Either Love Me or Lose Me

Ryoko bent down as Tenchi watched the tears trickle down her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Ryoko looked up at him almost as if needing help. "Nothing," she whispered.

"Are you sure?" Tenchi now bent down next to her.

"Yes."

"Well, if you need to talk, Ayeka and I will be out in the field, ok?" Tenchi smiled, though when Ryoko ignored him he walked off with Ayeka...of course, being the piece of dirt she is, she didn't really care for Ryoko.

Ryoko clutched part of her dress, letting her tears fall and her wails echo. She convinced herself that Tenchi didn't even care one bit for her, and decided that if she had to, she'd forget about him....even if it meant...well, she didn't want to think about that right now. It was too painful.

Washu then walked by.

"What-sa-matter girl?" she asked. Ryoko ignored her.

"Ahhh...I know what's wrong, you think Tenchi doesn't love you don't you? And that he likes Ayeka, huh?"

Ryoko shot an angry look at her, clutching her shoulders.

"Calm down! No need to cling on to yourself like that!" Washu told her. "We just need to figure out how to get Tenchi back."

I don't think we can, Ryoko told Washu in her mind.

Dear, you don't know that for sure, Washu replied, them now having a conversation by mind-reading.

Well, I don't see how we can, why don't you give me one way!

If Tenchi didn't like Ayeka, who do you think he'd go to?

Sasami......Ryoko closed her eyes.

She's too young though! Washu protested.

She looks exactly like Tsunami...much better than either me or Ayeka.

Washu looked at Ryoko for a moment, then said, "I can tell that you love Tenchi the most out of all the girls, and you deserve him the most too."

Author's Note: I can tell that Ryoko loves Tenchi the most, and I KNOW she deserves him the most.

Washu looked at Ryoko, blushing. "Whatever. ANYway, the first step is making you more attractive than Ayeka."

Author's Note: She already is WAAAAAAAAY more attractive than Aeka!!!!!

Ryoko said, "She's right!"

Washu sweatdropped and said, "Let me rephrase that. The first step is making you more attractive than you already are."

Author's Note: Is that even really possible?

Ryoko again added "She's right!"

"Sora, will you just shut up already!?" Washu shouted angrily. Suddenly, she was trampled over by a bunch of Cabbits.

Author's Note: That's what she gets for saying that to me.

"OK, OK, OK!!! I get it!!!" Washu pleaded. The Cabbits disappeared.

"Even though you are *overly* glamorous," Washu said, "Tenchi might still be more attracted to you if you wear make-up."

"Really?" Ryoko asked, bewildered.

"Worth a try, right? So let's get started!"

After hours in Washu's science lab.....

"Are you sure this makes me look ok?" Ryoko asked, examining herself in the mirror. Really.....she was looking beautiful.

"TRUST me!" Washu said, smiling.

Ryoko was wearing an adorable light purple kimono with a dark green strap, dark purple lipstick and light green eyeshadow.

"Tenchi will be going crazy for you!" Washu added.

"You're positive."

"I'm sure, now go show your stuff!" Washu reassured as Ryoko disappeared.

Tenchi and Ayeka were picking carrots when Ryoko appeared right next to Tenchi.

"WHOA!" Tenchi shouted, startled, and stumbled over Ayeka. "What happened to you!?"

"Why, is there something wrong?" Ryoko asked.

"Oh NO, NO, DEFINITELY NOT. I just...freaked out, you look different!" Tenchi and Ryoko both blushed, and Ayeka was clearly angry and jealous.

Ryoko rested herself so her head was resting on Tenchi's shoulder.

Ayeka and Ryoko stared at eachother. Ryoko then said "We'll be right back, Tenchi," as she and Ayeka teleported to the roof.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?" Ayeka asked, standing up.

"I'm not doing anything HARMFUL am I?? I don't think so!" Ryoko teased.

"*GRRRRR* YOU LOOK GLAMOROUS!!! AND YOU THINK YOU'RE HARMLESS!?!?!?"

"Why, thank you for the compliment!" Ryoko laughed as she suddenly appeared next to Tenchi again.

"GET ME OFF THIS ROOF!!!!" Ayeka screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Is that Ayeka?" Tenchi asked.

"Yeah," Ryoko replied.

"Oh come on get her off the roof!!" Tenchi said angrily.

Ryoko sat cross-legged 10 feet up in the air. "But WHY!?"

"BECAUSE, we were in the MIDDLE of something! How could you be so rude!?"

Small tears formed in Ryoko's eyes as Ayeka appeared 20 feet above the ground, upside down, and fell. Before a word could be said, Ryoko flew back to the house.

She walked to Washu and told her "Something's missing!!!"

"Are you serious!?" Washu asked, not able to imagine anything missing from Ryoko.

"Hmm..." she said thoughtfully, looking at Ryoko, "mind if I take a look at you?"

Ryoko shook her head sadly as Washu snapped her fingers and Ryoko's clothes vanished. Washu walked around her for a few minutes, then suddenly said, "OF COURSE!" so loud Ryoko fell to the ground.

"Ow - what!?" Ryoko asked.

"You have WONDERFUL cleavage...and you have to show it! Well, actually, your whole body is great, but you can't go off to Tenchi naked...he'll freak too much."

"But - but - what are you gonna do?" Ryoko sat cross-legged.

"Skin-tight, barely there, dark purple with a dash of pale green! You look great in purple and green!" Washu smiled, and after a snap of her fingers, some clothes appeared on Ryoko. She stood up.

"Here's a mirror!" Washu moved a body-length mirror in front of Ryoko, who gasped.

Ryoko wore what looked like a skin-tight dark purple and green sleeveless bathing suit that showed a bit of her front, starting from her cleavage, which was wide, to her belly button, thin, with light purple kimono sleeves and a short pastel green skirt attached.

"Wow," Ryoko whispered, checking herself out.

"How do you like it?" Washu asked.

"Are you kidding!? I'm hot!" Ryoko smiled, who still had her make-up on.

"OR, we could do this," Washu snapped her fingers again.

Suddenly, a red sleeveles leather bathing suit....um, it was shaped like a bathing suit..., black leather knee-high 6-inch boots, and red elbow-high leather gloves appeared on Ryoko. And now, Ryoko was wearing blood-red lipstick and black eyeshadow.

"Whoa..." Ryoko said, "This looks better."

"That's what I think!" Washu smiled.

"Just one favor?" Ryoko then asked her.

"What?"

"Can you put a little red bow in my hair?"

But instead of a bow, what appeared in Ryoko's hear was a red headband with red cat ears.

"Oooh! It's pretty! Are you sure it isn't too much though?" Ryoko swirled around in the air.

"Don't worry! Now go!" Washu ushered her outside.

Ryoko once again appeared next to Tenchi and asked, "Need any help?"

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Tenchi screamed as he once again fell onto Ayeka.

"Ow! Tenchi, why do you keep....AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Ayeka also screamed when she saw Ryoko.

"What? Is there something behind me?" Ryoko looked behind her innocently.

"No - sorry, Ryoko! You startled me again! Of course we could use help!" Tenchi said, blushing. Ayeka started to look very angry, but said nothing as they picked carrots.

***

Later that night, while Tenchi was asleep, Ryoko went in his room and lay next to him, in her kimono outfit Washu made.

"Well, hello my sleepy Tenchi," Ryoko whispered, looking at Tenchi's precious face.

She then leaned forward and softly kissed Tenchi's lips.

When Tenchi didn't move and Ryoko was sure that he was still asleep, she smiled and chuckled.

"I've always wanted to do that, my love." Ryoko told him, and kissed him again, a little longer.

Right before Ryoko broke the kiss, Tenchi suddenly wrapped his arms around her.

Shocked, Ryoko took another look at his face. He was still asleep, and Ryoko thought, He must be dreaming about me!

Once more, Ryoko kissed Tenchi, except this time, Tenchi kissed her back. It was kind of weird, knowing Tenchi was asleep, but she loved it all the same.

And then, Tenchi softly moaned, "Ayeka...."

Ryoko's eyes snapped open, and she broke the kiss. Tears slowly formed in her eyes as she flew off the bed and made Ayeka appear on the bed next to Tenchi.

Ayeka woke up with Tenchi's arms around her, and gasped when Tenchi kissed her. She then heard someone crying, and turned around to see Ryoko standing next to the bed with her arms crossed, tears streaming down her face. Ayeka gasped again, and sat up in the bed.

"What happened, Ryoko!?" Ayeka asked, but Ryoko shook her head and disappeared in her room.

Tenchi woke up, and almost fell of the bed when he saw Ayeka.

"Wha...what happened!?!?" Tenchi asked, remembering his dream.

"Huh...oh," Ayeka turned to look at him and blushed, "Well, nothing really happened, but I do remember seeing Ryoko crying and leaving the room..."

"R-Ryoko?" Tenchi blushed, "Uhh, I should check on her..." and before Ayeka could stop him, Tenchi climbed out of his bed and left the room.

Tenchi arrived in Ryoko's room to hear her crying, facing the wall.

"Ryoko...are you alright?" Tenchi asked, and was suddenly flying onto Ryoko's bed, sitting on his shins. Ryoko's eyes were closed, but tears were still dropping down her face.

"This is the second time you've cried today, what's wrong!?!?" Tenchi tried again, but got no response. "Fine," he added, "If you don't wanna talk, I can just leave - "

Ryoko suddenly grabbed Tenchi's arm and said, "Don't, please...don't leave me..."

Tenchi lied down next to Ryoko. "Then I want you to tell me all about it."

Ryoko stealed a glance at Tenchi, then closed her eyes again. "It's......it's about......." Ryoko was having a hard time telling him, "It's about...about...you."

He raised his eyebrows. "What, did I do something?"

Ryoko shook her head, then grabbed Tenchi's shoulders and said "I'm gonna need you to do something for me....you're gonna have to help my two forms separate...."

Tenchi sat up. "So that's what it's all about..."

Ryoko kneeled and looked down shamefully.

Tenchi then put his hands on Ryoko's shoulders. "I don't want you to do this. If you do, you'll be a totally different person, you'll...you'll be a Ryoko I don't know!"

"LIKE IT EVEN MATTERS!? YOU HAVE AYEKA!!" Ryoko shouted.

"All that stuff you did...the outfits, the make-up,.....was for me?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko nodded.

"Listen to me," Tenchi brought Ryoko's face up with his finger, "I want you to stop this. You're making too much of a big deal about everything. You're working too hard to get me. I don't judge people by how they look. And you and Ayeka are different people - "

"But you love her," Ryoko interrupted.

"No, I DON'T."

"Well then why were you dreaming about her a while ago, hmm?"

Tenchi's face turned red and he quickly let go of Ryoko.

"Errrrr.....ummmm....well....it was...umm....a dream...about everybody!........you....you weren't.....?"

Ryoko nodded, starting to smile.

"OH! Ok, well, it's not what you thought it was, you know! I mean, hehe, hehehehehehe!!!!!!!" Tenchi sweatdropped.

Ryoko suddenly teleported onto the roof.

Tenchi sighed a sigh of relief, when Ayeka entered the room.

"So you were dreaming about me...hmm?"

"Umm...errr...yeah?" Tenchi blurted out.

"*sigh* Well then. I guess we know how we feel about eachother - "

"Hey, how did you know??" Tenchi suddenly asked.

"Uhh...errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I was just - "

"You were evesdropping, weren't you!" Tenchi said angrily.

"Why NO!! Ummm,....umm...I mean...yes..."

"AYEKA!!!!!!!! WHAT RYOKO AND I TALKED ABOUT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!" Tenchi walked back to his room and slammed the door closed.

***

Ryoko, sitting on the roof, was staring at Tenchi's farm. Just today, I realize how beautiful the trees are...and the mountains...and...and... tears started trickling down her face.

Tenchi climbed up on the roof next to her.

"Backstabber," Ryoko muttered.

"Who, me!?" Tenchi asked.

Ryoko shook her head. "Ayeka."

"Wha...." Tenchi trailed off.

"She met me through you, ok. She only loved you when she found out you were Juraiian. I've loved you since..........." Ryoko blushed. Since you were could walk, my love.

"You actually think I love her!? You know, we shouldn't even be talking about this right now!" Tenchi said, kind of disappointed, his face also starting to turn red.

"One, I do think you love her. Two, if you didn't wanna talk about it then why did you follow me?"

"Huh!?" Tenchi clearly didn't know what to say, but his face turned crimson.

Then, for no reason in particular, Ryoko wrapped her arms around Tenchi and cried hard in his chest.

***

Tenchi and Ryoko woke up to four screams from Aeka, Mihoshi, Sesami, and Washu.

I didn't expect you to go THIS far! Washu looked at Ryoko.

I didn't do anything! Ryoko thought. She then realized that she was on her back, holding Tenchi, while his upper body was on her.

They quickly let go of eachother, blushing, as Ayeka screamed, "HOW DARE YOU HURT TENCHI, RYOKO!!!!!!!"

"It...it's not what you think!" Tenchi told them.

"We didn't do anything! Honest!" Ryoko added.

"THEN WHY WERE YOU TWO KISSING!?!?!?!?" Ayeka was outraged.

"We weren't....kissing..." Tenchi and Ryoko said simultaneously, now blushing harder.

"Yes you were, we ALL witnessed it!" Sasami said.

Ryoko looked at Washu. I didn't do anything!

I hate to say this, but even dear ol' Mom Washu saw you kissing. And seriously, you're good actors...we all believed you were asleep! Of course, either way, I'm still rooting for you!

"BUT WE WERE ASLEEP!!!!!!" Ryoko accidentally said outloud.

Everyone was screaming at them, when Tenchi and Ryoko couldn't take any more. Ryoko rested her hand on Tenchi's shoulder, and they teleported.

"I guess we can eat breakfast now!" Mihoshi smiled. The rest of the girls fell down.

Meanwhile, Tenchi and Ryoko teleported somewhere far away. So far away that...

"Where did everything go!? And where did all these stars come from!?" Tenchi looked all around him. "Hey...are we in...SPACE!?!?!?"

Ryoko grabbed Tenchi by his collar. "We need to talk. What happened last night? HUH? What did you do!?"

"I didn't do anything, I, you...you fell asleep, but then in the middle of the night you cried again, and you grabbed me and started crying on my shirt again, but I was so tired I fell asleep on you!" Tenchi said innocently.

"Even Washu told me she saw us kissing.....WHAT DID YOU DREAM ABOUT?"

"Ummm.......Well, you were in it, and Washu I think...maybe Mihoshi, but definitely not Sasami or Aeka. We were all in a hotel room,...that's all I remember. What about you?" Tenchi then asked looking up at Ryoko.

"I dreamed we were making out, that's about it," Ryoko replied.

Tenchi flinched. "Errrrrr.....So....is there anything we really needed to talk about?"

"Oh, no, no, I was just wondering what happened last night."

"I wouldn't mind knowing either." muttered Tenchi.

"I wonder why Ayeka thought I hurt you. I didn't, did I?" asked Ryoko.

"Of course not!"

"Alright then...hold on tight, Tenchi!" Ryoko grabbed Tenchi and they returned to his house.

"That...was weird." Tenchi said.

"WHAT WAS WEIRD!?" Ayeka shouted. Tenchi had just then realized that everyone was around him and Ryoko.

"Wouldn't YOU like to know," teased Ryoko, sticking her tongue out at Ayeka and hugging Tenchi.

"*Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....*" Ayeka's face burned with anger, "GET OFF HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Catch us if you can!" Ryoko then grabbed Tenchi's wrist as she started to fly around the whole house.

"Azaka! Kamadaki!" Ayeka shot her hand up in the air.

"Yes, Princess?"

Ayeka ignored Azaka and said silently, "You know, Ryoko, it seems like you've done anything you can to prevent me from having Tenchi. You've tried to make yourself look attractive, tried to make me look bad, make Tenchi like you, you've even pretended you were in love with him. And I'm not going to let you get away with it this time, Ryoko."

Ryoko let go of Tenchi and stood so close to Ayeka their faces were almost touching. Then, almost in a whisper, Ryoko said, "I have been preventing you from stealing Tenchi from me. You can't have him, Ayeka, I won't let you get him. Your love for him doesn't even come CLOSE to my love for him. Now I want you to understand that one, I already AM attractive, two, Tenchi and I are soulmates, and he already DOES like me, and three," angry tears formed in Ryoko's eyes, "I have NOT been pretending to love him. I've always loved him. Unlike you, I would do anything for Tenchi...even die."

"Well, this is your lucky day. This is a fight to the death," Ayeka shot one angry spark at her, then shouted, "Azaka! Kamadaki! We are moving OUT."

Ryoko shouted "Come, Ryo-ohki!" She was about to bring Tenchi in the spaceship with her, when Ayeka grabbed him and said, "Neither of us takes him."

Reluctantly, Ryoko let go of Tenchi and entered the ship alone. Ayeka did the same with hers. In a matter of seconds, Ryoko and Ayeka were merely dots in the sky shooting lasers at eachother.

What have I DONE!? Tenchi thought.

"Ryo-ohki, attack!" shouted Ryoko as she and Aeka talked.

"You will not get him, Ryoko. I will win this battle. I'm much stronger than you." Ayeka boasted.

"Hah! Without those logs that follow you around, or your spaceship, you would be more helpless than a piece of dirt!"

"DIE NOW!!!!" Ayeka screamed as her spaceship attacked, sending part of Ryoko's ship in flames.

"Well, well, Ryoko! Seems like you're pretty defenseless yourself!" Ayeka laughed.

Ryoko suddenly got out of her ship. We'll see about that, she thought as she sent an energy blast onto Ayeka's ship, sending its tail on fire.

"NO!!! WE'RE CRASHING!!" Ayeka yelled as her ship smashed into Ryoko, sending her down with them.

They all crashed on the edge of a cliff. Worried, Tenchi quickly ran towards them.

When he got there, he saw Ayeka's ship, extremely damaged, and Ryoko, who was severely injured, especially her stomach since the ship had pushed her down onto a rock. Tenchi ran to Ryoko, shaking her, repeatedly saying, "Wake up, wake up Ryoko! Please don't leave me!"

It had been five minutes and Ryoko still didn't wake up. Tenchi started to cry a little, a tear dropping onto Ryoko's face. The wind swept it into her mouth, and Tenchi sat crying into Ryoko's chest, as she had to him last night.

Slowly, Ryoko woke up. "T...T-Ten...Ten...chi?" she struggled to say. Tenchi looked up at her, smiling, his tears now of joy once again leaking onto her face.

"You're alive," he whispered, as Ryoko nodded and placed her hand on his cheek.

Suddenly, Kamadaki appeared and said, "Princess Ayeka doesn't seem to be doing too well."

Tenchi, forgetting about Ryoko, ran to the spaceship and checked on Ayeka.

"Ayeka!! Speak to me!" Tenchi found Ayeka lying unconcious on the ground.

Tenchi shook her and shook her, when she finally woke up.

"Ayeka! Thank God you're al right! I'll let you sleep in my room, while I get you a nice hot bowl of soup, ok?" Tenchi said covering Ayeka with a jacket as they walked into the house.

"He definitely likes Ayeka more than me. I need to do this." Ryoko told herself. She stood up and shouted "Tenchi!"

"What?" he looked back.

Ryoko flew towards him and whispered in his ear, "Be prepared; I'm separating my forms." And before Tenchi could say a word, Ryoko teleported to Washu's science lab.

Washu saw Ryoko was looking pretty sad. "Oh, Ryoko, why so blue?" Then, just for the fun of it, turned all of Ryoko's clothing one or another shade of blue.

"*Grrrrrrrrrrr* IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!!" Ryoko yelled.

"Ok, calm down...what do you need?"

Too ashamed to speak it outloud, Ryoko thought I need you to separate my two forms.

WHAT!?!?!?!? Washu gave her a surprised look, But that means you...

Yes, I know.

Plus, we'll need Tenchi to help us, since he's the cause of...

No problem. Be right back, Ryoko quickly disappeared, and reappeared with Tenchi in her arms.

"I don't like this," Tenchi began but suddenly he got shoved by Washu onto a wall being bound tightly onto it. She then ushered Ryoko onto a circle made on the floor.

I have to decide who I love, and fast! Tenchi thought, Hmm...Ryoko or Ayeka? Ryoko or Ayeka? Let's see...ahh, I can make a pros and cons list! Ryoko's attractive, Ayeka's a princess, Ryoko's saved my life about a million times, Aeka is Juraiian...WAIT a minute,.... "OW!!!!!! What was that!?" Tenchi asked.

"Sorry, Tenchi! I just clamped a clothes pin onto your back!" Washu sweatdropped.

"It hurts...so what're you gonna do now?"

"I'm about to separate her two forms....Laser?" Washu eyed a laser that was above Ryoko. "Check. Pin? Check. Fully secured? Check. Ok, here goes, 1 - "

"Ryoko!" Tenchi cried, trying to remember what he was thinking, "Ryoko, I...I..."

"- 2 -"

Ayeka...Ayeka is....is my, my, my grand-aunt! Of course! Grandpa's her brother! Pretty weird, considering how young she looks...But either way, she's family and Ryoko has done more for me...like she's been trying to prove how much she loves me and that it's not just a little crush... Tenchi then shouted, "Ryoko! I...I LOVE YOU!"

Ryoko eyed him with a look of surprise, but just then Washu shouted, "THREE!!!!" and Ryoko split in two, and the two halves each formed into complete duplicates of the original Ryoko.

Everything binding Tenchi on the wall got unsecured and he collapsed onto the floor, quickly getting up and running to the Ryoko that was in love with him.

"I love you, I just realized, I, I remember you, from...from...a long time ago, and....I love you, Ryoko," he repeated.

"Tenchi, I...I...I'm speechless! I mean, hah, I never thought you'd ever like me! Seriously, it's like all that ever mattered to you was....."

"The other Ryoko looked disapprovingly at the in love Ryoko thinking How EMBARASSING,

"..And, what about Ayeka, where is she gonna go? Where? I..I...she...."

"I thought you were speechless," Tenchi smiled and he pressed his lips against hers. The in love Ryoko practically melted while the other Ryoko began to reunite with her and they were going to become one again. The other Ryoko struggled to keep away, but ended up being drawn like a magnet to her twin. The two Ryokos suddenly rose in the air, back to back, covered in a red light, when they moved backwards and formed into one, facing Tenchi's way.

Ryoko, now also crying, walked to Tenchi once again kissing him. And he kissed back. But the good thing was, he wasn't asleep. To make Ayeka mad, Ryoko teleported herself and Tenchi ON the breakfast table, as the girls watched them, surprised.

"TENCHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ayeka screamed.

Ryoko broke the kiss and walked to Ayeka. "I won him, Ayeka. He loves me. He told me he loves me. "

"LIAR!!!!!!!!!" Ayeka jumped on Ryoko and started punching her with all her might.

"STOP AYEKA!!!" Tenchi shouted, now grabbing Ayeka by the waist, as Mihoshi ran and grabbed her by the hair.

Ayeka then stood up, put her hand on Tenchi's cheek, and asked, "Why, Tenchi? Why her, of all people..she's a..she's a monster!"

"You know what I realized? Yosho is my grandpa, and you're his sister, so therefore, you must be my grand-aunt, right?"

Ayeka nodded, obviously disappointed.

"So, maybe if we were siblings it COULD'VE worked out, but...we're two generations apart," Tenchi pointed out.

"Oh, so is THAT the only reason you chose her over me!?"

"Errrr, no! Of course not!"

"Well then WHY!?" Ayeka demanded.

"She's done way more for me than you, Ayeka! And come ON, if I didn't tell her I loved her, I would've lost her!!" Tenchi shouted.

"So!? Who cares!? Do you think I care!? I wouldn't care less!!"

"See!? That's how you are!! You keep saying Ryoko's a monster, but you're the one who's always talking shit about her!"

"Well you can't LIE to her just to get her back! There's absolutely NO way you could've chose Ryoko over me because of THOSE reasons." Ayeka crossed her arms and looked at Tenchi VERY angrily.

Ryoko grabbed Tenchi. "You mean you actually lied to me to get me back!? You don't...you don't really love me!?" she cried.

"I...well," Tenchi began, but got interrupted by Ryoko.

"And to think I actually believed you." Ryoko crossed her arms too and flew 20 feet away from him, "I KNEW you had always had your eyes on Ayeka." Ryoko disappeared, and Ayeka and the rest of the girls went outside, leaving Tenchi to his thoughts.

***

But the kiss, Washu, it seemed so...real...it was wonderful... Ryoko and Washu were having another mind conversation.

You need to forget about him. He was a total JERK to do that to you!

"Damn him," Ryoko whispered as she stood onto her platform again, attempting to separate her two forms once more.

Washu snapped her fingers and Tenchi appeared on the wall, bound tightly like before.

"No, not again!!" Tenchi whined when the clothespin pinched him harder than before.

Washu went over her mental checklist, and started, "ONE..."

"NOOOO!!!!!! RYOKO DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" Tenchi screamed, squeezing his fists and squirming to get out.

Ryoko, realizing that Tenchi would only break her heart again, created a forcefield around him that would prevent him from leaving his spot.

"...TWO...."

And that's when Tenchi somehow broke free from the stuff binding him to the wall and the clothespin. Then he suddenly became Tuxedo Mask, used his rose to escape the forcefield, grabbed Ryoko right before Washu said three, and Ryoko turned into Sailor Moon.

Geez, do you actually think I'm THAT lame!? Gosh, I was only kidding.

And that's when Tenchi somehow broke free from the stuff binding him to the wall and the clothespin. What the...how did I... He had NO idea how he did it, but he did know that he was determined to save Ryoko.

He ran towards her, but screamed and fell to the ground hard when the forcefield electrecuted him.

Ryoko looked away from him, tears streaming from her eyes, hoping he wouldn't have to be hurt much longer.

"ONE........"

Tenchi tried and tried, but each time he ran he got hit and hurt worse than before.

"TWO......."

"I'M SORRY TENCHI!!!" Ryoko yelled at him. Tenchi, now covered with bruises, was even more determined to escape the forcefield.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME RYOKO!?!?" Tenchi screamed. He rammed into the forcefield with a piercing scream.

"THREE!!!!!"

~~~~~

Tenchi's eyes slowly opened...

"Wha..." he was in a room but he didn't know WHAT room... "Where am I???" he asked, suddenly sitting up.

"In my room," a voice from behind him said. Tenchi turned around and saw Ryoko with tears dripping down her face.

"Y-You're back?"

Ryoko shook her head. Tenchi resisted the urge to cry, pounding the bed with his fists.

"Who are you...?" he asked.

"Who do you think?" Ryoko choked out.

Tenchi tossed his head back. "I'm really sorry, Ryoko..." luckily, she didn't see a tear roll out of his eye.

"NO, Tenchi.." Ryoko shook her head, "It's my fault..."

"WHAT!?!?" Tenchi faced her again. Ryoko was surprised to see that he'd been crying.

Ryoko cried even harder. "It's my fault Tenchi...I should've been happy for you. 'Cause I knew I didn't have a chance with you - if I really loved you, I would've been happy that you had someone you loved that loves you back. And now,...I...I can't....."

"You can't change back?" Tenchi interrupted.

Ryoko nodded and then cried into her bed.

Tenchi also began crying. "Ryoko, no, you can't do this to me....Ryoko..." Tenchi grabbed her shoulders and sat her up. "Please...please come back! I need you! Badly! You...I mean..." Tenchi let go of her and looked down shamefully. "You'll probably take it as a lie again..."

Ryoko nodded and disappeared.

"No - Ryoko!!" Tenchi collapsed into his bed crying. It was the first time he actually REALLY cried. Since his mother died. Not even when Kagato had kidnapped Ryoko did he cry.

To me
Coming from you...
Friend is a four-letter word

Ryoko's CD started playing. Tenchi knew Ryoko must've turned it on. HE lay on his back, listening to it.

End is the only part of the word
That I heard
Call me morbid
Or absurd
But to me
Coming from you...
Friend is as four-letter word

"COME ON RYOKO! WHAT KIND OF SONG IS THIS!?!?" Tenchi yelled, tears streaming down his face once again. He couldn't take it anymore, and he got up, jumped off the bed, sneaked to the kitchen and took LOTS of food, stuck 'em in his bag, and ran out of the window in search for Ryoko.

"IF I DIE, IT'LL BE YOUR FAULT!!" Tenchi looked up hoping that he would find her. But she could be ANYWHERE, he thought, Even in a different planet! But he didn't care. He was going to find her no matter what happened to him.

~~~~~

"Tenchi, Tenchi, where are you!?" Ayeka screamed, searching the whole house for Tenchi. Sasami looked in the trash can, under some rocks, behind the fridge, nowhere. Yosho searched at the shrine, and Nobuyuki walked to his school. Washu even tried using her computer. But nothing. No sign of him at all. Hey, it's not like there was some kind of device attached to him that Washu could FIND him with!!

Mad, Ayeka thought outloud, "Oooooh I bet Ryoko took him somewhere! She kidnapped him! I just know it!! OOOOOOOH I'LL GET HER FOR THIS!!!!!"

"Calm down Ayeka! We can't even find them, let alone hurt them..." Sasami said sadly.

Ayeka turned red with anger and grinded her teeth together, beginning to cry. "I'M WARNING YOU, RYOKO, YOU'LL BE SORRY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!!!!!!!"

~~~~~

"Ryoko-In-Love" sat in a corner and cried her heart out. It was midnight with a full moon. She wished she was a werewolf, so she could go destroying things and hopefully kill Tenchi without knowing it. Then she could just forget about him and get on with life.

"Quit thinking such teribble things, it'll never happen. You'll just be a depressed old maid who sits crying all day." she told herself.

"Ryoko....RYOKO!" she heard a voice calling her name. No, NO! she thought. I don't want anybody to find me!! Ryoko phased into the wall she was by with just her eyes sticking out. When she saw Tenchi searching for her, with tears in her eyes and even a backpack full of food, it took a great deal of effort not to come out to him and cry in his shoulders. Cuz if she did that, her life would be just like before, with nothing accomplished. And everything she'd done would've been for nothing. All the pain and suffering...for nothing.

When Tenchi was out of sight, Ryoko collapsed into the ground, wailing like a baby. She didn't care what others thought of her. She wished Tenchi was hers. She wished she was happy with Tenchi. She wished she hadn't done everything she'd done. She just couldn't take it...

Ryoko flew with great speed until she was directly behind Tenchi, hovering so he wouldn't hear her. She listened to him calling for her. She listened to him cry. She listened to him think to himself. Ryoko knew that even though he didn't love her as a girlfriend, he had loved her as a friend. And that was the best she could get. Without warning, Ryoko fell to the ground and cried once more.

Tenchi whirled around and when he realized Ryoko was behind him and grabbed her hands, standing her up, yelling "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE HERE!?!? I WAS ABOUT TO SPEND THE NIGHT ON THE STREETS BECAUSE OF YOU!!!!!"

Ryoko hugged Tenchi sobbing, "I'm so sorry Tenchi, it's all my fault I know I shouldn't have done that, I know I shouldn't have done anything I should've been happy for you I should've realized that you'll only love me as a friend....."

"You still don't realize it Ryoko!? I love you! Not as a friend! I love you! I'll love you forever! I did when I said I did! I meant every last bit of it!"

"NO YOU DON'T TENCHI!" Ryoko shoved herself off him. "YOU CARE SO MUCH MORE FOR AYEKA THAN YOU DO FOR ME!!!"

"RYOKO, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!? CAN'T YOU SEE HOW MUCH YOU'RE HURTING ME!?!?" They sounded like old lovers breaking up. With all the tears and the yelling and stuff I mean...

"WELL YOU'VE HURT ME TEN TIMES AS MUCH TENCHI!! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME TO RESIST THE URGE TO DISAPPEAR ON YOU AGAIN!? IF YOU'RE GONNA BREAK MY HEART AGAIN, I'LL JUST DISAPPEAR AND NEVER COME BACK!! AND IF YOU EVER DO FIND ME, I'LL DISAPPEAR AGAIN!!"

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT HURTS ME TO KNOW THAT YOU LOVE ME, YOU'RE DENYING MY LOVE FOR YOU WHEN I'M TELLING THE HONEST TRUTH!! IT HURTS MORE THAN YOU THINK!!"

Ryoko sat in mid-air, clutching her shoulders and crying for everything that ever hurt her.

Tenchi was finally crazy enough to beg on his knees. "Please Ryoko..Please come back! I missed you so much! And I don't wanna lose you again!"

Ryoko just disappeared.

Sobbing, Tenchi gave up and walked back home, knowing he'd miss Ryoko for the rest of his life but there was nothing he could do to get her back.

~~~~~

Ayeka answered Ryoko's knock on the door, and her face of joy turned to an expression of hatred. "HOW DARE YOU DO WHAT YOU DID TO MY TENCHI!!" and she slapped Ryoko.

Ryoko ignored it and walked in, towards her room.

"I see you're not doing anything about it!? Not one word!?" Ayeka took a rolling pin and started hitting Ryoko frantically. And Ryoko did absolutely nothing to defend herself. She just walked on, into her room, and sat watching the window till Tenchi came back (with Ayeka at her side still hitting her.)

After HOURS of waiting (and torture for Ryoko), they heard a knock at the door. Ryoko tried racing down the stairs, but Ayeka was faster than her. She opened the door and Tenchi was standing there with a tear-stained face.

"TENCHI!!! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!! OH YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT HURT TO SEE YOU DISAPPEAR...." Ayeka blabbed on giving Tenchi a BIG hug, practically suffocating him. He forced a smile, until he saw Ryoko 20 feet behind Ayeka - naked, and covered in bruises from head to toe, as sad as she was a few hours before. His eyes grew wide and he held back a tear, squeezing himself out of Ayeka.

"Oh my god...Ryoko, what happened?" He whispered grabbing her shoulders. Ayeka looked disappointed at him, and Ryoko pointed at the rolling pin Ayeka's holding.

Tenchi got the message and cried "AYEKA HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER!?!? YOU SAW HOW HURT SHE WAS ALREADY, DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT WORSE!?!?!?" he grabbed the clothespin and threw it outside.

"But Tenchi, she....I....well,...-"

"YOU HAD NO REASON TO DO THIS TO HER!!!.....I HATE YOU SO MUCH, AYEKA!!!!!" When Tenchi said this, he meant every single word - and it showed, considering how many tears were pouring down his face.

A tear rolled down Ayeka's cheek and she ran to her room, crying. (Lotsa crying in this story, huh.)

Tenchi faced Ryoko again and said, "To tell you the truth, Ryoko,...." Tenchi pulled off his shirt, revealing the scar of a letter "R" on his chest.

"Tenchi...why did you do this!?" Ryoko asked, touching the scar lightly.

"I bumped myself on the desk and started bleeding, and I decided to finishing by carving into it an R with my pocket knife." he replied.

"Oh my gosh...for me?"

"Well, it would've been more obvious if I carved in 'Ryoko' instead of 'R', but I wasn't looking forward to making myself bleed all that much...and it already hurt alone." Tenchi smiled.

Ryoko suddenly hugged Tenchi, this time with no tears, but with a smile. Tenchi hugged her back, smiling with relief and happy that she was back. And that was just about the time that Sasami, Washu, Nobuyuki and Yosho walked in on them.

Seeing a naked Ryoko and a half-naked Tenchi hugging, Yosho and Sasami gasped, totally shocked by it, Nobuyuki cried tears of joy saying "He's done it! He's finally done it!" and Washu gave a joyous smile, almost with envy, but she was very happy for the both of them.

-THE END-
(For now at least.)

Well, that's that! I dunno whether or not I should write a part two or not, we'll see. I just hope y'all liked it. Thanks for taking the time to read that!!

Luv to y'allz,
~*~Sora~*~