________________________________________________________
**Standard Disclaimer & Author's Notes**
I do not own Tenchi Muyo!, or any of its characters.  I also do not own two 
other anime series (their names will be disclosed later, and yes; this will be a 
crossover  ^.^), or the songs that will be used.  The titles of the songs will 
be included at the end of the chapters they appeared, what albums they can be 
found in, and the artists' names.  I am not going to get any money from writing 
this fic, so don't bother trying to sue :p. 

This is my first fanfic, so compared to all of you authors; I am nothing more 
than an amateur.  Please notify me of any problems with my spelling, grammar, or 
format of this fic, and I apologize beforehand if I have made any major errors.  
I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a review, or e-mail me at 
Tiff0307@aol.com.  If you have AIM, my screen name is UniverslAnimeGrl. 

Although it takes place right after the events of OAV 2, this is a story about 
journeys, decisions, relationships, friendships, emotions, and overcoming 
obstacles.  I have no intention of bashing any of the characters. My 
interpretation of their personalities and the dynamics of their relationships 
are based off of Tenchi Muyo!, and two other currently unnamed series. Well, 
since that's all said and done, enjoy reading my fic!
___________________________________________________________________ 

Through the Lakes, Rivers, and Oceans In-between

Chapter 1: A Bright New Beginning

It was morning, and the sun peeked out from behind the mountain peaks and shone 
down upon the lush, green hills of the Okayama prefecture in Japan.  Spring was 
coming to a close; the days were getting longer, and the clear, brisk weather of 
the season was giving way to the sweltering heat of the summer.  The 
intoxicating aroma of freshly fallen cherry blossoms drifted from the groves and 
enveloped the entire hillside in a veil of serenity. This, along with the light 
symphony of many birds combined to orchestrate an atmosphere of utmost bliss and 
tranquility.

	Nestled in the midst of these hills at the end of a long, winding stairway 
is a small shrine.  Its traditional structure and wood-framed paper-screened 
sliding doors would give a casual passerby the impression that it is largely 
insignificant, for there are many shrines in the area that are more ornate and 
easily accessible.  The bespectacled shrine keeper appears to be in his mid-
sixties, his wrinkled features and long gray hair are an obvious indication.  
But his elderly appearance is nothing more than a shroud, for beneath the faŘade 
lies a youthful young man from a distant planet whose age is inconceivable on 
earth. About 700 years ago, he passed- up the inheritance to the throne of the 
most powerful empire in the galaxy, Jurai.  He left to pursue a villainous space 
pirate who had committed unspeakable acts on his home planet and elsewhere in 
the galaxy, but he may have had other reasons, for he was never heard from 
again.  He is the legendary warrior Yosho, but on earth he goes by the alias 
Katsuhito Masaki.  Few know of his true identity, and fewer still know of his 
true form. 

	Along the winding stairway there are many paths that run through the 
surrounding forest.  At the end of one path is a small clearing; the lines of 
pegs in the ground and a small piece of wood tied to a string suggest that it is 
some sort of training area.  At the end of another path is a small, round pond; 
stepping stones lead to an island with a single tree, much larger than the 
others in the forest.  This tree was once the main component of a grand 
spaceship, Funaho. One path leads to a cave that, according to legend, 
imprisoned a demon.  The cave's former occupant is at the moment taking an early 
morning nap, splayed out atop the roof of the Masaki residence.  

Even from afar, it is easy to see that she is not of earthly origin.  Her light, 
cyan-colored tresses are swept back in many different directions, giving her 
hair a wild, spiky look; a stray lock dangles in front of each ear.  Upon closer 
inspection, (something not very easy to do because of her temperamental nature) 
one can see that her ears are elongated, and her jaw is angular in shape.   She 
is sleeping with her mouth slightly open, revealing glistening fangs, similar to 
a feline's.  Her figure is something that she is understandably proud of, and 
she'll flaunt it whenever she feels it is necessary.  Her current attire 
consists of a pink and light blue gown with large widely striped sleeves of the 
same color.  The length of the gown runs down to a point between her knees and 
her shins.  What distinguishes it from any other gown is a dark red, tail-like 
extension, that, when she's awake, would move about according to her mood.   
Currently, it is limply hanging down the side of the roof.  In her peaceful 
slumber, it is hard to believe that she once was the most feared person in the 
galaxy, the Demon Summoner, otherwise known as Ryoko the space-pirate.

	 The sun had made its journey across the sky, and was now shining directly 
above the house.  Ryoko was immediately awakened by the brightness of its rays.  
She stood up, stretched, then yawned, rubbing her eyes as she did so.  Upon 
removing her hands, her most prominent feature could be seen, her eyes.  
Primarily large, they featured narrow pupils of a stunning golden-yellow color, 
mostly characteristic of a cat.  There is an ever-present hint of mischief 
reflecting in them, and a slightly lazy cast in one eye.  They set off her feral 
appearance.  She could not help but feel refreshed by the peaceful ambience, a 
big difference from the hustle and bustle of the previous day; a visit from the 
royal family of Jurai.  Her experience with Misaki, the mother of two current 
residents, was especially trying.  

	Ryoko casually took in her surroundings; the countryside, the dock that 
lead from the house to as far her eyes could see, then the lake; whose sheer 
contents would make a scientist's head spin.  After all, it is normal for the 
ocean to have many sunken ships, but absolutely abnormal for a lake to have two 
crashed spaceships.  The floating onsen hung over the lake like a cloud.  
Assured that there was no one else coming, she then turned her attention to the 
sky and noted the sun's location.

Hmmm...it's a little after noon, she thought, Tenchi won't be back from school 
for at least three hours...

Thinking of nothing better to do, she sat back down and contemplated all that 
has happened in the past few months.

Let's see...  we had to take care of Taro, found out that Washu had had a child 
before she created me, and that Sasami would become Tsunami in the future.  My 
spaceship assimilated with the mass, I got kidnapped by that bastard Clay, 
merged with his sentient android Zero, was nearly strangled to death by that 
hugging maniac Misaki, and finally Mihoshi ended up crashing in the lake...  
Pretty normal by our standards, she mused.

	Next, she went about going over Zero's memories of when she was 
impersonating her.  Ryoko laughed at the incident with the sake bottle; after 
all, it was something that she would have said too, snickered every time Zero 
had blushed in Tenchi's presence, was infuriated at Washu's remarks of her 
sagging breasts, and dumbfounded by how gullible she had been by taking over 
Washu's bathroom duty.  The sheer emotions were nothing special; it was what she 
went through every single day.  A little voice at the back of her head made 
itself known.

	Hey, it interjected; you would have fallen for that trick too!

	No, Ryoko responded, that just goes to show how gullible you are!  I would 
never fall for such a cheap trick!

	How about the time when you triggered Ayeka's door alarm and ended up in 
the lake, or the time when you stood outside all afternoon after Washu told you 
that Tenchi was coming home?

	Ryoko was outraged, the tail-like extension waved about frantically. Ayeka 
fell for her own rotten trick later, so that doesn't count, and you can't say a 
thing about the second one, it was mostly your fault. 

	Well, at least I got complimented by Tenchi after cleaning the bathroom, 
Zero shot back.

	Ryoko found that she couldn't argue with that.  She also found it very 
disconcerting to fight with someone who shared the same mind.  This was 
something that was going to take a while to get used to.  Ryoko was also amazed 
at how much Zero could be her, yet still maintain a separate personality.  She 
phased through the roof into Tenchi's room to use the mirror.

	And another thing, she thought, what were you thinking when you wore this!

	She instantly replaced her present outfit with the purple and red 
sleeveless dress that Zero had worn.

	What's wrong with it?

	  It's purple, the color that is mostly associated with royalty, which is 
why I don't like it! It reminds me of that prissy princess Ayeka!

	Well, I happen to like purple, Zero remarked, and besides, it's more 
becoming of a lady.

	Ryoko was deeply shocked by this remark.  Hold on for a while, arguing 
like this is giving me a headache.

	What are you planning to do? 

	Well, since I cannot simply separate myself from you, I will create a 
double and transfer your being into it.  It will be easier to settle this matter 
face to face.

	She simply did just that, and immediately upon doing so, her mind felt a 
little less crowded.  Soon there was a mirror image of herself standing directly 
in front of her.

	"'It's more becoming of a lady!'" Ryoko shrieked.  "Let me guess, you must 
have impersonated mostly royalty and nobility before I became your target and 
you decided to move in," she remarked snidely. 

	"Why do you ask that?" Zero asked inquiringly. 
		
	Ryoko held out her hand and began holding up fingers as she proved each 
point. 

	"Let's see, before you became me, you were somewhat emotionally dull, and 
believe me, most royal types are extremely dull; you are very na<ve, like the 
color purple, want to be lady-like, have a certain meekness about you, and most 
of all, used manners while you were eating!"

 	"What's wrong with having a little etiquette? It's not like you have any." 

	"First of all, when you are trying to pass as someone else, the least you 
could do is to act like them!  I wasn't the least bit surprised when they gave 
you those shocked glances at the table.  I'm amazed that you were able to fool 
them for that long!"

	As they continued arguing, princess Ayeka had come into the house from 
sitting outside on the porch, where she had sipped tea and ate rice crackers.  
She immediately heard all the ruckus that was going on upstairs.  She rolled her 
crimson eyes and shook her head, lightly shaking her short, dark purple hair, 
and her two long ponytails. 

	Really, if that monster woman is going to argue with herself, the least 
she could do is to keep it down a little.

	She walked past the stairway, the base of which contained a door that lead 
to the lab of professor Washu, the self-proclaimed "Greatest Scientific Genius 
in the Universe"; past the couch where the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pointy-
eared, tanned, childish, and ditzy Galaxy Police detective Mihoshi lounged after 
returning from escorting Dr. Clay to Galaxy Police Headquarters, and then 
finally entered the kitchen where her sweet-natured little sister Sasami happily 
cooked lunch for everyone.  Sasami's large, bright pink eyes promptly lit up 
upon seeing her sister enter the kitchen.

	"Hi Ayeka!" Sasami cheerfully remarked, "How are you?"

	"I was fine until I heard Miss Ryoko's ranting. Honestly, it is not 
appropriate", or normal for that matter, she added silently, "to bicker with 
one's self."

	Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko's long time spaceship and companion, was currently in her 
cabbit form, sleeping atop of Sasami's bluish-green hair, right in between the 
two places where her hair was put into two long ponytails.  Upon hearing it's 
master's name, it pricked up its rabbit-like ears, shook it's rabbit-like tail, 
and gave a cheerful miya.

	"I'm worried about her, maybe you should go and check on her", Sasami said 
with concern.

	Looking at her worried expression, Ayeka could not help but fulfil her 
sister's wishes.  She walked up the stairway and down the hall to the source of 
all the noise, Tenchi's bedroom.  

	I wonder what she's doing in there?  

After living under the same roof as Ryoko for nearly a year and a half, she had 
come to expect the unexpected, and to even actually consider some of it as 
normal.  Ayeka had almost grown accustomed to hearing voices come out of 
nowhere, Ryoko's tendency to teleport in when she was least expected, and the 
many battles they fought over the person of their desires, Tenchi Masaki.  But 
she was totally unprepared for what she saw when she opened the door.  She 
instantly flushed when she saw Ryoko arguing, with none other than herself.  Not 
wanting to be assaulted by two Ryokos at once, she quickly left the hallway.

One of these days, one of us is going to end up going insane, she concluded.

Not noticing their previous visitor, Ryoko and Zero continued with their 
conversation.

"Okay, okay, I see what you mean, but still, it won't hurt to have a few 
manners."

Ryoko thought about this for a moment.  While she was thinking, Zero brought up 
a tender subject.

"Can... can you taste?"

Ryoko didn't answer, but simply shook her head.

"When I first became you I noticed that your senses were highly acute, but then 
you were lacking something.  When it came time to eat dinner, I realized that it 
was your sense of taste.  At first I thought nothing of it, I was having enough 
trouble trying to think straight in Tenchi's presence, and simply substituted it 
with someone else's.  You see, each time I had completed a mission, that 
person's personality and memory were wiped away from my own, but I salvaged what 
I could; feelings, emotions, thoughts, and eventually I had gained enough to 
form fragments of a personality I could call my own, one I could keep in my 
android form and still carry with me through each new mission.  Some of it was 
things I did not need, such as the capability to feel fear, and one of the 
things, the ability to taste."

Ryoko was awestricken by all this.  She couldn't find any words to say.

"I'm willing to make a compromise with you, I will grant it to you, if you agree 
to be more civil."

"Wait a minute, does that mean that I can't fight with Ayeka anymore?"  Ryoko 
blurted.

"Of course not", Zero remarked mischievously, "it just means that you would have 
to be a little nicer, and not smother the poor guy and fight over every little 
thing. Besides, how else could we keep her from getting Tenchi?"

Ryoko smiled at how much it sounded like her. 

"So is it a deal?" asked Zero.

"It's a deal!" proclaimed Ryoko.

They shook hands and promptly reformed into one person. 

Thank you, but I think you should talk less often.  If I accidentally mistaken 
you for my conscience, then we'd both be in serious trouble.  Ryoko joked. 

Zero just laughed at this.

By the way, added Ryoko, you have very good taste.  Actually, this dress isn't 
half-bad; it's just the color that I don't like.  And that dress that you wore, 
the one that looks like a monster's face? That's one of my favorites.  She 
promptly changed into that dress and admired herself in the mirror.

There was one more thing that Ryoko desired to know: How were you able to use 
Washu's computer? I have never used it before, and I doubt that anyone else, 
including Doctor Clay; would know how to use it either.

I simply went to the section of your mind that you hardly ever use, your 
intelligence, and looked it up.  You are your mother's daughter after all...

Ryoko remained silent for awhile.  Nice comeback, she complimented, and 
teleported to the kitchen below. 

"Hi Ryoko!" Sasami exclaimed as Ryoko appeared in the kitchen.

"Hey kiddo!" was Ryoko's response.

"Good afternoon Miss Ryoko, I see that you have finally pulled yourself back 
together.  And by the way, about that dress; it's very... you!"  Ayeka placed 
her hand in front of her mouth and laughed at her own joke. 

Ryoko looked like she was about to say something back then stopped.  She looked 
like she was being thoughtful.

Just say something polite, was Zero's comment, I'm pretty sure that her reaction 
would be as gratifying as bashing her in an argument.  Besides, it wouldn't 
upset little Sasami.

Ryoko smiled, and with a nearly undetectable look of deviousness remarked, "Why 
thank you princess, you look lovely today!" 

This was the last thing she expected from Ryoko.  Ayeka was completely 
dumbfounded and turned slightly pale.

"Th-thank y-you", was all she managed to stammer out, and then she quickly left 
the kitchen feeling flustered.  Ryoko is acting very strangely today, she 
thought.  She joined Mihoshi on the couch.

It took Ryoko a lot of restraint not to laugh out loud.  "I wonder what's wrong 
with her?" she asked Sasami.

"I don't know, maybe she was just having a bad day," was the only reason Sasami 
could come up with.  Ryoko looked at the clock.

"Tenchi should be coming home any minute now," she said happily.

"Ryoko, can you tell him that lunch will be ready in five minutes?"

"Sure," was her response, and with that she teleported to the front door.

"She's different somehow...," Sasami asked to herself.

"Miya, Miya!" was Ryo-Ohki's response.  It was as if she agreed with Sasami.
 
Rather than barreling through the door and latching on to him like she normally 
would, she patiently waited by the door for him to come in.

Tenchi Masaki was walking down the road.   He had just had a bad day at school.  
The recent turn of events of his life, and the anxiety of facing Ayeka and 
Ryoko's bickering weighed heavily on his mind, blurring his concentration.  He 
had failed a major test, for the first time in his high school career. His 
compassionate brown eyes were turned down toward the ground, and he ran his hand 
through his black short-cropped hair. A small ponytail at the back of his head 
was the only thing that wasn't cut short. 

"What am I supposed to tell dad?" he asked himself.  "It's bad enough that I 
failed it, but it's also the second month of my last year in high school!"  
Looking up, he realized that he was already in front of the door.  

I wonder why Ryoko hasn't tackled me by now; maybe something's wrong.  
Cautiously, he walked up to the door and opened it.  He was about to ask if 
everything was alright, and then he saw Ryoko.  He braced himself for the worst.

"Welcome home Tenchi," she said cheerfully, and slowly sauntered over to give 
him a quick hug.  The inquiring way he looked at her when she stepped back 
caused her to blush slightly.  Embarrassed, she turned away quickly and said, 
"Sasami said that lunch will be ready in five minutes," and walked into the 
living room to catch the last few minutes of the soap operas.

What was that all about? Tenchi wondered.  Oh well, I might as well get cleaned 
up for lunch.  With that, he walked up the staircase to his room to change.  

I thought you were over that blushing habit, Ryoko questioned.

I am, remarked Zero, but there was something about the way he looked at you...

Ryoko agreed. She had a strange feeling when Tenchi looked at her.

 	"Lunch is ready!" proclaimed Sasami from the dining room, and everyone sat 
around the table.  "Where's Washu?" inquired Sasami.

As if on cue, a nasal voice answered from the entrance of the room.  "I'm here!" 
was all it said.  Washu had an impeccable sense of the time.  She looks 
deceivingly like a child around the age of twelve years old.  But in reality, 
she is tens of thousands of years old; all her memories before twenty thousand 
years ago are a blur.  It is easy to see that she is related to Ryoko; her waves 
of bright red hair are in the same style as Ryoko's, and her emerald pupils are 
narrowed in the same fashion.  

"Okay everyone, let's eat," and with that, lunch was started. 

Ryoko hesitantly picked up her soupspoon and took a sip.  It was similar to the 
experience that a person whom had worried that he was gong deaf because he 
couldn't hear his TV would have had, after he had found out that it was on mute.  
In other words, she was excited and relieved.  It was something comparable to 
hearing music for the first time. 

"This soup is delicious!" exclaimed Ryoko.

"It's the soup we start off with every other day for lunch." Sasami answered.

"Well, I just felt bad for not complimenting you before on your cooking," Ryoko 
said apologetically. 

"Thank you," Sasami said blushing.  "Just wait until you try the main course."

Ryoko carefully emulated from memory how Zero had eaten in her place.  Sure 
enough, all eyes gradually set on her.  She had expected this, and at the 
moment, pretended not to notice.  She couldn't help but to enjoy being the 
center of attention.

She finally decided that she had worried everybody enough, placed her chopsticks 
neatly across her soup bowl, and looked up.

"Why is everybody gawking at me like I'm some kind of interesting animal exhibit 
at the zoo? I'm trying to enjoy my lunch here!" She said in an annoyed tone of 
voice.

Everyone continued to stare inquiringly.

"Honestly, you should all take a look at yourselves in the mirror. You look like 
a bunch of airheads!"

She then turned her attention to Ayeka.

"You know, if you leave your face like that you're bound to get wrinkles, but 
then, if you do, I'll get Tenchi for sure!" 

This dispelled any suspicion of her identity, and whether or not there was 
something wrong with her.  Satisfied, everyone continued eating, including 
Ayeka, who slightly mumbled in frustration.

So, my little Ryoko has been busy lately, a voice echoed in Ryoko's head.

Washu! I thought I told you to stay out of my head! Ryoko fired in response.

That's no way to talk to your mother, Washu chided.  Besides, I wondering what 
my little girl was doing all day, you hardly ever talk to me anymore.

Its not like you go out of your way to do so! Ryoko remarked bitterly.  I'll 
talk to you later.  With that, she temporarily shut down their mental link.

After lunch, it was time for the daily chores. Washu went back to her lab, and 
Katsuhito headed back toward the shrine. Before leaving to do his chores in the 
carrot fields, sweeping around the shrine, and having sword lessons with his 
grandfather, Tenchi read off the list of chores that had to be completed for the 
day.

"Ryoko, you do the dishes and help Sasami in the kitchen, Ayeka, you do the 
laundry, and Mihoshi, you make sure that the bathrooms are clean, then sweep the 
yard."
Each set off to do their appointed task.  Ryoko was immediately dismayed at the 
large pile of dishes in the sink.  Sasami was already busy scrubbing away.

Who would of thought, that I, a former space-pirate would be stuck doing kitchen 
duty?  Ryoko looked out the window and longed to be outside.  She saw Ayeka 
doing the laundry the traditional way, with a bucket and a scrubbing board.

"The least we could do is to get a washing machine," she heard the princess 
complain, "All this soaking is rough on my hands!"  Ryoko felt the same way. 

If we get a washing machine and a dryer, we would also have to get a dishwasher 
too.  She lazily watched the soap bubbles as they left the bucket and popped in 
midair.  Sasami interrupted her thoughts.
	
"So Ryoko, you have kitchen duty today!" Sasami remarked.  "How about I soap the 
dishes and you rinse and dry them!  Then we'll clean the counters together. We 
should be done in half the time, leaving us with about two hours to play outside 
before we have to prepare for dinner."

Ryoko could not refuse this offer, and they immediately set off to work.  Within 
half an hour, they had completely covered the entire kitchen.  Outside Ayeka was 
hanging the last of the clothes.

Hmm... Ryoko thought, Zero didn't say anything about teasing Ayeka... and 
besides, she can't do anything if she's unconscious...  After hearing no 
objection from Zero, she set her plan into action.

"Phew, that's the last of 'em!" Ryoko said as she put the last dish in the 
cupboard.  "How about we go and see your sister first?"  Sasami agreed and 
started heading out of the kitchen, but Ryoko stopped her.  "I was thinking of 
taking a shortcut," she said, pointing to the wall.

"But Ryoko, I can't walk through walls like you can." Sasami answered.

"No problem, just hold my hand and we'll go through together."  With that, she 
grabbed Sasami's hand and leapt through the wall, right to where Ayeka was 
standing.  The reaction was instantaneous; Ayeka promptly fainted from the shock 
of seeing Ryoko and her sister coming at her from the wall.

"Sister Ayeka!" Sasami cried, and let go of Ryoko's hand to kneel by her 
sister's side.  Ryo-Ohki jumped off Sasami's head to sniff at Ayeka.  "What 
happened to her?" Sasami asked Ryoko worriedly.  Her expression killed some of 
Ryoko's giddiness.

"Don't worry, she's only fainted.  It happens a lot to people who are very high-
strung.  They overreact to just about everything." Ryoko explained. "This heat 
doesn't help with anything either."

"Really? I thought it could have been something more serious..." Sasami asked 
relieved.

"She just needs to rest for a little while.  I'll carry her in and put her on 
the couch.  You should get a wet towel to place on her forehead, and make a nice 
cup of tea for when she wakes up.  Then I'll take you and Ryo-Ohki to the cherry 
groves to watch the cherry blossoms fall."   Sasami cheerfully agreed and ran 
into the house while Ryoko took Ayeka into her arms.

"For being flat-chested, you sure weigh a lot!" She remarked as she teleported 
with Ayeka into the living room.  Mihoshi was nowhere in sight.  " She must have 
knocked herself out by tripping over the broom again, either that or she's 
reading Nobuyuki's comics again."  With that, she placed Ayeka directly onto the 
couch and went into the kitchen to check on Sasami.  The teapot was already 
heating on the stove, and Sasami was wetting a folded-up towel at the sink.

"Can you take this cup, saucer, and tray to the table and set it up for me? I'll 
come out with the teapot and towel later."  Ryoko took the things, and placed 
them neatly on the table.  Then she waited for Sasami to come out.  Sasami 
placed the teapot on the tray, and delicately laid the wet towel on her sister's 
head.  Then she walked over to where Ryoko was standing.

"Are you ready?" Ryoko asked.  Sasami nodded, took Ryoko's hand, and Ryo-Ohki 
climbed atop Ryoko's shoulder.  Immediately the three of them vanished out of 
the living room.  The next moment they found themselves in a fragrant grove, the 
ground was littered with cherry blossom petals.  Ryoko flew into one of the 
trees to rest in its branches, and watched as Sasami ran through the petals 
giggling with Ryo-Ohki happily meowing by her side.  

Now this is paradise, Ryoko thought with a smile.  She drifted off to sleep 
smelling the rich aroma of the blossoms.   

Meanwhile, Tenchi was stumbling through sword practice with his grandpa.  
Earlier he had decided that it was time to finally choose someone, and the issue 
of whom was weighing heavily on his mind; along with the issue of telling his 
father about his test score at school.  After failing to defend himself from one 
of Katsuhito's attacks, he sat down on the ground.

"Tenchi," Katsuhito intoned, "Before you enter a fight you must first settle any 
outside affairs.  Having a clear head on the battlefield may mean the difference 
between life and death.  We are done for the day."  With that, he sent Tenchi 
home.

Ryoko was awakened by Sasami's voice.

"Ryoko, the sun's starting to set. I think we better go back to the house so I 
can start dinner."  Ryoko phased to Sasami's side, and they all ended back up in 
the kitchen.  

"Thank you Ryoko, for that wonderful time, I haven't had that much fun in a 
while." Sasami added graciously.  "Now I have to cook dinner, set the table, and 
check on Ayeka."  

"I'll set the table and help you do the cooking, so you'll have more time to 
spend with your sister," Ryoko said brightly. The reason she volunteered to help 
cook was to see what she would like or not like to eat.  Now that she could 
taste, she thought that she could at least help come up with something edible.  
Sasami gave her a grateful look.  As she set the table, Tenchi walked by.

"So I see that you're still helping Sasami," he remarked in admiration.

"Oh, it's nothing, really," Ryoko said uncomfortably.  She stared down at the 
ground and said nothing after that.  Tenchi continued walking and went into his 
father's study.  By now he would be home from work.  Ryoko finished setting the 
table and headed toward the kitchen.  When she walked in, she saw that a kettle 
of water and pans were already heating on the stove, and that the rice cooker 
was on.

"You can help me slice the meat and the vegetables.  I'll peel the potatoes."  
Sasami said.  Ryoko was thankful for that; she had remembered her experience of 
peeling potatoes at Tenchi's grandmother's hot springs resort.  Ryoko took a 
knife in her hand, then took a careful a slow, careful swipe at a carrot to make 
sure she didn't cut the cutting board too.  Satisfied, she started making quick 
swipes of the same intensity for each of the carrots.  She then cubed the peeled 
potatoes and chopped the cabbage.  Sasami made trips back and forth to gather 
the ingredients for the food, and seasoned everything accordingly.  Soon, a 
delicious aroma wafted around the room.  

	So, Ryoko observed, there is a direct connection between smell and taste.  
After cutting the vegetables, she went on to cutting the meat.  As she did so, a 
memory of one of her attacks drifted up from her sub-consciousness.  In it, she 
was ruthlessly slaying a person with her beam sword.  She accidentally cut 
herself with the knife, pulling herself out of the memory.    

"Ryoko, your hand!" Sasami said worriedly.  She looked down, and sure enough, 
there was some blood leaking from a small cut.

"It's all right," she said, healed the wound, and went to the sink to wash off 
the blood from the knife and her hand.  "See, it's gone now."  She held up her 
hand for Sasami to see.

"Maybe you should stir the soup, and I'll finish the meat."  Sasami said. They 
did just that and finished up with the cooking.  Ayeka had finally recovered and 
was sitting on the couch watching an evening romance with Mihoshi.  

Tenchi was having a conversation with his father. "Your problem is that you 
worry about everything too much.  I know that the past few years have been tough 
on you, but all I want for you is to try your best; at school and everything 
else you do."  

"I know, dad."  Tenchi said exasperated.

 	Nobuyuki decided to change the conversation. 

"So, when are you going to choose one of the girls?  It's been almost two years 
since they came, and you're almost out of high school.  You'll need a wife to 
keep you company when you move out to go to college."

"Dad! I'm not moving out, I'm staying right here!  There's a college in the same 
city as my school."   

"At this rate, you might have to."  Nobuyuki answered.

"What do you mean?" Tenchi asked.

"Having all these women here is tough on my bank account, I'm barely able to 
support everyone with my current salary.  The only way to avoid it is for you to 
get a job, or if I get a raise."  Tenchi took all of this in.

"I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by favoring one over the other.  And 
besides, I don't even know how to begin.  How will I know whose the one for me? 
And even if I do choose, how should I treat her? How did you know that mother 
was the right one for you?" 

Nobuyuki looked up in remembrance, and gave Tenchi the following advice:

"To really love a woman,
To understand her,
You've got to know her deep inside...
Hear every thought,
See every dream,
And give her wings when she wants to fly.
Then when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms...
You know you really love a woman

When you love a woman,
You tell her that she's really wanted.
When you love a woman,
You tell her that she's the one.
'Cause she needs somebody, to tell her that it's gonna last forever.
So tell me have you ever really ... really, really ever loved a woman?

To really love a woman,
Let her hold you,
Till you know how she needs to be touched.
You've got to breathe her, really taste her,
'Til you can feel her in your blood.
And when you can see your unborn children in her eyes...
You know you really love a woman.

When you love a woman,
You tell her that she's really wanted.
When you love a woman,
You tell her that she's the one.
'Cause she needs somebody, to tell her that you'll always be together
So tell me have you ever really ... really, really ever loved a woman?

You've got to give her some faith,
Hold her tight, a little tenderness.
You've got to treat her right.
She will be there for you taking good care of you...
You really gotta love your woman.

And when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms,
You know you really love a woman.

When you love a woman,
You tell her that she's really wanted.
When you love a woman,
You tell her that she's the one.
She needs somebody; to tell her that it's gonna last forever.
So tell me have you ever really ... really, really ever loved a woman?
Yeah
Just tell me have you ever really ... really, really ever loved a woman?
Oh, just tell me have you ever really ... really, really ever loved a woman?" 1.

	Tenchi had always known that his father had deeply missed Achika, his 
wife.  Although she had died when he had been very young, he missed her too.

	"Thanks dad," he said kindly, "Let's go join everyone else for dinner." 

	"Tenchi, you go first, I'll catch up to you later."  Tenchi granted his 
request and left.  Nobuyuki looked up toward the sky with a smile on his face.  
"If only you could see how much our son has grown. I know that you would have 
been proud of him," he said tenderly, then walked out of the room to join the 
rest of his extended family. 

	Sasami and Ryoko were carrying out the rest of the dishes, and everyone 
was gathering toward the table.  Everyone gave his or her respective compliments 
to the chef.

	"It looks delicious!" exclaimed Mihoshi.

	"Thank you!" Sasami answered, "But Ryoko helped me cook it too!"  Upon 
this announcement, everyone immediately looked slightly aghast.  

	"What? I only chopped the vegetables and stirred the soup." She said 
defensively.  Upon seeing Sasami eating it, and also finding nothing wrong with 
it, they started eating too.

	"Well, the kitchen is intact, and nothing has seem to exploded.  I'd say 
it was a success," Ayeka noted.  Sasami shot her a disapproving look and they 
both lapsed into conversation.  

Dinner went on without any further altercations. Afterwards, Ayeka and Sasami 
stayed behind to clear up everything, and Ryoko went by herself to the onsen.  
When she arrived, she phased out of her clothes, then slowly slid into the warm, 
soothing water.  She pulled out a bottle of sake and enjoyed it on her own until 
Ayeka came in and slid into the water across from her.  As usual, she was 
wrapped in a pink towel.  Both remained silent for five minutes, until Ayeka 
broke the silence.

"Sasami told me about everything you did today."   Ryoko remained silent. "She 
seems to enjoy being in your company, and it appears that you also enjoy being 
in hers."  Ryoko gave her a disbelieving look, and Ayeka continued.  "I'd like 
to thank you for accompanying her, even when I was... unable."  Ryoko could see 
that she had been embarrassed about fainting in front of her.  

"No problem, princess, it wasn't a big deal."

"At first, when she told me that she had spent the day with you, I was worried.  
But, as she continued to tell me of your day, and how you reassured her after my 
little mishap, I found out that you really cared for her.  I thought you weren't 
being serious, but now I realized that I was mistaken.  I apologize for not 
trusting you more.  You see, ever since I have arrived on this planet, I've 
blamed all of my problems on you.  For awhile, I was pursuing Tenchi because I 
felt alone, I thought that I had lost Yosho forever.  I see now that I was being 
selfish.  I have grown weary of our constant fighting, I hope that we can set 
our differences aside, and let Tenchi choose who he wants on his own accord."  
Ayeka climbed out of the water, and got dressed.  "I never thanked you for 
saving my life from Kagato, and for that I am eternally grateful.  You risked 
your life to do so, and I never bothered to ask you why."

"That's simple," Ryoko said, "when I thought that Tenchi had died, I simply knew 
that for us to stay alive; all of us, would have been what he wanted the most."

Ayeka thought about this for awhile, then answered.  "These thoughts have 
weighed on my mind for quite a while now, and I haven't had anyone to share them 
with.  I'd like to thank you for listening."  She started chuckling as she 
realized something.

"What's so funny?" Ryoko asked.

"You know, although I have considered you as my rival, you're the closest thing 
to a friend I've ever had."  Ryoko was astounded at the prospect of having a 
friend.

"Really? Thank you, that's the first time anyone has ever said to me..."

"Don't flatter yourself with it," Ayeka said jokingly, and turned to leave.

"Wait! It's dark outside, I don't want you to fall over and smash your head on 
anything!" Ryoko retorted, then phased from the water to right next to Ayeka, 
and into her favorite blue and yellow striped outfit with it's long-sleeved 
black undershirt.  The tail-like strand waved back and forth slightly. "How 
about we go back to the house my way?"  Before Ayeka could answer, Ryoko grabbed 
her hand and teleported.  Instantly finding herself standing behind the couch 
left Ayeka feeling disorientated. 

"Oh, there you are!" Mihoshi said cheerfully, "you're right on time to catch 
tonight's movie!"  

"What is it?" asked Ryoko.

"It's a kung-fu movie.  I heard that the guy who starred in it is very cute!"

Leave it to Mihoshi to know this type of information... Ryoko thought in 
disbelief.  They all gathered around the TV to watch, occasionally snacking on 
rice crackers.  After the movie was over, they all turned in for the night.  
Everyone went to his or her room, and Ryoko flew to her favorite rafter, the one 
closest to the edge of the stairs.  Ryo-Ohki went to sleep with Sasami.  Ryoko 
had another cup of sake.

Now this is the perfect end to a perfect day! She thought before drifting off to 
sleep.
Song List:
1. Bryan Adams, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?  Album: The Best of Me