Chapter 6
With the curtains pulled open, Tenchi could make out the sky perfectly from Ryo-ohki's windows. True, it was night, and he'd given himself to Ryoko more times than he could count. After a while he stopped counting and just concentrated on running her libido dry so he could relax. The gentle deamoness slept soundly on his arm with her arm wrapped around his waist to make sure he didn't leave. During their something-teenth time of making love, Ryoko had cried out "Don't leave me...". It broke his heart, and he vowed never to leave her.
The cloudless night gave way to a full moon, so large it seemed to take up the whole sky. With all the lights in the ship off, the moon was their only source of light. He stroked Ryoko's hair with one hand and rested the other behind his head. He'd be gone for two days soon, but the only thing that seemed to bother him was leaving Ryoko's side and not seeing her. Kozue, not even his grandfather, could change the way his heart beat for Ryoko. The way it skipped a beat when he felt her exhale on his chest.
Closing his eyes, he promised himself that he'd go tell his grandfather and Kozue that the wedding wouldn't happen because he wasn't proposing. He'd kneel before his grandfather back at their shrine where his mother was buried and confess to him that he's done wrong and brought shame to the family as well as the Bounty Air Elites. He swore that he would lay down his badge for the sleeping form beside him. Now all he had to do was go through with it.
~.~.~.~.~.~.
750 years later
~.~.~.~.~.~.
There was silence in the lab when Washu held her breath to slowly draw the IV from Ryoko's arm. She did it so slowly that the Space Pirate, herself, turned her face in discomfort as she was responding to most stimulation now. Though she wouldn't open her eyes, she was sleeping more than in a coma now. Sometimes Washu would flash a light in her eyes to see the response from her pupils. Ryoko would try to shut her eyes once more as her brain tried to make her body fight to get away completely.
Ryoko lay in a larger bed. Tenchi lay in the same room off to Ryoko's right. The little scientist hovered over his arm a bit before pulling the IV from his arm the same way. Tenchi barely responded, but Washu smiled softly as he turned his head away and inhaled slowly. Today would be the day she left them there to heal on their own. After seven months of hovering over them as if she were breathing for them, they were two coma patients in their last days of their coma. Ryoko's scars were already clearing.
Without ever turning her head, Washu waved her hand for Tsunami to enter the room. The goddess' eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed over the two, laying in their beds looking as if they were napping peacefully. With a glance from a hopeful Washu, Tsunami leaned over and pressed her forehead to Tenchi's. There was a brilliant stream of light between their foreheads as Tenchi's symbol lit up and shined brighter than Tsunami's. When she pulled away, Tenchi's brown symbol stayed on his forehead.
"How is he?" Tsunami drew back and placed her hand over her mouth as Sasami did when she was nervous.
Washu checked his pulse. "He's just asleep now. Shhh, let's let them sleep. They should be awake tomorrow."
Tsunami exhaled slowly and pulled the blankets up around Tenchi's neck. "Thank you so much, Washu. Thank you for everything you've done for Tenchi and Ryoko."
Washu brushed Ryoko's bangs back and stared lovingly at her daughter. "Don't thank me for saving the lives of people I care for." She placed a finger to her lips and snapped the lights off as Tsunami and her walked off to alert the others.
~.~.~.~.~.~.
750 years earlier
~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Ok OK OK OK OK. You have to wait here!" Tenchi released Ryoko's grip on his shirt and gazed into her eyes. A day of procrastination to tell his grandfather turned into a week. A week turned into two weeks. Tenchi and Ryoko spent days going everywhere and doing everything - legally of course. He held Ryoko close one last time to embrace her and leave a passionate kiss on her lips to remember him by while he'd be gone for the whole day. He begged her not to do anything illegal. She grinned with a hint of mischief as she crossed her heart and vowed to just cruise around and meet back when he called her.
Now Tenchi sat outside the dock of the bar where Ryoko and him met at Costa Florista. Unfortunately, his ship had been taken from the dock and he had to catch a taxi from there to Bounty Air Elites Headquarters. He'd finally built up enough courage to face off with his expecting girlfriend and his worried family. They'd yell and scream and curse and cry, but they'd all be happy to see each other. He'd bid Kozue farewell and kiss her hand the way she liked one last time. He hoped that would be the way it would go. Knowing Kozue, Tenchi would end up with a huge knot on his head he couldn't show to Ryoko.
In the taxi, he glanced back at Ryoko who had vanished. He figured she went into the bar to get something to drink. Lowering himself into the cab, he rehearsed what he would say to his grandfather and Kozue over and over again, though it seemed to change every single time. Tenchi wasn't good at pulling himself out of situations. His tongue would tie and he'd end up stumbling over words until he said enough stupid things to be waved away by an angry hand.
Wantanabe Tenchi signed in at 10:04 am to Bounty Air Elite Headquarters. When a few friends inquired as to where he had been he just said "Heaven" and walked away as he smiled. He seemed to stand straighter and walk with a little more bounce. His pants seemed looser as he strolled down the hall to his grandfather's office with his hands in his pockets. He was nervous, but he was in love. It seemed the two couldn't compare.
When Tenchi slipped into his grandfather's office, the man had his swivel chair turned with his back to the door and he was gazing out a window. Tenchi could tell he was stroking his beard with one hand and clutching his chair with the other - a sign that he was worried about something. As Tenchi cleared his throat, his grandfather turned his chair around so that they were now facing each other. There was a moment of silence.
"Miboy..." His grandfather almost whispered.
"Grandfather..." Tenchi now felt all the doubt rushing back to him as his love for Ryoko was thrust aside but not forgotten. "I hoped we could go to mother's shrine and speak for a bit."
"I wouldn't want to worry your mother with such excuses as the one you're about to give me for your unexplained absence." The Commander frowned slightly.
Tenchi sat down in the chair he always sat in, but it felt different. He shifted but the whole world seemed to look different sitting in the chair that he once sat in while he had his mind and life made up for him. He'd sit in that seat and take in all his grandfather's wisdom as a guideline for how he should live. But the chair represented all that he was forsaking now, and it hurt him to say what he wanted to say. So he decided to tell the truth without telling the WHOLE truth. "Grandfather, I met someone I feel I love dearly. And she has not driven me away from my assignment, but brought me closer to finding out the true enemy we're seeking. I've spent my whole life living the way you wanted me to live to bring you honor and great pride, and I don't want to rebel. But I want to love her."
His grandfather leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He meditated on his grandson's words before he asked the dreaded question. "Who is this girl that's changed my grandson's life so drastically?"
Tenchi almost died in his seat when he heard the question. If a man ever sobbed, it was because he was in a situation so bad he would rather lose his manhood over the consequences of opening his mouth. He became that nervous. He tried to steady his leg while he formed the words to say "Ryoko", but, instead, "Just a girl..." came out. He prayed it was enough.
His prayers were not heard.
"Some girl?" His grandfather arched a brow. "Must be some master thief to steal the heart of an elite officer and make it her own. Someone so skillful that she could win your heart in two weeks and change your life so very drastically. I must..." The commander listened to his own words as Tenchi went pale.
End of Chapter 6
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: *drops to her knees and places her hands on the floor and bangs her head on something hard* I'm sorry I stopped it like this! But I have to... oh you'll see!
With the curtains pulled open, Tenchi could make out the sky perfectly from Ryo-ohki's windows. True, it was night, and he'd given himself to Ryoko more times than he could count. After a while he stopped counting and just concentrated on running her libido dry so he could relax. The gentle deamoness slept soundly on his arm with her arm wrapped around his waist to make sure he didn't leave. During their something-teenth time of making love, Ryoko had cried out "Don't leave me...". It broke his heart, and he vowed never to leave her.
The cloudless night gave way to a full moon, so large it seemed to take up the whole sky. With all the lights in the ship off, the moon was their only source of light. He stroked Ryoko's hair with one hand and rested the other behind his head. He'd be gone for two days soon, but the only thing that seemed to bother him was leaving Ryoko's side and not seeing her. Kozue, not even his grandfather, could change the way his heart beat for Ryoko. The way it skipped a beat when he felt her exhale on his chest.
Closing his eyes, he promised himself that he'd go tell his grandfather and Kozue that the wedding wouldn't happen because he wasn't proposing. He'd kneel before his grandfather back at their shrine where his mother was buried and confess to him that he's done wrong and brought shame to the family as well as the Bounty Air Elites. He swore that he would lay down his badge for the sleeping form beside him. Now all he had to do was go through with it.
~.~.~.~.~.~.
750 years later
~.~.~.~.~.~.
There was silence in the lab when Washu held her breath to slowly draw the IV from Ryoko's arm. She did it so slowly that the Space Pirate, herself, turned her face in discomfort as she was responding to most stimulation now. Though she wouldn't open her eyes, she was sleeping more than in a coma now. Sometimes Washu would flash a light in her eyes to see the response from her pupils. Ryoko would try to shut her eyes once more as her brain tried to make her body fight to get away completely.
Ryoko lay in a larger bed. Tenchi lay in the same room off to Ryoko's right. The little scientist hovered over his arm a bit before pulling the IV from his arm the same way. Tenchi barely responded, but Washu smiled softly as he turned his head away and inhaled slowly. Today would be the day she left them there to heal on their own. After seven months of hovering over them as if she were breathing for them, they were two coma patients in their last days of their coma. Ryoko's scars were already clearing.
Without ever turning her head, Washu waved her hand for Tsunami to enter the room. The goddess' eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed over the two, laying in their beds looking as if they were napping peacefully. With a glance from a hopeful Washu, Tsunami leaned over and pressed her forehead to Tenchi's. There was a brilliant stream of light between their foreheads as Tenchi's symbol lit up and shined brighter than Tsunami's. When she pulled away, Tenchi's brown symbol stayed on his forehead.
"How is he?" Tsunami drew back and placed her hand over her mouth as Sasami did when she was nervous.
Washu checked his pulse. "He's just asleep now. Shhh, let's let them sleep. They should be awake tomorrow."
Tsunami exhaled slowly and pulled the blankets up around Tenchi's neck. "Thank you so much, Washu. Thank you for everything you've done for Tenchi and Ryoko."
Washu brushed Ryoko's bangs back and stared lovingly at her daughter. "Don't thank me for saving the lives of people I care for." She placed a finger to her lips and snapped the lights off as Tsunami and her walked off to alert the others.
~.~.~.~.~.~.
750 years earlier
~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Ok OK OK OK OK. You have to wait here!" Tenchi released Ryoko's grip on his shirt and gazed into her eyes. A day of procrastination to tell his grandfather turned into a week. A week turned into two weeks. Tenchi and Ryoko spent days going everywhere and doing everything - legally of course. He held Ryoko close one last time to embrace her and leave a passionate kiss on her lips to remember him by while he'd be gone for the whole day. He begged her not to do anything illegal. She grinned with a hint of mischief as she crossed her heart and vowed to just cruise around and meet back when he called her.
Now Tenchi sat outside the dock of the bar where Ryoko and him met at Costa Florista. Unfortunately, his ship had been taken from the dock and he had to catch a taxi from there to Bounty Air Elites Headquarters. He'd finally built up enough courage to face off with his expecting girlfriend and his worried family. They'd yell and scream and curse and cry, but they'd all be happy to see each other. He'd bid Kozue farewell and kiss her hand the way she liked one last time. He hoped that would be the way it would go. Knowing Kozue, Tenchi would end up with a huge knot on his head he couldn't show to Ryoko.
In the taxi, he glanced back at Ryoko who had vanished. He figured she went into the bar to get something to drink. Lowering himself into the cab, he rehearsed what he would say to his grandfather and Kozue over and over again, though it seemed to change every single time. Tenchi wasn't good at pulling himself out of situations. His tongue would tie and he'd end up stumbling over words until he said enough stupid things to be waved away by an angry hand.
Wantanabe Tenchi signed in at 10:04 am to Bounty Air Elite Headquarters. When a few friends inquired as to where he had been he just said "Heaven" and walked away as he smiled. He seemed to stand straighter and walk with a little more bounce. His pants seemed looser as he strolled down the hall to his grandfather's office with his hands in his pockets. He was nervous, but he was in love. It seemed the two couldn't compare.
When Tenchi slipped into his grandfather's office, the man had his swivel chair turned with his back to the door and he was gazing out a window. Tenchi could tell he was stroking his beard with one hand and clutching his chair with the other - a sign that he was worried about something. As Tenchi cleared his throat, his grandfather turned his chair around so that they were now facing each other. There was a moment of silence.
"Miboy..." His grandfather almost whispered.
"Grandfather..." Tenchi now felt all the doubt rushing back to him as his love for Ryoko was thrust aside but not forgotten. "I hoped we could go to mother's shrine and speak for a bit."
"I wouldn't want to worry your mother with such excuses as the one you're about to give me for your unexplained absence." The Commander frowned slightly.
Tenchi sat down in the chair he always sat in, but it felt different. He shifted but the whole world seemed to look different sitting in the chair that he once sat in while he had his mind and life made up for him. He'd sit in that seat and take in all his grandfather's wisdom as a guideline for how he should live. But the chair represented all that he was forsaking now, and it hurt him to say what he wanted to say. So he decided to tell the truth without telling the WHOLE truth. "Grandfather, I met someone I feel I love dearly. And she has not driven me away from my assignment, but brought me closer to finding out the true enemy we're seeking. I've spent my whole life living the way you wanted me to live to bring you honor and great pride, and I don't want to rebel. But I want to love her."
His grandfather leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He meditated on his grandson's words before he asked the dreaded question. "Who is this girl that's changed my grandson's life so drastically?"
Tenchi almost died in his seat when he heard the question. If a man ever sobbed, it was because he was in a situation so bad he would rather lose his manhood over the consequences of opening his mouth. He became that nervous. He tried to steady his leg while he formed the words to say "Ryoko", but, instead, "Just a girl..." came out. He prayed it was enough.
His prayers were not heard.
"Some girl?" His grandfather arched a brow. "Must be some master thief to steal the heart of an elite officer and make it her own. Someone so skillful that she could win your heart in two weeks and change your life so very drastically. I must..." The commander listened to his own words as Tenchi went pale.
End of Chapter 6
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: *drops to her knees and places her hands on the floor and bangs her head on something hard* I'm sorry I stopped it like this! But I have to... oh you'll see!