Disclaimer:  This stuff is owned by other people, except for the stuff that 
isn't.  If you own the stuff I've used, please do not sue me.  Chances are 
you already have one hell of a lot more money than I do.

The Legacy of Kain - Chapter 11 (Storm Front)

	The thunder roared.
	Tenchi stood in the downpour, his head thrown back, letting the drops of 
water flow over his face, caressing his skin.  He sighed, closing his eyes.
	I need a vacation, he thought.  First Kevin disappears, then Mihoshi, and 
now...and now THIS.  Tenchi shivered.
	She loves me.
	Tenchi shook his head.  He'd known, of course - only a complete idiot would 
miss the signals that both Ayeka and Ryoko had been sending him.  But to 
hear it, for Ayeka to say those three words to him...he hadn't expected 
this.  He didn't know what to make of the elation he felt, or the way his 
heart was suddenly racing.  Correction.  He knew what it meant, he simply 
didn't know what to DO about it.
	"And I thought things were complicated before..." he muttered to himself.  
He sat down on the shore, absently wiping a torrent of rain from his face.
	"Nice night," said a quiet voice nearby.  Tenchi froze.  Slowly, he turned 
his head to look at Ryoko, who was sitting beside him.  His eyes grew to the 
size of saucers.  Tenchi was many things, but an actor was not one of them.
	"H-hi, Ryoko, I, uh-"
	"Shh."
	They sat in silence for a few moments.  Ryoko pursed her lips.  "Funny how 
things work out, hmm?"
	"What - I mean, uh..."
	"Tenchi," said Ryoko, smiling ruefully, "this ain't gonna be much of a 
conversation if you don't unclench a little.  Relax, wouldja?"
	"Um...all right," Tenchi replied nervously.
	Ryoko frowned suddenly.  "Look, let's get everything out on the table, all 
right?  We've all spent too much time dancing around things here and I'm 
getting pretty friggin' sick of it."  She sighed.  "I saw you and Ayeka 
earlier."
	"Oh."  I'm doomed, thought Tenchi.
	"I'm not mad."
	Tenchi blinked.  "You're...you're not?"
	"Nah."
	There was a long moment of silence as they looked out over the lake.
	Tenchi cleared his throat.  "I may regret asking this, but...why not?"
	Ryoko shrugged.  "Did some thinking.  A lot of thinking, actually.  Came to 
better terms with...how I feel about certain things."  She picked up a 
pebble and absently lobbed it into the lake.  "I care for you, Tenchi.  A 
lot.  But...in the end, I think I was more in love with the idea of being in 
love.  Know what I mean?"
	"Hmm.  I think so."
	Ryoko nodded.  "I'm glad.  I wanted to clear the air before I left."
	Tenchi did a double take.  "What?" he squeaked.  Ryoko threw him a sad 
look.
	"I'm going to find Kevin.  I know you hate his guts, but I can't condemn 
him for being what he is.  I don't think any of us do.  I know you're not 
going to change your mind about this, but...well...I'll be back to visit 
when I can, I guess.  I-"
	"Ryoko," Tenchi said, cutting her off.  "I'm not blind.  I've seen what's 
happened to the house since he left, and...I've seen something of what you 
feel for him."  He set his jaw, and turned to face her.  "I'm not saying 
this is going to be easy.  But you - you go and find him.  I'll do my best 
to give him a chance.  Urk," he finished, as Ryoko swept him into a hug.
	"Thanks, Tenchi!"
	"R...Ryoko...can't...breathe..."
	"Whoops, sorry..." she released him.  Tenchi, once he recovered his breath, 
grinned at her.
	"I guess that explains the outfit."
	Ryoko looked down at herself and smiled ruefully.  "Yeah.  Isn't it weird?  
Do people in the West really dress like this?"
	Tenchi shrugged.  "Some of them.  On you...it works, I think.  The shirt is 
a nice touch. I think Kevin will like it."
	Ryoko turned beet red.  Tenchi laughed.  "Well, well, well, look at this!"
	"Hey, shut up."
	"Ryoko, the feared pirate, blushing like a school girl!"
	"I'm warning you, Tenchi..."
	"What's next, a nosebleed?"
	Ryoko formed her red energy blade and waved it at him menacingly.  
"Careful, schoolboy," she said, mock snarling, "or you'll get a repeat of 
what happened the first time we met."
	Tenchi grinned.  He reached into his tunic and brought out Tenchiken, 
igniting it.  "As I recall, I wasn't the one who ended up losing."
	"That's it.  Yer dead."  Ryoko lunged, and the battle began, the two 
laughing as they sparred in the rain.

	There is a lot that can be said about the city of Toronto.  Most of it has 
to be said, because it's unprintable.  It is dirty, crowded, smoggy, and 
generally unfriendly to life, human and otherwise.
	Sometimes, though, at one in the morning, when the air is just starting to 
cool from the heat of the day and groups of black clad youths wander up and 
down Queen Street West happily telling each other to fuck off, there is a 
sensation that one feels of incredible vitality, a sense of being at the 
heart of things.
	In addition, if one wishes to disappear, there's no place better.
	See him?  Over there, behind the white faces of goth kids on their way to 
the bar.  He's wearing a black trench coat and a bleak expression on his 
expressive features.  He staggers slightly.  Abruptly he sits down on the 
curb.  No one pays him much attention - drunks are Toronto's stock in trade 
on nights like this.
	He lights a cigarette and immediately hunches over in a torrent of dry, 
hacking coughs.  He flicks the smoke away and wipes his mouth with the back 
of his hand.  He looks up.  The night sky is surprisingly clear tonight - a 
few stars manage to heroically shine through the pollution that shrouds the 
city like a grey cloak.
	"I miss you," Kevin mumbles quietly.  He shakes his head, gets up.  He 
makes his unsteady way across the street, making for his usual watering 
hole.  He doesn't notice as a small black device falls from his pocket onto 
the road.  It is shaped like a beeper, with a single light set in the middle 
of it.  A light that begins to wink on and off, balefully red, a few seconds 
before it is crushed by a Volkswagen.

	Sasami hummed to herself as she chopped the last of the carrots and poured 
them into the pot that merrily bubbled upon the stove.  She snuck a glance 
at Ayeka, who had been sitting in the corner picking at the hem of her 
kimono for the past half hour.
	She sighed.  It wasn't FAIR.  She didn't want to be angry with Ayeka any 
more.  Why can't everyone just be friends?
	"Ayeka?" she said hesitantly.
	"Yes?"
	"I-I'm sorry that I was mad at you."
	Ayeka looked up, a smile crossing her face.  She stood, walked across the 
kitchen and gathered Sasami into her arms.  "That's all right, little one," 
she murmured.  "I think that perhaps I may have deserved it."
	"Really?"
	"Really," replied Ayeka.  "I do not know if there is anything that can be 
done, however."
	Sasami frowned.  "What do you mean?  We'll just go and get Kevin and 
everything will be fine!  I bet Ryoko would want to go."  Her voice lowered 
to a whisper.  "She likes him, you know."
	Ayeka smiled.  "I know.  Perhaps-"  She trailed off, looking out the 
window.  Between the rain and the darkness of the night, it was impossible 
to see anything...but...there, down by the lake, there was light.  Two 
lights.  The familiar white-blue of Tenchiken, and the deep red of Ryoko's 
blade.
	"Oh, no," breathed Ayeka, and left the kitchen at a dead run.
	"Ayeka?  What's wrong?"
	Sasami frowned, then stuck her tongue out at her sister's retreating form.
	"No one tells me ANYTHING."

	Sparks flew as the swords met, and met again.  The playfight had been going 
on for quite some time, the combatants evenly matched - Ryoko used her 
ability to fly and teleport to compensate for Tenchi's superior swordplay.  
At long last, the fight ended...with Tenchi slipping on a wet rock.
	"Ow," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he lay prone in the mud.  He 
glared up at Ryoko.  "You cheat."
	Ryoko grinned, pointing the sword at him in victory.  "Only way to play, 
kiddo.  Now-"
She was suddenly cut off as an electrical discharge slammed into her and 
sent her flailing into the lake.
	"Ryoko!?" Tenchi spun around, igniting Tenchiken again, only to find 
himself facing Ayeka.
	"Lord Tenchi!  Are you all right?"
	Tenchi sighed, letting his blade dim and fade.  He put the hilt away.  
"Ayeka...this isn't what it looks like."
	"S'true," said Ryoko, phasing into existence beside him, wringing water 
from her hair.  "I wasn't going to hurt him."
	"You're lying!"
	Ryoko bit back a snarled comment and composed herself.  "Whether you 
believe me or not isn't really important, Princess.  I got more important 
things to do than stick around and trade insults with your 
High-and-Mightiness.  So sorry."  She turned away, then looked back.  A 
slow, wicked grin crossed her face.
	Hmm.  If I know Tenchi, this could take forever.  Might as well help things 
along...
	"Oh, Ayeka?"
	"What now?" she fumed.
	"Catch!"  And with that, she grabbed Tenchi, quickly whispered in his ear, 
and then flung him at her, cackling as she disappeared.
	Tenchi blinked.  He looked down at Ayeka.  The fact that he was lying on 
top of her began to sink through the first few layers of his awareness.
	"Tenchi?" Ayeka said weakly.
	"Er.  Yes?"
	"Why did Ryoko just do that?"
	Tenchi thought about it.  "I think it's her way of telling you that you 
win."
	"Win what?"
	Tenchi hesitated.  He heard Ryoko's voice echoing in his mind.
	"...tell her, you moron..."
	Tenchi slowly, shyly, leaned down and kissed Ayeka tenderly.
	"Oh," said Ayeka.  "Oh my."
	Tenchi stood, helping Ayeka up.  He smiled and drew her into his arms.  He 
looked down, his large, gentle brown eyes searching her deep purple ones.
	"I love you, Ayeka," Tenchi said.
	"How very sweet," said a voice behind them.
	Tenchi span, reaching for Tenchiken.  Ayeka clasped her hands and began to 
summon a shield.  Neither of them were remotely fast enough.  Energy writhed 
in the air, arcing towards them and through them.  Ayeka, taking the worst 
of it, slumped to the ground.  Tenchi wove for a second or two, blinking, 
trying to focus on their attacker, before joining her.
	Hunter emerged from the forest, looking down at the fallen forms.  A wide 
grin split his features.
	"Ain't love grand?" he said, and then he began to laugh.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Okay, I know, I'll be getting mailbombs from rabid Ryoko 
fans for this.  Actually I myself AM a rabid Ryoko fan.  I didn't feel like 
writing a fic where Ryoko got Tenchi 'cause, hell, it's obvious they're made 
for each other...where's the challenge in that?  I wanted to try to create a 
world wherein Tenchi and someone else got together.  Lemme know if it was at 
all successful.  Send yer comments to kakapo101@hotmail.com.  Otherwise - 
the hell with you.