences between Earth and Jurai, each arguing for their home planet. By the time the girls came back, Darin was tapping his watch. "Sara, I promised your mom I'd have you home." Sara rolled her eyes but went with him, cheerfully waving to Ryoko and Tenchi. He waved back and then turned his attention to Ryoko. "What were we talking about?" he asked. Ryoko reminded him, "We were talking about our love life, dear." Tenchi swallowed and Ryoko laughed at his reaction. "You were saying that you felt uncomfortable touching." "Oh. Yes. Could we-?" Tenchi trailed off. "Tenchi, for Washu's sake, spit it out." Ryoko said vehemently. She then caught herself. I'm swearing by a goddess that is also my mom. "Could we just touch?" he asked. Ryoko's eyebrows went up. "What do you mean?" The back of Tenchi's hand caressed her cheek. "Like this," he said to her. "Little touches." Shivers ran down Ryoko's back as he touched her cheek. "Oh, yes. We can do that." She whispered. Ryoko? Washu's voice whispered in her mind. Tenchi saw the little wrinkle in her forehead and smiled. Washu was speaking with Ryoko. Yeah, Mom? She spoke back. Just wanted to let you know that Sasami's got lunch ready if you happen to want to eat it. Washu told her. Ryoko sighed. "Time for lunch, Tenchi." She said. And you have lessons after lunch, my little Ryoko. Ryoko sighed.