Understanding
"Don't tell me what I can't do!"
Tenchi sighed, it looked like the start of another argument, and all he had asked the two was what they wanted to watch on the television together.
"You will do as I command," Akeya yelled in his right ear.
"Like hell I will," Ryoko yelled in his left ear.
"Excuse me ladies," Tenchi started meekly, but quieted when he saw the looks they gave him. Both continued to glare at each other then Akeya reached up and slapped Ryoko hard on her face. Ryoko retaliated by slapping her twice.
"Ladies please," Tenchi said with his eyes closed as to not see the looks they were giving him, "Can we please not fight?"
"I," Akeya said through gritted teeth, "will defend myself against this old woman, and not be pushed around."
"That's it you're asking for it," Ryoko said curling her hand into a fist.
Tenchi puts his face in his hands and sighs.
"Both of you, cut it out please," he tried one more time with a little more exasperation in his voice then he realized.
Ryoko growled in annoyance and then said sweetly in his ear, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "This would be a lot more…pleasurable if you would just tell the Princess off."
Before Tenchi could even think of something to say, Akeya yelled, "Get your hands off Lord Tenchi immediately!"
She smiled and blew a raspberry at her saying, "Make me."
Akeya grabbed Tenchi's right arm and started to pull him hard her way, Ryoko countered by getting a better grip on his shoulders and holding tight.
Tenchi made a small noise of pain, and both girls looked down concerned before looking back up at their rival and yelled, "Let go, you're hurting him!"
"No, I'm not!" They both yelled.
They gave each other death glares before they redoubled their efforts to move Tenchi out of the others arms.
"Let go, let go, leg go," Tenchi yelled feeling like he was slowly being ripped in half.
"See you hag, he told you to let go," Akeya said venomously.
"No, I do believe he told you to let go Princess," Ryoko said pulling Tenchi closer to her.
Tenchi had tears in his eyes and closed them yelling, "Both of you let go, let go."
Akeya with a sour look in her face let go of Tenchi's arm, crossed her own arms over her chest, and looked the other way. Ryoko let her arms go wide, letting Tenchi's back hit her chest and then wrapped him in an embrace with her head on his shoulder.
"Uh, Ryoko," Tenchi said nervously.
"Yes Tenchi," she asked elongating the s in yes.
"Will you please let me go?"
That's when Akeya looked at Ryoko again and saw what she was doing. Her eyes grew wide then narrowed, "Lord Tenchi gave us a command."
Ryoko smirked and said sweetly, "When I become either his wife or a loyal servant of the Jurai Empire I will follow all of his commands unerringly."
Akeya mouth was open but she quickly closed and said angrily, "You're not a suitable wife for Lord Tenchi, you're not of noble blood!"
She smirked and said stroking an embarrassed Tenchi's face, "Maybe not for Lord Tenchi, but maybe for regular Tenchi…"
"That's just," she stuttered trying to think quickly, "That's just preposterous!"
Ryoko continued to stroke Tenchi's face and said softly in his ear, "What about it Tenchi, is it so absurd?"
He turned even redder and was about to say something when Akeya said, "Only those, such as me, with royal blood can marry Tenchi. Not some old demon space pirate!"
Ryoko laughs and whispers in Tenchi's ear, "I think I hit a nerve Tenchi."
"Stop whispering in his ear!"
Tenchi closes his eyes and sighs before breaking out of Ryoko's grip and falling off the couch.
"Ha," Akeya says kneeling down to Tenchi and glaring at Ryoko, "he broke out of your clutches."
Ryoko laughs putting her hands behind her and levitating slowly saying, "I let him."
Akeya tries to help him up but he waves her off saying that he's ok. He then put his hand behind his hung head.
"So why don't you answer Tenchi," Ryoko says turning herself counter-clockwise until she is lying on her stomach in the air.
"Yes Lord Tenchi, I'm getting quite impatient with having to wait for you to come to your senses and arrange our marriage."
Tenchi tensed up, and his first instinct was to run either to his room or to the shrine. He looks at the possible escape routes quickly.
'Either the stairs, or the front door…' Tenchi thinks quickly ignoring the pleading glances from Akeya and the inquisitive nonchalant looks from Ryoko.
The stairs were then taken from him as Mihoshi comes walking down the stairs and yawning saying, "Is it afternoon already?"
Mihoshi glanced from Akeya and Ryoko and then to Tenchi and asked, "Why is everyone staring at Tenchi?"
Ryoko smiles and says, "We're putting Tenchi on the spot asking who he sees marrying?"
Mihoshi's eyes widen and then close happily asking, "Did he say me?"
Ryoko gives her an incredulous look and says, "No,"
"Aw…I see," Mihoshi says tears forming in her eyes.
Tenchi closes his eyes and puts his face in his hands. Then through his fingers he glanced at the front door, and he saw that exit was also wrenched from him as his father and Sasami came walking loaded with groceries in from the grocery store.
"What's going on," Sasami asked.
After a few moments of silence, and when it became apparent that Ryoko wasn't going to repeat herself, Mihoshi said, "They're trying to get Tenchi to pick the one he loves."
"Really," the blue haired princess says surprised, "But why hasn't Tenchi run away yet?"
Mihoshi's only reply was a shrug, and Nobuyuki said, "You know there is a car full of groceries, right?"
"I'll help," Tenchi says excitedly, hurriedly standing.
Everyone looks at each other before saying collectively, "No you won't."
Tenchi sighs and falls back down to his hunches, thinking 'what do I do? I need to run and think about this"
Akeya's eyes water and she says, "Tell them Tenchi…please tell them Tenchi…"
A door then materializes by the stairs and the self-appointed resident genius pops out her head, and looks at the little gathering.
"Do I want to know what's going on?"
"Tenchi's going to decide," Sasami says excitedly.
"Uh-huh," Washu says skeptically, "And what proof do you have."
"Um," Sasami says biting her lip, "I don't know that just why everyone's here for."
Washu smiles and says slowly walking forward closing the door behind her, "Tenchi—"
"Back off, mom!"
"You shouldn't bother with these kids Tenchi," Washu says dismissing her daughter's anger, then saying very sensuously, "Let a real woman show you the way."
Tenchi stands up and sighs and then takes a deep breath, and says smiling, "Okay everyone gather 'round."
Surprised all the girls, and Nobuyuki, gathered until Tenchi was in front of them. Tenchi put his hands in front of his face and breathed deeply gaining his composure. He then clapped and clasped his hands in front of him. He then smiles and a hush fills the room.
"Okay, what I have to say is that I love," his eyes then widen and he points behind them yelling, "wait what's that out the window!"
All of their heads jerked to the window at questions and started moving closer to it, giving Tenchi the distraction needed to bee-line to the front door. Ryoko stops moving towards the window and smirks, her eyes following Tenchi's running back. She then starts quietly following him.
"Is it a space anomaly?"
"Jurai ship?"
"Enemies?"
"Another beautiful alien girl?"
They get to the window and after a few moments of searching, Sasami asks turning around, "What was it that you saw Ten—"
"What's wrong Sasami," Akeya asks her eyes glued to the window.
"Tenchi's gone," Sasami says giggling slightly.
Everyone's head jerks back and they saw that he was in fact gone. Akeya's face scrunched up and her eye starts to twitch, "TENCHI YOU COWARD!"
Hands over her ears, Mihoshi looks around and asks, "Where'd Ryoko go?"
Akeya tenses and then quickly scans the area for the cyan haired space pirate, and after a few seconds of reasoning it out, she says, "She must've taken him somewhere!"
Washu puts her hand on her chin and starts to think, "No, I don't believe so. I would've felt that…"
'Run away, run away, run away,' Tenchi thinks obsessively as he runs deeper and deeper in the forest.
He runs for what seems like a long time so he decides to take a small break in a clearing. Putting his back to a tree he slides down until his butt hits the ground. He chuckles softly until it grows into a full laugh. He didn't understand how that trick could've worked, especially to Washu! She's supposed to be the smartest woman in the universe! He laughs for a couple of minutes until his mind drifts to what the girls were asking him to do. He sighs pleasantly; it wasn't that he was adverse to their demands. He understood their need to know, but it was complicated. He laughs thinking how his friends all envied him and wished that they were him. This was all so complicated, and no matter what he does someone will be hurt. But he was lying to himself, he knew not telling them was all making them more and more agitated in the long run. He just didn't know what to do.
'Mother,' he thinks sadly, 'I wish you were here to tell me what to do.'
"Tenchi, where are you?"
Tenchi startled hit the back of his head on the tree and immediately bit his lip to stop him from crying out. He recognized Ryoko's voice, and he just wanted to be alone for a little bit.
"Tenchi," Ryoko called out again, "you really don't think the same tricks going to work on me a second time do you?"
He hadn't thought it would, but he did hope it would.
"Tenchi," Ryoko said growing fainter and fainter, "What makes you think I don't already know where you are?"
Tenchi put both of his hands over his mouth and tried to control his breathing.
"Tenchi," she said sounding far away but loud enough to still be heard, "why don't you look behind you?"
Tenchi involuntary screamed and the noise escaped his lips as he rolled away from the tree expecting to see Ryoko dive at him. But when he turned around no one was there.
"There you are Tenchi," Ryoko said flying over to him smiling, "Thank you for telling me where you are."
Tenchi nervously chuckles and says, "Ah, yeah, don't mention it."
Ryoko smiles at him and says, "So Tenchi, why are you running away from home?"
"I'm not…" Tenchi then sighs, "Running."
Ryoko laughs and says, "Of course not, not anymore at the least."
"Yeah I guess," he says nervously laughing.
"So are you running away from the question? Or the people?"
Tenchi quickly shakes his head and says, "I'm not running away from all of you, I just…I just needed some time to think."
The cyan haired woman crosses her legs and levitates until they are eye to eye and says, "You've had a lot of time to think."
"I know."
"And each time you run away."
"…I know," he says quietly.
"Why?"
Tenchi shakes his head and quietly more to himself then to Ryoko says, "I don't know."
"Are you afraid we'll be hurt?"
"No, I know you are all strong enough."
"Are you afraid we'll leave?"
"Always, but that doesn't affect my decision."
She then licks her lips and says smiling, "Then what is it that you want?"
He hangs his head, "I don't know."
"Tenchi stop hiding. I'm not. I love you. I would kill for you. And I would die for you. Tell me, what is it that you want?"
Tenchi looks up at her and she can see his confusion, "I…I don't know."
"Tenchi," her eyes continue to stare at his, she then smiles, "I will change for you."
Startled he asks her to clarify.
"Do you want me to be refined and laugh softly holding my hands clasped before me and say, 'yes Lord Tenchi take me, take me!' or do you want me to be clumsy and airheaded and cry every time the deck is stacked against me or do you want me to—"
"That's enough," Tenchi says angrily, "You don't have to mock—"
"I'm not trying to!"
"That's what it sounds like!"
"What is it that you are afraid of?!"
Tenchi pounds the ground with his fist and says staring into her yellow eyes, "I don't know."
After a long silence, Ryoko says, "Are you afraid we'll die like your mother?"
Tenchi immediately tensed and looked up to her, his eyes full of anger.
"Are you afraid that once you get attached to us that we'll die and you'll be left with a shattered heart again?"
"No," he says angrily but not very convincingly.
Ryoko then stares at the sky putting her index finger to her lip and says, "Ah, I see. So that's why you keep us away…"
"No, it isn't."
Ryoko smiles, "So I have to compete with mommy is that it?"
"Stop it."
"Is that why…you got angry when I ripped up that kimono?"
"Stop it."
Ryoko smiles and says in a manner very similar to her mother, "Ah I see, that's why Tenchi's afraid of girls."
Tenchi quickly stands up and grabs a handful of her blue kimono jerking her head up, "Stop it!"
She saw that he had tears dripping from his face, and she smiled gently at him, reaching up with both of her hands wiping away the tears.
"Don't worry Tenchi," she said softly, "I won't die."
"How do I know," Tenchi yelled, "with all the evil people in the universe wanting to kill me, how do I know you won't die?!"
"Because Tenchi," she says laughing, "With you by my side we'll be unbeatable. Nothing could stop us. Nothing."
They stare at each other for a long time until the tears stop coming down Tenchi's eyes.
"Stop being so depressed," Ryoko says beaming, "Its not you."
He sighs and says, "It's not that easy."
Her smile continues, "Yes it is, you just don't want to."
"So you know me now, huh?"
"Yes, I do."
He smiles weakly and says, "And what do you say is the best thing for me to do?"
"Marry me."
His eyes widen and she puts her hand in front of her mouth and tries to look innocent.
"Uh huh, I think that you might be a little biased," he says with his eyebrow raised.
She laughs and flies behind him her upper body lying on his shoulders and her lower body hanging in the air.
"Not at all Tenchi," she says whispering in his ear, "I just want what's best for you."
"To marry you is in my best interest, huh?"
She nods smiling, "Think about it Tenchi, it could be you and me cruising the universe nothing but our love to guide us."
He smiles and says, "But think about all the homework I'll miss."
"Homework?! You're worrying about homework while a beautiful lady, such as me, is willing to take you aboard her ship and let you have your way with her?"
He blushed and hung his head a hand going up to his nose to stop the blood from rushing out.
"I mean it Tenchi," she says her voice uncharacteristically serious and then gets softer, "I mean it Tenchi it's not a joke to me."
"I know."
They stayed there, Tenchi looking forward and with Ryoko playing with his hair and kissing his shoulder.
He sighed, "Love is so complicated, I don't know if I'm up to it."
"Yes you are. The problem is that you love too much."
"Huh?"
"Focus your love Tenchi, focus it on me Tenchi," she said her voice back to normal.
"But how do I know nothing bad is going to happen?"
Ryoko takes her head off his shoulder and curls her back until they are face to face, she smiles and says, "That's tomorrows problem Tenchi…worry about today, or you'll never be happy."
He stares past her and she taking advantage of his absentmindedness puts her hand on his chest and kisses him on the lips. Startled he pulls away, and she laughs levitating in front of him.
"Were you hoping I was somebody else?"
The silence grows heavy in the air, and slowly Tenchi says, "No. I…I love…you…"
She beams and rushes him, tackling him to the ground. Pinning his arms and making sure putting her hip on top of his she gives him a very powerful look.
"So Tenchi," Ryoko starts patiently, "Now that I've got you…do I get anything I want?"
He gulps and closing his eyes he nods his head.
Ryoko smiles and they sink into the ground and dropping down in Tenchi's room on Tenchi's bed. Tenchi again gulps and starts to open his mouth before she shushes him. She gets off him and says, "You clearly don't want that, today at least, and I'm not going to force you to do anything."
Tenchi sighs in relief, and comments, "Thank you."
She gives him a big smile, "But instead I'll take something else then…"
He doesn't like that look in her eye, but he has to ask what it is.
"Stop running away."
He smiles, "I can do that."
"That's not what I'm taking Tenchi, don't look so relieved."
His pulse went up then and he asked again what it is.
"Marry me."