um....I did not create these characters, so don't go saying that i did...
cause i didn't!

this story is however my original idea, and if it by any chance happens to 
resemble someone else's story it's unintentional, but please tell me.

and without further ado!


In this Moment
by horse_w_no_name

Even though he knew that his grandfather wouldn't be there today, Tenchi 
still went to his practice. He knew that it was always very important for 
him to keep up his skills (because with the crew he was with there was 
no telling what was going to happen next.)

It'd been more than a year since his entire life was turned upside down. 
Up until that day he was quite happy to just go to school and live a normal 
life. He had friends, and he'd always been anxious to meet them somewhere 
after school to see what kind of mischief they would get into that particular 
day. 

Now that was all gone. Perhaps some day he would be able to consider his 
life normal again, but that would most likely not be happening any time 
soon. It all started when he released Ryoko. That in itself was strange 
enough, but then everything just snowballed, and next came Ayeka and Sasami, 
then Mihoshi, and then of course Little Washu.

To tell the truth, Tenchi wasn't too sure if he could ever imagine his 
life with out any one of them. Somewhere inside of his tortured mind he 
was glad that all of this happened. He cringed at the very thought of where 
these women would be if he hadn't met them.

Ryoko would still be condemned to live out an eternity in that cave all 
by herself. Not only that, but Tenchi wouldn't have fought Kagato, and 
there was no telling what he would have done to the universe by now. As 
soon as the name of Kagato would ever cross his mind these days Tenchi 
would wonder what he did to Ryoko. Dark days must have passed like eternities 
in hell as she was forced to listen to the mad man's plans for what 
he was going to do with her existence. In a way she must have relished 
her imprisonment. 

Ayeka would still be dragging her poor sister Sasami all across the stars 
in her insane search for her brother Yosho. Of course in the end things 
didn't exactly turn out the way that she had planned. Yosho turned out 
to be Tenchi's grandfather and he was in fact quite old by now. And then 
lo and behold Ayeka's feelings immediately turn towards Tenchi.

Mihoshi would have most likely been killed in her fall to earth. Tenchi 
was sure that more than one person in this universe would get down on 
their knees and thank the stars for such a thing, but Tenchi was quite 
fond of Mihoshi. She was very sweet, even if she wasn't the brightest 
person among the stars, she was certainly one of the six stars that lit 
up his life every day.

Washu may have been the worst off. For thousands of years she'd been 
imprisoned in Kagato's ship. And in all that time she saw everything 
that monster forced her daughter to do. Ryoko's physical form may have 
been laughing, but her soul was screaming, as was Washu's. 

And of course Tenchi couldn't forget his little Ryo-Ohki. That cute, if 
sometimes annoying, little cabbit always brought a smile to everyone's 
face. There was no one in the Masaki house that didn't love that little 
thing. Of course you couldn't always trust her, because she was so easy 
to bribe with a carrot.

Most of the time where ever you found Ryo-Ohki you would find Sasami. 
Everyone loved her as well as her cooking. Man, would they ever be at a 
loss if they didn't have her to fix them dinner. In all probability Ryoko 
would try to impress Tenchi, but end up poisoning them all with whatever 
she managed to concoct.

Yes Tenchi now led a very interesting life. At times though he was glad 
to get away from it all and do something that he'd done for years. Practicing 
his swordplay was a way for him to release a bit of tension, and of course 
it was a chance to be alone.

Tenchi slowly came to the clearing where he'd spent many of his teenage 
days, learning the ancient routines of the Jurian royal family. Everything 
was just the way it'd been before...with one minor exception.

"R...Ryoko! What are you doing here?" Ryoko was leaning against one of the 
trees surrounding the place. Her eyes were shut, but Tenchi knew that she 
was fully aware of what was going on around her. That wasn't all that 
Tenchi noticed though. Ryoko held her energy sword loosely in her hand.

"Yosho asked me to give you your lesson today." There was a mischievous 
gleam in her eyes, and Tenchi only had seconds to react as she charged at 
him. Of course she wasn't following the normal routine, but Yosho had always 
told him never to rely on his opponent's training. 

In a flash Tenchi activated the key and swung himself into full battle with 
Ryoko. She was indeed agile, and Tenchi marveled at how she was able to move 
so quickly. At this moment he really wished that his grandfather hadn't told 
Ryoko to do this, but he knew that it was necessary.

There was no real way for Tenchi to stay in top condition unless he had a 
real opponent. Perhaps the only person on this earth that could be any sort 
of match for him was Ryoko. True, Yosho had the experience, but Ryoko had 
more. And it was difficult for Tenchi to strike out at one of his closest 
friends.

Ryoko teleported to the area behind Tenchi, and he could feel her energy blade 
singeing his clothing. She had him and therefore she had won. Tenchi sighed 
and deactivated the key. As he turned to face Ryoko she seemed very surprised.

"What's wrong Tenchi? You're hardly even trying." They both knew that wasn't 
quite true, but Tenchi wasn't really giving it all that he could. He just 
couldn't today. There was too much on his mind.

He just turned away from her and sat looking out into the forest. Ryoko 
desperately wanted to know what was wrong with him, but sometimes she 
knew when it was better not to question why someone did something. 

She had grown used to Tenchi being slightly aloof, but that didn't mean 
that she liked it any better. Seeing Tenchi depressed made her heart sink. 
More than anything in this twisted universe she wanted him to be happy. 
Ryoko desired Tenchi's happiness more than her own. She would try her best 
to fulfill that.

"Hey Tenchi, if you could have one wish what would it be?" Tenchi chuckled 
lightly at the question and shook his head. That was one thing that he 
definitely wasn't sure of. There were so many things that he wanted, but 
he was afraid of any consequences. Life was definitely hard.

"I guess if I had to make a choice I'd have to say that I wish that I could 
get everything straight in my head." Ryoko nodded and stared off into space. 
If Tenchi didn't know better he would have thought that she was just as deep 
in thought as he was. "What about you?"

Ryoko didn't expect him to ask her the same question. In this world there 
was one thing that she wanted for herself, but she knew that even if it were 
hers for the taking it wouldn't be right. She was not worthy of Tenchi's 
affections. It was the same thing that she'd told herself a million times 
over, but her weak emotions always got in the way.

No, that was Kagato talking. In his mind any form of emotion was a weakness. 
He taught Ryoko that lesson very well. There was a power that he wrongly held 
over her by causing her to fear him. Ryoko remembered all too well the things 
that he'd implanted in her brain to corrupt her mind. The real Ryoko was long 
gone, and there was no way to ever bring her back.

Actually perhaps there was still a shred of that lost soul left in this body. 
Every once and a while it would show through, and Washu had told her time 
and again not to push those feelings away as Kagato had so often told her 
to do. Ryoko still feared the punishment that she would receive for showing 
that weakness.

"I would want a second chance at life." Tenchi turned to face Ryoko, but 
she continued to stare ahead. Tenchi knew that Ryoko regretted what she'd 
been forced to do in her life, but he never knew just how much of that blame 
she placed upon her own shoulders.

"My soul is blacker than the darkness of that cave. There is so much that 
I have caused." A deep sigh rose from the very depths of Ryoko's soul and 
she hung her head. "There isn't anything that I wouldn't give to bring back 
just one person...one life that I destroyed." Tenchi watched silently as Ryoko 
shed a tear for her own life.

Then he wondered which life it was that she wanted to save. Perhaps it was 
her own. In Ryoko's mind she'd allowed Kagato to do all of the things that 
he did. She always had the power to stop him, yet she did nothing. 

That was her crime. And living with it was her punishment.

"Well if you think about it you do have a second chance. No one here on 
earth knows about your past, and frankly they wouldn't really care. Ryoko, 
when I first met you, I didn't know about Kagato or anything like that. To 
tell the truth I still don't really know all that went on. All I know is 
that you were forced to do everything he commanded."  Ryoko slid her knees 
up to her chest and protectively wrapped her arms around them. It seemed to 
Tenchi that she was rocking back and forth slightly.

"Do you really want to know what happened Tenchi?" Her eyes glistened with 
tears as she turned to face him. Tenchi knew that this probably wouldn't be 
good, but he nodded. Ryoko sighed again and leaned her forehead on her knee.

"I spent more than a thousand years confined on a ship with that man. I can't 
even call him a man; he's a monster. It's funny really but whenever Ayeka calls 
me a monster or devil woman, I wonder at just how right she is. I'm a monster 
bred from a monster." Tenchi was about to point out the fact that Kagato didn't 
create Ryoko, but she held up her hand lightly to silence him.

"Kagato may not have created my body, but he formed my mind and my soul. 
Every night on that ship was worse than an entire lifetime of pain and 
suffering. Torture of the mind is a terrible thing."

"He held that power over me. Time and again he taught me to hide my fear as 
he..." Ryoko trailed off and let the tears flow down her cheeks. Tenchi now 
knew what she really meant by getting a second chance at life. Not only did 
she want everyone to forget what she did, but also she wanted to forget what 
had been done to her.

Tenchi gently took her in his arms and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. 
He wanted to do anything he could to ease her pain. Of all the girls in the 
Masaki house, her tears were the ones that he just couldn't take. She was 
always the strong one, and it unnerved him to see her like this.

"Ryoko..." He held on to both of her shoulders and slowly pried her head from 
his chest. It took a moment, but finally her eyes stared up into his. Tenchi 
wasn't quite sure if he'd ever seen her looking so...beautiful.

For one of the first times in his life Tenchi had the chance to peer into 
Ryoko's soul and see what she was truly like. She was frightened, but there 
was also a gentleness there that she was ashamed to bring to the surface. 
There were so many things that Tenchi wanted to say, but there was no way for 
him to force the words from his mouth, so he just held Ryoko again.

By now she'd stopped crying and she suddenly felt ashamed of herself for 
acting like such a child. For so long she'd kept her feelings hidden from 
everyone, and she didn't want that to end now.

Ryoko clumsily stood up and wiped her cheeks. "Come on, we should continue, 
but this time don't forget about the fact that I can easily get behind you." 
Tenchi stood up but did not activate the key.

"You need to stop this now Ryoko. If you continue to hide then you'll end 
up losing your mind." He took a few cautious steps towards her, and she 
activated her energy sword. "I don't know what Kagato did to you, but you 
have to throw it all away. It was all lies, and you know it." 

To Tenchi's surprise, Ryoko threw her sword at a nearby tree. It blasted 
right through the wood, but Ryoko deactivated the blade before it burnt 
down the entire forest. Her back was facing Tenchi, but he could see her 
shoulders shaking violently and she fell to her knees.

"You would never understand. Please Tenchi, just forget about it. I am what 
I am, and there will never be any changing that. Just promise me one thing." 
By now Tenchi was standing right behind her, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Anything, just name it." For a moment he was afraid of what she might say, 
but he sat next to her and tried to hold her again. She did not respond to 
his touch though. It was possible that this next question could change her 
outlook on her future life here on earth. There was one thing that she needed 
to know, so she drew in a shaky breath and voiced her request.

"I know that things cannot continue as they are forever. I also know that you 
will eventually move on with your life." Tenchi was taken aback by this 
statement because he never really thought about the future too much. He waited 
for Ryoko to continue.

"I truly hope that someday you find the one person that will make you happy 
for the rest of your life. I could never be that person." Tenchi was about to 
protest, but she went on. "My life has been a disaster larger than any that 
I have ever caused. You of all people should know that I'm well, not entirely 
stable." She smirked at those words and stood again.

All that Tenchi could think to do was follow her. It was slowly beginning 
to dawn on him what exactly it was that she wanted from him. And if he was 
right there was no way that he could ever agree to that.

Ryoko stopped next to a tree that offered a view of the path back to the 
steps of the Masaki shrine. It was a path that she may never take again. 
"Promise me that you will not try to stop me from leaving." Those few words 
practically brought Tenchi's world down. What would give her the idea to 
leave? The only thing that awaited her in the stars again was misery and 
possibly death.

If she were to die...

"Wh...Why do you want to leave?" Those were the only words that Tenchi could 
manage to get out. Ryoko slowly turned to face him and once again a tear 
that sent spikes into his heart rolled down her cheek. That tear stirred 
something inside of him and Tenchi slowly brought up his hand to wipe away 
the symbol of Ryoko's eternal pain.

Ryoko held his hand and pressed her cheek further into his palm. She loved 
him so much, and she could not bear to cause him the anguish that was beginning 
to show on his face. To Ryoko, that look of pain was another stain on her soul.  
Sin, upon sin, upon sin...her life was evil incarnate, and the only way Tenchi 
could be free at last was if she were to leave.

Despair ran rampant in Ryoko's heart and she slowly hugged Tenchi. Thousands 
of years of crimes were finally taking their toll on her and it was time to 
face the truth of the universe. You can run, but you can't hide.

"I'm sorry Tenchi...and...I love you..." Tenchi knew full well that those words 
were the total and absolute truth. Ryoko had been in love with him since he 
was a child. It seemed that all she ever wanted out of her existence was to 
physically be near him forever. Why would she deny herself of that now? What 
would make her think that he was so unhappy with her being here? Why would 
she think that he didn't want -her- near -him-?

What if Tenchi loved Ryoko? 

Well obviously everything would fall apart rather quickly. Ayeka would 
probably kill Ryoko or something like that. Tenchi should have told everyone 
long ago that he wasn't interested. But what if he was...?

What then?

Tenchi slowly brought his hands up to Ryoko's face and he felt her tears run 
over her fingers. What if he did love Ryoko? 

A thousand alarms went off in his mind as he dried her tears and ran his 
fingers through her wild hair. Then he looked into her eyes and that was the 
last straw. Two oceans of pain swelled to show all that had been done to this 
poor soul. Those eyes had seen so much that wanted to be forgotten.

Tenchi grabbed her and held her as tightly as his arms would allow. Then 
a forbidden tear fell from his own eye. "Don't you ever leave me Ryoko!" 
Ryoko was taken aback. Tenchi never ever acted like this. Was it possible 
that he didn't mind the pain of her existence?

Once again Tenchi pulled back and looked into Ryoko's eyes. Then he did 
something that he thought he would never do.

He very slowly pulled out the key and handed it to Ryoko. She was dumbstruck. 
Why on earth would Tenchi ever want to give her the gems back? They were the 
cause of so much pain and suffering in the universe (when combined with her 
that is.) If they were to fall back into her possession...what would happen then?

It could be the end of the world, as they knew it...or something else.

Ryoko shook her head and gave the sword back to Tenchi. "There is no telling 
what would happen if I had my full power again. It's just too dangerous to 
even attempt it." With that she stood again and began to walk away. Even 
she didn't know where she was going. Perhaps her legs would carry her back 
to the house, or perhaps to the cave...who knows?

Suddenly Tenchi ran up behind Ryoko and grabbed her arm as an act to prevent 
her from leaving. Why did he care so much if she stayed? Any normal person 
would be happy to get rid of a person who would regularly punch holes in the 
walls or walk into your bedroom by means other than the door.

But those things were what made Ryoko who she was. If she were to ever try 
and be prim and proper the results could be disastrous. Tenchi loved Ryoko 
just the way that she was every day...he what?

Did Tenchi love Ryoko?

Tenchi touched Ryoko's face and for the first time beheld the absolute 
beauty within her. Before he really knew what was happening, he found himself 
leaning into her embrace, and in one perfect moment, their lips met. Tenchi's 
heart raced as he held Ryoko as close as possible...never ever wanting to let go.

It was always hard to say what was going to happen tomorrow, but at the 
moment, Tenchi concentrated on living for today...


*******************

Well this was my first attempt at a Tenchi fic, and I hope you liked it.

Please e-mail me any comments at horse_w_no_name@cheerful.com

or visit my web page (I'm in the process of moving {as of nov. 1st} but i'll be
done soon) http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/elfin/311/

toodle-pipsky all!