"Every Need for a Masquerade"
Tenchi Muyo in the World of Darkness
 by Magus the Dark
 e-mail: magus_the_dark@hotmail.com, magus@big-brains.com
 C & C welcome

Of course, I came up with neither Tenchi Muyo nor the World of Darkness. All
appropiate copyrights apply.


			Chapter 5 : Vengences

	As Yosho and Otto were coming in to have a wonderful time, some
others were coming in, as well.

	"We're home!" Sasami yelled as she ran in, carrying a small bag.

	Mihoshi had a few bags. She giggled, "I hope everyone had as much 
fun as we did today."

	"Can someone give me a hand??" Tenchi called. He was a pile of bags
and clothes with legs.

	"Of course, Tenchi," Aeka said as she approached the loaded-down 
boy.

	"Aeka! I will help Tenchi!" Ryoko shoved Aeka out of the way.

	"Ryoko, you demon! Tenchi does not want your help!"

	"Shut up, bitch, or I'll show you how much of a demon I am."

	"Is such vulgarity common to wicked people?"

	"WHORE!" Ryoko shouted, spinning and rushing the princess.

	However, the princess was ready. She swung her fist, and connected
with Ryoko's chin. Ryoko spun through the air, and hit the ground in a 
daze. Aeka simply looked at her fist. Whatever Otto gave her, it certainly
was very powerful. She could have her revenge upon Ryoko for earlier in
the day.

	"You need not try to kill that which more powerful than yourself,"
Aeka laughed at the still-dazed Ryoko.

	By this time, Tenchi had set the clothes down with Washu's help. He
rubbed his back a little after setting the pile down. "Hmmm, Tenchi, you 
ought to let me look at your back. You might have strained it. I think that
Doctor Washu should be able to care of your problems, right, Tenchi?"

	Tenchi just smiled a little at Washu's suggestion. A faint tickle of
blood came from his nose. "Ummm, no thanks, Washu. I think that I'll just
take a Tylenol."

	"Come on, Tenchi, humor me this once. Come to my lab!"

	"Ummm, I'm have to go find Grandpa right now. Maybe -- tomorrow."

	Washu chuckled and went towards her lab. Mihoshi plopped down in
front of the TV, turning it on. Aeka still just marvelled at the power
that she retained in her fists as Ryoko lay in a daze. It was little
Sasami who once more proved her worth. She came out of the kitchen and
informed Tenchi that Yosho was in there with Otto. Tenchi decided to
spy on the two.

	Yosho and Otto were drinking heavily. Otto's sake was an odd red
color, but it still smelled like sake. Yosho turned to Tenchi, and said
with a smile, "Ah, Tenchi, you are home. Come and have a few with Otto
and myself."

	"I don't know if I should, Grandpa. I think I'll let you two catch
up."

	"Bah! Tenchi, is it? Come sit down with us. Yosho and I have a
long time to do catching up. With this many girls chasing after you, I
suspect that you do not spend much time in peace. Your grandfather and
I were just sharing drinks and laughs. Please join us," Otto said, 
turning his ability to affect emotions on Tenchi.

	"Well, just one or two, I suppose," Tenchi said, surprising himself.

	He sat down at the table, and took a bowl of sake. His rational
mind didn't understand why his emotions were no longer tightly reinged
in. However, most of his mind was relieved that they weren't; he now
had some room to move mentally. His rational mind even began to wonder 
if such tight control was necessary. Perhaps he was trying to emulate
his grandfather, but Tenchi was projecting himself upon an old man, who
would be less concerned with sex and fun than a young adult would.

	Tenchi gulped down the clear liquid; it went smoothly to his stomach.
The three continued to laugh and joke, the sake liberating Tenchi's id even
more. Although Tenchi made a good attempt at telling dirty jokes, he was 
helpless against the perversity of the pale German. The only difficulty that
Tenchi had was the fact that all of Otto's punch lines were in German; the
poor lad couldn't make out a single word! However, Tenchi didn't need to 
know German to understand the meaning behind those words. As the night wore
on, Tenchi drank more than he should. Yosho noticed that his grandson would
pass out soon, so he told Tenchi to go to bed. Tenchi merely swayed and left
the room, intent upon following the orders.

			*			*			*

	While the men were enjoying themselves, the girls were each doing
something different. Being a weekend, Aeka let Sasami stay up normally.
This time, however, Sasami suspected that she is staying up largely because
of Ryoko and Ryoko's way of getting Aeka's full attention. Counting her
blessings, she played with Ryo-Ohki. Mihoshi, as usual, was in front of the 
TV, snacks in hand. Everyone merely assumed that Washu was down in her lab.

	Aeka and Ryoko, however, were definately in the living room. Ryoko,
having recovered from the punch, became more careful. The fight was going
either way when suddenly, Ryoko moved in for the kill. She grabbed Aeka's 
neck in a choke hold. Aeka panicked for a moment, then reared back and
let Ryoko have it. Knuckles contacted nose, and Ryoko let go, falling to
the ground. Aeka then set upon Ryoko, punching furiously.

	Within moments, Ryoko was a badly bruised pulp on the ground.
Aeka stood over her, laughing madly and saying, "How does revenge feel, 
demon? Now, you will accept my authority!"

	With that, Aeka's fist went at Ryoko's stomach. Ryoko screamed in
pain, and a bit of blood tickled from her mouth. "Y-you b-bitch," the
injured Ryoko weakly said.

	However, Ryo-Ohki noticed the fight and scrambled from Sasami's
grasp. She ran over to Ryoko, and looked at Aeka, miyaing sadly. Aeka
heard the small cabbit's pleading cries, and lowered her fists. She looked
at what her anger caused, and averted her eyes; the sight was too horrible
for the princess. From the kitchen at that moment, Otto finished a joke,
but only Yosho laughed. The punchline was a pun on a German word, and
Yosho was the only occupant of the kitchen who spoke German. However,
Mihoshi did crack up at the joke as well, averting her attention from the
TV for a moment. She then got up to go to the kitchen, when Tenchi came out. 
Tenchi saw the beaten Ryoko, and saw Aeka, her fists covered in blood.

	Something inside Tenchi said, "It's just them fighting again."
However, the alcohol overrode such sensibilities. The end result: Tenchi
grew a backbone.

	"Aeka! Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted, "I will put this in only one way:
You two stop fighting at once, or else I will find myself an ordinary
Earth girl. There are many pretty ones, you know. I have put up with your
hatred of each other for too long! Here is where it ends!"

	Of course, the words came out slurred. Still, they struck home. Ryoko,
even though she was barely conscious, shed a few tears. Aeka just shook a
little, and ran into the bathroom in a stream of tears. Tenchi stood there,
scowling at the scene. He then turned and went to bed without another word.

			*				*				*

	Inside the kitchen, Yosho and Otto heard Tenchi yell, but neither one
could make out any words, as the door further slurred Tenchi's speech. They 
looked at each other, and began to crack up. "Boy, the sake really sets him 
off!" Otto said in between his laughter. Yosho just nodded, unable to contain
himself enough to speak. The sake was getting to him, too, apparently. Otto
continued to laugh and made a dirty German comment. This prevented both of
them from speaking or drinking for quite some time.

	It was Yosho who would speak first, and he spoke in a hushed tone, "Do 
you really think that Tenchi will appreciate the deal you made with Aeka? He
doesn't like political games."

	"Maybe not, Yosho, but you seemed to appreciate your bride."

	"True enough, Otto. I am curious as to your true intention."

	"Ha ha, old man. The liquor has lowered your guard. I know better than
to say anything about my plans. A policy of silence has served me well and
continues to do so."

	"In other words, it's so awful that you cannot speak of it?"

	"No, I simply never talk."

	"Why?"

	"Because the last time I was honest with anyone, my wife divorced me!"

	"How come?"

	"Because she found out that I was screwing a dozen girls behind her
back!"

	Another German sexual phrase later, and the two were laughing it up.
Otto began singing a rather dirty German song, and Yosho chimed in as well.
Anyone listening to the two men slur German would have been quite amused.
Mihoshi, listening from the living room, certainly was.

			*			*			*

	Aeka stood over the sink, scrubbing at her hands, trying to get the
blood off. It took several layers of skin before her hands were devoid of
Ryoko's blood. However, Aeka's kimono was permanently ruined. Blood had
splattered on it, and had already caused stains. Aeka cursed her luck,
cursed her anger, and most of all, cursed Ryoko. She left the bathroom and 
went to bed, dragging Sasami behind her.

	Ryoko still lay on the floor, blood issuing in a slow tickle from her
mouth as she used her power to heal as quickly as possible. "How did Aeka
hit me so hard? I have never been this badly beaten! However, it is Tenchi
that I am worried about. Was he drunk, or was he--?" Ryoko thought. Tears 
rolled down her face slowly. She couldn't even bear to think it. 

			*			*			*

	As usually occurs, night became day. Otto went to sleep in the space
which Yosho provided. Tenchi woke up, then wish he didn't. Both Noboyuki
and the young man had hangovers from hell. Tenchi discovered the joys of
the hangover, when Yosho entered with a small gong. Sasami watched from the
doorway -- this was a public spectacle. Yosho set the gong on Tenchi's desk,
and sounded it. To Yosho, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki, it sounded like a small 
gong.

	To Tenchi, however, it sounded like a hundred huge gongs being beaten
in a small closed room. He covered his ears and pleaded with Yosho to stop
the loud noise. Sasami giggled as Yosho opened the blinds.

	Tenchi had an almost vampiric fear of sunlight that morning. He hid
his sensitive eyes underneath his pillow in order to defend against the
glare, as well as shut out the sound. Ryo-Ohki left her place atop Sasami
and clambered up on Tenchi, miyaing a little.

	"Ryo-Ohki, not now. I -- mrph!" Tenchi suddenly scrambled for the
bathroom.

	Sasami was about to check on Tenchi, when Yosho stopped her. "No,
Sasami. He must learn the penalty for over-indulgence."

	"What did he do, Yosho?"

	"He had a little too much to drink last night. He'll be fine.
Now, let's see what we can do about breakfast, hm?"

	"Okay!" Sasami ran downstairs and into the kitchen to make
breakfast. Yosho simply chuckled and waited by the door. Soon enough,
Tenchi staggered back, having expelled the contents of his stomach.

	"Well, Tenchi. Are you ready to begin today's chores?"

	"Ugh, Grandpa, can I have a day off? I don't feel very well."

	"Ah, have too much to drink last night?"

	Tenchi nodded, and began to stagger into his room.

	"I never said that you could have the day off. You must learn
moderation, Tenchi! You must know your limits and respect them!"

	"Yes, I will from now on. May I--"

	"Good! Now, come with me! Today, you must mop the shrine. I want the
floor to sparkle like it was just made!"

	"Grandpa--hold on!!" Tenchi took off for the bathroom again.

	Yosho merely chuckled and went downstairs. Tenchi would get over the
hangover, and he won't drink like that again for a very long time.

				End Chapter 5