"Moonlight" By AlexMax - = = = = - "Ah, what a nice day to go for a walk." Tenchi thought to himself. And it was. It was an unseasonably cool day. The last few days had gone by in the high nineties, but today was a refreshing break from the blistering heat of the summer. It was near the middle of July, that time of year when Mother Nature let you know it *was* summer, with the heat to back it up. Today, it seems like she had finally let up. Tenchi glanced around at his surroundings. The trees were covered in green, providing much-needed shade for the creatures below, In about another two or three months, the leaves would start losing color again and start falling off. He missed the leaves on the trees during the winter. The serene landscape surrounding his home just didn't feel the same without them. But Tenchi knew the leaves would fall. Just like last year... ...which was around the time when he had awakened Ryoko... Tenchi sighed, and thought back to when his life first was turned upside-down. About nine months ago, a series of events happened that Tenchi would never have guessed would happen, and when it was all said in done, there were five girls from outer space that had taken residence in his house. What used to be a very quiet and very ordinary lifestyle quickly turned upside down. He became involved in all sorts of adventures, from having his house relocated and his school destroyed, to battling the evil Kagato, to chasing after the infamous Dr. Clay, whose motives seemed to serve a higher purpose than science. Those were certainly wild adventures, and sometimes Tenchi learned a thing or two about himself and the world around him, but in the end, this always seemed to work out. Looking back, though, he couldn't imagine a more fulfilling life. Things had quieted down in the past few months or so. After the last incident with Dr. Clay and the unexpected visit from the Emperor of Jurai, things had returned to normal. Or at least as normal as life could be with four or five girls from outer space living in your house. Tenchi enjoyed the relative quiet. But there was something that bothered him when things slowed down. Nothing ever *happened*. As much as Tenchi hated to admit it, he kind of liked in when there was something interesting going on. Sure, sometimes interesting meant saving the world from an evil space pirate, or staring death in the eye when you are about to be sucked into a black hole, but at least it was *something*. It was so quiet that Tenchi had even considered going to Tokyo to continue his training, once, but he decided against it, favoring the relatively quiet going lifestyle he already had to a new one in Tokyo. Not that his life was quiet, but Tokyo wasn't the sort of excitement that Tenchi liked. He preferred to stay where he was. Tenchi absorbed the atmosphere and sighed as he walked. Already, the sun was becoming lower in the sky and the sky itself was beginning to turn from blue to a reddish pink. "Good evening, Lord Tenchi!" "Yes, welcome home, Lord Tenchi!" Tenchi snapped back to reality. He found himself to be at the front gate of his house, where Azaka and Kamadake were waiting. He must had lost himself in thought while he was walking. He smiled and gave the guardians a nod of acknowledgement. "Thank you." said Tenchi, almost as an afterthought. With that, he continued walking up the path. He could see his house quite clearly now. The evening sun added an orange tone of color to the normally white and red house. The nearby lake reflected the sun's warming rays off of its cool surface, dancing in some pattern that seemed random and uniform at the same time. Tenchi admired his surroundings. To think that his dad had designed this house, for himself and his wife... Unbeknownst to his conscious mind, Tenchi sighed at the thought of his mother... ...and actually, this location suited the house a lot better than the crowded neighborhood. The view of the lake from the house was a lot better than the view of the street that it used to look out on. Tenchi smiled, Ryoko and Ayeka hadn't done a bad job of picking this spot, however accidentally they may have chosen it. And not only that, it allowed him to go to his training a lot more often...although if that was a good thing or a bad thing was still in question. Tenchi found himself in front of the door to his house. Glancing over his shoulder, he sighed and turned the doorknob... ...and found himself on the ground in a matter of seconds. Tenchi yelled, out of surprise, and when he came to his senses, he glanced up at the figure who had seemingly come out of nowhere, hugging him tightly. Much to his dismay, it was Ryoko. *Dismay?* Well, maybe dismay wasn't the correct word for this situation. Ryoko did have a soft spot for Tenchi, and Tenchi couldn't just brush Ryoko off. They had saved each others life on more than one occasion, and they did care about each other. Tenchi just wished the she wouldn't be so... ...Rough. "Oh, Tenchi! How I missed you so!" said Ryoko, her eyes shut tightly, and her embrace almost strangling poor Tenchi. "Whh....wait a minute, Ryoko...." sputtered Tenchi. He still hadn't fully recovered from the shock of a few seconds ago. Ryoko opened her eyes and looked down at Tenchi, her feline amber eyes looking straight at him. She giggled, slightly. "What?", she asked, as innocently as she could. "Well...." said Tenchi. But before he could talk, Ryoko interrupted him. "I just missed you *so* much, Tenchi." said Ryoko, with a smile. "But... Ryoko.... do you think you could let me up?" said Tenchi, still dumbstruck. Ryoko smiled. "Sure" she said. "All you need to do is ask." And with that, she vanished and materialized again, this time upright. Dusting off his clothes, Tenchi slowly got up. "Ryoko, could you please not do that again?" Tenchi said. Ryoko looked hurt. But Tenchi's instinct told him that it was fake. Small wonder, since Ryoko always seemed to like to play around like that. Suddenly, Ryoko smiled again. She rematerialzed beside Tenchi and put her arm around him. "So," she said. "How was sword practice...hmm?" Tenchi sweated profusely. "Uh...fine, I guess." Then, he decided to end the conversation then and there, before anyone saw them. "Well, I have to go inside to eat dinner! See ya' later." And with that, he ran into the house. With a sigh, Ryoko vanished. Tenchi walked into the living room. Through the windows, Tenchi could see the sky turn an even deeper shade of red as the sun sank lower in the sky. It was a beautiful thing, one of the many small things that Tenchi appreciated about living in a secluded area as opposed to a large city. All of the sudden, Tenchi heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, running toward the living room. Tenchi turned around and saw Sasami stick her head out of the Kitchen. "Hey Tenchi!" said Sasami. Then, she yelled "Hey everyone! Tenchi is home from training!" Tenchi smiled. Sasami was always glad when Tenchi got home. She really looked up to him, although obviously not in a romantic way. After all, she was only ten. "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes." announced Sasami. "Thanks, Sasami." Sasami giggled at Tenchi. Then, she ran back into the kitchen. Tenchi glanced back into the living room. He heard footsteps coming from upstairs, and glanced up the stairwell. At the top of the stairs, Ayeka stood there, smiling. Upon seeing Tenchi, she nodded and spoke "Good evening, Lord Tenchi." "Hey there Ayeka!" responded Tenchi, with a smile. Tenchi liked Ayeka's gentile manner better than Ryoko's in-your face attitude. But somehow, Ayeka always seemed so ... unreachable. She was always walking around with her head held high. That is, until something had offended her. And when it did, her prim and proper manner quickly gave way to unmatched fury. Unmated, except for perhaps her biggest rival. Ryoko, on the other hand, was playful, and seemed to treat almost everything as a game. She was so...feline, in her manners, which was pretty much doing whatever she wanted. Her play habits often got her into trouble, sometimes seriously so. And when it didn't, it certainly scared the hell out of Tenchi. And when something got in her way, or rather, *someone* got in her way, she too had the potential to dish out much pain and suffering for her part. Tenchi sighed. Somehow, it was impossible to dismiss either of the girls completely. After all, they both had feelings too. Ayeka slowly started walking down the stairs, then stopped suddenly when she was at the bottom. Tenchi looked at Ayeka. She seemed to have a puzzled look on her face. "Oh my word, Lord Tenchi, you have dust all over your clothes and face!" said Ayeka, looking over Tenchi. "How did you get them so dirty?" "Ah...well" said Tenchi, nervously putting his hand behind his head. He glanced down at his clothes. *Damn, Ryoko made them so dirty when she knocked me down!* he thought to himself. But he didn't say a word. If he told Ayeka that Ryoko had knocked him down, that would only cause trouble, something he truly didn't need after a long day. Before Ayeka could inquire into the matter further, Tenchi heard a voice behind him. "Hey there Tenchi..." Tenchi turned around. Seeing nothing but the top of a stylized hairdo, he glanced down. Sure enough, Washu was standing right there, eyeing him expectantly. Tenchi continued to stare at Washu. A look of surprise came over Washu, but quickly faded and turned into a smile. "What, aren't you gonna' give little Washu a hug?" Tenchi stood there, dumbfounded. "Well....I'm sorry, err..little Washu, but I normally think of you as a scientist..." Washu still maintained her smile. "Oh, forget about that. Sure, I might be the smartest person in the universe, but I'm still little." She brightened her smile even more and clasped her hands together, for effect. Tenchi sighed. He could never seem to figure Washu out. She always wanted to be treated like a child, yet she truly had the IQ's of everyone in the household combined. She was in her lab all the time, and was always coming up with some new invention or theory or calculation. All of which was way over his head. And that *sample*, she had tried to get from him that one time... Tenchi shuddered at the thought. He still had nightmares about it, and some of them didn't end up with Mihoshi blundering in on them. Deciding that it was no use reminding himself of such a thing at this point, he abandoned that train of thought. Suddenly, something struck him as odd. "Washu..." Tenchi started to say. Washu glared at him. Tenchi sighed and continued. "*Little* Washu." Washu smiled. "Yes, what is it?" "Why are you outside of your lab? You usually never come out of there." "Well, to be honest, all I wanted to do was get my dinner and go back to work. Normally, Sasami could bring me some dinner, but I have nothing pressing at the moment, so I decided to come out instead." Tenchi sighed with relief. He didn't feel like being a 'guinea pig' in another experiment right now. "So....uh..." said Ayeka, trying to figure out a way to change the subject. "...how are your experiments doing?" Washu's face brightened with delight. "Well, I just figured out how to organize the combined space of matter in such a way that I can..." said Washu. Tenchi and Ayeka face-faulted on the spot. It was a full minute before Washu noticed their expressions and decided to quit talking. All of the sudden, the front door slammed. "Hello?" yelled Tenchi. But he already knew who it was. Sure enough, Nobouyki, emerged from the hallway into the living room. "Hello everyone, I'm home!" he said. Then, seeing Washu, Ayeka and Tenchi in the living room, he smiled and waved to them. "Well, guess who is home early." said Washu, with a smile. "Yep!" said Nobouyki with a grin. "I had to work today since I was working on some big project that I needed to finish before Monday. But I finished earlier than I expected, so I decided to come home." He sighed. "I wish my boss would quit giving me such long hours. It would be nice to be around the house for a while." Tenchi winced. "Oh come on." said Tenchi. "You are just trying to work hard so you won't get fired after that last *incident* with that secretary." Nobouyki frowned. "But she was nice enough to get me some tea..." "That is her *job*, dad. For the last time, she is *not* trying to hit on you." "Still, I don't think that my boss should take it so hard." said Nobouyki. "Dad! That is called sexual harassment! She could sue the company! What is he *supposed* to do, give you a slap on the wrist?" "Well, at least I can feel *comfortable* around women." said Nobouyki. "*You* on the other hand..." "...is perfectly comfortable around women." said Ryoko, materializing with her arm around Tenchi. "Aren't you, Tenchi." she added, with a feline smile. Tenchi nearly jumped out of his skin. *God, that is the SECOND time today that has happened!* Tenchi mused to himself. Ayeka groaned noticeably, but Ryoko pretended like she didn't notice. "Aren't you." Ryoko asked again, with a slight giggle. She started to slowly trace her finger seductively across Tenchi's chest. Tenchi started to sweat. *Oh no, not this again* he thought to himself. "Well....uh....well..." Tenchi stammered, trying to think of something that wouldn't get Ryoko or Ayeka mad at him. It was always a balancing act for him, especially in these kinds of situations. He didn't want to dismiss either of them, but lately, it had been getting harder and harder. He glanced over his shoulder, at Ayeka. She was balling up her fists, and noticeably fuming. He gulped, knowing that the wrong answer would result in a remarkably nasty fight. "See what I mean?" said Nobouyki, with a triumphant smile. "You are scared of women. What is there to be scared about?" Washu started to laugh, finding this situation particularly entertaining. "Dad, I am *not* scared of women!" Tenchi said, still fighting Ryoko's strong grip. But she held firm, giggling as she watched Tenchi struggle. Tenchi slowly turned a beet red. "Look at you." said Nobouyki. "You are trying to get away from one of your girlfriends. If I was in your position, I would take this opportunity without a second thought. If your mother could see you now..." "What does mother have to do with it?" yelled Tenchi, trying to pull Ryoko's arm off of him. "And what do you mean I should 'take this opportunity'?" "Like I said." said Nobouyki ,"you're scared. You need to..." "I can see why he would be." muttered Ayeka under her breath. Ryoko let go of Tenchi and unceremoniously dropped him to the floor with a thud. She glared up at Ayeka with a dangerous look. "What did you say?" growled Ryoko. "Oh nothing." said Ayeka, with a giggle. "I was just observing how you were attempting to seduce Lord Tenchi with such behavior. With that kind of behavior, no wonder he is scared of you." "What's wrong with that? After all, *I'm* not afraid to show my love to Tenchi. You, on the other hand, just sit there, high and mighty, with your nose straight up in the air, embarrassed because you are afraid that you might get *contaminated* if anyone touches you." Ryoko shot back, adding a smirk for extra punch. Ayeka turned a deep shade of purple and started to shake. "How *DARE* you!" spat Ayeka. "At least I'm not resorting to tactics of the common tiger, trying to win over a poor, hapless boy by boxing him into a corner, waiting to devour him like a piece of meat! I love Tenchi with every fibre of my being, and you don't see *me* chasing him." Tenchi, unbeknownst to both Ayeka and Ryoko, started to sweat profusely. "Hey, little princess, it's first come, first serve." responded Ryoko, nonchalantly. "Do you think I would be like you and sit on my ass, dreaming about him and get *nowhere*? I just have the courage to express my feelings, and you don't." "Humph" said Ayeka, puffing out her chest. "I don't see him running away from *me*." "I don't see you chasing him, princess." Ryoko shot back. "And you are in no position to be puffing your chest out at anyone, especially *me*!" added Ryoko, with a grin, folding her arms on her chest. Ayeka fumed, getting the point. "Well, I don't *need* them." snapped Ayeka. "For one, my looks alone could easily get me any man in the universe..." "Your *crown* could get anyone in the universe!" laughed Ryoko. Ayeka apparently ignored this insult and continued. "...and two, I don't use them for exhibiting myself to other men. Unlike *someone* I know, for whom that's the only thing she has got going for her.", finished Ayeka. She paused briefly, thinking of a way to antagonize the pirate further, and continued. "Admit it. The only reason you are remotely taking *any* interest in Tenchi-sama is for his body. Either that, or his gems that will give you enough power to return to your former vile self. But in the first case, why don't you just pack up and leave. There are *plenty* other men that would be eager to sleep with you. Just wander around downtown Tokyo for a night." Ryoko's amber eyes were now an inferno of rage and hate. "Why you little..." growled Ryoko. But then, something occurred to her. Deciding to try a different tack one that might catch the princess off guard, she smiled evilly and spoke: "And why are *you* taking interest in Tenchi... hmmmm???" said Ryoko. Ayeka looked stunned. She hadn't been prepared for this question. "I... I..." said Ayeka. Ryoko had been right, Ayeka wasn't prepared for this counterattack. Frantically, her eyes darted around the room, looking for Tenchi. Then she saw him. He was almost at the top of the stairs. When Tenchi noticed Ayeka looking at him, he jumped, knowing he had been spotted. "Tenchi-sama, where are you going?" asked Ayeka. "Uhhh... I was just going to take a shower." said Tenchi, nervously. With that, he ran the rest of the way up the stairs and darted down the hall, out of sight. *A shower?* thought Ayeka. *Why a shower? He hadn't even had dinner yet.* But before she could continue this train of thought, she saw her adversary floating up the stairs. "Wait for me, Tenchi!" yelled Ryoko. "WHAT?!" screamed Ayeka. "RYOKO! WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" A split-second later, she was darting up the stairs, running after Ryoko. She caught up with Ryoko as she was rounding the corner, body slamming Ryoko into the wall, making a noticeable crack in the wall. Ryoko got up and glared at Ayeka, her eyes glowing a dangerous amber. "What the HELL was that for?" yelled Ryoko. "Ryoko, I can not permit you to take a shower with Tenchi-sama." growled Ayeka. "Really?" said Ryoko. "I don't see your crown anywhere near here. So I want to take a shower with Tenchi. What's wrong with that?" "Filthy pirate, I hope you are more intelligent that you are appearing to be." spat Ayeka. "You know as well as I do that it would embarrass him. Not to mention the fact that he appalls the very sight of you." "He can get used to it." said Ryoko, with a sly grin. "Like I said, *I'm* not afraid to show my love for Tenchi." "Showing your love for Tenchi-sama by forcing him to take a shower with you, in the hopes that he will get used to it?" yelled Ayeka. "My, you certainly have a twisted sense of logic." Ryoko cocked her eyebrow defiantly. "Twisted or not, I am taking a shower with Tenchi, and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me, little princess. I'm warning you, don't get in my way." And with that she turned around and started walking toward the bathroom. Suddenly, she staggered back in pain as a flash of light enveloped the hallway. Letting out a yell, she convulsed as the Jurain shock wave flowed through her body like molten lava. Staggering, she fell to the floor. As she lay there, she heard Ayeka's voice. "Oh really, you nauseating... *demon*." A surge of anger flowed through Ryoko. Quick as lightning, she was on her feet again. With a brilliant flash of orange light, her energy sword appeared in her hands, the soft glow of the beam reflecting off of everything in the relatively dark hallway. Her eyes glowed like hot coals, and they weren't about to be extinguished yet. Ayeka was still standing there, unflinching. A soft glow seemed to come from her, and beside her the two guardians Azaka and Kamadake sat, ready to fight. Her arms were on her hips, daring the demon to attack her. In a movement almost to quick to see, Ryoko made a flying leap at Ayeka, her sword blazing through the air with a soft hum, inaudible over the scream of fury that came from Ryoko herself. Meanwhile, in the bathroom down the hall, Tenchi had gotten into the shower. As he stepped in, he did a brief check of the walls, floor and ceiling. Relieved that Ryoko's face was not sticking out of any of them, he turned on the hot water. He breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he was alone. Outside, Tenchi could hear the sound of combat, reverberating into the bathroom. *Those girls are at it again.* he thought. *Well, it was inevitable, and this time I managed to get out of their way before it started.* He sighed and lost himself in thought as the shower head sprayed water over him, massaging him, relaxing him. Tenchi listened once more. The sounds of combat still echoed through the air. He sighed, and was reaching over for a bar of soap when something occurred to him. Those sounds were awfully loud. Suddenly, Tenchi felt a strange feeling that he was not safe where he was. A little voice inside him screamed at him. *GET OUT OF THERE! RUN!*. But Tenchi ignored it. As long as they were outside... *Wait a second! Those sounds are much too loud to be coming from outside. Oh my god, they are in the hallway...* All of the sudden, there was a very loud and unceremonious ***BOOM***. As bits of plaster and wood came flying out of the wall, Tenchi kneeled down and covered his head with his hands, almost certain that the ceiling was going to cave in on him at any second. He trembled, anticipating the worst. But it never came. Shivering, Tenchi slowly lowered his hands and stood up. He glanced around the bathroom. Other than a few bits of broken plaster on the floor, and the fact that there was no longer any water coming out of the shower head, it didn't look like any major damage had come of it *Damnit!* Tenchi thought to himself. *I have to fix the damn plumbing AGAIN!* Suddenly, something struck Tenchi as not being quite right. *Man, it's awfully drafty in here* he thought to himself. For some odd reason, he heard someone gasp. *Huh? That doesn't make any sense either.* Something clicked in Tenchi's brain, and he didn't like it at all. Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned around. There was a big hole in the wall where the door and one of the walls of the shower had been only a few seconds ago. On the other side, Ayeka and Ryoko were staring at him, bug-eyed. The hall was a mess, with bits of wood and plaster all over the place, and a huge crater in the wall, where something had apparently been smashed into it. The girls continued to stare. They didn't even bother to blink. "Ayeka! Ryoko!" yelled Tenchi. "What the hell just happened here!?" Suddenly, something occurred to Tenchi. He looked down at himself, with a look of dread. He was completely naked. With a loud yell, he covered himself the best he could with his right hand as his other hand reached outside the shower for a towel. Finally grabbing ahold of one, after losing his grip on it several times, he wrapped it around himself hastily. Then , he glared at Ayeka and Ryoko. "What the hell is going on! I thought I told you two not to fight in the house?" There was silence for about fifteen seconds. "Tenchi-sama." Ayeka said, finally. "Ryoko was trying to get into the shower with you. I was only trying to stop her." "Yeah?" spat Ryoko. bitterly. "Well I told you to stay the hell out of my way." "Well, what did you expect me to do?" yelled Ayeka. "Tenchi-sama needs his privacy, and you were trying to deny him of it. You just don't get it, do you. He *HATES* you. Can't you see?" "Hey, what is going on up here?" said Nobouyki, his figure emerging from around the corner. Then, he noticed the hole in the Bathroom wall and Tenchi, with a towel wrapped around his body. He eyed Ayeka and Ryoko, who just glared at him. "Who made this big hole in the wall." said Nobouyki, with a noticeable look of surprise on his face. The two girls pointed to each other. When they realized that the other was pointing at them, they growled at each other. Nobouyki started to sweat. He nervously backed away. The two girls continued to glare at each other. Sparks literally flew between their gazes as their anger reached new heights. Suddenly, there was a yell from Tenchi. The two girls momentarily broke their glares and glanced over at Tenchi. "Hey you two...eh...cut it out already!" said Tenchi, his voice almost failing him. "What if someone gets hurt! Don't have any regard for anyone?" Both of the girls shouted a unanimous "NO!" Ayeka shot a glance over at Ryoko and added. "At least not to *her*." "I'm warning you princess" growled Ryoko, glaring back at Ayeka. "Pain is a two way street. Especially when dealing with *me*!" A small ball of plasma was forming in her hand as she spoke. "Say cheese!" came a voice out of the shadows. Both of the girls froze and looked in the direction the voice had come from. The brilliant light of a flashbulb came out of nowhere, and temporarily blinded the three occupants of the hall. When their vision returned, they face faulted almost all at the same time. "Man, that was a good picture that I got of you guys." said Nobouyki, coming out of the shadows with a laugh. In his hands was a camera, the source of the flash. Tenchi could hear the motor inside the camera develop the Polaroid. It was that quiet. With a smile, Nobouyki retrieved the film from the camera. He held it in his hand and laughed again, turning it around so the three of them could see. At first, it was just plain white. But as the picture came out, Tenchi could plainly see Ryoko and Ayeka in the foreground with himself, still wet from the shower, and half naked with a towel wrapped around his waist, in the background. Tenchi gulped, realizing that his father thought this obviously embarrassing position to be extremely funny. Nobouyki laughed again and spoke: "Heh, heh, this will be an excellent addition to your scrapbook, Tenchi. You may not realize it now, but when you are older like me, you will look back on times like this..." "DAAAAADDDDDDD!!!!!!" yelled Tenchi. Nobouyki gave him a look of surprise. "What? I still have pictures of your mother and I when we were still going out. And I still have that 8mm film of your mother that you almost *destroyed* when you dropped it." added Nobouyki, his eyes narrowing at the mention of the later. "Excuse me, but I happened to have been only a few seconds from *vanishing* into thin air when I dropped it. What did you *expect* me to do when I saw my own body vanish before my eyes?" yelled Tenchi, slightly annoyed. "And besides, this isn't a memory that I would particularly *enjoy* remembering!" Nobouyki shook his head. "You have always been difficult like that Tenchi. Why you have been is beyond me." Suddenly, something snapped... ...and a few seconds later, there was a small hole in a nearby wall, Tenchi's hand stuck though it. Quivering, he slowly withdrew his now bleeding hand, and glanced over at his father, to Ryoko, to Ayeka, then to his bleeding hand. There was a seething pain coming from his fist, but at this point, Tenchi didn't care. The three other occupants didn't move a muscle. All there had their eyes wide open in shock. They have *never* seen Tenchi get this angry. Tenchi shot another glance at the three, still shaking and breathing heavily, although he didn't make a sound while breathing. "That's it." Tenchi said, in an angry, but quiet voice. "I've had about enough of this for one night." Without another word, he marched straight for his room, and slid open the door with his uninjured hand. "Wait, Tenchi-sama." said Ayeka. "What about dinner?" Tenchi didn't even bother to look over his shoulder. "Tell Sasami-chan to save it for me. I don't think that this has left me with much of an appetite." Tenchi said, bitterly. And with that parting shot, he slammed his door closed. No one said anything. There wasn't anything to be said. Ryoko, Ayeka and Nobouyki were all thinking the same thing, and felt that it went without saying. *What's up with Tenchi?* "Oneesama! Ryoko! Nobouyki! Tenchi!" came a voice from downstairs. "Dinner is ready!" "Sasami-chan, Tenchi is not feeling very well. Would you be so kind as to save his plate for him until tomorrow?" said Ayeka, calling down the stairs. "What's wrong with Tenchi?" said Sasami? "Is he sick?" Ayeka paused, trying to think of something to say. "Not really." yelled Ryoko. "He is just worn out. Don't worry, he'll be fine. "OK." said Sasami. "By the way, what was going on up there? Did something happen?" Ayeka and Ryoko exchanged glances. "No, nothing is wrong." said Ayeka. "Nah, everything's OK." Ryoko chimed in. And both of them started down the stairs, followed by Nobouyki. "You know." said Ayeka, as they were walking down. "None of this would have happened if you had not tried to invade Tenchi-sama's privacy." Ryoko shot an angry glance at Ayeka. "Oh for pete's sake..." she complained. And with that, they disappeared into the next room at the bottom of the stairs. - = = = = - Tenchi awake in a total darkness. Not the kind of darkness like in a dark closet, or at night, but a really pitch black, as if there was no substance to the area around him. Frightened, Tenchi groped around, but to his dismay, he did not find anything to grab on to. All of the sudden, a he heard a voice behind him. "Tenchi..." Tenchi turned around, slowly. A woman was standing there, looking back at him. "Tenchi..." she repeated, a smile forming on her pale face. Her blue hair flowed, as if blown by a strong gale. "What the...it can't be..." said Tenchi, slowly walking toward the woman. But then, when he was almost there, he froze in terror. The woman all of the sudden had a strange expression on her face. A perverted leer, almost. It reminded Tenchi of... And with that, she faded out into nothingness. But before Tenchi could react, his father just as suddenly appeared in her place. What was more, to Tenchi's astonishment, was the fact that he had that same, perverted leer. His instincts were screaming at him to act fast. Tenchi, still in shock and unsure of what to do, slowly started backing away. "Hey there, son." said Nobouyki, still with that perverted leer. "Where are you going? The fun has just started." Suddenly, Tenchi's father grew to gargantuan proportions at an almost sickening rate. Tenchi yelled and started to run, but his father bent over, as if he was picking up a speck of rice that had been dropped on the floor and picked him up between his thumb and forefinger. Tenchi struggled noticeably, but his attempts to escape were futile. "Son." said Nobouyki, his voice echoing omnipotently. "You are way too shy around the girls. Let me help you out." And with that, he let go of Tenchi. With a loud yell, Tenchi fell away from his father, the only visible thing in sight. Tenchi fell through nothingness for what seemed like ages. At first, he could see nothing else. But then, he saw a little blue speck. It was racing toward him at a frightening rate, but before he could even yell, he had landed, face down, and with quite some force, on the blue object. Tenchi cowered in pain, but then to his surprise, he found that he was not in any pain whatsoever. Slowly, he started to get to his feet. He then glanced around at his surroundings. There were blue walls, all around him, as well as a blue floor. He saw multiple passageways leading in different directions away from him. It almost felt like being in a bad three-dimensional maze. But then something hit him. It *was* a three-dimensional maze. And he was the mouse. And he didn't even know what he was looking for. "Tenchiiii...." came a voice, again from behind him. *Oh great, what now...* thought Tenchi to himself. This time, when he turned around, he found Ryoko, standing less than a foot away from him, eyeing him hungrily, her amber eyes glowing softly. Tenchi froze and started to sweat. "There you are Tenchi." said Ryoko, with an evil grin. "I was looking for you. You had me *so* worried." she added, nudging closer to Tenchi. Tenchi himself, who was still recovering from the shock of someone sneaking up behind him, started to tremble violently. Ryoko inched closer to Tenchi, licking her lips seductively. "That will be quite close enough, space pirate." came a voice from the opposite direction. Tenchi didn't need to turn his head to know that it was Ayeka, but he did it anyway, to try and take his mind off of the woman who was no less than six centimeters away from him. She was standing here, eyeing Ryoko dangerously. There seemed to be an aura of seriousness and distaste in her expression, making it painfully clear what she thought of what she was looking at. "You will release Tenchi-sama this instant, you wicked creature." spat Ayeka, marching toward the two at a frightening rate. "Hah!" smirked Ryoko, cocking her eyebrow defiantly and grabbing a hold of one of Tenchi's wrists. "Never! Tenchi is mine!" "No!" yelled Ayeka, grabbing Tenchi's other wrist. "He is mine!" "Hands off, Ayeka, he's mine!" "He is MINE! He despises you, and you know it!" Meanwhile Tenchi was in the middle of the two, being torn back and forth as if he was a plaything that two sisters were arguing over. *What the hell did I do to deserve this?* Tenchi thought in misery *Did I kill someone in a pervious life?* In desperation, he yelled, suddenly. "DAAAAAAADDDDDDD!!!!! What do you think you are doing?" Both of the girls let go of Tenchi's wrists temporarily and glanced around the room, looking for any sign of Nobouyki, a video camera, a still camera, anything that might be even remotely associated with him that they could tear to smithereens. "That's weird." said Ryoko, confused. "I don't see your father anywhere, Tenchi-s...." said Ayeka, glancing back at Tenchi. But to both of their astonishment, Tenchi was no longer there. He had ran down a corridor as fast as his feet could carry him. Enraged, the girls split up and started searching the maze for their beloved. Tenchi, meanwhile, was dodging his way throughout the maze, picking directions at random, hoping that he wouldn't come face to face with one of the girls. He kept hearing the girls calling his name, "Tenchi! Tenchi!" but he kept running, hoping that he could get out of this maze in time before he got caught. He turned another corner. And suddenly, Ryoko appeared in front of him out of thin air. She grinned maniacally. Frantically, Tenchi dodged back around the corner, only to find Ayeka, with the same evil grin on her face. He was trapped. He backed himself into the corner and sat down, covering his head with his arms. He slowly heard them approach, and when he dared to look up again, he found both girls, staring directly at him. But something was scaring him even more that usual. They both had an evil, twisted expression on their face that didn't quite look like either of them. Tenchi shook in fear, thinking of all the possibilities of what could happen next. He dreaded every single one of them. But what happened next truly scared the hell out of him. Almost instantaneously, both girls grabbed for him, gripped his arms, and tore him into two bloody pieces. Tenchi screamed in agony... - = = = = - All of the sudden, Tenchi woke with a noticeable start. His eyes were wide with fear, but as he realized that he had only been dreaming, and that he was still in his own room, and nothing had happened, he calmed down a bit. He glanced at his watch, pressing a button on it with his other hand. As his tired eyes began to focus on the watch, the time 10:00 pm clearly made themselves visible on the digital indeglo display. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up and glanced out the window. The moon was shining bright outside. Other than that, it was hard to see. The night cast a dark blue light over Tenchi's room, except for the places where the moon reflected its rays. It was at this point that his slowly awakening mind send him impulses of dull pain, still coming from his fist. Tenchi glanced down at it. It had stopped bleeding, but he knew he would be sore for days. He wondered what his grandfather would say about such a thing. Gradually, Tenchi lay his head back down on the pillow. He tried to get back to sleep. But for some odd reason, he couldn't. He hated when this happened. He would wake up from a dream, and then he would be unable to get back to sleep. This would only make him more tired the next day. With a sigh, Tenchi though back to his dream... His dad, who took him and thrust him into the two girls hands... Ryoko and Ayeka, chasing him throughout the maze until they found him and tore him in two... That woman, calling out to him... That woman... Tenchi slowly sat up in his bed and carefully took something off his nightstand which he kept by his bed. He then held the object up to the moonlight. It was a photograph in a picture frame. Tenchi tilted the frame until he could clearly see the photograph itself. Squinting his eyes, Tenchi finally was able to see clearly the contents of the photograph, a young woman. Although the colors had faded noticeably, and it was hard to tell colors apart in the dark, Tenchi was able to see the flowing blue hair, the pale complexion, the garment that she was wearing... Tenchi shifted the frame once more until the moon reflected off of the copper plate that was below the photograph, embedded in the picture frame itself. With some effort, Tenchi could make the words "Achika Masaki" embedded into the shiny metal. Usually when he saw this picture it gave Tenchi warm feelings. But now, a bittersweet feeling was associated with the photograph. Tenchi blinked several times and a single tear rolled down his cheek, leaving a warm trail of wetness in its path. "Mother..." he moaned quietly to himself. Tenchi leaned his back up against the head of the bed with a sigh. suddenly realizing that his dream was only an exaggeration of things that were troubling him in real life. To think that he had been so content on the way home... With a sigh, he slowly stood up. He had to get some fresh air. Maybe a walk would take his mind off of these troubles. It probably wouldn't, but it might make him feel better. He silently walked over to his closet and found and put on a fresh kimono. He took a pair of sandals, and walked over to his door. He pressed his ear up against the door. Silence. Good. With that, quietly opened his door. The hallway was completely dark. Evidently, everyone had long gone to bed. So far so good, all he had to do was sneak out of the house without waking anyone up. Quietly, he tiptoed down the hall, down the stairs, and out the side door, pressing his body up against the door so it wouldn't make a sound as he opened and closed it. But he wasn't quiet enough. Sleeping in the rafters, Ryoko shifted slightly and slowly opened her eyes. At first, she could see nothing. But slowly, ever so slowly, her eyes adjusted to the dark night. All of the sudden, she heard a door shut. It was quiet, almost too quiet for Ryoko to hear it. But she did, and almost on instinct she, teleported down from the rafters into one of the shadows below. Ryoko held her breath as her keen eyes dissected the room for a quick second. Seeing nothing, she sighed heavily. Then, all of the sudden, she saw something move, out of the corner of her eye. But it wasn't coming from inside. Ryoko glanced out the window and squinted her eyes. The movement.... it was coming from across the yard outside the house. It was...walking...yes this definitely a human...walking toward...Ryoko glanced past the figure to focus on where the figure was apparently headed...the Masaki shrine. Still, it was hard to tell *who* it was, even though it was a moon-lit night. Ryoko silently teleported outside, into a shadow made by the house. Being such a bright night, she didn't want to be seen, especially if it was an intruder. Not that one could have *harmed* her in any way, but Ryoko's curiosity was piqued by the fact that this person was headed for... Suddenly, she recognized the figure. Ryoko gasped in recognition and almost out of instinct, she teleported in front of him. "Tenchi!" - = = = = - The rest of the Masaki house was quiet. Nobouyki had collapsed on his bed, exhausted by a hard days work. Washu was sleeping peacefully in her lab, which was kind of odd, since sleeping was something Washu rarely did. But she had nothing pressing at the moment, so she decided to get a few hours of shut-eye. Mihoshi happened to be awake, but she was on patrol at the moment, something she really didn't like, since it meant that she had to be away from the Masaki household, but it was required if she was to keep her job. But something was happening in the house. Mainly in the room where Ayeka and Sasami slept. The room was dark. But little Sasami was tossing and turning in her sleep. She was having another nightmare, one much like the ones she had every night. In these nightmares she had been having recently, he had been laying wounded, and Tenchi had been there to help her up. But before he could reach out to her, he would be consumed and taken by a large hand, and Sasami could only watch helplessly as a...person?...whom she did not recognize would take Tenchi, and as a result, cause massive widespread destruction. But Sasami never figured out what they could mean. She softly cried out in her sleep. Ayeka woke with a start. She glanced around the room in fright, her eyes scanning the room for an intruder. Seeing none, she laid her head back down on her pillow, and tried to go back to sleep. *Must have been Sasami again.* Ayeka thought to herself. *My poor sister...she has nightmares almost every night...* Suddenly, she heard another noise. A voice, rather. Coming from outside... Sleepily, Ayeka slowly got up and tip toed over to the window in her room and glanced at where the voices were coming from. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she at first could not see anything, save for the dim light coming from the full moon. But now she was certain that she heard the two voices, as her senses were slowly awakening. She looked in the general direction of the noise. Still nothing. Then she saw it. Or more specifically, them. The moonlight clearly highlighted the two figures, and Ayeka squinted her eyes for a better look. Suddenly, she gasped in recognition. *It's Lord Tenchi! What in the world is he doing outside at this time of night?* And the other... *Oh my...it's that....devil woman...* Suddenly, Ayeka froze. But before Ayeka could act on her instinct to run out of the room, out of the house, and beat the living crap out of her adversary, she heard them talking. Curious, Ayeka listened to what they were saying. "...and I don't *CARE* about how scared you were. You have got to stop appearing out of nowhere and scaring the *hell* out of me!" "But Tenchi..." responded Ryoko. "I came out here to get some uninterrupted peace and quiet, and here you are, just appearing out of thin air, trying to find out why I'm so mad." Ryoko opened her mouth like she was about to speak, but before she could, Tenchi cut her off and continued to lecture, this time a lot louder. "I'll tell you what's wrong! You and Ayeka constantly bickering and fighting over me! Do you know how close you two might have come to *killing me? Did that *ever* occur to you that I might have been crushed by a piece of debris, or a carelessly thrown fireball, or any number of things? Not to mention the other people in the house! Did it ever occur to you? Did it?" Ryoko was speechless. "This is worse than when Sasami came into my room, crying, because she was having a bad dream and she couldn't go to either of you for comfort because you two were fighting! You two haven't changed a bit! So just go away!" "Tenchi..." "I SAID..." yelled Tenchi, but then stopped when he noticed the expression on Ryoko's face. Ryoko's face was not even Ryoko's anymore, but instead that of a hollow emptiness, that didn't look like her at all. A reflection of the moonlight caught a tear that was slowly trickling down her face, and another followed it, and another... *Tears?* Tenchi's mind suddenly went over what he had just said. And the force of his own words sent shivers through his spine, crushing him like a human in the middle of a collapsing building. Tenchi's heart sank to his stomach. He couldn't put his finger on what he had said, but he knew he had done Ryoko a great wrong. No one deserved to be screamed at like that. His mind raced at a million miles an hour, trying to find the right words to remedy what he had done. But his mind drew a blank. He was now so ashamed of himself that he couldn't bring himself to look Ryoko in the face any longer. In shame, he hung his head, and slowly walked past her, toward the forest leading to the Masaki Shrine. Suddenly, something came to him. Turning his head over his shoulder he spoke to Ryoko. "Ryoko...I...." But Ryoko wasn't there anymore. With guilt painfully tugging at his heart, he slowly turned around and disappeared into the forest. All while this was going on, Ayeka had been watching the whole scene with a look of fright. Not even stopping to think about the possible consequences of what might happen if she was found, she tied her obi around the kimono she was wearing and tip toed to the door of the room with a resolve firmly set in her mind. *Something is not right. I must follow him and figure out what is wrong.* She quietly took a pair of slippers in her hand, and slowly slid open the door. She shut it behind her, and paused, to make sure that Sasami was still asleep. Confidant that she had not woken anyone up, she tiptoed down the stairs, and across the living room to the door, trying her best not so make a sound. In her panic, she was unsuccessful, but no one heard her. Quietly, she stepped outside, closing the door silently behind her. She then put on her sandals and crept, although at a good pace, toward the edge of the forest. Looking around to make sure that everything was still sound, she ran into the forest. It was dark, but she knew the path reasonably well, and thus emerged from the other side, at the foot of the long stairway to the Masaki shrine. It was at this point when she stopped, and contemplated venturing further. Should she risk being seen by Tenchi? Especially after the way he had yelled at Ryoko? Now that she was fully awake and aware, she started second-guessing herself. Her quiet and timid side was yelling at her to run away back to the house and get back under her futon and get some sleep. But from within her, an even louder voice was disturbing her. *Something is definitely not right. Tenchi-sama is *never* up at this hour. And he was yelling at Ryoko, as well.* For a moment, a brief smile of satisfaction crossed Ayeka's lips. But just as suddenly, it was banished. *Don't be silly. You know very well that Tenchi would never yell at anyone.* *Well, you said so yourself that Tenchi despised Ryoko.* said a voice of reason inside Ayeka. *I really didn't mean it that way. I was just trying to drive home a point. Ryoko should not be invading Tenchi-sama's privacy, especially in that vile manner.* *So you are saying that Tenchi likes Ryoko?* For a moment, Ayeka considered following that scary train of thought. But she came to her senses. Tenchi was growing more distant by the second, and if Ayeka had any hope of finding out what was wrong, if indeed anything was wrong, she would have to make a decision quickly. The two voices in her continued, each desperately trying to win favor.. Meanwhile, Tenchi was a good ways ahead of Ayeka, deep in thought, walking slowly up the steps to the Masaki Shrine. He took his time, slowly going up one step at a time, gazing down at the steps which glowed softly illuminated by the moon, lost in thought. He had no clue why he chose to go this way, except possibly the silhouetted scenery on the way. He had no need to visit his grandfather right now. But those thoughts were driven out by his mind returning to the events that evening. His mind was on what had just happened, just a few minutes ago. He sighed in disappointment. He wished that he hadn't yelled at Ryoko. But still, why did she and Ayeka always have to be arguing over one thing or another? This little skirmish of theirs was getting worse every time they fought. Tonight, Tenchi could have easily been killed, and yet Ryoko just nonchalantly floated up to him acting like... like... Tenchi paused, but continued his pace up the steps to the shrine. He couldn't quite put his finger on what disturbed him about Ryoko. Perhaps it was how she treated everything as a game... Everything? Well, from what he had heard afterwards, she had been hell-bent on killing Kagato after he had been presumed dead at Kagato's hand. Maybe it was how she lusted for him, chasing him down, putting him in awkward positions... Lusted? After what he had heard Zero's words, which were just a reflection of Ryoko's true feelings? Those were true feelings, not just an infatuation. Tenchi shook his head. He wished that he would stop trying to find fault with Ryoko. Ryoko, in spite of being made of that...stuff... that Washu had created Ryoko out of, was still very much human. She had her faults, but so does everyone else. And she still had feelings too. Tenchi sighed. He wished he hadn't yelled at her like that. Maybe if she and Ayeka hadn't almost destroyed the house earlier that day, he would have reacted differently. But as things stood, he would have to apologize to her in the morning. There wasn't any other way that he could do with a good mind. But she would have to apologize for the damage she and Ayeka did... Tenchi's mind drifted onto another train of thought in stride. ...of course Ayeka would have to apologize for her part as well. She shouldn't have been fighting either Tenchi reflected on that for a moment. It seemed so...*odd* that such a seemingly sweet person could get so angry. But looking back on the times she was angry, none could come to mind without the cause of her anger being Ryoko antagonizing her. Except for possibly the time aboard Dr. Clay's ship, where Ayeka lashed uut at Mihoshi, but honestly Tenchi couldn't blame her, or *anyone* for that matter, for doing that. And to think that he, Tenchi Masaki, a normal earthling living an ordinary life, could be a blood relative of Ayeka. But after a moment of reflection, he could see where something like that might have come from. After all, he *did* look a little like Ayeka, without too much of a stretch of the imagination. And Ayeka *did* have a resemblance to his mother, at least from the photograph... Tenchi's train of thought was only broken by another tear, being jarred down his face by his movement up the shrine steps. His mother... She had just passed away when he was only a small child, an infant. Just when he needed a mother most. And now, almost thirteen years later, all he had left of her was that picture. Tenchi sighed. No child should have to undergo such trauma. He then tried to think back to when his mother was alive, but the further back his memories took him, the blurrier they got until Tenchi couldn't remember hardly anything, around six years old. He sighed in frustration. He didn't even have a fond memory, heck, even a memory *period*, of his mother. What was she like? Would she know what to tell him about what to do about Ayeka and Ryoko if she had lived until now? Was she the same as dad? Would dad have turned out the way he did if his mother had stayed alive? Tenchi groaned. It was so, *juvenile* what his father did, and what's worse, he didn't find anything wrong with it. It was so embarrassing, having to live with a father like that, his *father* no less. And that wasn't the whole of it either. His father was actually trying to influence him to do the same thing. It was a good thing that Tenchi had some common sense, and self-control, or he might have turned out to be a peeping-tom when he had gotten older. And then there were these constant references to his insecurity around women. Maybe he was, but was that any excuse to... He paused. And this time, he stopped in his tracks. Maybe he *was* insecure around women. Tenchi walked over to and put his back up against a tree and cast his head down. Maybe that was his problem. Perhaps he should be a little more open, a little more inviting. After all, there were plenty of women who had some interest in him. Should he... Then, something stuck him. Wasn't it painfully obvious? Those women who had an interest in him, particularly two of them, would tear each other apart if he *did* show any interest in *anyone* of the opposite sex. What he might say to one girl might happen to be overheard by the other, and start a huge fight, or at the very least, hurt the other's feelings. When there was a huge fight, especially with Ayeka and Ryoko, there was much potential for pain and suffering to those who were caught in the middle. And he couldn't stand to hurt any of their feelings, no matter *who* they were. No *wonder* he was afraid. He was walking a tight-rope, trying to keep everyone happy. But sooner or later, he knew that something would have to give. And when it did, he knew he would be in a world of hurt that even he wouldn't know how to mend. Tenchi hung his head in despair. "Why the hell is my life so hectic.", he thought out loud. "My mom is dead, my dad is a hentai, and I am trying to balance two women who I can't say anything to unless I want to risk starting a fight. I don't know if I can go on like this." He sighed. "Tenchi-sama." Tenchi nearly jumped out of his skin. Scrambling to his feet, he turned and faced the direction from where the voice was coming from, poised in a fighting stance. He shook considerably, but after realizing who it might be, he prayed that it was who he thought it was. "Wh...who is there?" he stammered. A figure came out of the shadows. It wasn't. "It's only me, Tenchi-sama." It took a moment to register who it was. When he did, he face-faulted and collapsed backwards onto the tree, sliding down it until he was sitting down again. He let out his breath with a huge sigh. Ayeka stood there, not moving. "I'm sorry if I scared you." said Ayeka, softly. Something about Ayeka's tone of voice struck Tenchi as being odd. He slowly glanced up and saw Ayeka standing there. She was not in her usual good posture, but slumping, rather. She had a frown on her face, and her eyes drooped, although it was hard to tell if it was from sleep or from sadness. "Wh..what's wrong, Ayeka?" asked Tenchi, finally able to get a grip on himself. "I thought I had heard an intruder in the house. I dismissed it at first, but then I heard you and Ryoko outside, and so I got up and looked out the window. I thought that something might not be right, with the way you yelled like that... and so I followed you." Tenchi's face almost lost color. To think that Ayeka, a person of such moral character and high standards that she had obviously thought him to be, could have seen him act in such a despicable way. Even if it was toward her worst enemy. She hung her head in sadness. "I followed you all the way up here, and saw you sit down by this tree. I couldn't in good conscience leave you here to suffer so much." She paused momentarily. "...and I think I see now what is troubling you." "How do you know..." he started to say, but all of the sudden, something occurred to him. He gasped when he realized what he had done. "Oh my god, did I yell *that* loud?" "You did, Tenchi-sama." said Ayeka. "I also heard you talking to yourself just moments ago. And I now finally see what is troubling you so much." Tenchi's mind was a blur, trying to think of the implications of what he said might be. But then, two more things dawned on him. First of all, Ayeka had been following him all this time. Tenchi wasn't sure why, but this disturbed him somewhat. He usually expected that sort of behavior out of Ryoko, or perhaps his father. And then, Ayeka had just called him "Tenchi-sama", instead of a respectful "Lord Tenchi" or a friendly "Tenchi". Not that he wanted respect, but something about the way she said it... Neither of them spoke for a moment. Tenchi sighed, letting the atmosphere of the night calm his senses. Ayeka herself sighed and spoke again. "Your father is an embarrassment to you, and you wish Lady Achica was alive. And as for us..." She let that trail off for a minute as she collected her thoughts. Tenchi couldn't help but smile faintly at the name of his mother, especially when it was used in such an respectful way... "You are trying to keep things civil by not saying anything to either of us. You don't think you can talk to one of us without the other getting angry. So you shut both of us off. Is that it?" Tenchi slowly nodded his head in the affirmative. He wasn't a fool, he knew what she meant by 'us'. Then, he spoke. "Yes, sort of. But what I don't understand is how you two can be so... violent." He paused. "Especially over me." Ayeka slowly sat down next to Tenchi, with her back to the tree. She sighed. "I don't know... Tenchi-sama, it's just that..." She paused. Silence filled the air, as Ayeka debated whether to continue. She was afraid that if Tenchi knew... Tenchi was looking at her expectantly. *Go ahead. You know what he was thinking all along. Now, it is only fair that you tell him your thoughts.* she reassured herself. "It's just that I tried to think of Ryoko as demon." Ayeka continued. "She came to my planet, and even though I know now that my Yosho left of his own will and that Ryoko was under the influence of Kagato, I thought that Ryoko had deliberately taken him. I am just scared that that she will do the same thing...with you, too." she added, her eyes starting to well up with tears. Tenchi did not say anything for a moment. He hadn't seen Ayeka this depressed and morbid since the events following Ayeka's crash landing on Earth. Tenchi thought about this for a moment, when all of the sudden, something struck him. The image of Ryoko's face after Tenchi had just yelled at her, with Tears starting to form in her eyes... He slowly faded back to reality and found himself looking into the face of Ayeka, tears slowly beginning to move down her cheeks... The image of Ryoko flashed before him again. And all of the sudden, every shadow of a doubt that had said that Ryoko or Ayeka didn't have true feelings for him disappeared. "I..I never knew you thought that way about me." said Tenchi, finally. "I always thought you just had an infatuation with me, or something like that. Well, maybe not quite that way, but I never knew you cared for me like that." For a split second, Tenchi wondered if he had phrased that correctly, to make sure that he had not hurt Ayeka's feelings. At this point, Tenchi couldn't bring himself to hurt anyone. *Really?* a voice inside him responded. *What about what happened just a few minutes ago?* But before he could answer his own question, Ayeka spoke again. "I did, Tenchi-sama. And after you almost got killed by that wicked creature Kagato" said Ayeka, starting to sniffle. "...I was in despair, afraid that I might never see you again. But the thing that scared me the most was...was..." She was now in tears, although she was trying to hold them back. Tenchi was staring at her, in anticipation. She finally got the courage to continue. "...when Ryoko was bent on killing Kagato over you. That is when I realized that her apparent concern for you was more than an infatuation or another trick to take yet another thing of mine. She really loved you." Tenchi arched his eyebrows in surprise. He had just realized that Ryoko loved him, but Ayeka had just dropped another bombshell. She had known that Ryoko had loved him all along. A million questions buzzed in his mind, but they all came back to one fundamental question, which Tenchi then asked. "Then why..." started Tenchi. But Ayeka answered his question before he got all of it out. "Because I was scared of losing you to her." replied Ayeka. "So all of those times..." "I didn't really mean them, Tenchi-sama." Tenchi did not respond. "And it scared me, Tenchi-sama, when I realized that looking back on all of those times while you were trying to be seduced by Ryoko...she wasn't just trying to take you from me just to aggravate me. The only reason I keep saying things like I said tonight was because...I was scared..that she, somehow, might win your heart. And then you would simply forget about me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself it that happened. I'm sorry, Tenchi-sama. I should not have mixed myself up in your life." And with that, she trust her head onto his shoulder and she held back the tears no longer. Tenchi, for a split second, thought about acting on his usual reaction, which would be pulling his arm away from Ayeka in fright. After all, he had never seen Ayeka like this, and wasn't sure how to react. But instead, he thought about what Ayeka had said. Feelings and emotions tore him apart as his conscience tried to piece this mess together Gradually, Tenchi put a hand on Ayeka's shoulder. She suddenly stopped crying and looked up at him. He was smiling softly. "Don't be sorry, Ayeka. No one could ever predict that this would happen. I'm sorry for not realizing how much you cared for me. Or Ryoko, for that matter. It's just so hard for me, because I like both of you, but it is just so hard to act like it. But things will work themselves out, sooner or later. I know that I couldn't stand to be without either of you." Tenchi held his breath, not knowing what the response would be... A smile crossed Ayeka's face. Then she sighed. "Thank you, Tenchi-sama." *Whew* thought Tenchi to himself. He had finally been able to pull off the impossible, explain his true feelings without managing to hurt anyone's feelings. Briefly, the dark shadow of doubt crept over him. *What about Ryoko? How will you explain these emotions to Ryoko? She might not ever look at you again after the way you treated her tonight.* *Don't worry.* he reassured himself. *I have said it to Ayeka, and now there is no one's feelings to hurt. And I'm sure she would be grateful for anything I say to reassure her that I still like her.* *What if she finds out that she is not the only one?* *Well, sadly, she will have to realize that. Ayeka did.* Ayeka softly closed her eyes, still in Tenchi's arms. Tenchi just held her there, contently, as if holding a sleeping child. He looked up at the moon, broken only by the leaves of the trees. He had looked up at the moon, once before while he was in his room, but he had taken no special notice at it. Now, it seemed to smile back at him, seeming to have an inner peace that very few monks would ever have in their lifetimes. Tenchi looked back down at Ayeka, who was still in his arms. She was asleep, but if you looked closely, you might have seen the moon in her face, for she was smiling as contently as that bright object in question. He wanted to bathe in that moment for eternity. Everything seemed so calm, as opposed to his hectic-as-hell life that he normally lived. But gradually, the need for rest planted itself in his mind. With a sigh, he gently started to joggle Ayeka gently, as to wake her up. "Come on, Ayeka, it's time to get back to the house." said Tenchi, softly. There was no response. "Ayeka?" Tenchi could see Ayeka's eyelid twitch ever so slightly. "Hmmmm...?" said Ayeka, dreamily opening her eyes, just enough to see the smiling face of Tenchi, gently illuminated by the cool light of the moon, looking down on her. "Come on Ayeka, it's time to go back to the house." said Tenchi, shifting his body position slightly so Ayeka could right herself off of him. "OK, Tenchi-sama." Ayeka said, slowly staggering up from the ground. Propping himself up against the tree, Tenchi righted himself. Ayeka took a step or two, but it was quickly apparent that she was too drowsy to walk on her own. "Here, let me help you." said Tenchi, walking up beside Ayeka and letting her prop her arm around him for support. "Thank you, Tenchi-sama." added Ayeka. - = = = = - After Tenchi had yelled at her, Ryoko had just stood there. She had never seen Tenchi act this way toward her, hell toward *anyone*. But seeing as her presence was not wanted by Tenchi, she had left him there. Indeed, if she had stayed there, she would have doubtless felt better once Tenchi apologized to her. But alas, she had left before he had the chance. Her destination was one where she always went to when she wanted to be alone and undisturbed, the roof of the Masaki house. Ryoko never wondered why she chose that particular place to go, it just suited her. That definitely wasn't on her mind when she materialized on top of the roof and put her face in her hands, where she cried uncontrollably, her emotions spilling over like a waterfall that had been formed after a dam burst. She continued in this vein for a few minutes, until her crying had subsided to a whimper, then to a sniffle. Gradually, she regained some of her normal thought processes. When she realized what she had just done, she shivered. In the back of her mind, it scared her to think that merging with Zero had made her emotions that much stronger. Which made it that much more painful when... "Tenchi..." she cooed to herself, softly, in between sniffles. She still couldn't believe that Tenchi had yelled at her like that. That was *definitely* not the gentile, kind young boy she had seen, and the shy and outgoing young man he had turned into. She buried her face back in her arms. "Tenchi..." she moaned, softly. "What did I do to you..." And at that moment, her mind started going over what Tenchi had said. Not the tone of voice. That would not have helped anything, and would most likely plunge her further into despair. Instead, she blocked out the tone, and focused on what he had said, instead. It was really hard, but gradually her mind began to gather bits and pieces back from the conversation... *You have got to stop appearing out of nowhere and scaring the *hell* out of me!* Ryoko sighed in despair. She had snuck up on him several times in the past, but she had never gotten the feeling that he hated it so much. Teleportation was her primary way of getting around, and so she might have accidentally snuck up on him a time or two. But all the other times, she had just been playing with Tenchi. She didn't mean any harm by it. Her mind was still racing at a million miles an hour, but it managed to grab another piece of the conversation. And this time, she almost came to the point of screaming again. *I'll tell you what's wrong! You and Ayeka constantly bickering and fighting over me! Do you know how close you two might have come to *killing* me?* A chill ran over Ryoko's body as she realized how right Tenchi was. When she was battling out with Ayeka, she never took anyone else's safety into consideration. Her mind went in multiple directions at once as she asked herself questions. What if she had killed Tenchi? Or what if she had made the house collapse and kill everyone inside? What if she had let her anger get carried away too much and kill Ayeka? *This is worse than when Sasami came into my room, crying, because she was having a bad dream and she couldn't go to either of you for comfort because you two were fighting! You two haven't changed a bit!* Ryoko shuddered as she realized how true that statement was. She had been ashamed at herself for overlooking Sasami like that, even if it *was* Ayeka's sister. Sasami was the only one who gave a damn about her in the household, and she had overlooked her. And to think that maybe being dumped unceremoniously into the lake would get them to become ashamed of themselves, and she and Ayeka would never fight again. Ryoko stifled a weak chuckle, in spite of herself. Things never seem to end in a fairy tale fashion. And now, her dream of being the love of Tenchi's life was shattered into a million pieces just because she had been heavy-handed. Ryoko couldn't stand it, how much hurt she now realized she had inflicted on him... Suddenly, she heard a soft *crackle*. It was a soft crackle, almost too soft for a normal human to hear it. But Ryoko heard it, and almost on reflex, she teleported to the ground. That crackle meant that something was moving. Ryoko listened carefully one more only to confirm the sound of footfalls coming from the direction of the shrine. She steeled herself, for she knew that the footsteps could only mean one thing, that Tenchi was returning from the shrine. *This is it!* Ryoko told herself *I have to apologize to Tenchi right here and now, or otherwise, I might...loose him forever.* She shuddered at that last thought. Would he accept her apology? Would he even speak to her? She silently prayed to kami-sama that he would forgive her, and had not already shut out his heart to her completely. Finally, she saw Tenchi coming out of the shadows made by the trees, and into the full moonlight. And with that, Ryoko's heart quivered for a moment before falling off its pedestal and dropping to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. And it was for this one simple fact: Tenchi wasn't alone. He was standing there. With Ayeka by his side. And a smile on his face. It was as if someone had hit a panic button on the back of Ryoko's neck. *Oh no...* Ryoko thought miserably to herself. *He was....alone...in the woods....with Ayeka....and he doesn't even look upset....no...he couldn't have chosen her...just couldn't have....he wouldn't have...* "Ryoko!" Tenchi said with delight as he advanced on Ryoko. But the tone of delight was lost to Ryoko as her mind was swimming in a wretched pool of her sorrow. She was still repeating to herself: *No, he couldn't have chosen...he wouldn't have...he couldn't* Suddenly, from the depths of her intellect, logic pieced itself together and formed a single phrase, so blatant that even the densest people couldn't have ignored it. *He did.* "Tenchi..." was the last thing she whimpered before her soul felt itself completely crushed with weight of hopelessness. Almost unable to bear it, she took a step backward and vanished. Tenchi, who had been running toward the place where Ryoko had been standing only moments ago, abruptly came to a halt. He blinked a few times, to make sure that his vision had not been failing him. *Huh?* he thought to himself. *I could have sworn that I had just seen Ryoko standing right in front of me...* Could that have been fake? Maybe he was so tired that he had... No..he saw her clearly. She was there. And she even said something before she...just vanished. Tenchi began to sink deep into thought. She was usually quite eager to see him. And especially after he had yelled at her like that...wouldn't she be willing to hear an apology? Wouldn't she? Well, maybe he *had* been a little harsh with Ryoko... Suddenly, something caught Tenchi's eye. Quickly, he glanced over in the direction of the thing in question, hoping that it was Ryoko. There was nothing there. But in his mind's eye, Tenchi could see something there, a creation of nothing but his consciousness... A shadow...a shadow of a woman that had once been standing in front of him...the only part that he could clearly make out were her eyes...her amber eyes....and a small reflection of moonlight on something... Tenchi gasped... *...A reflection of the moonlight caught a tear that was slowly trickling down her face, and another followed it, and another...* Suddenly, Tenchi faded back to reality, and found that he was looking out over the dark blue lake, the reflection of the moonlight dancing upon its surface. The shadow was gone. But the triggered memory was not. He knew that he had hurt her feelings. No question of that. Otherwise, why would she had disappeared the first time. But the second time.... *You two haven't changed a bit! So just go away!* he had yelled, earlier that night. Was she still hurt? Why else would she have run away? Suddenly Tenchi's guilt started to punch him in the chest, a far worse agony than any physical pain. *WHAM* Was she running away from him? Well, he *had* told her to go away... *WHAM* Tenchi clenched his teeth, trying to bear the sudden emotional onslaught. He was fighting a losing battle. Was she scared of him? Probably. After all, who wouldn't be scared of someone else who just emotionally stabbed you in the heart? *WHAM* Tenchi's breaths started to come in short gasps as his emotions started to get the better of him. Could it be that she had given up on him? Given up... *WHAM* Given up? What was there to convince her otherwise? He had hardly ever shown any affection to Ryoko *before* the incident tonight. Had Ryoko been doubtful that he had ever loved her? What reason did she have to think he did? He had never *told* her! Not once! And now that he had yelled at her...what reason did she have to believe that he even *liked* her? He had just tossed her heart, knowingly or not, around like a plaything. And finally....tonight... he had...he had....broken it.... *WHAM* Tenchi uttered a barely audible cry as his knees failed him, his analytical mind breaking down as his emotional mind took over. The reassurance he had about Ryoko only a few minutes before now seemed like a distant memory. Women had always been a precious commodity to him, knowingly or not. His mother died when he was young. And until recently, he had never been around women who had any interest in him. He had never had a relationship before with a woman that was beyond friendship. Then the opportunity had been thrust in his lap. And he had blown it. Tenchi shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. And a tear....one of the first tears Tenchi had shed in a long time...slowly trickled down his cheek *What kind of fool am I?* mused Tenchi, bitterly. *I never had the courage to admit my feelings because I was always afraid of a fight. But I ended up hurting both of them instead. And now I might have... lost one of them.....How will I ever have a clear conscience for the rest of my life?* Another tear punctuated his thoughts as he sat on the ground in grief. "Tenchi-sama?" came a voice...a comforting...yet sad...voice from beside him. It was then that Tenchi realized that there was a soft hand resting gently on his shoulder. Before Tenchi could think clearly, he rose to his feet as quick as lightning and grasped both of Ayeka's shoulders tightly. Not out of anger. Out of fear. "Ae-chan!" Tenchi sputtered, quite desperately and hurriedly. "If there is ever any doubt that I love either you or Ryoko...cast it aside. I love both of you more than I ever realized...and I'm scared that I might have screwed it up with Ryoko. I don't want to lose you too..... please forgive me for hiding my feelings from you two for so long..." Ayeka was obviously taken ashack by this sudden and frantic move by Tenchi. After a few moments, she managed to get a question out, one that Tenchi had dreaded. "Both of us...?" came the response from an obviously surprised and bewildered Ayeka. Tenchi mentally steeled himself for what he was about to say. He prayed that he wouldn't hurt her. "I can't go on any other way. Both of you are too dear to me to loose. If I chose one of you, that means that one of you would get hurt... and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened...I'm so sorry Ae-chan....if there was only another way..." Ayeka stood there, still trying to sort out what Tenchi had just said. When Tenchi had grabbed her like that, it had totally caught her off guard. At first, it frightened her, as Tenchi had been acting so unlike himself that night. But after actually listening to what Tenchi had to say, she understood how Tenchi felt. How someone who tried to keep peace by keeping quiet, but finally collapsed under the weight of the skirmishes and his own feelings felt. How someone who had denied his own feelings for so long, and only now had just been honest with himself and those around him felt. How a desperate person, who made a mistake and doesn't want to make the same mistake again, felt. There was no doubt in her mind that he loved her now. But could she accept Ryoko as well? Someone who had made her life so miserable and who loved the very same person she did? Suddenly, a memory came flashing back to her. The fire...the flames... the destruction. But most of all, the person...her brother...who left her, never to surface again until it was too late... No one should go through the agony of being separated from the ones they truly love and care about. "I understand, Ten-chan.". And she meant it. From the bottom of her heart. Somehow, this got across to Tenchi, and Ayeka could see some of the tension departing from his eyes. "If I lost you, it would be the end of me. And as much as I hate to admit it....I would do anything to stay with you." said Ayeka. "Even though Ryoko...?" came the desperate response from Tenchi. "I couldn't be cruel enough to deny someone of the one person they truly loved." stated Ayeka, passionately, almost about to cry herself. "I love you, Ten-chan, and would rather die than be without you." Tenchi sighed deeply and released his grip from Ayeka's shoulders. It was enough to let Ayeka know that Tenchi had thanked her. Then, they stood there, silent, one looking at the other. Neither of them spoke. But between them, a silent communication was being made. Every movement, each twitch, each breath of air, each look, conveyed a message, a language that only could be interpreted if you knew what you were looking for. Both of them knew what they were looking for. And they found it, louder than any human could speak. Slowly, ever so slowly, they embraced, resting their heads on each other's shoulders, appreciating the presence. Tenchi leaned his head ever so slightly and whispered in Ayeka's ear: "I love you, Ae-chan. Don't ever forget that." A barely audible response came: "I'll never forget that, Ten-chan. Thank you." Tenchi peacefully closed his eyes in bliss at the response. Tears of happiness flowed freely between the two. It was at that moment that Tenchi felt something that he had experienced only once or twice before in his life. It was an impossible feeling to describe exactly, but if you had asked Tenchi to write down on paper what he was feeling at that moment, he probably would have wrote "A feeling of happiness, without anything in particular to be happy about." But something in the back of his head was bothering him. Opening his eyes, he once again saw the lake, the pale moon still dancing on the surface. *I will not let you leave me, Ryoko.* Tenchi resolved to himself. *I pray that I find you in the morning, safe and sound...and if not...I swear I will find you....I swear...* And once again, he surrendered himself to total bliss, standing with Ayeka...his Ayeka...under the moonlit sky. - = = = = - Authors Comments: Well, finally, this fic is considered finished. At first, I wanted this fic to be split up into chapters, but after realizing that it would take much too long of a time leaving a story "unfinished", I have decided to treat this story like it's own seporate entity, with possibilities of sequels. Why is a sequel not guaranteed soon? Because of school, other fic ideas, and a thing called 'real life'. (which I still consider is over-rated). Trust me Ryoko fans, if you were somehow unsatisfied with this ending with the open-endedenss of Tenchi and Ryoko's relationship. you will love the sequel. Once I get to it. This is my second fic, actually. My first 'effort' I don't even consider an effort, as I tried to whip up a chapter a week. Realizing how much it sucked, I didn't even bother to finish it. It's still on TMFFA, if you dare to find it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this fic. Trust me, I spent a LONG time on this fic in one form or another before getting it to it's final form. (Does the phrase 6+ months mean anything to you? ^_-). And now...the technical stuff. I have made an effort to make it interesting, at least.... - = = = = - #END This fic was brought to you by the letter C. C as is (C) 2001 Alex Mayfield. Don't rip off my work, or I will summon the ghost of all that is unholy to make your life a living hell. Send all constructive criticism to (alexmayfield@carolina.rr.com). I love feedback, and I also appreciate corrections in spelling, grammar, and references to the OAV continuum. I want to be on a level above all the other newbie writers, and I can only accomplish that with your help and support. Send all hate mail to device NULL. I am strictly against character bashing, and I promise that all my fics are free of such. (This does NOT mean that all characters are focused on equally, it just means that I don't turn anyone into a bitch or anything.) Flames are lame, and I will tolerate them as much as the next man, which is not at all. In fact, this message is to any would be flamers. SCREW YOU IN ADVANCE! There, now you have no reason to send that hate mail, because you already know what I'm going to say. Send all legal threats to device NULL as well. I will be the first to admit that I don't own Tenchi Muyo! or any of it's characters (although I wish I did, so I could obliterate "Tenchi Forever!" and "Shin Tenchi" from the face of this planet. Maybe even "Tenchi Universe" too...). This is a work of fan fiction, which I am writing using my own sweet time, and I am not gaining anything more than a warm fuzzy feeling that I get inside when I make a good fic that everyone likes. And no, you can't sue me for that either. Unfortunately, my website has been taken down by Tripod. I have a temporary site up, however, at (http://alexmax.web1000.com). Screw the corporate world and their hold over the internet. Please visit all of the following sites. They need the attention. The Tenchi Muyo! Fan Fiction Archive (http://www.tmffa.com) My Tenchi! (http://www.mytenchi.com) Armageddon Games Network (http://www.armageddongames.com) Megatokyo (http://www.megatokyo.com) Home of the Underdogs (http://www.theunderdogs.org> If you have a heart or soul, you will pray every night that OAV 3 will not suck. Thank you, and have an ice day. -AlexMax