Note:   I don't own any of these characters (If I did, do you think I'd 
spend my time writing fanfics?  Hell no.  I'd spend all my time spending the 
profits I make from Tenchi Muyo merchandise.)  Anyway, Pioneer owns this 
all, so please don't sue me (Not that you'd get any money, I'm broke.)

Note:  this takes place in a modified Tenchi OAV Universe. (Yes, they're 
"modifications", not inconsistencies or plot holes heh heh.)   Basically, 
everything that happened in the OAV happened here, but there are several 
differences, Kiyone being around one of the largest.

Jurai Blues
By James Kane (Or Confucioussays, if you prefer)


Ryoko's cheek still stung from the slap Tenchi gave her, but the tears had 
stopped.  They had too; they froze as soon as they came out.  She picked a 
rock off the ground and put all her strength into a baseball pitch, and it 
sailed off into eternity, easily escaping the  lower gravity of the moon.  
She had discovered this place a while back, as a place to be alone and not 
have to worry about any Earthlings seeing her use her powers.  No human, or 
most any other species, could survive in the vacuum of space.  But Ryoko 
could.  She wondered if that was part of the reason Tenchi didn't like her.  
Because she was some sort of... freak.
	She flushed with anger at the thought, and took it out on the small 
mountain she was sitting on, reducing it to rubble in the process.  'I'm not 
some sort of freak.'  She mentally.  ' I'm a woman.  Just because I can fly 
and shoot laser blasts and phase through matter doesn't mean I'm a monster.' 
  She growled in frustration, or would have had their been any air to carry 
sound, and blew up another hill.  She gave up and let herself fall onto the 
thick dust of the lunar surface, spraying a plume dozens of feet high.  '  
But Tenchi still doesn't love me.'  She sighed, and laid in the dust for a 
while, even as the dust began to settle on her face.  It began to remind her 
a bit of the cave, but even that thought was insignificant next to what was 
on her mind.  'Tenchi doesn't love me.'  The words were bitter and silent in 
her mouth, but there was no other explanation in her mind.  With a silent 
sigh, she started making her way back to Earth.  She wanted to just pick up 
what few belongings she had and dissapear into space, but she decided to 
sleep on it before she decided..
	It was late at night when she finally got back, but unfortunately some 
people were still up.  She'd hoped to be able to be alone for a while, but 
she could still see Mihoshi, and Washu moving around inside.  She opened the 
door and headed in scowling, hoping to avoid any conversation on the way to 
her room.  Too bad Mihoshi couldn't take a hint.
	"  Oh hi Ryoko."  Mihoshi cheerfully said.  Everyone turned his or her 
attention to Ryoko, who just scowled and began to turn away.  But then 
something in the back of her mind kicked in.  She didn't like being alone.  
Spending seven hundred years locked alone in a cave can do that to someone.  
She teleported from the stairs to a point above the couch, and gently 
settled down.
	"  Tenchi's still mad, isn't he?"  It was a stupid question, and Ryoko knew 
it.
	"  He's calmed down a little bit from the morning.  I think he's started 
getting over it."  Washu replied, not even bothering to look up from her 
computer.
	"  I suppose that's good."  Ryoko hopefully replied.
	"  But he's still saying he wished he'd never met you."  Mihoshi mindlessly 
chimed in.  Washu threw her a mean look, but Mihoshi smiled back 
obliviously.
	" He's.... He's saying that?"  Ryoko pitifully murmured.
	"  Yep."  Mihoshi added.  Ryoko was about to strangle the airhead, but 
Washu looked away from her computer long enough to see the murder about to 
be committed.
	"  Lord Tenchi is just angry.  He'll calm down eventually."  Washu said.  
Ryoko stared angrily at her mother, but sighed inwardly and put the sofa 
down she was going to use to crush Mihoshi.  "  Can you really blame him for 
being angry?"  Washu picked up her equipment and started towards her lab.  " 
  Love to stay and chat, but my data is not going to input itself."   And 
she slammed the door shut while making a mental note to invent a way for 
data to input itself.
	"  I guess I can't blame him for loving someone else."  Ryoko silently 
chided herself.  " Do you think what I did to Ayeka was that bad?"
	"  What did you do to Ayeka?"  Mihoshi asked mindlessly as Ryoko face 
faulted.
	"  Well I can see I'm not going to get any more intelligent opinions 
tonight.  I'm going to bed."  She teleported
	"  Okay.  Good night then."  Mihoshi said, oblivious to the fact she'd just 
been insulted.



	A cool wind blew of the lake, and gently ruffled the shirt of Tenchi 
Masaki.  Tenchi stood at the end of the pier in front of his house, grasping 
a stone in his hand.  Its coolness chilling his skin.  He put his arms back, 
and then brought it forward, releasing the rock.  The rock skipped several 
times, then he lost sight of it in the dark, only hearing it's final splash.
	"  Kinda like life."  Tenchi muttered sadly.  You could only see ahead so 
far.  He wished he could see far enough to see Ayeka coming back.  Tenchi 
felt as if a piece of him had gone when she left.
	" Oh Ayeka," he said, staring at the skies.  He hoped maybe he was looking 
at her.  "  I love you so much.  If only Ryoko hadn't been in the way, I 
might have told you my true feelings sooner and this would never have 
happened.  God damn Ryoko!"  He shouted.  He turned back to the house, but 
as he did so, there was a subtle hum, and the area in front at the front of 
the dock seemed to grow brighter.  A form appeared, that of a young girl.  
Ayeka, Tenchi suddenly realized.  His heart almost lept through his chest.  
Ayeka stood before him in a scarlet Jurain robe, with a red-orange kimono 
underneath.  She must have teleported down from a Jurain ship.  His heart 
jumped and he ran to her, only to be stopped by her outstretched arm on his 
chest.  As the light faded and the cherry blossoms fell, he could see her 
cheeks were puffy, as if she'd been crying recently.  In fact, there were 
still traces of tears in her eyes, Tenchi noticed.  She turned away, unable 
to look him in the eye any longer.
	"  Lo-Lord Tenchi."  She stuttered.  " I have come back to apologize.  The 
manner in which I acted... it was unbecoming of a princess of Jurai."
	"  It's alright Ayeka. Ryoko..."  He tried to say, but Ayeka cut him off.
	"  It's alright.  If you love Ryoko more than me.  I shouldn't have reacted 
the way I did.  I'm sorry.  I don't care if you love Ryoko."  But the tears 
in her eyes said otherwise.  She turned her back to him to hide the tears, 
her Jurain robes fluttering slightly.  "  I can't stay long.  I promised my 
father I would come home soon."
	"  It's okay Ayeka.  You see, Ryoko used this thing she took from Washu.  
What you saw wasn't real, just a hologram."  Ayeka whipped around, eyes 
bright, a smile nearly tearing her face in half.
	"  Oh Tenchi!"  She shouted, the joy clear in her voice.  "  Do you love me 
then?"
	"  Yes Ayeka.  I love you!"  They threw themselves into each other's arms.
	" More than Ryoko?"
	"  A dozen times more.  A hundred even."  He whispered into her ears.  She 
responded by holding him tighter.
"  I will never leave you again Tenchi."  She cried, weeping with joy.
	" But what about Jurai?"  Tenchi asked.  They let each other go 
reluctantly.  Ayeka felt her cheeks flush.
	"  Screw Jurai!"  She proclaimed.  Tenchi was a little shocked by this, but 
even more so when she took his hand and placed it on her breast.  " Or 
better yet, screw me." She said, smiling seductively.  Tenchi almost said 
no, 'but they both loved each other, so how was it wrong?' he rationalized.
	"  Okay."  He took his hand from her breast, and took her hand in his.  "  
We can do it in Ryoko's room."
	"  Won't Ryoko mind?  Won't she try and stop us?"  She said, perplexed.
	"  Of course not, Ryoko died a painful death not too long ago."  He 
replied.
	" Alrighty then."  Then continued to walk until they reached the end of the 
pier, then stopped, and kissed each other deeply, while a camel passed 
behind them.


	" Tenchiiiiiii!"  Ryoko screamed.  She flew into a sitting position into a 
sitting position as she collected her thoughts.  She knew Tenchi and Ayeka 
were on the docks, about to have sex.  She never bothered wondering how she 
knew it.  If she could sweat she'd be covered in it.  She quickly teleported 
to the back of the house to the dock, but found nothing, only heard the 
gentle lapping of the water against the pier.  She collapsed in a heap, 
completely exhausted from worry.
	"  It was all a nightmare.  Thank Goodness."  She told herself.  She looked 
around again, not quite convinced.  She smiled weakly as she finally 
accepted it.
	"  What's going on?"  Someone shouted from inside the house.  Ryoko looked 
back at the house in time to see several lights flicker on.  She'd probably 
woken up the entire household.  'Damn.' She though, ' as if I hadn't done 
enough to piss everyone off.'  She went back to the house, walking this 
time.  'Oh well, it was almost morning anyway.'  She thought, as she noticed 
the sun coming up gently over a mountain.  She headed back inside, all the 
while wondering what that camel meant in her dream.



	" More tea, Tenchi?"  Ryoko offered the small kettle to Tenchi, who gave 
her a cold stare and pushed it away.
	"  No thanks, Ryoko."  She frowned at this newest injury, but accepted it.  
'At least he's speaking to me now.' She thought.  She put the kettle back 
down, and it was picked up by Yosho.  Mihoshi and Noboyuki sat opposite 
Ryoko and Yosho, while Tenchi sat on one end and Washu on the other.
	"  Tenchi, please be more polite to our guests." Yosho said, never raising 
his voice but sounding as if he were shouting.
	"  Maybe I would be if our guests wasn't constantly blowing up the house or 
waking us up in the middle of the night."  He griped.  Yosho stared 
unwaveringly.
	"  Be that as it may, Ryoko is still a guest in our house.  Please treat 
her with respect."  Tenchi glared at Ryoko for no real reason, then looked 
back to Yosho.
	"  Yes, Grandfather."  He nodded his agreement, and then went back to his 
breakfast.  Since Sasami still hadn't come back, so they'd had to survive on 
poorly prepared rice courtesy of Mihoshi.  She'd volunteered while they were 
too tired to think and say no.
	"  Your absolutely right grandfather.  I should be more polite to our 
guests."  Ryoko looked back at Tenchi, hoping longingly for an apology or 
compliment of any kind.  But Tenchi turned to Mihoshi.  "  Mihoshi, thank 
you very much for making breakfast this morning.  It's really very good." He 
said, holding back a gag.  The blonde blushed slightly, and giggled.
	"  Your very welcome Tenchi.  I mean it wasn't any big deal.  You don't 
have to flatter me so much, I mean I just threw some rice in pot and I put 
some water in it and..." she trailed off into a giggling fit.  Noboyuki for 
his part seemed entranced by the way her chest bounced as she giggled, at 
least until Washu's fan smacked him in the head.
	"  Pervert."
	Tenchi made a point of reaching for the rice, even though Ryoko could have 
easily have handed it to him.  After taking a few mouthfuls, Ryoko noticed 
Tenchi's gaze seemed to gloss over a moment, like he was deep in thought, 
and he turned to Washu.
	"  There hasn't been any word yet?  About Ayeka and Sasami?"
	"  Not yet Tenchi."
	"   Don't worry about her.  Ayeka is a princess of Jurai.  She can handle 
herself."  Yosho spoke up.
	"  I know that Grandpa, but I mean, they haven't even called, or let us 
know where they are since yesterday.  They could have at least let us known 
they were okay."  Tenchi's played a bit with the rice.  He wasn't all that 
hungry.
	"  Be kind of hard since they're not on the planet."  Ryoko's statement 
drew stares from around the table.  Tenchi's hand seemed to quiver over his 
rice.
	"  Ryoko, what did you do to Ayeka and Sasami!"  He shouted, slamming down 
his rice, and nearly jumping over the table at Ryoko.  Everyone else drew 
back, surprised at Tenchi's explosion.
	"  Tenchi!"  She drew back defensively.  "  I didn't do anything to the 
princesses, honest.  They just..."  Tenchi cut her off.
	"  Then how do you know what happened to them?"
	"  Because of Ryo-oh-ki."  It was Washu who spoke, gently placing her 
breakfast on the table.  Her face was impassive, but she sounded slightly... 
angry. "  Ryo-oh-ki saw them leave through Yosho's funaho.  Apparently 
Tsunami transported them off planet.  My foolish daughter just didn't say 
anything because you didn't seem to want to listen."  Tenchi calmed down a 
bit, returning to his seat.
	"  I'm sorry... Ryoko.  I jumped to conclusions."  He said, almost as an 
after thought.  And he went back to eating breakfast.  The room remained 
silent for the rest of the morning.



	After breakfast, everyone started going about his or her usual lives.  
Mihoshi found a spot in front of the TV, watching some Sailor Moon re-runs.  
Washu disappeared into her lab, madly laughing under her breath of course, 
while Noboyuki left for work, Yosho left for the shrine, Tenchi left for 
school, and Ryoko had her own things to do.
	"  Here Ryo-oh-ki!"  Ryoko sat on the wet earth by the lake, opposite of 
Tenchi's house, with a small bag in her lap.  The cabbit, meanwhile, sat 
nearby doing it's best to ignore Ryoko.  "  Oh, come here!"  She demanded.
	" Miya."  The cabbit gave her a brief look, then hopped a step forward a 
step.  Sighing, Ryoko went to plan B.
	"  Oh Ryo-oh-ki, look what I've got for you."  She reached into the bag and 
pulled out a familiar orange object.  "  I've got a carrot for you, 
Ryo-oh-ki."  This got the cabbit's attention, who miya'd and did a quick 180 
and made if halfway to Ryoko before stopping.  The little cabbit stared at 
the carrot, then at Ryoko, then back at the carrot.
" Come on, Ryo-oh-ki.  It's not a tough decision."  The cabbit seemed to 
disagree.  Then, summoning all her will power, Ryo-oh-ki turned around and 
hopped away.
"  Fine, be that way."  She said, then turned her back on the cabbit, only 
to teleport away and into the cabbit's path.  She swooped down and picked up 
the cabbit, then flew about twenty feet straight up.
" Miya. Miya!"  The cabbit struggled, but Ryoko's grasp was like iron.
"  I'm sorry Sasami left, but it's not like I meant for that to happen."  
She said, while gently stroking the cabbit's back.  "  How long are you 
gonna stay mad at me?"  From the way the cabbit glared at her, pretty long 
it seemed.
"  Ryo-oh-ki's not mad at you because Sasami's gone, at least not entirely." 
  Ryoko looked down to see, standing by the lakeside, Washu, apparently on 
break from whatever experiment she had been running.   She had her hands 
clasped behind, and she wore a white smock over her normal black shirt and 
shorts.  She was looking straight up at her daughter, her face a calm, but 
with a hint of humor.
"  So what is Ryo-oh-ki mad about, Washu?  If you're so smart tell me.  She 
won't let me know."  Ryoko asked, trying to sound annoyed, but failing 
miserably.  She stroked ryo-oh-ki as most would a cat.  Washu didn't answer, 
just activated her computer, opened up a small hole in space-time, and 
withdrew something long and conical.
"  I have a carrot for you, Ryo-Chan."  Washu held the carrot at arms 
length, and in an instant the cabbit had freed itself, falling straight into 
Washu's open arms.  Ryo-oh-ki nearly inhaled the carrot.  In a huff, Ryoko 
turned away and started floating across the lake and back to the house.
"  Fine.  Be that way you little rat." Ryoko said, dejected. She didn't make 
it halfway before she felt herself being pulled backwards and downwards, 
towards Washu.  Faster and faster she fell, unable to break free until she 
suddenly felt a sharp pain in her butt.  She shouted while reaching behind 
her and pulled out a small metal fork.
"  Oops."  Washu said, ignoring the growling Ryoko.  "  In order to get you 
back here, I created a quasi-black hole in order to bring you back, and 
channeled the gravimetric forces through the fork."  She shrugged.  "  
Didn't think it would be that strong."  She struck a very proud and child 
like pose that perfectly displayed why she was called Chan.  "  Guess even I 
don't know how great a genius I am."
"  And you did this to me why?"  Ryoko shouted, still clutching the fork, 
and waving it around.  It would have been very menacing if she hadn't at the 
same time been rubbing her butt to try and dull the pain.  Washu, for her 
part, still looked cute.  She took the fork in one hand, and the collar of 
Ryoko's shirt with another and started pulling her towards the onsen.
"  It's about time we had a mother-daughter chat."  She said, suddenly 
serious.



The warmth of the water in the onsen helped Ryoko forget about the pain, 
from where the fork pierced her and in her heart.  They had entered the 
onsen almost a half hour ago, and they'd said nothing since they'd 
undressed.  Ryoko had just found a place, and let the hot water wash over 
her as she reflected on what was happening between her and Tenchi.  Ryo-Ohki 
had found a place on the other side of the onsen and lay basking in the sun 
and warmth.  Washu had done the same for about fifteen minutes, then 
realizing that Ryoko was in no hurry, began to wash her hair, and 
occasionally glancing towards her unusually quiet and contemplative 
daughter.  She was about halfway finished when Ryoko finally spoke.
	"  Why?"  The question caught Washu by surprise.  She put down the brush 
she was using, and turned to look at Ryoko.
	"  Why what?"
	"  You said Ryo-Ohki wasn't mad at me because Sasami left.  Why is she mad 
then?  She won't tell me, and she's closed our link."  Ryoko said.  Her 
voice was calm and unemotional, but her eyes spoke volumes more, and they 
were not happy.
	"  Ryo-Ohki isn't angry at you because Sasami left. She's angry because you 
used her to do it."  She paused briefly, and then continued.  "We both know 
what happened the other night.  You saw Ayeka that night as you were 
leaving, and you had Ryo-Ohki lead her to you.  She's not stupid Ryoko, she 
figured it all out just like I did."  Washu didn't use her customary 
know-it-all-because-I'm-the-greatest-scientist-in-the-universe tone, but a 
softer, more motherly tone.  Ryoko looked away, thoughts drifting back to 
Tenchi.
	"  Make's sense."  She relaxed and dropped to her neck in the hot water.  
She continued to stare, and Washu didn't want to ask what was going through 
her head.  A moment later, Ryoko turned back to Washu.
	"  You know, I had the strangest dream last night."
	"  I figured that shouting must have been about something."
	"  Ayeka came back.  She was so pitiful that Tenchi fell instantly in love 
with her.
	"  Where were you?"  Washu asked.
	"  Tenchi said I died."  Ryoko said.  Washu just nodded an acknowledgement. 
  Ryoko grew quiet again.  Her eyes fell, and stared unfocused into the 
water.
"  Probably the way he'd like it too."  Washu's eyes narrowed in curiosity 
at the last comment.
	"  What do you mean?"  Washu asked.  Ryoko looked at Washu, then smiled a 
tiny smile and chuckled a bit.
	"  If it's obvious to me, then it should be obvious to the greatest 
scientific genius in the universe.  Tenchi loves Ayeka.  If he didn't then 
he wouldn't be so mad at me."
	"  Kacho-Sen!"  Washu heaved a paper fan at Ryoko and hit her square in the 
fore-head.  The sudden attack was enough to snap her out of the pool 
self-pity fit she was in, exactly as Washu had planned.
	"  What was that?"  She shouted, rubbing the sore spot on her head, and 
giving Washu a nasty look.
	"  Just something I saw in one of Mihoshi's animes.  I just had to bring 
you back to your senses."  Washu said impatiently.  Then she calmed a bit.  
"  But I suppose I can't blame you for not knowing these things, even though 
you are the daughter of the greatest genius in the universe.  I've met so 
many people who had great minds, though not as great as mine of course," She 
added.  "  But great minds still who could challenge the laws of physics and 
remake the universe," She paused for effect.  " but couldn't get a date to 
save their life."  Ryoko stared at her mother for a second before she spoke.
	"  Are you saying Tenchi doesn't like me because I'm too smart?"  It was 
all Washu could do to keep herself from drowning.  She nearly fell over 
laughing and clutching her side.  "  You didn't have to be so mean."  Ryoko 
said, beginning to stand up.  Washu stopped laughing, though still smiling, 
and held out her hand to stop her.
	"  Wait, wait.  I'm sorry, little Ryoko."  Ryoko scowled at the name, but 
saw the sincerity in Washu's face, and stopped.  "  I just didn't realize 
that you didn't get so much."
	"  Get what?  What is it I'm not getting?"
	"  Tenchi isn't upset because he loves Ayeka.  He may have feelings for 
Ayeka, or he may have feelings for you, or Mihoshi or me for that matter, 
but whichever one of you he loves, he still wants to be friends with the 
others.  If he falls in love with someone, he will not immediately cast out 
all other females from his house, and you shouldn't want him too.  Tenchi 
thinks of you and Ayeka as family, regardless of any feelings he may have 
for either of you, especially Ayeka because she is family.  You have done 
nothing less then seriously hurt one of Tenchi's closest friends."
Ryoko seemed to want to argue the point but a thoughtful look came over her 
face.  ' She's got a point.'  Ryoko thought to herself.  '  I've thought of 
Ayeka as a competitor so long, I became more focused on her and didn't think 
about how Tenchi would feel.'
"  Exactly."  Washu said.
"  Get out of my head!"  Ryoko growled.  "  If I wanted you to know what I 
felt I'd just tell you."  Washu sighed, nodded, and stopped paying attention 
to Ryoko's thoughts.
"  I'm sorry I had to be the one to break it to you Ryoko, but what you did 
was very stupid."
"  Well, if you're so smart, mom, what do you think I should do now?"  Ryoko 
said, with a bit of anger still in her voice.
" Simple.  Leave."  Ryoko looked speechlessly at Washu for a moment, then 
bellowed at Washu.
"  That's it?  That's your advice?  Greatest scientific genius in the 
universe, and that's all you can think of?  Leave!?!  How could that 
possible help me in this situation!"  Ryoko stared at Washu wide eyed.  
Washu, for her part, still seemed calm and collected, and calmly and 
collectively nodded her head.
"  Yes, leave.  Every time Tenchi sees you, he remembers what you did.  If 
you left, he would have time to come to terms with what happened, and 
forgive."  She poured herself some sake from the floating tray.  "  Plus, 
though many Earth sayings are just meaningless drivvle,"  'A stitch in time 
saves nine my ass' she thought.  "  It is none the less true that absence 
makes the heart grow fonder."  Ryoko looked at Washu a moment, then looked 
up at the sky.
"  I guess your right."  There was a quiet 'Whoosh' as she teleported and 
Washu craned her neck to one side to watch as Ryoko quickly dried off and 
got dressed.  Then she floated up to the top of the onsen, where Ryo-oh-ki 
lay, sunning herself on a rock, a picked up the cabbit.
"  Come on, Ryo-oh-ki, lets go find Sasami."  The cabbit quickly stopped 
it's struggles and miya'd her excitement.  Ryoko glanced back at Washu, and 
smirked.
"  I started this, so it would only be right that I was the one who fixed 
things.  When you see Tenchi, tell him I'm sorry, and that I..."  She paused 
for a moment, then what might have been a drop of water from her still wet 
hair, or what Washu thought was more likely a tear, rolled down her cheek.  
" Tell Tenchi I love him."  And she teleported outside.  A moment later the 
spaceship Ryo-oh-ki passed overhead.
"  Well I'll be damned."  Washu chuckled.  "  Looks like she did get some of 
her mothers brains."


=====Earlier, at the Carrot field=====

	"Oh Tenchi!"  A bubbly woman's voice shouted.  Tenchi looked up from his 
work to see Mihsohi bounding down the road.  He gave a hard yank and pulled 
a carrot out of the ground, then lifted it above his head and waved.  
Mihoshi covered her mouth and giggled at site of the carrot flopping above 
his head.  She walked over and kneeled down next to him.
	"  Can I help you with something, Mihoshi?"  He said, flinging the carrot 
into a near-by basket.  Mihoshi clapped as it went straight in.
	"  That was a really good shot Tenchi."
	"  Thanks Mihoshi."  He smiled at her.  "  Did you need something, or just 
stop by to say hi?"
	"  Oh right.  I just came down to see if you needed any help harvesting the 
carrots?"  Tenchi was slightly surprised by this, since Mihoshi had never 
offered before, but he just smiled and said...
	"  Sure thing.  Could you pick up the basket?  I could work more quickly if 
I didn't have to stop and move it every few feet."
	"  Of course Tenchi."  Mihoshi said, leaning over and picking up the 
basket.  " So how's your day going, Tenchi?"
	"   It could be better."  He said, tossing a carrot into the basket.  "  
Normally Ryo-oh-ki's out here, at least, to help me, but I haven't seen her 
at all today."
	"  I think I saw her by the lake this morning." She said, continuing to 
move the basket.
	"  I wonder what's keeping her.  Normally you can't keep her away from the 
field at harvest.  You know Ryo-oh-ki and carrots."  He said.
	"  Yeah, just like a rabbit and carrots."  Mihoshi giggled, and despite how 
bad the joke was, Tenchi found himself laughing as well.  It felt good to 
get his mind off the events of the past days.  Tenchi and Mihoshi chatted 
for a while, and Tenchi found himself pleasantly surprised by how quickly 
time seemed to pass with someone to talk too.  Normally, it was just him and 
Ryo-oh-ki out here.  To their credit, both Ayeka and Ryoko had volunteered 
to help him out after they had come to Earth, but both had proved to 
destructive to the harvest, with their constant fighting to be close to him.
	Washu had volunteered to invent a machine that could plant and harvest the 
carrots in no time.  Tenchi had been about to except, but then grandfather 
had stepped in and reminded him that this work was part of his training as 
well.  'Thanks Grandpa.'  He thought.
	Tenchi found the time flew by.  Even when Mishoshi tripped on a rock and 
sent an entire basket load scattering across the field, they seemed to pick 
them up in no time at all.  He was amazed when they had finished in what had 
seemed like a half hour, and were on they way back, and Mihsohi had gotten 
into a story about her old galaxy police days that seemed to be getting less 
and less believable by the minute.
	"  So then I said to the smuggler chief ' You'd better surrender or you'll 
be in trouble.  Resisting arrest carries an extra charge.'  And they pulled 
out their guns, so I..."  Tenchi's mind drifted off.  It wasn't because 
Mihoshi's story wasn't interesting, which it wasn't but he could still pay 
attention to it.  He was doing it because for the past five minutes he'd 
been hearing a strange beeping noise.  After a few moments, he'd tracked it 
to Mihoshi's... well whatever it was she wore like a watch.
	"  Mihoshi, what's beeping?"  She stopped her story to peer around for a 
moment, then giggled a 'whoops' and touched a button, while losing her grip 
on the basket, juggling it for a second then spilling it all over the road.  
Tenchi bent over to pick them up with Mihoshi.
	"  Mihoshi, where have you been?  I've been trying to get in touch with 
you."  Said a voice from the watch.  It was one Tenchi heard rarely, but 
knew to be yukinojo, the main computer in Mihoshi's ship.
	"  I've been helping Tenchi with the carrots."  She said.
	"  Well, you were SUPPOSED to start your inspection of the solar system 
over an hour ago."  He said.
	"  Oh shoot-bunnies."  Mihoshi said, putting the last carrot back in the 
basket.  She touched the button again.  "  All right, Yukinojo, just let me 
put these carrots away, then we'll go."
	"  Have to get to work, eh, Mihoshi?  It's okay, you can go, I'll just take 
these myself."  He reached for her basket, but Mihoshi just grasped it 
tighter.
	"  I'll take this to the shed with you.  Then I'll go." She said.  Then an 
idea seemed to hit her, and her eyes brightened.  " I know Tenchi, you could 
come with me.  You've never seen the other planets in this solar system, 
right?"
	"  I couldn't.  Mihoshi, really I couldn't.  What if something ever 
happened?"
	"  Oh, it'll be okay.  Nothing ever happens.  It's very boring.  I could 
actually use the company."  She said.  Tenchi sweat dropped.  It started to 
occur to him that maybe this wasn't as coincidental as Mihoshi had seemed.  
He'd never suspected Mihoshi of anything like this.  He kicked himself 
mentally. ' I'm just being paranoid.  This is Mihoshi.  Maybe if it were 
Ayeka or Ryoko, but not Mihoshi.'
	"  I think I'd like that."