The morning around the Masaki residence was nothing out of the ordinary other than the rather startling peacefulness. Aeka and Ryoko weren't fighting. Washu just figured they were sick. It was peaceful and no one dared to inquire why figuring it would probably start up the dreaded morning battle. Perhaps they weren't fighting because Aeka didn't want to this morning. Or maybe they weren't fighting because the rain's beautiful song silenced the beasts within the women. Or maybe it was just because Ryoko was nowhere to be found.
Ryoko crept along Tenchi's bed until she meet his sleeping form. He looked so adorable swimming in the depths of his subconscious. Tenchi would mutter a few soft, indecipherable words every minute or so then turn his head. Ryoko giggled silently as he just muttered some more words then turned his head. Ryoko must've giggled too loud because Tenchi shot up in his bed.
"RYOKO I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF MY ROOM!" Tenchi barked
"Chill I wasn't doing anything Tenchi. I was just watching you sleep? Is that a crime?" Ryoko spoke calmly.
"Why can't you just let me be sometimes Ryoko!" Tenchi said raising his voice even louder.
Ryoko was a bit confused by his growing anger. It was normal for him to yell at her about being in his room but this was just insane. She didn't even do anything to him. "What's your deal? I'm not doing anything to you Tenchi."
Tenchi glared daggers at her and looked down at her hand clamped over his crotch. Ryoko pulled her hand away and laughed.
"Sorry I guess I just do it unknowingly now." She just laughed as Tenchi grew disgusted from her inconsideration. Tenchi hissed and stormed out of his room. He met Sasami outside his room.
"Is everything all right Tenchi?" Sasami asked with concern in her voice.
Tenchi nodded "Yes, thank you Sasami." He mumbled as he placed his hand against the bathroom door.
"Well hurry then Tenchi breakfast will be finished shortly."
"Oh... all right. I will." Tenchi said smiling.
Sasami bounded back down the steps with Ryo-ohki at her heels.
Ryoko took her place on her usual perch up in the rafters of Tenchi's ceiling. The rain put everyone in such a serene mood that it was pointless to even bother teasing Aeka this morning.
Afternoon came quickly and the rain only came down harder. Ryoko napped on her perch still a bit bitter from Tenchi's whole meaningless outburst. Tenchi and Aeka sat in the living room while Aeka thumbed through one of Noboyuki's romance novels. Sasami had prepared lunch and the house was a boring as boring could be.
Katsuhito had joined the group in the living room. The TV was only playing emergency broadcasts of floods that might happen and the radio did the same. Aeka yawned as politely as she could before speaking up.
"It's terribly boring don't you know of any indoor games we could play Tenchi?" Aeka inquired to the young man that was hanging off the couch trying to count how many lint balls there was on the arm of the chair.
Tenchi thought for a second and then froze. He thought back to the time there was another flash flood warning and they all retreated down to Washu's lab to ask the little genius if she had any ideas for fun games. Tenchi remembered how it took him three weeks after that experience to sleep with the lights off again. Washu had ideas all right. Ideas that resulted in permanent mental scarring. Fun equaled blood chilling frightening in Tenchi's books. "No Miss Aeka. Can't think of a thing. Grandpa? Do you have any ideas?"
Katsuhito thought and then looked up. "How about a writing contest? We can all write haiku."
Mihoshi and Sasami looked up from what they were doing. "What's a haiku?" they asked in unison.
Tenchi sat up "It's a poem. It consists of three lines with a certain amount of syllables. The first line having five syllables, the second line having seven and the third one having five again. We write them in school. They're written about the beautiful things of the world. Or maybe just things that make you happy."
"Cool I would like to try it Tenchi!" Mihoshi chirped.
"Sure count me in!" Sasami spoke up.
"I would be glad to try as well Lord Tenchi" Aeka spoke
Tenchi ran towards the stairs to get some paper and pencils. He stopped and looked up in the rafters. "How about you Ryoko? Do you want to play?"
Ryoko looked down at him then looked away. "What's so fun about writing?" she grumbled.
Tenchi laughed "Well you get to put your personal thoughts and feelings on paper for others to read and relate. I know a lot of my friends to write what they love in just the three lines they're allowed to write. In them you can feel their hopes and dreams and desires. It's beautiful when you write it just right."
Ryoko sat up "Sure, I guess I'll try."
Tenchi nodded and ran to get the paper. "Hey Ryoko go ask Washu if she wants to join us!"
Ryoko sighed and walked over to Washu's lab door. She pushed the door in and walked over to the little scientist who was typing away at her holo-computer. "We're all going to have a writing contest. To see who can write the best haiku. Do you want to join us?"
Washu looked up "Sure thing! I need a break!" Washu pushed herself off her floating cushion and followed Ryoko out of the lab.
Everyone seated themselves at the table in the living room.
"Just a few rules..." Katushito cleared his throat "As you know, it's three lines and a five seven five pattern. To make it interesting I was thinking we could have one line and we have to work from that. The line is.. 'The sun has risen' You'll have five minutes to write your haiku starting... now." Katsuhito sat down and began to write.
The five minutes passed quickly and everyone was ready with their haiku. Sasami decided that she would go first.
"The sun has risen
I go to tell everyone
Breakfast is ready"
Sasami smiled as everyone clapped for her.
"That was very good Sasami. You wrote about what you were good at. That's what most people do when they want to write a poem." Katsuhito assured her. "Mihoshi let's hear yours."
Mihoshi cleared her throat
"The sun has risen
I'll ride in the Yagami
Kiyone and me."
"Wow that was very good Mihoshi!" Sasami clapped and cheered.
"Oh yes I remember you speaking about Detective Kiyone." Aeka said propping her head up on her hands.
"Yes. Kiyone was my partner before she gave her life to stop an evil criminal from destroying the universe." Mihoshi spoke proudly "How about you Washu? What does your haiku say?"
Washu grinned
"The sun has risen
Tenchi has risen early
Experiment time!"
Washu and Sasami giggled as Tenchi shrunk behind the table. Tenchi sweatdropped and quickly changed the subject. "How about you Miss Aeka?"
Aeka looked down at hers and blushed "It's not that good but...
The birds sing a song
It's time to start life anew
The sun has risen"
Tenchi smiled "It was very beautiful."
Aeka blushed a deep shade of red "You really think so?"
"Yes it was lovely Aeka" Sasami said placing a hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Thank you Tenchi and Sasami."
They both nodded.
"I'll go now" Tenchi said pulling his paper closer
"The sun has risen
I have to pick some carrots
For Ryo-Ohki"
"Myaaaa!" Ryo-Ohki sang
"I think Ryo-Ohki really liked yours Tenchi!" Washu laughed
Tenchi pet the little cabbit "I figured she would." Tenchi turned to his left and looked down at Ryoko who was eyeing her haiku with a hint of disgust. "Ryoko why don't you share yours with us."
"No..." Ryoko whispered
"Why not Ryoko? It can't be that bad?" Sasami said. "We're all new at this. You can't expect to be prefect."
"It's just a game. I don't want to play any more." Ryoko picked up her haiku and phased out.
"Perhaps she knows she wrote something only another demon could love! You can't expect much from a beast other than uncouth habits and uneducated jabber!" Aeka snorted contentedly.
Ryoko would've retaliated had she cared about what Aeka said. But she didn't. She resumed her position on the rafter and reread her haiku as the rain poured. Tenchi got up and followed her.
Tenchi stopped by the stairs and looked up "Ryoko were you afraid to read yours because you didn't want Aeka to make fun of you?"
"No..."
"Were you ashamed of what you have written?"
"No..."
"Then what's bothering you Ryoko?" Tenchi said bending his head back as far as he could to get a better look at her.
"Nothing.. I just didn't want to play anymore." Ryoko spoke in almost a whisper
"Can I read your haiku?" Tenchi asked
"No..."
Tenchi sighed "All right.. I won't bother you about it if you don't want me to." He took a seat on the stairs. They sat in silence for quite some time. "Hey Ryoko?"
"What Tenchi?"
"I'm sorry for yelling at you this morning. It's just that you always come in my room without my permission or an invitation and you know it will just stir up trouble. And you totally disregard my privacy and it just insults me. That's all."
Ryoko resumed her position "I'm sorry."
"It's all right." Tenchi said before letting the rain become the only noise in the room again.
"Hey Tenchi?"
"Yea Ryoko?"
"Why are you sitting here?"
"I don't know. It's just nice over here." Tenchi smiled "Why is it a crime?"
Ryoko smiled and closed her eyes "I guess not."
The rain continued it's rhythmic melody on the roof of Tenchi's house. The rain's song was so tranquil and peaceful that Ryoko soon drifted off to sleep. Quite some time passed and she sat up groggily and looked over at the clock. It was 4 a.m. and she could hear faint muttering beneath her. Ryoko gracefully, but silently, landed on the ground. Tenchi sat sleeping against the banister. She very well couldn't leave him sleeping there and he couldn't sleep on the beam in the ceiling. She figured that if she was going to lift him she might as well put him in his bed instead of the couch. Ryoko positioned herself so that she could scoop him up but this soon proved impossible to do without waking Tenchi. She reached over and placed her hand over his. Ryoko phased out carrying Tenchi with her and phased back in his room. She wanted to quickly get him into bed without having him wake up to the sight of the position they were in. Ryoko slightly hovered over the bed and gently lowered him in. She pulled the blankets up to his neck, took one quick look back at him and returned to her beam to try and get back to sleep.
The morning came quickly and Aeka dodged energy blast after energy blast as Ryoko laughed. Aeka finally stood her ground and smiled as Azaka and Kamidake stood on either side of Ryoko and prepared to paralyze her with one of their force fields. She phased out and back in behind Aeka and the hair pulling commenced. The two girls fought till exhaustion then separated until their rendezvous in the onsen for round two.
Tenchi opened eyes preparing himself to see that he was still at the bottom of the steps. He was surprised when he pushed himself up off of his bed. He slid his hand across the bed and reached for the clock on the side table. It read 8:30. He pulled his hand back down as the corner of his eye caught something that wasn't there yesterday morning. Tenchi picked up the paper that was sitting on the edge of the bed. The paper was folded over and over again. Tenchi sat up in his bed and unfolded the paper. Inside was a haiku.
"The sun has risen
I feel it's warmth upon me
The day is lovely"
Tenchi assumed it was Ryoko's. There was nothing wrong with it so why did she refuse to read it? As he began to fold the paper back he realized that there was something written on the back of it. It was a second haiku.
"He is so naive
Can't he see that I love him?
Soon he'll love me too."
Tenchi rubbed his eyes and read it again. It was definitely Ryoko's penmanship. It was written all feathery with little hearts and stick figures around it. Ryoko could never do something without becoming quickly bored with it and doing something to pass the time. He folded the paper back the way it was and went off to bathroom.
Late afternoon came quickly and Aeka sat zoned out to her favorite television program. Sasami disappeared into Washu's lab to check out her latest invention. Ryoko was occupying herself lifting various items in the house then cursing under her breath. Had someone been paying attention to her they would assume that she was looking for something. Ryoko lifted the couch with Aeka on it while Tenchi descended the staircase.
"Looking for this Ryoko?" He said as he held up the folded paper between two fingers.
"Give that to me Tenchi" Ryoko said dropping the couch and Aeka with it.
"If you want it... you'll have to come and get it." Tenchi said with a smirk
"Tenchi I'm not kidding! That's mine! Give it back!" Ryoko glared
"What is the meaning of this!?!" Aeka demanded pulling herself off the floor
Ryoko never took her eyes off of Tenchi. "Not now Aeka."
"Now is as good a time as later! What are you doing?!" Aeka stomped her foot
Ryoko hissed and spun around to face Aeka. "Commercial's over..."
Aeka stopped shouting and jumped into the nearest chair. Ryoko spun around but Tenchi had vanished.
"Catch me if you want this Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted from the lake.
Ryoko growled and flew through the wall. She stopped in front of Tenchi. "That's private!"
"Oh you're one to preach about privacy!" Tenchi laughed as he backtracked into the forest.
Ryoko followed Tenchi as he ran backwards. She darted in and out of trees as Tenchi jumped over tree root after tree root. Tenchi showed off his knowledge of the forest by ducking in and out of trees so quickly that Ryoko had to fly through trees just to keep from colliding with them. Tenchi finally stopped and leaned against the cave.
"We ran in one big circle." Ryoko said trying to catch her breath
"So we did." Tenchi said holding up the paper. "One question Ryoko. Was the second haiku... about me?"
Ryoko turned her head and lowered it. "Of course it was."
Tenchi handed the paper back to her. She unfolded it and read it. There was the contest haiku and the one she had written. But there was one beside the one she wrote.
"I have to tell her.
She has taught me how to feel.
I love her also."
Ryoko let the paper fall at her side as she looked up at him in shock.
"I spent the whole day in my room. I was thinking about foolish I've been to let you wait for me when I knew I loved you from the day I met you. I just never knew how to express myself. And when I read your haiku and you put your heart, hopes and dreams on paper I felt I could do it that way too. To let you know. That I love you too Ryoko."
Ryoko stood motionless letting the words Tenchi just said register. "No."
"No what Ryoko?"
"I haven't said it yet." Ryoko said looking directly into his eyes.
Tenchi stepped in closer to her.
"I love you Tenchi" Ryoko said wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"I love you too Ryoko" Tenchi reached up and wiped the rest of the tears out of her eyes.
They stood in complete silence for a minute as the sun began to set. Ryoko gazed into Tenchi's eyes admiring the way the setting sun's orange light danced in his beautiful brown eyes. Tenchi stared back into her's watching the sun do the same thing in her eyes. Tenchi leaned over and picked up the paper. He folded it and handed it back to her. She handed it back to him.
"You can keep it. I already know I love you." Ryoko said
He slid the paper into his pocket. "I don't need to be reminded that I love you."
"Tenchi?"
"Hmm?"
"Do we have to go back to the house now? I don't want to go back just yet."
Tenchi took her hand and gently pulled her back into the woods in the direction opposite the house.
She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as they locked fingers "We should have contests more often"
Tenchi laughed "I'm game if you are."
The two walked until they disappeared into the forest. No one knew where they were except for a couple of angry squirrels that had lost their nesting place due to the two lovers sitting on a branch staring out into the sunset.