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TENCHI MUYO! RYO-OHKI+1
EPISODE 3: Hiya, Ryo-Ohki!/Ryoko's Chaperone
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------- Chapter 1: Sasami's New Pet / A New Arrival

The Protector smiled as the ship began its descent toward Earth.
He finished the cup of coffee he was drinking and made sure he
looked presentable.

He wasn't entirely sure he'd be accepted on this new planet. But
that didn't matter. His order had been quite specific:

Protect Ryoko.

It was an order he had every intention of carrying out.

He wondered what he would do about clothes. He only had the four
outfits that had been placed in the ship's emergency storage as
well as what he now wore on his back. Perhaps that would be
enough. One only needed to wear one outfit at a time, and the
others  could be washed while that one was in use.

He packed the outfits into a suitcase and then sat back and
waited.

The computer suddenly cut out its descent and re-established
orbit.

"What gives?" The Protector demanded.

"There is a large mass of debris in near orbit to this planet.
Unable to circumvent. Our only choice is to wait until the debris
drifts far enough apart for this ship to pass between."

"Rework ETA."

"Based on the current drift speed of the orbitting debris, one
week."

"Describe contents of debris."

"Debris is classified as space junk."

"I thought this was a non-spacefaring planet."

"The inhabitants have established limitted space travel."

"How limitted?" The Protector asked.

"Currently they merely study the planets within their own solar
system. They have not established interstellar contact. Openly."

"What do you mean openly?"

"Over seven hundred years ago, according to my databanks, a woman
named Funaho was wooed by and wed to the King of Jurai. "

"I did not realize that Queen Funaho was an Earthwoman," the
Protector mused. "Well, I guess I've got everything I need."

"You still need one thing." The computer replied.

"What?"

"A name."

***

Ryoko made her way across the lawn and toward the lake.

At her window, Ayeka sighed. "I wonder what she's up to so
early?" She made a disgruntled noise. "What a disgusting thing to
see first thing in the morning. That monster woman."

Ryoko walked across the lake. She looked down at the surface,
then slowly lowered herself into the water. She walked along
until she found what she was looking for.

She reached down and retrieved the dark brown nodule from the
wreckage of her spaceship. She nuzzled it, affectionately, then
returned with it to the house.

***

"Ayeka, come on!" Sasami pleaded. "You've been in this room a
whole week, enough is enough!"

Ayeka didn't budge.

"It's very rude." Sasami complained. "They're going to think we
Juraians don't have the courtesy to say 'Hello'."

"No they won't, Sasami." Ayeka realized they would immediately
after speaking. "But the Head of the Household is out now, isn't
he?" She mused.

"The father may be out, but Tenchi's at home. This is very hard
on me." Sasami sighed.

Ayeka finally gave in and followed Sasami down the steps. But
when she saw Ryoko, she stopped.

It took all of Sasami's pushing and coaxing to get down her down
the remaining steps.

"What is that?" Sasami asked, seeing the brown nodule in Ryoko's
hands.

"You wanna see?"

"Sure!" Sasami ran over to Ryoko, who handed it to her. "It was
born this morning."

"Wow!" Sasami recognized the egg. "Did you lay it?"

Ryoko had a very hard time not collapsing with laughter.

"Sasami!" Ayeka cried out. "You'll get germs!"

"So, Ryoko, are you married? Who's the father?"

Ryoko smirked, then whispered in Sasami's ear.

Sasami's eyes widened just as Tenchi walked in.

"Tenchi's the father?!" Sasami yelped.

"WHAT?!" Ayeka yelped.

"Miss Ayeka, you seem upset." Tenchi noted. "Is something wrong?"

"Why don't you go over there and hold that egg with your monster
woman." Ayeka griped.

"Egg? What are you talking about."

"Oh," Ryoko emoted, "I'm so happy to be able to bear a child of
the man I love!" She was really hamming it up.

"A child?!" Tenchi went pale.

Ryoko took the egg and handed it to Tenchi. "Won't be long now."

The egg shook and cracked. A furry hind leg kicked through.

Tenchi dropped it in surprise.

A few minutes later, the cutest creature Sasami had ever seen
hopped up onto the sofa. it nuzzled her face and hopped onto her
shoulder with a happy little "Miya!"

Sasami giggled, happily as she petted the small creature.

"There there." Ryoko picked up the creature and nuzzled it.
"That's my good little Ryo-ohki."

"You mean that's the child of..."

"That can't be." Ayeka gasped.

"Can a spaceship have a baby?"

"Sure. My ship was destroyed so it reproduced itself." Ryoko
laughed. "You didn't really think it was Tenchi's child?"

Ryo-ohki turned toward the door and miya'ed excitedly.

The doorbell rang.

Tenchi walked to the door and opened it. He gave the alien
standing there a thorough looking over. A part of wanted to
faint. But that would be rude, so he didn't.

"Ma... ma..."

"If you're trying to ask if there's any way you can help me," the
Protector asked, "the answer is yes. You can tell me where Ryoko
is."

Tenchi came to his senses. This new arrival was certainly being
rude, or at least bossy.

"You could be a bit more polite about it." Tenchi pointed out.

"Now look here, I..." the Protector realized the boy was right.
"I apologize. I've been out of touch for quite some time now. I
do hope you'll forgive me." He bowed, as he'd seen on the
television broadcasts. "My name is Chibishi." He winced inwardly
at how the name sounded. "I'm looking for my Ryoko."

There were a few thousand women named Ryoko in Tokyo alone. But
Tenchi knew they weren't the Ryoko's this guy was looking for.

"She's inside." He replied. "What is your business with her?"

"I'm here to protect her."

"Protect *her*?!" Tenchi gaped at the alien.

"It was our mother's last wish to me before..." he trailed off.

Tenchi stared. "Ryoko's your sister? But she's human."

"Ryoko's no more human than I." Chibishi replied. "But the reason
I look different is simply that I am what you on this planet call
adopted."

"I see." Tenchi replied.

"Tenchi," his grandfather said, "why don't you both come inside."
The fact that the being at this doorstep looked like a humanoid
bat didn't seem to phase him any.

Tenchi invited Chibishi in.

Chibishi removed his boots, as was the local custom, and followed
Tenchi into the house.

"Ryoko is in the living room," Tenchi's grandfather told
Chibishi.

"Thanks," Chibishi replied as he hurried past.

***
Everyone reacted differently when Chibishi ran into the living
room.

Ryo-Ohki tried to get him to play with her.
Sasami scolded him for running in the house.
Ayeka screamed something about a giant bat and jumped up on the
couch.

...and Ryoko got glomped by Chibishi.

"Sister!" he cried out, joyously, "It's been so long!"

Seeing Ryoko and her brother reunited only served to drive home
harder Ayeka's realization that she and her own brother, Yosho,
were still apart. She ran out in tears running into Katsuhito on
the way out. She looked up, into his eyes.

Eyes the color of Royal Teardrops.  The same color as...

"What's the matter miss? What is it?"

The sound of his rasping, elderly voice brought her back to
reality. "Nothing." she told him, running out the door.

"Of course his eyes are the same color as Yosho's," she reasoned
"he's Yosho's descendant." She stood by the lake and watched the
water.

***

"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, ignoring Chibishi to concentrate on more
important things. "Where's the sword?"

"I gave it back to Ayeka." Tenchi replied.

"But it contains all my energy source." Ryoko whined. "Why did
you give it back?!" She staggered back, in shock, and into
Katsuhito's arms.

Tenchi's grandfather wasn't so old as to not see a good
opportunity when it came his way. He gave Ryoko's breasts a
couple squeezes. "Second time a young lady has run into me." He
remarked. "I guess I'm just lucky."

"LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!" Chibishi said hurling a punch at
Katsuhito while Ryoko, incessed at being felt up like that, threw
a punch of her own.

Katsuhito easily blocked both punches, leaving both Ryoko and her
little brother somewhat perplexed.

Ryo-Ohki hopped over to the window and crooked her head. "Miya?"

"What is it?" Sasami asked. She let her gaze follow the little
cabbit's. "Oh. Ayeka."

Ryo-Ohki hopped forward, hitting the window. She shook her head,
blinked a couple times, then phased through the window and hopped
off to join Ayeka.

***

Ryoko and Chibishi managed to level large sections of the wall
with no trouble whatsoever. Why, then, had Tenchi's grandfather
been able to block their punches? At least one of them should've
sent the old man flying. But neither one had done so.

They stared at their fists in confusion, then exchanged puzzled
looks. After a second, they looked at Katsuhito with
"what-the-hell-happened?" looks on their faces.

Tenchi's grandfather waved and smiled.

***

Ayeka stared at the lake, weeping.

"Oh, Yosho..." she lamented.

As the tears rolled down her cheeks, she was suddenly aware of
something brushing against her ankle. Looking down, she saw the
small and furry form of Ryo-Ohki sitting there nuzzling her.

"WAAAAGH!" She pulled up her kimono and stood on her tiptoes.

Ryo-ohki miya'ed in confusion as Ayeka screamed and performed the
mouse-in-the-house dance. The little cabbit tilted her head
curiously. She waited for this strange ritual to end.

Finally, Ayeka calmed down somewhat. "Ryo-ohki." She grimaced.
"Shh shh.. go away, you dirty little thing!"

Ryo-ohki hopped closer, sensing Ayeka's need.

"Very well," Ayeka huffed. "I want you to stay right here, and
I'll be the one to go away." she began walking off. "Now don't
you dare follow me!"

Ryo-ohki followed anyhow.

After walking some distance, Ayeka turned and glared at the
cabbit.

"I said don't follow me." She snapped.

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki ducked into a clump of flowers. A moment later,
she miya'ed again.

Ayeka looked. "Huh?" she blinked. She recognized the flower the
cabbit was pointing out. "A Royal Teardrop."  She blinked again.
"It can't be..."

Memories came, unbidden, bringing tears of her own. Memories of
her beloved brother/fiance. She missed him so much...

She fell to her knees, overwhelmed by sadness, and wept.

"Miya." Ryo-ohki tried, desperately, to cheer her up.

"Leave me alone," Ayeka sobbed. "Please, leave me alone."

Ryo-ohki wandered off, searching. After a moment, she returned to
Ayeka's side carrying a fully bloomed flower in her teeth.

"Miya!"

"For me?" Ayeka asked.

Ryo-ohki miya'ed an affirmative.

"Thank you." Ayeka welcomed the little creature onto her lap. She
smiled, amusedly, as she scritched Ryo-ohki's chin. "But, didn't
you know I hate you, you funny little thing?"

Ryo-ohki hopped up and started to wander off.

"Where are you going?" Ayeka called after her. "You'll get
lost!" The Princess stood up and started to follow. "Wait for
me!" She called out.

The cabbit continued to hop off, but at a slightly slower pace.
Ayeka followed her to a clearing.

Tenchi hopped from one peg to another. As he landed on each peg,
he balanced himself for a second.

"Tenchi," Katsuhito warned, "watch your feet."

The warning distracted Tenchi, as expected. Tenchi slipped and
then fell on his backside.

Ayeka giggled into her hand.

"Okay, let's start over with the basic patterns." Katsuhito
instructed.

"Right." Tenchi replied.

As the two began to spar anew, Ayeka noticed a familiarity in
their dance.

"That... that's just like the swordplay routines of Jurai's Royal
Family.  Yosho... could they be a clue to his whereabouts?"

Ryo-ohki looked up at her as she leaned forward for a closer
look.

All at once, the tree limb Ayeka was clinging to snapped off.
Ayeka toppled over, her ankle twisting and her kimono flying out
of place.

"What was that?" Tenchi asked turning.

Katsuhito bonked him over the head with a bokken. "Tenchi.
You're a sitting duck."

"Ouch! Sheesh was that part of the routine?" Tenchi asked.

"No." Katsuhito admitted.

"Who's there?" Tenchi went to investigate.

"Oh, why?!" Ayeka lamented. "Why must I suffer from this
disgrace?!" She scrambled to cover her exposed thighs.

"What are you doing down there?" Tenchi asked. "Are you all
right?"

"I'm okay." Ayeka tried to stand, but faltered on her injured
ankle.

"Lady Ayeka..." Tenchi began.

"I'll be okay." Ayeka tried again...

...and failed again.

"Ouch," she whimpered, "it hurts."

Katsuhito knelt by her and examined her ankle. "That looks like a
bad sprain." he told her. He bound her ankle with his headband.

"Sir," Ayeka asked, demurely, "I was wondering. That swordplay
routine you were performing..."

"Tenchi, carry her home." Katsuhito told her. "She should stay
off that foot for a while. I'm on my way now..." he wandered off.

"Sir," Ayeka called after him, "did I say something to offend
you?"

***

"You don't really expect me to believe you're my brother?" Ryoko
scoffed.

"I most certainly do." Chibishi replied. "What's more, I'm also
your chaperone."

"Look, pipsqueak," Ryoko told him, "I do not need a babysitter.
You got that?"

"I agree." Chibishi nodded. "And if it were up to me, I'd let you
do whatever you want. But Washu told me to watch after you and I
intend to do just that."