K-1 Goddess Syndrome

            Tenchi Muyo! Is the property of Pioneer/AIC.  I don't own them and couldn't afford the copyrights anyway.  Ah! My Goddess! Belongs to Kosuke Fujishima, and I in no way intend on infringing on such a legendary figure's copyrights.  I have no idea where this came from.  This started as an intro for another story I am working on and evolved into this.  Please forgive me if you don't like it.  This is my first work without the net of a proofreader, so if there are errors let me know.  This story takes place outside the scope of my main story, Illusions of Life, but it is still in the same reality.  I am out of inspiration for the moment and this is all I have.  It will get finished, but probably not until after I get chapter 4 of Illusions out.  Thank you and Enjoy. ^_^

K1 Goddess Syndrome Chapter 1: Invitations

            The sounds of the city are a truly amazing thing, especially when you aren't used to them anymore.  The sounds of thousands of people, of vendors and customers haggling away, of the clanging din of traffic are all wondrous after so many years of quiet country life.

            At least all the noise is normal, sighed Tenchi Masaki as he walked down a crowded street.  Out on his own, without any of the girls, the brown-eyed first crown prince was just wandering aimlessly, losing himself in the sights and sounds of city. 

            Tenchi breathed deeply and exhaled slowly.  Maybe this was going to be a good day after all.  The young man began walking with a purpose through the streets.  On the way to his destination, he passed by a small shrine.  Looking in, Tenchi recognized it as an old family shrine.  It was obvious that the shrine was taken care of.  Taking a closer look, Tenchi noticed that it appeared as if the shrine and its grounds had been turned into a home.  Curious as to who would do such a thing, Tenchi entered the grounds and headed to the front of the shrine.

            Before the brown haired boy could reach the doorway, the door slid open.  Standing there was a short male with black hair and a kind expression.  He wore a shirt that had the initials N.I.T.M.C. in a diagonal across the front.  The young man grinned at Tenchi.

            "Well I'll be," the young man said with a chuckle.  He looked at Tenchi for another moment before shaking his head and laughing.

            Looking over his shoulder, the black haired man said, "Looks like you were right, Bell.  He looks just like you said."  Tenchi just looked at the man in puzzlement.  Seeing the look on his guests face, the shorter man stood up straight and walked out of the doorway.  He bowed his head slightly at Tenchi.

            "My name is Keiichi Morisato."  The man, Keiichi, extended a hand.  "My friends and I live here.  Nice to meet you." 

            The thoroughly confused Tenchi just scratched the back of his head as he shook hands with Keiichi.  "My name is Tenchi Masaki," he said sheepishly.  "How'd you know I was here?" he asked after the two finished shaking hands.

            Keiichi began sweating a little bit as he replied, "Oh, I don't know.  How's a lucky guess sound?"  Keiichi threw Tenchi a smile; Tenchi just grinned a bit and stopped scratching his head.

            "If you say so," Tenchi said.  "But how did this 'Bell' know I was here?"  Tenchi asked with a smile as he heard footsteps heading to the door.

            "Keiichi, aren't you going to invite him……Oh!"

            Meanwhile, Tenchi was staring, mouth slightly agape at what he was seeing.  A young woman dressed in a simple tan and white-stripped dress.  She had a white frilly apron over the dress and she had been rubbing her hands in a dishtowel before she dropped the towel in surprise.  What caught Tenchi's attention was her absolutely massive ponytail of caramel brown hair.  She wore a single large lock that fell in front of her right shoulder, but the rest was braided down the center of her back.

Keiichi, meanwhile was just staring at the woman he had called 'Bell' and the boy Tenchi.  Suddenly, the single mark on the girl's forehead started to glow with a warm blue light.  Keiichi gulped, since this meant that she was using some sort of power.  Looking at the boy, he was shocked to see three glowing triangles had appeared on his forehead.

            "W…w…what's going on?"  Keiichi cried.

            Just as suddenly as the light show started, the marks on the two people vanished.  The girls face was calm once more, but Tenchi was holding his head and stumbling as if he were groggy.  Tenchi looked up at the two people that lived in the shrine.

            Blinking his eyes as he attempted to focus them, Tenchi said in a quavering voice, "Who are you people?"

            Keiichi looked at the girl, who only nodded her head and smiled.  As the girl walked in, she whispered in something in the short man's ear.  Keiichi nodded his head and turned to Tenchi.

            "Come on inside, Tenchi.  We'll all sit down, have dinner, and talk."  Seeing Tenchi's hesitation, Keiichi smiled at Tenchi.  "Don't worry, we're not out to hurt you.  Belldandy will explain everything once dinner is ready."  Tenchi only nodded and walked up the steps. 

Keiichi stopped him at the door.  "Why don't you invite your friends to come in with you, Tenchi."   When Tenchi looked at him quizzically, Keiichi shrugged his shoulders.  "Belldandy said that some friends of yours were floating around.  I can't see them, but she said they were behind you.

Staring intently, Tenchi saw a shimmering image of a girl with spiky hair.  She appeared to be holding a small bundle.  Tenchi sighed in both recognition and resignation.  Looks like Ryoko's checking up on me, he thought with a grin.  Sighing, he turned toward the shimmering form.

            "All right, Ryoko, come on out," Tenchi shouted.  "You too, Mayuka…come to Daddy," Tenchi said with a smile on his face and in his voice.  He caught, out of the corner of his eye, Keiichi's expression as the young man's jaw hit the floor and his eyes grew to the size of saucers.  Tenchi just chuckled in embarrassment.

            Raising his right hand to the back of his head, the brown-eyed boy turned to face Keiichi.  He spoke to the shorter man, saying, "Don't worry, it's a long story.  I'll tell you about it as soon as they get here.

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            Sitting at the docks, rocking a sleeping Mayuka, Ryoko had been absent-mindedly checking up on Tenchi in her astral body.  She gasped when she saw the display of power from the girl Belldandy, and then from her beloved Tenchi.  She was shocked further when she heard the girl tell the short, black haired young man that Tenchi had a few friends watching him.  She didn't think anyone could see her like this, except maybe Tenchi.  Ryoko's surprise redoubled itself when Keiichi and Tenchi looked at her, and then Tenchi invited her to come along.  She was confused.  Hadn't Tenchi gone to Nekomi to be alone for a while?

            Deciding not to look a gift cabbit in the mouth, Ryoko, immediately re-inhabited her body.  Quickly gathering up Mayuka's baby bag, Ryoko stood and looked around.  She almost left right then and there, but decided to tell at least Sasami where she and Mayuka were going.  Acting as quickly as she could without waking the baby, Ryoko flew toward the house.  She stopped momentarily when she saw Ayeka and Kiyone working in the garden.  She almost called out to them, but then decided that only she had been invited; there was no need to bring along a lot of extra visitors.

            Ryoko resumed her flight and phased through the glass door in the living room, heading immediately to the kitchen.  She noted that Mihoshi was asleep on he couch as she flew by.

            As usual, the younger princess of Jurai was standing in front of the sink preparing something for the evening meal.  Ryoko touched down gently, being careful not to wake the baby.  She coughed slightly to announce herself to Sasami. 

            The blue haired girl turned around slightly to see who was there and smiled when she saw Ryoko.  "What'cha doing, Ryoko?"

            Ryoko smiled fondly at her young friend.  "Oh, nothing much.  I am taking Mayuka out for a little bit, we're going to go meet some friends."

            "Say high to Belldandy and Urd for me, Ok?"  Sasami said as she turned back to her cooking.  Ryoko just looked at her in shock.

            "Sasami, how did you know about her?"  Ryoko blurbed with disbelief.

            "Oh, I've known about her for a while, Ryoko."

            Ryoko just shook her head.  "But how?"

            Sasami turned back to Ryoko so that their eyes met.  The two marks on her forehead changed and began to glow.  The shimmering form of Tsunami appeared over the blue haired princess.

            "Sasami knows them, because I know them Ryoko," Tsunami said, her voice kind.  "You should go now.  It's not polite to keep Tenchi waiting, is it?"  Ryoko nodded her head dumbly and faded from view.  Tsunami and Sasami just began laughing as Tsunami faded and Sasami went back to her cooking.

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            Tenchi and Keiichi were standing outside talking.  It turned out that Keiichi was about to start his last year of regular college and move on to graduate school for engineering over at N.I.T.  Tenchi, meanwhile, had come to Nekomi to look at the N.I.T. campus for the architecture and spatial engineering.  The two were just about to get into a heated discussion about engineering when Ryoko and Mayuka phased into view.  Neither of them had been too surprised, though Keiichi did a double take when he saw the color of Mayuka's hair.  He looked at Tenchi, then to Ryoko, and finally to the baby.  Keiichi just shook his head in confusion

            "Sorry I'm late Tenchi, I wanted to tell Sasami where I was going with Mayuka."

            Tenchi nodded his head.  "It's ok, Ryoko."  Tenchi walked over and introduced Keiichi to Ryoko.

            "Ryoko, this is Keiichi.  Keiichi, this is my good friend Ryoko."  Keiichi raised an eyebrow when he saw the look on Ryoko's face, and the fact that Tenchi was NOT looking at Ryoko as he was talking.  Ryoko was looking at Tenchi the same way that Belldandy would look at him.  "And this is my daughter, Mayuka."  The little baby, awakened by her father's voice, was giggling happily as Tenchi took her from Ryoko.  He then proceeded to tickle her stomach.  Keiichi shook Ryoko's hand and nodded with a smile at Mayuka.

            Looking directly at Ryoko, Keiichi asked, "So, uh, um, is the baby yours?"  He saw the wistful look on Ryoko's face as she shot a glance at Tenchi, whose face reddened just a bit as he smiled sheepishly.

            "No, the baby's not mine, I just take care of her the most.  Makes me feel useful at home," She said.  Keiichi worried for a moment that he might have upset her but he felt much better when he noticed she had a soft smile on her face.  "Maybe one day…"

            Tenchi looked up at Ryoko, the blush on his face darkening visibly.  He smiled a bit and then cast his eyes downward, concentrating on his baby.  Maybe one day………  His eyes got round as saucers as he registered what he had been thinking.

            Deciding to move the moment along lest things become awkward, Keiichi said, "Well, let's all get inside then.  Belldandy's probably got dinner done by now." 

Ryoko's eyes lit up at the mention of food and Tenchi inwardly groaned.  He hoped that her appetite didn't ruin these two people's impression of him.  With a sigh, Tenchi placed a hand on Ryoko's shoulder as the four of them walked into Keiichi's house.

Tenchi whispered into Ryoko's ear.  "We don't know these people, so don't forget to compliment her, ok?  I know you can't taste it, but try and be polite to the cook, alright?"

"Ok Tenchi," Ryoko said with a smile.  She remembered a visit she had paid to Washu's lab early in the morning and her smile widened a bit.  Well, I had hoped to be at Tenchi's for dinner, but that's ok.  This should be kinda private anyway…. Ryoko thought to herself.

            Well, I hope you liked the first installment of my newest series.  I tried something without the angst in it this time, so let me know what ye think, alright?  Please, pretty please? Till next time,

-DREZ