Sasami: Some of you people out there have some funny ideas on what I do. I know. I've read some of those stories on the internet. In one I was a prisoner of Kagato, and his machines did unrepeatable things. Then there was one where I was taken prisoner by an evil version of Tenchi. I'm not gonna even mention what happened between me and Washu. But the one I most remembered was in the carrot patch. Still can't believe where he put that carrot... And now there’s a Pretty Sammy lemon! Come on! I’m only eight! Disclaimer: Pioneer owns these characters. I'm just using them for a story. DON'T SUE! Author's note: Okay, the first two tries were a bit bad. But, I'm getting better! Third time's the charm, right? Brian Burke Tenchii@hotmail.com Prelude In a dimly lit laboratory, a single red light reveals the shapes of the machines adorning it. Some large. Some small. Short rumblings from nearby shake the many inventions sitting about. In the center of this lab, two figures stand silent as a centrifuge style machine whirls about, sending electric fire into the air. Above said machine, particles of light seep to the ceiling, as they vanish from existence. "Will she be alright?" the man asks, nearly shouting over a rumble. "We can only hope so, Tenchi," the spike haired girl responds. "We can only hope," the red-head echoes. "What about us?" he shouts. "The core of my lab was destabilized by the time machine. I've done all I can, but-" She is cut off as a massive explosion erupts from beneath. ==-==-== Misa Part One Enter: Misa ==-==-== On a warm summer day, everyone is outside enjoying the sunshine. Sasami is lying on an innertube, nearly asleep from the peacefulness, and Ryo-Ohki is on her stomach, curled into a ball. Ryoko is lying on the beach, absorbing the tanning qualities of the sunshine. Ayeka is lying on an inflatable raft near Sasami, while quietly thinking of nothing but the relaxing moment. Washu is sitting on the sand, typing on her usual holo-laptop. Tenchi, thinking nothing could go wrong, is in an innertube while he enjoys the peacefulness handed to him. A crackle of energy immediately disturbs the relaxation of said family, signifying the entry of a Guardian. Azaka, in this case, hovers near the violet haired princess, avoiding the water. "Princess Ayeka," it starts in a low tone, "I have a message from planet Jurai." Disgusted by the interference, "very well," she responds. "Play the message." ~Princess Ayeka,~ a nervous voice says, ~we have an emergency on Jurai, and request your immediate response.~ The short message ends, leaving Ayeka curious. "Well, if I need to go, I need to go. I wonder what the emergency is? No matter. Azaka, send a message to Jurai. Tell them I am on my way." "Yes, ma'am," the wooden cylinder replies, disappearing. Sighing, the young noble realizes this is the end of her holiday. Now, it's time to return to her duties. "Sasami," she addresses, attracting her sister's attention. "Yes, Ayeka?" she responds. "I have to return to Jurai. There's an emergency, and I am needed. I would also like to bring you along." "Why is that?" "I just want to be sure you're safe. Also, you might learn something about being a princess. There's a lot about this you don't know." "Okay," she sighs. Picking up Ryo-Ohki, she hops off the innertube and starts to walk to shore. Following shortly afterward is her sister, likewise wading to dry land. Walking up to her sometimes friend/sometimes rival, she deliberately stands in her sunlight. "Ryoko," she asks, "would you be so kind as to take us to Jurai?" "Will you be staying there?" she asks slyly. "Are you finally giving up?" On usual circumstances, the Crown princess of Jurai would have lashed out at such an insult. But, being that she needs the space pirate to pilot Ryo-Ohki, she calms herself. "No, we will not. Rest assured, I will return. Whether by you, or by Jurai." "Touchy, touchy, Princess," she says. "Man, you can't even take a joke can you? Yeah, I'll take you to Jurai." She watches as Tenchi wades in from the water. "We could all go, right Tenchi?" "Go? Go where?" he asks. "To Jurai, of course," Ryoko responds, glomming onto him. "After we drop off the girls, you can have fun with a lady!" "Ryoko!" Ayeka shrieks. "How dare you! What makes you think you're a lady?" Fuming, she forgets her previous idea of temperament. "I'm going too," Washu adds. "I'm going to make sure Ayeka and Ryoko both make it there." "Tenchi," Sasami asks sweetly, "will you come along too? We could all go together!" "I would like to, Sasami, but I can't go into space now. I have class in a couple weeks." "Alright," Sasami sighs. "It sure would have been fun, though." "Maybe next time, Sasami," Ayeka says to her. "Maybe when Lord Tenchi isn't so busy." Turning towards the house, "but, for now, let us prepare ourselves for the journey." Walking towards the house, the Crown Princess of Jurai is soon followed by Sasami, Ryoko, Washu, and finally Tenchi. ==-==-== An hour later Gathered near the shore once again, the group of travelers prepare to depart. "Tenchi," Ryoko begins, "you behave while we're gone. I don't want to hear about any other women in your bed." "Ryoko!" Ayeka shouts. "I will not have you insulting Juraian nobles in such a way!" "Ayeka," Ryoko says calmly, "do you want to get to Jurai or not?" Seeing her main rival back off, "Ryo-Ohki!" she commands, sending a silent command to the cabbit. The desired effect is gained as her lifelong partner quickly transforms into her famous crystalline starship form. Interestingly enough, nobody is any less awestruck at the transformation than the first time they saw it, almost a year ago. "Good luck, Ayeka," Tenchi says coolly. "I'll see you when you get back." Looking to Ryoko, "you behave now, Ryoko." "Goodbye Tenchi," Ayeka, Ryoko and Sasami chant. Washu, behind the trio, simply smiles. As they say their farewells, Ryo-Ohki pulls them from the Earth, into the dome on top of the ship. Tenchi watches as the familiar ship disappears into the daytime sky. A stray thought strikes him as he remembers that Ryo-Ohki was the first alien starship he had ever seen, followed shortly afterward by Yukinojo, Mihoshi's ship. As he turns towards the house, his eyes meet an interesting sight. Ahead of him is a woman with dark blue hair and red eyes. She is wearing a blue kimono with light blue trim and a pink sash. "Can I help you?" he asks. The woman simply smiles, with a slight giggle under her breath. "I am Misa," she says warmly. "I have come in search of you, Tenchi Masaki." Walking over to her, "you want me?" he asks. "Why? What's going on?" "I am from Jurai, and I am in need of your help. Earlier, my ship detected Juraian life forms nearby. From this, I knew it was you that lived here." "What do you need me for?" he asks. "I will tell you that later. For now, though, we must prepare. You see, I know about Ryoko, Ayeka, Sasami, and the rest." "You do?" he says, shocked. "Well, unfortunately, Ryoko and the rest left a few minutes ago. They might not be back for awhile." "Oh," she sighs. "Well, until then, I want to know what you've been up to. Those girls must give you a lot to do," she says, grinning. "Actually, they do," he replies. "So, your name is Misa?" he asks. "That's an interesting name." Looking a bit closer, "there's something about you that looks familiar." "Really? How so?" "I don't know," he responds, motioning her towards the house. "Were you on Jurai after the war?" "Yes, I was. You probably saw me there." Looking into the distance, "that war changed a few things. Some of them for the worst. But, that wasn't the end of your troubles, was it?" Reaching the door, "what do you mean? That was only months ago." "What about Kain?" Tenchi stops dead in his tracks. "What do you know about that? Nobody knows about Kain." "Tell you what, Tenchi," she answers, "I will tell you how I know after I get cleaned up. It was a long journey, and I need a bath." Sighing, "alright. When you're done, let me know. I want to know more about you, Misa." As he watches her move towards the bathroom, he walks up the stairs. "Why does she look so familiar?" ==-==-== Closing the door behind her, Misa sighs relievingly. "Alright, come on out," she says, looking to her feet. Crawling out is a mass of brown fur, matted down by the extreme amounts of sweat. Its long ears hang droopingly on the floor, dragged along like loose clothing. "Mi-ya..." it sighs, exiting the folds of Misa's robes. "I got us this far," Misa points out. "But, if the deception is going to work, you're going to have to stay in here for awhile." The small animal crawls off, seeping itself into a small pool, especially made for its species. "Meow," it declines. "We don't have much of a choice!" Misa shouts. "If someone saw you, do you realize what would happen?" Putting up a paw in defense, "miya miya..." she replies defeatingly. "Alright. Don't worry, I'll bring a few munchies for you now and then." "Meow?" "Of course!" Removing her outer kimono, "I wouldn't forget you, would I? I never have." Removing her other layers, she sets the entire assembly on the ground. Stretching her nude body, she hears a few cracks from it in the process. After tying her hair up, the blue haired woman walks into the water. Sitting at the edge of it, Misa relaxes against the side of the pool. "We made it this far," she sighs. "I don't think Tenchi knows yet. If he does, I can't tell." "Meow..." "As soon as we're done in here, I'll tell him everything." "Meow!" "No. You have to stay here. Remember?" "Meow..." Closing her eyes, "we've got a lot to do." ==-==-== After a bit of time in the bath, Misa walks up to Tenchi's room, dressed only in a towel. Although the material of the towel is relatively thick, it is easy to see Misa's shapely figure underneath. "Alright," she says to herself, "let's do this." Knocking on the door, "Tenchi?" she calls. "Can I come in?" "Sure," he responds from behind the wooden door. "Come on in." A moment later, his request is granted as the blue haired vixen enters the room. Looking a bit red, "Misa, what is it?" "Tenchi," she says softly, "my name isn't Misa." Holding her towel tightly against her, she closes her eyes as a field of faint light envelopes her body, and then dissipates almost as quickly. Her hair melts into an aqua color, and drapes down an extra foot behind her. A sparkle on her forehead heralds the appearance of a split triangle on her forehead. Opening her eyes, they reveal a pink color to them, compared to the deep red of before. "W-who are you?" he asks, half knowing. Looking frustrated, she grabs her long hair with both hands, and holds it at the roots in two long tails. "Now, do you know who I am?" "Sasami? But, that's impossible! You were only eight years old when I last saw you!" Releasing her hair, "I am Sasami, yes. From ten years in the future. I am sorry for the deception, but had you known, suspicion might have been aroused. I used my Jurai power to hide the caste mark on my forehead, as well as my eye color. I also let my hair down a long time ago." "So, why are you here, in the past?" Tenchi asks, trying to keep calm. "Surely you didn't come back for me, did you?" Holding up her hand, she shows Tenchi the ring that adorns it. "No. I did not come back for such a reason. I got married in the future." "Really?" he says excitedly. "So, who is the lucky guy?" "Tenchi, I can't tell you that." "If I told you, it might affect Sasami's life, here in the past." Dropping her hand, Misa continues. "Ten years from now, Earth will be destroyed. I came back to prevent that." "Ten years? But, why are you here now?" "Because, it started at this point in time." "So, it's just you, Sasami?" he asks. As if on cue, a loud >THUMP< is heard from the other side of the door. Misa's passenger soon follows. "Meow!" she greets, sitting on the floor. "You brought Ryo-Ohki?" he sighs. "Don't let anyone else see her, especially this time's Ryo-Ohki." "I already told her to stay in the bath," she says, looking to the cabbit angrily, "didn't I?" The critter puts up a paw in defense, trying to block the scold. "Miya..." she says apologetically. "So, Sasami," Tenchi wonders, "is everyone supposed to call you Misa, then?" "Yes. Nobody else can know the truth of who I am. If someone were to find out, there would be too many questions brought to my attention. One of the biggest would probably be on who you chose for a bride." "That would be useful information, wouldn't it?" "No. It would not. If I were to tell you, even in the best intentions, you would always doubt your decision. I couldn't live with that." "So, why are you telling me all this? Why did you drop your disguise for me?" "Tenchi, I need you. More than anything, I'm going to need you for what we're going to do." Tenchi simply sits on his bed, confused. "What do you need me for? Is something bad going to happen?" "Not if I can help it," she replies, smiling. "Can you tell me what's going to happen? Can you at least tell me that much?" Grinning a bit more, "I can do better than that," she says, walking towards him. "I'll show you." --End One--