(Spotlight comes on illuminating Washu standing in front of a red curtain.) AUTHOR: (Off camera with megaphone.) Okay Ms. Washu, whenever you're ready. WASHU: (Gives Author a hard look.) Tenchi Muyo is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The Author owns only the writing and the characters he himself creates. AUTHOR: Thanks, Ms. Washu, you were great. WASHU: (Stares at Author.) "Ms.?" AUTHOR: (Shrugs.) What? WASHU: It's "Little" Washu. AUTHOR: I'm not calling you, "Little." Forget it! WASHU: (Stares at him for another second.) "LITTLE WASHU!" AUTHOR: NO! And you can't make me! WASHU: Oh really? (reaches into subspace pocket and removes a large, metallic cylinder.) STAGE HAND: (From offstage.) IT'S AN N2 MINE!! RUN!! (Stage hands begin to run screaming from the building. Author stands up and places his hands on his hips.) WASHU: (With finger over *the* button.) Say it! AUTHOR: (Sneers) You don't have the guts. WASHU: (Grins and presses button.) The Bonds of Sisterhood Part 6: Climactic Moments: Carissia As Ryoko and PM Washu were facing off against Queen Ayeka... Tyco Z'etal, a small Carissian boy on an antigrav train for the first time, was running from window to window, looking out at the view. He ran from one side of the train to the other, pushing much older men and women out of his way, all so he could look outside at the sprawling skyline of the Imperial Capital. He made his way to a new window, pushing his way between two people in gray cloaks. He looked out the window and gave an impressed, "Wow!" He pushed against the cloaked figure on his right, trying to get more room. That's when he felt it. He turned and, being the curious little boy he was, slowly opened the folds of the cloak. The man didn't seem to notice. Tyco blinked. "Wow," he whispered at the ornate lightsword that hung on the cloaked man's belt. The man finally noticed something amiss and looked down at the boy, hugging the cloak tighter around himself. The boy looked up at the man and gasped. Even an eight year old had seen pictures of Emperor Tenchi Masaki of Terra. There was a picture of him in his school classroom. He stared up at the man in awe. He felt the second figure stirring behind him and turned, looking up into the beautiful face of Empress Ryoko of Carissia! The Empress looked down into his shocked face and smiled, bringing her finger to her lips, asking the boy to remain quiet. He nodded slowly, wondering if this experience was real or not. "Tyco!" He heard his mother calling him from the front of the train car and ran to her. Forgetting his promise to the Empress, he started speaking in an unending gush of excitement. "Mommy! Guess who *I* saw!" Tyco's mother answered him with a quick slap to his rear end and a stern lecture about wandering off. Tenchi smiled, and Ryoko giggled. "Cute kid," she commented. "You think anyone will believe his story?" Tenchi asked her. Ryoko gave him a look. "All you have to do, Tenchi, is turn on CNN (Carissian News Network) to find out I'm on Jurai. As for you," she shrugged, "There are constantly stories about people who claim to see the Emperor ordering a medium curly fries at a Galactica Burger on the west end of town. Probably not, though." He nodded and looked out the window. It was approaching mid afternoon, but the sun was still high in the sky. Ryoko had taken him to the various tourist spots all over the Capital, telling him about Imperial history and culture. One of the things that struck him was how different it was from what he saw on Jurai during his brief stay there. Although called, "The Empire of Jurai," the Capital drew on only a few Jurain elements. The architecture was a blend of Jurain and Carissian, with an emphasis on functionality and dignified beauty, almost Romanesque in nature. His father would've loved it. The clothing worn in the Capital was different than anything he had ever seen Ayeka or Sasami wear. Come to think of it, Imperial uniforms were nothing at all like the Jurain battle outfits he and Ayeka had worn during their battle with Kagato. The Empire was not just a copy of Jurai, it was its own entity. He looked out the window as the train hurtled onward, just above the buildings in the Imperial Capital. He looked down at the city streets and did a double take as he saw a bright neon sign...and understood it. Not because he had somehow managed to figure out how to read the Jurain script, but because it was written in Japanese! "What is that?" he asked, pointing at the sign. Ryoko blinked and looked down, following his finger. "That's Little Terra." "Little Terra?" She nodded. "It's the Terran quarter of the city." Tenchi turned to her. "Is Earth part of the Empire?" he asked, curious as to the state of his homeworld in this dimension. Ryoko tensed and suddenly appeared sad. "It...was," she told him, the grief in her voice painfully apparent. "Forget it," Tenchi told her. "I'm not sure I want to know." Ryoko only nodded. "Can we go there?" he asked. She brightened. "Sure. I love going there." Tenchi blinked. "I didn't think you got out of the palace all that often." Ryoko smiled. "I wasn't always Empress, Tenchi," she told him matter-of-factly. "And you Earthers make this great drink, something called a Seabreeze." Tenchi laughed. "Okay, then, let's go." Little Terra was kind of like China Town in the respect that you knew instantly when you got there. Jurain script was replaced by Japanese, Chinese, English, French, German, and a few other languages he couldn't immediately recognize. The architectural styles had changed again as well as clothing. He saw two women in Carissian clothing pointing out landmarks and taking pictures. They walked through a bazaar where Terrans were hocking "authentic Earth wares." One item caught Tenchi's eye. He stopped at the table and picked up the lightsword there. The man behind the table nodded in appreciation. "You have a good eye, friend. That sword has a lot of history." Tenchi activated it. The blue blade was lighter than his own. The handle was a copy of the Tenchi-ken. "It's a replica of the Tenchi-ken, the sword of the Imperial family. The gems are even real rubies. For a fellow Terran, I'll part with it for three hundred credits." Tenchi smiled. "Thanks, but I have a sword." They continued on. The conversation brought up something Tenchi didn't even think of before. He looked down at Ryoko's wrists. She noticed this. "Something wrong?" "Where are your gems?" he asked her. She seemed confused. "Gems?" "Yeah, I didn't think to look before, but you don't have any gems on your wrists." She seemed even more confused. "Why would I have gems on my wrists?" "They're the source of your powers, aren't they?" Ryoko's brow wrinkled. "Are you talking about the gems on the Tenchi-ken?" He nodded. "Those gems are Argalian rubies, they have no powers." He blinked. "Then..how..." She blinked in confusion. He stopped walking and faced her. "Ryoko uses three gems as a source of her powers. Usually, she only uses one, but that means she only uses a third of her power. But you have no problem using your powers." "Mom never mentioned any gems. Is it possible that they're unique to your universe?" "I guess so. It *is* weird, though." "We'll just ask Mom when she gets back, or Washu when we get back to the palace." Tenchi nodded. For some reason he couldn't fathom, this troubled him. "Come on," Ryoko said, taking his hand. "Let's get some dinner. I know this great Terran restauraunt just down the street." He smiled. "Sounds great." Washu eyed the sword in the glass case with a critical eye. The Tenchi-ken, the symbol of Imperial power rested on a vermillion pillow behind four inches of armored glass. The sword *looked* like Tenchi's but the gems weren't from Ryoko. Washu was sure of that. She looked from side to side, seeing if the Great Hall contained anyone else at the moment. Seeing no one, she opened a dimensional pocket and reached inside. Another hole opened inside the case, and her hand appeared, reaching for the sword. Her fingers paused, just inches from it and then pulled back. She heard someone coming. One of the Marine guards entered the hall. Washu eyed him. He was tall, with brown hair. Like the rest of the guards in the palace, he wore a black dress uniform complete with a black cape of rank. He saw her and walked up to her. "Good afternoon, Ma'am." Corporal Ren Tenza said respectfully. He knew this wasn't the Prime Minister. He, Rikari, Gret'an, and Nol'al had been briefed on the origins of the Empress' guests. Even though this Washu wasn't the PM, she was still held in high regard in the court. "Corporal," Washu replied with a nod. "Tell me something, what are those gems in the sword hilt?" "Rubies, Ma'am." "Hmmmmm," Washu remarked. "This gets weirder and weirder," she whispered. This universe was simply full of mysteries. The sword, the subspace fissures, the time flow rate differential. She simply didn't have enough information. She needed more. She needed to run some tests. She needed to experiment. She needed.... Samples. She looked over at the Marine and smiled. "Corporal, would you be willing to assist me in a scientific experiment?" Tenza blinked. "Well....sure. I mean, yes Ma'am." Washu grinned. "Good. Just follow me. This won't take long." Tenza took a nervous breath and followed the scientist. Sergeant Misa Rikari poured herself a cup of coffee in the guard's break room and took a healthy slug. A minute later, Corporal Wek Nol'al entered the break room, propping his plasma carbine against the wall next to the coffee machine. "Hey, Nol'al," Rikari said in greeting. Nol'al nodded at her and poured himself some coffee. "You see Tenza around lately?" Rikari shook her head. "He was supposed to meet me about an hour ago for dinner break." "Perhaps he..." She broke off as Tenza entered the room, a dazed look on his face. "Gods above, Tenza," Nol'al commented. "You look like shit." Rikari regarded him a moment. Tenza *did* look like shit. His uniform was ruffled and unkept. His shirt was untucked, and his gig line was off. He just stood there, blinking. "Tenza," Rikari asked in concern, "Are you okay?" Tenza blinked for another minute before saying, "I think I'm in love." The Empress Ryoko took another sip of the Seabreeze she had ordered and regarded Tenchi sitting across the table from her. His face wore a concerned expression. "You're worried about Sasami, aren't you?" He looked up at her. "I'm sorry, I know I promised..." "Don't be sorry," she told him. "If you weren't the kind of person who would be concerned for her, I don't think I could have fallen in love with you." Tenchi arched an eyebrow. Ryoko shut her eyes. "Tsunami in heaven, that's corny," she said, shaking her head in embarrassment. He smiled, only slightly uncomfortable. The restauraunt she had brought him to was designed to look like a typical Earth restautaunt from the twentieth century. Like all retro gimics, it did little besides making the place look corny. No one seemed to mind, however, given the amount of couples on the dance floor and the fact that every table was occupied by smiling people. The sun had long since gone down over the Capital. Tenchi and Ryoko had spent the evening talking about anything and everything and thouroughly enjoying it. Ryoko smiled at him. Suddenly, she blinked and seemed to stare off into nothingness. Tenchi looked at her in confusion. Without warning, she broke out in a smile. She turned back to him. "That was Mom," she told him. "They got Sasami! They're coming home!" Tenchi's eyes went wide. His mouth dropped open. He stared at her like an idiot. "They did it?" he whispered. Ryoko nodded happily. "They did it!" He jumped out of his chair and whooped. "THEY DID IT!!" He laughed out loud as everyone else in the restauraunt stared. He realized that he was being stared at and quickly sat back down. Ryoko was grinning at him. "Feel better now?" "Much," he told her, visibly relieved. "Good," she said. "Does this mean I might convince you to dance with me?" Tenchi grinned. "Why, I would be delighted." The two stood up and walked to the dance floor. Tenchi was unsure of where to put his hands at first, but Ryoko showed him. She grinned. "You'd be amazed at the amount of seemingly useless crap you have to be taught in order to be an effective Empress. Don't worry, I'll lead." They danced as the singer on the main stage began to sing an old Terran song in English. "All I wanted was a sweet distraction for an hour or two, Had no intention to do, The things we've done. Funny how it always goes with love, when you don't look, you find, But then we're two of a kind, We move as one. We're an all time high, We'll change all that's gone before, Doing so much more, Than falling in love, On an all time high, We'll take on the world and win, So hold on tight, Let the flight, Begin. I don't want to waste a waking moment, I don't want to sleep, I'm in so strong and so deep, And so are you. In my time I've said these words before, but now I realize, My heart was telling me lies, For you they're true. We're an all time high, We'll change all that's gone before, Doing so much more, Than falling in love, On an all time high, We'll take on the world and win, So hold on tight, Let the flight, Begin. So hold on tight, Let the flight, Begin. We're an all time high." Tenchi and Ryoko danced, moving with the song. Tenchi let himself be swept by the moment. He felt as if he were dancing on air. Come to think of it... He looked down at his feet and found that he and Ryoko *were* dancing on air. They were floating about two feet off the ground. Tenchi looked at Ryoko, who was smiling devilishly, her eyes dancing. He smiled. "It's like a dream," she told him. "Do you know how long I dreamed of this, Tenchi?" He said nothing. "I guess you can relax now. Sasami's rescued and everything's fine." She paused before going on. "I know you came here to get Sasami. You couldn't have, and shouldn't have, taken the risk otherwise." She looked into his eyes. "But I'm glad you came." She averted her eyes from him. "I wasn't going to broach this," she said, "I thought it would be bad taste, what with Sasami and all," Her voice lowered to that of a whisper. "But now she's safe and there's no longer a reason not to.." She seemed to be having trouble with this, in the grips of a fierce mental debate with herself. She came to a decision. "Tenchi do you know what would make this dream complete?" He slowly shook his head. "Tenchi...will you make love to me?" He said nothing for a long moment. He looked into her eyes, trying to see into her soul. He felt no sense of panic, none of the apprehension. Only a deep sense of longing, a sense of completeness. A sense that he had finally found something he had been searching for all of his life without really understanding what it was he had been searching for. In that moment he felt whole. "Yes," he whispered, not even consciously aware that the word had left his mouth. Ryoko smiled. She leaned up and kissed him. Tenchi was almost overwhelmed by the passion and emotion she piled into that kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and held her closer to him. When they separated, Ryoko smiled and took his hand, leading him out the door of the restauraunt. Lance Corporal Haz Gret'an stood at attention on the left side of the front door of the Imperial residence. He threw another look at the guard standing opposite of him, on the right side of the entrance. He grinned and shook his head. "What?!" Corporal Tenza asked, exasperated. "Nothing," Gret'an said, still grinning. "No, you want to say something! Out with it, Cherry!" Gret'an frowned. "Cherry," was a nickname the others had given him because he had never been in a real firefight. He had been in basic training when the surrender occurred. As a result, he had missed the war by three days. "Nol'al tells me you made time with the PM." Tenza's mouth dropped open. "What?!" Gret'an nodded. "Or her double anyway. Ms. Washu." "I...I didn...I..." He spoke in this vein for several seconds before crying out. "Eyes front, Lance!" Gret'an grinned. "Aye aye, Sir." It was at this point that the Empress and Mr. Masaki approached the front door. Despite the official reports, which placed Her Majesty on Jurai, her personal guard had been briefed on the true situation. The two guards came to attention. "Good evening, Your Majesty!" The said as one. E. Ryoko gave them a curt nod as they entered the residence. The two guards were silent. Finally, Gret'an spoke up. "So how was it?" Tenza started muttering under his breath. The words, "Nol'al," and, "dog meat," came up an awful lot. The palace was dark at this time of night. The only sounds present were their steady breaths, their footsteps, and the accelerated beating of their hearts. Ryoko took his hand and led him upstairs to her bedroom. Shutting the door behind them, Ryoko turned to face him. She leaned forward and kissed him again, her hands resting on his chest as she gently guided him to her bed. The back of Tenchi's knees hit the canopy bed, and he fell backwards, pulling E. Ryoko with him. She landed on top of him, still kissing him passionately. Tenchi took the initiative, rolling on top of Ryoko. She giggled in joy and nuzzled his neck. She undid the clasp on his cloak, pulling it off him. Tenchi followed her example and began unbuttoning her blouse. What followed was as much a spiritual experience as a physical one. Clumsy at first, like all new lovers, they soon fell into a natural rhythm, each responding to the emotional as well as the physical needs of the other. It was Tenchi's first time, but he felt no reluctance, no hesitation, no fear, only the deep emotional bond he shared with this woman, and the pure need to be with her at that very moment. All other concerns were forgotten. The rest of the universe ceased to exist for the both of them. At that moment, they *were* the universe. Anything else was irrelevant. Hours later, Tenchi rested against the soft violet pillows as E. Ryoko snuggled up to him. The last thing Tenchi felt before falling asleep was the warmth of her body and the last sound he heard was the gentle sound of her voice say, "I hope you gave me a son." The sun rose over the Capital the next morning, heralding a new day. As light poured between the curtains masking E. Ryoko's bedroom window, the Empress of Jurai's eyes opened. For a second, she thought she had dreamed the whole thing and was relieved and overjoyed when she felt Tenchi stir next to her. She smiled, closed her eyes, and moved closer to him. She thought about him, about last night. The only other man she had ever been with was the Emperor, and, for him, the physical part of their relationship had been nothing more than a cruel game for him to play. She shuddered as she remembered. But Tenchi had shown her that there was more to it, so much more, and for her, a woman who'd only known the cruel side of intimacy, it was a stunning and earth-shattering realization. It was at that moment that she swore, whether in this world or his, to never leave his side. She sighed contentedly now that the decision was made. Still asleep, Tenchi didn't hear her. She felt like celebrating and decided that that's what she was going to do, and it would start with breakfast in bed. Her brow furrowed in annoyance. In order to do that, she'd have to get up, and she didn't want to do that at all. A normal Jurain or Carissian woman would have been out of luck, for her, there was a simple solution. She closed her eyes, and another another her appeared at the foot of the bed as she split her consciousness. The two Empresses opened their eyes. "Keep my side of the bed warm, okay?" The standing half, told the one still in bed. The bedded Ryoko smiled and nodded. She threw on a robe and quietly slipped outside. With her consciousness split, she could go to the kitchen *and* enjoy Tenchi's warmth at the same time. She got to the kitchen to find most of the staff already at work. Ryoko made a quick search and found her target, an aquamarine haired woman who was calmly directing the other cooks in the early morning chaos that was labeled, "breakfast." The Empress smiled and walked up to her. The head chef saw her approach and performed a quick curtsey. "Good morning, Your Majesty." "Good morning, Zenya." Zenya Kadoka, the head chef for the Imperial Palace smiled. "Is there something I can do for Your Majesty?" "As a matter of fact there is, Zenya. I need a special breakfast in bed. Something Terran." Zenya smiled mischievously. "Did Your Majesty have a guest over last night?" Ryoko smiled. From anyone else a question like that would've been considered lese majesty. Ryoko knew, however, that Zenya meant no disrespect and would be quite happy for Ryoko if the Empress told her yes. "And champagne," Ryoko told her, instead. Zenya didn't press. "Earth brand?" Ryoko nodded. "Hmmm," Zenya said, placing her finger to her lips in thought. "I *think* we still have a bottle of Bollinger left. Earth champagne is pretty hard to come by." "Whatever you have would be fine, Zenya. I trust you." Zenya nodded, and Ryoko stood aside as the chef set her cooks to work. As she watched, she felt a new presence in her mind. Ayeka briskly walked out of her room and down the hall. For the first time in a week, she was smiling, grinning as a matter of fact. She had just received a message from Tsunami and Ryoko. Sasami was saved. They were on their way home. And she was going to be the one to tell Tenchi. She had the entire scenario worked out in her mind. She would find him, tell him about the message, and hug him. He would be so overjoyed that he would kiss her, and instead of pushing him away or arguing that she was not a woman of loose morals, she would kiss him back and continue to do so until they collapsed from lack of breath. She suppressed a giggle. Sasami was safe. Everything was going to be all right now. She stopped in front of Tenchi's room and knocked. She took a second to adjust her hair and waited... And waited... She blinked and knocked again. Still no answer. She was about to knock a third time when she heard a noise from down the hall on her right. She turned her head and saw the Empress walking toward her room carrying a covered tray, a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Two glasses... The implication of this hit Ayeka like a pile of gold bars. She shook her head in disbelief. She stormed up to the Empress, who looked up and noticed her for the first time. "Princess..." Ayeka didn't spare a word. She walked right up to the door of the Empress' bedroom and opened it. The Empress' other half looked up. Tenchi was still asleep. Ayeka turned white. She was having trouble breathing. She shook her head. She suddenly felt ill. The Empress was speechless. "Princess, I..." she didn't know what to say. She hadn't meant for Ayeka to find out about her and Tenchi like *this*. Ayeka said nothing. She stared at the Empress with bald hate in her eyes. When she did make her feelings known, it wasn't with insults or tears or questions. It was with a slap. The left side of E. Ryoko's face began to turn red. Her hand went to her cheek. She said nothing, startled into silence. Ayeka didn't spare her a second glance as she ran down the hall, tears flowing freely down her face. The Empress found her voice and turned to stop her, but hesitated as a thought popped into her head, She stood there for a moment longer, the tray still in her hands. She threw her other half a look. The other half sighed and nodded. E. Ryoko pushed thoughts of Ayeka aside, entered the room, and shut the door behind her. Author's Notes: (Author crouches behind a dumpster as a mob of both Ryoko and Ayeka fans chases him, throwing bottles, rocks, molotov cocktails, stop signs, chairs, and the occasional Volkswagen at him.) AUTHOR: Jeez, you try to bring a story into the world and the Tenchi shock troops try to shut you down! RYOKO FAN 1: (From off camera.) There he is! AYEKA FAN 1: Let's get him! (Mob lets out a roar. Author face faults and takes off down the street, the mob right on his heels.) ANNOUNCER: (From off camera.) Don't think it can't happen to you. Stop Tenchi related, mob violence. Before someone *you* know is targeted. This commercial is brought to you by the Save 009 Foundation. Okay, other stuff: The song sung in the Terran restauraunt is, "All Time High," as performed by Rita Coolidge. Thanks for reading. Please send C&C to: Tom "009" Doscher at doscher009@hotmail.com Despair not! This story is barely halfway done!