No Need For An Ominous Presence
Chapter Six: No Need For An Interlude
All characters are property of the god's of creative integrity who are 
responsible for the creation and perpetuation of this kick-ass anime, oh 
yeah, those AIC / Pioneer people too.
Written by Misanthrope

Cool crisp air filled Katsuhito's lungs as he stood
outside his shrine taking a deep breath and staring
into the night sky.  Rays of pale white light from the
moon bathed Katsuhito's shrine and the surrounding
Okayama countryside in a soft glow.  Silhouetted in moonlight,
Katsuhito's motionless form resembled that of a
proud looking statue as he stood with his torso bent
back and raised towards the heavens.  From a distance,
the only perceivable indication that separated Katsuhito
from an inanimate object were small steady wisps of visible
white vapor which were illuminated by the moonlight as they
escaped from his mouth in response to his deep, steady breathing.
The brisk night air had a biting chill that teased of coming snow.
Katsuhito continued to stare into the sky with concern.
An image of the moon reflected in his glasses was swallowed in
darkness as the ominous clouds above enveloped it.
"Hmmmmm. . .strange weather. . ." Katsuhito mused,
sagaciously ". . .a portent I would think."

Meanwhile, in a patch of woods near the edge of the lake
outside the Masaki household, a vigilant Ayeka surveyed
her surroundings nervously before kneeling down and
placing a handbag upon the ground.  Ayeka propped
herself on one knee and began to dig through the bag
before removing a piece of white material that appeared
no bigger than a hand-towel.  Ayeka nervously scanned
her surroundings one last time before standing up and
shedding herself of her lavender kimono.  Ayeka attempted
to stifle a gasp in response to her bare skins contact with
the cold air and released a slight yelp.  Ayeka gasped
loudly as she made an effort to acclimate herself to
chilly air and nipping breeze.  Goosebumps began to
raise on Ayeka's exposed skin and she slipped out of
her undergarments, leaving them upon the ground in
a heap.  Despite the slight shame Ayeka felt stripping
in the middle of the woods like a common derelict, she
couldn't deny the exhilaration she felt having her body
completely exposed to the harsh elements.  Ayeka stood
still for several moments, breathing deeply the cool
air as frigid winds washed over her exposed body.  Despite
the peace and freedom Ayeka felt being completely
unfettered by her material hindrances and the
soothing effect upon her nerves afforded by
seclusion and privacy of the canopy of vegetation
in which she hid, Ayeka was far more exhilarated
with the prospect of spending time alone in the onsen
with Tenchi.  Ayeka reached down upon the ground
retrieving the piece of white fabric and slipped into
it.  Ayeka then retrieved her kimono from the leaf
littered ground, taking care to brush it off, and then
slipped it on.  Ayeka finally retrieved her handbag
and began making her way towards the onsen.

Back at the Masaki household, Mihoshi was dragging
her feet sluggishly as she walked into the kitchen with
an armload of dishes.  Sasami looked up from the sink
where she was washing dishes in response to the
sound of the clanking plates Mihoshi was carrying.
Sasami's face screwed up with curiosity as she regarded
the look of wide-eyed consternation etched on Mihoshi's
face.  Mihoshi stared blankly over the top of Sasami's
head as she shuffled up to the counter lethargically and
set down the dishes.  "Mihoshi?  What's wrong, was
Ayeka mean to you again?  You don't have to put up
with that you know, Ayeka gets like that, you have to
learn to ignore her."  Without a word in response,
Mihoshi turned around and walked back out toward the
dining table.  Sasami watched Mihoshi shuffle out of
the kitchen slowly, her feet dragging as if she were too
weak to even lift them off the ground.  "Miya."
Ryo-ohki chimed quietly in a concerned tone.  "She
looks real shaken up, huh?"  Sasami replied with a
look of intense concern upon her face.  "Miya."
Ryo-ohki responded in agreement from atop Sasami's
head.

The sound of crackling leaves broke the stillness of
the night as Ayeka treaded towards the onsen at a
reserved pace.  Ayeka shut her eyes as she approached
the onsen and allowed her senses to soak up every
smell, sound and tactual sensation.  Ayeka smiled
dreamily as the icy chill of snow that had not yet
fallen tickled her nose.  She could feel each fragile and
dry leaf crumble beneath her feet as she treaded
slowly across the ground.
Cool, crisp air flowed across her skin, soothing her.
Although the air was cool, Ayeka felt no chill. There was
a warmth that radiated from within her as she sighed
contentedly, thinking about the way that Tenchi had
smiled at her.

Meanwhile, back at the Masaki household, Mihoshi
leaned over the dining table as she absently scrubbed
it with a wet rag.  Deep dark circles hung beneath
Mihoshi's wide eyes, emphasizing the dreadful look
on her face.  "Mihoshi?"  Sasami called from the
entrance to the dining room in an inquisitive tone.
"You've been in here scrubbing that table for the last
five minutes, I think it's clean. . ."  Sasami said with
a puzzled look on her face.  "Ohhhhhh. . . " Mihoshi
groaned in realization, not bothering to look up from
the table.  "Mihoshi!?"  Sasami began incredulously,
"Look at all those crumbs, have you been scrubbing that
same spot for the last five minutes?!"  Mihoshi looked
up as her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes
began to rim with tears.  "Mihoshi?  What's wrong?
I'm not mad at you, I just. . ." Sasami began before
Mihoshi's wails of anguish cut her off.  Tears began
to stream down Mihoshi's face and she turned away
from Sasami and ran for the front door.  "Mihoshi!
Wait!"  Sasami cried with concern.  Ryo-ohki bounded
from the kitchen to ascertain the source of the
commotion just in time to see the front door slam
shut.  "Miya." Ryo-ohki said solemnly.  "I wonder
what's gotten into everybody around this place today?"
Sasami pondered out loud in an incredulous tone..

Moments later, Mihoshi stood staring across the lake
as she stood at its shore, tears streaming down her
face.  Mihoshi had her arms wrapped around her
torso in a futile attempt to stay warm.  Mihoshi's
voice quaked in response to her sobs and her
tremulous shivering.  "I. . .*sniff* I should have
grabbed. . .*sob* a. . . a. .  .c-c-c-oat" Mihoshi
sobbed in a shaky voice.  Suddenly, a large disturbance
began to form in the center of the lake.  A mass of
fizzing bubbles danced on the surface of the lake and
a cloud of vapor rose from the source of the disturbance.
Moments later, the cockpit of the Youkinojo was visible,
and then as it slowly rose, the fuselage too emerged.
Mihoshi, hunkered over and shivering, watched through
teary eyes as the ship hovered across the lake to float
above her.  Snow began to fall from the dark clouds
above just as the Youkinojo beamed Mihoshi aboard.

Inside the Youkinojo, Mihoshi sat blubbering as
Youkinojo regarded her from the roof of the cockpit.
"Welcome aboard Detective 1st Class Mihoshi!"
Youkinojo greeted respectfully, "How may I be of
service."  "Ummmm. . . well. . .uhhhh. . ." Mihoshi
began apprehensively, "Get the Commander online
for me Youkinojo."  "Right away Mihoshi!"  Youkinojo
stated reverently.  Mihoshi was wiping her eyes with
a hand kerchief that had been provided by Youkinojo
when the commander came online.  "Mihoshi!"  The
commander barked assertively.  Mihoshi threw down
the hand kerchief she had been wiping her eyes with,
straightened her posture, and saluted the captain.  "Yes
sir?"  Mihoshi asked hesitantly, poorly attempting to
maintain a veneer of confidence.  "'Yes sir?  'Yes sir?'
you say? Whadda you mean 'YES SIR?'!?!?!?  You're
the one who contacted me!  What do you mean by
bothering me in the middle of my coffee break Detective?!"
the commander vociferated angrily.  "Ummmm. . .sorry. . .sir."
Mihoshi stammered apologetically.  "Never mind that
detective, now what do you want!"  The commander
snapped impatiently.  "Well. . .sir. . .I would like to
request. . .ummmm. . .I would like to request back up?"
Mihoshi stated ambivalently, as if she couldn't believe
herself what it was she was saying.  The commander
arched an eyebrow at Mihoshi and clenched his teeth
in frustration.  Silence hung in the air for a few minutes
until Mihoshi finally spoke up, "Ummmm. . .
nevermind. . .sorry to interrupt your coffee break. . .
I don't think I'll be requesting back up after all. . .
enjoy your coffee. . .end trans-"  Mihoshi stammered
hesitantly as she reached out to end the transmission.
"WAIT ONE SECOND DETECTIVE!!!"  The
commander snapped.  Mihoshi stopped cold and gulped
loudly.  "You mean to tell me you interrupted my coffee
break to request back up from me personally. . .AND
NOW YOU'RE CHANGING YOUR MIND!?!?"
The captain snapped incredulously.  "Well. . ."
Mihoshi began as sweat formed on her brow.
"What seems to be the problem over there Mihoshi!?
are those earthlings too much for you!?!?"  The commander
asked sardonically before slipping into a fit of derisive
laughter.  "I have a request from Princess Ayeka."
Mihoshi managed to force out shamefully.  "WHAT???"
the commander responded in shock.  "Miss Ayeka has asked
that I request backup to assist me in taking Miss Ryoko
into custody."  "Into custody!?"  The commander asked
in disbelief.  "Ryoko blew up part of Lord Tenchi's
house, and tried to steal back her two gems from Tenchi's
sword thingy that he got from honorable grandfather."
Mihoshi uttered hesitantly as she sat with her head held low.
The commander shook his head in disbelief at
Mihoshi's inane and tactless manner of speech but
decided to disregard it considering the obvious
gravity of the situation.  "Miss Ayeka says Miss Ryoko's. . .
uhhhhh. . .uhhhh. . .recidivism. . .I think that's what
she said. . .Miss Ayeka said that Miss Ryoko's recidivism
must be punished.  She says Miss Ryoko is far too
dangerous to remain free."  Mihoshi admitted guiltily,
still in disbelief that she was actually going to go
through with arresting Ryoko.  "Where are you now
Detective Mihoshi?"  The Commander asked urgently.
"Ummmm. . .Youkinojo?"  Mihoshi asked nervously.
The commander's face faulted and he slammed the
palm of his hand into his forehead in frustration.
"You're calling GP headquarters to request backup
for the sake of apprehending and detaining a most-wanted
and dangerous intergalactic criminal, AND YOU DON'T
EVEN KNOW WHERE YOU ARE MIHOSHI!?!?"
The commander bellowed incredulously.
"We're outside earth's atmosphere, I'm sending you
the coordinates now."  Youkinojo interjected.
"Mihoshi!  You stay right where you are, backup will
arrive shortly."  The commander stated imperatively.
Mihoshi swallowed hard and began to sweat as the
visage of the captain blinked from the monitor.  Back
at GP headquarters, the commander gripped his coffee
cup nervously and swallowed the contents in one gulp.
"Computer!"  The commander stated urgently.
"Yes commander?"  A female voice responded
respectfully from the monitor on the commander's
desk.  "Patch me through to Kiyone Makibi."  The
commander responded resolutely.

Later that night at the Masaki household, a pair of
headlights pierced through the darkness and gradually
began to illuminate the front of the house as Noboyuki's
car slowly crept to a stop in the driveway.  Noboyuki
opened the door to his car, swung one leg out, planting
it on the ground and stiffly stood up and out of the car.
With a briefcase full of work to keep him busy through
the evening in hand, Noboyuki stretched his arms above
his head and yawned loudly.  As Noboyuki glanced up at
the house, his languid yawn gave way to a choke, and
then to a scream of pure horror.  "WHAT HAPPENED
TO MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE!?!"  Noboyuki screamed
in anguish as he regarded a giant blackened hole where
Tenchi's room had once been.  Noboyuki stood slumped
over, his jaw hanging open and his eyes wide in shock.
Noboyuki's brow spasmodically twitched as his eyes
fell from the second floor and came to rest on the ground
in front of the house where the remnants of Tenchi's
balcony lay in a shattered heap.  Noboyuki just stood
dumbstruck and whimpered and mumbled incoherently
as he continued to stare at the shambles in front of him.
When Noboyuki finally managed to collect himself and
forced his feet to begin carrying him towards the front
door, he decided that such incidents were simply the price
one paid for providing room and board to wild and crazy
space women.  With that thought, Noboyuki stopped in
his tracks, reared back, and began to laugh boisterously.
"My Tenchi sure knows how to pick 'em!" Noboyuki
said proudly as he placed a finger beneath his glasses
and wiped a tear from his eye.  Noboyuki caught his
breath and started once again for the front door.  Noboyuki
entered the house and began to yell aloud "I'm h- - -"
before he noticed the giant hole in the middle of his
living room floor.  Noboyuki dropped his briefcase to
the floor and fell to his knees, his brow once again
twitching spasmodically as he scrutinized the hole
in the floor.  Noboyuki stared up and began to plea
for mercy from the gods and received nothing but a
glimpse of the blackened hole in his ceiling..
Noboyuki stared in disbelief through the
giant opening which was burnt black around its edges.
Noboyuki could see up into Tenchi's room
where what was left of the ceiling was scorched..
Noboyuki began to babble incoherently and then
fell forward, his forehead smacking into the floor.
"It'll take me forever to get all of this fixed!!"
Noboyuki balled in anguish as he beat his fists
into the hard floor.  As Noboyuki continued
to pound the floor boards with his hands, wailing
in frustration and self pity, a cracked plank
that had once been a part of the floor in Tenchi's
room dislodged itself and fell through the scorched
gaping hole in the middle of Tenchi's room and found
it's mark on the top of Noboyuki's head, knocking
him from his senses.

Meanwhile, outside what was left of the Masaki household,
a mysterious shadowy figure gingerly crept through the darkness
swiftly and methodically.  The mysterious figure wove between
tree after tree as it made its way along the shore of the lake
before stopping near a patch of trees.  Despite the darkness,
the keen eyes of the ominous figure focused on a discrepancy
amongst the rustic surroundings, a small pile of
white cloth at the base of a tree.  The shadowy figure
crept closer to the pile of cloth and
spread it across the ground with its foot, revealing a bra
and panties.  The dark figure released a guttural growl and
began to shudder violently.  The trembling of the of
mysterious figure gradually subsided and for many moments
the only sounds audible were those of water breaking against
the shore and cold winds flowing through the trees.  Suddenly,
a barely audible caustic remark enunciated under the
dark figures breath broke the silence.  "That slut."  Ryoko
spat in disgust.  "That dirty, little opportunistic slut.  All
that effort that little bitch has invested in trying to convince
everyone and especially me of what a prim and proper piece
of royal ass she is and then as soon as she thinks no one is
watching she's stripping butt naked in the woods like
some kind of National Geographic aboriginal 'cover-girl.'
That cold-blooded little hussy doesn't even have enough
compassion to wait until I had recovered to make a play
for Tenchi on a level playing field.  That little witch would
never risk being caught butt-naked with her panties around
her ankles in the middle of the woods. . . unless. . ."  Ryoko's
brow furrowed in horror and she broke into a cold sweat
as the myriad of possible scenarios pertaining to this
discovery swirled through her mind.  Ryoko began to
shudder and took deep fervid breaths as she fought to
maintain her self-control.  Unable to tolerate the mounting
tension and the horrifying and intolerable mental images
rushing through her mind, Ryoko's taught left arm snapped
out wildly, cracking the trunk of a thick nearby tree.  Despite
the aggressive gesture, Ryoko was unable to dismiss the image
of Tenchi with his pants around his ankles pinning Ayeka to
a tree and thrusting his hips between her legs.  Ryoko
began to shudder violently as she turned apprehensively
towards the tree she had just snapped in half as the image
continued to replay through her mind.  Sweat poured
from Ryoko's furrowed brow as the look of horror and
mental anguish upon her face intensified.  Ryoko's
lips curled revealing her fangs and fiercely clenched
teeth.  Ryoko's entire body quaked as she prepared to
lash out violently against the tree.  Ryoko's fist, balled
tightly in fury quivered unsteadily.  Just as Ryoko
was about to strike, she instead, reeled forward and
vomited.

Meanwhile, outside the onsen, Ayeka stopped just as
she was about to enter, responding to the tranquil scene
sprawled out before her.  Flurries of tiny snowflakes
made their descent from the atmosphere above and
seemed to dance in the wind, weaving through the
twisted bare limbs of surrounding trees.  Ayeka sighed
in satisfaction and took one last gulp of the crisp frosty
air before entering the onsen.

Inside the onsen, a languid Tenchi reclined leisurely
in the steaming water with his head resting on the
embankment.  Tenchi released a relaxed sigh,
allowing his still somewhat tense body to unwind.
Tenchi consciously shut-out the exhausting quandaries
from his mind that had plagued him for the better part
of the day.  Behind Tenchi, a silent Ayeka sighed peacefully
in response to seeing the overwrought Tenchi finally
afforded some relaxation.  "I have something here
that will contribute to your efforts to soothe your
weary mind Lord Tenchi." Ayeka whispered slyly.
Tenchi tensed and his eyes snapped open in
response to Ayeka's voice as he shifted within
the water to turn and face her.  "Wow." Tenchi
stated in an impressed tone, "I generally expect
an entrance like that from Ryoko, I must have
really been out of it, I didn't hear a thing when
you came in."  Ayeka's pulse began to race and
she could feel her temples begin to pound as she
attempted to stifle her frustration in response to
Tenchi having already mentioned Ryoko, not even
a minute into a shared moment that was supposed
to belong to herself and Tenchi alone.  Ayeka drew
her eyelids tight and drew in a deep breath in an
effort to calm herself.  "Feels wonderful in
contrast to that chill outside doesn't it?"
Tenchi remarked of the humid climate outside the
onsen, mistaking Ayeka's deep breath taken in
a bid for self control as a breath of content.  Ayeka
realized that Tenchi hadn't even picked up on her
discomfort in response to his mention of the space
pirate and forced herself to relax, not wanting to
jeopardize her time with Tenchi over a trivial
and harmless remark.  "Yes, it is wonderful Lord
Tenchi." Ayeka sighed contentedly.  "I take it that's
for us?"  Tenchi asked smiling as he gestured toward
the bottle of expensive sake that Ayeka cradled in
her arms along with a small sack hanging from her
elbow.  "Yes." Ayeka replied thoughtfully.  "Please
make yourself comfortable Lord Tenchi, you've
more than earned this evening of respite, let me
open this sake for you and I will join you."  Ayeka stated
hopefully.  "That sounds wonderful Ayeka."  Tenchi
responded appreciatively as he shifted once more in
the water and resumed his reclined position with
his head resting against the embankment.  Tenchi
drew his eyes closed and allowed his muscles to
relax and his mind to wander.  Behind him, Tenchi
heard liquid being poured and shortly thereafter, the
sound of fabric rustling.  "Tenchi."  Ayeka prompted
politely.  Tenchi shifted in the water to face Ayeka
who was propped up on her knees at the edge of
the embankment where Tenchi's head had been.
Tenchi was preparing to address Ayeka as he
turned to face her but found the words stuck fast
in his throat.  Kneeling before Tenchi was the demure
crown princess of Jurai, clad in a revealing one-piece
bathing suit that accentuated her beguiling figure.  Tenchi
continued to stare up at Ayeka with a dumbstruck
expression as he regarded the healthy and alluring
complexion of her skin, much of which Tenchi rarely
received so much as a glimpse of in light of Ayeka's
typical modest dressing practices.  Ayeka could hardly
suppress her excitement in response to such an overwhelming
response from Tenchi.  In light of Tenchi's typically reserved
nature, Ayeka held out little hope that she would be able
to attract much attention from Tenchi with her seductive
tactics, but there he sat, seeming almost in awe of her.
Ayeka blushed fiercely and gestured with her extended arm
in which she held a bottle of sake for Tenchi.  Tenchi shook
away his shock in an effort to regain some semblance of
composure and timidly accepted the bottle of sake from
the radiant crown princess of Jurai.  Despite recovering
from his initial shock, Tenchi couldn't manage to turn away
from Ayeka's seductive eyes.  Ayeka continued to regard
Tenchi thoughtfully before he came to his senses and tore his
eyes from the princess.  "Ayeka, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. . ."
Tenchi stammered urgently before being cut off by the sedate
Princess, "Please Tenchi, you needn't apologize, just relax
and enjoy your tea, this is your time.  Tenchi smiled
weakly at the thoughtful princess.

misanthrope32@hotmail.com