Disclaimer: I don't own it.
a/n: this is three years after the ending of universe series, Tokyo didn't happen. I don't accept that series, and to everyone in the Tenchi cast….. Ryoko died after she dropped off Tenchi. Now, I never actually saw the whole series but I saw a few, and read every single Tenchi and Ryoko fic, and own all the movies so I'm basing them off that. Also, I forgot Ayeka's dad's name so, its not mentioned. Trust me this is a RyokoXtenchi, but its just a little hard to see at first.
SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Tenchi walked the corridors of the palace, the face of a leader. The mask well made, he looked content, but felt nothing but a sad emptiness. Lightly, arms wrapped around him, he moved to hold her too, the look in her eyes of love and adoration. His eyes a mirror image of hers, but it was nothing but a mirror. Ayeka rested her head against her husbands and he held her tightly.
"Tenchi, are you going to the meeting in the Iviad galaxy?" He sighed, looked at her pleadingly, he loved Ayeka he did. Not the way she wanted him to love her, but he pretended for her. He loved her like a friend; his bound to her was that of a lover.
"Ayeka, my princess, I do not do anything at those things. You are the brains behind everything, I think its time people stopped thinking that I was the one with all the plans." he told her. She lit up, really, she's made for this kind of thing anyway, he thought as she smiled at him.
"Tenchi, do you really think it is wise?" she asked.
"Yes, Ayeka the people love you, you're respected among the nations. They would honor you, go hog the spotlight princess." he told her, the nickname something that kept her on a certain level, out of his heart. She sealed him in a kiss; he kissed her back and then broke it away with a sigh. She smiled thinking it was because of her.
"Thank you Tenchi dear." he smiled at her and they started walking towards their quarters.
"Ayeka? Do you think I might go visit grandpa on earth while your gone? I haven't seen him in ages. And father, he, I've missed." he told her as they walked. Ayeka agreed that he should, they talked some more as they changed and got into bed. Ayeka cuddled up to him has he drifted off to sleep. Tenchi's eyes were closed but his mind wasn't. He put a hand on Ayeka's hand that rested on his chest. Another reminder that this was just comforting, nothing else was felt through his side.
The mistake was taking up her offer, those three years ago. Washu had found out that he was bonded with Tsunami, so he had her blood and therefore would live as long as tsunami lived. This was forever, once the Jurian council heard of this they thought that it would justify that he should rule Juria. Of course he objected but everyone was counting on him, and there wasn't anything left for him on earth after..... so he agreed. Now he lived with her, married and seemingly happy. Going to meetings and parties and greeting the nobles, and living in the palace with fancy robes. Tenchi did not care that much, a side of him died a long time ago and he didn't think of it. Nobody mentioned it because it only brought sadness to the king, king Tenchi what a joke, he thought to himself.
When Tenchi boarded the ship he was greeted by the pilot and its crew, saluting they went back to work. Tenchi walked around the ship as they made their way to earth. Stopping in front of a window he thought back to another time. We could leave, just the two of us Tenchi. Blinking he backed away from the window, frowning he turned and walked the other way. Tenchi hadn't gone home in a long time, the last time he did was when Washu was tying the not with Yosho. He and Ayeka had both gone to the wedding on earth. That was a little over two years ago, Washu was destroyed over the disappearance of her daughter and Yosho pulled her back together, and out of the lab, she had gone crazy trying to find her. Working nonstop, trying to locate her or the cabbit. Dropping the mask he wore and comforting her, they fell in love.
Tenchi reached earth a good twenty-five hours later and when he did, Washu and Yosho was waiting for her, his father was beside them. Washu had permanently changed to her adult form and Yosho to his younger form. Noboyuki was only slightly older now; they waved as Tenchi walked nearer.
"Son! How is everything?" his father yelled above the ship that was departing.
"Hey! Tenchi its good to see you."
"Tenchi how is the wife?" Yosho asked, as Tenchi finally reached them.
"I'm fine, Ayeka is doing great. Everything is going well." he told them as they exchanged hugs and hellos'.
"What brings you here?" his father asked, as they went inside.
"I just missed Earth and you guys." he told them. Yosho went to make tea as the rest of them sat down.
Washu was smiling happily, as she fixed something on her computer.
"Working again Washu?" Tenchi asked as he Noboyuki prepared a game of chess to play. He and his father had gotten closer after everything that happened to Tenchi, he needed something to lean on after the Kagato incident and his father was the first to approach him about the subject that nobody got. Ryoko. Now Tenchi never spoke of her, she had died, left him. Like his mother had, and he didn't understand why. Tenchi tried to keep a good face up but his father saw through it, after all his father had known him since he was born.
"Yes, I'm trying to see about making another pair of gems, for Funaho." she told him as she excepted the tea from her husband.
"Why? I have mine on Tenchi-ken, right?" he asked her.
"Well, technically yes, and no." she told him before typing something else as data.
"Washu what are you talking about?" he asked her patiently.
"After the incident...the gems started changing. They started separating the energy. The power stopped flowing into funaho in moderations, soon they will cease to give life into Funaho completely and when that happens I need to have something ready to replace the gems so funaho lives on." she explained. Tenchi thought on this, what does this mean? Does it have anything to do with Ryoko?
"Washu why are the gems changing?" he asked her.
"I'm not sure I think that since she ...died, the gems' purpose was compromised and I believe they are trying to adapt to this change. I had made them to support Ryoko, but now with no host they are...without purpose and I suppose they are changing to the different host." She told him, pausing to sip some tea.
"Who are they adapting to?" he asked after a second of registration. Washu rolled her eyes and pointed to Tenchi.
"Why me?" he asked as he started the chess game.
"They are on you aren't they?" she asked stupidly.
"Tenchi-ken, but yeah basically."
"So they are giving you the support they gave Ryoko."
"Washu, why not Funaho?"
"I don't know."
"What?" he whispered. Washu doesn't know, again. This is the second time she doesn't know something, and it always has something to do with Ryoko. Tenchi didn't say much after that, bringing up Ryoko had shut him up effectively. He and his father played a nice long game of chess, Tenchi was thinking about the gems and Ryoko, Noboyuki was thinking about beating Tenchi.
"Check mate, Tenchi!" he called triumphantly, Tenchi smiled good-naturedly and after they ate, Washus' cooking.
This wasn't as good as Sasami's, Sasami had asked her father for a chance to study cooking and Tenchi had made a bargain with the old king that he would only take the throne if Sasami got to do what she felt would make her happy; among other things.
She was studying at a school in Tokyo now, happier than ever. Everyone talked a bit more after dinner and said good night before retiring to their rooms. He went to his old room to sleep; no one changed any of the rooms in the house even though the occupants left. Tenchi sighed as he entered, noting that everything was as it had always been. He walked to his window, up his balcony, where a ladder resided conveniently for when he had to visit a certain pirate. Lying down on the roof of his room, he looked at the stars, recalling some memories of this very roof. Smiling, he closed his eyes. Sometime during the reminiscing, he fell asleep.
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A/n: let me know if you like it. Please review and tell me what you think.