"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 6: Cuddle and Fight

	Tenchi did in fact recover from his hangover. Sasami was creating a
culinary masterpiece for lunch when Tenchi came downstairs. No one was to
be seen, which bothered Tenchi somewhat. He heard Sasami cooking, and 
decided that he would get the low-down on the current events of the Masaki
household.

	"Sasami?" Tenchi asked.

	The little girl spun around from her work, her beaming smile occupying
her face. "Yes, Tenchi?" she responded.

	"Where did everyone go?"

	"Well, Washu is in her lab, Ryoko is asleep somewhere, my sister is
napping in her room as well, and Yosho is up at the shrine with Mihoshi."

	"How about my father?"

	"Noboyuki? I haven't seen him since breakfast yesterday! Maybe he is
busy."

	Tenchi chuckled, "More than likely."

	"Tenchi? Can I ask you a question?"

	"What is it, Sasami?"

	"Where you serious about what you had said last night? All that stuff
about finding an ordinary girl?"

	"Huh?" Tenchi looked back into his mind's eye, as he couldn't remember
what he had said.

	He remembered going to the mall and coming home. Then he sat down and
got. something. to. drink. Suddenly, everything fell into place and took off
from the kitchen to find the girls. He didn't remember much after drinking,
except one particularly raunchy joke that Yosho told, dealing with the rich
fellow that had an orgy with an entire brothel. Outside of that (which he
would use later on to become the King of Dirty Jokes at his school), he
could not remember one thing.

	He knocked lightly on Aeka's door. Aeka responded in a remarkably 
non-groggy voice for one who has been napping, "Come in."

	Tenchi entered quietly, and saw Aeka not napping, but simply sitting
on a chair, staring at the floor. "Aeka, are you okay?"

	"I don't know, Tenchi! Ask your ordinary girl!" was a tear-choked and
bitter response.

	Tenchi saw Aeka's face when she looked up. Tears had been running down
for quite some time, and Aeka's face revealed a deep pain.

	"M-my ordinary girl? I don't have an girlfriend, Aeka."

	"If what you threatened last night should come to pass, you most
certainly will!"

	"Aeka, please forgive me! I had too much to drink."

	"Tenchi, don't you care for me?"

	"Of course I do, Aeka. Why would I say anything otherwise unless I was
foolish from sake?"

	"You didn't mean your words, Tenchi?"

	"Well, I -- no. Aeka, I didn't truly mean whatever it was that I had
said in my drunken rage."

	Aeka wiped away the tears and managed a little smile. She wanted so
much to be in his arms. "Will Otto live up to his bargain?" she asked 
herself. It didn't appear that he was doing much of anything, outside of
corrupting this household. He even reached her, the pinnacle of Jurain
humility and grace. However, she entered this bargain of her own free
will, of that she was certain. She felt no traces of influence upon her
as she agreed. Otto made an honorable agreement, and Aeka was certain
that he would live up to it.

	Tenchi saw that Aeka was still lost in thought. "Oh, great. Now
look what has happened. Will she forgive me?" Tenchi thought. He looked
down at her, the Jurain princess.

	Aeka saw that Tenchi was obviously concerned for her. She had
become corrupted by evil for him. If he knew, he would not forgive
her. The very thought brought tears to her eyes.

	"Damn it, Tenchi! You have a beautiful woman who loves you sitting
before you, crying at your feet!" a voice shouted from Tenchi's heart.
"Are you simply going to let her cry because you are too chicken to even
hold her?"

	"Remember, moderation in all things," Grandpa's voice echoed within
Tenchi's recent memory.

	"Since when is a comforting gesture extreme? You are going to the
low end of the extremes just by simply standing here watching! Holding
her in your arms doesn't mean that you're going to sleep with her! 
God, Tenchi, have you no self-control?" the voice from Tenchi's heart,
awakened from his loosening the previous night, presented an argument
that could not be countered.

	Aeka saw that Tenchi was having a inner turmoil, and tears began 
to flow at a slightly increased rate. "I am making him worry and fret
over me. I didn't want this," she thought silently.

	However, her regret was cut short. Tenchi knelt down and took
Aeka into his arms, gently cuddling her and trying to soothe her. The
voice in his heart not only won out, but it was correct. This truly
was the moderation.

	Aeka, almost not believing that she was experiencing this, let
out all her frustrations, crying as Tenchi held her. They were there
for about an hour, neither one conscious of the passing of time.

	From the doorway, Sasami watched. Both a wave of happiness and
a pang of jealousy hit her simultaneously. She was happy to see both
Tenchi and Aeka happy, but she didn't like seeing them growing closer
like that. Satisfied that something was definately amiss, Sasami
crept away, as silently as she came, to finish lunch.

			*			*			*

	While Tenchi and Aeka cuddled, Ryoko was completely uncaring of
their activities. She had greater problems to worry about. The least
sign of an attack could spell her doom. She had come to the shrine
to ask Yosho a question. What she found was that Yosho was in a playful
mood. Because Ryo-Ohki was with Sasami as the little girl spied, Ryoko
knew that she was losing ground. However, should she surrender this 
battle, she might never gain insight.

	Ryoko was going to simply ask Yosho about Otto. Yosho instead
demanded that she engage him in combat for the information. He claimed
to have made a promise to Otto that only those defeating him could
get the dirt on the pale man. Now, Ryoko was engaged in a major fight
that could mean her life. Ryoko knew that Otto had more up his sleeve
than he was letting on, and that the thing up his sleeve could very well
destroy the Masaki household. 
	
	Yosho warned Ryoko that she may only use the sword that
the old man provided for her, although they did compromise on Ryoko
using only her flight to do combat. In return, Yosho said that he would
hold back as well, although the poor girl didn't fully understand
what Yosho meant.

	They stood, facing each other off. Suddenly, Ryoko received
the messages from Ryo-Ohki that Tenchi and Aeka were practically
making out. She attempted to keep her face aligned, but Yosho detected
the slight disturbance.

	Within moments, Ryoko was calling upon the whole of her combat
skills to keep up a defense. Yosho pummeled her from all sides, it
seemed, in the way that most old masters can do. Ryoko managed to
stave off the old man, and began a counter-attack of her own. However,
she knew that part of her was focusing on Tenchi and Aeka. She was
glad when Ryo-Ohki and Sasami ended their surveillance.

	Yosho was confident that he could beat Ryoko, as she seemed to
be slightly preoccupied. He did not allow his confidence to cloud his 
judgement; he attacked and defended as usual. Yosho was caught slightly
off-guard when Ryoko apparently found a well-spring of vigor and focus.
However, that simply forced Yosho to be more careful. Now, the fight
was his within a few hours instead of a few minutes.

	When Yosho brought his sword up to Ryoko's neck, he grinned.
Otto's secret would be safe. He had hoped, however, that Sasami
had saved lunch for the two of them. "Ryoko, you are a worthy foe,"
the old man said.

	"Yes, but you are a more effective one, I must admit," the cyan-
haired girl bowed to her conqueror.

	"Ha ha, you need more training. Something I tell Tenchi often."

	"Yosho, you aren't going to talk, are you?"

	"No, you have lost the fight."

	"I'll get you to talk, old man. I know that something is up with
Otto, and you'll tell me what it is."

	"You won't get anywhere by trying to talk to me, Ryoko. Now, I
believe that it is lunchtime."

	Before Ryoko could get in another word in, Yosho began walking 
down the stairs. Ryoko saw herself at the shrine, by herself. She
ensured that Yosho was on his way down to lunch, and then snuck into
shrine. She looked about, trying to find the place where that pale
man would stay. She thought it odd that he only came out at night.

	She soon found a very odd, long stone box. She began to move
the heavy lid. It made a horrid, loud noise as it slid across. Ryoko
wanted it to be quiet, but there was no choice. She took of the lid,
and created an energy orb to illuminate the room enough for her. No
sooner did she do this when a hand reached up and grabbed her wrist.

	Ryoko gasped as she looked down. Expecting a horrid demon, she 
only a groggy Otto looking at her. "What are you doing here?" Otto
mumbled out, not noticing her orb capable of burning.

	"I think a more appropiate question is, what are you doing?"
Ryoko responded, creating her energy sword from the glowing orb.

	This threat caused Otto to awaken completely. He pushed outward
with his vampiric might, and sent her flying across the room. However,
he was behind her before she flew back through the wall. His hands 
had become claws, and they were soon buried deep within Ryoko. She
cried out in pain, then attempted to swing her sword. Otto was already
gone, and his claws had raked across her face. She dissolved her sword
to clutch her face, which was in incredible pain, when Otto moved
her hands and stared into her eyes, fully revealing his vampiric
features.

	He hissed loudly and bared his fangs, and Ryoko felt him see
directly through her. She began to shake uncontrollably. She forgot
the pain in her back and face; all she could think about is the fear,
the horrible, paralyzing fear, which struck her. For effect, Otto
engaged his night-vision, which caused his eyes to glow red. Ryoko
stared into his red eyes, and she found herself unable to run, unable
to phase out. Suddenly, Otto let her go, and his face ended its fear-
causing visage. Ryoko's aura was nothing but fear. Otto then turned
and looked into her eyes once more. He licked the wounds, which closed
instantly. He then took control of her memory. She then forgot that 
this had ever occurred. She then when back down to the house, her 
curiosity silenced by a now-concealed fear.

			*			*			*

	Ryoko sat down with Yosho to eat. Yosho glanced at her, and
a slight smile played across his lips. "She decided to go after
Otto anyway. From the looks of her aura, she pissed him off. If
I know Otto, she'll remember this in a week when Otto decides to
release the control, and she will scream. He made a deal with Aeka,
and he is playing this house to his favor. I will see if Tenchi is
wise enough to deal with man. Otto will likely Embrace one of this
house, giving himself permission as a Prince. I wonder who he will
choose," Yosho asked himself in his head.

	Tenchi, Aeka, Mihoshi, Washu, and Sasami had already eaten.
The entire house knew that something was up and that it had to do 
with the new guest. However, Yosho was the only member of the 
household to know exactly the danger that Otto provided, and he 
would not talk. However, this new guest was nothing like Kagato or
any of the other multitudes of evil that the group had faced. Otto
did not desire the death of everyone here, but he did want something.
Exactly what it was no one knew except the pale German.

	After taking in a reheated lunch, which was still better fare
than an expensive restaruant, Yosho went back up to the shrine to
meditate. Ryoko decided that she needed to pay a visit to Tenchi.
Unfortunately, Ryo-Ohki was with Sasami, who was cooking dinner.
Receiving no help from her cabbit, Ryoko decided to find Tenchi in
the old-fashioned way.

	She found Tenchi and Aeka in each other arms by the lake. An
open picnic basket and various amounts of uneaten food made obvious
the activity that they were engaged in. Ryoko scowled, and snuck up
behind them. She nearly spat out the words, "Enjoy your lunch?"

	"Oh, yes, Ryoko. It was wonderful," Tenchi said. "Huh? Ryoko?!
Umm, well, I -- couldn't find you to go to lunch with you!"

	"That's right, Ryoko. While you were stirring up mischief--"
Aeka began, but was cut off by an angered Ryoko.

	"I attempt to save both of your lives and this is my repayment?"

	"Ryoko?" Tenchi got up, much to Aeka's dismay, "what do you
mean? I haven't seen you since last night."

	"Yes, well, you ingrate. Last night I could understand, as you
were merely drunk. But this. Tenchi, have you no caring in your
heart for me?"

	"Ryoko! That is not true, and you know it!"

	"Do I?"

	"Ryoko, you had gone somewhere. What were you doing anyway?"

	"I faced Yosho in singles' combat."

	"Why on earth would you want to have such a losing proposition?"
Tenchi asked, chuckling as he said it.

	Both Aeka and Ryoko chuckled a moment at the sheer impossibility
of such a fight. Ryoko then said, "I fought Yosho to try to get the
dirt on Otto."

	"Why would you want the dirt on Otto? Grandpa would evict him if
he didn't trust the new arrival."

	"I'm not so certain, Tenchi. Aeka, you must have seen the evil
in Otto's aura."

	Aeka nodded, "I did."

	"Then that makes three of us," Tenchi added, "but he isn't out
to watch us all be slaguhtered at his hands."

	"True, he has moved slowly compared to some of the other jokers,"
Ryoko commented.

	"Although it's agreed that we cannot trust him," Aeka added.

	All three of them nodded. Tenchi looked at Ryoko. "Thank you,
Ryoko. You didn't have to attempt to fight Yosho."

	"Don't worry about it, Tenchi," Ryoko smiled, "but if you are
really that grateful, then I say we ditch Aeka and go somewhere a
little more -- private."

	"Ryoko!! How dare you suggest that Tenchi is anything like you!
He is noble, not common rabble!"

	Soon enough, Aeka and Ryoko were participating in a bitch-fest.
Tenchi snuck off to the house, whereupon he saw Mihoshi relaxing on
the couch. "Good afternoon, Mihoshi!" Tenchi said to the blonde.

	"Huh? Oh, hi, Tenchi!" Mihoshi got up, knocking over her cup
of soda onto the sofa. She ran to the kitchen to get a towel, nearly
knocking over a lamp in the process. She came back as quickly as she 
could, knocking off the unstable lamp, which fell to the floor with a 
crash. She spun to see the source of the noise, when her hand clipped
a bowl of crackers, knocking them to the floor. Upon seeing the broken
lamp, Mihoshi took a step back, crunching the crackers and grinding
them into the carpet. She looked down seeing the new noise of noise.
She moved to avoid the crackers, and fell on the part of the sofa
that the soda was now seeping into. She bounced up with a small yelp, 
and turned to dry the couch. She began to dry the couch, unaware that
her most recent actions, turning and bending over, caused anyone who
walked in the door to catch an eyeful. As luck would have, Noboyuki
arrived in the house at precisely that moment.

	"I'm ho-," Noboyuki cut himself short as he saw Mihoshi's ample
cleavage from a very good angle. A small tickle of blood came forth
from his nose. Mihoshi looked up at the excited Noboyuki, and just
smiled, completely clueless as to what Noboyuki noticed. "Welcome
home!" Mihoshi cheerfully said, then went back to cleaning the sofa.

	Noboyuki was glued to the floor. He simply gazed at the sight
of Mihoshi's bosoms nearly spilling from her low-cut top. He was
stuck until she stood back up, taking the wet towel to the laundry
basket. Tenchi surveyed the damage of greeting Mihoshi. Crackers
were well-ground into the carpet, the sofa would be sticky for a 
few days, a lamp lay broken on the floor, and his father was as
hard as a rock. Out of all of them, it was the last one that bothered
Tenchi the most, as the mental image of what his father was most
assuredly about to do would haunt his dreams.

	The perverted man said, "I'm going to change my clothes. I
will be out in a while." He then bolted up to his room.

			*			*			*

	That evening, the sun set at 5:15 PM. Otto awoke as the sun
bed down for sleep. He left his coffin, and found Yosho in the
shrine. "She knows too much, Yosho."

	Yosho sat there in meditation, not responding. Otto nodded,
vowing to himself to speak later. He headed down toi the house,
vowing something else to himself that night. 

	"Otto?" Tenchi asked as the pale man entered the room.

	"Yes?"

	"Remember how we went shopping yesterday?"

	"No, I must have been sleeping."

	"Well, we bought several new suits for you."

	"You did? I must admit to looking quite silly in my outfit.
The style is only 120 years old!"

	Otto laughed at that, but Tenchi failed to see the humor. "Umm,
well, this is what the saleswoman told us was in fashion. Something
called 'Armani,' I think," Tenchi explained.

	Otto nodded, took a suit, and headed into the bathroom to try
the suit on. Within moments, he looked a man of the 90's. He looked
very conservative and professional, his mere prescence made you want
to prostrate yourself at his feet, begging for mercy. As the 
members of the Masaki household were about to discover, asking a
vampire for mercy was a long shot indeed.

			End Chapter 6