Tenchi Muyo: Ren'ai-Kekkon.

(ren'ai-kekkon. (Japanese) love marriage.)

Legal stuff:

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki and its characters are copyrighted by
AIC/Pioneer.  The mentioning of the characters or use of the series is
not intended as a threat against AIC/Pioneer's ownership.

The rights to this story are mine.

And, don't sue me...  I'm broke.

(This fanfic is Sasami looking back 8 years after OAV 13 "Here Comes
Jurai" on an event that occurs two years before her current standpoint. 
It follows the OAVs directly so anything that happens in the TV series
or the movies doesn't happen here.  This was initially intended to be
part of the background for another fanfic, but this took a life of its
own.

This is my first fanfic, so I'm not saying that it's going to be any
good.  However, I will accept any e-mail, good or bad, relating to this
at sas-chan@planetall.com )

Sasami laid on her bed looking up at the ceiling as she thought about
how the last eight years had passed.  Eight years ago, Azusa, the King
of Jurai, had decreed that for her and her sister Ayeka to remain on
earth with Tenchi, he had to defeat a Juraian powderpuff named Seiryo, a
combat won inadvertantly by Mihoshi "landing" her patrol ship in the
lake.  Again.

Mihoshi was a good place to start, Sasami mused.  Four years ago, coming
back from one of her Galaxy Police assignments, she returned with a
husband.  The explanation behind this event was typical of Mihoshi, or
in other words, uninformative and incomprehensible.  Her husband, Akito,
like her, was also of the Galaxy Police and assigned as her partner,
much to Yukinojo's relief.  Akito could certainly pilot the ship much
better than Mihoshi.

Another member of the extended Masaki family had a husband as well. 
Sasami's own sister, Ayeka, had married two years ago and was now an
official member of the Masaki family.  She had taken Tenchi as her
husband, or, more accurately, Tenchi had taken her as his wife.  Sasami
remembered the events that surrounded the plans of the wedding.

                 * * * * *

Tenchi had proposed marriage almost the exact moment he graduated from
college.  No one expected this ar all, although the onlookers had
differing reactions.  Sasami herself thought the mere gesture was
extremely romantic, as did Mihoshi.  Washu and Katsuhito both merely
nodded as if they had been expecting it.  Noboyuki, well, acted like
himself.  Ryoko had the most unpredicted reaction: She said nothing.

Ayeka stood as if she were in a daze.  Everyone waited for her to say
something.  Finally, she said "Yes, I will marry you, lord Tenchi." 
Everyone, with a sole exception, was happy after that, and everyone
congratulated the betrothed couple.

In the midst of the impromptu merrymaking, Ryoko walked up to Ayeka and
tapped her on the shoulder.  Ayeka turned around and asked her what she
wanted.  She just said plainly "Congrats, Princess," and then somberly
walked away.  The noise was so loud that only Ayeka, Sasami, and Washu
heard it, and Sasami and Washu had only heard because they were standing
next to Ayeka at the time.

While Ryoko walked away, Sasami felt disturbed.  Ryoko's behavior had
been rather un-Ryoko-ish.  She glanced at Ayeka, who had returned to her
conversation and being congratulated, and then at Washu, who seemed to
show the same concern.  Washu merely nodded to her.  Sasami shook her
head solemnly and walked off to sit beneath a tree, alone.

While her sister rejoiced in the realization of her greatest dream,
Sasami sat underneath the tree.  She was honestly worried about Ryoko. 
True, Ryoko had been responsible for widespread devastation on Jurai. 
True, Ryoko ha dthe ability to seem uncaring and downright cold.  But
Sasami still called the former space pirate friend, and she still cared
about the person against whom Ayeka had declared a vendetta long ago.

She thought for a while.  Then Ryo-ohki came up to her and meowed. 
Sasami looked toward the cabbit and weakly smiled.  Ryo-ohki replied
with a sad meow.  As if in response, Sasami started to do something she
had not intended to do.  She cried.  She cried for her friend.

Ryo-ohki pawed at Sasami's leg and meowed inquisitively at her.  But
Sasami only kept crying.  After a few minutes of this, Ryo-ohki made the
cabbit equivalent of a depressed sigh and left, walking slowly.

Sasami cried, until she had expended all of her energy doing so.  And,
as with all who do that, she fell asleep.

                 * * * * *

Sasami woke up in her own bed in the Masaki home.  She looked around
mainly to reorient herselg.  Washu was sitting beside the bed looking
over her.  "So you've woken up," Washu said. "You cried yourself out,
didn't you?"

Sasami sat up and nodded to Washu, blushing slightly.  Washu stood and
shook her head.  "It's nothing to be ashamed of.  You're worried about
Ryoko, aren't you?"

She moved to the edge of her bed.  "Is she okay?" Sasami asked intently.

Washu looked down.  "I don't know.  She's shut herself in her room and
she won't listen to me."  Then she looked up again.  "I know you just
got up, but I'd suggest that you go take control of the kitchen.  Last I
checked, Mihoshi was trying to make dinner."

Sasami blinked and hurried down to the kitchen.  Sure enough, there was
Mihoshi trying to read a cookbook and making a horrible mess of things. 
Sasami shook her head and thought 'This won't do'.

The first thing she did was banish Mihoshi from the kitchen.  The mess
Mihoshi made was hastily cleaned.  Sasami puzzled over what to make for
dinner.  The occasion called for something large and festive, but
Ryoko's actions still were still nagging her.  In the end, however, she
knew that Ayeka would be disappointed if there wasn't a proper feast,
and there would be no end to the complaints, so she made the feast.

To vent her emotions, she put everything she could into making sure the
meal was the best it could be.  Cooking was one of the few things that
Sasami had found that could cleanse her of all of the frustration that
she built up.  So she cooked and cooked.

Everyone agreed that the dinner was one of th ebest meals that their
resident cook and Princess of Jurai had ever made.  However, Ryoko, who
normally was the first to come to dinner, was nowhere to be found.  Even
Tenchi found it odd.  "Where's Miss Ryoko?" he asked.

Sasami found her sister's reply to be predictable, but also extremely
impolite.  "It's probably just as well she isn't here, Tenchi dear,"
Ayeka said.  "All she'd do is try to ruin our happiness.  And, besides,
the value of Sasami's meal would be lost on her."

No one foresaw what happened next, nor even Washu, and especially not
Sasami.  Sasami slammed her bowl against the table and stood up.  Her
cheeks were a brilliant red and she shook with rage.  "Aye - Ayeka," she
began, stammering in her anger.  "I - I - I - " Sasami swalloed and
fixed her gaze on her sister.  She said conclusively "I hate you."

Sasami then ran off, out of the dining room and up the stairs to her
bedroom.  She locked the door and laid down on her bed and cried into
her pillow.  She shook even now, but out of fear instead of anger.  That
was the first time she had been actually angry, and the sheer intensity
of it scared her.

After she finished with this crying spell, Sasami wiped her eyes as she
sat on her bed.  Ryo-ohki phased through the door and hopped into the
room.  She hopped into Sasami's lap and meowed.

Sasami smiled back at the cabbit, but the smile didn't last for long. 
"Ryo-chan," she said quietly.  "Don't you think it's just awful what
Ayeka says about Ryoko?"  Ryo-ohki meowed in agreement.  "And isn't it
horrbile that no one really seems to care about what happened to
Ryoko?"  Again, the cabbit meowed in agreement.

"At least someone around here cares about me," a familiar voice said
wrily.  Ryoko materialized in the room and leaned against the wall.  Her
eyes glistened and her cheeks were still slightly red, the tracks of
tears still visible.

Sasami looked up at Ryoko.  "You've been crying, haven't you?"

"No, I haven't," Ryoko said, trying to seem like her old space pirate
self, but Sasami knew better than to fall for the trick.

"Tell me the truth, Ryoko," Sasami said adamantly.  "I've been worried
about you so very much.  I think you owe me the truth."

"The truth?" Ryoko asked and bit her lower lip.  Then the infamous space
pirate sat down against the wall and buried her face in her knees and
started crying.  "The truth - the truth is that it hurts, Sasami."

Sasami moved Ryo-ohki out of her lap and went to sit beside Ryoko.  She
already knew the answer to the question, but asked it anyway in a
whisper.  "You love Tenchi, don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do," Ryoko said while she cried.  "And now he's engaged to
be married to Princess Ayeka.  Her highness is never going to stop
taunting me with this, is she?"

Sasami shook her head.  "I think Ayeka's going to relish hurting you in
the future with the simple knowledge of her betrothal to Tenchi.  It's
just so downright evil.  I don't know how Tenchi will take that."

Ryoko just started crying even louder.  "He's in love with her.  He'll
support her in whatever she does.  That's how love works."

Sasami handed Ryoko a handkerchief.  "Wipe your eyes, Ryoko."  She
paused until Ryoko had done so and returned the handkerchief.  "Tenchi
won't let her do that.  He may love Ayeka, but he still cares a lot
about you."

Ryoko blinked and looked at Sasami.  "How do you know that, Sasami?"

Sasami smiled sweetly.  "If Tenchi hadn't cared about you, his choice
would have been obcious a long time ago.  But it wasn't."

Ryoko stopped crying but still looked forlorn.  "How is he going to
cause Ayeka to stop?"

Sasami, still smiling, said "She's my sister.  I know her.  And if
Tenchi tells her to stop, she'll stop because she doesn't want to risk
losing him."

Ryoko nodded somberly.  "I see."

"There'll be other opportunities, Ryoko," Sasami said.  "Now cheer up.' 
Sasami started giggling and stood up.  "Come on, Ryoko.  Laugh."

"I don't see what's funny."

Sasami shook her head, still giggling.  "Just laugh. You'll feel a lot
better."

Ryoko shrugeed and looked at Sasami as if the young Juraian princess was
insane.  In fact, she found that possiblity oddly funny and she started
laughing.

Son the two very different people were united in a chorus of giggles and
laughs.  "Feel better now?" Sasami asked.

Ryoko nodded and smiled.  She turned to leave, and then, quietly, said
"Thank you, Sasami."

Sasami giggled and smiled.  "You're welcome Ryoko."  After that, Ryoko
teleported out.  Sasami walked back over to her bed where Ryo-ohki had
watched the affair.  Sasami smiled widely and she thought to herself
'One ordeal dealt with successfully.'  Ryo-ohki meowed almost as if in
agreement with Sasami's thoughts.

Sasami looked out the window into the inky black night and yawned. 
"Ryo-chan, I think it's time for me to sleep."  Ryo-ohki meowed sleepily
and snuggled up in Sasami's pillow.  She couldn't help but laugh as she
turned out the light.

                 * * * * *

Things were certainly different when Sasami awoke the next morning.  She
woke up early as she always did to make sure her housemates ate
breakfast.  Tiptoeing quietly down the stairs, she realized that she
hadn't cleaned up after dinner last night.  Yet, when she reached the
dining room, there were no dishes out.  And, in the kitchen, everything
was meticulously clean.  She stood in the doorway in shock for a few
seconds.

"Good morning, Miss Sasami," Katsuhito said behind her.  Sasami turned
around and saw the old priest standing with a cup of tea.  "You
certainly gave us all a shock last night."

Sasami directed her gaze toward the floor.  "I'm sorry," she
apologized.  "I didn't want that to have happened."

Katsuhito sipped his tea and nodded.  "It is not anything to be ashamed
of.  I believe that you were angry with Ayeka for a good reason.  That
does not require apology."

Sasami sighed.  "But it was anger.  Aunt Funaho always believed that
anger was the most awful thing a person could feel."

"Lady Funaho referred to unjustified anger, Sasami," Katsuhito said,
sipping his tea.  "I heard that lecture myself."

Sasami nodded.  "But getting angry is awful, so intense and so useless."

The priest sipped his tea once more.  "I never said it felt good,"
Katsuhito said.  "It's supposed to feel bad."  Sasami nodded in
agreement sadly.  "You are wondering who cleaned up last night, aren't
you?  Tenchi and I did."

Sasami smiled at Tenchi's grandfather.  "Thank you."

"Well, we figured that you deserved the night off after your display,"
Katsuhito explained.  "Did you know that you brought Miss Ayeka to
tears?"  Sasami resumed her study of the floor.  "And then Tenchi told
her to leave Ryoko alone.  That really got at her.  Miss Washu had to
lead her back to her room."  Sasami frowned, but said nothing. 
"Sasami."  She looked up at him.  "Don't blame yourself.  It's not very
healthy."  She nodded.  Katsuhito sipped his tea again.  "Well, I ought
not detain you from making breakfast.  I think Ryoko's going to have a
large appetite since she did not eat last night."  With that statement
done, the priest turned around and walked away.

Sasami stood in the doorway and thought for a minute.  Then, remembering
the task at hand, she quickly went to work, making breakfast for the
entire household.

                  * * * * *

At the standard time, the entirity of the Masaki family, including
Mihoshi and Akito, came to the dining room for breakfast.  Ryoko was the
last to appear.  Sasami was relieved to see her come in, walking
normally with her air of self-assuredness.

Ayeka noticed the former space pirate immediately.  In an overly
condescending tone, she said "Well, look who finally decided to show
up."  However, after the glances that she received from both her fiance
and her sister, the Juraian princess quickly quieted herself.  Ryoko
merely nodded to the princess and took her place at the table.

Breakfast for that morning contunued in a tense silence that no one was
particularly willing to break.  Fortunately, none of them had to.  The
simultaneous beeping of the wristwatch-like communicators rang loud and
clear in the absence of sound.

"Akito, Mihoshi," Yukinojo spoke through their wristbands.  "You are
needed at Galaxy Police Headquarters immediately."

Akito merely said "Understood" toward his wrist.  "Looks like we have
another task, Mihoshi dear," he said calmly.

Mihoshi, as everyone expected, whined.  She had matured since her
marriage to Akito, but there were some habits that Akito's presence had
not broken her out of.  "Do we really have to go?  We're always
working.  Can't we get a day off or something?  I don't want to go.  I
want to stay here."

"Now, now, Mihoshi," her husband said.  "We have a job to do."

Mihoshi sighed,  "Yes, you're right, Akito, like always."  The Galaxy
Police detective stood up.  "I'm sorry, but I must go.  While I'm gone,
would you like me to send any messages?"  She winked at Ayeka.

"Yes, Mihoshi, do inform Jurai of my engagement to Lord Tenchu," the
princess said.

Mihoshi pushed her hair back and smiled.  "Will do, Ayeka."  She pulled
her control cube out of her blond hair.  "I'll be back as soon as I
can."

As she moved her hand to move the facets on her technological pink
Galaxy Police issue Rubik's Cube, Akito put his hand on her shoulder. 
"Let me do it, dear.  Remember what happened last time.  You do so hate
getting wet."

Mihoshi nodded and put the cube back in her bushy hair.  "Yes, Akito,
you're right again."  Akito pulled his cube out of his pocket, gave it
two turns, tapped it, and the two Galaxy Police detectives vanished from
sight.  The sound of Mihoshi's patrol ship taking off quickly followed.

Washu smiled at the edge of her mouth.  "Now, with Akito, I haven't had
to repair Mihoshi's patrol ship as often as I did."  Sasami couldn't
help but giggle and most of the others smiled at least a little.

Breakfast finished soon afterwards.  Katsuhito returned to the Masaki
shrine.  Noboyuki left for another day in the office.  Washu went back
to her subspace laboratory.  Tenchi left with Ryo-ohki to work in the
fields, and Ayeka following to watch.  Sasami gathered the dirtied
dishes and went to work on cleaning them.

While Sasami washed the dishes, Ryoko entered the kitchen and leaned
against the wall.  "Things are going to get interesting around here,
aren't they?" she asked.

"I guess so," Sasami said, wiping a plate with her washcloth.  "It will
be different with Tenchi actually being my brother instead of just
seeming to be."

Ryoko smiled instinctively.  "It's not that, Sasami.  You do remember
the last time when your parents were here."

Sasami nodded and placed the plate on the rack.  How could she forget? 
"Yes, I do."

"Your father didn't really like Tenchi, did he?"

"No, he didn't," Sasmai replied.  She had never quite understood why her
father, Azusa, King of Jurai, disliked Tenchi.

Ryoko walked over and stood next to the young princess.  "How do you
think he's going to react when he finds out that Ayeka is marrying
Tenchi?"

Sasami looked up at Ryoko.  "Uh oh."

Ryoko smiled back.  "As I said, things should get interesting.  Need any
help?"

                  * * * * *