Tenchi Muyo! What Happens Next?
A Tenchi Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald
A Reprise From the Ordinary: Tenchi Rocks!
Note: I don’t own any of the characters in this story, nor did I make any
of them up (well,
except for Hiro....) I just decided to write a story about them. I’d say
that’s one of the
biggest forms of flattery out there, to have such a great story that
other’s want to write
about it. So please, this is a fan appreciative story, don’t sue me for
using your stuff OK?
(Believe me, you wouldn’t get too much any way....)
Also good to note is that the bands and music mentioned in this story are
also not my creation. Lyrics are not my creation either. That said....

        *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *
*       *

        “Tenchi, can I ask a favour of you?” Sasami poked her head into the
living room.
        “Sure Sasami, what do you need?” Tenchi replied.
        “Could you run to the store and pick up some onions? We seem to be
out...”
        “And you need some for dinner?” Tenchi asked.
        “Yup!” Sasami bounced back into the kitchen.
        Tenchi stood and looked around. His dad was taking a nap on the
couch a
few feet
away, and Washu sat by his side diligently. She had been waiting on him
hand and foot for
almost a week and she still had tons of energy. Tenchi wondered how she
did it.
        Walking over to the dining room, Tenchi found Hiro and Ayeka playing
cards.
        “Gin!” Ayeka said happily and laid her cards out beofre Hiro. The
young
man
inspected them for a moment, then shook his head.
        “I just can’t seem to beat any of you in any card game....” he
looked
slightly
miffed.
        “Hey, does anyone want to go to the store with me?” Tenchi asked on
his
way
through.
        “Sure!” they both responded.
        “Anyone seen Ryoko?” Hiro asked.
        “She said something about sun bathing and Mercury before she took
off in
Ryo-Ohki with Mihoshi.” Ayeka said.
        Hiro and Tenchi looked at each other. Hiro just shook his head and
they
walked
into Nobuyuki’s office.
        Tenchi walked over to the box on the book shelf that his father had
for
petty cash
around the house. He flipped open the lid and reached inside. He pulled
out two bills.
        “Uh....” Tenchi reached inside again, but came up with nothing. He
looked at the
money.
        “We’re gonna need some more cash guys...” Tenchi said.
        Hiro looked in his wallet and pulled out three bills. They counted
their
total.
        750 yen.
        “Well, at least we can buy the onions...” Hiro said.
        “Why isn’t there any money?” Ayeka asked.
        “Because Dad hasn’t been to work in almost a week and a half!”
Tenchi
smacked
his forehead, “He always replenishes the petty cash from his pay check!
He hasn’t gotten
one in two weeks!”
        “So what do we do?” Hiro asked.
        “Well we need money to eat and to finish fixing the holes that got
blasted in the
house...” Tenchi gulped, “I guess we’ll need to get jobs.”
        “We?” Ayeka asked.
        “Well, I can’t get a job that’ll pay as good as what Dad makes, and
even
if two of
us got jobs, we still wouldn’t be making that much. Three or four of us
though....” Tenchi
trailed off. They’d all have to find jobs. And soon.
        “I guess we’ll start looking tomarow.” Hiro said.
        They all sighed.

        Ryoko wore the same outfit she’d worn the night they’d come into
town to
fight
the KalMor. She held a news paper in one hand, and she slapped in against
her theigh as
she walked. Unrolling it and glancing at it, she sighed. The classified
section was open to
her, and there were seven different cirlces where she’d marked jobs she
wanted. Six of
those were crossed off.
        She walked up and stood in front of the seventh. The sign said
‘Ryo’s
Gentalman’s
Club’ and Ryoko knew what that meant. The job said bar tender, and she
just hoped that’s
what it meant.
        Walking inside, she looked around. There was one stage set up at the
far
end of
the building, and a floor full of tables in front of it. Along the right
wall ran a bar, with
every possibal liquer imaginable in a huge glass and mirrior case that
ran all the way across
behind it. There was one man standing behind the bar, but other then
that, the place was
empty.
        “We don’t open ‘till five!” the man called to her, “If you’re here
for
the amature
night tonight, come back then.”
        “Acually, I was responding to the ad in the paper that said bar
tender
wanted.” she
called back and walked over to the bar. It had a smooth oak finish, and
brass trim. Classy.
        “Well then...” the man looked her up and down. He himself was of
average
build
and height, with cheery green eyes. His hair was black, and trimmed
short. A thin line of a
beard ran along his jaw line. “Do you have any experiance?”
        “Doing what?” she blinked at him.
        “Bar tending...” he arched an eyebrow.
        Ryoko had never acually applied for a job before now. She was
guessing
that’s
why the previous six interveiws didn’t go so well. But she did have
experiance. She’d
mixed drinks on different planets back in her pirating days, before she
destroyed them.
Earth liquers were different obviously, but she’d learned an awful lot
about them in her
short stay on the planet.
        “I know how to mix drinks, and I can identify most liquers.” she
finnally stated.
        “So you’d probobly need a little training. That’s not a problom.
Most
people who
want the job do, but I have to say, you’re accually the first girl that’s
wanted the job.”
        “Most are probobly too embaresed to work at a strip joint.” Ryoko
snorted.
        “Gentalman’s Club,” the man corrected her, “and I think you just
might
have the
edge that I need. A girl bar tending... can you dress sexy?”
        Ryoko took off her jaket and set it on the bar.
        “Right,” the man smiled, “Now, can you handle yourself? It get’s
pretty
rowdy in
here sometimes...”
        Ryoko reached over the bar and grabbed his shirt front. She lifted
him
off the
ground with one hand. He laughed nervously. She put him back down.
        He stuck a hand out, “My name’s Ryo. What’s yours?”
        “Ryoko.” she said taking his hand and shaking it.
        “Well Ryoko, when can you start?”

        Ayeka backed into the confrence room with a platter in her arms. She
smiled
cheerfully at the assembled men, all middle aged, and all either fat or
bald, or both. She
wore a woaman’s buisness skirt, with matching blouse and jaket, and
violet high heals.
Her earings were also violet, and her violet hair was offset quite nicely
by the whole get
up.
        It made her feel odd not having her crown on, but Tenchi had
insisted
that she not
wear it to work. Not that they would have cared here or not. All they had
her do all day
was sort files, take letters, and bring them coffee.
        She made her round of the table, dropping off each cup and repeating
to
the men
what they ordered along with their names. She’d found that it made them
feel better (and
therefor more likely to give her a raise) if she knew all of their names
and smiled a lot. She
set the last cup on the table.
        “There you are Mr. Yukimano, one coffee with two creamers and four
shugers, a
jelly doughnut with sprinkles, and a Yum Yum Bar. She set the pastry and
the candy bar
down next to the hot coffee and stepped back. Mr. Yukimano was the
fattest of the lot of
them, and really didn’t need all the sweets, but Ayeka obliged him.
        “Thank you dear. Oh, could you possibally be at my office after the
meeting here?
I need you to take a letter.” he responded.
        “I’d be happy to sir!” she responded in a cheerful tone.
        “Very good then. You’re dissmissed.”
        She turned to leave at the words ‘very good then’ becasue that’s
what
Mr.
Yukimano always said before he dismissed her. Having turned around
though, she’d left
herself a prime target.
        She froze in midstride as she’d been walking away. She turned slowly
and
glared at
Mr. Yukimano. He was already going back to talking to the others in the
meeting when he
noticed them staring over his shoulder. He looked back and saw the
princess.
        “Yes, Ayeka, what can I do for you?”
        “You pinched me!” she wispered.
        “Excuse me?”
        “You pinched my ass you sick, perverted, old, fat man!” she slugged
him
in the
face. He pitched over backwards, out of his chair.
        “I QUIT!” she thundered at the rest of the assembled men. They all
just
nodded
with looks of fear on their faces. Ayeka stormed out.

        Tenchi slapped another price tag onto a CD case. The music store
where
he
worked now was always having him do this. It didn’t bother him at all, it
was easy work
and easy money. He just didn’t like the responibility that came with it.
        For almost a week now, every day he’d caught a shop lifter. Either
on
their way
out, or just taking something. He couldn’t belive the high rate of crime
that passed
through the place every day. Two days earlier he’d caught seven theifs in
just the one day!
        As he glanced over to his left he saw that today wouldn’t be any
different. A
young man about his age had just slipped a CD into one of his large coat
pockets. Tenchi
sighed and turned to the guy.
        “If you put that back now, I wont turn you in...” he said in an
exasperated voice.
They young man looked up at him and scowled.
        “Just mind your own damn buisness, man. This place is a rip off
anyway...” he
turned and walked away.
        “Hey!” Tenchi called after him, “This is my buisness!” he started to
chase the guy.
The young man looked over his shoulder and saw Tenchi coming after him,
so he ran. So
did Tenchi.
        The owner of the store came out of his office and heard Tenchi
yelling
something.
Without looking up from his clip board he called out, “Tenchi! Could you
help me move
some stock?”
        The shoplifter ran by, followed a few seconds latter by Tenchi,
“Busy
right now
sir!” he yelled as he increased his speed.
        “Oh, carry on then.” the owner walked off to find someone else to
help
him.
        The shoplifter was almost to the door. He only had a few more feet
and
then he’d
be on the street and home free...
        “Gotcha!” Tenchi yelled as he lunged and hugged the guys legs. They
both
hit the
ground with a thud and the CD skittered across the floor. The shoplifter
was half in and
half out of the door. He strugled to his feet and tried to run out to the
street.
        “Oh no you don’t!” Tenchi ran after him. He was suprised when the
young
man
whirled around and threw a punch at his face. Almost without thinking
about it, Tenchi
blocked the blow, punched the shoplifter across the jaw, kicked him in
the ribs, and then
spun around and lashed out with his foot, catching the poor young man
across the side of
the face, and plowing him into the side of the store.
        Tenchi sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He leaned
against
the side of
the building as the police came running up.
        “I can’t take too much more of this...” he said in an exasperated
voice.
        “Thank’s again Tenchi.” one of the officers said as they cuffed the
dazed thief and
dragged him off.
        Tenchi just nodded and walked back inside.

        “You’re home early.” Yosho commented as Ayeka walked in the door.
She
tossed
her purse on the sofa and plopped down next to it. Yosho was standing in
the door way.
He was just on his way back to the shrine.
        “I quit....” Ayeka said in a voice that bordered on dispare.
        “Hmmm.....” Yosho nodded.
        “One of my bosses pinched my...” she trailed off as her face turned
slightly red.
        “I see. Then it is a good thing you left. You’ll find another job,
Ayeka.” he turned
and left then. She sighed. Maybe a soap opera would cheer her up. She
flipped on the TV.
        After about fifteen minutes of watching she was compleatly
enthralled.
She was
almost drooling.
        “See ya latter Ayeka!” Ryoko called as she floated through the
living
room.
        The princess sat up straight and looked around. She spotted Ryoko
and
sat back,
“Are you off to that dreadful place again then?”
        “Yup! Hey, I heard about you quitting from Yosho just a minute ago.
Tough
break.”
        “At least it’s expected for fat old men to hit on you at your
job....”
Ayeak said.
        “I would have hit him in the face.” Ryoko grinned.
        “I did.”
        “That’s my girl!” Ryoko hugged her. Ayeka sighed again.
        “You are rubbing off on me too much Ryoko.”
        “You know you like it. See ya!”
        “Good bye.” Ryoko floated out through the door and Ayeka waved. She
turned
her attention back to the TV then.
        After another ten minutes she was enthralled again. She leaned
forward
as the
scene unfolded.
        “Yes, kiss me!” the woman breathed with passion in her voice.
        “I love you, Tia!” the man said as he pulled her to him.
        “There’s something I must tell you though...” the woman said.
        “What? What could possibally matter now that we’re together?”
        “I’m not Tia! I had surgery to make me look like her... I’m
acually-”
        There was a loud noise then. A very, very loud noise. Ayeka couldn’t
hear
anything but the noise. The whole house shook.
        After the noise had fadded, the sound from the TV could be heard
again.
        “Then we must get rid of her so that we can be together!” the man
was
saying.
        “But who the hell is she?” Ayeka screamed. She flipped the TV off in
disgust.
Didn’t who ever just made that horrid noise know that Nobuyuki was
probobly trying to
sleep?
        She looked around. Where was Nobuyuki? Ayeka wandered over to the
lab
door.
A note there was scrawled in Washu’s hand writing.
        “Gone to Paris. Back in two days?” Ayeka read aloud. The noise
sounded
again.
She quickly tossed off her jacket and ran in the direction she thought it
came from. The
large storage shed....
        She kicked off her heals as she ran and flung the doors open. She
almost
fell over
when she looked inside.
        Hiro stood there, dressed in jean shorts and a T-shirt. That was not
unusuall for
him on warm days like the one they were having. What was strange was that
he wore a
guitar, strapped around his neck. It was plugged into a speaker stack
that was taller then
him.
        “Oh, hi Ayeka.” he said, turning down the gain so that they could
talk.
        “What are you doing?”
        “We were bored, so Washu gave us all this cool stuff!” came Sasami’s
voice.
Ayeka looked up and almost had a heart attack on the spot. Her little
sister sat behind a
set of drums, twirling a stick in the air. That was not too bad, but she
was also dressed like
a drummer. She wore short spandex shorts that showed off her smooth young
legs, and
was barefoot. Her top was a white tank-top, under which could be seen a
black sports bra.
Her hair was pulled up into a long pony tail behind her head instead of
her usual cute pig
tails.
        Ayeka stormed forward, “Sasami! That is no way for a Princess of
Juri to
dress
and act! Come down from there at once!” she stood before the small raised
part of the
floor that Sasami’s drum kit was set up on.
        “No!” Sasami yelled back.
        “What?” Ayeka was in shock.
        “There’s nothing wrong with this Ayeka! It’s just a little band
we’re
starting!” she
was right. Ayeka really couldn’t think of any reason (other then
indignity) that Sasami
shouldn’t be alowed to play in a band with Hiro. It wasn’t like they were
on Juri it’s self...
        “Very well then. If you refuse to leave then I will let you stay.”
she
turned and
walked back to Hiro, “And I hold you resonsibal for her!”
        “Hey! It was her idea!”
        “What?!?”
        “Yeah, I mentioned to her and Washu that I knew how to play guitar
and
they
came up with the rest!”
        “So this is Washu’s doing! Is that why she ran off with Nobuyuki for
two
days?”
        “No, Sasami wanted the band. Washu just gave us the stuff and took
Nobuyuki
away so that we could practice a little and see if we like it. She said
she’d sound proof the
room if we were going to keep at it.” Hiro shrugged.
        “So....” Ayeka was confused. Her little sister? Sasami? Cute little
Sasami?
        “Hey! Are you going to teach me some songs or what?” Sasami yelled
down
at
him.
        “Yeah, ya little rebel! Just hold on for a second!”
        Rebel? Was she really rebelling from Ayeka’s athority? Why did she
suddenly feel
like a mother....
        “Oh this is rediculous!” Ayeka shouted and stamped her foot.
        “What?” Hiro asked, turning back to her.
        “I’m getting all flustered because Sasami wants to do something
different, when I
myself have defied our parents by remaining here, and now I’m even
sleeping with
Tenchi!” she slapped a hand over her mouth.
        “Ayeka!” Sasami said with wide eyes from behind the drums, “I knew
you
and
Tenchi were dating, but....” she stood up on her drum thrown and pumped a
fist in the air
with a huge grin on her face, “Yeah! Way to go Sis!” she yelled and
laughed.
        “Sasami!” Ayeka said in shock. But then she started to giggle. It
was
only natral
she supposed. Sasami was growing up fast after all....
        “I’ve heard you singing to Sasami to help her sleep at night before
haven’t I?” Hiro
asked her suddenly.
        “Well, yes I do. I had voice lessons on Juri for forty odd years...”
        “Wow! You have more experiance then most profestional singer!” Hiro
smiled,
“How would you like to sing for us, Ayeka?”
        “I.... don’t know...” she hadn’t thought of that. She could be in
the
band with her
sister. Then she would be able to keep an eye on her herself...
        “What kind of music would I be singing?”
        Hiro smiled wickedly, “Have you ever heard the words, ‘Hard Core’ or
‘Hard
Rock’, Princess?”

        Ryoko tossed a bottel over one shoulder and caught it with her other
hand. She
poured the drink, tossed the bottel back over her shoulder, and caught it
again. The booze
went back in it’s spot in the huge liquer case.
        “Tripple whisky on the rocks!” came a call from down the bar. Ryoko
poured it
and tossed the ice in it in a matter of seconds. She slid it down the
bar. “Hey! Thanks!”
came the greatful reply. The man slapped a few bills down on the bar, and
Ryoko snached
them up quickly. She stuffed them into her pocket.
        “One Mudslide if you will, baby!” another man called out from three
stools down.
        “Coming right up!” Ryoko yelled back to be heard over the blaring
music.
She
mixed the drink in under a minute and handed it to the man. He held a
1000 yen bill out to
her.
        She snatched it in her mouth and growled at him. He grinned and
walked
off.
        Ryoko loved her job.
        “You’re doing good Ryoko!” Ryo called from down the bar where he was
pouring
a drink for someone else.
        “Told ya’ I would!” she yelled back.
        “Hey! Show me yer’ tits!” a drunk man yelled, almost right in her
face
as he leaned
over the bar.
        Ryoko punched him in the face. He was thrown back a few feet and
landed
hard.
The bouncers came and dragged him away.
        “Hey.” Ryo was right next to her. She started. Hadn’t even heard him
come up
next to her.
        “You know, if you like the tips, there is another job I think you’d
be
really good at
that would make you a lot more....”
        Ryoko didn’t reply. She looked over to the stage where the dancer
was
just pulling
off her skimpy bra.
        The space pirate bit her lip and reached for another bottle as a new
order was
called out.

        Tenchi plopped down on the couch. It had been a long day. Two more
shoplifters,
more then half the CD’s tagged, he’d cleaned and resorted the stock room,
and worked
cash for almost three hours past his quiting time.
        He wasn’t being paid enough for all of this....
        At least he could come home and relax to some nice music...
        He pulled out the new CD he’d bought with his discount. It was a
collection of
clasical music that was supposed to sooth and relaxe. He wanted to try
the romance
collection with Ayeka soon, so he’d buy that tomarow. For now though....
        He popped the disc into the CD player, and was just about to hit the
play button
when he heard something. He listened more carefully.
        Suddenly, he heard a sound like two sticks being clicked together,
and
what
sounded like Sasami yelling, “One! Two! Three! Four!”
        Where was she any way? And where was dinner?
        That thought was blasted out of his mind a moment latter when the
music
started.
Loud music. Rock music. Comming from the shed.....


        Tenchi opened the doors to the shed and was almost blown away
(litirally) by what
he heard and saw. Hiro was wailing away on  guitar and Sasami was
pounding on a drum
set behind him The speaker stacks were huge! A lone micraphone stood
between the
guitar stack and the bass stack, but no one was there.
        The two who were playing didn’t seem to notice Tenchi. Hiro was
concentrating
on playing what looked like a very fast and very difficult riff, and
Sasami was going nuts
on the drums. She had her hair pulled back into a pony tail, and was head
banging to the
beat she pounded out. Her blue hair flew about wildly.
        When the song finnaly ended, Tenchi walked forward in awe. Had Hiro
taught her
all of that in one day?
        “Tenchi!” Sasami cried, “How are you?”
        “What the heck is going on here?” Tenchi asked.
        “We formed a band!” Sasami said with glee, “And Ayeka joined it too,
‘casue she
quit her job....”
        “Wha-? Why’d she quit?”
        “Some ass hole pinched her butt.” Hiro said.
        “Oh...” Tenchi was angry all the sudden. Some one was pinching HIS
girlfriend’s
rear?
        “Don’t get too pissed man. She decked him a good one.” Hiro grined.
        “Where is she anyway? And what does she play?” Tenchi looked around.
He
saw
an area set up for drum snthisizers and turn tables, and one for
keyboards. Then there was
the mic....
        “She sings.” Hiro said simply.
        “To that?” Tenchi asked.
        “No, mostly she screams to that...” was Hiro responce. Tenchi
stumbled
back.
Ayeka? A hard core rock singer?
        “No way...” he said with a smile, “You’re kidding, right?”
        “Hiro, I don’t see why I have to do this...” Ayeka said as she
walked
into the shed
with her head bowed down, looking at her out fit. Tenchi turned around
and let out a little
noise that sounded like, “Eep!”
        Ayeka’s eyes shot up and she froze. She was wearing one of Ryoko’s
short
black
mini-skirts, and a white blouse, opened half way down the front. Under
it, a red sport bra
like Sasami’s could be seen, but it showed much more cleavage. Her hair
was pulled up
into a top knot, held in place by four gold bands. Her crown was still
there, but with the
hair pulled back from her ears like it was, it was much more visble. She
wore ruby earings,
and her lips matched the color. The make up on her face reminded Tenchi
of some of the
hookers they’d seen in town before.
        “Tenchi... I...” Ayeka couldn’t find any words.
        “Ayeka... you look.....” Tenchi couldn’t find word either, but found
himself oddly
aroused by the way she looked.
        “I’d say you look like one hard core bitch!” Sasami yelled from her
drum
set.
        Everyone turned and looked at her. “What?” she said with a shrug.
        Tenchi turned to Hiro, “How in the world did you manage to turn
Sasami
into a
foul mouthed drummer, and Ayeka into a sex kitten singer?”
        “I didn’t really. I just saw the way Ayeka was starting to act when
we
were
rehearsing just a few minutes ago, so I told her what to wear and she put
it on. Sasami just
kind of became that way on her own....” Hiro scatched his head, “It is
kinda’ weird for just
one day though...”
        “No kidding!” Tenchi smiled at his freind. The princesses were both
looking for
release. The pressures of everday life for them was increadibal. Now
after the whole
incident with the KalMor, they needed to get some of the tenstion out of
their bodys and
hearts and minds. Hiro had suplied them with the means, and they had run
with it.
        Hiro came to the same conclustion at almost the same time. He smiled
back at
Tenchi.
        Tenchi mouthed a silent, “Thank you.” to Hiro, who just nodded his
head.

        Ayeka looked up from where she’d been staring at her black stileto
heals
(also
taken from Ryoko’s closet) and saw Tenchi walking up to her. She looked
back at him
with fear, defience, love, and longing, all at the same time. He took her
in his arms then,
and she was shocked.
        “Have fun dear.” he said.
        She nodded in a daze and walked over behind the mic.
        “Now let’s show him what he can do!” Sasami said.
        She banged the sticks together again. The music started again.
        Tenchi was moving with the sound after a few minutes. He grinned ear
to
ear.


        Ryoko got home at three in the morning. All the lights were still on
in
the house,
and there were what sounded like amplified voices coming from the shed in
the back.
Floating over to the wall, she walked through it into the shed.
        Ayeka and Hiro were talking, and the mic was picking them up. They
were
discusing how the vocal for a particular song fit into the music. Ryoko
was amused and a
little suprised to see all the equipment.
        Then she saw what Ayeka was wearing.
        “Oh.... my..... God.....” she said as she floated over and circled
around the
princess. Her black skirt and her shoes.... Ryoko had no idea where the
sport bra had
come from. Probobly Washu by the way it seemed to fit. Ayeka looked
nervous under the
scrutiny of the space pirate.
        “You’re not angry that I borowed your skirt and shoes are you
Ryoko?”
she
asked.
        “And my lip stick too...” Ryoko replied as she studied Ayeka’s make
up.
        “Well... it went nicely with the ear rings that I had, and I knew
you
had it....” she
stopped there.
        “How’d you know where all my stuff was?” Ryoko asked.
        “I just went up to your little room to look for it and found the
extra
dimmentional
closet that Washu must have put up there for you....”
        “Mom wanted me to have some place to put my stuff after our little
shopping
trips.” she said, “Ayeka, I must say that you look hot!” Ryoko laughed in
spite of her self.
        “Well... thank you... I think...”
        “And I’ve been looking at strippers all night!” Ryoko said with a
loud
burst of
laughter. Hiro and Sasami cracked up. Tenchi smiled and giggled a little,
but stopped
when Ayeka shot him a look.
        “Any way, Hiro, is it possibal for you to make the verse just a few
bars
longer so I
can fit the extra line in?” Ryoko drifted over to Sasami and looked down
at the little
drummer as Ayeka and Hiro continued talking. She shook her head and
laughed.
        “What is eveyone laughing at me for?” Sasami asked her with an
annoyed
glare.
        “Probobly that you’re the sexiest little kid in Japan right now....”
Ryoko replied.
        “Huh?”
        “I’ll do your make up for next time okay?” Ryoko winked at her.
        “Okay!” Sasami brightened.
        Ryoko floated over to Tenchi and sat down in mid air next to him,
“What
happened while I was gone?” she asked in wonderment.
        “A combonation of Washu’s genius, Hiro’s musical tastes, and Ayeka
and
Sasami’s need for some release....” Tenchi responded.
        “Wow...” was all Ryoko could say as she stared at the transformed
group
before
her. Hiro did look good with a guitar....
        Tenchi yawned, “Now if you’re just getting home, that means it’s
really
late, and I
have to open tomarow. I’m going to bed. Good night everyone!” he called
out.
        “Good night Tenchi!” chorased back everyone else.
        “We’ll run through it just this one last time and then we’ll call it
a
night.” Hiro
informed everyone.
        Ryoko listened as the band played. Ayeka sure did have a set of
lungs on
her. She
could scream like nothing else, and then switch right to singing in an
enchanting and sexy
tone. The pirate apluded when they finished, and then floated up the
steps with Hiro.
        “So you guys are gonna’ be a band huh?”
        “Yeah. We’re pretty good. We still need a lot of work though...”
        “After just starting today? How’d you teach Sasami the drums so
fast?”
        “I told her to hit ‘em as hard and as fast as she could. From there
she
just practiced
for an hour or two while I wrote the riffs for that song we were just
playing.”
        “YOU wrote that?” Ryoko was impressed.
        “It’s nothing too big...” Hiro shrugged.
        “It’s good! You should be proud.”
        “Thanks. I’m beat, how ‘bout you?”
        “I could sleep for a month... if I needed sleep.” Ryoko grined.
        “Why didn’t I get that power from you?”
        “Just not that lucky I guess....” Ryoko shut the door behind them as
they walked
into Hiro’s room.

        Ayeka lay in bed and stared at Sasami. She and her sister had both
kind
of gone off
the deep end. It had taken her almost a half hour to get all the make up
off that she’d put
on, and Sasami seemed so much... ruder now....
        Ah well. It was for the better. They’d practice again tomarow, maybe
even write a
new song. Hiro had taught Sasami how to play a few American songs on the
drums that
he knew on the guitar, and she had to learn the English vocal for them.
She’d never
bothered to learn any other lanugages on Earth, so she didn’t know what
English was like
really. Hiro had told her it was hard, but so was Yulgarian, which
consisted of several
different tones of humming, several clicking patterns with your toung,
and a few whistles.
(Yulgarian’s were an insect like people...)
        The princess’s throat hurt, and she was exusted. Maybe Tenchi would
want
some
compony tomarow night, but right now, she just wanted to sleep...

        Tenchi walked in the door of the house to hear the music going
strong.
Ryoko
floated by, dressed for work and bobbing her head to the sound. She
noticed that Tenchi
held a disgusted look on his face.
        “Your job sucks that much, huh?” she asked.
        “Yeah.... it did.” Tenchi shook his head.
        “You quit.” Ryoko said. It was a statement, not a question.
        Tenchi nodded, “I got sick of having to chase down shop lifters.” he
said, “I’m
doing the polices work for them while they sit and eat doughnuts all
day.”
        “I guess I’ll just have to make a few more tips now...” Ryoko
sighed.
How was
she going to get the money they needed to eat by herself?
        “I’ll get another job soon Ryoko....” he assured her.
        “Alright. Hey, I’ll see you guys latter. Oh, and wait until you hear
the
new song. It
rocks!” Ryoko laughed as she floated out the door.
        Tenchi sat down on the couch and opened up the news paper he’d
brought
home
with him. He looked over the classified section quickly. Something caught
his eye.
        Jumping up, Tenchi read it again, then dashed to the shed. He
barreled
in and
tossed the paper to Hiro, who caught it and opened it to the spot Tenchi
had been at.
        A large ad in the middle of the page stood out to him. He read it
aloud,
“Wanted:
Bands to play at area rock club. Must be able to suply own equipment and
trasnpotation.
For audition, call....” he trailed off as a loud humming noise hit his
ears. It ended ubruptly
with a click.
        Hiro looked up to see Tenchi with the bass straped on. He was
fumbuling
with the
imput jack to the bass stack. Hiro walked over and helped him out,
showing him where to
plug in. After adjusting the levels a little he stepped back.
        “Not liking the job at the music store?” he asked.
        “I quit that job.” Tenchi said, “Now how do you play this thing?”

        Ryoko foated back in the door at half past four. She’d worked late
to
make a few
extra tips, and felt almost dead on her feet. Work shouldn’t be more
tiering then fighting
intersteller super criminals and sub-space monsters.... should it?
        She winced as the noise hit her. It was so early in the morning...
what
could posses
them to still be practicing? Ryoko ansawered her own question a few
seconds latter when
she identified a new sound in the brutal mix of noise.
        “They found a bass player!” she said aloud. Not that she could hear
herself say
anything, but she still said it. Floating over to the shed she walked
right in and looked
about.
        Tenchi was playing bass? And he was good at it?
        Ayeka was screaming something in a different language. English was
Ryoko’s best
guess, but she’d have to ask Washu to be sure. Whatever it was sounded
good, and that
gave the pirate a little energy back. She began to bob and weave in the
air.
        The song ended and she clapped for them. They all looked up as if
seeing
her for
the first time.
        “Hey babe!” Hiro called to her.
        “What’s shakin’ hun?” Ryoko yelled back. The ringing in their ears
was
too loud
for them to communicate in any way but through yelling.
        “We have a whole four songs we can play now!” Ayeka squealed in
delight.
        “And Tenchi’s really good!” Sasami added.
        “I’m not that great....”
        “Sure ya’ are, Tench!” Hiro said. He turned back to Ryoko, “What
time is
it any
way?”
        “Half past four.”
        “Oh my!” Ayeka said, “We should go to bed!”
        “That’s what I’m thinking.” Ryoko smiled.


        In the upstairs hall way, they all chatted for a minute, then went
to
their respective
rooms. Almost to their respective rooms. Ryoko walked into Hiro’s room
behind him, and
Ayeka walked into Tenchi’s room before him, leaving the new bass player a
little
embaressed as he glanced at Sasami.
        The young princess smiled and made pumping motions with her hips
while
winking
at him.
        Tenchi facefaulted.

        Kiyone knocked on the door of the Masaki home. She and Mihoshi had
come
to
the house at Hiro’s request. Something about wanting them to hear some
music and tell
him what they thought.
        “Whatever.” Kiyone thought to herself as she stood waiting with her
blond freind,
“As long as Sasami is cooking dinner tonight....”
        Washu opened the door and motioned them in. Kiyone looked at her
funny
and
thought how odd it was for the scientist to not be in her lab or tending
to Nobuyuki. What
was going on here?
        “Wealcome!” Tenchi said from a short ways away, “You’re just in time
for
dinner!”
        “Thank’s for having us over Tench....” Mihoshi trailed off as she
looked
at the
young man, “Tenchi, why are you wearing that funny shirt?”
        Kiyone was about to turn around and smack the detective for being so
rude when
she saw the shirt herself. It was a normal shirt in all respects, except
that it was polyester,
silver, and reflective.
        “Uh.... Hiro said it was something about my stage pressence...”
Tenchi
replied, and
quickly walked off.
        “Washu....?” Kiyone looked for the red haired woman but found she
was
gone as
well. Sasami bounded into the room.
        “Come on you two! We want to eat quick so that we can play for you!”
she
said
and then turned and ran back through the door. Kiyone saw that she was
bare foot,
wearing only short cut-offs and a white tank top that the bra straps were
showing through.
She shook her head.
        What had Hiro done now?
        Dinner was excelent as usual. Sasami beamed over her creation as
everyone
commented on how good it was. Kiyone finnally got up the nerve to ask the
question that
had been bugging her all night around the time that desert was being
served.
        “Um... why is everyone dressed like this?” she asked looking around
the
table.
        With the exception of Nobuyuki, Washu, and Yosho, everyone else was
dressed
like they were some kind of delinquits. Tenchi with his shiny shirt,
Sasami with her state of
half dress, Ayeka seemed to be wearing more make up then Kiyone was sure
she’d ever
put on herself in her whole life and was wearing a VERY seductive outfit,
Hiro had a
spandex black mock turtle neck on, and was wearing what looked to be...
eyeliner? Ryoko
wore a dress that dropped to half way down her shins and was slit up both
sides almost to
her hips, and showed much too much cleavage.
        “I guess that make’s Ryoko dressed normally as well....” Kiyone
noted.
        “It’s part of our stage pressence.” Hiro commented.
        “What are you talking about?”
        “We formed our own little band.” he waved her next question aside
before
she
could ask it, “You’ll see after desert.” Kiyone just shut up then. No use
in asking further
questions when one of Sasami’s deserts was being set before them....

        Mihoshi walked out of the shed first, and then Kiyone. Washu noted
that
they both
had frazeled hair and seemed to be walking as if they were in a daze.
Ryoko came out
next, jumping around and shouting.
        “Wow! That was great! What a really cool set!” she hugged Washu,
“You
done
good mom!”
        “Indeed,” Nobuyuki replied, “A little too good...”
        “Oh, now don’t be too hard on them, dear.” Washu scolded him,
“They’re
just
being young and restless. It’ll pass in a few weeks....”
        “At least they’re not destroying my house.” he said with a sigh.
Just
then a chunk
of plaster fell from the ceiling and landed on Ryoko’s head. She brushed
it off with
annoyence.
        Nobuyuki sighed again and let Washu help him back into the living
room.

        “So what’d ya think?” Hiro asked Kiyone as they sat on top of the
tallest cliff he
could find in the area. They’d flown off after she’d regained her wits so
they could star
gaze. Ryoko had frowned, but let him go when he promised to entertain her
latter that
night.
        “It was.... loud?” she said in a cautious tone.
        “Come on, Kiyone....” Hiro said with a smirk.
        “Alright.... I like it. I guess I never really was that big a fan of
Earth music, but I
didn’t know they played that kind. And when did Ayeka learn English?”
        “I taught her the words and a few basics the other week. She picked
it
up faster
then I thought she might....”
        “What was that song about.... the one with the screaming and the ‘We
dance to all
the wrong songs...’?”
        “Oh... that was a band called Refused. They wrote that song about...
well I’m not
to sure acually. They’re some pretty twisted guys.... The song is called
New Noise.”
        “Oh. That was good.”
        “It could use some of the electronic effects that they put in it,
but we
don’t have a
person for keys or the synthisizers....”
        “I would jump up and say that I’d do it, but aside from the fact
that my
job keeps
we away all the time and I’m a GP officer to boot, my musical talent
extends about as far
as karioki singing and that’s it.”
        “Damn...” Hiro snapped his fingers.
        “Let’s get home. I don’t want Ryoko to kill me.”
        “Alright. Oh, and not that I expect to get any kind of constructive
ansawer out of
her, but could you ask Mihoshi about the set too?”
        “Why do you want so much feed back?”
        “I’m looking into setting up a gig in town in a few days here. I
just
wanted some
oppinions before we went and made fools of our selfs.”
        “I think you’ll do great.” she peeked him on the cheek.
        Hiro smiled at her, then grabbed her belt. His smile turned into a
grin
of pure evil.
        “Hiro! Nooooooooooo!” Kiyone shirked as he took off as fast as he
could.


        “We got it!” Tenchi said as he ran into the shed.
        “What?” Ayeka asked.
        “The gig we wanted!” Tenchi was excited, “The audition we had the
other
day
when the guy came and saw us perform? He loved us! Booked us for three
shows, three
weekends in a row!”
        “That’s great!” Hiro gaped, “No one gets three weekend shows their
first
gig!”
        “So we’re that good huh?” Ayeka smiled.
        “I knew we were...” Sasami blew it off like it was no big deal, “We
gotta’ hit it
hard now guys! Let’s go! Rehearsal in ten!” she wandered off to warn
Washu and
Nobuyuki that they’d be playing shortly.
        “She’s a little slave driver isn’t she?” Hiro commented.
        “Yeah....” Tenchi and Ayeka said in unison.
        “Oh! Hey, can you three practice without me for a bit? I wanted to
head
into town
and pick up some more stuff.” Hiro said.
        “Sure, I guess, but why don’t you just ask Washu?” Ayeka was
confused.
        “Nobuyuki said that if we’re gonna’ practice in his house and try
and
make money
with the band, then we should buy our own stuff, with the exception of
what we already
have.”
        “Oh....” Ayeka shook her head in amusement.
        “Tenchi, can I grab some cash out of the box for the suplies then?”
        “Sure, I guess. Just don’t take all of it. We need to eat you know.”
        “Alright. I’ll be back in an hour.” he left.
        “I guess we’ll practice our song number four. What did Hiro call
that?”
        “He named it, ‘Ryoko’s Theam.’” Tenchi growned, “And the bass line
is
hard as
hell!”
        “Quit whining!” Ayeka gave him a playful shove him at the bass
stack,
“Get that
thing on and warm up the amps!”

        Hiro stepped into Nobuyuki’s office and walked over to the box of
petty
cash.
Popping it open, he was suprised to see it over flowing with bills. Where
had all the money
come from?
        Ryoko. She must be working her ass off. Still, there was a lot of
money
for just
tips for a bar tender. She must be really good. Or was there another
explination?
        Hiro frowned.

        The night had finnally arived. Hiro, Sasami, Ayeka, and Tenchi all
stood
in the
wings, waiting to be annonced so they could go out on stage. They had a
blistering
opening tune planed, one that Hiro had written for that express perpous.
If all went well,
then they would be the talk of the town in the morning.
        Sasami seemed about to burst at the seems. She had grown so hyper
that
Hiro had
acually restrained her in a bear hug once to hold her down. Of all of
them, she was the one
who wanted to play the most. It was all anyone could guess as to why she
had suddenly
grown so sick of her cuteness and shyness. Hiro had unleashed a monster.
        Not that Ayeka was much better. She was nervous this night, more
then
any other
time before. Her out fit consisted of a halter top, Ryoko’s short black
mini-skirt, knee high
lace up boots (Ryoko had bought them special for her) and large amounts
of gold jewelry.
Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail high on her head, so that it
cascaded down her
back and around her shoulders. Her make-up was the deffinition of the
word, ‘slut.’
        Hiro and Tenchi seemed at ease in their own stage get ups. Mostly
black
and red,
both of them wore skin tight shirts and bagy black pants. Tenchi had
spiked his hair up and
Hiro’s request, but hadn’t gone quite as far as his freind. Hiro’s hair
was spiked up, and
out, and left and right.... all in a strange and random mess. It had also
gone from being
black like it normally was to bright red. Tenchi could have sworn that it
looked like
Washu’s hair....
        Sasami was dressed in her normal drumming cothes, and twirled her
sticks
now in
anticipation. Ayeka’s hands shook with worry.
        Tenchi took one of the elder princesses hands and squezed it,
“You’ll be
great.” he
wispered as they heard they’re names called.
        “Ladies and Gentalman....” the MC paused for dramatic effect, “The
Jurians!”
        They had chosen the name based on the fact that three of the four
band
members
were Jurian, and no one on Earth would know what it was.
        Ayeka walked out to the mic and stood with her legs spread slightly
to
her sides,
one hand on her hip, the other hanging loosely at her side. She looked
down at the floor,
as Hiro had instructed her to do, before the set started. She heard the
whining of the guitar
as it launched into a solo intro to the song. Taking a deep breath and
letting it out, Ayeka
looked up at the crowd.
        There were at least two hundred people out there on the floor alone!
How
could
she sing for them? What gave her the right? She felt her body tence...
        And then the hit came. The pounding, thrashing, violent noise hit
her
like a wall
and jarred her out of her frozen state. Hiro’s advise before the show
came back to her,
        “Hear the music. Don’t think of the people as people, just as
objects
that move
when they hear the music. Move with them. Make them want to move with
you. Own
them. You are their world now...” Ayeka smiled.
        She began to move with the music. Her head banged as she gripped the
mic
with
both hands and her long lavender hair flew about wildly. The intro was
almost over and
she’d have to start the first verse in a few seconds.
        A strange feeling came over her. She felt something in her gut
trying to
claw it’s
way out. It pulled up through her body, into her throat....
        A primal scream ripped the darkened club as Ayeka opened her mouth
to
let the
beast out. She hit the verse with all her will behind it.


        Kiyone stood in the back of the club and watched as Ayeka screamed.
Impressive.
She’d seen some people screaming in her time as a GP officer, and that
was deffinetly a
scream to be proud of.
        “Come on, Kiyone!” Mihoshi said as she ran up to her supirior
officer
and grabbed
her hand, “Let’s go!”
        “Where are we going?” Kiyone asked as she let her self be pulled.
Mihoshi
couldn’t hear her or wasn’t trying too, because she didn’t respond.
Kiyone looked up to
see where the blond was dragging her.
        The pit.
        “Mihoshi! That’s a mosh pit!” Kiyone screamed as they were enveloped
in
the
swarm of people slamming into one another as the music raged and Ayeka
screamed for
all she was worth.
        Kiyone slugged one guy in the head, and then shoved another away.
Some
one
slammed into her. She pushed back. A man fell from crowd surfing and
landed on
Mihoshi. Kiyone dragged him off of her and helped her friend up. They
grinned at one
another.
        Back to back, the two GP woman defend their position in the sea of
bodies know
as the mosh pit.

        Tenchi woke up with a start. He looked around and found himself on
the
couch of
his house. When had he come home? The last thing he remembered was some
guy on
getting on stage, and Ayeka knocking him off, then ripping off her top
and singing some
more in just her lacy red bra...
        Something about Hiro jumping into the pit seemed to make sence
too....
        Looking to one side, Tenchi’s fears were confirmed when he saw Ayeka
sleeping
next to him, the tatters of her top laying about her, and a smile on her
face. On the next
couch, Hiro was sprawled out. His lip was swelled, and there was a bruise
forming under
one eye. He’d been in the pit alright...
        Sasami was curled up next to him, shivering slightly. She was using
his
body heat
to stay warm.
        Ryoko appeared suddenly and dropped a blanket over the two. She
smiled
down at
them as Sasami snuggled closer to Hiro and he rolled onto his back.
        The pirate floated over to Tenchi and Ayeka next and dropped another
blanket on
them. She stood back and inspected them for any wounds like Hiro’s and
then noticed
Tenchi staring back.
        “Oh!” she said softly, a little shocked, “Good morning Tenchi....”
        “Shhhhh.....” he shushed quietly, “Can you teleport me out from
under
Ayeka?”
the princesses legs were draped across his lap.
        Ryoko reached out and hugged his head. When she unwrapped her arms
from
around his eyes, they were in the kitchen. Nobuyuki sat sipping coffee,
and Washu was
fixing a small breakfast.
        “Should I throw a few more eggs into the pan?” she asked without
turning
around.
        “And some more bacon too.” Ryoko replied, “Thank’s Mom.”
        “I’m just never gonna’ get used to you calling her ‘Mom’...” Tenchi
smiled and
shook his head.
        “If your old man’s not careful, you might be calling her Mom soon
too!”
Ryoko
cackled, jabbing Tenchi in the ribs with an elbow. She turned around and
Washu was
standing on a chair in front of her. Ryoko gulped.
        The spoon whacked her on the forehead quickly and sharply.
        “Ow! Hey what was that for?” she demended of her mother as she
rubbed
the sore
spot.
        “For making fun of your dear old Mom!” Washu said in a cute voice.
        “Little Washu...” Tenchi smiled, “Do you have to be so hard on her
all
the time?”
        “Yes, I do Tenchi. You see, I don’t want you and that other boy in
your
band
corrupting my poor daughter and turning her into a freak like the rest of
you Jurian
nobals.” she smiled and jumped up as she pinched his cheek, “And call me
Auntie Washu!”
        “Okay, Auntie Washu....” Tenchi rolled his eyes and glanced at
Ryoko,
who did
like wise.
        “So, you guys made the paper.” Nobuyuki said.
        “We did?” Tenchi was shocked.
        “Yeah... let’s see.... ‘Loudest Band Ever to Rock at the Crossroads
Club.’”
Nobuyuki read the head line, and then the caption under it, “The Jurian’s
blend Ameriacan
counter culture with their own unique riffs to form a new breed of hard
rock music.”
        “Wow.” was all Tenchi could say.
        “Told ya’ you guys were good!” Ryoko exclaimed and whacked him on
the
back.
        “Yeah, and we made this too!” Tenchi pulled a wad of bills from one
of
his
pockets.
        “Oh. That’s nice.” Ryoko smiled and nodded.
        “Nice? That’s a lot of money!” Tenchi said.
        “Well,” Ryoko pulled out a much larger wad, “I made almost twice
that
last night
alone.” she snatched the bills from Tenchi and added it to her stack,
“And all of this goes
into the petty cash box.”
        “A wise woman to save money like that.” Nobuyuki nodded, “Tenchi,
why
didn’t
you pick the one who’s not a freak?”
        “Dad! Ryoko’s always been a freak!”
        “Well thank’s Tenchi!” Ryoko glared at him.
        “I didn’t mean it like that! I am dating Ayeka after all....”
        “I see your point...”
        They all looked at each other and burst out laughing.


        Kiyone slammed into another young man and blasted him a few feet.
She
really
enjoyed the mosh pit. Especially when the Jurian’s were playing. She’d
been down for a
few other bands since her friends first show, and they all just seemed so
much more....
tame....
        Ayeka screamed out some unknown phrase in a distorted voice and
Kiyone
moshed away happily. Mihoshi was out of the pits for now, having
sustained a nasty bump
on her head, and a twisted ankle. Kiyone could taste the blood in her
mouth and didn’t
care.
        Hiro joined Ayeka in an ear spliting roar of angst and rage. The GP
woman shoved
all around her at once almost, knocking a huge ring of people down in
tandem with the
music. The rest of the pit closed in around her in a matter of seconds.
        Kiyone jumped up and down and kicked and punched and shoved and
screamed
and yelled. She glimpsed Hiro as he bent over his guitar and wailed away
on it like it was
one of his enimies from the KalMor.
        She grinned ear to ear and was body blocked from the side. She hit
the
hard floor
with a thud and saw no more.

        Hiro knocked on the door to the MioKio apartmeant the next day,
holding
a large
bundle of flowers under one arm, and a wrapped package under the other.
Mihoshi opened
the door and let him in. She wore a concerned look, but smiled when she
saw him. He
patted her arm.
        “Don’t worry so much Mihoshi, it happens all the time at these kind
of
shows.” he
said, and walked past her to Kiyone’s room down the hall of the small two
bedroom
apartment.
        Knocking softly, he heard the faint, “Come in...” from the other
side.
Opening the
door, he walked into the darkened room softly.
        “I have such a head ache....” Kiyone moaned from her bed. Hiro
winced
when he
saw her. She had a black eye and swollen lip, much like he had had the
week before. He
had healed all of his pains in a matter of days, thanks to the gem in his
wrist, but Kiyone
still healed at a normal rate.
        On top of the injuries on her face, Kiyone also wore a wrist brace,
and
had a wrap
around her body. Bruised ribs and a broken wrist. It was bad even for one
of their shows.
        “Sorry...” he mused.
        “For what?” she smiled at him, “Playing too hard? You guys were
great.”
        “I didn’t think people were getting stomped like this in the pit
though.
I’ll have to
tell people to clean it up at our next show.”
        “Probobly not a bad idea.”
        They were silent for a moment, then Kiyone spoke again, “I’ll be
better
in time for
next weekend.” she said with confidance.
        “Maybe, but don’t push yourself.”
        “Oh, I wont be back in the pit, but I’ll be there. The bar tender is
kind of cute....”
        “You think so? I thought he was a little too skinny for you....”
        “How do you know what kind of guys I like?”
        “You’re attracted to me aren’t you?” Kiyone gasped at his remark,
“What?
You
didn’t think I wouldn’t see you checking me out all the time?”
        “I do not!”
        “Oh, you do too!”
        “I...” she blushed, “I don’t think of you like that....”
        Hiro smiled, “Yeah you do. Not in a romantic way, and you don’t
really
want a
relationship with me, but you’re still a good friend, and you think I’m
good looking. I’m
your type.” he nodded.
        Kiyone sighed, “Think what you want to....” she blushed again as he
pushed some
hair back from her face.
        “Oh man! You got the hots for me bad!” he busted up.
        “So what? I’d just screw you and leave you even if I did want to
sleep
with you,
which I don’t!”
        “I know, it’s just kind of funny...”
        “Why’s that?” she was almost pissed now.
        “Cause I think you’re pretty hot too, babe.” he smiled at her.
        That made her unpissed, “Really?”
        “Yeah. We’re two great friends, we’re hot for each other, and we’re
not
gonna’ do
a damn thing about it!”
        “You have a girlfriend! One that could level this city if she wanted
to,
might I
add....”
        “Yeah... Ryoko’s not that bad. She’s not jealous.”
        “What’d you do? Tell her?” Kiyone gaped.
        “No, but she has caught me staring at you before and glared at
me...”
        “Oh man....” Kiyone smacked her head, “I’m a dead woman....”
        “No you’re not! I told you, she’s not jealous.”
        “You’re positive?”
        “Yup.”
        “Good.”
        “I didn’t know you were attracted to Hiro, Kiyone! You never told
me!”
Mihoshi
burst out from the door way.
        Both of the friends jumped. Hiro spun on her, “How long have you
been
standing
there?” he demanded.
        “Since the part about how Kiyone’s hot for you?” Mihoshi asked more
then
told
him.
        Kiyone and Hiro facefaulted.

        A few days latter,on the out skirts of the galaxy, a large Jurian
ship
passed the
rings of Neptune. Inside, a certine Queen of Juri with blue hair stood
tall and proud. Her
daughters had survived another atemp on their lives, and she was going to
make sure they
were still okay.
        The Galaxy Police personel on the planet had provided a supurb
report as
well,
and she wanted to compliment her on a job well done.
        Misaki smiled as she thought of Tenchi. She’d have to give him a big
hug
when she
saw him.....

        Washu typed away at her holo-computer. She’d been anilyzing all of
the
songs that
the band played all morning, and had come up with a few starteling
discoveries.
        Almost all of them had electronic or synthisized parts, and none of
those parts
were being played.
        She’d have to fix that problom herself if no one else would. That
meant
a few
changes in the band.
        If she was going to play with them (and they really didn’t have a
choice
in the
matter) they would have to run more power.
        Much MUCH more power....
        Washu cackled manicly as she typed even faster.

        Hiro walked into the house at almost seven. He wanted to see Ryoko
off
before
she went to work, mostly becasue he hadn’t at all since she’d started. He
almost ran into
her as she was leaving.
        “Oh! Hey babe, what’s up?” she asked in a voice full of energy.
        “I just wanted to see you off for once...” he replied, then grabbed
her
in his arms
and spun her about. She laughed in delight and leaned down to kiss him as
he twirled to a
stop.
        “Now that’s what I call a good bye!” she exclaimed after he set her
down. Hiro
smiled at her. Then he noticed that the strap of her top had fallen down.
Under it he could
see that she was wearing a green bra.
        He prided himself on knowing every bit of underwear that Ryoko
owned.
She
bought most of it for him to look at any way. He knew that the only green
bra that she
owned was one that showed off just a bit too much skin for such a low cut
shirt. He
continued smiling without missing a beat.
        “I’ll see you tomarrow morning then?”
        “You bet you will!” she flashed him a wicked grin and kissed him
again,
“Bye!”
        “Bye...” he watched her float up into the air and fade away.
Tonight,
he’d go down
to her bar and check things out. He would not be dating a stripper, and
if she was....
        Hiro cleanched his fist to his side, then turned his head sharply to
the
right. The
window there exploded out with a crash. Ayeka looked up from across the
room in time
to see him vanish.
        “Now what was that about?” she wondered aloud.

        Tenchi looked up and down the street with a bit of aprehention. He
just
hoped that
none of their friends from school showed up here and saw them...
        “Tenchi! Come on!” Hiro hissed at him. He looked up at his friend
and
saw the
annoyed look on his face.
        “Maybe I’ll just wait out here for you to check it out....” he said
with
a waver in
his voice.
        “No. You’re comming in. I don’t want to look like I’m checking up on
her.”
        “But you are....”
        “That’s not the point. I want this to look like we just came down to
see
her and
have a good time.”
        “What ever...” Tenchi sighed as they walked into Ryo’s Gentalman’s
Club.


        “Ryoko! You’re on in five!” Ryo yelled into her dressing room.
        “I’m on my way out now!” she yelled back as she put the finishing
touches on her
make up. This would be a show to remember. Her other dances had been
wild, but this
time, she planed on going all out. She’d have the guys in front having
wet dreams this
night....


        Hiro and Tenchi sat at the bar, talking with the guy who was serving
the
drinks.
He said that he hadn’t seen Ryoko at all that night, and that he didn’t
know when she
would be up. Hiro frowned at that, but brightened when Tenchi spoke up,
        “Why don’t you get my friend and I both a few glasses of Saki?” he
asked.
        “Sure thing!” the young man replied.
        “Tenchi! Drinking? No way!” Hiro laughed.
        “Hey, I have no probloms with social drinking. I don’t plan on
getting
wasted
though, and you just remember who’s teleporting us home!”
        Hiro laughed as they heard the music change for a new dancer. He was
about to
turn and look to see the new girl when someone slammed into his back.
        “Hey! You son of a-” he looked at the young man behind him, “Kino?”
he
asked.
        “Hey! Hiro! I thought that was you! And Tenchi!” he slapped the
other
boy on the
back. Hiro and Tenchi looked at each other, then back to their slightly
drunk school mate.
        “Um, who else is here?” Tenchi asked nervously.
        “Just a few of us! Hey guys! Look! It’s Tenchi and Hiro!” Kino
called
over his
shoulder. Eight other boys got up and joined him in an uproar. Tenchi
turned red.
        “I didn’t know you guys were into this kind of stuff!” one of the
guys
said.
        “We’re not really,” Tenchi started, “you see....”
        “Here’s your drinks, guys!” the bartender said as he put the glasses
down. Hiro
smiled at his friends embaressment as thier school mates burst out with
laughter and
cheering. Hiro’s eyes wandered away from Tenchi (who was being slapped on
the back by
three different guys) and to the stage. The crowd was really getting into
her and he wanted
to see who it was. When his eyes locked on the stage, he almost fell off
of his stool.
        His body stiffened. His eyes went wide. In his hand, the glass full
of
saki exploded
under his crushing grip.
        “Hey man, are you alright?” one of his friends asked him.
        Tenchi looked to where Hiro’s eyes were locked, “Oh no...” he
breathed.
        “Damn dude! That chick is fuckin’ HOT!” one of the guys yelled, “Who
IS
that?”
        “That’s my girlfriend...” Hiro stammered.
        The crowd of young men cheered and roared in excitment. Comments
flew,
“How’d you score a fox like that?” “Does she swallow?” “She’s a good
fuck, right?”
        Hiro got up and walked to the stage.
        “Oh no....” Tenchi said again and started to get up and follow him
to
make sure he
didn’t do any thing rash, but the guys stopped him.
        “Hey, Tench! Have another one on me!” Kino yelled in his ear and
motioned the
bar tender over.

        Ryoko shoved the man back away from her breasts and into his seat.
He’d
had a
face full and that was enough. Any one who touched her would get their
ass kicked, but
she could touch them....
        The next guy got a toung across his face and the next guy...
        Was Hiro.
        She stopped dancing for only a second, but picked up again and spun
away
from
him. She continued her routine.
        A drunk man next to Hiro reached out and petted her leg. She kicked
his
hand
away.
        “No touching!” she sang to him in a sexy voice.
        “Oh mama! That always means they want more!” he yelled and reached
out
again.
She kicked his hand away again, but this time, Hiro caught his arm.
        “She said no touching.” he growled meanecingly.
        “What you gonna’ do about it, BOY?” the drunk man demanded, standing
up
and
getting in Hiro’s face.
        Hiro slugged him in the gut and sent him flying back almost nine
feet.
He landed
with a sick thud and didn’t move. Other patrons around Hiro backed away.
A bouncer
started over.
        Hiro glared at Ryoko, who’d stopped dancing and glared back at him.
They
stood
like that until the bouncer grabbed Hiro’s arm.
        “Come on kid, out of here now!” he yelled and started to drag Hiro
away.
The
young man reached out and grabbed the bouncer’s wrist. Without taking his
eyes from
Ryoko’s he snapped the man’s arm to the side. There was a sharp crack and
the bouncer
fell away from him.
        He and Ryoko resumed their staring match.
        “Excuse me sir...” a calm voice said next to him. Ripping his eyes
away
from
Ryoko, Hiro looked down at a shorter man of average build.
        “The dancers are not yours to own, friend. You can’t take her home
with
you.” he
smiled.
        “Yes I can.” Hiro replied bluntly.
        “Oh no you can’t. If anyone takes her home tonight, it’ll be me.”
        “And why is that?”
        “Because all woman want me! Unlike you...”
        Two more bouners grabbed Hiro from behind. Ryo smiled at him
pleasently,
“Now
have a nice night sir... somewhere else.” He laughed as the bouncer’s
lifted Hiro from the
ground.
        Hiro was suddenly enraged. He screamed out and smashed his head back
into one
of the bouncer’s faces. His right arm was dropped and he swung that fist
around and into
the other man’s gut. He doubled over and Hiro slammed a knee into his
face, sending him
to his back. The young man twirled and punched the other bouncer in the
back of the
head, sending him to the floor as well. Hiro whirled on Ryo, who had a
shocked and
frightened look on his face.
        Pointing at Ryoko, Hiro growled, “That’s my girlfriend, and you will
stay the hell
away from her!” he grabbed Ryo’s shirt front and lifted him from the
ground, “Got that?”
        Reflexsivly, Ryo punched Hiro in the face. The young man’s head
didn’t
even snap
back. Ryo stared at where his fist was still resting against his
assailent’s jaw. Hiro’s eyes
narrowed and he let out a low throaty growl.

        Tenchi sat at the bar with his ninth glass of hard liquer.
        “Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!” the crowd of boys around him chanted.
Tenchi
wavered in his seat a bit, then slugged back the glass. There was a cheer
from all of his
friends and money was passed back and forth.
        Suddenly, a man flew over their head and hit the wall of liquer with
a
crash.
Several bottals were crushed upon impact, and several more crashed down
after him. The
bar tender jumped back.
        “Ryo?!?” he shouted in confustion.
        Tenchi looked behind him to see Ryoko wearing nothing but a g-string
facing off
against Hiro, who was floating in front of her and fully clothed. Both
held energy swords.
        “Shit...” he muttered and shoved through the crowd of his friends.

        “You idiot! You just got me fiered!” Ryoko screamed at him.
        “You’re stripping! STRIPPING Ryoko!”
        “So?” she snorted at him, “You’re a rock star!”
        “Fuck you!” his sword blinked out.
        “Go to hell! You’re dumped!”
        “You’re dumped! I’m gone!” he shot back and spun about on his heel.
He
knocked
Tenchi aside as he ran up.
        “Hey!” Ryoko jumped down and helped Tenchi up. She looked up in time
to
see
Hiro walk through the wall and out into the night. She was about to
follow him when she
felt something. She looked down at Tenchi.
        He was poking her breast and laughing.
        He was very drunk. She sighed and helped him to his feet.
        “Well, Tenchi. I guess I’ll never have to come here again...” she
said.
        They faded out of existence, leaving several people wondering just
how
much
they’d had to drink that night.

        Ayeka sat up in Tenchi’s bed reading a book that he had given her.
He
had said
he’d be home by now. Where was he? And what were he and Hiro up to?
        Suddenly, Ryoko apeared in the room with Tenchi in her arms. The
princess was
shocked to see the pirates state of undress and Tenchi held so close. She
opened her
mouth to say something, the storm clouds of war gathering in her eyes,
but Ryoko cut her
off.
        “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you latter. He’s drunk.” she shoved
the
inebreated Tenchi
down to the bed and vanished again. Ayeka looked down at her lover.
        “Hey baby, wanna’ go right now?” Tenchi slured out.
        “How utterly revolting....” Ayeka said and pushed him to the floor.
He
lay there,
totaly out cold.
        She sighed and went back to reading her book.

        Ryoko knocked on the door of Mihoshi and Kiyone’s apartment. The
door
opened
and the blond detective smiled at her, “Come on in, Ryoko!” she beamed.
        Ryoko stormed in and ran around for a few minutes. She came back to
a
very
confused Mihoshi and grabbed her shoulders. She began to shake the poor
woman and
yelled at her, “Where is Hiro and Kiyone?”
        “They... went....for....a... walk...” Mihoshi said in broken
sentence
form. Ryoko
stopped shaking her.
        “Where to?”
        “I don’t know. Hiro said he had to talk about you....”
        “Yeah. We broke up. And I’ll be damned if she’s gonna’ get him on
the
rebound
already....”
        “Hey, Ryoko! Kiyone’s not like that. She thinks he’s cute, but then
again, so do I.”
        “You stay away from him too!”
        “That’s not the point, Ryoko!”
        “Then what is?” she was about to blast Mihoshi.
        The GP Detective saw the energy gathering and quickly sputtered out,
“He
loves
you and no one else!” Ryoko froze but Mihoshi continued at a frenzied
pace, “He would
never date Kiyone or me, just ‘cause he’s not like that, he loves you,
but loves all his
friends in a different way....” she stopped, “Ryoko, why are you crying?”
        “Because you’re more right then you’ve ever been in your life
Mihoshi.”
Ryoko
said saddly. She’d thrown away the first man who’d ever loved her back
like she wanted
to be loved....
        “Do you want to talk about it?” Mihoshi asked in a concerned tone.
Ryoko
looked
up into her eyes and saw only what her voice held.
        “Yeah, I’d like that....” she said.

         “Hiro, you’re not being rational...” Kiyone said for the two
billionth
time that
night. They sat on the edge of a fountin in the middle of a park. The
water splashed
cheerilly against the stone. The two friends were not cherry though, and
it seemed just a
bit darker around the fountin then usual for this time of night.
        “I am too. She was stripping, Kiyone. That’s just as bad as
cheating.”
        “How? ‘Cause other guys get to see her? Are you really that
controling?”
        “No! That’s not it! She was doing something totally degrading to
herself
and to
me. I will not date someone who flaunts them self like that to everyone
who can pay to get
in.” Hiro shouted loud enough to make Kiyone wince a little.
        “Would you date someone you love who loves you back?” she asked in a
soft
tone.
        Hiro fell silent. He stared at the cracks in the walk.
        “I thought so...” Kiyone said, “and you just threw it away.”
        “I....” a tear ran down Hiro’s cheek. He remembered how he and Ryoko
always
used to fight and how much they hated one another. They one day, it just
seemed that they
were in love. It had been so sudden, and it had seemed so right. It still
seemed right....
        “I threw it away...” the tears flowed more freely now.
        Kiyone placed her braced hand on his leg, “It’s not too late you
know. I
bet you
any thing she’s some where right now bawling her eyes out and wondering
if the two of
you will ever get back together.” she smiled at him.

        Ryoko wailed louder then Mihoshi had ever heard her wail. The space
pirate
burried her face in the blond GP woman’s ample chest and bawled.
        “Do you think we’ll ever get back together?” she asked in a muffled
voice.
        “I think Hiro is probobly on his way here right now, wondering the
same
thing.”
Mihoshi replied as she stroaked Ryoko’s light blue hair. She had been
letting her friend
vent for almost an hour, and now she was running out of bon-bons. It was
her only hope
that Kiyone had managed to talk some sence into Hiro.
        The door opened and Kiyone limped in. Hiro was right behind her, and
they
stopped when they saw the two woman sitting on the living area floor,
surronded by
empty bon-bon boxes, in what looked to be a strange lesbian pose.
        “Uh....” Kiyone didn’t know quite what to say.
        Ryoko’s head snapped up and she saw Hiro. In less then a second she
had
appeared with arms wrapped about his neck. He grabbed onto her and they
both fell to the
floor, sobbing into each other.
        “That’s so beutifal....” Mihoshi said softly as she walked up next
to
Kiyone.
        “Come on...” Kiyone took her hand and led her down the hall to her
room.
Once
there she closed the door and they sat down on Kiyone’s bed.
        “Do you think they’ll be alright?” Mihoshi asked as he friend
flipped on
the small
TV that got intergalactic stations.
        “I hope so. If they’re not, then we wont have an apartment in the
morning...”
        “I hope so too...” Mihoshi replied. They settled back to watch the
Galaxy’s
Funniest Videos, and try to stay awake long enough to stop any more
probloms that might
arise.

        In the morning, Kiyone walked sleepily out to the living area of the
apartmeant.
She and Mihoshi hadn’t woken up until late in the morning, so she wasn’t
suprised to see
that Ryoko and Hiro were gone. She was suprised to see something else
though.
        Laying on the bar that seperated the living area from the kitchen
was a
stack of
money and a note. Kiyone picked it up an read it.

        Dear MioKio,
        Thought that the two of you would like this to help pay for the
rent. It
was all the
tips I got from last night before Hiro trashed the bar. We really
appreciate your help, and
we love you two more then anyone right now. You are both angels, and
should be proud
of what you did to help us. Thank you.

Your friends and loved ones,
Ryoko and Hiro
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

        Kiyone smiled at the X’s and O’s at the end. Hiro and Ryoko sure
knew
how to be
cute when they wanted to. Smiling at her good deed done for the week,
Kiyone took off
her brace and rolled her wrist about. It didn’t even really hurt now.
That stuff that Washu
had given her to help it heal quicker had done it’s job nicely.
        Maybe she’d be back in the pit tomarow after all....

        Their last show was a blast. Ayeka had gone all out, screaming until
she
couldn’t
scream any more. Hiro had broken several guitar strings, and Tenchi had
acually broken a
few bass strings. Sasami had pulled a tendon in her left shoulder, but
had played the rest of
the show any way.
        It was one of those mornings when they all woke up on the couch and
didn’t
remember how they had gotten there. After all four of them had woken up
and Ryoko had
joined them they sat around and talked about nothing for a while.
        “I have good news!” Hiro exclaimed suddenly.
        “What’s up?” Tenchi asked.
        “They want us back next week for an encore show!” he shouted. Cheers
were
heard all around.
        “Think that’s enough time to teach me some of the key board parts?”
Ryoko
asked.
        “You want to play with us?” Ayeka asked her.
        “Sure! I don’t have any thing better to do now that I don’t have a
job
any more.”
        “We’ll see what we can do...” Hiro put a hand on her’s and they
stared
into each
other’s eyes.
        “I will be assisting you as well!” came a triumphant voice from the
stair way. They
all turned to see Washu standing there, holding a new amp in her arms, “I
will be running
all of the synthisiser and electronic equipment!” she declaired in a tone
that no one wanted
to argue with.
        “That’s cool,” Hiro said, “but do you know the parts?”
        “Of corse I do! I’m a genius!” Washu shouted.
        “What’s that amp for?” Sasami asked.
        “Oh... this? It’s... uh...” Washu dumped it into a sub-space hole
that
popped up,
“It’s nothing really. Just an amp for me to run through.”
        “Oh....” they all said in unison and Hiro was about to persue the
line
of questioning
when there was a ring of the door bell.
        “Who could that be?” Tenchi asked as he got up and walked to the
door.
He
opened in and they all heard a slight sceech. Then a strangled, “Well
hello Lady Misaki!”
from the entry way.
        Sasami and Ayeka looked at one another in horrer.
        “Tenchi dear, what is that on your face?”
        “That’s, uh, a little bit of make up acually...”
        “How odd. Is that the new style here on earth?”
        “Well, no, not exactly. You see, it’s-”
        “Oh latter, latter. Where are my two girls?” Misaki burst into the
living room and
looked around.
        Washu sat on the couch, flipping channels on the TV, but other then
that, there
was no one to be found.
        “Washu! How nice to see you again as well!” Misaki squealed. The
diminutive
scientist tried her best to scrable away, but the Jurian queen had her in
a crushing hug
before she could make it very far.

        “That was close!” Sasami said as Hiro set her down on the ground.
        “Hurry!” Ayeka said to her as Ryoko set her down, “We must change
and
make
our selfs presentable quickly! And you must be a princess now, Sasami!”
        “I know!” Sasami replied in her cute cherry voice. It was as if the
rock
drummer
had never been there. Hiro was amazed.
        He and Ryoko had teleported the two sisters to their room as soon as
Misaki had
hugged Tenchi. Now they had to go keep her busy while the princesses made
ready to see
their mother.
        Hiro appeared next to Tenchi just as Misaki was turning around. She
saw
him in
his outfit that matched Tenchi’s, but with spiked black hair with red
tips. The jurian queen
looked at him in awe.
        “Who is this new friend of yours Tenchi?” she asked as she grabbed
Hiro
and
crushed him in a bear hug of epic proportions. Even with his enhanced
strength, Hiro
could barely push against the force.
        “This is Hiro, Ryoko’s new boyfreind, and one of my class mates from
school.
He’s staying with us for a while.” Tenchi replied.
        “And how is Ryoko?” Misaki asked, turning to the pirate.
        “I’m great!” Ryoko said, and hugged the queen with as much force as
she
could.
The queen hugged back and giggled. Ryoko gasped.
        Ryo-Ohki bounded into the room and meyoed at Misaki. The queen
scooped
up
the cabbit and gave it a hug as well. When she released the poor
creature, Ryo-Ohki fell to
the floor and mewed weakly.
        “It’s so wonderful to see all of you!” Misaki squeled in delight.
        “Mother!” Ayeka called as she decended the steps with Sasami close
on
her heels.
        “Ayeka! Sasami! Oh, I’ve missed the two of you so much! And I was so
worried
about you!” Misaki threw one of her crushing hugs on her daughters, but
they didn’t seem
to notice. Tench, Ryoko, Hiro, and Washu stood dumbfounded as to how the
two
princeses could not be phased by the crushing effects of the queens hugs.

        “Must be a high protine diet or something....” Hiro commented. The
other’s just
nodded.

        “So Ryoko,” Misaki said to the space pirate as they sat at the
kitchen
table,
watching Sasami prepare dinner, “You have a new boy friend? Hiro was his
name, right?”
        “Yeah...” Ryoko blushed slightly.
        “Oh! You are so cute!” the queen giggled much like Sasami did. The
young
princess rolled her eyes.
        “How long have the two of you been together?”
        “Oh... I don’t know. No more then two months, but we were good
friends
before
that.” Ryoko had no clue as to why this woman was questioning her about
her boyfriend,
but she really didn’t care either. It might not be too bad to get on the
Juri queens good
side.
        “So you two are fairly serious then? Do I hear wedding bells?” Ryoko
was
slightly
taken aback as the queen winked at her.
        “Uh... well.... no not really. I mean, I never really thought about
marriage....”
        “Well don’t you love him?”
        “Yes! Very much! But he’s still in school, and he’s really young...”
        “He’s Tenchi’s age.”
        “Yeah, so?”
        “And Tenchi will be wedding Ayeka soon...”
        “WHAT?!?” Ryoko exploded up out of her chair and knocked it over,
“Since
when is he going to marry Ayeka?”
        “Well, it’s only natral that the crown prince and the crown princess
be
married so
that they can rule the empire together one day...”
        “Wait! Didn’t you ever even consider what Tenchi and Ayeka want?”
Ryoko
was
baffaled as to how the same woman that had suported Ayeka staying on this
planet could
be saying now that she wanted her daughter and Tenchi to go back and rule
Juri. Unless
that was her plan all along....
        Ryoko’s eyes narrowed. What was the queen up to?
        “Ryoko? Is something the matter?” Ayeka had just walked into the
kitchen.
        “Uh.... can I talk to you?” Ryoko asked her.
        “Well.... I guess so... Excuse us Mother.” Ayeka walked out to the
porch
with
Ryoko.
        “What was all the yelling about?” Hiro popped up next to Sasami.
        “Mother wants Tenchi and Ayeka to get married!” the princess
squealed,
“Isn’t
that cute?” she beamed up at Hiro with her back to her mother.
        “Well yeah. I guess I-” he looked down and saw the look in Sasami’s
eyes. It
clearly said ‘Don’t say it!’ so he changed his corse, “I always thought
they would make a
cute couple, but I don’t know. There’s lot’s of girls out there, and
Tenchi is still really
young. I’m suprised I ended up so happy with Ryoko. I didn’t think you
could fall in love
like this when you were so young!”
        Hiro looked up and saw Misaki’s face right in front of his. He
stumbled
back and
ran into the stove. He set a hand down to steady himself.
        “You need to get a ring and ask that girl to marry you soon, Hiro.
She’s
not going
to wait around forever, and you two are so right for each other... Why
are you making
that face, dear?” Misaki frowned at the pained exprestion on Hiro’s face.
        “Gyyaaaaaaa!!!!” he screamed and blasted up into the air. He held
his
hand,
looking down at the sevear burn there.
        “Oh my!” Sasami said, “You go straight to Washu now Hiro!”
        “No shi.... kidding!” Hiro caught himself. He floated off with a
look of
pain and
confustion on his face. Ring? Marry?
        Tenchi walked in the door from the shed with an arm load of carrots,
“Sasami! I
got the carrots! Oh there you are.” He looked over to see Hiro as he
floated through the
wall, “What’s got Hiro down?”
        “The thought of marriage burned him out...” Sasami said.
        “Huh?” Tenchi was confused.
        “Never mind. I think Ryoko wants to talk to you. She’s out on the
pourch
with
Ayeka.” Sasami said with a stern look. Tenchi caught the hint.
        Misaki was looking Tenchi up and down, “Yes, perfect for Ayeka.”
        “What?” Tenchi stubled back.
        “Mother, can you help me cut up the carrots?” Sasami asked.
        “Sure I can, dear!” Misaki grabbed up a large sharp knife and
started to
chop.
Sasami grabbed the rest of the carrots from Tenchi and wispered in his
ear,
        “Go now, while she’s distracted!” Tenchi dashed out the side door.
Leaning
against the wall of the house, he wondered what was going on. What had
Misaki just said
a moment ago? Something about perfect for Ayeka?
        “She said what?” came Ayeka’s thundering voice from the pourch.
Flocks
of birds
flew up from the forest surrounding the Masaki home for miles around.
There were
vibration ripples on the lake. Tenchi rubbed his ears.
        She had gotten louder since she joined the band.

        Ayeka burst into the kitchen and grabbed Misaki by her arm just as
the
queen was
about to sit down after helping Sasami cut the carrots up. The first
princess of Juri
dragged her mother across the kitchen and over to the door.
        Tenchi heard them coming and had the sence to dive around the
corrner.
        “What were telling Ryoko now Mother?” Ayeka demanded of her.
        “Why are you so worked up? I just told her that I thought it would
be
nice if you
and Tenchi were married some day!”
        “No, you told her that we WERE going to married, and SOON! What
right do
you
have to dictate who I marry and who I don’t?”
        “I’m your mother.” Misaki replied flatly.
        Tenchi couldn’t belive his ears. Ayeka was standing up to her mother
and
they
were arguing. The subject of the fight didn’t much phase him at the
moment, he’d deal
with that latter. Right now he was worried about there being hell to pay
for Ayeka’s
insubordination.
        “I stayed on this planet becasue I wanted to get away from all the
blasted suiters
and you and Father always wanting to set me up with this prince or that
nobal. Why can’t
you just stay out of my love life?”
        “Because I want you to be happy!” the queen replied, “I want you to
be
able to
rule with a strong king at your side, and Tenchi is a strong young man,
not to mention the
first prince of Juri! And you love him! I know you do!”
        “I still don’t like you interfearing. Let us get married on our own
if
we are going to
be. Don’t try to force it on us so soon.”
        “But-”
        “No ‘buts’ mother!” Ayeka shouted, “My life is my own, and I will
live
it how I
want to. Tenchi and I may marry some day, but if we do, it will be for
love and
happieness, not some damned political obligation!”
        “Ayeka! Do NOT use that kind of language with your mother!” Misaki’s
tone was
sharp.
        “I... I’m sorry Mother. It’s just so frustrating some times...”
        “I know dear. And I’m sorry as well. I shouldn’t be meddeling. I’ll
try
to remain
civil and just be ‘Mom’ for the rest of my visit. I have to leave in
eight days.”
        “Eight?” Ayeka blinked. The encore show was in only six days.
        “Yes, and I plan on spending as much time with your new family here
as I
can!”
Misaki hugged her.
        “That sounds wonderful Mother!” Ayeka said as she looked over the
queens
shoulder. Tenchi poked his head around the corrner and looked at her. She
gave him a
‘what are we going to do?’ look, and he shook his head. He had no idea
how they were
going to pull this one off....

        “Damn it!” Hiro pounded a fist into a table of Washu’s lab. He
jerked it
back and
shook it slightly.
        “Watch the burns!” Washu said annoyed.
        “Why did she have to choose now to come and stay? Don’t get me wrong
Ayeka,”
Hiro turned to the princess, “I really like your mother. It’s just...”
        “I know, I know....” Ayeka sighed.
        They were all sitting around the table in a secure area of the lab
dressed in night
clothes, with the exception of Washu, who apparently never went to sleep
at all. Nobuyuki
and Yosho had joined them as well at Tenchi’s request. He wanted all the
help they could
get.
        “So does any one have an idea on how we can pull this off?” Hiro
asked.
For once
he was clean out of plans.
        “We can practice in here,” Washu said, “That will give us privacy
for
that, but
who’s going to keep Misaki busy while we do?”
        “I can see if I can have her up to the shrine at the same time every
day
to see me.”
Yosho said with a sigh, “I’ll make up something about that being the only
time I can
disturb my meditaions and practice. Witch reminds me Tenchi, you’ve
skipped practice for
almost two weeks now. I feel I’ve been lenient enough.”
        “If you’ll help us, I’d be happy to get my tail whipped some more.”
Tenchi nodded
and his grandfather smiled.
        “I’ll try to take her into town and show her around a bit if I
can...”
Nobuyuki put
in.
        “No go. You’re still not well enough to go much further then the
lake
and back,
mister.” Washu poked him in the ribs.
        “So that’s out. We can rehearse, but we don’t have the show
covered.”
Hiro
looked around, “Any ideas?”
        “Mihoshi.” Ryoko said.
        “Yes!” Ayeka jumped up, “Mother would love Mihoshi, and she’s said
she
wants
to meet Kiyone too! They can take her shopping and show her around all
that day and
then take her out that night to karioki or something. We can move all of
our stuff, set up,
get ready and play the show, then be home before she even knew we were
gone at all!”
        “I guess I’ll have to call Kiyone then.” Hiro said.
        “She’s your best friend!” Ryoko said and slapped him on the back.

        Hiro landed hard on the ground. Kiyone landed on his chest and
pinned
his arms
down with her knees. She grabbed his shirt front and lifted him off the
ground, then
slammed him back down repeatedly. Hiro’s legs kicked and he tried to get
a few words
out but found he couldn’t speak due to his head being slammed into the
ground.
        “You told her I’d do what? The Queen of Juri? Who do you think you
are?
I’m not
up to that right now!”
        “Kiyone! Please! We’re in the park!” Hiro managed to spit out.
        Kiyone stopped abusing her friend and looked around. People were
staring
at her
as she held Hiro up off the ground.
        “Uh.... it’s just a little fight we’re having right now...” she said
to
no one
impaticular.
        “Yeah, lovers quarle...” Hiro smirked as Kiyone threw him a dirty
look.
The by
standerds moved on and the two friends got up and walked over to a park
bench. Once
seated, Kiyone turned back to Hiro.
        “Why didn’t you call and ask me first?”
        “I knew you’d say no.”
        “Of corse I would!” she yelled, then quited down when a few heads
turned
their
way, “I used to ferry nobals and officals across the galaxy as an escort,
not entertain them
and go shopping with them!”
        “Mihoshi’s met her! Just let her take care of it, with your
supervistion. Those two
are both about as flighty as a flock of birds! They’ll get along great!
You just need to be
there to keep Misaki away from the club, and away from the house.”
        Kiyone pouted, “But I wanted to see this show....”
        “So you’ll do it?”
        “Do I have a choice?”
        “Not really.”
        Kiyone sighed.

        Tenchi sat up in bed with a desk light shining on a book in front of
him. It was all
the bass tabs that Hiro had taught him, writen out so that he could
reveiw them. He
wanted to play perfectly at the show the next night, and he was going to
study until he
was to tiered to stay awake.
        Suddenly there was a light tapping at his door, and then it swung
open
with out his
reply. Tenchi looked up in time to see a brief flash of violet, then he
was smothered by
some thing soft and warm.
        He pushed her up off of him and hissed out, “Ayeka!”
        “What? Don’t you miss me?” the princess cooed at him.
        Tenchi paused and smiled at her, “Yes, I do. But your mother is just
down the
hall...”
        “So we’ll be quite! Come on Tenchi!” she began to pull off his shirt
and
unbutton
her night gown at the same time.
        “Ayeka!” Tenchi giggled as he strugled with her to keep his clothes
on.
She
giggled back.
        Then they heard foot steps in the hall.
        Both lovers froze and listened. They heard what was distinctly
Misaki
yawning.
She was heading right past Tenchi’s room. If she happened to glance in
and see them....
        “What are we going to do?”
        “I... I....” Ayeka was in shock.
        “I’m a dead man.” Tenchi put his head in his hands.
        “Tenchi?” it was Misaki’s voice. He hazared a look up.
        Ayeka was gone. In her place sat Hiro, with a book in his lap.
        “Are you having probloms studying?” the queen asked, “I’m sure Washu
would be
more then happy to help you....”
        “No, it’s just late and we’re both tiered.” Hiro said with a laugh.
        “Oh... I was just going to get a midnight snack. Do either of you
want
to join me?”
        “No, that’s alright. I was just about to go to bed any way.” Hiro
said.
        “Yeah...” Tenchi was dazed, “I’m bushed too....”
        “Suit your selfs. Oh and Hiro...”
        “Yes ma’am?”
        “Your pants are on backwards.”
        Hiro looked down at his PJ pants, “Well so they are!” he laughed and
watched her
walk off.
        “That was close.” Hiro said as he stood up and tossed the math book
on
to
Tenchi’s desk.
        “How did you....?”
        “We heard you guys starting to giggle a bunch, then we heard Misaki.
Figured
you’d want some help.”
        “Who’s we? And why ARE your pants on the wrong way?”
        Ryoko popped into existence above Tenchi’s bed, wearing a very, VERY
sheer
night gown. She dropped Ayeka back into the bed and then latched on to
Hiro, who
grinned and vanished with her.
        “I’d better get back.” Ayeka said.
        “Yeah....” Tenchi smiled at her. They shared a long warm kiss before
they parted
and she walked back to her room.
        Tenchi lay back in bed. He sighed and lifted the bass tab book to
begin
studying
again.

        The next day found Ayeka seeing her mother off at the door step.
Mihoshi
had
arived to pick Misaki up for their day of fun and shopping early, as had
been planed a few
days before by Hiro and Kiyone. The GP Captian would be meeting the
detective and the
queen at the mall in town when they arived.
        “Good bye mother! Have a nice day!” Ayeka waved as Mihoshi led
Misaki
down
the path to the bus stop, already chattering endlessly.
        “Good bye, Ayeka! Tell Sasami to be good while I’m gone!”
        “I will!” the princess waved one last time then shut the door. She
sighed and fell
against it.
        “Now that she’s out of the way, let’s start loading this stuff!”
Sasami
called from
further down the hall by the back door. Ayeka grinned at how quickly her
sister could
switch from cute and inocent to sexy and rude in just a few seconds.
        This was going to be a great show. Ayeka could feel the energy
building
in her gut
already.

        Kiyone looked at her watch as she, Mihoshi, and Misaki stood in line
at
a check
out in one of the malls many ‘hip’ clothing stores. The blond detective
had manadged to
get the queen of the most powerful empire in the universe to buy an out
fit that made her
look more like a skater punk then royalty.
        Glancing up at the two woman she was with, Kiyone couldn’t help but
wonder
how they never seemed to run out of things to talk about. One
conversation would take a
tangent and turn into another in a matter of seconds. She had never seen
two people talk
about nothing for so long in her entire life.
        Kiyone looked at her watch again and made a mental note of the time.
It
was 6:30
in the eavning. Hiro and his crew would be taking the stage in just two
and a half hours,
they had run out of stores to take Misaki to in the mall. It was time to
pull out all of the
stops now.
        As they left the store, Misaki looked at the two GP officers with
her,
“I’ve had a
wonderful day! I thought all GP were just stuffy and boring, too intent
on their jobs and
all. But you two are just a hoot!”
        “Well thanks!” Mihoshi beamed.
        “So now what are we doing? Ayeka told me you would probobly have
something
planed for this eavning?” Misaki looked questioningly at Kiyone.
        Kiyone smiled in response, “Have you ever sung kerioki before, your
Highness?”

        “So do you think we’ll blow down the house tonight?” Tenchi asked
Hiro
as they
dressed in the small room the club had designated for them.
        “We’ll make this the best show we’ve ever played.” Hiro replied as
he
ran his hand
through his hair one last time to make sure that it stood up corectly.
        Tenchi laced up the heavy combat boots he was wearing, “Washu said
she
had
something special planed for the night.” he said.
        “Yeah, she mentioned it to me too. I hope it doesn’t blow up.”
        “You can never tell with Washu.”
        “No... no you can’t.”
        They both laughed and continued to dress.

        “And that’s it!” Ryoko said as she stepped back from Sasami. The
young
princess
was wearing almost as much make-up as her sister. Ayeka nodded in aproval
and Sasami
bobbed her head in satisfaction.
        The three of them sat in their own room, putting the final touches
on
their stage
get ups. Ryoko wore a sleavless red dress that dropped to her knees. It
was open all the
way down her back, and had small designs on the front positioned to show
off segestive
curves of skin. The black choker she wore had a white rose on it, and her
hair was wild as
usual. Her red heels shined with glitter.
        Ayeka for her part was dressed differently from the rest of the
shows
they had
done. She wore a pair of pants that looked similer to Tenchi and Hiro’s.
Black and baggy,
made of silk, and tied about her waist with a silver cord of cloth. Her
top was black with
green designs scatered across it, and left her mid-drift exposed. It had
thin straps that
didn’t hide the fact that she had nothing on beneath it. Her hair was up
as it normally was.
        Sasami was wearing her normal drumming out fit. She had started
moving
sticks in
an air drumming pattern to warm up her arms and wrists. Ryoko aplied her
lip stick.
Ayeka was putting her eye liner on. The door swung open.
        The three girls turned and saw Washu. The diminutive genius stood
there,
still in
her child form, wearing baggy jeans, sneakers, a green, untucked jersey
that fell down
almost to her knees and said ‘Juri’ across the front and had ‘Little
Washu’ across the her
sholders in the back along with the number 43, and a red ball cap placed
on her head
backwards, with her hair pushed down to come out beneath it. She wore a
set of large
head phones around her neck, and she had a smug look on her face.
        “Mom, you look like a DJ from some fucked up movie.” Ryoko
commented.
        “Thank you dear. We’re on in five.” the red headed scientist moved
off
down the
hall to inform the boys of the performence time.
        “Let’s turn this shit up.” Ayeka said and walked out of the room.
        Ryoko shook her head and followed. Sasami giggled and jumped up to
run
after
them.

        Kiyone finished singing the last few bars of the song and then fell
to
the couch
beside Misaki with peals of laughter pouring from her gut. She was way to
drunk to sing
any where near good, and was loving every second of it. When the queen
had brought out
the Jurian Whisky, Kiyone had jumped at the chance to acually have a
strong drink for
once. She was now trashed and happy.
        As Mihoshi picked up the mic to start her next song, Misaki spoke
with
Kiyone,
“That was the worst you’ve done yet.”
        “Yeah, I’m getting a bit tipsy...” Kiyone said, then broke into a
fit of
giggles.
        “A bit? I’d say you’re quite drunk.” the queen grinned at the GP
woman
and
laughed with her.
        “Yeah, well that didn’t sound half as bad as Ayeka when she
screams.”
        “Oh?” storm clouds fell across Misaki’s face.
        Kiyone didn’t notice, “Not that that’s a bad thing. The band plays
that
kind of
music so it’s good that she screams really loud and raunchy. It’s sexy
and brutal at the
same time. Very cool.”
        “Band?” the queen wasn’t angry any more. She wanted to know what
Kiyone
was
talking about.
        “The band! The Jurians! They’re playing in about,” Kiyone looked at
her
watch,
“two minutes!”
        “Really?” Misaki raised an eyebrow.
        Mihoshi had just figured out that Kiyone was blowing their cover,
“Uh,
Kiyone?
Maybe we should be getting back to the apartment now? I wanted to show
Misaki our
place before we took her back to the house and she-”
        “I think I want to go see my daughter perform.” Misaki said
matter-o-factly.
        “Huh?” Kiyone came back to herself.
        “Now.” Misaki said with a threatening look.
        “Oh shit.” Kiyone muttered, “What have I done?” she wasn’t so drunk
any
more.

        Ayeka screamed out the last long note of the song and stood staring
at
the crowd
before her. It was packed, and they sounded good. They’d rocked the place
all night, and
their set was coming to an end now. Two more songs. The last one was
spically prepared
by Washu.
        “We’re almost done here, people!” she called out to the club. There
was
a roar of
defiance, but she held her hands up, “Hey, we can only play for the time
they’ll let us! This
next song is for all the people who think that we’re the best fuckin’
band in the world!”
she yelled and they broke into a song that Hiro had so selflessly
entitled, ‘I’m better then
you.’

        Kiyone stopped out side the club and took a deep breath. She could
hear
them
wrapping up, ‘I’m better then you’ inside. Misaki stood in shock at what
she heard.
        “Is that my daughter?” she asked in a hushed tone.
        “Acually, it’s both of them. Sasami plays drums.” Kiyone said. She
winced at the
sharp intake of breath from the queen, “Now before we go in, let me warn
you. This is a
loud, violent club. I got banged up pretty bad in the pit a few weeks
ago, and this is their
last show here for a while, so it’s gonna’ be worse tonight. That and the
band will be
dressed kind of like... well, rock stars. Don’t be too shocked if they’re
wearing barely
enough clothing.”
        Misaki nodded and set herself against the worst. It couldn’t be that
bad
could it?
        “ID?” asked the bouncer, then he saw who it was, “Oh, hey Kiyone.
Mihoshi. This
chick with you?”
        “Yeah Tony. This is Ayeka and Sasami’s mother, Misaki.” she said
with a
look of
worry.
        “Mother?” Tony asked her, picking up on Kiyone’s look, “I’d say you
look
more
like Ayeka’s next youngest sister! You lovely ladies can go right in.” as
they walked past
he added, “You have very talented daughters, Ms. Misaki.”
        “Thank you.” the queen replied.
        They walked in.

        “Last song!” Ayeka shouted as Washu signaled something to Hiro. He
grinned and
spoke into his mic,
        “This is from an American band called Stabbing Westward. The name of
the
song
is ‘Save Yourself.’ It’s presented special for you tonight by the one and
only, DJ Washu!”
he yelled as the first bass note hit.
        Ayeka felt every bone in her body pulse with the music that Washu
had
started
pumping through her super-speakers. Ryoko picked up the synth line on the
key board.
They all knew the song. Ayeka prepared to sing the first line of vocal.
        The hit came. It was loud. She almost missed the fist verse, but
caught
it in time.

        Misaki watched as he daughter started to bang her head and move like
a
possesed
woman on the stage. Her dress was disgraceful, and her actions were
worse. Sasami she
could see in the back, was pounding on the drums like a beast. Kiyone was
bobbing her
head to the music, but stopped after a glare from the queen. Ayeka
started to sing.
        “What’s she saying?” Misaki asked Kiyone. The GP woman translated as
the
princess sang.

        I know your life is empty
        and you hate to face the world alone
        So you’re searching for an angel
        someone who can make you whole

        Then Ayeka started to scream, and Kiyone had to shout in the queens
ear
to be
heard,

        I cannot save you. I can’t even save my self!

        Singing again, Kiyone continued to trasnlate the english,

        I know that you’ve ben damaged
        your soul has suffered such abuse
        But I am not your savior
I       I am just as fucked as you...

        Sasami echoed the last line with a scream into her mic, “I am just
as
fucked as
you!” That seemed to jar Misaki out of her funk and she started to
advance on the stage.

        I cannot save you! I can’t even save myself!
        So just save yourself!

        As the queen aproched the stage, the music stopped, then Hiro began
to
play a
solo that turned into a duet as Washu flipped a chorus filter on. Misaki
moved to the pit
and people seemed to part before her out of fear or respect, Kiyone
couldn’t tell which.
She tugged a universal tranlator that Washu had given her out of her
pocket and clipped it
on Misaki’s ear as she walked. The queen didn’t seem to notice.
        She made it up to the stage and stared up at her daughter. Ayeka
looked
down and
saw her. The princess froze and then fell to her knees. She looked into
her mother’s eyes
and saw saddness.
        “Ayeka...” she breathed.
        Ayeka lifted the mic to her lips and began to sing the next lines to
the
song. They
sounded so sad and remorseful that it was all Misaki could do to keep
from reaching up
and hugging her daughter. A lone tear ran down Ayeka’s cheek.

        Please.... don’t... take... pity on me.....
        Please.... don’t... take... pity on me.....

        The song broke when Sasami hit the snare and the bass and keys came
back
in with
sampled effects from Washu adding another demenstion of noise to the
music.

        Please don’t take, pity on me!

        Ayeka sang as she stood suddenly, her eyes taking on a wild and
firce
look. Misaki
stumbled back and Kiyone rushed up behind her. She knew what came next in
the song.

        Please don’t take, pity on me!

        Ayeka screamed the last line of the bridge and the third verse broke
in
hard and
loud.

        My life has been a nightmare
        my soul is fractured to the bone
        so if I must be lonely
        I think I’d rather be alone!

        As the verse came back in, the pit started to jump again, and Kiyone
tackled
Misaki into the small alcove under the stage. They watched as people
slammed into each
other in a brutal display of agrestion.
        Sasami had echoed Ayeka’s last line again, and the song’s end
started.



        Washu waited for the last verse to start before switching on her
special
amp. The
button marked, ‘loud’ glowed red as she hit it, and a screen in front of
her flashed a sign
that said, ‘WARNNG!” The red headed genius cackled with glee as the
speakers started
kicking out 200 times the decibals they had just been producing, and a
stasis feild jumped
up around the stage, protecting the members of the band.

        Kiyone had felt the jolt as the stasis feild went up. Now she was
watching people
go deaf. It looked painful, and she was glad that she and Misaki were
under the stage lip
and protected from the blast of noise. She just hoped that Mihoshi had
stayed out side....

        Ayeka screamed out the last few lines of the song. Washu had kicked
on
some sort
of high out-put amp, and the music had jumped in volume. It didn’t matter
at all to Ayeka.
She had seen her mother, and now she was going to show her what kind of a
band she was
in.

        You cannot save me
        you can’t even save yourself
        I cannot save you
        I can’t even save myself
        Save yourself
        So just save yourself!

        The song ended on the last word, and all the insterments and Washu’s
bass notes
hit all at the same time. The resulting shock wave blasted everyone in
the club off their
feet, shattered all the glass in the club and in the buildings around it,
cracked the tile floor
in the bar section of the club, and literally broke and brought down the
drop cealing above
the pit. There was dead silence.
        Misaki climbed out from under the stage and jumped up on it with her
daughter.
        “Mom.... I....” Ayeka trailed off as a line of blood dripped from
her
nose and she
fell over. Misaki looked about the band. Apparently the stasis feild
hadn’t been strong
enough. Everyone except Ryoko and Hiro was laying on the floor, out cold.
Hiro
wobbeled and joined them a moment latter. Ryoko staggered over to the
queen.
        “Hey, how’s it going?” she asked.
        Misaki sighed and looked over to Kiyone. The GP woman shrugged her
shoulders,
        “I guess we should get them all home and see what we can do with
them.”
she said
as she climbed up on stage.

        Friday had come and gone, and the show had been a blow out. Or it
had
blown out
all the glass in every window within a city block of the club. The
Jurian’s had been black
listed from every club in town, and no one would speak with them about
playing a gig any
where in the area. Washu had sugested that they look for venues in other
parts of the
world, but Hiro had decided to end it while they were all still alive.
        “I think we should quit. It was fun for a while, but I have a
feeling
that Ayeka and
Sasami’s hearts just wont be in it any more now that their mother has
found out. Besides,
I don’t think I could take another blast like that...” he had said.
Tenchi had agreed, and
Ryoko had backed him as well. Washu grudgingly decided to drop the
argument.
        Ayeka and Sasami had been stragely quite for the two days after the
show, and not
just because their mother was around. Embaressed and shocked that some
one from home
knew, they seemed to have returned to their normal royal selfs. Tenchi
was sad to see the
lose free wheeling Ayeka go, but glad to have to woman he had fallen in
love with back.
        Misaki had a long talk with her daughters, and decided that they had
been justified
in acting out for once. She also made it very clear that it was NEVER to
happen again.
They were, after all, princesses of Juri. Oddly, she didn’t seem at all
angry with the rest of
the family for suporting her daughters small revolt, and seemed to be
almost thankful that
they had.
        “I had a spat once too, when I was about Ayeka’s age.” she explained
over dinner
two nights after the show, “I went off and started sleeping with my to-be
husband before
our wedding. My parents found out and they were furrious. My mother got
me off though,
by talking to my father and reminding him that she had done the same
thing with him when
they were young...” she laughed a bit, “At least Ayeka’s not following in
our foot steps in
that respect.”
        Tenchi gagged on his food and gulped down his tea quickly to unstick
the
chunk of
beef caught in his throat. Hiro pounded him on the back for a moment and
then he was
fine. He laughed nervously.
        “Is something the matter Tenchi?” Misaki asked him.
        “Uh... no... nothing at all! Just swallowed a bit too fast!” he
replied.
        “You should be more careful when you eat. For goodness sake! No one
is
going to
steal your food!” Misaki looked down in time to see Ryo-Ohki snach a
small carrot from
the side of her plate and run off with it, “Hey! Come back here you!” she
lunged after the
cabit but came up short and fell on her face.
        “You were saying Mother?” Ayeka asked. The whole table began to
laugh
and
then Misaki joined them.

        “Good bye Mother!” Sasami called the next morning as the Jurian
cruiser
lifted off
the ground and flew off into space. The Masaki family watched it go, then
headed back to
the house. Everyone went about their normal daily buisness and life
seemed to return to
normal. The afternoon found Ayeka and Hiro sitting on the couch in the
living room,
looking at the new pictures above the TV.
        The photos were all set up in groups. There was one for each family
in
the house.
One of Tenchi, Nobuyuki and Yosho on a shelf above the TV, one of Ayeka,
Sasami and
Misaki to the right of the set, and one of Washu, Ryoko and Hiro to the
left. Washu had
decided that since Hiro was dating Ryoko, and he shared genes with her
and Washu now
any way, that he was part of their family group.
        On top of the entertainment center that housed the TV, the VCR, the
DVD
player,
and some weird movie playing devise that Washu had hooked up, sat a large
picture of the
whole group, including Mihoshi and Kiyone. It seemed like they were all
one big family to
Ayeka, who spoke to Hiro without taking her eyes off of the group photo,
        “You and Tenchi will be going back to school soon.” she said.
        “Yes.” was Hiro’s only reply.
        “It’s your last year of high school you know.”
        “I know that.” he still stared at the picture of Ryoko, Washu and
himself. Did he
really have a Mom again?
        “What will you do after you finish the semester?”
        Hiro snapped out of his day dream, “Uh, I guess I’ll probobly go to
collage. I
mean, I know I have a home here, and my life will probobly never be the
same as it used
to be, hell, my girl friend flys and has a tail! But you know, I’d still
like to try to lead
something of a normal life. I guess get my own house, get a good job,
start a family...” he
trailed off.
        “With Ryoko?” Ayeka asked quietly.
        “Well... uh... that is... er...” Hiro turned slightly red.
        “She’ll be an excelent mother I think.” Ayeka said.
        “Really?” Hiro was confused, “YOU think she’ll make a good mother?”
        “She knows what the important things in life are.” Ayeka said
simply.
        “Oh.” the two of them lapsed into silence.
        “I’ll miss having you about.”
        “I’ll miss the place too.” Hiro brigtened up, “On the up side, I can
just teleport
back when ever I want too...”
        “I never thought of that. Can you really teleport that far?”
        “No, but I can fly within enough distence to do it. Or teleport a
few
times. I’d just
need to visit the places I’d need to go to get here.”
        “Wonderful!” she smiled at him and he smiled back.
        “You’re worried that Tenchi is going to want to go to collage too
aren’t
you?” he
said suddenly, still smiling.
        “Terrified!” she wailed and burst into tears. He patted her on the
back
and grined.
        “It’ll be alright, Ayeka...”
        “What’s going on here?” Tenchi asked as he walked in.
        “Oh, Tenchi!” Ayeka jumped up and ran over to him. She threw herself
into his
arms and hugged him tightly, “I don’t want you to go across Japan to some
collage where
I’ll never get to see you! I don’t want you to go!” she sobbed into his
chest.
        “What are you talking about? I haven’t even decided if I’m going to
collage or
not!” he said, confused as ever.
        Hiro laughed long and loud. Tenchi frowned. “What’d I miss?” he
asked.