Hi! This is my first Tenchi fic, in response to GenSao's challenge to write a fanfic in which Ayeka gets Tenchi instead of Ryoko. Yes, I am a huge Ryoko fan. No, I cannot believe I'm doing this. Oh, well. I hope you enjoy the story. This is a cross between the OVA series and the TV series, because I like them both. Just so you don't get confused. One more thing: Unless otherwise mentioned, when I say "Azaka" and "Kamidake", I mean the knights, not the guardians, okay? Okay. LEGAL DISCLAIMER: These characters aren't mine! (Although I wish they were) They belong to those great folks at Pioneer and AIC. Sailor Moon is mentioned, she belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. Darkstalkers is also mentioned, it belongs to Capcom. (Ah, Capcom. You know I love 'em!) Tenchi Muyo! : The "Love at Last" series. Episode 1: No Need For Confessions of Love! She was beautiful. She slid down the aisle with perfect grace. Sasami, the flower girl, beamed happily at her sister, the bride. Ayeka had tears of joy streaming down her face. Her bouquet was composed entirely of baby's breath and violets to match her hair. Her white wedding dress flowed about her like a gentle wind. I love you, Ayeka. I have a strong sense of friendship for Ryoko, but I love you. Ayeka fondly remembered Tenchi's words to her. The man she loved had finally proposed to her! He had said it sincerely, full of the truest feeling of love for her. Ayeka's smile only became larger once she reached the altar. It was an outdoor wedding, and today was the most perfect day for it. Everyone was there, smiling faces all. Everyone…except for two souls. The first was Ryo-ohki. The second was Ryoko. Ryo-ohki no one was concerned about. She was always running off, usually with Ken-ohki or Ryoko. Ken-ohki was ruled out, since he was here with his mistress. Yes, even Nagi was present for Tenchi's wedding. When asked what made her decide to come, she had just laughed and said that she wouldn't miss seeing, as she put it, "wuss-boy's" wedding. That left Ryoko. Since both Ryoko and Ryo-ohki were absent, the most logical explanation was that they had gone off together. Ryoko had been gone ever since Tenchi had proposed to Ayeka, which had been a week ago. Three people were majorly concerned about Ryoko's welfare. The first was Ayeka herself. She had always had a deep respect for the space pirate, and hoped that they could one day be friends. Ayeka had always believed that Ryoko had had the same wish, but their competing love for Tenchi had prevented their friendship. The second was Tenchi. He was extremely upset when she disappeared. The third was Washu. She was angry that her "Little Ryoko" was missing. Ayeka came out of her thoughts just in time to hear Tenchi say "I do.". She repeated the words that the priest gave her, and finished with "I do." just as Tenchi had. "Psst! Kamidake!" Azaka elbowed Kamidake, who was dozing. "It's almost over!" Kamidake blinked sleepily. "Huh?…oh, good." Kamidake had never realized that Earth marriage customs were so boring. He looked at the altar just in time to see Ayeka and Tenchi break off their deep kiss. "It's about time! They were kissing for a while…" Azaka smiled. "It's so nice to see the Princess finally married!" Kamidake nodded his head absently. Azaka looked at him curiously. "Is anything wrong, Kamidake?" Kamidake sighed. "I'm worried about Miss Ryoko. I haven't seen her since we got here from Jurai, and Tenchi and the others refuse to talk about her." Azaka nodded his head sagely. "I see. Well, Ryoko is powerful and strong- willed. She should be okay on her own." "Yes…I suppose." Kamidake still had this nagging feeling in his stomach that he couldn't get rid of. He was sure that something was wrong. Shaking his head, he got up to talk to Nagi. "Miya?" Ryoko smiled weakly and shook her head. "Not yet, Ryo-ohki. Not yet." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Just a little longer, and you can go home. It will only be a couple days now, and my body will run out of water. Then I'll-" "MIYA!" Ryo-ohki protested. She did not want to believe that her beloved mistress wanted to die! "Miya!" "I'm sorry, Ryo-ohki. I'm being selfish, leaving you here all by yourself, aren't I?" "Miya…" Ryo-ohki cried sadly, agreeing with Ryoko. Perhaps this would make her stay? "But…you will always have Sasami, right? Sasami loves you just as much as I do. So, you'll be okay. See, Ryo-ohki? Everything will be alright!" "CIAO!" came the loud cry from the communicator. Ryoko turned her head to the right a bit. "Hmm, looks like Nagi's here to finish me off. Perhaps you won't have to wait two days to go home, eh Ryo-ohki?" She set a look of determination on her face." All right, Nagi. Let's get this over with" "M-miss Ryoko? A-are you there? This i-isn't Nagi, it's me, Kamidake." If Ryoko had had the strength, she would have face-faulted. She had just called Kamidake Nagi! "I'm sorry, Kamidake. I was expecting Nagi." "Miss Ryoko? Miss Ryoko? You don't sound well. Hold on a second." Kamidake's faint voice could be heard in the background, saying, "Ken-ohki? Could you please teleport me aboard Ryo-ohki?" Then, in a flash of light, Kamidake appeared on Ryo-ohki's bridge. "Miss Ryoko! Miss Ryoko! Oh, no, you look like you're about to die! I-" Before Ryoko could hear any more, she passed out from exhaustion. Ayeka leaned back on the sofa in the Masaki living room. She was still in her wedding dress, not yet willing to take it off in case this all turned out to be a dream. She was watching an interesting show she had just discovered on television called "Sailor Moon". She smiled as the odango-haired Sailor Moon banished yet another monster from the NegaVerse. Sasami and Azaka were upstairs playing a video game called Darkstalkers (Azaka was more losing than playing, actually). "La-lady Ayeka! Please get Washu-chan!" A voice came from the front door startled her. She whirled around, to see a harried Kamidake carrying an unconscious Ryoko. She put her hand to her mouth in shock. "Oh my! I will fetch her right away! Please, lay her on the couch, Kamidake." Ayeka rushed off to tell Washu that her daughter had returned. Kamidake gently set Ryoko on the couch. He carefully drew the blanket that was lying nearby over her. "Ryoko? Kamidake, what's wrong with Ryoko?" Kamidake turned his head up to see a shocked Sasami staring at he and Ryoko. "Is she…?" The little princess trailed off, afraid to finish the sentence lest it be true. She was relieved when the Jurian knight shook his head in negatation. "No, Lady Sasami. Ryoko is fine for now, but we need Washu-chan to look at her to be sure." Sasami nodded her head. "Do…do you think I could help? I am a goddess…" Sasami offered. "Thank you, Lady Tsunami, Lady Sasami, but I think Washu would want to do this." "I think I understand. Shall I get Azaka? He wanted to know when you got back. And Nagi is still waiting for Ken-ohki in the kitchen." When Sasami saw Kamidake nod his head in agreement, she ran upstairs. "WHAT?!? My daughter is back? Why didn't someone tell me sooner?!" Washu cried out in surprise. "Yes, Washu-chan. Oh, please, hurry. She's unconscious and we can't tell if she's okay!" Ayeka made a small bow with her head. "I will go alert Tenchi. You just go to your daughter." "I was thinking the exact same thing, Lady Ayeka." With that, Washu turned on her heels and stalked towards the living room. Tenchi was a bit less alarmed. "Well, thank goodness she's okay." "But, Tenchi! We are still not sure about that! She's still unconscious! For all we know, she could be seriously injured!" Tenchi just smiled and hugged Ayeka. "It'll be okay, Ay-chan. Washu-chan will be able to help Ryoko. You'll see." Washu looked Ryoko over intently. "Hmm..no visible physical injuries. As far as I can tell, it's malnutrition." "Malnu-wha?" Piped up Mihoshi, who had just walked in behind Kiyone. They had been present for the wedding, and had conceded to stay until Kamidake had returned, not wanting to miss saying goodbye to him before going back to their Galaxy Police duties. Washu sighed. Even when she put things in the simplest terms she knew, Mihoshi always seemed to misunderstand. "That means she didn't get enough food, you baka!" growled Kiyone. "Oh! Well, shouldn't you feed her, then?" Mihoshi inquired brightly (or dimly, in Kiyone's point of view). Then she finally observed that Ryoko was unconscious. "Ah, I guess she's taking a nap! Why are you all gathered around her like that? Shouldn't you just let her sleep?" Washu lifted her head. "I hate to say this, but Mihoshi's right. The best thing to do now is to let her sleep. When she wakes up, we can try to get her to eat." With those words, everyone but three people left the room. Mihoshi and Kiyone went outside so Mihoshi wouldn't klutz up and wake Ryoko. Sasami went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Ayeka hopped up the stairs to change out of her wedding dress. Yosho and Nobiyuki returned to their chess game. Azaka returned to Sasami's room to practice Darkstalkers. That left Washu, Tenchi, and Kamidake. "Washu, will she be okay?" Kamidake asked. Washu turned towards him, a glint in her eye. "What did you call me?" Kamidake bowed. "I apologize. Washu-CHAN." "That's better. Yes, she should be all right. As long as she wants to eat when she wakes up." Tenchi seemed perplexed. "Washu-chan, why would she not want to eat?" Washu looked him in the eye. "Tenchi, you should know very well why she may not wish to eat. You may not love her, but she still loves you, and she does not seem to think that life is worth living without you." Tenchi staggered backwards. "You mean that she was trying to starve herself to death? Just because I love Ayeka instead of her? Why?" Washu chuckled and shook her head. "You have a lot to learn about love, Tenchi. It's a fickle thing. You need to understand that she loves you." "This is too big for me. All I know is that I love Ayeka, and Ayeka loves me." Tenchi threw up his arms in exasperation and walked out of the room. Washu turned to Kamidake. "What about you, Kamidake? How do you feel about my daughter?" Kamidake jumped in surprise. "M-me? I like her. She is truly noble. Noble and powerful enough in fact, that I am positive that she would make an excellent knight." Washu recovered her sly look. "Hum, and do you plan on helping my Little Ryoko recover from her loss of Tenchi?" Kamidake jumped again. "Wha-what do you mean, Washu-chan? I don't know what you're talking about!" Washu grinned maniacally. "A handsome boy like you would make an excellent son-in-law, ne?" She slinked closer to him. "She is very beautiful, isn't she?" "H-hai, Washu-chan, she is." Kamidake managed to stammer out. "Hum, how do you feel about her? Kamidake? Do you love her?" She hopped from one foot to the other. "Well? Do you?" "Wa-washu-chan! I-I don't know what you are talking about!" He blinked down at the mad scientist, repeating his earlier phrase. Washu stopped hopping around and looked him directly in the eye. "You know, Kamidake, I was monitoring you and everyone else during the Kagato incident. I was quite impressed with how you looked after my daughter. You seemed to truly respect and care for her. Kamidake, look me in the eye and tell me that you do not love her." Kamidake paled in front of this protective and over-caffinated mother. "I….don't….lo-love…" He paused. His eyes wandered from Washu's face to Ryoko's serene visage. Washu's grin returned. This was exactly what she wanted. To have another man love her Little Ryoko and help her get over Tenchi. Please, Kamidake. Ryoko needs someone right now. Please be that someone, Kamidake. "W-wa-washu-chan." Kamidake was still looking at Ryoko. "I…I think I…" Washu leaned forward a little. "Yes, Kamidake? If you are going to say something, spit it out!" Kamidake sighed. "Washu-chan…I…think t-that I l-l-l-love your d-daughter" Washu closed her eyes happily. He had finally said it! But, now she wanted him to say her name. "Who do you love, Kamidake?" "I-I-I love R-ry-ryoko." "Oh, really? How much? Do you love her like a sister? A lover? Say it, Kamidake!" The last part of that was hissed, and caused Kamidake to widen his eyes at Washu in shock. She was not at all like her regular carefree self. "Kamidake! I am the goddess Washu! I order you to tell me!" "I, I love her with all my heart…a-as a l-lover." Kamidake felt weak in the knees as he uttered these words. He felt as though he had just betrayed Ryoko. She loved Tenchi, not him. But, oh God, she was beautiful. She had the most noble soul he had ever seen. She had a caring spirit and a lovely disposition, as long as you weren't on her bad side. "Good. I thank you, Kamidake." Washu snapped her fingers dramatically, causing her floating keypad to appear. She tapped a few times on it, and there was a brilliant flash of light. Once the light faded, Kamidake found himself in a strange bedroom. Ryoko was lying in the futon nearby, and he was standing beside it. A screen with Washu's face projected on it floated alongside him. "Washu-chan? Where are we? Wh-what do you want?" Kamidake paled, fearing the worst. But, Washu's face only laughed. "Oh, Kamidake, I don't want you to do that. At least not yet, that is. I need you to look after her. Watch over her until she wakes, and when she does, give her this." There was another flash of light, and a tray with a mug of something appeared. Kamidake looked at the mug curiously. "What is this, Washu-chan?" "It's my own recipe. This will restore her metabolism and rehydrate her. Oh, yes, here is something else." One more item materialized on the tray. It was a large bowl of noodles. "Here's something for you to eat. I have a feeling you may miss supper waiting on her." Kamidake thanked Washu, and then asked, "Washu-chan? Are you going to tell any of the others about my…feelings…for Ryoko?" Washu cocked her head thoughtfully. "Hum, I will, but only if you want me to." She looked a Kamidake curiously. "Do you wish me to?" Kamidake considered it for a moment. "Not yet, Washu-chan. I want to first find out if she returns my feelings. Until then…no." Washu nodded, and the screen disappeared, leaving Kamidake and Ryoko alone. "Supper's ready, everybody!" Sasami's cheerful voice called from the kitchen. She walked into the dining room, her arms laden with plates of food. "Oh, Sasami-chan, that looks delicious!" "Why, thank you, Tenchi-san! I hope you enjoy it!" "I'm sure we will, Sasami-chan. Now, Ten-chan, everybody, lets eat!" Ayeka, who was seated on Tenchi's right side, spoke this last bit. She bowed her head to Sasami in thanks. Sasami finished setting the plates on the table, and then looked about in confusion. "Ayeka, where's Ryoko-san? Won't she be joining us now that she's back?" Washu looked up from her bowl of noodles to answer her. "Sasami, Ryoko's still sleeping. Kamidake is looking after her. Don't worry, I have them in one of my rooms, in another dimension so Ryoko won't be disturbed by any unnecessary noise." Washu glanced meaningfully at Mihoshi, who was too blissfully absorbed in her food to notice. "Well, I hope she'll be okay! In fact, I'm sure she will be!" Sasami concluded, and plopped down to eat. Kamidake was kneeling beside Ryoko's futon, watching her draw in each gentle breath. He sighed miserably, knowing very well that she would never love him. "Ryoko…" he whispered, ever so quietly. "Mmm, mm, Tenchi…please say you love me, Tenchi…" Ryoko murmured in her sleep. She tossed a little. "Please, Tenchi? Say that you love me…" Kamidake leaned forward slightly, and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Ryoko." Ryoko stopped tossing and a small smile appeared on her face. She snuggled deeper into the warm covers of the futon. A sad smile made it's way onto Kamidake's face, as he watched Ryoko in her now peaceful slumber. A few hours later, Kamidake was awakened from his light dozing by a soft voice calling his name. "Kamidake…Kamidake, where are we?" Kamidake wrenched his eyes open to see a weak and dazed Ryoko sitting up and staring at his face. "Ah, Ryoko-san, you're awake! Thank goodness, I, er, everyone was so worried!" He hastily got up and went to the tray bearing Washu's mug of "something". "Here, Ryoko-san, drink this. Your mother said it would make you feel better. At least, I think that's what she meant." Ryoko nodded her head. She understood all too well that what her mother said could often be confusing. "Thank you, Kamidake." She took a sip of the still- steaming liquid (Kamidake briefly wondered how Washu could have had that thing stay hot for the hour they had been in the room. Of course, Washu was the greatest scientific genius in the universe…or so she said.) "Mmm, oh wow, this makes me feel much better!" Kamidake nervously shifted from one foot to another as he watched her lick her lips. Ryoko turned to him. "Kamidake…are we dead? How did you die…? Is something wrong?" Kamidake hastily turned his eyes from Ryoko. He hadn't meant to stare, but she seemed so hypnotizing. "No, Ryoko, we're not dead, we're-" Suddenly, Ryoko interrupted him. "You mean I'm still alive? And this is really Washu's room? I-I thought I was in Hell…and this was just a prelude to the punishment for what I've done in my life…" She sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. A choked sob escaped from her muffled mouth. "Tenchi…I've failed to escape you, haven't I? It's not fair…Hell would be Heaven compared to a life without love…" Kamidake was at a loss. He was unused to seeing his beautiful Ryoko so weak and vulnerable. She was always brave and fearless, ready to jump in and save her friends despite the odds against her. But now, here she was, huddled against herself, sobbing. "Ryoko, please, don't cry Ryoko. It'll be okay, I'm sure it will." He consoled her. She looked up at him with red eyes. "Kamidake…do you understand me? How could you possibly? Have you ever loved someone so much you would die for them? Have you wanted that person to love you in return, only to find out that they love someone else? To hold you, and whisper in your ear that their love for you was beyond anything else?" She lowered her head again. "Kamidake, how can you possibly?" She let another sob escape. How could he possibly? He understood her, he understood her all too well. He wanted to wrap his arms and whisper that he loved her over and over again. She said that she wanted love, but only from Tenchi. But, he wanted love from her. He watched her cry, dejected and lonely, huddled on the floor like a tiny, lost child. She curled up and lay down on her side. "Kamidake?" she croaked out. "Why are you here?" "Washu wanted me to watch over you until you woke up, Miss Ryoko." "Just call me Ryoko. Not that it matters…" "All right, Mis-" Kamidake caught himself. "Ryoko." He stared at her with a mixture of pity and fascination and love. Ryoko slowly cried herself to sleep while Kamidake watched over her. Ryoko awoke a half-hour later. She groggily blinked her eyes open, and it took her a few seconds to realize that someone was holding her in their lap. She was being held around the waist from behind, and whoever it was was stroking her hair gently. "Mmm, mm, Ka-mi-da-keeey…" she mumbled, recognizing the wisp of bright red hair as his. "Mmmn, lemme up. I, I have to see something." Kamidake's hand slid out from her waist. He helped her get up, and stood behind her. "What are you going to do, Ryoko?" he asked. She turned her head towards him. "I'm gonna perform an experiment…you could say." she turned back around. Squinting her eyes shut tight, she appeared to be concentrating. "Ah-ahh!!" she cried out, and collapsed. Luckily, Kamidake caught her before she hit the floor. "What's wrong?!" She shook her head frustratedly. "Damn…Washu, she put a barrier around this room! My mother…can be such a friggin' bitch!" A screen popped up in front of them both. "Now, now, Little Ryoko, is that anyway to talk about your mother?" Washu called brightly from the screen. Ryoko hissed. "It is when she's Washu! The greatest scientific genius in the universe! Ha!" Washu frowned. "Oh, well, that's when I get for playing matchmaker the old- fashioned way!" She winked. "Hee, maybe I should try my way. Now that would be lots of fun!" "What the hell are you talking about, Washu?" Ryoko spat out each word spitefully. "Nothing you need to know about just yet, Little Ryoko. The shield is down. Buh-bye!" Washu waved, and Ryoko disappeared. "Wa-washu-chan! What did you do with Ryoko?!" He ran to the screen, angry. "Ohh, nothing! I just stuck her in suspended animation for a few minutes while we talk. I was wondering: Which of my methods should we use to hook you and Ryoko up, eh?" "Washu…" "Hum, what do you think of whips and bondage?" "No." "Then what about a love potion?" "No!" She pouted. "Aw, then how about a demon's beauty contest?" He paused. "A…demon's beauty contest?" What in the world was that? He was about to ask her, when Washu suddenly beamed. "Good choice! See ya, Kamidake!" She waved again. "Wa-wait Washu, Waaaiiit!!!" Too late. Author's Note: You're probably thinking right now, "Ryoko and Kamidake? He hardly ever made an appearance in the TV series!". Yes, I know. But, Kamidake just seemed so cool; I wanted to bring him back. Silly Pioneer and AIC forgot about he and Azaka, or so it seemed to me! Oh, and you may not know what the demon's beauty contest is. I have provided below a briefing of the story. The Demon's Beauty Contest There once were two powerful beings. An evil demon, Aneordo, who wanted nothing more than the Earth's destruction. Then there was Liscania, a beautiful demoness who spent her eternity battling Aneordo. But, her eternity was coming to an end, and a new one would begin soon. Liscania was distraught, knowing that Aneordo's eternity was longer than her own. Concocting a wise plan, she talked to Aneordo. Liscania knew that Aneordo was extremely vain and proud, and thought that he knew all there was to know. She used this to her advantage. "Aneordo, I know of something that may interest you." Aneordo hissed in return, "Lissscaniaa…You are ssso beautiful. Yet you arre alssso very powerful, and block the Earth'sss dessstruction. What do you want?" "Aneordo, I wish to make a deal with you. There are two humans that can help us end this endless fight." She held up her slender hands to prevent him from interrupting. "These two happen to be royalty. They are both very lovely. I want to hold a beauty contest to see which is more beautiful." "Liscania, you know that if you lose, you will cease to exist. That is what happens when demons bet and lose. And besides, we will each argue that one is more beautiful than the other." "Ah, but you will disappear if you lose, Aneordo. And we shall not decide, the humans will." "What? The inferior humans decide in place of us? Never! They will not be able to decide. They are too stupid." "No, it is perfect! I will put them asleep, and confine them together. They will be robbed of their clothing. We will wake them each in turn, and whoever reacts the most, the other will be declared the most beautiful. Very simple." "Yes. Show me the humans." Liscania held up her hands, and two images appeared. One was a handsome prince of a man, with purple eyes and honey-colored hair. The second was a princess, with silky, black hair and intense green eyes. Aneordo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This is easy! The woman is obviously the more beautiful of the two." He laughed. Was Liscania really such a fool to let him choose first? The first demon that made his choice first got to keep his choice, despite the protestations of the second party. "Very well…I choose the man." She bowed her head, and the figures disappeared. To make a VERY long story short, the girl reacted most, meaning the male was more attractive. Liscania won, and peace was restored. The point? Both the woman and man fell in love with each other at first sight, and traveled to the ends of the Earth to find each other again. Washu is plotting…Beware… Author's Second note: Ha, that's it. Do you understand what Washu's gonna do now? Might get a different reaction from Ryoko other than love, though. Maybe murder. Watch out, Kamidake! What do you think so far? Is it really good? Does it suck? Feel free to send me any comments, questions, suggestions, and basically anything you want to tell me, 'cause I love getting e-mail, to Ryoko720@aol.com and I'll be oh-so- happy! Preview of next episode: No Need for Kidnapping! Tenchi: Sasami gets kidnapped! Where's Sasami? Ayeka: My poor little sister, what will become of her? Will Tsunami help? Washu: Meanwhile, I have invented a brilliant device to locate it! Unfortunately, an air-headed ditz ruins it! Kiyone: It's unquestionably frustrating! Mihoshi: *before fade out* Waaah! I'm so sorry!