Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tenchi Muyo! characters and stuff. They belong to AIC and
Pioneer I think. Please don't sue me cuz all you'll get is air, and a bill from your lawyer. ^_^;;
It was yet another hot summer day. Sasami tended the kitchen while Ryoko loitered
around. Kiyone and Mihoshi patrolled the system, while Washu experimented and tested in her
lab. Ayeka...
"Oh Tenchi!" his grandfather called out.
Tenchi turned to him. "Yes grandfather?" Beads of sweat rolled down his face.
"How about some training, boy..." the old man laughed. "You've worked long enough
today."
Tenchi let out a sigh of relief. He dropped the hoe to the ground and picked up his shirt,
which he had discarded beforehand. "The girls up to their usual bit?"
Katsuhito nodded and the two walked along the path towards the sparring area. Not long
after, the two were fighting away with their wooden bokkens. The sun began to set over the
mountains. As usual, Sasami was just about done with dinner.
"Tenchi..." Katsuhito yawned.
"Yes grandfather?" Tenchi replied, ready to leave.
"Before we go in, lets try some new training." Katsuhito smiled.
New training? He thought. "Sure I guess...what did you have in mind grandfather?"
Tenchi asked. His stomach grumbled.
Katsuhito clapped his hands and the door of the shed slid open. Ayeka stepped out in her
battle attire. Tenchi froze in place, shocked. What the... An energy wave bolted from Ayeka
towards Tenchi.
"AAAAAA!" Tenchi yelled, narrowly evading the assault. "Ayeka! What are you doing?!"
"Helping you Tenchi," she replied, launching another wave of energy.
Tenchi, mustering all the courage he could, held up his bokken. *FWACK* Tenchi
twitched on the ground, his bokken snapped over his head.
"Ease up Ayeka...." Katsuhito mumbled before bursting into laughter.
"Eh? Oh my! Hehe..." Ayeka chuckled a little before running to Tenchi's side. "Tenchi?
Tenchi dear, are you alright?"
The dinner bell rang in the distance, Tenchi's eyes shot open. Tenchi grinned at the
concerned Ayeka. "Well, besides the headache and growling stomach...I guess I'm fine." Tenchi
scratched his head. "I bet that was funny."
Katsuhito controlled his laughing. "You'll need more training Tenchi, but lets go eat
now." The three started for the house.
By the time they reached the house, all three were in normal dress. Ayeka opened the
door. The sweet aroma of Sasami's cooking filled the air. Tenchi walked into the dining room.
"Wow Sasami!" he smiled. "That smells great!"
Sasami blushed slightly. "Thank you Tenchi, I hope you...I hope you all like it." She
finished bringing out all the food and everyone ate the great meal.
"Sasami..." Ayeka said, looking at her worn sister.
"Yes sister?" she replied.
"You go rest. I'll take care of the dishes." Ayeka said smiling.
"Thank you very much!" Sasami yelled. She then ran out the door with Ryo Oh Ki.
Tenchi stood in the other doorway. He smiled at Ayeka's action. He began to stack dishes
"Lord Tenchi...you don't need to do that, I can handle it." Ayeka told him.
"It's quite all right Ayeka. It was very respectable of you to give Sasami a break." He took
the dishes to the kitchen.
They began washing the dishes together. The word spun around in Ayeka's mind. Him
and her, her and him. The match seemed so perfect in her head. The short time it took to wash the
dishes felt like an eternity for her. Standing next to him made her heart race.
"Phew!" Tenchi exhaled. "Lets go outside and look at the stars."
Ayeka just followed him. They watched the sky for about an hour. Ayeka's hear began to
beat rapidly. Should I? Shouldn't I? I will...she thought. She motioned her hand toward his. Just
as she was about to make contact the door behind them slammed open. Tenchi and Ayeka
jumped, scared out of their wits. Tenchi came to his senses and looked to see who it was.
"Heeey...whaaat are you two doin'?!" Mihoshi slurred out, her breath heavily smelled of
sake.
"Who let Mihoshi into the sake again..." Tenchi grumbled...
Kiyone arrived just shortly after. She picked up her partner and took her away, probably
to their room. The two watched the sky some more. Before long, Sasami, Ryoko, Washu, and
Nobiyuki joined them. They all stared a conversation that went into the night.
"Breakfast!!" Sasami called.
Everyone came crashing down the stairs. They quickly got up and ran to the table. Washu
finished first.
"That was very good Sasami." she told the young iron chef. Smiling she then went back to
her lab.
"Mihoshi...It's time for work." Kiyone yawned, standing up.
"Awww...but Kiyone...can't we take a day off?" Mihoshi cried out.
Kiyone, looking agitated, grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and dragged her away. Ryoko began to float out the door until something caught her eye.
She saw Tenchi and Ayeka cleaning off the table. What does she think she's doing? Trying to score points with MY Tenchi? Ayeka and Tenchi cleaned about half of the mess. As they went to get the rest, Ryoko piled it all into one pile, and began taking it to the kitchen.
"Looook Tenchi! I'm helping with the dishes!" Ryoko announced. The pile of the dishes began to wobble.
"Um...Ryoko..." Tenchi winced.
"See Tenchi! I can do anything I want!" She closed her eyes and grinned at Ayeka. Tenchi closed his eyes, and sighed.
*CRASH* The dishes toppled over. Tenchi opened his eyes to see Ryoko amidst a pile of broken dirty dishes. Ayeka burst out laughing. Sasami ran into the room.
"No! Ryoko!" Sasami yelled.
"I was only trying to help...," Ryoko frowned.
Tenchi kneeled down beside her and brushed some breakfast off her shoulder. He tried to keep calm.
"That was very nice of you Ryoko." He smiled. "Maybe you'll get it right next time."
Ayeka mumbled to herself. Ryo Oh Ki tugged at Sasami's skirt. Sasami pet Ryo Oh Ki and the two ran outside to play.
"Well...ehe...I'll just be going now." Ryoko said phasing away.
"Why that no good, destructive monster woman!" Ayeka yelled, anger in her voice. "First she tries to help clean up then winds up making a mess and sticks us with it!"
"It's alright Ayeka." Tenchi tried to calm her. He began sweeping up the mess. Ayeka took a few breaths and calmed down. She went into the next room and got a garbage bag. The mess was soon cleaned up.
The house shook. Losing her footing, Ayeka feel, landing in Tenchi's arms. The made eye contact and she blushed profusely. The house shook again. Tenchi snapped out of it and got Ayeka to her feet.
"What the heck is going on here? Washu messing up another experiment?" Tenchi yelled.
Ryoko phased in right in-between Ayeka and Tenchi. She grabbed him and teleported him and herself aboard Ryo Oh Ki, who had become a ship.
"Ryoko! Go get Ayeka!" Tenchi snapped.
"I've got other things to worry about than that stuck up princess." She replied without emotion. "Juraian ships have opened fire on your house."
"Get my sister!!" Sasami yelled out, crying.
"What!? Juraian ships?!" Tenchi flinched. "Ryo Oh Ki! Beam me back into the house!"
Before Ryoko could protest, Tenchi was gone. Washu appeared. "What is going on?" she asked, looking at Ryoko.
"Ayeka!" He called out. "Ayeka! Where are you?!" Tenchi ran through the house.
"I am here!" she called out to him.
He ran towards the sound of her voice. "Ayeka are you alright?" The house shook again, violently, and the ceiling came crashing down. Tenchi pushed Ayeka out of the was, but was caught under the flux of rubble.
"No! Tenchi!"Ayeka cried out, kneeling beside him. She tried moving the rubble that was crushing the other half of his body.
Tenchi coughed a little. "Ayeka..." he managed to say. "Ayeka ... are you alright?"
"Oh my! Yes Tenchi! You saved me!" She began to cry more. A blue beam of light then surrounded the princess. Tenchi glance in horror as Ayeka ascended up the light.
"Ayeka! No! Ayeeeeka!"
"Tenchiiiii!"
"Ayekaaaaa!"
Washu zoomed the monitor. "Oh my..."
"What is it Washu?" Sasami asked, scared.
"Ayeka has just been taken into one of the ships." She checked her sensors. "And Tenchi..." she paused.
"Damn it Washu! What is it? Is Tenchi okay?" Ryoko yelled at her.
"Tenchi is hurt. He was caught under rubble I presume, saving Ayeka...alone"
Alone. It's all my fault Tenchi is hurt. I let him down because of my jealousy. Please my Tenchi, please be okay. Ryoko held in her emotions.
"Ryoko! The ships are leaving!" Sasami yelled.
"They must be heading back to Jurai." Washu snapped. "Something must be wrong there."
Yagame began to descend towards the Masaki's lake, heavily damaged. The ship holding Ayeka left Earth's space and headed for Jurai. The other two descended back down and began to fire at Ryo Oh Ki. Tenchi's eyes widened as he watched on. It all then went black.