Disclaimer: Tenchi and company are property of AIC and Pioneer, I don't own them nor did I influence their creation. I do, however, own Tai, Ruindo, Genea, Genumai, Zylome, and Arien's character. Chapter One: Thinking of a Paradise -Poem secretly written by Aeka. Tenchi was walking down the dirt-paved road, heading for home. He had to sigh, the hardest part about every school day was when he went home. Of course, Ryoko and Aeka made that much obvious when he entered through the door. Tenchi started to purposly walk slower, evidently responding to his hard thinking as he passed his sacred Masaki shrine. "Funny how everyone at school loves when they go home. I myself, hate that feeling." Tenchi was walking past trees, bushes, and brush, his heart skipping beats as his 'beloved' house came into view. "Tenchi! Have a nice day at school?" Aeka gave a sweet and lifting voice as she got up from her sitting position. She flew back her purple-blue hair by pure instinct and raised her beautiful eyes to meet his as Tenchi returned a smile. This was the way he liked it. Aeka was the sweet sensitive girl that he had singled out as his type. Plus she was royalty, with the sweet charisma and patience that was borne into her. Tenchi liked that in a girl. Willing to wait until he was ready to commit, and didn't take advantage of him or hurry him along the way. But with every advantage, there was a disadvantage. She kept all her feelings that had anything to do with him inside, and besides that, because she was so intraverted as far as the subject stands, Tenchi felt more uncomfortable around her, he didn't even now where to bare his grounds. The fact that Aeka's crush was painfully obvious made everything worse before they got better. If only Tenchi knew it was real. If only she could just them him it was. "Something wrong, Tenchi? You seem distant." Aeka stepped up to him. Of course Aeka knew that Tenchi was just doing his usual pondering or just keeping everything to himself like always. She just wanted a reason to talk to him, a reason to get closer to her beloved prince. Tenchi turned a shade of deep pink, instinctivly scratching his head as he gave off an uneasy smile. "Me? No, I'm fine Ayeka. Just thinking that's all." He went on the defensive. He secretly cursed himself for even thinking what he had thought, he shouldn't think about those things looking at her in that sense. He was better than that, therefore his mind wasn't cleansed in the maturity that he had saw himself to behold. "Want to walk back to the house?" Tenchi implied, secretly making up for the dirt his mind had dug up. "That would be nice." Aeka said, while inside her head, she was giving praise for her good fortune. Alone with Tenchi on a beautiful day, a romantic walk through the forrest, what could be better? "Ohha!" Aeka stumbled on a misplaced rock, missing the grab for the tree and about to hit the soot when Tenchi jumped in front of her with the speed that had come from excessive training, catching on to her kimono mid-way through the fall. "Are you alright Aeka?" Tenchi had a great deal of concern in his voice, looking down at the princess who lay rested against his stomach. "Yes Tenchi, Thank you." Aeka said as Tenchi helped her to her feet. This very event reminded her how happy she was to have not went to the bath house. Back at home, she found out Ryoko had occupied it with her devilish presence, therefore giving Aeka the idea to meet Tenchi alone. Tenchi noticed something. He seen her cheeks turn red, then he noticed that his hands were accidently aimed for her backside, right below her torso to be exact. "Sorry about that." Tenchi cringed, then quickly backed off, his face almost pink. Despite the situation, Tenchi couldn't help thinking to himself that he wished he could continue holding her. "It's alright, you were just helping me up." Aeka said, looking at the ground. She hoped that Tenchi would just ask her if he could hold her again. Just another touch would mean the world to her. "You deserve an award." Ryoko was standing on the doorstep when Tenchi and Aeka finally arrived. *She's not fooling anyone!* Ryoko became paranoid. "That fake fall-over trick was the best I've ever seen you do Aeka!" Ryoko commented sternly as she crossed her arms. "Why you manipulating little twit! I wouldn't dream of it, but I'm sure the idea crossed your mind Ryoko." Aeka called back defensively. "I'm going to the bath house, hope I don't see you later Ryoko!" Ignoring the princess, she got down to business, "So, hows my little Tenchi doing?" Ryoko cooed as she laid against Tenchi's shoulder. "So far so good." Tenchi rolled his eyes as he went into the house. "You know Tenchi, if you feel the need to grab on to someone, all you have to do is ask me." "Ryoko........." "Or maybe I can make a suggestion....." "Ryoko!" "Maybe I can decide and we'll go from there?" "Ryyyyoooookkkooo!" Tenchi sat down with Ryoko for some special cajun miso along with Juraian's special sweet-tea. Yosho-sensei had always said it helps sooth your kii. Yosho always being that kind of person. Although Tenchi was preoccupied with his lunch, he couldn't help thinking about Ryoko. He was less embarrassed around her than Aeka, but that very issue was odd to him. Ryoko was the one that took advantage of him at moments notice, the one that made it known how she felt, the one that wanted to make love. Why did he not mind being around her? Did he actually have feel-- well, let's not go that far. Ryoko looked at Tenchi in that way that she usually did, always wondering what he was thinking. She wasn't like Aeka, always asking about the little things that Tenchi needed and if he was feeling alright from time to time, making it painfully obvious what she wanted and how she felt; would it even be considered the next step if she just told him? She didn't think so. But Ryoko was different, she showed Tenchi the brave and unafraid woman, the willing woman. *At least I can be a little more formal with my affection* Ryoko thought with a slurp of her cajun miso, but that didn't hide the obviousness of each girls status-quo. Ryoko had to sigh, although Aeka was a stubborn snot, she had to be doing something right to keep bagging Tenchi like this. *Maybe I should just let her have him* Ryoko thought. She looked across the table at Tenchi, who was drinking his tea with the calmness of a stalking owl. He caught her in the corner of his eye and managed a smile. *With a face like that, no chance! besides, I like him.* Ryoko pondered, proud of the fact that she could truly say that she liked someone without fear unlike some purple-head she knew. Of course she told Tenchi she loved him, but he only took it as a crude joke. Maybe she wasn't saying it in the right manner, maybe it will come when she gets to be alone with him, gets to look into his eyes and know the time is right, then it would happen. *Only if I knew he loved me, and said it to me, that's the only way it would work out. And as long as Aeka--* "Something wrong, Ryoko? You haven't finished the soup yet." Mayuka implied. Myuka was fixing her left pony-tail, the beautiful bluish-green arched over both sides of her head. She was staring at her dad as usual when she noticed Ryoko. "Nothing Mayuka, everything is fine. I'm just not as hungry as usual these days." Ryoko could barely finish. "Done! Mayuka, you want to play with Ryo-ohki?" Sasami walked out of the kitchen with the little cabbit in her arms. Mayuka nodded, "Uh, huh!" "C'mon! Let's go!" Sasami took the headstart through the door. "Wait for me!" Mayuka called after. "Careful around the forrest you two!" Tenchi called. "Oh-kay daddy!" Mayuka yelled back. Tenchi and Ryoko were finally alone. Tenchi seemed to passely ignore the atomosphere of the situation, sipping his tea as usual. He didn't even look up to Ryoko's usual body language, it was all too old. He had enough of looking at a womon who promoted her body when it was just them two. "Tenchi........." Ryoko had quietly said across the table. She figured the heck with it, she might as well be honest about her feelings, plus she wanted to see his reaction for the record. Besides, it wasn't like she was Aeka. All she had to do was be sincere. "Yes, Ryoko?" Tenchi finished his tea and looked up. He knew where this was going, but he was too mature and civil to just ignore her like a child. This was it. "I, I lov--" Ryoko was interupted by Yosho calling down to Tenchi from the upstairs. "Tenchi-san, it is time to start your training now!" He calmly ordered. Tenchi jumped up from his seat and ran upstairs to retrieve his kimono gi, leaving Ryoko to be alone. "Well now, that was a success. Maybe I can go help Washu or something." Ryoko said before she saw Yosho beat her to it. "Don't worry about helping Washu, I need ask a favor of her." Yosho said as he went down the stairs. "I guess it's the roof again." Ryoko shrugged as she flew up and phased through the ceiling. "Sei, hooya!" Tenchi made silent battle cries as he tried out some new tactics. He decided it would be good to try some moves without the bokken for now. Katsuhito-sensei had trained him in the art of hand-to-hand before, but only enough to to protect himself until he could get his bokken or Tenchi-ken in any case. Tenchi tried a few karate punches and some Judo leg sweeps, followed by Kido roundhouses and another Kung-Fu air double-roundhouse called the hurricane-kick; he still couldn't get that one right. Tenchi used a Kung-Fu stance called the crane, his knee upward as his arched. He used this technique to do a cartwheel-tuck-n-roll right to where his bokken was, picking it up and raising it to his chest as if he were fighting an opponent. "Not bad." Tenchi told himself. He valued his ken and his training just like his sensei, Yosho. All of this was realling paying off, since he remembered the first time he trained, which was as soon as he turned four. Tenchi remembered a boy that was with him his first three years of training, a boy that he could never beat until the last time they sparred at seven years old. He was his cousin, a person Yosho-sensei had called Tiger because of his ability to have the most cunning and strongest attack along with the most agile evasion. Yosho-sensei had trained 'The Tiger' personally, leaving Tenchi to be wary until he was turning thirteen. Then Yosho had trained Tenchi in the art and left Tiger to train himself. Although Tenchi didn't know for sure, he always suspected Yosho-sensei had taught a different key to Tiger. "Your kii is getting stronger." Tenchi told himself, remembering what Tiger had always said to him after he beat Tenchi. "Yes I guess yours is a lot stronger too Tiger! Or should I call you by your real name, Tye." Tenchi chuckled to himself. He raised the bokken once again, and began to continue his excercise. Ryoko sat on the roof as usual, catching glimpses of Tenchi training and also thinking to herself. Aeka was in the lead, she was the one Tenchi had feelings for, she knew it inside, she just wouldn't except it. Ryoko had to question the very essence of her feelings for Tenchi. She had to admit she liked him, but was she just using him for a sex-symbol? She didn't want to answer although she could feel a bit of truth surfacing from it all. It was obvious he would be better off with Aeka. She was royalty, she would do anything for him, she could please him almost as well as her, and she had a little sister who could cook her buns off. What more could a man want? *I can't believe I'm giving Aeka my blessing* Ryoko shook her head. Then she looked at Tenchi completing the rest of his training and heading for the bath house. *I can't decide if it's love or lust. I could be just trying to over-repay him for saving me or something, who knows?* Ryoko buried her face in her knees. "Hello Tenchi." "Hi Aeka." Ryoko flew up and got a better view. Aeka entered the door to the Masaki household as Tenchi entered the bath house. Suddenly, a devilish idea came to her. "Aeka will steal him away if you don't do something." Ryoko told herself as she landed firmly on the ground. "Tenchi usually takes twenty minute baths," Ryoko looked at the front door to the Masaki house, "it'll take about ten minutes for Sasami to ask for everyone at the table." Ryoko smiled as she looked at the bath house with more interest than usual. "It's time to take Aeka a little farther away from Tenchi's mind......." *Tenchi, why do you make me suffer like this....* Aeka thought to herself. Did Tenchi have feelings for her? Would he tell her if he did? Did she have to make the move? Aeka was filling her head with questions like she was an invited guest on a quiz show. Aeka was getting wary, she wanted Tenchi so bad she felt as if she could pounce on him at first glance. She obviously didn't want to take Ryoko's approach, she could tell she was doing a lot better using a more lady-like mantality. However, the fact remained Ryoko was the one that had an easier time getting to Tenchi, which wasn't her idea of a success story on her part. *I love you so much, but your closer to Ryoko it seems. I should just let Ryoko have you if that's the way it is.* Aeka sighed. "Something smells nice, and I don't mean clean skin." Ryoko sniffed the air as she caught glimpses of Aeka. "Speak of the devil." Aeka mumbled as she sat at ease, looking down at the table. Sasami giggled dispite herself, "Oh, you know Ryoko, just the stuff you like." she turned from the steaming pan and winked. Aeka winced, "If that's the case, I'm not hungry!" Aeka barely kept from getting too loud. "By the way, are you serving soon?" Ryoko gave an evil smirk. "Uh huh," Sasami shook her head, then she put on a puzzled face, "almost everyone is here, all we need now is Tenchi to arrive. I don't know where he is!" Sasami gave off the impression that she was pouting. "I do. I'll get him." Ryoko turned to leave. *That's your cue, Aeka!* Ryoko couldn't help her wide grin. "It's alright Ryoko, I'll tell him to come in the house. I doubt you were around when I last saw him, I don't want anyone to look for him if they don't know where he really is." Aeka got up. "I'm fine Aeka, I can get him from the bath house." Ryoko said with a laugh as she opened the door. "How do you know about that! I was the only one around! You were spying on Tenchi weren't you!? I'd better get him to be on the safe side, you stay here." Aeka said as she went outside. Ryoko flew over Aeka, landing about three feet away from where Aeka was standing as she broke into a run. "Not if I get there first!" Aeka was too angry to comment as she followed suit, tailing the cyan haired pervert as she kept close pace. *Good, this is working better than I expected* Ryoko thought between strides. She had to think fast for the rest of her plan to work. She knew that whoever gets in the bath, they put up a curtain Washu made to seperate theboys from the girls, which meant whatever gender went into the bath, they divide the whole bath house so any other man can bathe and any other woman can as well. *Aeka would usually call him out from the girls side, but she's so mad right now that she won't notice! This is bliss!* Ryoko was making a good plan even better as she purposly let Aeka gain speed. The plan was about to take action. "This is the life." Tenchi breathed out as the warm water lapped around his waist. His finger tips barely touched the water as a result to his elbows resting on the concrete, with his head arched back, facing the sky. His eyes were closed as he thought about Aeka and Ryoko. He loved both of them dearly, he loved every girl in the house, with Washu as a certain exception. Somehow he couldn't see himself looking into the love Aeka and Ryoko expected, and how could he? There was problems on both parties that wanted to make him back away as soon as subject was brought to court. There also was the problem that he could only truly love one person, and even if he told one he loved her and everything worked out, the other would be crushed. Tenchi saw an image of Ryoko flying away in Ryo-ohki, crying her heart out at the sight of Tenchi with Aeka. *I'm sorry Ryoko...." Tenchi thought to himself, but not before seeing another image. Aeka was crying in the forrest for what looked like days, then going back to Jurai with Sasami after seeing Tenchi with Ryoko. No matter which way Tenchi sliced it, the path he will choose is going to be a harsh one. Even if he took another girl like Kiyone, both girls would be hurt, and he'd rather have only one if any at all. "Why can't they both be just one person!" Tenchi sighed as he went further into his inner monologue. He saw another image. Aeka and Ryoko were both in trouble. Two cloaked figures stood over the girls. A person that was dressed in the similar jurain uniform Tenchi wares when he summons the Tenchi-ken was fighting one of the cloaked figures while the other was fighting Ryoko. For some reason Aeka was unable to move and Tenchi sensed she was in grave danger. Ryoko was also risking her life against all odds trying to fight off the second cloaked man. Tenchi knew he would have to make a choice, but which one was a mystery. They were both nearing death and it was up to him to decide who was worthy of him to save. Suddenly, everything turned red asTenchi awoke. *Was that a premunition?* Tenchi had to wonder. He heard footsteps coming from the right side. As he turned to look, he thought he saw Ryoko there but she vanished without a trace. Instead, Aeka took up the image as she put on a desperate face. "Why you! I should-- Tenchi!" Aeka's cheeks flushed with red as she saw the hansome boy from the waist up. "Ahhhhhhhh! Aeka!" Ryoko only listened through the wall for a few seconds before she left for the house. "Well now, that was pretty mean," Ryoko had to smile, "but it sure does a number on the competition!" At dinner, Ryoko was keeping quiet a little more than usual, which made everything obvious to Aeka. "That she-devil thinks she can trick me! Ruining my chances with Tenchi and making it seem like I'm on the same level as she!" Aeka made occasional faces at the plate as she ate her rice. She had just been through a 'I'm surprised at you,' lecture from Tenchi. As she was unable to explain and blurted out that it was Ryoko, Tenchi almost became angry and ashamed at Aeka for blaming her problems on someone else that wasn't even present. Aeka had too much emotions running through her to even speak. "Lord Tenchi?" Aeka kept her tone low and soft, ready to give a full apology for a false. "Not now Aeka....." Tenchi said, his tone of voice still in shame. *I'd expect something like that from Ryoko, but not Aeka. Barging in on me like that and blaming it on Ryoko?* Tenchi looked up at Aeka in thought. Usually Aeka looked back at him, red in the face because she was flattered that he would even take the time to look at her. Now, Aeka didn't even move her head from the table. "I understand....." Aeka sounded as if she were about to cry as she stood up from she seat, heading upstairs. Tenchi's first impluse was to stop her, but he ignored it as he spooned up some more ramen with his chopsticks. He looked over at Ryoko, who returned an unusually happy smile, putting her hands together and closing her eyes as if she had a halo on her head. "I'll be upstairs." Tenchi got up from his seat as he turned to leave. Ryoko lashed out and held his arm, "What for? You haven't even finished your meal yet, besides, I'm not finished with you." Ryoko winked. Tenchi snatched his hand back, looking at Ryoko in a way that made her feel like she was three feet tall. "There are some things worth saying and doing in order to help yourself. But what you never realize is that it was never worth it, and people only see you for what you really are!" Tenchi ran up the stairs. Ryoko flushed with anger and fustration, feeling guilty all over. She suddenly mumbled a curse and slammed her fist against the table, startling Sasami and Mayuka. Tenchi turned to Aeka and Sasami's room. He was about to knock, but he suddenly felt the urge to quietly slide it open. "Tenchi hates me!" Aeka sobbed, face buried in her hands as she sat on her top bunk. Aeka wiped her face as she ended the crying spree, laying down on the bunk. "Please fogive me, Tenchi! I didn't mean for this to happen, I want to continue being around you. If I couldn't be with you for one second I don't know what I'd do." Aeka layed to the slide, facing the wall, "I love being with you, I love being around you. I love you, I love being in love with you, and until you say you love me so we can be together, I won't stop trying to be nearest to you...." Tenchi quickly and quietly slid closed the door, walking into his room as if he were a zombie, dumping himself in a laying position on his bed in heavy thought. *Aeka loves me, Aeka really loves me. Aeka loves ME!* Tenchi couldn't help but feel somewhat flattered by the whole ordeal. Finally, after all this time, he found out Aeka's feelings. Heard her, in her own voice and words, say what he hadn't even fully anticipated. To tell the truth, he didn't know how to react to it all. Aeka loved him, he had feelings for her as well, all that was left was the approach. How would he tell her, how could he tell her? What about Ryoko, how would she react to all of this? "With all of the problems at hand, there's really no cause for celebration." Tenchi mumbled. Tenchi needed someone to talk to, someone to talk to him. They would share their fellings, and he could get some things off his chest that he couldn't tell anyone present at his house. Tenchi found himself thinking of his old friend and forever cousin, Tye. Tye was only a little older than he, a boy whom he could share his feelings, just like in the old days. "If only I knew where you were," Tenchi looked up at the ceiling, head rested on his hands, "there is so many things that happened! If only you were here to experience them. I can only wonder where you are now, and hope all is well." "So, can you do this for me Washu." Yosho asked the scientist calmly. Washu turned from the monitor, "I won't be able to teleport him here until tommorow afternoon, but are you certain about this? This could be a really dangerous burden we are carrying here." Washu went over the scenario. "We have to keep him isolated here for his and our safety, Washu. When the time comes, he will be the key tool in ensuring our benefit." Yosho placed his hands behind his back. "You and I know very well what this could mean if it turns into what we think it will, and I don't mean just to the people of this household." Washu warned. "Yes," Yosho's glasses flashed, "it could mean the end of the universe as we know it.........." There's my first chapter in this series, I hope you liked it. Please E-mail me with any questions or comments you may have for me, your input really helps me out so I know I can continue this series with no problems. Watch for "Chapter two- Hero's Love" in the Hero of my Heart Saga. Thank's Gensao for taking the time to look at this, and thank you for reading!